Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hi

I am taking out my newly painted Tau this weekend. I am hoping for some feedback on how to massage the most out of it through minor tweaks and changes.

Posting a 1500 point version of this list on Warseer a month ago had disappointing results (i.e. None), so I am hoping the folks at DakkaDakka are more helpful.

HQ
Shas'el - Plasma Rifle (PR), Missile Pod (MP), Target Lock, Hard-Wired (HW) Multi-tracker
2 Bodyguards, PR, MP, Targeting Array, HW-MT

Shas'el - PR, MP, Target Lock, (HW) Multi-tracker (MT)
2 Bodyguards, PR, MP, Targeting Array, HW-MT

Elites
3 Crisis Suits - Twin-linked MP, Flamer
3 Crisis Suits - Twin-linked MP, Flamer
6 Stealth Suits

Troops
9 Fire Warriors
9 Fire Warriors
6 Fire Warriors
14 Kroot, including Shaper, armour upgrade, plus 6 Hounds

Fast
8 Pathfinders, Devilfish with Disruption Pod

Heavy
3 Broadsides, MT, Shas'vre with Targeting Array, HW-MT, HW Target Lock, 2 Shield Drones

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Cheers,
Carlos the Craven

i think you should use more stealth suits

but its,in my opinion, a great list

.

Get rid of the flamers on the crisis suits change to (pr) and don't buy kroot Armour upgrade its a waste of points.

Hi

My thoughts on both the flamers and the kroot armour is that both options are incredibly useful with regards to battling hordes of Orks.

Originally, I was thinking that target locking the TL MP suits might be useful against skimmer/walker heavy armies, but seldom found that I ever needed to split the fire. The flamers are the cheapest option available, and add a great deal of flexibility to the role they can play.

Regarding the Kroot, given that combat is based on successful wounds caused, a paltry 6+ save is infinitely better than no save at all, as it may swing combat in my favour, or at least reduce the combat into a managable test.

I like the idea of more plasma, but making the cuts you suggested, still leaves me 82 points short of the transition... and I am just not sure where to grab those points from. Thoughts?

Cheers,
Carlos the Craven

If you are not going for a mechanized list, then you do not have nearly enough troops to survive being shot at to hold objectives.

Looks like you are set up to take care of orcs.

Kill the Kroot, and the bodyguards on your commanders.

Buy Warfish for your fire warriors.
What I used to use for warfish:
Devilfish - 80
SMS - 20
Multi-tracker, disruption pods, targeting array - 20
Some people add flechettes and sensor spines. That's your call.
Broadsides are useful in specific instances, I wouldn't use them, but i've seen them used effectively, so that's your call.

Those crisis suits are unique to say the least.
Here's the rule of thumb I found extremely helpful: If you are in range to use a flamer with a crisis suit, you are WAY too close.
Swap out those flamers with targeting arrays, you'll end up killing almost as many Orks and GEQs per turn as you would otherwise, but without being in assault/rapid fire range.

I agree with Rory, drop the Bodyguards. Use the points elsewhere.

It lacks MEQ stopping power at first glance. Your MP and Flamers do not complement each other well on the XV8s. My gut reaction would be to replace the flamers with Plasma Rifles on one team, and if you wanted to keep the flamers, I'd give them TL Flamers on the other team and a BC, since they'll be horde hunting as it is.

Now, your Fire Warriors are going to die hard and fast without Warfish or good cover, and there are too many weapons out there that will ignore cover. I'd mount up as many as possible. Those that can't mount up should get a Shas'ui with a bonding knife to allow them to regroup.

Lose the Shaper, add more Hounds. If you're gonna take Kroot, they gotta have the Hounds to be effective.

I'd drop a Broadside. At this point level, 2 XV88s plus your TL MP Crisis should be enough to handle any armor that may chug your way. Consider dropping a Shas'el and adding a Railhead to drop some pie plate goodness on those orks. I'd also drop Targeting Array. BS3 is good enough for TL Railguns.

Also, you need to take A.S.S. (Advanced Stabilization System) on your Broadsides if you want them to be able to move and still shoot. If you're fine with parking them, it's 10 pts/model that can go elsewhere, but I highly recommend the upgrade.

Just my two cents. Overall, great list. I like the suit emphasis. Definitely will cause some headaches.

