Here's an article on a Tau army that performed well at a 70+ player tournament in Texas:
bit.ly/18vxyt0
Seems I may have underestimated those Missile Broadsides hehe.... Oh well, more options is much more gooder (proper english!).
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Tau Codex Review: Heavy Support
Heavy Support is another rather crowded FOC slot for the
Tau. Hmm seems we have a lot of FOC
slots with lots of good choices in this new codex don't we? I guess I can't complain because that's a
sure sign of a good codex. Decisions,
decisions. Anyway, here is the
breakdown:
XV88 Broadside Team
Pros: 2+ Armour save. Access to Skyfire with good weapons
loadouts. Can bring mass amounts of
missiles to the field. Only model able
to take missile drones.
Cons: Not very mobile. No longer have Str10 Railguns. Missile drones can't benefit from drone
controller. Only 1 support slot, can't
take interceptor and skyfire.
Notes/Tactics: Broadsides (and the Tau anti vehicle arsenal)
have gotten a bit of a nerf in this codex.
While not a bad unit by any means, Broadsides no longer excel at
anything like the railsides of old.
Sure, you can get a lot of Str7 missiles out, but you can only use
skyfire OR interceptor on a Broadside, where a Aegis Defense Line Quad gun can
do a better job. The same goes with a
Riptide or two with skyfire AND interceptor.
The Rail option is nice against flyers and ok against
vehicles, but again the Hammerhead is a better option as far as anti-vehicles
go, plus the submunition shot makes it a bit more versatile against infantry as
well.
Broadsides seem to be a wierd jack of all trades, master of
none type of option. And in a crowded
Heavy Support slot, don't be surprised if you don't see them as much as you
used to in the past. I give them a C+.
Hammerhead Gunship
Pros: One of
the few anti heavy vehicle options for Tau.
Versatile main weapon options:
Rails can shoot single shot or submunition and Ion Cannon can fire 3
shots or a Large Blast overcharge. Free
Twin Linked Smart Missile System is very nice.
Commander Longstrike adds some VERY nice bonuses especially being able
to do multiple overwatches. Adding
Sensor Spines and Disruption Pod makes it easy to hide a Hammerhead in terrain. Cheaper base cost than last codex.
Cons: Single Railgun shot not as reliable as the
old Railside options. Its a vehicle so
it can be one-hit killed.
Notes/Tactics: The Hammerhead with Railgun is pretty much
mandatory in Tau armies now. With the
nerfing of the Broadside's Rail weapon, its your only answer for heavy IG tanks
and Land Raiders. The only problem is
that the Hammerhead has only a single shot.
So if you're prone to rolling ones at the wrong time, it may be your
bane.
But thankfully the Hammerhead has some options. First off you can add the submunition shot
that can let it take on infantry blobs with its Large Blast profile. Also, if you face a lot of MEQs, the Ionhead's
Large Blast can be brutal, but honestly a Riptide can do this better (especially
joined with an uber crisis commander).
As far as secondary weapon systems go, I would say always
take the Twin Linked Smart Missile System over the drones or burst cannon. All 3 have the same strength, AP and number
of shots but the SMS is far superior in range, Ignores Cover and doesn't need
Line of Sight. If you love disembarking
gun drones, I could see maybe taking those but honestly the Smart Missile
System is the way to go, especially when combine with ...
Commander Longstrike.
I'm gonna go ahead and say, if you have the points, ALWAYS take
Longstrike. He boosts your Hammerhead's
BS to 5, making it harder to whiff on your To Hit rolls. He has a blacksun filter, Supporting Fire and
can fire in Overwatch. More importantly
he is not limited to firing Overwatch once per turn, again making those SMS
systems even more clutch. One other
thing, mechanized Imperial Guard will be a tough matchup for Tau since
Broadsides have changed. Longstrike has
both Preferred Enemy: IG and Tank Hunter, so he will be especially usefull
against heavy mech guard.
Overall I see the Hammerhead as the one mandatory Heavy
Support choice for Tau players. I give it an A-.
Sky Ray Missile
Defense Gunship
Pros: Cheap
Anti-Vehicle and Anti-Air (has Skyfire).
Can fire all 6 seekers in one turn.
BS4 Skyfire Networked Marklights
Access to free Twin Linked Smart Missile System. Adding Sensor Spines and Disruption Pod makes
it easy to hide in Terrain.
Cons: In a crowded FOC slot. Its a vehicle so it can be one-hit
killed.
