| Points | Front Armour | Side Armour | Rear Armour | BS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Ray | 125 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 3 |
Type: Tank, Skimmer
Crew: 2, Tau Fire Caste
Weapons: The Sky Ray is armed with six Seeker missiles, 2 networked Markerlights and a Target lock (meaning it can launch its own missiles, potentially at two different targets per Shooting phase). It is also equipped with a secondary weapons system.
The secondary weapons system is either two burst cannons at +10 pts, a pair of Gun Drones at +20 pts, or a smart missile system at +20 pts. Note the burst cannons are not twin-linked and fire separately.
Options: The Sky Ray may be given any of the following from the Tau Codex: Sensor spines, Targeting array, Blacksun filter, Flechette discharger, Disruption pod, Decoy launcher. The Sky Ray always has a Targeting lock.
Heavy Support: A Sky Ray is a Heavy Support option for a Tau army.
Special Rules
AA Upgrade: One of the Sky Ray's roles is to engage enemy aircraft. The Seeker missile and Markerlight array may be upgraded to an AA mount for +30 pts.
To attack aircraft the target must first be hit by a Markerlight. This can be the Sky Ray's own Markerlight (at BS3), or any other Markerlight in the Tau force (at 6s for hitting an aircraft). If the target aircraft is hit then any number of the Sky Ray's Seeker missiles can be fired at the target. Each missile hits on a roll of 4+. An aircraft that has not first been hit by a markerlight cannot be fired at.
Once all six missiles have been fired then the Sky Ray is out of ammunition and can only fire its secondary weapon system for the rest of the game.
As an anti-aircraft weapon the Sky Ray cannot fire any other weapons whilst engaging aircraft. The Sky Ray must remain stationary to engage aircraft. With the AA upgrade a Sky Ray may still engage ground targets as normal.
Landing Gear: Though they utilise advanced anti-gravitic technology, Tau vehicles are fitted with basic landing gear in case they should suffer malfunction. In any turn that the vehicle does not move, it may choose to no longer count as a skimmer until it moves again. This benefit does not apply on the first turn of the game.