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Tau - does anyone play them?

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Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby Ljundhammer » Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:30 am

NEW LIST HERE


I have no idea how Tau are supposed to work...

I've punted this up at Warseer, so I'll see how that goes, but anyone here got any experience?

I'm looking at a ninja/semi-ninja army. So here's the army:

EDIT IT HAS BEEN UPDATED AS I REALISED THE OLD ONE WAS ILLEGAL!

Tau 1500pts

Note that the army is broken down into sections where I think it works rather than the traditional HQ, Elite, Troop - I hope it isn't too confusing...

Long range section:
HQ: Shas'el - 108pts
Shas'el - twin linked MP, positional relay, HW target lock, HW drone controller, 1 x shield drones, bonding knife

Elite: Crisis team - 142pts
Shas'ui - twin linked MP, target lock
Shas'ui - twin linked MP, target lock
Shas'ui - twin linked MP, blacksun filter

The above join together & go for light tanks. However, the 'el can pretty much go where I think his drones are best

Heavy: Broadside team - 288pts
Shas'ui team leader - TL rail gun, SMS, A.S.S., HW blacksun filter, HW drone controller, HW target lock, 2 x shield drones
Shas'ui x 2 - TL rail gun, SMS, A.S.S.

No detail needed, but against big gun lists, the Shas'el can join here for more drones


Medium range section:
HQ: Shas'el & Crisis Bodyguard team - 210pts
Shas'el - CIC, TL BC, bonding knife, HW multi-tracker
Shas'vre - AFP, TL BC, HW multi-tracker
Shas'vre - TL BC, flamer

The 18" wall of death!

Elite: Crisis team - 139pts
Shas'ui team leader - fusion blaster, plasma rifle, targeting array, HW multi-tracker
Shas'ui - fusion blaster, plasma rifle, multi-tracker

Cheap, cheerful killy marine death

Close up section:
Elite: Crisis team - 86pts
Shas'ui - MP, TL flamer
Shas'ui - MP, TL flamer

I smell roasting orks - cheap enough to throw away, but with a massive damage potential v's IG & orks. MPs are there for extra long range shooting on the way in, or if the enemy is not set up to flame to death


Troops & support:
Fast: Pathfinders - 168pts
4 x pathfinders
Devilfish - burst cannon, disruption pod, SMS, landing gear, marker beacon, multi-tracker, targetting array

Fast: Pathfinders - 168pts
4 x pathfinders
Devilfish - burst cannon, disruption pod, SMS, landing gear, marker beacon, multi-tracker, targetting array

The fish go to my fire warriors - it seems sensible to keep them as survivable as possible. The pathfinders add some cheap markerlights & some distraction units. If they live, I get good markerlights, if they don't, the enemy isn't shooting my other units.

Troops: firewarriors - 60 pts
6 x firewarriors - pulse rifles

Troops: firewarriors - 60 pts
6 x firewarriors - pulse rifles

These guys get in the fish early on & hopefully survive to claim objectives...


Troops: kroot - 70pts
10 x kroot

Hopefully outflank onto objectives, otherwise hide!


Total points: 1499
Total suits: 14
Total drones: 3
Total other infantry: 30
Total vehicles: 2

I'm not sold on the pathfinders, but they are so cheap that adding more kroot for the points doesn't seem to add a lot, and the marker beakons seem fairly key to getting a ninja style to work...

All comments & critism gratefully received.
Last edited by Ljundhammer on Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:07 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby LordMalekTheRedKnight » Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:46 pm

I may be wrong, but I thought the Bodyguard were a Retinue...?

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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby Spack » Thu Dec 03, 2009 1:00 pm

You're right Tim, the Bodyguard are a Retinue (one of the few left in the game) and as such have to remain with the Shas'el.
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby mattjgilbert » Thu Dec 03, 2009 1:01 pm

BDA plays them... I'll prompt him to join in
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby Ljundhammer » Thu Dec 03, 2009 1:31 pm

Hmmm, you may be right, perhaps I was misreading... Reading it again, it's a little ambiguously worded (although perhaps I'm stretching it).

Looking at it, the list is illegal anyway, as the retinue is 1-2 members and I have 3! Dammit, I need to free up another 15 points from somewhere!
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby Spack » Thu Dec 03, 2009 1:53 pm

It's reasonably clear once you read it through a few times. See the Team rule in the Bodyguard unit, "they may not be taken separately". So, the unit must be taken with a Shas'el or Shas'o. Go to the Commander unit, and in the Bodyguard rule it states that the Commander and Bodyguard count as a single HQ choice. Then go to the Tau FAQ, first Q&A where it clarifies that the Bodyguard uses the Retinues rules for 5th ed.