Notes/Tactics: The Sky Ray has definately gotten buffed with
this edition. Seeker Missiles no longer
NEED markerlights to be fired and only get better if you do use markerlights to
fire them. Plus unlike flyers, if you
dont move your Sky Ray you can fire all 6 missiles in one turn if you
want. Similar to the Hammerhead, SMS is
definately the way to go for the secondary weapons, especially once you've used
up all your missiles. The 2 skyfire
markerlights are also very useful and give another viable markerlight option to
your Tau army. Same as the Hammerhead,
you'll want to put Sensor Spines and Disruption Pods on your Sky Ray and just
deploy it in some ruins for a 3+ cover save.
Overall the Sky Ray is a definate
improvement and a good choice especially in larger point games, I give it a B+.
Sniper Drone Team
Pros: BS5
sniper shots. BS5 markerlights. Stealth for unit. 24" rapid fire range. Within 12" of Ethereal it can have 3x
sniper shots per drone in rapid fire range.
Rather cheap. Supporting
Fire. Drones are Toughness 4 and
Initiative 4.
Cons: Only Leadership 7. In a crowded Heavy Support slot.
Notes/Tactics: Its a toss up between these guys and
Ethereals for the most improved Tau unit with this codex. These guys are among the best snipers in the
game. BS5 with rapid fire at 24"
is fantastic. You'll also want to max
out your Marksmen because BS5 markerlights are no joke either. You'll pretty much want to just plop these
guys in cover within 12" of your Ethereal, and take advantage of the extra
rapid fire shot whenever you can. In Big
Guns Never Tire games, these guys are the perfect choice to sit on a rear
objective, freeing up your troops to try and get other objectives. This unit is also a good choice to man your
Aegis Defense Line Quad Gun with BS5. To
top it all off Sniper Drone Teams are one of your most cost effective units out
there. I give them an A.
So again, we have another crowded FOC slot in Heavy
Support. Can't really complain about
that. I think in most cases I'll be
taking a Hammerhead, Sniper Drone Team and a Skyray for most games, in that
order of preference. How about
you? Have you found great success with
Broadsides? Am I off base with my
judgements? Let me know in the comments
below.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Tau Codex Review: Fast Attack
Arguably the most crowded of the Tau FOC choices, the Fast
Attack slot obviously gives you plenty of choices. But which are the best? Here's the breakdown:
Pathfinders
Pros: Cheap source for marker lights. No longer HAVE to take a Devilfish. Some nice heavy weapons options with Ion
Rifle and Rail Rifle. Interesting new
Drone types, not sure how useful they are just yet. Have Scout and Supporting Fire special rules.
Cons: Armour downgraded to 5+. Still can't move and shoot marker lights. Low Leadership. Only BS3.
Low Initiative and Weapon Skill.
Notes/Tactics: Pathfinders were pretty much the best source
of markerlights in the last codex. Now
they are even cheaper. You no longer
need to take a devilfish with them (THANK GOD!). And while they may not necessarily be the
best source of markerlights (that subject will get its own codex breakdown),
they still are pretty much the most cost efficient way. You will definitely still be seeing them in
most Tau army lists.
The addition of some heavy weapons options is pretty nice
too, especially the Ion Rifle. But with
no ability to split fire, you may not want to waste that gun on the unit you
are marker lighting. The new drones they
have aren't too bad but nothing game breaking.
The grav inhibitor drone combined with Darkstrider's Fighting Retreat
rule can make for a hard unit to charge.
But 9 times out of 10 you will be mostly using your pathfinders as cheap
markerlights and there is nothing wrong with that. Pathfinders
get a solid B.
Vespid Stingwings
Pros: Jump Pack infantry makes them fast. Improved range on Power armour killing
guns. Stealth in Ruins is much more
useful than Stealth in Woods on most tabletops (we're looking at you
Kroot!). Decent 4+ save. Hit and Run combined with Initiative 6 is
VERY nice. Toughness 4 is better than most
Tau infantry units. Also have Fleet and
Move thru Cover.
Cons: Expensive.
Base units have a silly Ld 6, making Strain Leaders a must have
upgrade. This unit is stuck in a very
crowded Fast Attack slot, Stingwings would have made a great, balanced 3rd
troop type.
Notes/Tactics: Vespid Stingwings were the laughing stock of
40k in the last codex and have been greatly improved in this codex. But unfortunately they're stuck in an
overcrowded FOC slot now.
