Tau 1,500pts: what do you think?

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**p_gray99**

HQ
Shas'el: AFP, CIB, Targetting Array, HW Multi-Tracker-100
Elites
3 Stealth Suits-90
XV8 Shas'ui: Fusion Blaster, Missle Pods, Multi-Tracker-54
XV8 Shas'ui: Fusion Blaster, Missle Pods, Multi-Tracker-54
Troops
10 Fire Warriors: Photon Grenades-110
9 Fire Warriors-90
12 Kroot, 4 Kroot Hounds-108
Fast Attack
6 Pathfinders, Devilfish-158
6 Vespid Stingwings-102
6 Vespid Stingwings-102
Heavy Support
3 Broadsides: Blacksun Filters-219
2 Broadsides: Blacksun Filters-146
Hammerhead Gunship: Railgun, Burst Cannons, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pods-165

The Crisis Suits move forwards + destroy stuff alongside the Hammerhead, Stealths and Vespids + Fire warriors in Pathfinders' devilfish. Pathfinders light up unit for Vespids. Broadsides + Other fire warriors stay back + shoot, Kroot act as cover save + assault any enemies that get too close. Thoughts? Suggestions?

**redkeyboard**

Drop the stealths to get another crisis suit or broadside.

**Emperors_Champion**

Having only just started my own Tau force (just finished building my very first squad) I don't have any experience in playing Tau and only a little in playing against them. However, a couple of things spring to mind;

1. The Blacksun filters seem like a waste of 5 pts. Are you going to actually need them? What's the likely hood of using night fight rules and even then if your planning to move them up and attack then the chances of been out of range are slim anyway. Drop the filters and kit out the 2nd FW squad with Photon grenades.

2. Why use the kroot for cover? What's wrong with using cover for cover?

Like I said I have little xp with Tau so I may be missing something but these are my initial thoughts.

**Brothererekose**

p_gray99 wrote:Shas'el: AFP, CIB, Targetting Array, HW Multi-Tracker-100

'Tis a nooB HQ. Skip having both Special toys. Go AfP and MP or CiB and PR.

p_gray99 wrote:3 Stealth Suits-90
XV8 Shas'ui: Fusion Blaster, Missle Pods, Multi-Tracker-54
XV8 Shas'ui: Fusion Blaster, Missle Pods, Multi-Tracker-54

FBs mean getting in really close, and thus caught in h2h the next turn. FireKnives, Deathrains or FireStorms last longer and deal more punishment.

p_gray99 wrote:10 Fire Warriors: Photon Grenades-110
9 Fire Warriors-90

Photon Gs are very bad. *If* your FWs get caught in h2h, then you want them to fail and break or fail and die, so you get your next turn to shoot up what just assaulted you. PhotonGs may prevent that. *Never* take 'em.

p_gray99 wrote:6 Pathfinders, Devilfish-

Add a Dispod to the D'fish.

p_gray99 wrote:6 Vespid Stingwings-102
6 Vespid Stingwings-102

*sigh* So well intended by the creators, but so lacking in punch. Even with their AP3 toys and higher Init (meant to be SM killers), the bugs can barely handle 3 or 4 SM. That's it. *If* you keep 'em, run them in tandum, always. As two 6-packs, they may well be able to shoot, assault and survive a SM tactical. I'd have at least one as a Strain Leader, since he'll *have* to be there for MarkerLight use.

p_gray99 wrote:3 Broadsides: Blacksun Filters-219
2 Broadsides: Blacksun Filters-

Try promoting one in each unit to Team Leader, adding two Shield Drones, a BK. All with A.s.s. for each of these units. The points you're saving on the HQ, the worthless PhotonGs, and maybe shrinking your bugs to one unit of 9 (strangely, 9 is more MathHammer efficient than 10

) ought to free up the points.

p_gray99 wrote:Hammerhead Gunship: Railgun, Burst Cannons, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pods-165

Not crucial, but Target Lock allows the BCs to shoot troops and the RG to bust a tank.

p_gray99 wrote: Kroot act as cover save + assault any enemies that get too close. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Situational. If there's good cover, and the enemy isn't likely to get an Alpha Strike (Turn 1 assault) then have the kroot Outflank. If there are ork deffkoptas, scout bikes, ork bikers, SRGunships or DarkEldar raiders fulla wyches, then deploy very deep on your edge, and bubble-wrap the kroot close. BTW: Don't have the kroot assault anything. Their slow Init really hurts. Just shoot their guns.

As for Emperors_Champion claiming to be a nooB, I'm gonna claim 6 years and better than a 70% Win/Loss record (in 4e). Though, I have mostly neglected them in 5e. Still, I know good builds.

**PraetorDave**

Where to begin?

p_gray99 wrote:HQ
Shas'el: AFP, CIB, Targetting Array, HW Multi-Tracker-100 One or the other, not both. Honestly the AFB is better. Give him weapons that match up with your other suits
Elites
3 Stealth Suits-90 I'm assuming that you put these in because you have the models? They aren't awful, just know that XV8's are better. Used well, they can be great.
XV8 Shas'ui: Fusion Blaster, Missle Pods, Multi-Tracker-54
XV8 Shas'ui: Fusion Blaster, Missle Pods, Multi-Tracker-54
So lets see, we are going to have individual suits, with weapons that are on complete opposite ends of the range spectrum, then give them Multi-trackers so they can fire both in a turn? Why don't you try using Fireknives? (Plasma rifle, missile pod, multi-tracker). They might actually kill something. At 1500 points, you should be looking at 2 units of 3 XV8's at least.
Troops
10 Fire Warriors: Photon Grenades-110drop the grenades. Brothererkose got it right on these.
9 Fire Warriors-90
12 Kroot, 4 Kroot Hounds-108
Fast Attack
6 Pathfinders, Devilfish-158Disruption pod. Always
6 Vespid Stingwings-102
6 Vespid Stingwings-102
No, just no. Vespids are really really terrible. But AP3 is awesome, right?! Yeah except they each get 1 shot at 12". But Initiative 5 is awesome, right?! Yeah except they have 1 attack each, and strength 3. Not to mention ld 6, so they are going to run when those 5 marines punch back. Drop these and get more kroot.
Heavy Support
3 Broadsides: Blacksun Filters-219
2 Broadsides: Blacksun Filters-146
I'm going to assume the Blacksun was to save points? If thats why, then thats ok. If you have the points, get 1.ASS or 2.Targetting Array (in that order).
Hammerhead Gunship: Railgun, Burst Cannons, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pods-165
I am going to disagree with Brothererekose here. You don't need the Target Lock. Because this guy should be going 12" every turn and handing out pies.

