Editing Missile Launcher (section)

==Tau==
The [[Tau]] also use missile launchers, albeit only on their battlesuits and vehicles -- Fire Warrior squads are instead given markerlights and are expected to designate targets for the vehicles to shoot at, rather than carry missiles themselves. This is because the hunter cadre is by doctrine suppose to be a highly mobile and elastic thing, it's why they don't use any crew served weapons the way the Imperial Guard does. As mobility is so highly valued missiles and other heavy weapons are attached to vehicles which are then tightly integrated with the infantry so as to work as one for the Greater Good. They are generally not as powerful as their Imperial equivalents, but they can be more accurate if their targets are illuminated by markerlights.

===Airbursting Fragmentation Projector===
[[File:Airbursting_Fragmentation_Projector.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Airbursting Fragmentation Projector]]
Less of a missile launcher and more of a Tau grenade launching ordnance.

The Airbursting Fragmentation Projector or Launcher is an experimental special issue Tau weapon currently undergoing field tests. It launches a a proximity-fused explosive projectile, launched on a trajectory computed by an on-board drone intelligence, that calculate the precise height and distance from the other munitions to provide maximum effect.

The munition is fired at a high angle and explodes directly above the target, negating the effects of any cover the foe might be using. The weapon has proved effective against swarms of Tyranids, including those with [[Lictor|chameleonic properties.]] Another major advantage of the weapon is that it can be targeted on an enemy even if the user does not have a direct line of sight to it, due to it's indirect fire trajectory.

On tabletop it is a longer ranged Flamer that ignores line of sight but doesn't auto-hit, so not a flamer at all. Not bad. Unless you need to ignore the line of sight, such as on very terrain laden maps, the Burst Cannon outperforms this weapon.

Tl;dr Its a T'au mortar.

=== Missile Pod ===
[[File:Missile_Pod.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Missile Pod]]
The vanilla Missile Pod.

A missile pod is a small rack of miniature missiles mounted on the arm or shoulder of a Battlesuit.

It is a relatively simple Tau multiple missile delivery system able to engage targets at long range. It isn't quite as strong or armor-piercing or long-ranged as an Imperial missile launcher (Example: it is not as powerful as an Imperial Krak warhead and lacking the damage radius of a Frag Missile), but it is an assault weapon, rather than a heavy weapon.

Despite being overall inferior to the Imperium's missile, Tau missiles instead combine the best attributes of both, and are capable of rapid fire to shred infantry, transports, skimmers, and other light vehicles with ease.

A Tau Missile Pod typically consists of a small silo of semi-intelligent missiles that are extremely effective against both heavy infantry and light vehicles. 

=== High-Yield Missile Pod ===
[[File:High-Yield_Missile_Pod.jpg|200px|right|thumb|High-Yield Missile Pod]]
The High-Yield Missile Pod is large rack of High Explosive Missiles mounted on the hands of XV-88 Broadside Battlesuit in place of the normal Heavy Rail Rifle. 
Similar in power and role to an Imperial Autocannon, a High-yield Missile Pod is essentially a larger and more rapidly-firing Missile Pod that consists of a silo of semi-intelligent missiles.

Designed as a Light Vehicle killer this thing fires double the normal amount of missiles compared to its lighter cousin and spells the end of any light vehicle caught in its range.

High-yield Missile Pods were developed during the Tau Empire’s Great War of Confederation after initial setbacks were encountered fighting the Ork menace, where the sheer mass of attacking Greenskin waves and the light nature of their vehicles meant that the Heavy Rail Rifle, although deadly, could not stem the overwhelming tide of attackers.

=== Smart Missile System ===
[[File:Smart_Missile_System_models.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Smart Missile System]]
A Smart Missile System is a Tau missile launcher that fires self-propelled auto-tracking missiles. A smart missile system's munitions have even less strength, range, and armor-piercing ability than those of a missile pod, but they include advanced built-in target tracking and guidance systems.

The tracking system is provided by a Drone-level artificial intelligence which makes the projectile completely independent of the firing unit. This allows for the firer to engage targets that are outside their line-of-sight, hide behind the terrain and the missiles are not affected by fighting in low-light or nighttime conditions.