These guys are very mobile with the Fleet and Move through
cover too which ties in nicely with their Stealth in Ruins ability. Vespid make a good "mop up crew"
type of unit. Let your Firewarriors and
others weaken advancing infantry and then have your Vespid jump in and finish
them off.
It’s a shame that Vespid are still a Fast Attack
option. With this FOC slot so crowded
and the slim choices you have in the Troops slot, I think they would have made
a great Troop choice. I think their
expense would have balanced them nicely versus firewarriors and kroot. Plus their abilities would greatly complement
those two units too.
But unfortunately you probably won't be seeing many Vespid
units on the battlefield. Most tau
players will most likely be filling their Fast Attack slot with Pathfinders and
either flyer or Piranha squads. Its a
shame too because Vespid are a good unit.
I give them a B.
Drone Squadron
Pros: All drones are the same price and not too
expensive. Gun Drones have twice as many
shots at before. Marker drones are A LOT
cheaper.
Cons: Only BS 2.
Still count towards 25% models lost in unit. Missile Drones only available to Broadsides
and do not benefit from Drone Controller.
Using Fast Attack slot isn't most efficient way to get drones in
general, its better to add them to various units that can take them.
Notes/Tactics: Drones have got a mild boost in this
edition. They all are now the same price
and Marker drones are MUCH cheaper than they were. You'll probably rarely be taking them in the
Fast Attack slot however. As a Fast
Attack unit they can only join Independent Characters, thus disallowing those
Independent Characters from join OTHER units.
The best way to get drones is to buy them with your various
units, ie. Crisis Suits, Broadsides, Firewarriors etc. One of the best combos so far is taking a
Crisis Suit Commander with a Drone Controller and giving him BS5 Marker
Drones. This is also very good in helping you free up
a Fast Attack slot for something other than Pathfinders.
Overall Drone
Squadron gets a C- but taking Drones with other units is the way to go, I guess
I'd give them a B if taken that way.
Piranha
Pros: Only Fast Skimmer that Tau have. MUCH cheaper than before. With Burst Cannon and Drones you can get a
lot of anti infantry firepower in a 5 model squadron. Give it Sensor Spines and Disruption Pod to
let it Move Thru Cover and get nice Cover bonus.
Cons: Pretty weak armour. In a crowded Fast Attack Slot. Can no longer use targetting array to boost
BS to 4. Only two main weapon choices:
burst cannon or fusion blaster
Notes/Tactics: Piranhas have gotten some boosts in this
edition. They are a bit cheaper now and
they can be taken in greater numbers than before. With 6th edition and the focus away from
mechanized armies, the burst cannon/gun drone option seems to be the more
desirable of the two main weapons.
With their speed and cheapness they can make a good
harrassment unit. And if you play in a
group with a lot of vehicles you can use the improved fusion blasters to take
them out. Piranhas are a decent choice in a crowded Fast Attack slot, I give them
a B-.
Sun Shark Bomber
Pros: Networked Markerlight with Skyfire. At 18" move you can drop 2 blast
templates (overcharge ion rifles) and 1 large blast template (pulse bomb). Interceptor drones can be dropped during
movement phas. Interceptor drones have
skyfire and interceptor. Can be equipped
with Twin Linked Missile Pod that is a 360 degree turret. Comes with 2 seeker missiles.
Cons: Weak Armour.
BS3 so it needs markerlight support.
Interceptor Drones are only BS2 (though twinlinked).
Notes/Tactics: Both of the new Tau Flyers at first seem to
be nothing special. But fortunately they
are much better than the Dark Angels Nephalim Failure, I mean, Fighter. I'm personally fond of the Sun Shark Bomber
because its a great source of blast templates versus infantry heavy armies. Plus it does have some anti air options: fly
behind a flyer and use your missile pod turret or interceptor drones.
Overall I'd give the
Sun Shark Bomber a B-.
Razorshark Strike
Fighter
Pros: Quad Ion Turret is 360 degree arc with 4 Str7
shots, fly past enemy flyers and shoot them on their rear armour. Turret can overcharge a Str 8 Large Blast. Comes with 2 seeker missiles. Burst Cannon can be upgraded to Missile
Pod. Very cheap flyer.
Cons: No Markerlight. Weak armour.
BS3.
Notes/Tactics: While I do tend to prefer the Sun Shark
Bomber for my army needs, I can see why some would prefer the Razorshark,
especially those who use Tau as an ally contigent. Its a
very inexpensive flyer that, if used correctly, can be effective at taking out
enemy flyers. The key is taking
advantage of its 360 degree Quad Ion Turret.