The Crisis Suits move forwards + destroy stuff alongside the Hammerhead, Stealths and Vespids + Fire warriors in Pathfinders' devilfish. Pathfinders light up unit for Vespids. Broadsides + Other fire warriors stay back + shoot, Kroot act as cover save + assault any enemies that get too close. Thoughts? Suggestions?

**atlas_garon**

ok for the HQ i would recomend MP PR AT HWMT
if theres extra points then shield gen or drones

drop the stealth suits IF you have more crisis suits xv8's our the Tau swiss army knife stealth just dont have the volume they need to handle armored enemies

for the fire warriors if you want to rely on them the big squads are fine - you could try 6 man squads and have them give your suits cover by moving infront of them.

XV8 load outs the FB is too close range if they got to 12 in your probably going to get assulted and they are dead the MP is a great choice i would stack them also with PR to demolish high armor targets

ah the stingwing - Personally i high point games once ive gotten all my wonder full XV8 & 88 suits and all my other tricks i do like these guys as support shock troops they are great to help mop up marine squads but unfortunitly thats about it its some expesive extra fire support with limited use thanks mostly to there 5+ save

Broadsides get the ASS you already have acute senses if im not mistaken in all battle suits the BSF isnt a deal breaker next to ASS helping you get those firing angles

everything else looks good if you have the money or the extra models more suits and some piranha with fusion blasters are what i would add while dropping the vesipds and a FW squad

**p_gray99**

Where to begin?
p_gray99 wrote:
HQ
Shas'el: AFP, CIB, Targetting Array, HW Multi-Tracker-100 One or the other, not both. Honestly the AFB is better. Give him weapons that match up with your other suits
Elites
3 Stealth Suits-90 I'm assuming that you put these in because you have the models? They aren't awful, just know that XV8's are better. Used well, they can be great.
XV8 Shas'ui: Fusion Blaster, Missle Pods, Multi-Tracker-54
XV8 Shas'ui: Fusion Blaster, Missle Pods, Multi-Tracker-54
So lets see, we are going to have individual suits, with weapons that are on complete opposite ends of the range spectrum, then give them Multi-trackers so they can fire both in a turn? Why don't you try using Fireknives? (Plasma rifle, missile pod, multi-tracker). They might actually kill something. At 1500 points, you should be looking at 2 units of 3 XV8's at least.
Troops
10 Fire Warriors: Photon Grenades-110drop the grenades. Brothererkose got it right on these.
9 Fire Warriors-90
12 Kroot, 4 Kroot Hounds-108
Fast Attack
6 Pathfinders, Devilfish-158Disruption pod. Always
6 Vespid Stingwings-102
6 Vespid Stingwings-102
No, just no. Vespids are really really terrible. But AP3 is awesome, right?! Yeah except they each get 1 shot at 12". But Initiative 5 is awesome, right?! Yeah except they have 1 attack each, and strength 3. Not to mention ld 6, so they are going to run when those 5 marines punch back. Drop these and get more kroot.
Heavy Support
3 Broadsides: Blacksun Filters-219
2 Broadsides: Blacksun Filters-146
I'm going to assume the Blacksun was to save points? If thats why, then thats ok. If you have the points, get 1.ASS or 2.Targetting Array (in that order).
Hammerhead Gunship: Railgun, Burst Cannons, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pods-165
I am going to disagree with Brothererekose here. You don't need the Target Lock. Because this guy should be going 12" every turn and handing out pies.

The Crisis Suits move forwards + destroy stuff alongside the Hammerhead, Stealths and Vespids + Fire warriors in Pathfinders' devilfish. Pathfinders light up unit for Vespids. Broadsides + Other fire warriors stay back + shoot, Kroot act as cover save + assault any enemies that get too close. Thoughts? Suggestions?

A few things: The crisis commander hunts infantry so having both is useful in this respect, while the other XV8 get close and take out tanks: the missle pods are there for S7. The fire warriors in with grenades go forwards in the pathfinders' devilfish, and possibly survive long enough to let kroot counter-attack. With both squads of vespids working together with a few markerlights helping, they'll hit the marines on 3s, wound them on 3s (probably killing around 5) then assault. This should be enough to leave an unhappy sergeant in combat with 11 vespids, and losing the combat next turn, allowing me to do it again. Trust me, this works. Will try to find points for disruption pods on devilfish. Oh, and the stealths are good at providing distractions (even going so far as to kill an emperor's champion in combat).
Thanks for feedback

**atlas_garon**

lets us know what you decide on and how the testing goes IE did you win and what did you fight against

**p_gray99**

Decided on dropping the stealths for another broadside, disruption pods + another fire warrior. May be a while until I get in results: I've only got about 2/3 of the army at the moment and low income.