The Broadside Battlesuit is the T’au Empire’s heaviest Crisis suit variant, built to anchor a firing line with anti-tank rail weapons. It trades speed for armour and raw firepower, making it the go-to answer for enemy tanks and monsters.
What the Broadside battlesuit is
The XV88 Broadside is a Crisis Battlesuit stripped of its jetpack and rebuilt around a heavy weapon. Early prototypes were clumsy, with shoulder-mounted railguns that were hard to aim. Earth Caste engineers kept refining the design until it worked.
The result is a walking gun platform. It’s slower than a Crisis suit, but it carries weapons that can crack tanks and it’s tough enough to shrug off return fire.
Weapons and wargear
The classic Broadside mounts a heavy rail rifle, a weapon that punches through armour with ease. Some pilots swap it for high-yield missile pods to handle infantry and lighter vehicles, and a few rare suits carry twin plasma rifles.
Support systems matter too. Smart missile systems let it hit targets out of line of sight, and seeker missiles give it a one-shot punch against heavy armour. In the current rules, the heavy rail rifle has the devastating wounds rule, so its shots can bypass saves entirely.
- Heavy rail rifle: long range, high strength, devastating wounds.
- High-yield missile pods: twin-linked, good against infantry and light tanks.
- Twin plasma rifle: shorter range, reliable against elite infantry.
- Twin smart missile system: indirect fire, ignores line of sight.
- Seeker missile: one-shot, high strength and damage.
Variants and upgrades
The original XV88 mounted twin railguns on its shoulders. Newer Earth Caste designs moved a single heavy rail rifle to a handheld position, which proved more efficient. The XV88-2 is a later variant, and veteran Broadsides are piloted by experienced Shas’ui who’ve earned the right to use them.
During the Great War of Confederation, many Broadsides swapped rail rifles for missile pods to better handle Ork hordes. That kind of field modification shows how flexible the chassis can be.
On the tabletop
In 10th edition, a Broadside is a single-model unit with toughness 6, a 2+ save, and 8 wounds. It moves 5 inches, so it won’t be racing around the board. Its job is to sit back and delete high-value targets.
You’ll usually see them in teams of up to three, often supporting a Hunter Cadre. They’re not cheap, but a well-placed rail rifle shot can swing a game.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Move | 5″ |
| Toughness | 6 |
| Save | 2+ |
| Wounds | 8 |
| Leadership | 7+ |
| Objective Control | 2 |
How it fits the T’au way of war
The Broadside is the anvil to the Crisis suit’s hammer. While Crisis teams dart around and grab objectives, Broadsides hold ground and punish anything that tries to push into the open.
They’re a pure expression of T’au doctrine: stand off, shoot first, and let the enemy come to you. If you need a unit that can reliably kill a tank from across the board, this is it.
Key facts
- The XV88 Broadside is the heaviest variant of the T’au Crisis Battlesuit.
- It trades mobility for heavy armour and anti-tank firepower.
- Main weapons: heavy rail rifle or high-yield missile pods.
- Piloted by veteran Shas’ui who have proven themselves in Crisis suits.
- In 10th edition it has toughness 6, 8 wounds, and a 2+ save.
FAQ
What is the Broadside Battlesuit?
It’s the T’au Empire’s heaviest Crisis battlesuit variant, the XV88. It trades mobility for heavy armour and anti-tank weaponry, usually a heavy rail rifle or missile pods.
What weapons does a Broadside carry?
The main options are a heavy rail rifle or high-yield missile pods. It can also take twin plasma rifles, a twin smart missile system, and a seeker missile.
How does the Broadside differ from a Crisis Battlesuit?
Broadsides lose the jetpack and gain much thicker armour and bigger guns. They’re slower but far more durable and better at killing tanks.