:)
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby Ljundhammer » Thu Dec 03, 2009 1:58 pm

OK, as original list was illegal, I have replaced it with a new one!

Spack - it would be nice if they wrote wrote it clearly, rather than having to cross reference, but I suppose that is asking a bit much! :lol: But thanks for clearing it up!
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby killmaimburn » Thu Dec 03, 2009 3:10 pm

Ljundhammer wrote:HQ: Shas'el - 108pts
Shas'el - twin linked MP, positional relay, HW target lock, HW drone controller, 1 x shield drones, bonding knife

I know we discussed this over the weekend..source
as long as the bearer is on the table at the beggining of the turn
p27
I'm not keen on ninja tactics, just because I know when you really go for an army you really really go for it.. and taking something one FAQ away from being obsolete..sounds like a risky investment on your time. (that said they don't appear to be exactly fast to fix it.(tau aren't scheduled for next year or anything)

if your buying the pathfinders devilfish (because they are better) and sticking firewarriors in them, remember they are dedicated to the pathfinders so when you drive on your firewarriors won't start in them, you might need to just go for the lessor firewarrior devilfish.
Look up "warfish" my opponent on sunday said that was the config that worked.
Thats the entire sum of my knowledge used up pretty much,
Oh and a few hounds with the kroot.. ablatives and go at the same time as eldar etc.. can save your men some pain (the dogs were the only thing to hurt me :lol: )
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby Ljundhammer » Thu Dec 03, 2009 3:30 pm

killmaimburn wrote:
Ljundhammer wrote:HQ: Shas'el - 108pts
Shas'el - twin linked MP, positional relay, HW target lock, HW drone controller, 1 x shield drones, bonding knife

I know we discussed this over the weekend..source
as long as the bearer is on the table at the beggining of the turn
p27


I'm all over that - have no fear - that's why the positional relay is ona long-range suit! He'll start on.

killmaimburn wrote:I'm not keen on ninja tactics, just because I know when you really go for an army you really really go for it.. and taking something one FAQ away from being obsolete..sounds like a risky investment on your time. (that said they don't appear to be exactly fast to fix it.(tau aren't scheduled for next year or anything)


Ninja or not shouldn't really matter, it's intended to work under notmal DS, or by starting on - whether it will work or not is an entirely different matter :lol:

Edit: I do have a full-on Ninja list in my pocket - but that has 2 troop choices & I feel a little dicey about it. It'll either win big (sooo many guns) or be laughed out of town!

Tau aren't slated for the next year or so, and there are plenty of codexes in front of them that we know about (necron, tyranid & DE - and seeing as every other codex needs to be a SMurf one, I expect we'll see BT & BA before Tau too).

killmaimburn wrote:if your buying the pathfinders devilfish (because they are better) and sticking firewarriors in them, remember they are dedicated to the pathfinders so when you drive on your firewarriors won't start in them, you might need to just go for the lessor firewarrior devilfish.


I could, but the pathdfinder one is soooooooo much better with the marker beakon - they'll hang around my board edge until the troops decide to turn up (hopefully).

killmaimburn wrote:Look up "warfish" my opponent on sunday said that was the config that worked.


You see before you 2 warfish :wink:

killmaimburn wrote:Oh and a few hounds with the kroot.. ablatives and go at the same time as eldar etc.. can save your men some pain (the dogs were the only thing to hurt me :lol: )


Oh trust me, if I had the points I would. But I want MOAR CRISIS SUITS! It probably isn't all that competative, but I want MOAR CRISIS SUITS!
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby killmaimburn » Thu Dec 03, 2009 3:35 pm

Ready for a test game when you are :D
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby Baragash » Thu Dec 03, 2009 3:42 pm

TBF we don't know what's slated next year beyond Beasts in February, so I wouldn't look at armies based on what has and hasn't been slated.
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby killmaimburn » Thu Dec 03, 2009 3:48 pm

In harry we trust :D Unless Brim has said something concrete :?:
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby Culven » Thu Dec 03, 2009 7:08 pm

I have been playing Tau since they were initially released. I will try to impart some of my experience, but I play a different style than you want, so forgive me some of my comments ;)

Tau 1500pts

Long range section:
HQ: Shas'el - 108pts
Shas'el - twin linked MP, positional relay, HW target lock, HW drone controller, 1 x shield drones, bonding knife
I had actually considered one of these at one point during fourth when he would have had a Command and Control Node as well. I still like the idea of a commander sitting back and directing the battle with the Positional Relay, especially with a Pathfinder Devilfish on the board. I would be curious how it would work if he had two Marker Drones and stayed back to designate targets.

