Battlesuit Guide

Battlesuit Structured Rules

Classification

• Battlesuit is a vehicle and shares many rules and statistics with other vehicle types.
• Most battlesuits are classed as both Walker and Skimmer/Hover Vehicles. Exceptions will be reflected in specific Battlesuit profiles.
• Pilot(Personal) Skill is required to effectively operate a Battlesuit.

Characteristics

Tactical and Cruising Speed

• Tactical Speed of a Hulking Battlesuit in Walker Mode equals it's pilot Base Move +1.
• Tactical Speed of an Enormous Battlesuit in Walker Mode equals it's pilot Base Move +2.
• Tactical Speed of a Battlesuit in Skimmer/Hover Mode is listed in the statistics block for it's hull.
• Cruising Speed of a Battlesuit in Walker Mode is calculated assuming it's Pilot Agility Bonus as 1 or 2 higher, depending on the size of the Battlesuit. Refer to the table on pg. 205, Deathwatch Core Rules book.
• Cruising Speed of a Battlesuit in Skimmer/Hover Mode is calculated assuming it's Base Speed as it's Agility Bonus. Refer to the table on pg. 205, Deathwatch Core Rules book.

Armor and Structural Integrity

• Battlesuits use Hit Location mechanic instead of Facing. Their Armor ratings are represented accordingly.
• If a Battlesuit is below half it's Structural Integrity, all Pilot(Personal) Test to operate it become one step harder.

Weapons

• Weapons mounted on a Battlesuit universally count as facing all directions.
• All weapons mounted on a Battlesuit are fired by the pilot.
• Most Battlesuits have four weapon slots - right and left Hand and right and left Shoulder. All weapons must be mounted in these slots, with restrictions varying from weapon to weapon and Battlesuit to Battlesuit, as noted in specific weapon and Battlesuit profiles.
• Most weapons mounted in either Hand slot can be used in close combat. If used in close combat, they do not receive a bonus to hit for Point-Blank Range.
• Weapons mounted in either Shoulder slot and weapons with the Blast(#) quality can not be fired at targets in Point-Blank Range or used in close combat.

Carrying Capacity

• Battlesuits universally have Crew: 1 Pilot
• Battlesuits have no Carrying Capacity.

Maneuverability

• Battlesuits have no Maneuverability Score.
• Difficult Terrain, problematic weather conditions etc. still affect the pilot's Pilot(Personal) Skill Tests.

Size

• Battlesuits are either Hulking or Enormous.
• Size does not adversely affect Concealment or Silent Move Skill Tests made by the pilot.

Traits

• Some Battlesuits confer to the pilot or posses various traits , imparted by mounted systems or design and construction, as reflected in specific Battlesuit profiles.

Inside

• Pilot counts as if he himself possessed the Size(Hulking or Enormous) Trait, which affects his Base Move.
• Pilot counts as if he possessed Unnatural Strength(x2) Trait for all purposes while inside the Battlesuit.
• Pilot counts as if he possessed Unnatural Toughness(x2) Trait for all purposes while inside the Battlesuit, except when noted otherwise.

Piloting a Battlesuit

Skills

• All movement-related Skill Tests(such as Acrobatics, Climb or Swim) are replaced by Pilot(Personal) Skill Test.
• Battlesuit performs any physical action as part of a Skill or Ability Test as if the pilot himself was attempting it, using the pilot's ability scores(modified as mentioned above), although fine manipulation is obviously beyond it.

Talents

• Any Talent that is usable in normal combat is also usable in a Battlesuit. Discretion must be used to determine which Talent still affects the pilot(such as Die Hard, Iron Jaw or Fearless) and which now affects Battlesuit performance(such as Swift Attack, Hip Shooting or Stalwart Defense).
• For the purpose of using specific Talents(such as Hip Shooting) only, pilot may count any of his Battlesuit mounted weapons as Pistol.
• Weapons mounted on a Battlesuit are, obviously, not held in the hands of the pilot, therefore there is no penalty for firing them whatever the weapon slot they are mounted in. Firing multiple weapon systems in one turn, however, is impossible without special training(representing by the talents comprising Gunfighter Saint Paragon Talent) or targeting assistance(see Multi-tracker).

