So, you might like fighter craft, you might not. The Navy doesn't seem to like them, but people here can prove that "supercarriers" can be awesome. What I'm wondering is, can anyone think of a neat, little bonus to apply to some NPC xeno fighters, to make them that next little bit terrifying? I have a big Tau force, and one of their neat acquisitions, since arriving in the Koronus stars, is a race who I am claiming would make superior fighter pilots, while the Tau have both the drive to create new, cutting edge prototypes, and the will to use them, especially with other, more expendable, pilots. These "Mako" fighters/bombers are going to be an ace up the sleeve of one of their central battle groups, and I was wondering, with the advanced tech, and manufacturing capability of the Tau, might there be a neat advantage to give these prototype attack craft? Something you see as a weakness that they have, but that the Imperium refuses to improve them, but where the Tau have no such limit? Just wondering what thing to give them to make them that one little step improved from the "regular" strike craft, and bombers; also, as I obviously rather like the Tau Navy, and their invasion is, predominantly, a Kor'Vettra operation, rather than the typical Fire Aspect affair, it could be nice to see the Kor'Vettra get some neat "field testing options", the same way Crisis Suit Commanders often do, in ground affairs.

Thanks much, and please have a good one!!!

I'm not up to my Tau so if I mention something that already exists ignore it, ok?

Stealth technology! Rip it out the Ghostkeel, stick it in a fighter, and before you know it the G'uella are wondering what's hitting them.

Drones! like the Moebius zero from Gundam seed:

One fighter with 4 AI drones that detach and provide covering fire/snipe enemy fighters.

Vectored truster aray, Nova reactor, Ion Accelerator: Stick all those in a fighter and kill everything for the greater good. (congartulations you have now half the tech of a Riptide in a fighter)*

* Or, have the Tau admit they are ripping of Gundam and have them build special battlesuits for space combat (think they already have them).

Maybe a fighter that can transform into a battle suit? (Yes, because Hero's Wing Zero gundamn totaly wasn't overpowered. )

So something like this??? Shinnakasu/Northrom Grumman VB-6 König Monster

Or this. (How could I forget Macross?)

Not sure if I'll word it right, but I suppose I could have a heavy bomber-analogue, and IT could have an assortment of small, drone-controlled fighter-analogues, "escorting" it, sort of like the Tau ground forces do, and they could have some light stealth ability; Commander Skypiercer even does that with her XV23 suit, in ground combat, so it's a running theme of these Tau. Yeah, sneaky, heavy bombers, and when you mobilize to take them down, they deploy counter-drones, which deal with the assets meant to engage the Makos.

Thank you, everyone, much appreciated.

If any race can has smart bombs it's the Tau!

Altough even the orks had television guided rokets on their mega gargants.

On 2/3/2017 at 1:39 PM, Robin Graves said:

If any race can has smart bombs it's the Tau!

Altough even the orks had television guided rokets on their mega gargants.

Any thoughts on how to do that mechanically? I admit it shows I don't entirely comprehend fighter/bombers, in RT, but I thought that they were a bit less "going out, and attacking", and a bit more "launch fighters!, and sum it up with a test". Though, yes, smart bombs could be cool.

I MAYBE could have them work like a single, small ship, and their bombs could add up to a torpedo strike, with each squadron mechanically having one torpedo for each bomber. That way, if they get blown up, they lose some firepower. More than likely, the punch of a single, capital ship torpedo would be a greater yield than a bombing run's yield, but it's an idea.