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Just interested in oppinions on the following:

3x Railheads
Vs:
1x Railhead, 2x Ionhead, 2x Piranha w/ fusion/target array/decoy

There is a little more play in the second list to get the extra 50pts for the two piranhas but basically you get the point.

Well to me it depends on whats in the rest of the list. If you have multiple crisis suits with missile pods and plasma, they basically do the job of an ionhead (albeit at lower range and lower rate of ap3 fire) so you can take three railheads for heavies with all the goodness they bring (and what can't be replicate elsewhere). If you don't and expect to play lots of marines not in cover/rhinos/speeders/wave serpents then maybe the more ionheads is better.

But personally i'd always take 3 railheads.

railhead

while more expensive and not as likely to hit the option of tank killing or dropping a non-scattering ordinance submuniton makes the railhead my choice, but again it really depends on whats in your list.

railhead

Like Fallen Angel, I have crisis teams which provide marine killing str 6 ap 2 plasma and light vehicle killing with str 7 multishot weaponry. I have stealth suits and fish of fury to handle crowd control. You really can't argue with srt 10 ap 1 72 inch range. If I need to save points, I ditch the SMS and go with 2 burst cannons.

Also, how can you not field a tank with the largest gun in the game on it??? =)

Railheads all the way. There's plenty else in the army that approximates what the Ion Cannon does, and little else that does what the Rail Gun does. Penetrating AV14 on a 4+ is a wonderful thing.

Quite agree, Railheads are much better.

Ionheads are better if you buy them burstcannons and use them very aggressively combined with fusion pirahna and a few fusion suits.

So in the Pirahna (3 x 4 pirahna) list, I think I'd take ions just for cheap armor. You save like 50 points on the difference between a kitted ionhead with burstcannons and a kitted railhead with sms.

I'm pretty much married to railheads myself, but I think in the instance of wanting a very cheap tank vs. a railgun (when you have 12 fusion blaster pirahna, who needs a railgun?) I will go for the ionhead.

If you've got the points for it, I'd always go with the Railhead. That said, the Ionhead isn't bad if you're hurting to squeeze everything in. Just make sure you've got a few railguns in the other Heavy slots.

Generally, I take a Railhead and a pair of Broadsides as my first two Heavys, and then either another Railhead or an Ionhead.

I agree with Davian.
My usual setup is a Hammerhead with Railgun
2x Broadsides
3x Crisis suits team
some stealth suits
2 squads of fire warrior
and a lonely little Ethereal who hides behind buildings because he's to scared about getting shot at with his lack of armour saves and pitiful abilities other than re-rolling morale


I find that this works rather well. Take the Railguns!

Most of the time I go with 3 rail heads, but sometimes against SM I like to trump it up and go with an ION head, as long as you have a rail head moving that ION head will never be shot at. Atleast thats what i've seen from most SM players I have played.

I don't play Tau but count me in the 3x Railheads, always category.

I mean the Ion Cannon is OK, but you can take a Commander with BS5 and a Plasmagun that will get to shoot AP2 death at an effective range of 30" with JSJ. You can never beat the Railhead when it comes to range and versatility.

I also agree,all rail heads. They've never let me down.

Most of the marine players I play against dont run many vehicles. They run even less when they know I am playing Tau.
Against marines and light vehicles Ion cannons are statistically better than rail guns. Against AV 13 the mobility you have along with multiple str 7 shots (ionheads and missile pods) you can prety easily get side shots and you can even damage the front well enough.
The only thing you need Railguns for is AV 14 and those are rare and easily taken care of with piranas which are better than railguns at short range.

I usually take 2x ioncannons and 1x railhead. ALL with SMS as it is very usefull.

Personally, I think the railguns miss too much, and the fact that they dont scatter is more of a curse than a blessing. Unless you really need the sub-ordnance shot, I think broadsides with the linked shots are better for the points. That way it almost guarantees you are gonna hit with that str 10 hit....The tanks draw a lot of fire and unless i am mistaken, you can get two broadsides for the price of one hammer head. Thats 2 almost definate hits per turn...just something to think about....