For every tried-and-tested pulse blastcannon that rolls off the Earth Caste's production lines, there are a hundred miracles of T'au engineering that never see the light of day. Some are too expensive to produce en masse, while others raise deeply troubling ethical concerns,* but these one-off inventions frequently find their way into the hands of elite battlesuit pilots.
We’ve already had a look at the improvements coming to battlesuit units when the new Codex: T'au Empire arrives, so today we’re tackling the Prototype Systems, the stranger pieces of wargear your generals and aces can equip as one-off upgrades if your army is Battle-forged.
Take the Alternating Fusion Blaster, an experimental upgrade to regular old fusion blasters.
We’ve all been there – you power up your fusion blaster to give a Repulsor or Battlewagon what for, and then a whole tank column shows up at once. Now, thanks to the wonders of Earth Caste science, one gun can bore through anything that stands between your battlesuit and your target.**
The Alternating Fusion Blaster is a serious investment in points, and as with all Prototype Systems it can only be taken once per army – but there’s nothing better for turning enemies into a neat row of molten scrap.
Veteran T'au Empire commanders are no stranger to the joys of soaring around in a Coldstar battlesuit, and you can now channel your inner Dam Buster with a set of hidden bomblet bays. Enemies who stop to marvel at your graceful parabola will get the shock of their lives in a rain of high-yield explosives.
While finding new and interesting ways to detonate enemies of the T'au'va is fun, some Prototype Systems are more defensive in nature. A new version of the stimm injector,*** for instance, gives an imperilled pilot a short burst of focus during which they can shrug off even the most horrendous wounds.
Did you know that information warfare can be just as effective as perforate-things-with-railguns warfare? If you plan on deploying a Ghostkeel, perhaps from the upcoming T'au Empire Combat Patrol box, an E-H Disruption Suite should be on your radar.
Most foes rely on primitive and cunning Stratagems to resist the Greater Good, so the ability to throw a wrench in their plans for a turn is worth its weight in gold.
You can rummage around in the Earth Caste's secret stash when Codex: T'au Empire arrives, so let us know on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter what crazy gadget you’d love to see strapped to a battlesuit.
* Somehow this isn't a problem any other faction seems to worry about.
** The sky's the limit, provided your foes are kind enough to line up in single file.
*** Don't worry, the stimulant injector's current effect is still present elsewhere.