Queen's Rules

Tau

Battlesuits

Extended step-by-step guide on how to deal damage to Battlesuit, how to deal damage with Battlesuit and all that, with examples

Armory

Battlesuit Gear

Any of these systems(except for Bonding Knife) can get destroyed per "4" result on Vehicle Critical Damage Chart

• Airbursting Fragmentation Projector: Treat as a Frag Grenade explosion with Blast(8) centered on the Battlesuit, that affects everyone in the blast zone except the Battlesuit that launched it. Activating this system requires either Reaction or Half-Action.

• Advanced Stabilization System: Confers the Auto-Stabilized Trait to the pilot.

• Blacksun Filter: Confers the Dark Sight Trait to the pilot.

• Bonding Knife: Meaningless bauble, that is not even a true weapon, somehow boosts the arrogance of foul xenos, giving them +10 bonus on Willpower Tests to resist Fear and Pinning.

• Command&Control Node: Confers the Disciplined(Horde) Trait to Tau combatants(but not Drones or Kroot beasts) under the pilot's command(if they are combined in a Horde). If said combatants are required to Test versus Fear or Pinning, the pilot can Test his Command Skill instead, with same modifiers. If said combatants are already Pinned or panicking, the pilot can attempt Command Skill Test to negate these conditions, but not if he already failed to prevent them in previous round; This is a Full Action. Also counts as encrypted Vox-Caster. This component is usually mounted outside the hull(most likely on the shoulder) and therefore can be targeted separately(with a Called Shot) if attacker can determine it for what it is. C&C Node has Armor 4 and Structural Integrity 2.

• Drone Controller: Allows the pilot to issue direct commands to nearby Drones via encrypted transmissions or directly control a number of Drones equal to his Intelligence Modifier, using his Ballistic Skill in place of that of the Drones and Tech-Use in place of their Dodge. Directly controlling the drones is a Full Action and issuing commands is a Free Action. This component is usually mounted outside the hull(most likely on the shoulder) and therefore can be targeted separately(with a Called Shot) if attacker can determine it for what it is. Drone Controller has Armor 4 and Structural Integrity 2.

• Ejection System: See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 366. Replace "0 Wounds" with "0 Structural Integrity". This system can be suppressed by the pilot if he wishes so, but there are repercussions(see modified Vehicle Critical Damage Chart in Battlesuit Guide).

• Failsafe Detonator: See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 366. Replace "0 Wounds" with "0 Structural Integrity". Replace "4d10[X] Damage" with "6d10[E] Damage with Pen 6". This system can be activated at any point after the Battlesuit Structural Integrity reaches 0, if the pilot is alive and able to do so.

• Iridium Armor: Adds +3 to the Battlesuit overall Armor.

• Multi-Tracker: Enables the pilot to independently target and fire two of his Battlesuit's weapons without any penalties as if he had all required Abilities and Talents(meaning BS 40+, Ag 40+, Independent Targeting, TWW(Ballistic) etc.). If he does in fact has them, he can fire one additional weapon(but not the same weapon twice) mounted on his Battlesuit at -10 penalty to his BS. This component is usually mounted outside the hull(most likely on the shoulder) and therefore can be targeted separately(with a Called Shot) if attacker can determine it for what it is. Multi-Tracker has Armor 4 and Hardness 2.

• Shield Generator: Counts as a Power Field with a Protection Rating 55 and an Overload Roll 01-10, covering entire Battlesuit. Also adds +2 Armor to the Body and Hand it is mounted on. Shield Generator forbids the use of a weapon in the same hand. It can be used in close combat to Parry incoming melee attacks(treat as a weapon with Defensive and Power Field special qualities) but not to attack.

• Sensor Array: Counts as Auspex, Magnoculars and IR-visor. This component is usually mounted outside the hull(most likely on the shoulder) and therefore can be targeted separately(with a Called Shot) if attacker can determine it for what it is. Sensor Array has Armor 4 and Hardness 2.

• Stealth Field Generator: See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 367

• Stimulant Injector: Counts as Bio-Monitor And Injector(See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 161). Can also administer other xeno-drugs as determined by GM. Obviously affects the pilot and not the Battlesuit.

• Target Lock: Counts as Astartes Targeter and Motion Predictor(See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 174 and pg. 157 respectively ). Also confers Target Selection Talent to the pilot.

