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I know there are probably 30 of these topics on here, but I really could use some help.
I just got the Tau Battleforce, along with a commander. And yes, I have the codex too, I'm trying to decide what kind of weapons I'll be giving my commander and the other battlesuit. I'll be fighting SM's mostly. Both loyalist and the Spiky kind.
Also, what does that +1 thing mean?

Tau battle suits are imo the centerpoint of a Tau Army. The commander benifits from Bs5, and can therefore use any weapon quite well. The weapons that are most difficult to use are the flamer and the Fusion Blaster, because they require you to get close. The fusion Blaster is wondefull for anti-tank, and when compled with a Plasma weapon, you can have a nasty anti-tank and MEQ deep striker. If you plan to aim for the hoardes with the commander, the burst cannon has a higher rate of fire, but less punch than plasma. If the commander is planning on long range combat, the missle pods are the best option. It all boils down to what tau tactic you want to employ. you can outmanouveour the enemy with suits starting on the board, or ambush him by calling them in by deep strike. Most people go for deep strike, because it keeps the unit flexible. Personally, I like to have them on feild at all times, but my strategy is built around that. Try looking at some Battle Reports, esspecially those by Stelek. He uses his suits very well, and has a good battlefeild commander sense.

The 1+ means you MUST take one or more (1+) in your army.

Battle suit commanders and Fire Warriors are 1+ units.

Ah, alright thanks. I'll check out some Battreps then.

When I take a crisis squad 2 guys get burst cannons, missile pods and multi-trackers, the squad leader gets a plasma rifle, a missile pod, a shield generator and a hard-wired multi-tracker. I find this combination cheap and effective against SM

1. Magnetise your suits if you can. This solves a lot of problems, it also makes sense as Tau are supposed to be able to refit Crisis suits on demand.

2. All the standard suit weapons are good, each have thier roles.

GUNS

Plasma rifle: As a rule of thumb add one to every suit. As you are fighting MEq this is a hard ruloe for you, stick to it. All furtherv advice assujmes you have a plasma rifle on each suit except where noted.

Fusion blaster: Can be very nasty but you need to get close. With teams of three and markerlight support you should be able to waste any squad you get within 12" of except a large horde.

I know players who only use this combo and waste everything they come accross. But it is an all or nothing strategy, you need to bring three teams full and kill everything that might possibly assault you.

Misile pod: The other main accompanyment to plasma rifle. Missikle pods form the readed Firenife config, for long range anti transport and general fire backed up ith Ap2 shots increasing at clser ranges. the best overall balance.

Burst Cannon: There is nothing wrong with this gun to keep suits cheap, for killing MEq burst cannon and plasma rifle works. However the guns are easily replicable elsewhere and are not really needed. Good, but avoid anyway.

Flamer: The only way to get a flamer in a Tau army, nsd as the ubnit is fast it works, but the same problems apply as with burst canon, you get a lot of low/emedium power shooting, which you can replicate elsewhere. Also Tau are not for clearing bunkers.

Flamer and fusion blaster: A good exception, two guns for any role. Good in a cityfight, where you will need a flamer or tweo no matter what I said above.


GADGETS

Multitracker: Normally one on every sjuit. Twin-linking is inefficient so you carry two guns. Got two guns take multitracker. I make an exception for a flamer/fusion blaster suit for a bit of colour but that is it.

Target lock: Good in one special circumstance, see below.

Shield generator: Take shield drones instead, its less of a problem if you fail.

Targeter: Expensive for what you get.

Hardwired etc: Now hardwired components are cheaper than they were, howeever prices for suits can get high if you are not careful. I would go easy here.


SPECIAL GEAR

Ion blaster: Now it officially rends. It is still S3 Ap64. Generally no.

Airburst frag: Cover negating pie plate. This is a keep even at the price.
Givwe it to a suit with target lock so as not to disturb the rest of the teams shooting. You will regret not having this if you face pathfinders or cameleoline guard.

I only run plasma/missile pod.

Everything else is fail.

If you are only running one crisis suit, your army will get overrun.

As a note - statistically, a missile-pod/burst cannon suit does just about as good against MEQ as a missile pod/plasma suit does, if we compare equivalent points-values. If we factor in cover/invulnerable saves, then a MP/BC suit very nearly becomes statistically equivalent to a MP/PR suit, again at equivalent points values. And of course, the MP/BC suit is much better against lighter infantry.