A 6+ armor save in CC will save 2 or 3 of your kroot overall if they all had to take armor saves... not worth it. And shooting wise, anything will cut them down with AP.

Im going to be brutally honest, I highly doubt you will have a winning record. Maybe even, but not winning. You HAVE to run a mechanized list to do well at tournaments, and your troops are slow and in small units. But, I doubt that you will truthfully have to bad of a record (not like 1-4 or something like that) but 50%

Drop one of the commanders overall. Turn one of your Elite crisis teams to Plasma/Missile and keep the other as is. You might want to consider BurstCannon/Missile Pod just because getting into flamer range can screw your crises. Give your leader a Cyclonic Ion Projector, its good enough, Iridium Armor is another good choice.

Get 2 squads of 10 or 12 Fire Warriors and give them fish. Fish are so the best x-ports in the game imho next to rhinos due to their point cost and repair ability. Making them warfish would be even more deadly, but expensive.

A squad of kroot isn't a bad idea, if they have forest terrain then they will be very hard to dig out of an objective. Drop the shaper.

BTW, break your pathfinders into 2 squads of 4 and give their fish to the Fire Warriors.

Some other things:

I don't think it really lacks meq stopping power just because of your ability to unload a bunch of rapidfire 12" plasma shots into the enemy (REMEMBER CRISIS 6" MOVE IN THE ASSAULT PHASE!!!)

A.S.S is also great, Targetting Array isn't REALLY needed, but it can help get that clutch shot off.

BTW, the more Markerlights the better.

Stealth suits are ok but I think they would be better suited being traded off for Piranhas with fusion blasters. The Broadside unit is ok, but i would drop it down to 2 and try to add a Hammerhead and a skyray if possible.

Things I like about your list: 12 Crisis suits and 6 stealth suits are A LOT of suits. Me rikery!!
Things I don't like: The meat of your army (12 Crisis suits and 6 Stealth Suits) are very expensive. Once they start getting cut out of the army, things could deteriorate quickly.

I loathe stealth suits personally. I would remove them. Trade one HQ for an Elites slot of crisis suits as others have said previously. I have never used Kroot, but if you remove the armor upgrade that is how I would run them (a big unit with hounds and a shaper). If you play objective based missions, hopefully you can put one in some woods and have the Kroot claim it.

I would want to see 1.) Another unit of pathfinders. Yes, this means an additional Devil Fish. But even a cheap DFish with Multitracker and Disruption Pods is an incredible transport. And the more marker lights you have on the board, the more effective the rest of your army will be. 2.) One more Broadside for 2 units of 2 with 2 shield drones each. 3.) As many Fire Warriors as you can cram into your list. At 1500 I usually take 40 to 50 Firewarriors.

General Advice: I love the following configurations - Shas'el with Target Array, Missle Pods and Airbursting Frag Projector. If you take a bodyguard, give them TL MP and whatever else you want. And flamers are NOT a bad choice. They are cheap, and if you are going to be charged anyway, burning a unit and charging them can be a good counter. Also, if you like expensive suits, run Plasma Rifles, Fusion Blasters and Multi-trackers. They stop anything without Storm Shields dead in their tracks. I've killed Carnifexes in one turn with this unit.

I hope I've given you some ideas. Good look, happy hunting, and in Tau we trust.

Hi

Lots of interesting feedback. I doubt I will be able to implement much of it before the weekend, but there are some solid ideas to look at going forward.

I am not sure that I am that crippled in terms of troops, but this weekend will tell me a lot about where the list really is.

- My general plan with the Troops selections: I see one of the fire warrior units hopping in the fish, gaining mobility. This can be a large unit or a small one depending on what I need - the ability to pull off a last turn contest/control (small unit) or the ability to move and pour in firepower (large unit).

- The kroot can infiltrate to get ahead, or outflank in the right scenario/matchup applying pressure where needed.

One change that is likely to happen is the removal of the stealth team for 18 more fire warriors or fish and more fire warriors. I am going to give them a few test runs and see how they do. Mostly, this is an instance where I love the models, and want to see them work.

On paper, I am just not convinced that the Warfish is worth the points you need to invest, especially when compared to the new rhino, razorback and chimera values. I'll give it a try in the future - sometimes you need to see something in action to get a real sense of how it augments the army itself.

Thanks for the Comments. More are always welcome.

