XV104 Riptide Battlesuit

The XV104 Riptide Battlesuit is one of the latest innovations from the T'au Earth caste, designed to combat the T'au Empire's most formidable foes.

Twice the height of an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, its long, articulated legs support a heavily armored torso that houses the Riptide's Dark Matter Nova Reactor - an experimental power generator that can be activated should the Shas'vre pilot gain additional power needed to maintain its high rate of fire.

The XV104 carries a sleek Riptide Shield Generator on one arm and a Heavy Burst Cannon, which can be swapped out for an Ion Accelerator, on the other. To ensure maneuverability, the XV104 Riptide Battlesuit also comes equipped with a large jetpack that protrudes from its shoulder blades.

A Riptide pilot is an elite Shas'vre—chosen to don the most powerful battlesuit and fight for his squadmates; He is a role model among his peers. On the battlefield, a Riptide can jet swiftly to close gaps in the T'au lines and provide cover fire for his colleagues while shielding his allies with his armored mass.

The pilot can also willingly risk using Riptide's Nova Reactor - even if exposure to its radiation could kill him - so he can better serve his comrades and ensure a perfected reactor is developed for future generations. Such self-sacrifice underscores the nobility of the greater good and heroic nature of the XV104 Riptide Battlesuit pilots.

A marvel of Earthcaste engineering, the XV104 is well over twice the size of the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, although its movements resemble those of its smaller cousins ??rather than the mechanical rigidity exhibited by Imperial walkers with their crude servomotors. While the Riptide is huge and carries an array of weapons and support systems, it is still a T'au battlesuit - worn and controlled by a lone fighter.

As with all warriors of the T'au Fire Caste, Fire Caste doctrine set forth in the Code of Fire directs all warriors to fight closely together, with each member of a team doing their best to protect not only their comrades but also those neighboring their squad . With this training, T'au units can use overlapping fields of fire to support all teams on the battlefield against each other in enemy attacks.

Much like the smaller XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, the XV104 Riptide Battlesuit's greatest strengths lie in its mobility and ranged firepower - it was designed to fill the same roles and tackle the same types of missions as its smaller cousin. XV104s are extremely versatile as they can be outfitted with a selection of weapons and combat support systems that best suit their intended role or the missions ahead.

XV104 Riptide Battlesuits strike the perfect balance of offensive capability, armored protection, maneuverability and utility. They are exceedingly large; easily many times the size of the fire warrior who wields it. To many T'au, they are the epitome of Earth Caste engineering, ingenuity, and technology. XV104 go into battle heavily armed with powerful weapon systems and combat support systems, allowing them to fight more effectively.

However, regardless of battlesuit configuration or weapon loadout, all XV104 Riptide Battlesuits share some common traits. These include the advanced sensors built into the primary sensor cluster, which serves as the battlesuit's "head". Consisting of a series of variable-spectrum passive sensors and active scanners, these sensors allow the battlesuit to detect hidden enemy units and their movement. this tactical data can then be sent back to the T'au commando units.

This multi-part plastic kit contains 108 components and a T'au transfer sheet with which to make one XV104 Riptide Battlesuit and two Shielded Missile Drones. This kit is supplied unpainted and requires assembly - we recommend using Citadel Plastic Glue and Citadel Paints.