Going full speed and flying past enemy flyers lets you fire at their
rear armour. This makes a huge
difference most of the time (except for Stormravens).
The Razorshark does also have some versatility in that it
can take out ground infantry rather well with its Str8 AP4 Large Blast Quad Ion
Turret Overcharge. At Str8 you'll have
no problem wounding any infantry and you may be able to instakill units like
Grey Knight Paladins.
I give the Razorshark
Strike Fighter a C+.
So what do YOU think?
Do you make room for Vespids in your army list? How about the flyers? Which has brought you the most success? Leave a comment below and let me know!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Tau Codex Review: Troops
Well, to be honest there's not much change to the Troop
types in the new codex. There are no new
Demiurg troops, there's no HQ to turn crisis suits into troops either, as
rumors had been hinting. Oh well, I
wasn't expecting THAT big of a change here.
However after reading the entire codex I really wish they
made Vespids a Troop choice, their expense and limited weapons range would
balance them nicely versus Kroot and Firewarriors. And they would have been a nice mobile option
for taking objectives. Oh well, I guess
they'll flounder in the overly full Fast Attack slot this edition.
On to the Troops section review:
Firewarriors
Pros: Excellent 30" range, 15" rapid fire
range. Strength 5 guns. 4+ armour isn't bad. Can be buffed nicely by Fireblades and
Ethereals. Support Fire special rule is
very nice. Can get drones. Now come with photon grenades standard. Can take EMP grenades. Cheaper than last codex. Shas'vre can get Markerlight and Target Lock.
Cons: Only BS3 without marker light support. Poor in close combat. Dedicated Transport is expensive. Leadership is average. Only Toughness 3. Low Initiative.
Notes/Tactics: Firewarriors got some nice subtle boosts in
this new codex. They are still only BS3
and quite dependent on marker lights to be effective. But, with the addition of some synergistic HQ
choices, they can really shine.
Combining an Ethereal and a Fireblade with a unit can potentially give
each Firewarrior 4 shots in rapid fire range, thats awesome.
Devilfish are still expensive and Disruption Pods got even
more expensive. You probably won't be
seeing a lot of them on the tabletops.
But, taking one for your Ethereal is a good idea because it prevents him
from being Instakilled by high power template weapons. It also greatly expands his 12" bubble
of Invocation influence, so I recommend taking one Devilfish in your army for
your Ethereal.
Overall I give the
Firewarriors a solid B. Their cost
reduction and subtle improvements definately make them viable.
Kroot Carnivore
Squads
Pros: Dirt cheap.
Better guns than Guardsmen. They
finally have an armour save standard. 1x
Hound grants the squad Acute Senses.
Krootox Gun is good against vehicles when outflanking. Sniper rounds are cheap and can be mass
deployed. Have Move Thru Cover and
Infiltrate. Can use marker lights now.
Cons: No longer have extra attack from kroot
gun. No longer Strength 4. While 6+ armour save for free is better than
what they had, its still only a 6+ armour save.
Stealth ability is still only in Forests, which you rarely see on most
tables.
Notes/Tactics: Contrary to most Kroot fans, I'm not too
concerned with the nerfs to their close combat abilities. Since 6th edition, they have been pretty
useless in close combat. If you try to
charge with them, they'll get shot up in overwatch with no armour saves.
Besides once they got into combat they were rarely better
than the unit they were facing when it came to close combat. They were only good relative to the rest of
the Tau units which are arguably the worst in the game.
I think Kroot got a nice boost overall in this codex. They can use marker lights and they have the
nice and cheap option to use Sniper rounds.
Plus they got a good cost reduction as well as a base armour save. Plus Outflanked Krootox Guns can be rather
effective on most Vehicles' side armour.
I dont think you'll see many competitive all Kroot armies
and I think most people will make the majority of their Troop choices
Firewarriors, but I do think every army could benefit from a squad of
Kroot. Lets face it, Firewarriors like
to sit and shoot, not run around the tabletop.
And since Devilfish are relatively expensive and fragile have a bunch of
those isn't terribly cost effective. So
how do you get Troops to claim distant objectives? Kroot!
Keep them in reserve and then Outflank them (hopefully later in the game
so they dont get shot up). Bring a pair
of Krootox to help take out Vehicles (and spread wounds).
So Kroot aren't the end all be all troop choice, but they
are dirt cheap and definately have their uses.
Just don't think of them as a close combat unit anymore. I
give Kroot Carnivore Squads a B-.
