Tidewall Rampart
Tidewall Ramparts are a type of prefabricated fortification used by the Tau. Delivered to a planet in compartments and assembled on the field, the Tidewall enormous mobile fortification with enough firepower to see off entire squadrons of enemy tanks. Tidewall Rampart is an awesome demonstration of the advanced tech and forward-thinking of the Tau Empire. It comprises of Tidewall Gunrig, Tidewall Droneport and Tidewall Shieldline which can be connected into a great fortifications of the Tau defense-advance lines.[1]
Contents
Gunrig
The central and main part of a Tidewall Rampart, Tidewall Gunrig is a twin-linked railgun[1] mounted on a resilient Tidewall defence platform[5] that scans constantly for enemies, discharging ammunition at incredible velocities to obliterate anything that moves.[1] The platform shelters the operating Fire Warrior team while the turret rotates 360º for maximum efficiency and can engage both armoured targets and infantry using submunition rounds. The railguns themselves are operated by a Fire Warrior, such as a shas'ui from a Strike Team or Breacher Team via the control point set into the defence platform.[2c]
Droneport
Droneport hover into position to cover the advance of the Tau army and serve as a mobile bunker for the warriors of the Fire Caste.[3] It can collects and collates data to optimise the killing potential of the Gunrig, and the networked AI actively boosts the energy barrier produced by the Shieldline - enemy fire is simply turned back upon the foe.[1] While Fire Warriors man the defences Droneport provides, Drones are unleashed to strike the enemy from the air - acting as perfect lures for a Kauyon battle plan.[2a] However the main the Droneport's greatest asset is the Drones themselves, that able to detach and provide covering fire, deploy their built-in shield generators to provide even more protection to the T'au or mark targets for powerful strikes.[3] There are four Drones in total on each Droneport which can be any of the following types: MV1 Gun Drones, MV4 Shield Drones or MV7 Marker Drones. [2a]
Shieldline
It is behind this wall's energy fields Fire Warriors lay waste to all enemies with the fire of their pulse rifles.[2b] A virtually impenetrable barrier of glowing energy the Tidewall Shieldline thrums across the battlefield on repulsor jets, virtually advancing forward and giving the enemy less chance and less room to hide with every inch of gained ground.[4] If the enemy try to shoot defenders behind the Shieldline they risk to die because their fire ricochets from crackling energy fields sometimes even rebounding back into foe's own lines.[2d] The Tidewall Shieldline also is the bulwark around which the fortification of the Tau networks are built – battlements protected by a Tidewall control platform and shimmering energy field.[2b]
Gallery
Tau Fire Caste defending a Tidewall Rampart.
Tidewall Rampart.
Tidewall Gunrig.
Tidewall Droneport.
Tidewall Shieldline.
Tidewall Gunfort.
Tidewall Defense Network.
Sources
- 1: Games Workshop (last accessed 17 October 2015)
- 2: White Dwarf 92 (2015)
- 3: Tidewall Droneport, GW site (last accessed 11 April 2018)
- 4: Tidewall Shieldline, GW site (last accessed 11 April 2018)
- 5: Tidewall Gunrig, GW site (last accessed 11 April 2018)