• Targeting Array: Counts as Astartes Signum(See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 173) affecting the pilot and those under his command(including Drones but not Kroot beasts)

• Vectored Retro-thrusters: Allows the pilot to Disengage his Battlesuit from close combat as a Half-Action. Alternatively the pilot can attempt to Disengage as Reaction with Hard(-20) Pilot(Personal) Skill Test. Battlesuit Crashes if this Pilot(Personal) Test is failed by five or more degrees.

• Close Combat Weapon: Counts as Astartes Combat Knife(See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 156). Close Combat Weapon can be mounted on the same hand as Shield Generator or a hand already equipped with ranged weapon(this is an exception, yes). If it is actually mounted on the same hand as Shield Generator, the pilot can lower the Protection Rating of his Shield Generator to 45 to add the Power Field special weapon quality to the Close Combat Weapon. It will then count as Astartes Power Sword, only without the Balanced special weapon quality. If it is mounted on a hand already equipped with ranged weapon, it gains Unwieldy Special Weapon Quality.

• Hard-wired Systems: Command&Control Node, Drone-controller, Multi-tracker, Sensor Array - chosen separately. In a cowardice that is expected from xenos machine spirits as much as from xenos themselves, these components are hiding inside the Battlesuit and can not be targeted by Called Shots without extensive knowledge of manufacturing processes and blue-prints of specific Battlesuit patterns. They function exactly as described above, the difference being they are much more rare as xenos vainly try to show that they are not afraid.

• Drone Pad: Enables a single Drone to land or leave as ordered by the pilot. This component is usually mounted outside the hull(most likely on the shoulder) and therefore can be targeted separately(with a Called Shot), if there is no Drone occupying it. Drone Pad has Armor 4 and Hardness 2. Drone inserted in a Drone Pad can be targeted separately(with a Called Shot) and its Armor and Wounds replace Armor and Hardness of this component. Drone inserted in a Drone Pad receives a bonus to his Armor equal to a Drone Pad Armor, but can no longer Dodge. Gun Drone inserted in a Drone Pad can be fitted with a Burst Cannon, but can no longer leave. It is a Half Action for an adjacent Drone to land and insert itself in a Drone Pad.

Infantry Gear

• Bonding Knife: Meaningless bauble, that is not even a true weapon, somehow boosts the arrogance of foul xenos, giving them +10 bonus on Willpower Tests to resist Fear and Pinning. If a xenos wearing it becomes a part of the Horde, the benefit is extended to the whole Horde and also affects Willpower Test to resist Breaking.

• EMP Grenade: See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 151

• Photon Grenade: See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 151

• Hard-wired Systems: Blacksun Filter, Drone-controller, Multi-tracker, Target Lock - chosen separately. Incorporated in the helm are various systems, enabling a xenos foot-soldier to pick-up feeds from parenting systems on his superior's vehicle. Every component, except Multi-tracker functions exactly as written in Battlesuit Gear section. Multi-tracker enables the user to fire his main weapon(single shots only) as a Reaction in addition to standard attacks made this round; if a Horde is equipped witch such devices - it gains two additional degrees of success on all it's ranged attacks. Kroot and their beasts can't be equipped with any of Hard-wired Systems.

• Markerlight: Markelight is a weapon-like device with the following profile.

Type   Range     RoF      Dam      Pen     Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic  200 m    S/-/-   Special     0    Infinite   ---    See text

Any target that was hit with the Markerligh is subject to the following effects: any further shots(not strikes) at it are Ordinary(+10), Seeker Missiles and Smart Missiles(see below) will strike it unerringly, it receives -10 penalty on the Willpower Tests to resist Pinning. If a member of a Kill-team in Squad Mode was targeted and hit by Markerlight, all of it's members(that are in Squad Mode at the moment) are subject to the above conditions. Additionally, any Heavy or Mounted Weapon that hits Kill-Team in a Squad Mode while under the effects of Markelight counts as having the Devastating special weapon quality or inflict one additional point of Cohesion damage if it already possess that quality . The effects of Markerlight last for one full turn. Tau foot-soldier(or Drone for that matter) equipped with the Markerlight can't benefit from it. Markerlight will not function in a Horde.

• Networked Markerlight: Same as Markerlight, but also counts as Astartes Signum and Astartes Signum Link for the wearer and his squad-mates(in the case that "squad" is not a Horde). A Horde can only be equipped with Networked Markerlight(standard Markerlight will not do, as written above) and only one such device will have any impact on it's performance. The Horde equipped with Networked Markelight gains one additional attack, which must be made prior to all other ranged attacks, and can be used only in attempt to place a markerlight on one(and only one) of it's targets. It still can target the entire Kill-team if it is in Squad Mode.