The operator must remain steady to designate a target, but can then unleash four missiles that will Robotech around obstacles on the way to their target allowing for multiple simultaneous and devastating offensive missile strikes.

On the tabletop the Smart Missile System is a heavy 4 pulse rifle that can hit targets out of LoS from the shooter. Most vehicles and most Tau players for that matter can take them in a pair of these things for [[Dakka|double the firepower,]] which is great. They are especially great when those pesky Gue'la decide that hiding in cover or MEHTAL BAWKSES is a neat strategy.

=== Cluster Rocket System ===
[[File:ClusterRockets.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Cluster Rocket System]]

[[Dakka|Macross Missile Spam. On tabletop.]]

The Cluster Rocket System is a type of Tau weapon. Cluster Rocket Systems saturate the enemy with salvos of drone-guided warheads. Cluster Rocket Systems are most typically mounted on the KV128 Stormsurge Ballistic Suit.

These over grown missile pods replace the Suits arms and can vomit forth enough ordnance to threaten anything with T:5 or lower, with the ability to fire up to 4d6 attacks, a range of 48", so long as Lady Luck, and Admiral Awesome smile on you, this thing will earn back its points, and then some solely with amount of infantry it can annihilate. Crunch wise, the Cluster Rocket System fires a shitload of shots for smacking the shit out of tarpits within range. If you want to saturate a entire area in GEQ grinding rockets, this is the weapon for you.

=== Nexus Meteor Missile System ===
[[File:99560113052_TauNexusMissile03.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Nexus Meteor Missile System]]
The Nexus Missile System is a class of heavy Missile Launcher used by the Tau Empire.

When they mean meteor, I believe the Weebs really meant it as this thing hits like an asteroid. Sacrifices the amount of [[Dakka|missile spam]] for precise, powerful explosions...like a [[Manticore Rocket Launcher|Manticore.]]

Because the Cluster Rocket Pod wasn't producing a big enough boom. This ''thing'' can only be mounted on the KX-139 Ta'Unar Supremacy Suit, and boy does it show. A swarm killer of the highest order this weapon lays down one Apocalyptic Mega Blast Template that starts out as strong as a Railgun, and ends up as weak as a Pulse Rifle, with an explosion bright enough to blind anyone left standing.

These weapons are used for blob armies at long range where it can fire with relative safety from its own missile's blast radius. However, when things get too close, the Nexus Meteor Missile System is replaced with the Fragmentation Cluster Shell Launcher.

===Fragmentation Cluster Shell Launcher===
[[File:FragCluster.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fragmentation Cluster Shell Launcher]]
The Airbursting Fragmentation Projector on [[Drugs|Bathsalts.]]

The Fragmentation Cluster Shell Launcher is a type of Tau heavy Battlesuit weapon. This massive array is mounted on the KX-139 Battlesuit series. This weapon is used when you just wanna launch so much grenades in the sky it starts to resemble more like an ''actual'' [[Steel Rain]] than the [[Drop Pod|creator's namesake.]] 

The Fragmentation Cluster Shell Launcher is used as a replacement for the Nexus Meteor Missile System in case the Supremacy Suit found itself a bit ''too'' surrounded by a bunch of mooks.

As such, the Fragmentation Cluster Shell Launcher is best used for close range defense and infantry target saturation whereas the Nexus Meteor Missile System is aimed at blob armies at a much further range.

On the tabletop, the weapon always comes buddy-buddy with the Heavy Rail Cannon, essentially the Fragmentation Cluster Shell Launcher is the same Airbursting Fragmentation Projector with the same Cluster Shells ability but with a much longer and wider range.

=== Seeker Missile ===
[[File:Seeker2.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Seeker Missile]]
The seeker missile is the Tau Empire's primary indirect fire support weapon, equivalent to the Imperial hunter-killer missile. Prior to 6th edition, they could only be activated remotely by a markerlight, which they made up for by being BS5. The 6th edition Tau Empire codex made them able to be fired like normal weapons as well - without anyone else to give them markerlight rules, they are ''identical'' to hunter-killer missiles.