So, we didn't really get any new Troop choices, and our
choices are rather limited, unlike Chaos Deamons and Blood Angels who both have
5 troop choices. But its safe to say
that both our choices have improved and focused more on the main philosophy of
the Tau army which is synergistic shooting power. Having
Vespid become a Troop choice would have been a nice complement to the other two
choices, but, oh well, we can't have everything...
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Tau Codex Review: Elites
In the last codex, everyone pretty much maxed out their Elites
slot with Crisis Suit Squads. This
codex there is a bit more selection.
Here's the breakdown:
XV8 Crisis Suits:
Pros: Come with Multi Tracker and Blacksun
included. 3pts less per model compared
to last codex. Much more flexible
weapons options: you can have up to 3
weapons, 1 TL and one regular, or 2 single versions of the same weapon. Good armour save. Decent toughness. Jump shoot jump makes them rather
mobile. Can deep strike. Are a good heavy infantry, monstrous
creature, light vehicle killer. Can be
equipped with Interceptor and/or skyfire. Has Supporting Fire rule.
Cons: Can still be insta killed by Str8 weapons
(though you can take iridium armour to boost Toughness). Compete with Riptides now in Elite slot. Still not good in close combat.
Notes/Tactics: In the last codex Crisis Suits were pretty
much your only choice in the Elites slot.
This time they have some serious competition in the Riptide (stealth
suits, not so much). I think they
pretty much go head to head with Riptides in the fact that they can field more
firepower in terms of shot numbers.
You have A LOT more flexibility in how you arm your suits
now. If you want, you can run 2 single
versions of the same weapon, making 2x missile pods or 2x plasma rifles quite a
nice option. They are still great at
killing light vehicles, heavy infantry and monstrous creatures.
You can equip them with burst cannons and flamers to take on
hordes, but honestly you never want your Crisis Suits that close to your enemy
AND you have plenty of other S5 Ap5 options in this army. Also, while fusion blasters have been
improved to 18" and are great at taking on heavy vehicles, again that
means you need to get relatively close to the enemy which is generally not a
good idea with this army.
I think the best builds for Crisis Suits are the Fireknife
(Missile Pod/Plasma Rifle), Dual Missile Pods, Dual Plasma Rifles and the
Helios (Fusion Blaster/Plasma Rifle: great for Farsight bombing). Overall
the unit gets a solid A.
XV104 Riptide:
Pros: Only Monstrous Creature for Tau. Ion Accelerator has great pie plate weapons
profile and decent against fliers as a single shot. AP2 close combat attacks. Toughness 6 so can't be insta killed because
of Double Strength weapons. Has 5 Wounds.
Has Supporting Fire rule. 2+ Armour and 5+ Invul. Nova Charges give you plenty of options. Can
have both Skyfire AND Interceptor. Nova
Charged Heavy Burst Cannon has 12 shots and Rending... uber Assault Cannon! Can
Deep Strike.
Cons: Shielded Missile Drones are pricey and can
cause Ld tests if lost. Big model can
make it difficult to hide and maneuver. Nova charging can sometimes damage a Riptide
better than your enemy can. Heavy Burst
Cannon Nova charge shot can be deadly... to your Riptide!
Notes/Tactics: The Riptide is a VERY welcome addition to the
Tau. And while it can unleash plenty of
firepower, I think its greatest strength is its Toughness. Crisis Suits can still be instakilled by high
power pie plate shooting, but a Riptide cannot. Plus with 2+ armour and the ability to have a
3+ invul save, the Riptide is arguably the Tau's most resilient unit.
Nova charging is an interesting new game mechanic as
well. You can get a 3+ invul save, a 4d6
jump shoot jump move, fire your secondary weapons twice or shoot an Uber
version of your Ion Accelerator or Heavy Burst Cannon.
Honestly though, the best offensive option for the Riptide
is an Overcharged (not Nova Charged) Ion Accelerator shot. It can liquify power armour and terminator
armour threats and is just as good versus horde armies because it is still a
Large Blast template. If you are facing
heavy vehicle armies you can Nova charge it for Str9 AP2 Large Blast that also
has Ordnance (2d6 penetration rolls).
And if you give the Riptide Skyfire and Interceptor, you can help take
on flyers or deep strikers (especially with the Ion Accelerator's 72"
range) The Heavy Burst Cannon CAN be nice... if you
get Rending shots and don't Gets Hot! any of those 12x shots (Ion Accelerator
only rolls 1x Gets Hot! roll). Plus, it
just isn't anywhere near as versatile as the Ion Accelerator.