Drones

All systems installed into Drones are Hard-wired, and therefore can't be targeted with Called Shots.

• Shield Drone

WS  BS  S   T   Ag  Int  Per  Wp  Fel
-------------------------------------
20  25  20  40  40  15   25   20  10
-------------------------------------
Movement:---               Wounds: 15
Skills: Acrobatics, Awareness, Dodge
Talents: Fearless, Step Aside
Traits: Flier(12), Machine(5)
Weapons: None
Gear: Drone Shield Generator,
In-built micro-bead(receiving only)
-------------------------------------

Special: Shield Drone can and will use it's Dodge Reactions to place himself between danger and cowardly xenos it is programmed to protect, effectively becoming the target of attacks.

• Drone Shield Generator: Treat as Power Field with Protection Rating 30 and Overload Roll 01-10, covering everything in 10 meter radius around the drone or the Horde(with Magnitude of up to 30) it is assigned to. If there is no one around to protect, the Drone will switch the Power Field to personal mode, in which it's Protection Rating becomes 55. The Drone will also turn off it's Force Field if it is adjacent to a Battlesuit with Shield Generator, or switch it to personal mode if it is within 10 meters of such Battlesuit as safety protocols disallow the collision of force fields.

• Sniper Drone

WS  BS  S   T   Ag  Int  Per  Wp  Fel
-------------------------------------
20  30  20  40  30  30   30   20  10
-------------------------------------
Movement:---               Wounds: 10
Skills: Acrobatics, Awareness, Dodge,
Concealment, Shadowing
Talents: Fearless, Deadeye Shot,
Sharpshooter
Traits: Flier(8), Machine(3)
Weapons: Rail Rifle
Gear: Target Lock, Stealth Field
Generator, Targeting Array, Sensor
Array, In-built 
micro-bead(receiving only)
-------------------------------------

Special: Sniper Drone can and most of the time will use it's Intelligence in place of it's Agility for Concealment and Shadowing Skill Tests

• Sniper Drone Targeting Array & Networking: For every Sniper Drone sending targeting data on one specific target, all other Sniper Drones have their BS, Int and Per increased by +5 for the purpose of all Test related to that specific target. Sniper Drones are usually employed in 3-strong squadrons and one of the drones will spend it's actions on boosting the BS of others with Targeting Array. The Sniper Drone Targeting Array benefits only Sniper Drones. Whenever a Sniper Drone spends a Full-Action to activate a Targeting Array, all other Sniper Drones in his squadron receive a Gang-Up(even though they are equipped with ranged weapons) to hit bonus against the target of their Networking.

• Marker Drone

WS  BS  S   T   Ag  Int  Per  Wp  Fel
-------------------------------------
20  25  20  40  40  15   25   20  10
-------------------------------------
Movement:---               Wounds: 15
Skills: Acrobatics, Awareness, Dodge
Talents: Fearless, Weapon
Training(Markerlight)
Traits: Flier(12), Machine(5)
Weapons: Networked Markerlight
Gear: Target Lock,
In-built micro-bead(receiving only)
-------------------------------------

• Gun Drone: If a Gun Drone is mounted on a Tau vehicle or inserted in a stationary emplacement, it can be armed with Burst Cannon

Weapons

Heavy and Mounted weapons are for Battlesuits, vehicles and stationary emplacements. Battlesuits do not arm themselves with Pistol or Basic weapons.

• Plasma Rifle

Type     Range     RoF      Dam      Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounted   90m     S/2/-   2d10+9[E]   8     ---      ---    Tearing

• Missile Pod

Type     Range     RoF      Dam      Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounted   90m     S/2/-  2d10+6[X]    7     ---      ---    Twin-Linked,
                                                            Blast(1)

• Burst Cannon

Type     Range     RoF      Dam      Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounted   60m     -/-/10 2d10+2[E]    4     ---      ---    

• Cyclic Ion Blaster

Type     Range     RoF      Dam      Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounted   60m     -/4/8  2d10[E]      2     ---      ---    Storm,
                                                            Special

• One shot in the Semi-auto burst from this weapon has the potential to become Ionized Blast.
• Two shots in the Full-auto burst from this weapon have the potential to become Ionized Blasts.
• Whenever more than two degrees of success are scored on the Ballistic Skill Test to fire this weapon, listed number of shots become Ionized Blasts, receiving +2 Dam and Pen for every two degrees of success.
• When allocating hits between multiple targets, Ionized Blasts must be allocated along with at least one standard shot.
• Note that because of the Storm Special Weapon Quality, there always will be enough standard shots along which to allocate Ionized Blasts.

