Re: Tau Advice

Frausty TheSnowman wrote:

Hello from a northern neigbor (I live in souther wyoming, and no I don't fuck sheep, so don't ask silly questions). I've got a few questions about making a functional tau list, and you seem to be the best place to go.   First off, I started tau when they got their last update, but could never really get into them. A large part of it was the crisis suits looked so godawful in my opinion that I wanted nothing to do with them. I bought a lot of crap, played a few games, and put everything on a shelf in order to further other obsessions. Now I find myself showing a coworker how to play 40k, and the army he decided on was tau, which got me looking at a lot of tactical articles and discussing things with him. Of course (being that I just bought a whole bunch of dark eldar stuff, and traded away most of my tau) I now have a strong urge to play the little blue bastards again.   What I'm building up for is a "'ard boys tourney" style list, though there's no way I'm going to have everything assembled for this year. I know you don't seem to have the best view of that particular tournament, but it's what my group is going to, and it's free. I've looked at your updated "best of" list for tau, and gotten a lot of ideas from it and what you've said about the army in general. This is the list I worked up so far, though I think it's only in the 2k range as yet. After the list I'll comment on my reasoning behind some of the choices.   HQ Commander & Bodyguard (249) x2 Shas'el-twin linked missile pod, plasma rifle, hard wired multi tracker 2 Shas'vre-twin linked missile pod, plasma rifle, hard wired multi tracker   ELITES Stealth Team (155) x3 Shas'ui-marker light, 2 marker drones, target lock 2 Shas'vre-burst cannon, target lock   TROOPS Fire Warrior Team 6 Shas'la-pulse rifle   Kroot (91) x3 14 Kroot-kroot rifle   FAST ATTACK Pathfinder Team (216) 6 Shas'la-pulse carbine, markerlight and target designator Devilfish-smart missile system, flechette discharger, disruption pod, targeting array   Piranha Team (175) x2 1 Piranha-targeting array, target lock, flechette discharger, disruption pod 1 Piranha-targeting array, flechette discharger   HEAVY SUPPORT Broadside Team Shas'vre-multi tracker Shas'ui-multi tracker   HQ-I've noticed on your tau lists you don't use the bodyguards, is there a reason behind this? I'm using them here to get crisis suits into the list when my elites are already taken.   ELITES-pretty sure right off the bat you're going to call me a stupid fuck for using stealth suits, which is fair enough. The reason behind them is infiltrating marker lights, which while I'm sure your familiar with the concept, I haven't seen discussed on your site. Even used like this they suck? Not worth taking at all ever under any circumstance? Just seems like one unit of pathfinders isn't going to be enough marker lights.   TROOPS-as much as I want to like firewarriors, I understand why you don't like them. So the compulsory unit, highjacking the pathfinders devil fish, and a trio of big kroot units to act as a buffer against all the things tau hate to deal with.   FAST ATTACK-I really wanted to do two squads of four piranha, as I LOVE the things, but it's just sooo many damn points. I've heard some discussion recently on flechette launchers on large piranha squads and the assaulting unit taking single launcher hit per piranha per assaulter...is this ture? Seems a little out there, but people I've talked to are adament (yeah, I know, always a sure sign they're right huh?).   HEAVY SUPPORT-always my biggest problem when it comes to tau. I don't like hammerheads or broadsides (mostly an astetic issue as opposed to game mechanics), but I realize they are what wins games.   Thanks for taking the time to read this, hope to hear from you soon.   P.S. if MG hosts the 'ard boys this year I might see you down there. Last year we went to the ogre's den in casper and had an absolute shitty time. Won't be going back there any time soon.

Reply:

No jokes about sheep, I promise.  Goats?

MG won't be hosting a ard boyz this year, the store owner didn't really want to.  Seems not many stores have interest, probably something to do with the fail nature of the event.

Answers to your questions:

HQ:  My commander is my only source of good LD.  Sometimes, I need that.  Plus, he can join squads and boost their numbers for morale tests and that's a good thing.  He can also join the closest crisis suit team and use markerlights to boost his BS up and get 4xsuit fire instead of 3x.  Helps efficiency.

Elites:  I did that a couple times.  It's entertaining and was worth it in 4E, when everyone and their mother had gunlines full of lascannons.  Now with everyone being mobile and 4+ cover saves, pathfinders are better.  It's not discussed because it's umm crap.

Troops:  Yep.  Pretty much.

Fast Attack:  The piranha's are worth it.  9?  No.  4?  Sure why not.  Always leave room for 1 pathfinder unit.  Every model that can make an attack in CC gets hit on 4+ by flechette dischargers.  See, you cannot 'hold back' even if you can't hurt a vehicle.  The CC rules specifically say no holding back.  There's nothing wrong with flechette dischargers.  I usually don't run them, as when I do...they get melta'd.  lol

Heavy Support:  Hammerheads are awesome.  Combine piranha + flechette followed by pathfinders + hammerhead blast, and you'll blow hordes to pieces.

Sorry I have been very busy and didn't get to this sooner.  :)