Other common suits I've seen:

TL-MP + {flamer; targeting array}: Known as Deathrains, these suits have the primary goal of taking out light vehicles and transports, yet are no slouches at taking on medium infantry, and their range is highly valuable. The TA makes them better but eliminates flexibility; the flamer option helps when those hordes get too close (and they always do).

TL-fusion blaster + {flamer; targeting array; shield generator/drones}: Sunforge style suits, usually used as single-squads (Monats). Drop, take out a tank worth more than your points. If you don't immediately die to return fire, continue. The TA makes you better at what you do, the flamer helps if you drop in the wrong place or if your opponent has no obvious targets, and the shield generator or HWDC + 2 Shield drones help you survive after the initial drop.

For commanders: CIB + PR, targetting array, HW multi-tracker: Known as the Centurion pattern (because he costs 100 points), he's good at taking out heavy infantry.

AFP + {missile pod; burst cannon; flamer; maybe CIB} + targetting array + HW multi-tracker: No set name for this yet that I know of, he's designed to take on hordes, especially those that use cover. The targeting array can be swapped out for something else, as the AFP has only limited dependence on BS.

As a note, if you plan on taking a commander by himself in larger games, either stick him in an elite squad or give him a HWDC and some drones.

Yet, those others are configurations I would never run.

NEVER.

And so the final word is apparently said.

Stelek has spoken (out of an orifice of your own choice) and it is set in stone.

Don't get me wrong, Stelek, I am a strong proponent of the Fireknife allround (and on HQs too), but please get over yourself and present some arguments.

PS. I am sure that your argument is going to be along the lines of; "If you are too stupid see it, you are a lost cause (not having my divine God-like understanding of 40k)".

Please prove me wrong.

As one of our only sources of mid-strength AND low AP weaponry, crisis suits should default as pulse/missile/MT. This is not to say the other configs do not work, I've seen 3 fusion/plasma suits, with 2 markerlight counters, absolutely demolish virtually any MEQ/TEQ unit, for example.

the 'Deathrain' (TL Missile pods and Targetting Arrays) suits make for exceptional AV 10 and 11 hunters, particularly for things you can't afford to waste railgun shots on (those 3-strong squadrons of TL rokkit wartrukks, or landspeeders for example). 3 Deathrain suits as above cost 159 points for 3. That puts 6 TL BS4 assault cannon shots out with a 42" threat range. Even on a rhino that gives you 1.78 penetrates, and 0.89 glances every turn. This squad is capable of putting some serious hurt on MCs as well.

suits with TL Fusion and +1BS make reasonable anti-tank droppers as well, for 53 points a pop. You may not get the 3-4 shots suicide drop guard squads would, but your suit(s) actually stands a chance of living to see another turn.

The most important thing to keep in mind when designing suits are the following 3 issues:
-What is it's purpose? (deep striking tank-hunter, long range MEQ killer, etc.)
-Are the weapons effective at similar range? (pairing a fusion blaster and a missile pod, for example, "wastes" the extra 24" range on the missile pod, or you're not firing the fusion)
-are the weapons effective on similar targets? (fusion kills tanks, burst cannons kill infantry. One gun is going to be ineffective, no matter who you're shooting)

Every suit doesn't need to follow the above exactly, TL flamer+missile pod suits can be hilariously effective against the right lists. The best advice I can give, as always, is to try things out, see if they not only make sense, but see if they work *for you*. Depending on what playstyles you favour, some armies and army lists simply will not 'work' for you, no matter how much another player may tout their effectiveness.

I can't believe nobody has mentioned the O'ninja configuration for the crisis suit commander yet!

Shas'O
Plasma rifle, Fusion Blaster, Multitracker, Stimulant Injector, Vectored Retro Thrusters

With WS 4, T4, a 3+ save, Feel No Pain, and 4 wounds it means you can use your commander to singlehandedly soak up assaults from units without power weapons with ease (gaunts, necrons, orks without powerklaw nob) and even potentially soak up assaults from units with power weapons, then kick on the retro thrusters at the end of the assault phase so you still get to shoot at the offending unit with the rest of your army.