Cheers,
Carlos the Craven

Alright, do you have any Pirahnas or Hammerheads? On secon thought, your troops are ok, but replacing some fire warriors with Kroot would help you, use the Kroot to Deny critical deep strike points, deter assaultr or infiltrators. Having a small unit of 6 FW's wouldn't hurt you that badly in this list, your suits will be the ones doing the damage.

If you can with those elite suits, just make them MP/Plasma suits, the flamer --> plasma is an easy conversion. That will make them a lot more effective marine killers. Now, if you can, take a heammerhead at all costs. This will be your main anti-infantry with Submunission rounds. Take two if you can (taking out your Stealth suits and downgrading that commander unit)

If you run the army the way it is, try to Deny Flank all the time. Your low on Fusion Blaster and Railguns, so using your 3 Broadsides to full use by attacking half the enemies army will help you a ton. Use the Kroot and Sealth Suits to deny Deep Strike locations from the enemy, and try to not leave your stealthteam by itself. Support it with something. And put everything on the board, don't hold anything in reserve (except maybe a firewarrior squad, the 6 man one)

Use your crisis as much as possible, they will be your main firepower as I have said before, but never let them get into assault. Your Plasmarifles are effective at 12" with rapidfire, and after that, you can use your 6" free assault movement to get to 18", out of most units assault range (if its vs. Jumpack troops, leave yourself at least 19-20" away after your free assault move)

Hi

A brief update on how the list did in a 30 man tournament.

First, I didn't finish painting the stealth suits, but had 2 more broadsides ready, so I went with that, minus one kroot hound.

The result was 3-1 with three massacres and a major loss, good enough to win the tournament.

I destroyed a horde Ork list (143 models - not the largest army I have fought, but numerous) first round.

I then wiped a Khorne Daemon Army in four turns.

I then criushed the standard Sisters internet list in a Kill point mission.

The final round on table one saw the standard Shrike Army defeat me. His first turn was perfect, while I could not roll a cover save at all. He wiped out all my troops by the end of turn two. I fought on, reducing him to just 5 scoring models in 6 turns - a seventh probably could have secured the draw, but I rolled a one...

In the end, perfect painting scores and two favorite opponent votes gave me the overall edge.

All in all, a good primer for the Canadian GT next weekend.

Cheers,
Carlos the Craven

Congrats. The first time I used my friend's Tau army, I tied for 1st at our local Tourney. Next Tourney, same result. People diss the Tau, until you show them the business end of a rail gun

My Traitor Legion and I have our first non-local Tourney this weekend. I hope my results are half as good as yours . I'm feverishly painting the last two units in my list (never done 1850 before) and if I can finish them and flock all my bases I think I'll do ok on painting scores.

Congrats again and keep up the good work.

Did you make a new list yet?

No hammerheads is bad.

6 FW is a waste
Kroot are a waste

Suits are way to expensive.
Try 1 set w/ PR/BC and the other set with MP/BC. Way cheaper and more shots.

Hi

No hammerheads is bad.

6 FW is a waste
Kroot are a waste

Suits are way to expensive.
Try 1 set w/ PR/BC and the other set with MP/BC. Way cheaper and more shots.

You are kidding right?

While hammerheads are decent tanks, not having any is far from bad. Unless playing fully mech, a single hammerhead might as well have a target saying "shoot me now". I don't mind this with an 85 point devilfish but not with a 160-180 pt railhead.

6 Fire Warriors are a great investment if you are looking for a sacrificial unit to hold up something. 6 fire warriors are great if you need them in the devilfish, looking to tank shock for an objective on the last turn. 6 Fire warriors are great to have sitting on your objective when the rest of your army is dislodging the enemy.

In my experience, the kroot are the MVPs of the list. Yes, they die, but they almost always accomplish something really useful along the way that turns the battle in my favour. I am 3-1 with kroot at 1850 and 4-2 without at 1500. The ability to infiltrate or outflank when needed is really useful in objective based missions.

Burst Cannons are interesting but not cheaper - MP, BC, MT is 9 points a model more expensive than my current tl-MP, Flamer elites and fails to provide the accurate long range fire I currently have, nor the effectiveness of the flamers at close range for dealing with hordes. It is only better within the 14.5" to 24" range where it kills 1.8 Meq per turn compared to 1.25 firing just the missiles. Not worth 9 points a model in my opinion.

Cheers,
Carlos the Craven