XV-104 Riptide

Since the start of the Third Sphere Expansion, rumours of a new, heavy class of battlesuit had spread throughout the ranks of the Fire caste. There was initially no appearance of this long-awaited latest prototype, but that changed during the expansion's first big showdown with the Imperium of Mankind on the Imperial planet of Agrellan. The human armies had amassed and dug in to protect their hive world, a situation that normally called for the Tau to concentrate on other, less fortified worlds. However, as the gateway planet to the whole of the coveted Dovar system, Agrellan was a keystone no invader could afford to bypass - its orbit blocked the best route through the largely impassable Damocles Gulf, and so it had to be taken. The Imperial defensive positions surrounding each hive were fonnidable - heavy walls topped at regular intervals with ferroconcrete bunkers overlooked the open wastelands. These killing fields were strewn with impenetrable tank traps and gravity-mines. Should the Tau force their way through these perimeters, or simply airdrop within the fortified rings, they would find themselves within the clausu·ophobic and twisting streets of the great hive itself. There, specially prepared blockades and defensive citadels awaited the unwary, with infantry and armour garrisoned within to launch counterattacks. It was a planet entirely given over to defending itself, its whole population geared either for war, or for war production. R I PT I D E S To crack this formidable planet and open up the more vulnerable systems beyond, Shadowsun herself planned and launched the assault. Twenty Hunter Cadres would simultaneously strike key hive nodes, and at the vanguard of each strode the cutting edge of Earth caste weapons technology, and the pinnacle of their battlesuit development - the XV1 04 Riptide. At long last, the largest battlesuit prototype yet created by the Earth caste was unleashed. The ground assaults began, perfectly coinciding with entire shoals of Sun Shark Bombers streaking overhead and numerous distracting attacks launched by forward-positioned Stealth and Pathfinder Teams. As the massed Hammerheads and skyborne Mantas rained fire on the enemy line, the Riptides at the fore came under attack. Enemy shells exploded harmlessly off their armoured shells as each Riptide brought its arsenal to bear upon the defenders. The heavy burst cannon, the Riptide's standard main armament, raked the walls, stitching patterns of death that cut Guardsmen in two. Missiles, from the Riptide's secondary weapon systems and from its accompanying Shielded Missile Drones, blazed outwards, leaving contrails as they streaked into the enemy's ranks. To the rear, those Riptides outfitted with the ion accelerator showed off the range and hittingpower of their prototype weapons - destroying battle tanks and blowing chunks out of the reinforced bunkers. Amidst the rain of incoming ordnance and the blossoming of explosions, the distinctive thrumming sound of Riptides overcharging their nova reactors could be heard. The very air crackled with electrical pulses due to the sheer energy generated by tho e indomitable power-packs. The massed guns of the Imperial Guard targeted the giant battlesuits, but to little avail. Near the gates of the Prime hive, a battery of incoming Deaths trike missiles momentarily lit the battlefield as they crashed into the Tau lines. For a long moment it eemed as if both sides paused; only an XV104 Riptide, protected by its nova shield, emerged from the flamin crater, black scorch marks marring its armour all it had to how for its brush with destruction. Cpon reaching the walls, the Riptides either engaged their jet pac · to hurdle the impediment, or stepped through the breaches made by repeated blasts from their ion accelerators . With Fire Warriors advancing at their feet, the tree of eyery hive on Agrellan soon ran red with blood. Their defence and spirit broken, Guardsmen fled their posts in a complete rout. Only the lenient surrender terms offered b,- the Water caste saved an all-out massacre. Before the n et, except for a few desperate pockets that would soon be \\iped out, the planet belonged to the Tau , who would rename the planet Mu'gulath Bay. Later, it would serve as the foundation of a new sept. o began the auspicious debut of the highly anticipated X\'1 04 Riptide. A wonder of Earth caste engineering, it tands twice as tall as the XV8 Crisis suit, but its movements are more like those of its smaller cousins than the mechanical stiffness displayed by Imperial walkers with their crude servo-motors. While the Riptide is huge and bears a number of weapon and support systems, it is still a battlesuit - worn and controlled by a lone warrior. Production of the Riptide has proven slow - the materials for the dense nanocrystaline alloy armour are difficult to obtain and the sheer volume required ensures that the XV1 04 is a rare commodity. The honour of wearing such a mighty battlesuit is only given to those who have nobly served their Commanders as Crisis Battlesuit Bodyguards. To assist its wearer, the Riptide bears a sophisticated AI system, complete with a multi-tracker and numerous comm-links to keep the pilot patched in to the cadre's Commander. The Riptide is often supported by a pair of Shielded Missile Drones, a new drone configuration, each equipped with a missile pod and shield generator. C O NTI N UAL DEVELO PM ENT The heavy battlesuit development initiative can be traced back to the massive Ork invasion of Vior'la. The Fire caste had long issued requests for a heavier class of battlesuit, one more capable of standing up to the increasingly powerful weaponry they were facing. Although crudely designed and built, the Tau could not help but be impressed with the amount of firepower that the primitive Ork Stompas and mountainous Gargants could produce. During the battles in the Damocles Gulf, the Fire caste faced the fully deployed might of the Imperium of Mankind, pitting their own weaponry against super-heavy tanks and Imperial Titans for the first time. For a race used to holding technical superiority, the sheer power of these aliens was eye-opening. The Tau way of war stresses mobility over mass attacks and hit-and-run tactics over entrenched positions. A wise Commander is not daunted by foes that outnumber his own troops many times over, nor is he dismayed by the sheer size of the crude war machines their foes might deploy. Coordinated tactics, tight discipline and a well enacted battle plan can overcome such minor advantages. However, even Commander Puretide, the ultimate master of the balanced attack, freely admitted that the creation of a heavier class of battlesuits, with upgraded size and armour, would better enable cadres to withstand the prodigious firepower that was regularly directed at them. Yet despite such worthy requests, all Earth caste attempts resulted in failure. Earlier prototypes were ponderous machines, not fit to enact the tactics of the Code of Fire, or they subjected their wearer (or the planet on which he stood) to risks beyond measure. What finally made the XV1 04 possible was the nova reactor, an experimental power-pack that fuses dark matter, producing energy on scales closer to small stars than conventional engines. Such devices have been used to empower the mighty fleets of the Air caste, but until recently, could not be reduced to a suitable size. Although still in the prototype stage, the nova reactor has proven largely stable, despite some problems in safely releasing the vast energies it produces. The Riptide's higher functions can draw upon this almost unlimited source of power, but not without some risk. While attempting to utilise its shield, boost its jet pack or charge any of its weapons, the XV1 04 Riptide can suffer dangerous power vents capable of wounding or even killing its pilot.