Battlesuit Combat

Attacks

• Pilot never suffers any penalties to his Ballistic Skill Test if his Battlesuit moved last round, regardless of distance.
• The rules for moving and firing while in a Battlesuit are same as those for normal combat. Refer to Deathwatch Core Rules book, Playing the Game chapter.
• All Attack Actions available to the pilot can be performed by a Battlesuit. This excludes obviously improbable actions, such as Parrying with no melee weapon equipped etc.

Movement

Land/Take Off

• Free Action
• Switches a Battlesuit between Walker and Skimmer/Hover Mode.
• To Land, a Battlesuit must be within one meter of solid ground.
• If a Battlesuit becomes unpowered for any reason while in Skimmer/Hover Mode, it Crashes or begins a terminal dive, depending on it's altitude at the moment.

Dodge

• Pilot can attempt the Pilot(Personal) Skill Test to dodge even if his Battlesuit didn't move on that turn.
• There is no penalty to this Test for Hulking Battlesuit. Pilot of an Enormous Battlesuit receives -10 penalty.
• If attempted while in Skimmer/Hover Mode, failure by five or more degrees causes the Battlesuit to Crash after all hits are resolved.
• If attempted while in Walker Mode, failure by five or more degrees causes the Battlesuit to fall prone after all hits are resolved.

Tactical Maneuvering

• Rules for Tactical Maneuvering are same as those for tactical movement in normal combat.

Evasive Maneuvering

• Can only be attempted in Skimmer/Hover Mode.
• Failure by five or more degrees causes the Battlesuit to Crash or begin a terminal dive, depending on it's altitude at the moment.

Tactical Advance

• Can only be attempted in Walker Mode.
• Use the same rules as for Tactical Advance in normal combat.

Run

• This Action replaces "Floor It!" in Walker Mode and works exactly as "Run" in normal combat.
• Alternatively, the pilot can treat grav-engines and thrusters on his Battlesuit as a Jump Pack and use it accordingly, as described in a "series of jumps" maneuver. This calls for Challenging(+0) Pilot(Personal) Skill Test. Failure by five or more degrees causes the Battlesuit to Crash.

Charge

• This Action replaces "Ram" and works exactly as "Charge" in normal combat.

Supercharge Engines

• Full Action
• Can only be attempted in Skimmer/Hover Mode
• Battlesuit moves triple it's Base Move. At the end of this move, the pilot must make a Difficult(-10) Pilot(Personal) Skill Test. If he succeeds, the Battlesuit moves an additional five meters, plus five meters per degree of success. Failure by five or more degrees causes the Battlesuit to Crash.
• If used in Narrative Time, this Action triples the Battlesuit's speed for up to one hour. After that, it is forced to walk, and all Tests to operate it become one step harder for up to three hours.

Damaging a Battlesuit

Attacks

• All Battlesuit's Hit Locations can be targeted from all sides.
• It is possible to attempt a Called Shot, directly targeting a pilot. Treat the pilot as being behind Total Cover, with Battlesuit's Body Armor as the Cover Armor Rating and it's Structural Integrity as Cover Hardness. If successful, such shot will hit the pilot in the Body. Pilot can still attempt to Dodge with his Battlesuit.
• Hulking Battlesuits give no bonus to hit them due to Size. Enormous Battlesuits provide only +10 bonus to hit them. This is an exception to standard rules for hitting objects and individuals larger than Average.

