These new 40k Tau Twin Lance Datasheet rules reward clean firing lanes; here’s how the target bonus, Scout, Deep Strike, and Retro-thrusters turn mid-board fights into wins.
The T’au have always been about doing violence at arm’s length. Then the Twin Lance showed up and decided to fly forward and destroy everything close.
Ri’Lantar and Ri’Locai are the new poster kids for Mont’ka, and their rules read like a love letter to aggressive positioning, point-blank pressure, and making your opponent’s charge phase feel like a bad life choice.
We’re breaking down the Tau Twin Lance Datasheet, how the gimmick actually plays on the table, and what to watch for if these two hit pre-order shelves soon alongside other New Maelstrom releases.
- Twin Lance = two Epic Heroes, one bully unit: Ri’Lantar + Ri’Locai in a tough battlesuit package built to scrap in the mid-board, not sit back and wave politely.
- Choose your delivery: Scout 8″ for early angles or Deep Strike when the board is too spicy, then pick the close-range fight that actually matters.
- Charge phase sabotage: Neocaptor Shields forces a nearby non-Monster/non-Vehicle unit to test Battle-shock and eat -1 to charge, which is how “easy charges” become sad little failures.
- Hit, live, reposition: Retro-thrusters let you Normal move up to 6″ or Fall Back at the end of the Fight phase, so tagging you rarely means trapping you.
- Guns do the bullying: fusion-style deletion from Ri’Lantar, flexible ion output from Ri’Locai, and since they’re a Vehicle, getting touched doesn’t switch them off.
What the Tau Twin Lance Rules Are Built to Do
Updated on February 23, 2026, by Rob Baer with the new 40k rules breakdown
The Twin Lance is two Epic Heroes in one unit, both piloting a tough, mobile battlesuit chassis. On the table, the play pattern is simple:
- start forward with Scout pressure, or drop in with Deep Strike
- pick a close-range fight that matters
- punish the nearest target with boosted shooting
- survive the clap-back
- reposition like nothing happened
That “fight on your terms” vibe is the whole identity. The unit is not trying to be a slow anchor. It is trying to be a forward bully that forces mistakes.
Why the Twin Lance Datasheets Mid-Board Menace
This is not a fragile “cool model, dies to a stiff breeze” duo. You are looking at Toughness six, eight Wounds, a two-plus save, and a four-plus invulnerable save, which is enough durability to step into the midfield and make people deal with you. OC two helps with flipping lighter objectives, but this unit is not an objective brick. It’s there to bully space, disrupt plans, and force bad trades.
The mobility kit is what turns it from “tough” into “infuriating.” They scout eight inches to let you grab early angles and set up that all-important closest-target shooting lane. Even better, Deep Strike rules give you a second plan when the board is too spicy for forward scouting.
Then Retro-thrusters shows up to ruin someone’s evening, letting you Normal move up to six inches or Fall Back at the end of the Fight phase. Tag something, live, then slide onto an objective or out of danger. Charge to shut down shooting, then scoot away after the scrap.
It is the ultimate “no thanks” button for getting trapped.
The Real 40k Rules Engine: Closest-Target Boosts and Charge Denial
The heart of the Tau Twin Lance Rules is Exemplars of Mont’ka. If you shoot the closest eligible enemy unit, your ranged attacks gain Sustained Hits one and Ignores Cover.
Translation: this datasheet rewards clean firing lanes and disciplined positioning, not greed. You want the closest target to be the one you actually care about, which usually means clearing cheap screens first or moving so the “closest eligible” target stops being disposable trash.
Your opponent will try to screen you. Your response is to make screening uncomfortable, expensive, or irrelevant.
While all that is happening, their new Neocaptor Shields messes with the charge phase. At the start of your opponent’s Charge phase, pick a non-Monster, non-Vehicle unit within twelve inches. They take a Battleshock test and suffer a minus one to charge. That is the kind of rule that doesn’t look dramatic until a key charge fails by an inch and your opponent’s whole turn collapses.
And yes, the guns back it up. Ri’Lantar’s Fusion Eliminator is the close-range headline: eighteen inches, two shots on two-plus, Strength ten, AP minus four, D6 damage with Melta two for deleting something important.
Ri’Locai’s Ion Scattercannon gives you a steady grind profile or a riskier overcharge punch when you need it. The pistol system keeps pressure on even when you are tangled up, and the drone is extra dice, not the star. Melee is the follow-through, not the identity, which is perfect.
You get extra attacks in combat, keep shooting because you’re a Vehicle, and your opponent doesn’t get to “turn off” your unit just by touching it.
Release Watch: Why These Rules Feel Like a Pre-Order Tease
The vibe here is “imminent.” Between previewed characters, fresh teasers, and the Twin Lance showing up with a fully realized kit of rules, it would not be shocking to see these land in a weekend pre-order window soon, possibly tied to a broader 40k roundup release.
To us, we’d keep an eye out for March 21, 2026, as the street date for these minis. Either way, the signal is clear: new Tau rules are moving from preview to product soon™
Twin Lance Datasheet Rules FAQs
What is the Twin Lance in T’au Empire?
The Twin Lance is a named duo of battlesuit pilots, Ri’Lantar and Ri’Locai, presented as two Epic Heroes in one unit. On the table, they function as a mobile mid-board bully that thrives at close range.
What makes the Tau Twin Lance Datasheet strong?
The combination of durability, mobility tools, and a shooting bonus that adds Sustained Hits one and Ignores Cover when firing at the closest eligible target. Add charge disruption and post-fight movement, and you get a unit that controls spacing and tempo.
How do Tau Twin Lance Rules work with Mont’ka?
Exemplars of Mont’ka rewards you for correct target priority and positioning. You get the bonus when you shoot the closest eligible enemy unit, which pushes you to play aggressively while still being precise.
Can the Twin Lance shoot while in combat?
Yes, it is a Vehicle unit, so it can take advantage of Big Guns Never Tire. It also has pistol output, which helps it keep contributing in the messiest situations.
How do you counter the Twin Lance?
Screening is the obvious move, forcing the “closest eligible target” to be a cheap unit. The Twin Lance player counters that by clearing screens first or positioning so the closest target is something worth melting.
Final Take on the new 40k Twin Lance Datasheet Rules
The new 40k Twin Lance Datasheet rules are not trying to turn the T’au into a brawler army. It’s doing something smarter. It makes close-range pressure feel safe, repeatable, and rewarding, while keeping the faction’s identity centered on shooting and movement.
If you like the idea of a Mont’ka unit that actually plays like a killing blow, this datasheet is going to be on your radar fast.
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