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Hi! I'm looking for some Tau tactics and strategies and really apreciate comments and posts, thanks!

. . . yeah I got nothing.

Take Kroot.

Broadsides and Hammerheads will serve you well.

Fire warrors can shoot, but not much else

And lastly, to keep from being assaulted OR shot, get creative with your crisis suits! Even with a single power weapon, a tactical squad will have a hard time trying to kill back guys with 3+ armor and a bunch of drones...especially if they were the ones getting charged...and if you charge into a unit that can fight and lose...well, that's what you have the Fail-Safe for, FOR THE GREATER GOOD *boom*

Tactics against Tau usually revolve around being able to withstand copious amounts of caps lock and knowing how to keep 12 year olds away from your models.

Oh you meant tactics AS Tau...good luck with that.

Take kroot, hounds and piranhas to block movement.

Lots of fireknives that sit out of range of your opponents guns.

And pathfinders to remove cover, increase your suits BS.

Hammerheads and broadsides to kill mech

Concentrated fire and target priority are important as well.


Unfortunately I would guess most of the people on here have never fought against Tau or never fought against good tau.

Also, fire warriors are bad.

Tau are all about damage avoidance. Use your vehicles to block LOS/assault (with Disruption pods for shooting, flechettes for assault), the good ol' JSJ for your suits and Kroot with a 2+ of 3+ coversave to block shooting/assault against Pathfinders/suits.
Also don't take FW (apart from the minimal 6), they are fairly weak and don't add anything to your army you can't get anywhere esle.

Timmah wrote:Take kroot, hounds and piranhas to block movement.

Lots of fireknives that sit out of range of your opponents guns.

And pathfinders to remove cover, increase your suits BS.

Hammerheads and broadsides to kill mech

Concentrated fire and target priority are important as well.


Unfortunately I would guess most of the people on here have never fought against Tau or never fought against good tau.

Also, fire warriors are bad.

QFT. This strategy is good.

Take 6 Fire Warriors. Put them in the pathfinders Devilfish. Never disembark them.

Sounds good

Cheap Crisis Suits are Twinlink Flamers w/a Missile Pod.

Twin Linked Missile Pods are pretty cheap too. 6 Shots at 36" w/high S? You bet.

Fireknife. Hounds. Markerlights.

Doombot001 wrote:Cheap Crisis Suits are Twinlink Flamers w/a Missile Pod.

Twin Linked Missile Pods are pretty cheap too. 6 Shots at 36" w/high S? You bet.

Don't do either of these things if you want to be competitive.

Crisis suits don't want to be close enough to use flamers, and only getting 1 weapon system is generally bad and not much cheaper than 2.

Don't do this if you want friends.

Rather than just telling someone that they're wrong, how about showing a good loadout or adding something to the conversation?

TL flamer crisis suits can do some damage, but you're pretty much relying on a good scatter and hoping to take out everyone or you're in trouble. Its risky business and the tau don't like to be risky.

I like crisis suits with missile pods and plasma guns or whatever they are. I haven't been going Tau very long, but these seem to work against most tougher infantry and can work against back armor in a pinch. The plasma gun is a bit expensive at 20 pts, but it can take out termies with the AP 2 which is nice.

indigo_jones wrote:Don't do this if you want friends.

Rather than just telling someone that they're wrong, how about showing a good loadout or adding something to the conversation?

TL flamer crisis suits can do some damage, but you're pretty much relying on a good scatter and hoping to take out everyone or you're in trouble. Its risky business and the tau don't like to be risky.

I like crisis suits with missile pods and plasma guns or whatever they are. I haven't been going Tau very long, but these seem to work against most tougher infantry and can work against back armor in a pinch. The plasma gun is a bit expensive at 20 pts, but it can take out termies with the AP 2 which is nice.

I already pointed out what works in an earlier post. Hence not clarifying in my second post with quality suits. That being said, as you stated, missile pod, plasma, multi tracker suits are by far the best load out.

They have the best defenses which is long range.


Also to all the new tau players:

Fireknive suit = missile pod, plasma, multi tracker suits

(probably made my first post unclear)

The Tau have tactics? Why wasn't I informed?

DarkHound wrote:The Tau have tactics? Why wasn't I informed?

Yep. Tau are one of those armies that are amazing when a skilled player uses them.

That's why so many people on here think they are bad.