Critical Damage

• All rules for Critical Damage to Vehicles, including the effects of Righteous Fury, are applied to Battlesuits.
• Use the Vehicle Critical Damage Chart with following additions:
• 1-2 - Targeting systems are scrambled for 1d5 Rounds and not just one.
• 4 - Randomly determine destroyed component amongst weapons and additional systems installed on the Battlesuit. If a weapon mounted in a Hand Weapon Slot was destroyed, the whole hand(of the Battlesuit, not the pilot) counts as destroyed. This takes into account Close Combat Weapon and Shield Generator. If a weapon mounted in a Shoulder Weapon Slot was destroyed, external system mounted on the same shoulder is also destroyed, but not vice versa.
• 6 - The shot automatically hits the pilot. Apply full damage, not half.
• 7 - The pilot automatically catches on fire, as there is nowhere for him to escape.
• The Unnatural Toughness(x2) Trait does not apply to the effects of Vehicle Critical Damage Chart starting from 7. All systems(excluding Failsaife Detonator and, possibly, Ejection System) become unpowered at this point and too can offer no help.
• If Ejection System is installed, but was not engaged when Battlesuit reached 0 Structural Integrity, there is a 10% chance per 1 on Vehicle Critical Damage Chart, that, unbeknown to pilot, this system is terminally damaged and does no longer function properly. There is a similar chance that this system will try to engage itself every time the Battlesuit sustains at least 1 point of Critical Damage. If it happens, but the system malfunctions, instead of intended result it will deal 2d10+5[R] Damage with the Tearing special weapon quality to the pilot, ignoring the Unnatural Toughness(x2) Trait(even if it still functions).

Battlesuits

• All Battlesuits are fitted with Advanced Stabilization System and Blacksun Filter.
• Tau Commander(that is - any Tau commanding officer designated by GM as an enemy of Master Tier) can override standard load-out limitations. Exceptions will be reflected in specific Battlesuit profiles.
• There are two(one on XV15"Stealth") shoulder slots for external combat and support systems. That means that only two(one on XV15"Stealth") such systems can be mounted on any Battlesuit. If a given suit is piloted by Tau Commander(that is - any Tau commanding officer designated by GM as an enemy of Master Tier) one of those two will be Command&Control Node, if it is not already installed as a Hard-wired System.

XV8"Crisis"

|Type: Walker or Skimmer/Hover                    |
|Tactical Speed: Walker #, S/H 12                 |
|Cruising Speed: Walker #, S/H 16 kmph            |
|Structural Integrity: 16                         |
|Size: Enormous                                   |
|Armor: Head 8, Body 12, Arms 8, Legs 8           |
|Crew: 1 Pilot                                    |
|Weapon Slots:                                    |
|             Left Hand                           |
|             Right Hand                          |
|             Left Shoulder                       |
|             Right Shoulder                      |
|External System Slots:                           |
|                      Left Shoulder              |
|                      Right Shoulder             |
|                                                 |

• There are no restrictions on combat and support systems that can be installed on XV8"Crisis"
• XV8"Crisis" chassis can't hold or provide power to more than one Railgun. Only Hand Weapon Slots on XV8"Crisis" chassis can be outfitted with a Railgun. This limitation can't be overridden by Tau Commander.

XV88"Broadside"

|Type: Walker                                     |
|Tactical Speed: Walker #                         |
|Cruising Speed: Walker #                         |
|Structural Integrity: 22                         |
|Size: Enormous                                   |
|Traits: Reinforced Hull                          |
|Armor: Head 10, Body 14, Arms 10, Legs 10        |
|Crew: 1 Pilot                                    |
|Weapon Slots:                                    | 
|          Right Hand     1                       |
|          Left Hand      1                       |
|          Twin-linked Railguns                   |
|External System Slots:                           |
|                      Left Shoulder              |
|                      Right Shoulder             |
|                                                 |

• Twin-linked Railguns is a single weapon system, occupying both Shoulder Weapon Slots on XV88"Broadside". Treat it as a single Railgun with Twin-linked Special Weapon Quality. This weapon can't be replaced or removed from XV88"Broadside". This limitation can't be overridden by Tau Commander.
• XV88"Broadside" can't enter Skimmer/Hover Mode, therefore it is not considered Skimmer/Hover and it has no access to Combat or Movement maneuvers requiring a Battlesuit to be in Skimmer/Hover Mode.
• Only Plasma Rifle or Smart Missile System can be mounted in Hand Weapon Slots on XV88"Broadside". If one Hand Weapon Slot is outfitted with either weapon, the other must be outfitted with the same weapon. This will form a single weapon system, treat as a single weapon with Twin-linked Special Weapon Quality. Multi-tracker can override this limitation, enabling the pilot to treat this weapon as either single weapon with Twin-linked Special Weapon Quality or two weapons that can be aimed and fired separately. This choice must be made prior to any shooting in any given round.
• Tau Commander can mount any weapon in the Hand Weapon Slots on XV88"Broadside" and can mount different weapon in each slot. If the same weapon is mounted in both Hand Weapon slots, the above mechanic still apply.
• Stealth Field Generator, Close Combat Weapon and Vectored Retro-thrusters can't be installed on XV88"Broadside". This limitation can't be overridden by Tau Commander.
• XV88"Broadside" has Reinforced Hull Trait, that functions exactly as it does for other vehicles.

