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So I've decided that my next army will be Tau, I haven't bought the new codex yet. I want this army to be equivalent to my Necron army in model count and relative with Unit Type.

So this is what I'm thinking....

Overlord= Commander Shadowsun
20 Warriors= 10 Breachers/ 10 Strikers
10 Immortals= 10 Pathfinders
Ghost Ark= Devilfish

That's what I'm thinking but what I'm confused on is this

Spyder= ?
5 scarabs= ?
3 Wriaths= ?
Annihilation Barge= ?
3 Tomb Blades= ?

So I'm open to any and all changes with anything in there, but I need help making a list that has roughly that amount of models of the same unit type.
I'm not sure if it's possible, but that's why I tuned to Dakka. Please help.

Spyder = hmm... Ghostkeel? It's our cheapest MC
Scarabs = Kroot
Wraiths = There's no real counterpart for that one. I think something that could be more or less similar to it would be XV9 Hazard from FW
Annihlation Barge = Hammerhead (missile tower variant from FW has the same valume of fire)
Tomb Blades = Piranhas

I'm not a fan of kroot so I think I'll use a team of stealth suits for the scarabs.
I'll use a piranha for the tomb blades, waiths... maybe a squad of crisis suits. and the spyder= maybe Broadside?

Broadsides are long range pouding units. The closest thing to them are Heavy Destroyers (albeit those are better if you don't get upgrades for Broadsides).

Spyders are MCs with support features and can handle a bit of their own in melee. Tau don't have anything similar - Ghostkeel is our similar unit in statline, so I went with it

Thanks, I see what you mean now, I'll stick with that

As main tau, with my most common opponent necron, you are going about it wrong.
The two armies are very different and will not match up in terms of body count and power. It seems as if you try to match fighting styles, but the two just can't follow the same paradigm.
Tau infantry are inferior to necron infantry, and tau big things are superior to necron big things.

Warriors to strikes and breachers is not far for tau, immortals to pathfinders more so and ghost arc to Devilfish is absurd.
Shadowsun to overlord us also misplaced,even if fair.
Spyders. Scarab and wraith have no tau counterpart.
Annibarge and hammer are decent comparison.
Piranha is about like 2 tomb blades. In value.


Instead of trying to match model per model, but list per list.
Count the points the necron has, and build a tau list from zero to match it in point, following its own style.

Thats a very valid point , what list would you make to counteract about 1200 of necrons

Tau and Necrons play very differently. It's going to be hard to find anything with an equivalent role or play style.

We're not meant to tank, we're meant to shoot everything off the board as fast as possible with markerlight support and smart target priority.

We're definitely not good at advancing the field and taking points, but we could deny enemies from getting points and even table them.

Depends on what level your planning to play them at really.

Also one new thing to consider with our new formation. If you choose to take it that is. We synergize well in three's now due to our combined fire effects. On an unrelated note the three synergy going on in the new formations makes me think of haikus for some reason.

Interesting, so what my new question is what would be a good 1200 point list? Im looking to just hold games between me and some friends and nothing competitive right now.

If you're starting tau just because they have a new codex that is like.. 4th best, then you're doing it for all of the wrong reasons

I've been interested in doing tau for a long time actually. I figured I would wait for the new codex to come out to save money and time

Kharne the Befriender wrote:
Interesting, so what my new question is what would be a good 1200 point list? Im looking to just hold games between me and some friends and nothing competitive right now.

The new codex is still being anaylized, but I can recommend things that are good.

Riptides, Ghostkeels, Stormsurges, Broadsides, and Crisis Teams are all going to be the workhorses of your army. Crisis teams should always be taken with two of the same gun on each suit and the unit should all be uniform to maximize their effectiveness of shooting at one target. Stay away from devilfish/troop combo unless its for a casual game since your likely just going to get pushed off objectives too easily. At 1200 points for a casual game it's not too hard to make a decent list on your own. Pathfinders are cheap but will die fast and any smart opponent will focus them. It's better to get two to three cheap squads to split up his ability to kill them all at once. Use ML drones with a drone controller commander in them if you want to take your ML usage to the next level if an opponent is giving your trouble.

