There was a lot of overreactions earlier today about broadsides and what they are to become next month with a new Tau codex release (assuming its next month). So one of the sources here put together much more detail, so that Tau players can get a sense of what of what to expect.
Personally, having a S8 twin-linked AP1 skyfire weapon is huge. Throw three of them into a unit, and you have a very reliable anti-flyer unit. X 3 or more in a 2000+ game, and you have a unit that looks like it will be able to control the sky from the ground.
Please remember that these are rumors, although very solid ones.
via an anonymous source
*Broadsides are Slow and Purposeful, 2+ and T4 now.
*They are twin linked str8 ap1 railguns and can take plasma or missiles as well.
*They have a suit upgrade that let's them at the start of a shooting phase have skyfire.
*They don't have interceptor, nor do they snap fire ground targets.
*The only thing I notice is that the unit chooses to skyfire or not. So if you use split fire, you can't mix firing at ground targets and flyers easily.
*They're really, really good.
*Semi mobile and very durable. They're the only non interceptor skyfire unit in the game that can survive flyer alpha strike.
*The tears and overreactions over out of context snippets is mind-blowing.