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Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:12 am
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| Quote (Ginger @ 21 Jan. 2006 (15:36)) | OK -
Having now skimmed through the thread to some extent, I gather that the TS stats are based on some "fluff" to the effect that a single ?pilot succeeded in destroying an Imperial Warhound in a single pass!! (presumably being decorated for the feat).
Ginger |
Ginger,
I must beg to differ. I realize you are new to E:A and Tau as well, but please realize that we are not basing design of this vehicle off of fluff and one off heroic achievement. Far from it actually.
We've got Forgeworld as a direct guidance of the model and its stats.
From Imperial Armor Volue 3, page 198, TIGER SHARK:
The Tiger Sharlk is the Barracuda's larger cousin. It is a large aircraft deployed in the figher-bomber role. Often encountered flying in support of Tau Hunter Cadres during major operations, it is faster and more manoeuvrable than the Imperium's direct equivalent - the Maurader bomber - but the Tiger Shark lacks the large bomb payload.
Tiger Sharks are never as numerous as the Barracuads, but have many features and systems in common with it. All crew come from the Air Caste, giving them the natural advantage of superior three-dimensional awareness and tolerance for higher acceleration speeds, and more Gs in the turn, than a human pilot. Like the Barracuda, different Air Caste Septs operate slightly different versions. Other Tiger Shark variants have been identified armed multiple burst cannons and seeker missles.
The Tiger Shark's main role seems to be the deployment of drones. Its drone racks can deploy a shower of remote weapons platforms anywhere over the battlefield, as well as strafing with its ion cannons and wing-mounted missile pods. It is armed with ion-cannons and missile pods for ground attacks, and drone-controlled burst cannons for defence against enemy fighters, although a flight of Tiger Sharks will usually also be accompanied by Barracudas as fighter cover.
The aircraft has two crew, a pilot and a navigator/weapons operator. Their cockpit is also an escape pod, which can detach from the aircraft's fuselage and has limited gravitic mobility to bring the crew safely back to the ground.
On taros, Tiger Sharks supported Tau operations as a rapid response force. Flying from well-hidden bases on the Iracunda Isthmus, Tiger Sharks were often the first Tau forces to respond to the Imperial Guard's advances, quickly seeding an area with Drone squadrons, whilst other Tau ground forces were moved into place. Tiger Sharks were the first Tau forces to reach hydro-processing plant 23-30 after the Elysian Drop Troops' surprise attack, quickly reinforcing the garrison with Drone squadrons.
On Taros, the Tau also deployed a new variant of the Tiger Shark. Codified as the AX-1-0, this heavily armed Tiger Shark replaced its drone racks and ion cannons with two heavy railguns and seeker missile array. These massive weapons, usually mounted on the far larger Manta, turn the Tiger Shark into a formidable ground attack weapon, capable of engaging and destroying super heavy tanks and Titans. It is believed that the AX-1-0 was developed as a direct response to the Imperium's largest Titans. Until the Taros Campaign the Tau had few weapons capable of stopping the Imperium's greatest war machines, but the Air Caste and Earth Caste had secretly developed the AX-1-0, and first fielded it on Taros.
During the breatkthrough to the Iracunda Isthmus the Tau unleashed their latest weapon with alarming results. The sudden loss of the Warhound Advensor Primaris to a Tiger Shark attack caused the remaining Titans to be withdrawn from the front line.
Furthermore, from the same book, but page 199:
ORDO XENOS
Max Recorded Speed: 2,100 KPH
Summary: Frontline combat aircraft. Also carries payload of 14 gun drones. Re-Armed variant replaces ion cannons and payload with heavy railguns
For the record, the Imperial Max Recorded Speed is the same for Tau Orca and Tau Barracuda Air Superiority Fighter.
You'll notice we did not make the Tiger Shark a fighter-bomber like the description from Forgeworld details nor did we factor in the air castes ability to drive the plane much faster and better than the Maurader bomber. In fact we made it just as slow and just as hindered by the Epic Armageddon rules of 'bomber' classification.
You'll also notice the vehicle was specifically meant to destroy both War Engines and Titans as a joint effort by the Air caste and Earth caste.
In addition: Same book, 40K rules for the Tiger Shark - page 201:
Ballistic Skill = 4
...
Targetting Array
Decoy launcher
Network Marker Light
Escape Pod
...
Two (not twin-linked) burst cannons
Twin-linked missile pods
6x Seeker Missiles
Twin-Linked Heavy Railguns 108" range, Str 10, AP 1, Ordnance1/Titan-killer
-- sub-munisions shot, 108" range, Str 7, AP3, Ordnance 1/Blast
In 40K, it means it hits on a 3+ with all guns and the twin-linked main gun means you get to reroll any misses with the gun - so yes, it usually hits pretty reliably at ranges greater than a leman russ tank or even LONG BARRELLED HYDRA FLAK TANKS - ironically.
The networked marker light also means that it can mark targets for its own seeker missiles, not having to depend upon other units in the army. In 40K, you have to roll to hit with the networked marker then you roll 2+ to hit a marked target with a missle. Furthermore, in 40K, missles have table-top range.
You'll notice the epic version of the plane does not have near the range nor does it have near the accuracy in Epic. On the other hand, it does have the abstraction of having one more shot with the main gun than the 40K version.
The Ordinance Titan Killer in 40K does mean (d3) hits per hit that the main weapon system has. This is also based upon a game system that has 6-9 turns where a turn is far shorter than what we have in Epic.
As you can see, we've toned down the vehicle significantly to make it fit within E:A... our guidance is not simply from a fluff battle of a heroic event.
Cheers,
_________________
Rob
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