• Smart Missile System

Type     Range     RoF      Dam      Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounted   90m     S/-/-  2d10+8[X]    8     ---      ---    Blast(1),
                                                            See text    

• Smart Missiles use their own Ballistic Skill of 40, which is unaffected by Range, vision or weather(positively or adversely). It is still a Half-Action(firing a single shot from a weapon) for a firer to release Smart Missiles
• The firer doesn't need line of sight to the target. Instead, he must pass an Awareness Test(aided by Sensor Array if it is available) to know if a particular target exists and is within Maximal Range of this weapon.
• If location of a particular target is already known, immediately visible or relayed to the firer by some means(vox-transmissions from troops, targeting data from dedicated Drones etc.), no Awareness Test is required.
• If particular target is Markerlighted, Smart Missiles will receive a +20 bonus on their Ballistic Skill Test, in addition to boni already provided against Markerlighted targets.
• If faced with Total Cover that can't be easily circumvented(at GM discretion), Smart Missiles will hit that cover instead of their target(possibly still hitting it, if armor and hardness of that cover are bypassed by the attack). Otherwise, Smart Missiles ignore the protection from Cover.
• Smart Missiles always hit Body location.

• Flamer

See Astartes Heavy Flamer, Deathwatch Core Rules Book, pg. 149  

• Railgun

Type     Range     RoF      Dam       Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounted  200m     S/-/-  5d10+10[I]   10     ---      ---    Devastating(1),
                                                             Felling(1) 

• Fusion Blaster

Type     Range     RoF      Dam       Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounted   60m     S/-/-  4d10+6[E]    14     ---      ---    Blast(1)

• Heavy Railgun a.k.a "Hammerhead Gun"

Type     Range     RoF      Dam       Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounted  400m     S/-/-  6d10+12[I]   12     ---      ---    Devastating(1),
                                                             Felling(1),
                                                             Twin-linked,
                                                             Vehicle only.

• Ion Cannon

Type     Range     RoF      Dam       Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounted  300m     S/2/-  3d10+5[E]     7     ---      ---    Twin-linked,
                                                             Vehicle only.

• Seeker Missile

Type     Range     RoF      Dam       Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounted  2000m    S/-/-  3d10+6[X]    10     ---      ---    Blast(3),
                                                             Special,
                                                             Vehicle only.

• Seeker Missile follows the same rules as described for Smart Missile System, except that they can be directed only at Markerlighted targets, and receive no additional boni aside from those already provided by Markerlight.

• Rail Rifle

Type     Range     RoF     Dam        Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic    150m     S/-/-  2d10+10[I]    8     14       Full   Accurate,
                                                             Devastating(1)

• Pulse Rifle

Type     Range     RoF     Dam        Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic    150m     S/2/4  2d10+3[E]     4     36       Half   Gyro-stabilized

• Pulse Carbine

Type     Range     RoF     Dam        Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic    60m      S/-/3  2d10+2[E]     4     24       Full   Gyro-stabilized
Basic    80m      S/-/-     *          *     1        Half   Gyro-stabilized

Pulse Carbine is fitted with xeno-crafted auxiliary grenade launcher, able to fire EMP and Photon grenades.

• Pulse Pistol

Type     Range     RoF     Dam        Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Pistol   60m      S/2/-  2d10+2[E]     4     14       Half   Gyro-stabilized

• Vespid Neuron Blaster

Type     Range     RoF     Dam        Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic    45m      S/2/-  2d10+3[E]     6     24       Full   Vespid only

• Kroot Rifle

Type     Range     RoF     Dam        Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic    110m     S/2/-  1d10+5[E]     1     6        2Full
Melee    ---      ---    1d10[R]       0     ---      ---    Balanced  

• Kroot Hunting Rifle

Type     Range     RoF     Dam        Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic    150m     S/-/-  1d10+5[E]     3     8        Full   Accurate
  

• Krootbow

Type     Range     RoF     Dam        Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic    40m      S/4/8  1d10+3[R]     3     20       2Full  Tearing,
                                                             Toxic
  

• Kroot Gun

Type     Range     RoF     Dam        Pen    Clip     Rld    Special
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounted  300m     S/2/5  4d10+5[E]     4     20       2Full