As I hinted to earlier, my ideal build for the Riptide is
with the Ion Accelerator, TL Plasma Rifle, Early Warning Override (Interceptor)
and Velocity Tracker (Skyfire) with no drones.
I generally like to run an Aegis Defense Line with my army so the
Skyfire on the Riptide is more a contigency option against flyers. But if you dont feel you need the Skyfire,
the Stimulant Injector is a nice option too, because remember, a Feel No Pain
save doesn't count as an actual save, so its usable for failed Nova Charge
rolls.
Overall I think the
Riptide is a great addition to the Tau army, I give it an A.
Stealth Suit Team:
Pros: Have Stealth AND Shrouded. Can
Deep Strike. Can jump-shoot-jump. 3+ armour save. Have Infiltrate special rule. If Shadowsun joins them, they can auto-Look
Out Sir! for her. Have Supporting Fire
rule. Each model can use a Support
System. Shas'vre can get Homing Beacon
and/or Markerlight and Target Lock. Can
take drones. Have Multitracker (why?)
and Blacksun Filter.
Cons: Limited weapon loadouts with limited ranges...
Burst Cannon (which we have plenty of S5 AP5 shots already) and Fusion Blaster
which is great but only 18" range.
Only Toughness 3 and 1 Wound.
Notes/Tactics: Oh Stealth Teams, your models are so cool
looking. I so wish I had a compelling
reason to run you in my army. Its not that you're bad, your Stealth and
Shrouded abilities are quite nice actually.
But unfortunately you fall short offensively and you aren't terribly
cheap. I can get Str5 AP5 with better
range elsewhere with my Firewarriors.
And I really dont want you close enough to my enemy for you to use
Fusion Blasters.
I can put you with Shadowsun for a nice Look out Sir boost,
but honestly Shadowsun joining Crisis Suits is more awesome. Sigh.
As far as being an option for Marker lights and drones, its
true, you can do that. But your BS is
only 3 so using a Crisis Suit Commander or a Sniper Drone Team will get me
better marker lights.
Hmm, Stealth Teams, not bad but no where near as good as
Crisis Suits or Riptides... again. You guys get a C+. Again, sigh.
Overall the Elites section is improved over the last
edition. You do technically have more
viable choices to play in the Crisis Suits and Riptide, plus the Stealth teams
aren't bad. More options is always
better, right?
So was I off on any of my opinions? Have you found a fun combo for Stealth Teams
that propell them to compete with our other Elite choices? Let me know in the comments below.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Tau Codex Review: HQs
Overall, I'm quite happy with the choices we have in the new
HQ slot. Last edition it was pretty
much only Crisis Suit Commanders as a viable choice, but now... sooo many
tempting options. So lets dive into
them:
Commander Farsight:
Pros: No Deep Strike Scatter. Best Tau close combat option. Can take 7 bodyguards to free up Crisis Suit
elite slot. AP2, 2d6 penetration close
combat weapon. Preferred Enemy vs
Orks. Model looks awesome. Has 4+
invul save.
Cons: Can't add systems. Pricey.
Notes/Tactics: I really like the idea of taking Farsight, 6x
bodyguards with Fusion Blasters, Plasma Rifles and Target Locks. Then one bodyguard with a Command and Control
node (squad can reroll failed to hit rolls), Multi-Spectrum Sensor Suite (squad
ignores cover), Puretide Engram Chip (Monster Hunter, Tank Hunter or Stubborn
for squad) and no weapons. Deep strike
this wherever you like and murder heavily armoured infantry, monstrous
creatures or tanks. Its definately
expensive, but it's also definately scary too.
I really like Farsight.
He's a definate improvement over the last codex and has no silly
limitations to FOCs that he used to have.
I really like how you can play him in a very aggressive manner too, which
is a nice contrast to the typical "sit back and shoot" tau
mentality. Plus the new model is very
nice with a great pose. Overall I give him B+.
Commander Shadowsun:
Pros: Gives unit she is with a +3 to their cover
save. Stealth suits auto-Look Out Sir
for her. Jet Pack units she joins get
3d6" Jump Shoot Jump move. Can
fire Fusion Blasters on different units.
Shield Drones confer 3+ invul saves.
Has Infiltrate. Precision Shots
on a 5 or 6. Not a bad points cost for a
somewhat durable IC.
Cons: Only Toughness 3, can be insta killed with
lucky shot. Drones are pricey. Only a 18" range on guns.
