by onlainari » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:57 pm
I'm a newbie tau player, so add anything you like to this.
Shas'O
The Shas'O is a very powerful unit with a very impressive stat line. He is favoured for his heavy hitting firepower and durability.
Shas'el
The weaker Shas'O, the Shas'el costs a significant amount of points less. Shas'el's, unlike Shas'O, usually have a twinlinked weapon, meaning greater accuracy for one weapon for less cost. They are more efficient at shooting than a Shas'O, but not as durable nor as versatile, with only great accuracy on one weapon.
Etheral
The ethereal provides an excellent moral benefit to the army. The ethereal's poor stat line is a great advantage, as the moral benefit comes very cheaply, and the ethereal is a very hard unit to kill with 4th edition independent character rules.
Bodyguards
Bodyguards are a poor choice in any game lower than 2000p. They are inefficient, costing more than their elite crisis suits that do the same amount of damage. Tau commanders also benefit greatly from independent character status, which the bodyguards take away.
Crisis Suits
Crisis suits are the jack of all trades unit. Crisis suits can be equipped to take on any role on the battlefield. They must, however, be taken in moderation. They are very costly and have a very steep diminishing returns curve.
Stealth Suits
Stealth suits are a fantastic tau unit. They are excellent shooters, and have excellent mobility. Their stealth armour is great for protecting them from distant heavy weaponry. Stealths are also very underestimated in combat. They shouldn't expect to get into combat, but provide a surprising extra punch when charged.
Fire Warriors
Fire Warriors are another fantastic tau unit. Their superior range over regular rapid fire weaponry gives them a nice advantage when standing and shooting. The ability to double tap S5 makes them so devastating they are expected to take down a couple of marines. Fire Warriors should form a large part of the army.
Devilfish
The devilfish is an excellent transport. It is very cheap for one of the harder transports to take down. The devilfish also provides a good amount of offensive shooting, while being able to carry a very deadly payload of fire warriors, known over the net for their fish of fury tactic.
Kroot Carnivores
Taken if you like them, there are a few advantages of using kroot. They shoot marines better than fire warriors, and are fairly survivable amongst cover for such a cheap powerful shooting unit. Their greatest advantage to a player fielding them is their ability to push back enemy infiltrators.
Gun Drones
Another unit chosen only if you like them. They are a great harrassing unit that can greatly slow down advancing enemy when used right.
Pathfinders
The most difficult Tau unit to learn and master. Pathfinders are very deadly with the new markerlight rules ignoring cover. Pathfinders are also very expensive, you can get much more shooting out of a mechanised fire warrior unit that costs less. Pathfinders however decrease the cost of the rest of your army as they assist in their shooting. Pathfinders can also be taken as heavy hitters, wielding the new rail rifles. These guys can really pack a punch when aimed at the right unit.
Kroot Hounds
They are taken for the greatly escalated attacks given to kroot if they get into combat. With higher initiative, they are able to strike simultaneously with most combat units. When casualties are taken, kroot hounds can be removed, and thus more kroot get their attacks off. Kroot strategies do not generally revolve around kroot getting into combat however, and kroot are often in cover where the extra initiative doesn't help.
Broadsides
Some love them and some hate them. Durable and very powerful, however stuck for most of the game, unless you want to sacrifice your shooting for a turn. Broadsides are taken solely for killing tanks, which no other unit in the game does better.
Hammerhead
Up there with fire warriors as the best unit tau have. The hammerhead is amazingly hard to kill for such a cheap tank, and can deal out a good amount of shooting. The railhead is an excellent choice for it's versatility, being able to target tanks or hoards with it's railgun. The ionhead isn't underated, everyone knows that it is really good. Its weakness is that it's not a railhead. Ionheads are good for balance though, and broadsides and purpose built crisis suits do supplement the railhead well.
Krootox
The only real disappointing unit in the tau army, the Krootox is not used because it is too expensive for the shooting power it provides. It's a beast in close combat, but they can't infiltrate anyway, and it would be dominated by other armies close combat specialists.
Last edited by
onlainari on Sat Aug 06, 2005 5:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.