Wow, have you seen the stats on the latest Tau release from Forge World? The new XV109 Y’vahra is here, and the Tau may have just gotten a boost. Forge World just put the XV109 up for pre-order, lets take a closer look.
Rushed into deployment after the success of the R’varna battlesuit, the XV109 Y’vahra is a Class 10 battlesuit designed for devastating shock assault. To facilitate this role, the Y’vahra is equipped with a triple barrelled phased-plasma flamer capable of vaporising even hardened ceramite, an into the greatest concentration of the enemy and reaping a heavy toll in lives before jetting away.d a massive EMP discharge cannon designed to incapacitate enemy war engines. The complex vectored thruster array incorporated into the Y’vahra’s impressive armour allows it to traverse the battlefield in long graceful bounds, slamming
The Y’vahra battlesuit originates with the same Earth caste engineer as the R’varna, Fio’O Ke’lshan Sho’Aun, infamous for his resistance to the will of the Ethereal Council as much as his genius at weapons design. The Y’vahra represents a disturbing paradigm shift in the tactics of the pragmatic Ke’lshan Sept, in whom long years under near constant attack by alien forces has bred a stubborn pragmatism and siege mentality. The new XV109 is clearly a design intended to carry the fighting to the enemies of the Ke’lshan, perhaps marking a new stage of expansion on the Tau Empire’s neglected eastern border.
Complete multi-part resin and plastic kit designed by Blake Spence. Experimental rules for the XV109 Y’vahra can be found here. This model is available to pre-order now and will be despatched from Friday 10th October.
So the model itself can take two Shielded Missile Drones, and/or two Shield Drones, plus any two Support Systems from the Tau Codex only. It’s stats roughly mirror the normal Riptide’s but that’s where the similarities end. First off it has Hit and Run naturally, however it only has a 33% chance to actually preform it unless you have at least one drone still alive to bump it’s initiative up to 4 (and a 67% chance). The Y’Vahra’s shield generator provides a 5+ inv at range, at attacks within 12″ or less it changes to 4+, and in combat can be increased to a very solid 3+ (see it’s Nova abilities below). It also has a “plasma-flamer” (sorry all I think about when I read that is someone who lights their farts), with two firing modes which are both very solid as well. The weapon itself is a Strength 6, Torrent 6″ (instead of 12″), and depending on the mode of fire is either AP3 or AP2/Gets Hot with no restriction to a reload time. 
It’s Ionic Discharge Cannon is a Range 12″ Strength 8 AP3 weapon that fires three times, and resolves each hit as a separate Haywire attack. Plus it also causes blind which may cripple something’s ability to defend itself from the Y’Vahra in close combat potentially. The Y’Vahra also has the ability to move like a Swooping Monstrous creature (using it’s Vectored Thrust Array), but can unitize its Flechette Dispersal pods instead of preforming a vector strike attack on something with 6″ of it’s final placement. While it can’t two this movement mode two turns in a row, the Strength 4 AP5 D6 shots with shred from the Flechettes can potentially negate some threats, and as it happens in the movement phase it does not restrict any possible assaults. It’s also worth noting it can preform this attack after deep striking as well. 
Last but certainly not least is it’s Nova Reactor abilities which of course work just like the normal Riptide’s, however provide some very interesting benefits. Depending on it’s needs at the time the Y’Vahra can upgrade it’s invulnerable save to a 3+ in close combat, increase is Haywire attack to 3+D3, Remove itself from play and go into ongoing reserves, or gain the Jink special rule when it uses it’s Vectored Thrust Array. Sure this guy can’t go toe to toe for long with most dedicated assault elements, BUT I wouldn’t want him running around my backfield that’s for sure! It also seems rather slippery to catch in assault as well, so this new unit may just be a perfect hammer to the existing Tau firepower anvil. Exciting times for the Tau indeed. -Enjoy MBG
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