Elite: Crisis team - 142pts
Shas'ui - twin linked MP, target lock
Shas'ui - twin linked MP, target lock
Shas'ui - twin linked MP, blacksun filter
These seem OK. Mobile anti-Transport fire. Could also be useful against MCs.

Heavy: Broadside team - 288pts
Shas'ui team leader - TL rail gun, SMS, A.S.S., HW blacksun filter, HW drone controller, HW target lock, 2 x shield drones
Shas'ui x 2 - TL rail gun, SMS, A.S.S.
General goodness, these are.

Medium range section:
HQ: Shas'el & Crisis Bodyguard team - 210pts
Shas'el - CIC, TL BC, bonding knife, HW multi-tracker
Shas'vre - AFP, TL BC, HW multi-tracker
Shas'vre - TL BC, flamer
I assume the "CIC" is tha Cyclic Ion Blaster. I'm not a fan of Burst Cannons on Crisis Suits. I would rather use some ninja-like Stealth Suits to provide BC fire. I leave Crisis Suits to carry Fusion Blasters and Plasma Guns.

Elite: Crisis team - 139pts
Shas'ui team leader - fusion blaster, plasma rifle, targeting array, HW multi-tracker
Shas'ui - fusion blaster, plasma rifle, multi-tracker
Add a Shas-Vre to these Helios Crisis Suits and give him the CIB and Plasma Gun for some anti-Terminator goodness. Even better is a Shas'O with the CIB and Plasma Gun added to three Helios suits. Mine tends to make a 5-man Terminator unit disappear in one turn.

Close up section:
Elite: Crisis team - 86pts
Shas'ui - MP, TL flamer
Shas'ui - MP, TL flamer
Not bad fo what it is.

Troops & support:
Fast: Pathfinders - 168pts
4 x pathfinders
Devilfish - burst cannon, disruption pod, SMS, landing gear, marker beacon, multi-tracker, targetting array

Fast: Pathfinders - 168pts
4 x pathfinders
Devilfish - burst cannon, disruption pod, SMS, landing gear, marker beacon, multi-tracker, targetting array
I prefer 8-man with Marker Drones, but give this a try.

Troops: firewarriors - 60 pts
6 x firewarriors - pulse rifles

Troops: firewarriors - 60 pts
6 x firewarriors - pulse rifles
I hate using min-sized squads. They just never survive long enough.

Troops: kroot - 70pts
10 x kroot
You have three Troops choices, but I would be worried about them not surviving.

If you want more Crisis Suits, use O'Shovah and his 7-suit Bodyguard. I just don't know where you will be getting the points.
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby BDA » Thu Dec 03, 2009 10:43 pm

looks interesting the pathfinders and there devilfish should help with deepstriking battle suits in. I have always preferred keeping larger units of fire warriors in transports so they can pack more of a punch and having 24 of them getting out and shooting the snot out of something at point blank range is very satisfying.

suit wise if you have that many then separating them into different task forces is a good idea. if and it is a big if, you can get the flamers into range then they will cream IG and orks but to do that you have to deep strike and well that is tricky.
Twin MP is always fun but if you have path finders maybe go for plasma and missile as you can use the maker lights to give you a bonus to hit. indeed each squad should give you 2 marker hits so team them up with fire knifes and you are doing all sorts of damage hitting on a 2+.

all in all I would say you could do with some more troops the kroot wont last long the 2 fire warrior squads are to small to be effective at removing units from objectives or surviving when the devilfish gets shot down.
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Re: Tau - does anyone play them?

Postby cgra1 » Fri Dec 04, 2009 9:33 am

Im not suprised that Mr King hasnt posted on this yet, as there is a guy in the Redcar Ironbeards who continually hands us all a big bucket of hurt with his Tau.
My experiance playing against him shows me that they are far from broken by 5th and are still very difficult to play against.

Like all armies the key seems to be to play, play, play :lol:

Disruption pods on Hammerheads and 3+Broadsides are a real pain to kill and this combined with good use of Drones, and the arming of suits differently with the Wound allocation rules can turn a good shooting round into a dead drone or 2. :(
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