XV15"Stealth"

|Type: Walker or Skimmer/Hover                    |
|Tactical Speed: Walker #, S/H 12                 |
|Cruising Speed: Walker #, S/H 16 kmph            |
|Structural Integrity: 8                          |
|Size: Hulking                                    |
|Armor: Head 8, Body 8, Arms 6, Legs 6            |
|Crew: 1 Pilot                                    |
|Weapon Slots:                                    | 
|          Right Hand                             |
|          Left Hand                              |
|External System Slots:                           |
|                      Backpack                   |
|                                                 |

• XV15"Stealth" must be equipped with either a Burst Cannon or a Fusion Blaster.
• Tau Commander can equip XV15"Stealth" with Basic infantry weapons from Tau Armory.
• Tau Commander can equip XV15"Stealth" with a Markerlight.
• XV15"Stealth" can't be fitted with Drone Pads. This limitation can't be overridden by Tau Commander.
• XV15"Stealth" chassis can't hold or provide power to a Railgun. This limitation can't be overridden by Tau Commander.
• XV15"Stealth" is fitted with a Stealth Field Generator.

Examples of Play

Shas'o Vae'tis

• For consistency, statistics of Vat'tis' Battlesuit are included in his profile.

WS  BS  S      T      Ag  Int  Per  Wp  Fel
-------------------------------------------
31  55  31(6)  32(6)  42  48   54   45  59
-------------------------------------------

Movement(Walker): 6/12/28/36                         Wounds: 14
Movement(S/H): 12/24/36/72             Structural Integrity: 16
Overland Movement(Walker): 9 kmph
Overland Movement(S/H): 16 kmph     

Skills: Awareness, Logic(+10), Tactics(Air, Armor, Defensive)(+10), Command(+20), 
Pilot(Personal)(+10), Tech-Use(+10), Speak Language(Tau, Kroot, Low Gothic),
Common Lore(War, Tau Empire)

Paragon Talents: Conditioned Intellect, Gunfighter Saint, Peerless Marksman,
Heroic Leadership.

Talents: Meditation, Talented(Command) 

Traits*: Auto-stabilized, Dark Sight, Unnatural Strength(x2),
Unnatural Toughness(x2), Size(Enormous) 
*only while in the Battlesuit.

Armor: Head 8, Body 12, Arms 8, Legs 8

Weapons: Left Hand - Cyclic Ion Blaster
         Right Hand - Railgun
         Left Shoulder - none
         Right Shoulder - Smart Missile System 

External Systems:
         Left Shoulder - Sensor Array
         Right Shoulder - Drone Pad(Marker Drone) 

Internal Systems: Advanced Stabilization System, Blacksun Filter, Bonding Knife, C&C Node(Hard-wired), 
Ejection System, Multi-Tracker(Hard-wired), Target Lock, Targeting Array.

Gear: Pulse Pistol(for use when ejected), personal micro-bead, Tau uniform. 
-------------------------------------
Enemy Tier: Master 

• Vae'tis will do his best to avoid close range engagements. He will fall back if any enemy will enter Short Range of his Cyclic Ion Blaster.
• Vae'tis is accompanied by two Shield Drones.
• Vae'tis will use his Multi-Tracker capabilities to launch Smart Missiles at high-priority targets, markerlighted by Marker Drone, while picking others, who are hopefully Pinned by Cyclic Ion Blaster, with Railgun.