''With'' markerlights it is a slightly different story. They can be remotely fired even if the vehicle carrying them would be unable to use them (because it has moved, or does not have line-of-sight to a target, for example). The Tau Empire realized that having a vehicle carry missiles but be unable to fire them itself would be silly, and so most vehicles dedicated to carrying seeker missiles, like the [[Skyray Missile Gunship]], mount networked markerlights that allow them to designate targets themselves. Other largish Tau vehicles can mount a smaller number of seeker missiles purely for infantry anti-armor support.

Come Eighth edition, they are now heavy weapons that fire on a Six, regardless of the heavy weapons penalty. However, two marker lights on a target will allow you to use the firing model's BS as opposed to a six.

=== Destroyer Missile ===
[[File:DestroyerMissile.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Destroyer Missile]]
[[Meme|A Missile that will pierce the heavens!]]

Take a seeker missile, feed it steroids made of hate, and then give it something to destroy, there you've got a Destroyer Missile. These munitions are an advanced form of Seeker Missiles, piloted by advanced AI before being delivered with extreme precision. You can say it is the Tau equivalent of the infamous [[Deathstrike Missile Launcher]], although not as obscene and not as table breaking ridiculous.

Mounted on the KV128 Stormsurge suit in sets of 4 these missiles normally act at S:8, AP1, but can be fired at S:D by spending a Markerlight Token.

In 8th edition, the Destroyer Missile has been changed to a single shot on a hit that do D3 mortal wounds. Basically becoming a Seeker missile with a foot of range lopped off, although it can still benefit from Markerlights.
<gallery>
Image:Destroyer Missile 2.jpg
</gallery>

=== Gravitic Launcher ===
[[File:Gravitic_Launchers_2.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Gravitic Launcher]]
A very interesting weapon.

Gravitic Launchers are a type of 'Missile Launcher' found only on the biggest Tau Warship. 'Missile Launcher' is in quotations because its firing mechanism is nothing more than an even larger railgun. While this should technically put it in the [[Gauss]] section, the reality is that this weapon only shoots out missiles, it's just that its firing mechanism follows the Railgun-mechanics which doesn't make it an actual bonafide Railgun.

Due to its unique technical makeup, the weapon consists of a two-stage launch system. First, mass drivers provide the initial burst of speed to launch the missile before the ship's gravitational field is pulsed to force the missile out at a tremendous speed. The missiles are drone controlled, giving them exceptional directional control making them highly dangerous weapons. So, in a way they’re a type of bolt weapon with magnetic and gravitic kicker instead of a chemical kick charge to get the ball rolling.

They are identified by the four-tubed looking things sandwiched between the bridge and launch bays on top of a [[Or'Es El'Eleath|Or'es El'leath-class Battleship.]] The ones on the [[Lar'shi'vre-class Cruiser]] resembles five holes on the prow of the ship.
<gallery>
Gravitic_Launchers.JPG|3D-printed model.
Graviticlauncher.jpg|Firing its missiles.
Gravitic_Launcher_Cruiser.JPG|On the Lar'shi'vre-class Cruiser.
</gallery>

=== Warsphere Missile Pod ===
[[File:Warsphere_Missile_Pod.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Warsphere Missile Pod]]
Warsphere or Kroot Missile Pods are used in the aforementioned [[Warspheres]]. These Missile Pods are arranged in three on each second ring of the Warsphere and erected like a modern VLS system.

These missile pods are the <u>'''ONLY'''</u> weapons found on a [[Kroot]] Warsphere. Whilst the Kroots have six of these on their flying eggships, the Warsphere is actually underarmed for a vessel of such size. Due to this, Warspheres are always gonna be outgunned and outdakka'ed for even ships of a lesser class.

The only advantage these missile pods bring to the table is that, like the Gravitic Launcher, the missiles it fires are heat-seeking, turning the Missile Pod into a fire-and-forget weapon as it could independently target the nearest vessel. The missiles could also hit anywhere, giving the eggship zero blind spots against enemy counterattacks. It also hits hard, which each missile dealing a substantial damage to void shields and its equivalent. All in all, treat the Kroot Missile Pod like a complementary dish to the [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]] role of the Warspheres.
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