Kroot can also be useful against some armies with sniper rounds. Skyray's are also great anti-air since if they don't move they can fire all their seekers missiles at BS4 or higher if you spent ML tokens. Great at taking down fliers. Easy to get in a CAD, but not so easy to get into a hunter contingent (our new big formation).

Stay away from vespid, drone squads of anything other than markerlights with a drone controller commander, piranhas, and sniper drone teams. I find those are generally our weakest units.

Kharne the Befriender wrote:
So I've decided that my next army will be Tau, I haven't bought the new codex yet. I want this army to be equivalent to my Necron army in model count and relative with Unit Type.

So this is what I'm thinking....

Overlord= Commander Shadowsun
20 Warriors= 10 Breachers/ 10 Strikers
10 Immortals= 10 Pathfinders
Ghost Ark= Devilfish

That's what I'm thinking but what I'm confused on is this

Spyder= ?
5 scarabs= ?
3 Wriaths= ?
Annihilation Barge= ?
3 Tomb Blades= ?

So I'm open to any and all changes with anything in there, but I need help making a list that has roughly that amount of models of the same unit type.
I'm not sure if it's possible, but that's why I tuned to Dakka. Please help.

Spyder= Ghostkeel
5 scarabs= Kroot
3 Wriaths= Ghostkeels
Annihilation Barge= Hammerhead OR the Trigunrig
3 Tomb Blades= 3 Tetras

Id whip up a list but battle scribe hasn't updated for new codex yet

Kharne the Befriender wrote:
Id whip up a list but battle scribe hasn't updated for new codex yet

It already has!

Mine hasn't, I just refreshed the data

Simple put, you cannot create a Tau army with the same setup as your Necron army because your necron army includes melee units and the Tau codex does not.

There is no way for you to substitute Wraiths and Scarabs with Tau units because of this.

DaPino wrote:
Simple put, you cannot create a Tau army with the same setup as your Necron army because your necron army includes melee units and the Tau codex does not.

There is no way for you to substitute Wraiths and Scarabs with Tau units because of this.

I've realized this and will probably swap them for suits

I wouldnt substitute wraiths for keels, however, just ran the optimized stealth formation and loved it. especially with counter fire on everything. It may fill a similar hole in your force created by missing wraiths. semi durable, decently killy, forward unit.

I'm going to create a 1500 point tau list, be on look out

 Gamgee wrote:

Kharne the Befriender wrote:
Interesting, so what my new question is what would be a good 1200 point list? Im looking to just hold games between me and some friends and nothing competitive right now.

The new codex is still being anaylized, but I can recommend things that are good.

Riptides, Ghostkeels, Stormsurges, Broadsides, and Crisis Teams are all going to be the workhorses of your army. Crisis teams should always be taken with two of the same gun on each suit and the unit should all be uniform to maximize their effectiveness of shooting at one target. Stay away from devilfish/troop combo unless its for a casual game since your likely just going to get pushed off objectives too easily. At 1200 points for a casual game it's not too hard to make a decent list on your own. Pathfinders are cheap but will die fast and any smart opponent will focus them. It's better to get two to three cheap squads to split up his ability to kill them all at once. Use ML drones with a drone controller commander in them if you want to take your ML usage to the next level if an opponent is giving your trouble.

Kroot can also be useful against some armies with sniper rounds. Skyray's are also great anti-air since if they don't move they can fire all their seekers missiles at BS4 or higher if you spent ML tokens. Great at taking down fliers. Easy to get in a CAD, but not so easy to get into a hunter contingent (our new big formation).

Stay away from vespid, drone squads of anything other than markerlights with a drone controller commander, piranhas, and sniper drone teams. I find those are generally our weakest units.

What seems to be the consensus on piranhas? They seem dirt cheap given that a squad of five is literally a 10 man drone squad. If you subtract the cost of the drones, a pirhana seems underpriced as hell. At 16 pts a model (after subtracting the cost of the drones) it seems like they could do literally anything and make their points back.

They are not good enough to be at the top table at big tournaments, but they are good.

The reason they are not top table material, is that they just don't fit the paradigam. they take valuable FA slots when taken in small numbers, and are not actually good at big squads-as they turn into viable targets.