As an example in a recent game a necron player infiltrated a squad of flayed ones into some woods 12" from my firewarriors, luckily I had first turn so I pulled my firewarriors back to my table edge (couldn't shoot because the woods were just barely over 6") and jumped my O'ninja between the FO's and my FW's. Not realizing he was playing into my hands he assaults my O'ninja scoring 1 wound in 3 assault rounds (initial assault, my turn, his turn again) after dealing with other threats I jumped my shas'o out of combat at the end of his next turn leaving the flayed ones high and dry with no cover to get shot to pieces.

basically this configuration is for staving off assaults and then leaving them when you are ready to commit enough firepower to gib the whole squad in 1 round of shooting.

Problem with the NinjaO is now Hit and Run requires you to make an initiative check before you use it. They're not exactly quick, these commanders, so there's a decent chance he'll fail to HnR. Add to that he drops like a fly to any power fist hits (which is why several people play him with shield drones/generator), and that AP1 and 2 weapons ignore FNP, and the NinjaO is less impressive in this edition.

The problem with the Ninja'o in 5th ed. is that you can't abuse the " you cant shoot my IC unless he's closest" rules anymore that made him so invincible. It also bites the big one that now the enemy gets pile-in moves BEFORE attacks on the charge, so you can't do my old favorite method of assaulting the ass-end of an ork mob, with his PK nob at the front, who doesn't get to swing first turn. Poor guy.

I3 tests aren't that terrible, it was actually less successful back then imo because most units were I4 (or worse!), really.

Speaking of stims, any crisis suit configuration with 2 shield drones and stims is surprisingly hard to kill. Against small arms fire the suit gets 3+ armour and 4+ FNP, drones get 3+ armour. Against the big anti-tank stuff, you just throw it on the drone and lol at your invulns. The sad part is people have to kill off your drones with small arms (which you make difficult with wound allocation on such a small unit), THEN try to Instant Death your suit. They'll be at it all afternoon, or at least waste a lot of fire that should go into your 'big ticket' items (hammerheads, scoring units, etc.) It's a damn shame stims are special issue, I'd love to try a Shas'o and bodyguard, fill it with stims and plasma/fusion and go to town. Call them my anime plague marines

edit: Hmm, I just thought of something. A crisis suit's drones wouldn't get hit and run would they.... how the would that work?

I haven't gotten to muck around with 5th edition much, i'm coming off an 8 month 40k hiatus it seems they are trying as hard as they can to screw the greater good in the lesser hole.

I'm gonna miss my O'ninja

Frankly I know that fusion blaster-plasma rifle suits at exclusion to all others are also very very nasty.

I know a player with this config who claims he never lost. I have not played him with that list, but have no cause to disbeleive him.

Stelek. I am getting a Deja Vu back to a dark age of trolling with 'do Tau my way or you are the suxxor'. Though that in itself is not your fault, I do say there are plenty of ways to run Tau.

Orlanth wrote:Frankly I know that fusion blaster-plasma rifle suits at exclusion to all others are also very very nasty.

very true. They die really quickly though, operating in the 10-18" range most of the game.

Orlanth wrote: I know a player with this config who claims he never lost. I have not played him with that list, but have no cause to disbeleive him.

Unfortunately, this says a lot more about his opponents than it does him the whole idea of 'keeping score' like this is really quite silly, as it leaves out so many important details about who/what army/what lists. I could have a 100/0/0 record too if I spent all my time trouncing the 10 year-olds who hang out at at my FLGS.

Aftersong wrote:it seems they are trying as hard as they can to screw the greater good in the lesser hole.

I'm curious what makes you say this. I for the life of me can't think of a major change from 4th to 5th edition that wasn't a positive one for Tau.
-Removal of Target Priority tests is good with Tau's mediocre leadership.
-Tanks are tougher vs. shooting. We often field a lot of tanks.
-tank weakness vs. assaults could be viewed as negative, but flechettes are an extremely strong deterrent so that's somewhat moot.
-TLOS makes railguns even better if that's possible.
-no more consolidating into new CC, saves the bacon of any Tau gunline player.
-cover saves everywhere to keep the heat off your poorly armoured units.

I think the 4th to 5th transition was rather favorable, is there something I'm missing?

Run really hurts static tau, with an average of 1-2 turns less to effectively shoot at their opponents. Flechettes are decent against weak opponents, but not against well armored units. New morale rules can hurt Tau. The change to a focus on objectives, with only Troops scoring and tau troops notoriously squishy, can be difficult. It really pushes Tau players into playing mostly mechanized. Cover works both ways, so those plasma suits and railgun shots are less effective. Also, as above, the NinjaO did get screwed a bit.

5th did hurt tau, even when it helped them too.