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what is the best way to beat tau

ware did you drop your drop pods?
becuase what seems to work for my friend is he drops his pods with termis into one of their squads because it cant be destroyed by landing on an ememy or terrien then unloads with storm bolters but he always gives his drop pods the deathwind missle launchers to beat the hell out of the squads.
This seems to work but his armie in 2500pts was like 42 models all termis drop pods and drednoughts it worked lol and it was a blast to play agianst. mybe that helps
drednoughts in drop pods mess up tau hard core get them into CC and its over.

Without looking at your list, which would make any advice much more useful:

More rhinos. You basically want any infantry that arent long fangs in rhinos. It give you more protection and makes you faster. Even the best shooty army will be hard pressed to kill a squad of terminators and 3 or 4 rhinos in the first turn.

Maybe take some more ranged weapons on your terminators. I've always found that its very tempting to take a full CC equipped terminator squad and deepstrike them, but in reality they often just get blasted before they can do anything. If you are DSing terminators then give them some ranged stuff so they can at least make a bit of an impact on the game. If you want a full CC squad then buy them a landraider instead of a pod.

Ahahah yes just mass drop podded dreadnoughts, the tau player will enjoy the free melta range on his fusion blasters, then after that proceed to have a fun time using the same melta's on your drop pods for extra kill points.

Wait, a squad of fire warriors beat a squad of SM in CC? I mean it possible if no where near probable, but that alone makes me think something is wonky.

Other than that, I'd say stop using small squads unless you're sticking them in razorbacks. 10 SM are a lot more survivable than 5.

If you're just looking to beat Tau Specifically, load up on assault infantry with jump packs or assault bikers, mix in some scouts that can come in off the back edge. The Tau player can kill fast vehicles pretty handily, but three full squads of jump infantry while having to worry about their back edge? Not so much.

I have had Kroot defeat a SM squad but that is not a common nor an expected result.

DPs can be an issue but the models that give me the most difficulty are bikers and LR loaded with a cc unit.

Most armies I face usually only have one LR fortunately. Facing a LR presents a difficult choice. shoot at it and hope the dice gods love you or take out the easier transports first. I take 6 TLRG in a 1750 game so I know I have a reasonable chance of stopping the thing. SW are a challenge for Tau, especially if it is an objectives game. With KP the Tau have a better chance. A RP with JAWs or some of the other other very nasty attacks he has, is a major target and I will usually try to take him out first. Tau have no real defense against psykers.

I've had a squad of fire warriors beat a HQ unit of space marines (old codex) that had a chaplain and champion in it!

Major lucky rolls!

I can't believe i'm trying to help someone beat my favourite army when we don't really need any more disavantages but here we are:

1. Split your amy into lots of small units in rhinos. Tau are great when they get to focus fire but having lots of targets is bad news.
2. Don't try and walk. Tau are very fast.
3. Include some long range anti tank guns. Most tau armies are in vehicles, it's hard to get into combat if they keep flying away. Use the guns to slow them down.

Against tau long range anti-tank is inferior to short range anti-tank that can close quickly. More than 12" away and those tau vehicles get a 4+ cover save. Drop a melta in a pod next to it, and it's game over.

My friend who plays SW loves to use Wolf Scouts armed with melta bombs to outflank behind into the enemy's deployment zone and melta the tanks.
It works very well :|

Is it better to have a full squad of 10 scouts with MoTW and meltagun, or 2 separate squads of 5 with each of the upgrades. I also have one scout with a plasma gun and power sword. Should I take those out?

I thought wolf scouts could only switch their weapon with a Bolter or a Sniper Rifle.

First step to beating other armies, imo, is buy their codices.

n3roman wrote:I thought wolf scouts could only switch their weapon with a Bolter or a Sniper Rifle.

Nah dude, they have way juicier options than that

Ok, i have a 2000 point tau army, and a 5000-7000ish Space wolves army. Tau are easy cake, just make them split their shots, however if you want the easy unit to take them its hands down rune priests, two words, Living Lightning. an unlimited range D6 Str 7 Hit to any Tau vehicle generally makes them shiver a tiny bit, especially if its just devilfish, chances of popping the darn thing are huge. Two other viable options? a predator with just Autocannon and Heavy Bolters. 85 points of love, and Long fangs with a few missle launchers and a las cannon. Most tau players tend to think that no one can outshoot them, ever. as a Space wolf running 2 Rune priests and a long fang sqaud of 3 ML and a Lascannon i like to show them i don't have to outshoot them for the entire game, just long enough to make sure they get run into some wolf priests and grey hunters.


A few other options if you are getting "out there" with options, THunderwolves which are probably going to be the new "holy crap BBQWTF happened" close combat unit, will be a great choice, they move 6, can run up to 6, and can assualt 12. with one thunderhammer and some rending with all 3+ saves, and a base S and T of 5, they can be evil, Same with a sqaud of Feni Wolves, they are the same, Move 6, run up to 6, and assualt 12, not to mention they are a cheap sheild wall if needed.