I am just starting to use tau, but have years of experience with other armies.

Some observations:
Fireknife. Very solid performer.
Minimal fire warrior squads in gunfish.
Rail guns.
Rail guns.
Pathfinders. The markerlights are invaluable.
Rail guns.

I have 5 stealth suits, but they die. I know I am using them wrong - how should I use them?

Inigo Montoya wrote:I am just starting to use tau, but have years of experience with other armies.

Some observations:
Fireknife. Very solid performer.
Minimal fire warrior squads in gunfish.
Rail guns.
Rail guns.
Pathfinders. The markerlights are invaluable.
Rail guns.

I have 5 stealth suits, but they die. I know I am using them wrong - how should I use them?

By leaving them in the box sadly. Fireknives are by far superior.

Also you really need some kroot in there. They are invaluable for mopping up units and blocking assaults.
(same goes for pirahnas)

Use stealths as mobile markerlights. They are relentless so they can fire markerlights and will almost always be out of sight range because of the always night fight special rule. You can tag them with markerlights and they will never see you.

Broadsides are a huge target. Protect them well. Use them to your advantage to take out tanks.

Deathrains (twin-linked missile pods) are great anti-transport vehicles. Two chances per model to pop rhinos coming across the table at you that are twinlinked is amazing. Strength 7 is also good for taking out MCs. Add a flamer if people get too close for comfort and are bunched up - plus it's cheap.

Kroot are great if you have forests on the table or assault immediately with them. Basically think of them as suicide berserkers that live only to run into combat to fight. One leadership test and they are screwed. that is unless you attach your commander to them and bump up their Ld.

Hammerheads are mobile death. Cover save at over 12" from the disruption pod. Anti-horde and anti-tank all in one with the railgun or take the cheaper ion cannon to roast marines with 3 S8AP3 shots. Also your Target lock means you can shot all of your weapons at different targets.

That was a good post rogueeyes thanks!

There are a lot more complicated tactics as well but those are the down adn dirty quick overview of things. I didn't go through all the units because well it takes a while to write up.

Here's some tactic overviews:

Jump-Shoot-Jump (JSJ)
Your suits are jetpacks which allow you to move 6" then shoot in the shooting phase and move an additional 6" in the assault phase and not having to assault someone. This means you can sit behind cover, jump out in your movement phase, then shoot an enemy, and finally jump back behind cover in your assault phase. The enemy shoots as you with a cover save or he cannot shoot at all since he cannot see you.

Fish of Fury
Have a fully loaded devilfish with 12 firewarriors in it. Drive up to a unit and disembark out the back. Fire at the unit in front of the fish from behind the fish with 24 rapid fire S5AP5 shots. You opponent has trouble assaulting you since there is a huge transport sitting in between you. This was huge in 4th edition but 5th edition rules have weakened it quite a bit and TLoS makes it hard to actually shoot through your tank unless it is modeled high up. Even then your opponent gets a 4+ cover save.

Kroot Horde
20 Kroot with 12 Hounds. On the Charge they get 3 attacks each for a total of 96 attacks. It takes 8 models dead for them to take a morale test from shooting. In a forest they get a 3+ cover save. If they go to ground in a forest it becomes 2+.

Suicide Suits
Cheap suits can be purchased for specific tasks. A battlesuit can deepstrike and fire. If you load it up twinlinked weapons it drastically increases the hit percentage. Deep strike within melta range. You get a reroll with a pathfinders devilfish in LoS from the markerbeacon. Blast away at tanks. This also works with flamers on the suits.

Ninja Tau
For objective based games this allows you to use the Positional Relay to bring in exactly what you want turn by turn and protect your more fragile troops and units until you need them - such as at the end of the game when you want to grab objectives. Each turn you bring in ONE unit from reserves on a 2+ roll starting on turn 2. You choose which unit. You can always choose not to use it and bring in your entire army on normal reserve rules. The only problem is that you have a small army on the board and you lose the ability if the suit with the positional relay dies. Used right the tactic is great. Used by a novice the tactic is horrible.

Some comment on the Tactics above.

JSJ is gold, even though your XV8's look pretty sturdy, they also cost a lot of points per model. And they are quite vulnerable to allot of things. Jumping them behind terrain to give them a cover save (or preferably, out of LOS) is pretty critical.

