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I bought one of the little skimmers recently since I've seen a fair few people at my local store running at least one in their lists and was thinking about purchasing another. What's the consensus on them? They're a lot of points but they've got armor 11, can turbo boost, and can be given disruption pods so they're much more durable.

Thanks in advance

They are a short range fast moving anti tank unit in an army of long range slow moving anti tank units.

They are also one of the best units in the army to take out tanks that hide in corners such as wirlwinds (not as important in 5th as it was in 4th).

They are also entertaining in squads as if there are no tanks around they can pester units such as marine squads who don't want to waste the time shooting one anti tank weapon at a squad of three skimmers.


As an anti-infantry unit they are the fastest moving sustained fire unit in the army. Stealth suits perform the same job for half the cost. However stealth suits take up a valuable elite slot (survivability is about the same depending on what the enemy has avaliable).

Fusion blaster piranhas are pure gold. I run three, and they're worth every point.

I've hardly seen one on the table. Most tau I've played have been more static armies. Most tau I've played have gone down easy.

I wouldn't really know how to deal with a unit of well played piranhas, so I'd say they're worth a shot at least.

Disruption pods can be taken on those, and fusion blasters, zip around the backfield and microwave tanks to death. Alternatively burst cannon spam on their backfield which lacks a cover save from screening in nearly all cases. Or back to fusion guns for assassinating obliterators, carnifexes, heavy destroyers, and other super dudes hanging out "safely" backfield. Take a 3 squad and boom boom.

Improve their bs, give 'em pods and fusion and use two each in a squadron. Good for AV14 (yeay, S10 weapons... still a 4+...), MCs and hidden things, while far more mobile and durable imo than fusion suits. Taking into account the number of mech lists atm you'll never have enough at firepower. And, if not needed elsewhere, they still can deny an objective on the (possibly ^^) last turn. And if they're destroyed they still drop drones (well they're not winning a game, but it's better than just a piece of terrain while not being worth a kp).
IMO piranhas are a great choice and the only reliable access to meltas for tau.