Their main value is to be cheap is chips, 1-2 per squad, and just roadblock and annoy. while so small they are too little to be a noteworthy target, but enough to effect the flow of the game.

Overall, a nice tactical gimmik unit, but not a workhorse to carry you.

I'm still confused on signature systems, which ones go best with each unit?

Kharne the Befriender wrote:
I'm still confused on signature systems, which ones go best with each unit?

Save Iridium for your main commander. Really it's up to what's in your list. Hypothetically one Commander could take ever single signature system, but it's not really efficient and it's expensive. If your slapping your commander in a buff role it depends on what squad he's intending to buff. Is he going to be close up with crisis teams? Is he going to be sitting in the mid field with drones? Or is he just in your list as mandatory point tax and you don't intend to use him for much?

It all depends on what you want to do. If your near the front line you want to increase his suitability a lot. Iridium would be almost mandatory and the upgrades that let him not shoot to buff his squad. I forget their names at this point in time. If he's in the mid field you might want to give him some survivability options but not the whole works. Also a drone controller as well and two drones and attach him to a drone squad. If he's in the back field some minor survivability upgrades. Try keep him alive and out of harms way really. In the buffmander role usually you don't want him to have guns since he usually won't be shooting. It's a waste of points.

All up to you and where you envision him. Once I know more I can give more detailed advice.

Forgive me, not sign. Systems but the ones you take for suits and vehicles

Starting tau? Just in time for all the new shineys! How coincidental! Make sure to get at least 3 of everything. That way you can't lose.

Oh generally I don't use any. I would rather have more suits on the field.

It depends on the unit. A Riptide benefits a lot from stimulant injectors and its ion accerator upgrade. Broadsides with high yield missiles and the one that shoots anti air work wonders as well.

It all depends on what the unit is meant to be doing. If it needs to be more survivable like the Riptide then take Stim Injectors and Early Warning Override to shoot up deep strikers.

SS also does wonders with EWO now and we really don't know the new optimal distribution of battlesuit systems with our new dex yet. We can only speculate. But the bigger more pivotal pices of your army tend to do better with at least some upgrades.

Your going to want something with velocity trackers, and something with an Early Warning Override. Stims can help riptides and Ghoskeels. Shields maybe on a SS depending on your list. I would err on the side of no since 50 points for its shield is extremely pricey. I would rather protect it with units.

Retrothrusters can be useful in some situations. I've covered all the good stuff. Vehicles are meh in general for most armies and it stands here with Tau. Adding more points to something so vulnerable is asking to lose more points. Skyray's need to upgrades they work well as is.

 DarthSpader wrote:
Starting tau? Just in time for all the new shineys! How coincidental! Make sure to get at least 3 of everything. That way you can't lose.

i was going to a few months back but then i heard about the new codex so i waited


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Gamgee wrote:
Oh generally I don't use any. I would rather have more suits on the field.

It depends on the unit. A Riptide benefits a lot from stimulant injectors and its ion accerator upgrade. Broadsides with high yield missiles and the one that shoots anti air work wonders as well.

It all depends on what the unit is meant to be doing. If it needs to be more survivable like the Riptide then take Stim Injectors and Early Warning Override to shoot up deep strikers.

SS also does wonders with EWO now and we really don't know the new optimal distribution of battlesuit systems with our new dex yet. We can only speculate. But the bigger more pivotal pices of your army tend to do better with at least some upgrades.

Your going to want something with velocity trackers, and something with an Early Warning Override. Stims can help riptides and Ghoskeels. Shields maybe on a SS depending on your list. I would err on the side of no since 50 points for its shield is extremely pricey. I would rather protect it with units.

Retrothrusters can be useful in some situations. I've covered all the good stuff. Vehicles are meh in general for most armies and it stands here with Tau. Adding more points to something so vulnerable is asking to lose more points. Skyray's need to upgrades they work well as is.

thanks, this gives me some insight

No problem. May the Greater Good be with you Shas'la Kharne.

Cool TE sounds.
http://www.tauempiresoundboard.com/

ooh, another question.
are Tau flyers any good?