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I play orks for the most part, but would like to start a Tau army. No clue how to play them, help me out with strategy's!

Shoot the other guy.

What, you want more?

Move and shoot the other guy.

Really thats about it. Back in fourth ed. You could go static gun line which used to be workable with some skill. However since 5th ed came out and everybody and their dog can get to you on turn 2 not so much. Since Tau cannot in anyway shape or form win an assault... yes even kroot loose this fight. You have to shoot the other guy. Thankfully Tau do not need to rely on low AP weapons to be a shooty army. We have enough ways of just making you have to take a ton of saves. Markerlights are your friends.

I really think that right now, Mechanized Tau or Farsight and his dozen crisis suits is about the only really strong option we have. Both allow you to move and put the hurt where it needs to be. Both allow you to run away and reposition when the other guy gets in your face.

I'd suggest looking at some of the army lists posted here and on other forums to get an idea of what people are fielding.

The biggest problem tau have is their troop choices are not very survivable.
most theories nowdays are min squads of firewarriors in fish so they dont have to waste points and remain scoring until the fish is killed.
Tau have always been a very mobile shooting army. Their vehicles took a hit in 5th with less shots when moving fast but they almost always get a 4+ save now which is gold.

Well, I'd play a mech Tau army. For this, mount the Fire Warriors in Devilfishs and play fish of fury. Add three HS tanks (personal preference here) and some Crisis squads with plasmas and autocannons.

A good countercharge with Farsight will send even Marines packing - he's the only hope the Greater Good ever had to win a fair fight, and now's he's beggared off because they're all wimpy shooty eldar girls with blue skin and pet frisbees.

Incidentally, I'm working on an Eldar army because my marines get eaten by Tau.

Or you can go with positional relay, have some units in reserve and let your troops come on turn 4 to take objectives (mounted in DV). In turn 1-3 you decimate the enemy troops and CC units with your elites and heavy support

5th Edition is extremely gay for the taus!!!! The Crisis suts have been nerfed!!! Whats the point of paying the points for units that's suppose to be able to hide from return fire not able to do that?!

True line of Sight = worst rule ever.

Depends how you want to play.
Meq? foot sloggers?

I play a semi mechanised force. Semi because I include Kroots. Last game I won all the crisis suits got nailed cause they can't hide!!! It doesn't take alot to shoot down two suits.

i find tau very easy to fight, genrally my marine army can shrug of the hits and with the proper use of cover tau can't shoot you, i've had a unit of assult termies with only 1 model left (damn markerlights!) shred through an entire squad and a 10 man assult squad shred through an entire flank. my advice is for tau is to use stealth suits, for me the only thing i find hard to kill in a tau army, or just deny the oppenant to fight you in combat.

Take lots of Fire Warriors and learn how to box out anything that comes at you. Since units can't consolidate after winning close combat, send a squad of them up to rapid fire but spread them out so that the opponent can't walk/fleet around them to reach the 2nd row. Watch for jumpers that can clear this line, or vehicles that can tank shock them out of the way.

If you take enough Fire Warriors, you won't need any more strength 5 weapons. Suits should be Fire Knife or Death Rain, although I've seen some flamer options being used quite effectively lately. Suits are taking a beating lately because they can't jump behind cover nearly as much. I'm seeing them used more and more as Deep Strike units to clear out objectives late in the game.

Broadsides with Advanced Stabilization Systems and some Shield Drones are pretty common in my area.

im pretty sure they have a gun thats like S 10 AP 2 ordanance so get lots of thoes
lots and lots of thoes

True line of Sight = worst rule ever.

Theoretically, yes, it is. But I already played a few 5th ed games and the cover saves help to stay alive.
Thus, Crisis are still viable when they get a 4+ cover save.

Keep moving and shooting, guerilla tactics. There's also great info in the Codex for strategy too.

I agree with everything else you said.

Jayden63 wrote:Since Tau cannot in anyway shape or form win an assault... yes even kroot loose this fight.

Except this.

I lost CC with CC fexes versus a 10 kroot/7 hound unit charging me.

Just saying, they aren't as weak as one might think.

I think 2 big units of Kroot, great for objectives, hide them in bushes for 3+ and go to ground.

Positional relay as stated before and stealth suits. Have kroot leader and broadsides on table with maybe hammer heads, keep everything else off.

Stelek wrote:I agree with everything else you said.

Jayden63 wrote:Since Tau cannot in anyway shape or form win an assault... yes even kroot loose this fight.

Except this.

I lost CC with CC fexes versus a 10 kroot/7 hound unit charging me.

Just saying, they aren't as weak as one might think.

Hounds do help the equation, but your standard 10 guy speed bump kroot squad is going to get owned. Go with big units or don't go at all.

Correct. 10 guys do zip.

Kroot? When I faced them with one of my armies, they always died horribly. Bad chicken taste.

But if mission objectives are in cover they are one of the best units in the game to hold them when they go to ground. Keep them out of assault.

I'm starting to play a farsight list in 2000+ points games with a very mobile Tau force with the exception of my 3 sniper teams (even then they can load up in a Devilfish if need be.

If I build my devilfish as warfish I can move them 12 inches, unload my carbine fire warriors and unload 16 Strength 5 AP 5 shots into a unit with a pinning test. The devilfish also has FD so if the unit doesn't run or tries to assault the assults have the chance to take a wound and only hit on a 6!