Notes/Tactics: Initially you would think putting Shadowsun
in a unit of Stealth suits would be the best option, and to be honest its not a
bad option. But, put Shadowsun in a unit
of crisis suits, broadsides or a riptide and you give them Stealth/Shrouded. So units that already have 2+ and 3+ armour
saves will also have +3 added to their cover save. Awesome!.
Personally I like the idea of putting her with Crisis
Suits/Riptide because they also benefit from the 3D6" jump move. Maybe the best option would be a unit of
plasma rifle/fusion blaster Crisis Suits with the Puretide Engram Chip on a
Shas'vre? Give the rest of the suits
Target Locks and you have lots of options.
That 3d6" will really help your suits get out of charge range after
laying down Plasma Rifle and Fusion Blaster shots, which dont exactly have the
longest range in this army.
Overall I like Shadowsun A LOT. She's a great support HQ that can really
benefit your heavy hitting firepower units.
I give her a B+.
Ethereal:
Pros: Very cost effective. Flexible invocations give you nice options
that can be different each turn, Storm of Fire (extra Rapid Fire shot) is a
particularly useful Invocation especially in overwatch. 12" leadership bubble is very nice.
Cons: Awards an extra Victory Point if slain. NO ARMOUR SAVE. Low Toughness 3, easy to instakill. Only 2 wounds.
Notes/Tactics: Most Tau players are going to be playing a
lot of firewarriors this edition as your only Troops options are Firewarriors
and Kroot. Ethereals are a great
support unit for your Firewarriors. They
help them with their leadership and they also help them get more shots on the
enemy. As opposed to the Fireblade,
they can help more than one squad too.
I would suggest either putting your ethereal in a 12 man
squad of firewarriors to soak up wounds or better yet, put him in a Devilfish
with a Firewarrior squad to prevent him from being instakilled by a plasma
cannon. The Devilfish will also increase
his 12" leadership/invocation bubble reach (Devilfish is MUCH bigger than
the Ethereal model heheh). If you dont have any immediate Ethereal
instakill threats you can have a Firewarrior squad ride the Devilfish to a
distant objective with that mobility.
Overall, I love the new Ethereal rules and if it wasn't for
his lack of armour save and generall weak stats I would say he should be an
auto include in every army. But I still give him an A overall.
Aun'va:
Pros: Can perform 2 Invocations per turn. All Tau units on the ENTIRE BATTLEFIELD can
reroll failed Fear, Morale, Pinning and Regroup tests. Relatively cheap HQ. Resistant to high AP weapons with Paradox of
Duality. Stubborn. Can regroup if below 25%. Has a total of 6 wounds in the unit.
Cons: If killed he awards enemy 2 victory
points. No shooting attack. 5+ armour save, somewhat susceptible versus
mass small arms fire. Not an
Independent Character so can't join units, so he is an easy target. Very Bulky so can't hide in vehicles. Only Toughness 3, easy to instakill. Can't take additional gear.
Notes/Tactics: First off, this HQ is tremendously improved
over the laughable unit from the last codex.
If he dies you only give away 2 victory points instead of the
possibility of your ENTIRE ARMY running off the board. His leadership and invocation abilities make
him a great support HQ option to boost the rest of your army.
But with that being said, his low toughness, lack of
Independent Character status and inability to hide in a vehicle make him rather
vunerable so you'll have to take care in how you deploy him. Try to avoid line of sight at all costs,
especially versus horde armies with low AP weapons. Overall
though I think he's pretty good and I'd give him a B-.
Aun'shi:
Pros: 4+ invul.
Good WS and Initiative. Honor
Blade gives +2 Str, making him Str 5.
Same powers as Ethereal. Can get
rending on his Challenge attacks. Can
reroll failed saves on his Challenge attacks.
Cons: Expensive!
More expensive than Aun'va and twice as expensive as a regular Ethereal
all just for some pretty good close combat abilities? Meh. Toughness 3 makes him easy to
instakill. No Shooting attack. Can't take additional gear. Gives 2 Victory Points if slain.
Notes/Tactics: Aun'shi just seems really out of place in
this codex. He's basically an Ethereal
with some added close combat skills and stats, but honestly why the heck would
you ever want to have your ethereal in close combat? Not only is he out of place he's rather
expensive compared to the other Tau HQ options, again twice as expensive as a
regular Ethereal.
Aun'shi seems to me like a leftover rule from an early
version of this codex. I remember
hearing rumors that there was going to be an Honor Guard close combat unit in
Tau and it seems like Aun'shi would have fit well with that at least fluff
wise.