Fish of Fury is pretty mediocre. It needs a few markerlight shots to be effective, but even then, your are so close to the other guy models you probably end up in assault anyway.

Kroot horde is also golden, use Kroot to shield your army from assault. Or to counter assault something that attacks your shooty models. But beware, you'll probably get killed if you attack something with a good save.

Suicide Suits are mediocre too. Even with the re-roll, you'll get an on-target result only 56% of the time. They need to be close, so chances are you'll mishap if you don't land on target.

Ninja Tau is utter cr*p. Not shooting for 4 turns with a shooty army and basing your entire army on a model which will die from a lascannon shot isn't good at all, in my book at least.

What's with all the FW hate? I love those guys, and almost always have at least 3 squads of 10. When you concentrate fire on a single unit they're devastating, and compared to a decent number of basic troops form other armies (orks, eldar, imperial guard, tyranids...) they have a decent armor save. It's just not power armor. The devilfish is great transport too, and really helps out the FW in staying away for as long as possible.

One of the keys to playing Tau is know which units to hit first, and then hit them hard. If you run your devilfish o' FWs up to a unit and disembark within rapid fire range and the unit isn't completely destroyed, you're doing it wrong. Support them with other units in your army like battlesuits, kroot, another fish of fury... anything really. Tau fight as an army, not a bunch of separate units.

Ninja Tau has also won me many a game by bringing in a squad of devilfish mounted FWs in turn 6 to capture an objective at the last moment. But like rougeeyes said... if you don't know what you're doing (like the first dozen times I tried this lol) you WILL lose.

Inigo Montoya wrote:

I have 5 stealth suits, but they die. I know I am using them wrong - how should I use them?

The best way to use them that I have found is to replace them with 3 XV8's and leave them at home.

Drop the stealths down to 3. Give the TL a markerlight, a target lock and maybe a fusion blaster. Also if you ahve the points add a Markerlight drone. Now stay around 40" away form the enemy. Jump up to 35" or so and fire your markerlights. Score hits that are used to help the rest of your army. Afterwards jump back to around 40-42". Repeat each turn.

Stealthsuits can NEVER be seen at more than 36" away. the 2 burst cannons will be able to provide some staying power against a rogue infantry squad that comes around. The fusion blaster can also take care of a transport taht gets sent your way. The average roll for sight in night fighting is around the lower 20s I believe. This equates out to mobile markerlights that hit and cannot be seen at all. What cannot be seen cannot be taken out.

When your enemy diverts part of his force to take out the stealths he just lost that much firepower against your main force.

Timmah wrote:Yep. Tau are one of those armies that are amazing when a skilled player uses them.

That's why so many people on here think they are bad.

Quit the trolling. Click on Rule #1 in my signature for a complete list of the Dakka rules, which you seem to have forgotten.

Iorek wrote:

Timmah wrote:Yep. Tau are one of those armies that are amazing when a skilled player uses them.

That's why so many people on here think they are bad.

Quit the trolling. Click on Rule #1 in my signature for a complete list of the Dakka rules, which you seem to have forgotten.

Wait, so someone comes into a tau tactics thread and makes a completely pointless post making fun of the army. And you're mad at me?

It was a joke that the Tau have tactics. It takes a lot of tactics to play the Tau. If you are skilled Tau are completely amazing. There are a lot of problems with them sure. The thing is you can gear a list to just about anything you come up against. The problem is that all around they become weak the more things they try to prepare for.

I personally need to cut down on my KP. If I start ramping up my army in points I barely increase in KP at all. I just increase squad sizes and wargear. If I add another suit here or there it increases the team sizes to 3 instead of 2 suits. More firepower for me. I think my 1500 point list has around 15 KP or so in it. I'd have to double check. We've been playing Ard Boyz which keeps changing the KPs around.

@rogueeyes
Paying 100-150 points for one or two possible Markerlight hits is way to expensive, but you have pointed out the only real use for a Stealthsuit squad.

Don't worry to mutch about killpoints, its better to have a good army and win the proper writen missions in the BBB, then to have a crappy army that can win in a crappy written mission.

@Joostuh

True. Then again Markerdrones are expensive as crap too. It is a use for them. Course burst cannons are great against hordes as well. They tore up a bunch of genestealers and guants my last game. I don't play anyone with orks but they'd have a good chance there as well.