But honestly he doesn't really benefit the army that much. I could see maybe adding him to a Battle
Brothers Ally contingent for challenges, but both Eldar and Space Marines have
much better close combat options. I think Aun'shi is pretty much pointless
and I give him a D-. The only reason
he doesn't get an F is because of his Ethereal powers but honestly I'd rather
pay half the points cost for those with a regular Ethereal
Darkstrider:
Pros: Has power that can subtract 1 from Toughness
for unit you are shooting at. BS5 markerlight. Him and unit can Consolidate D6" after
Overwatch shot. Can give Scout to
Firewarrior squad. Has 3 wounds.
Cons: Can only join Pathfinders and
Firewarriors. Armour save only 5+. Toughness 3 makes him easy to instakill. Unlike ethereals, he can only benefit one
squad. Not that cheap.
Notes/Tactics: I really like the idea behind Darkstrider
and I really like that he helps keep charging enemy units. Putting him with a squad of Firewarriors
will help them Wound better (and maybe instakill some weaker T3 Independent
Characters), give them the Scout rule and help them escape enemy charges. With Pathfinders you can load up on Ion
Rifles or Rail Rifles to again try and instakill some multi-wound models or
independent characters. Add a Grav
Inhibitor Drone and your Pathfinders will be hard to charge.
Unfortunately I think Darkstrider suffers from being in an
FOC slot that is already pretty full with good options. I like the fluff behind him and I think he
really adds character to the army, but from a strictly pragmatic viewpoint
there are better options. I give Darkstrider a C+.
Cadre Fireblade:
Pros: BS5 markerlight is nice. 3 wounds isn't bad. Pretty cheap price. Can Split Fire with his markerlight. Can take drones. Volley Fire gives an extra shot to your unit
pulse rounds, if you don't move.
Cons: Can only benefit one unit, unlike
ethereals. Toughness 3 makes him easy to
instakill.
Notes/Tactics: The Cadre Fireblade is pretty darned
good. His support abilities focus on
the strengths of the Tau... more shooting!
Put him in a rear objective-holding unit of Firewarriors and just shoot
away at people as they get close. Better
yet pair him with an Ethereal and get both extra shots for not moving AND an
extra shot in rapid fire range. With
proper Support Fire positioning, very few units will be able to effectively
charge you.
A Fireblade with a Firewarriors unit in a Devilfish is one
of your better troop choices to take distant objectives as well, seeing that
you probably wont be within your Ethereals bubble of influence on the other
side of the table. Plus at 60pts he's
very cost effective.
Overall I give the
Cadre Fireblade an A-.
Crisis Suit
Commander:
Pros: BS5.
Leadership 10. 4 wounds. Can take 4x ranged/support systems. Can take any number of Signature
systems. Can take drones. The ability to take Bodyguards frees up
elite slots for Riptides or more crisis suits.
Bodyguards can take drones, signature systems too. Bodyguards can auto pass Look out sir rolls.
Cons: To make the most of Commander you need to
take more equipment, which can get expensive.
Doesn't offer buffs to other
units like Ethereals do.
Notes/Tactics: While a Crisis Suit Commander doesn't really
buff your other units like an Ethereal, he can be a valuable addition to your
army. First off, the Tau Elites slot is
even more crowded with choices with the addition of the Riptide, but Crisis
Suits are still a necessary addition to Tau armies. So the Commander's ability to add Crisis
Suits without an Elite slot is very valuable.
His ability to load up on special support and signature
systems is another great reason to take him.
Puretide Engram chip is a great choice with lots of options for your
Commander and Bodyguards.
But the commander is also one of the more cost effective
ways to get some very good BS5 marker support.
Take 2x Bodyguards and you can get up 6x BS5 markerlights if you give the
Commander a drone controller. Plus you
dont have to take another Fast Attack slot with Pathfinders if you do this.
Overall I give the
Crisis Suit Commander a B+.
The HQ section of the new codex is much improved over the last codex. I think the Ethereal and Fireblades are your best bang for the buck (and a great combo btw), but both Shadowsun and Farsight also give lots of great perks and are still considerably cheaper than Special Characters in other codexes. You'll have plenty to choose from when you are creating your army lists.
If I missed anything or if you think I'm flat out wrong on my opinions, PLEASE comment below and let me know what you think. Did I not see an awesome combo that you found? Let us know below!
The next codex section I review will be Elites...
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