Otherwise, a Standard force to win would be a few Grey hunter units in Rhinos, equiped how you want, bu a few Melta's and Wulfans probably won't hurt, a long fang squad, a Predator, a Venerable Dready in a Drop pod, and you are looking at some worry, especially if in those Grey hunter Rhino's you give a wolf gaurd, and a rune priest (taking 8 greyhunters of course) and give a Rune priest + Term armour with 4+ Wolf Gaurd Termis in a drop pod, this places that nice Jaws/ Living lightning rune preist at rear armour most of the time, making tank hunting alot easier.


Just my two cents

Ronin wrote:

n3roman wrote:I thought wolf scouts could only switch their weapon with a Bolter or a Sniper Rifle.

Nah dude, they have way juicier options than that

Indeed, I need to learn to read

My friend just uses them as kamikazes to take out my LR squads.

Loving the tactics night rave. Thunderwolf Cavalry and Fenrisian Wolves can move 6, run 6, and assault 12 in the same turn? As for long fangs, I planned on using missile launchers. Would you say that 4 Missile launchers and 1 Lascannon would probably be one the better combinations?


Also, one thing that I have been confused about are the number of attacks each get during assault. In the codex, it lists the Grey Hunters having only 1 attack, but I was told many times that they get 2 attacks in CC due to the CCW they have listed in their war gear. If any unit has a CCW in war gear, do they get +1 extra attacks in CC? For example, Wolf Guard standard is 2 attacks. They also have a CCW in war gear. Considering they stick to standard equipment, does it give them 3 attacks each? As for HQ units, I am pretty sure they just get the number of attacks listed on their profile.

Fenirisan Wolves are "beasts" while thunderwolves are "calvary" and "beasts and calvary" have Fleet of foot/claw and a 12" assualt charge, so yes, in one turn they can move their 6" run up to 6" (if dice love you) and then assualt 12" giving a possible 24" range of holy crap pain, and just because they have a CCW on the profile dosn't mean they get an extra attack, it has to be paired with a "Second" close combat weapon. For example, giving a Wolf Gaurd who has 2 attacks on the profile a Wolf claw + Storm bolter = 2 attacks and 1 for the charge (or 1d3 if he is with ragnar) however, if you give him 2 wolf claws he now has 2 compatable close combat weapons, giving him 3 attacks profile, or 4 for charge (or again 1d3 with ragnar) Most wolfgaurd have 3 because they come with CCW and a Bolt pistiol, giving them shooty and assualty, pistols are one of the only ways to get a shooty + CCW extra, so equiping the Wolf gaurd differently can change their # of attacks, and yes grey hunters have 2 attacks as they have a CCW and a bolt pistol

and 4 Missle launchers + Lascannon works out pretty well, 4 Str 8 Ap3 shots and a Str 9 Ap2 shot at 48" able to split into two different tanks, or do Str 4 Small blast temps into Troops and las + missle into tank isnt bad

Also HQ units get more if they too have CCW and compatable CCW in CC, for example, Logan Grimnar is his profil, because The axe of Morkai + Stormbolter =/= two CCW in CC Ragnar with a Frost Blade and Bolt Pistol however does! so he gets +1 for having both

This is starting to make more sense, but still no completely clear. Since the standard GH get bolter, pistol and CCW, they get 2 attacks in CC. Standard WG gets 3 attacks because of CCw and pistol (2 attacks in profile + 1 for CCW). However, Logan's profile says he gets 5 attacks. He gets 5+1 since he has two CCW for a total of 6?

If you purchase the rulebook and the codex, it will all be layed out clearly for you.

I don't have my Codex on me, but if i remember Logan's Profile correctly he has The axe of morkai and a stormbolter. So if he has 5 attacks on the profile, the only way he can get more is blowing his "Great king" abilitie giving another attack, or assualting, the reason for this is a stormbolter is not a pistol thus he does not get the extra bonus for having Two close combat weapons, another reason he only has 5 is because the "Axe of morkai" is a special weapon, and the only way to get two attacks with those in close combat are having two of them. (i mean seriously, its either a frost axe or a powerfist! lol) so yeah, he only has 5 as the profile states since he does not have to compatable close combat weapons

Lorek wrote:If you purchase the rulebook and the codex, it will all be layed out clearly for you.

I do have the rulebook and the codex and have read both. I am very new to Warhammer 40k, and that is why I am posting for help on this forum. I'm sure that all the rules weren't as clear to you either when you started.

n3roman wrote:My friend who plays SW loves to use Wolf Scouts armed with melta bombs to outflank behind into the enemy's deployment zone and melta the tanks.
It works very well :|

I second that, although I'd kit 'em out with a meltagun in addition to the bombs.

kenneydee wrote:

Lorek wrote:If you purchase the rulebook and the codex, it will all be layed out clearly for you.

I do have the rulebook and the codex and have read both. I am very new to Warhammer 40k, and that is why I am posting for help on this forum. I'm sure that all the rules weren't as clear to you either when you started.

Sorry, just making sure. We have many people who come here to get the rules, which is not allowed.

In the hands of a truly experienced commander, Tau can be a very tough army to beat. In the hands of a moderate commander, Tau can really suck. If you're new to the game, Tau can be tough to beat anyway because they have a fairly un-traditional style of play. CC is the key to beating Tau, but don't make it your only hope. The important thing to note about Tau is that just about anything can kill them in CC. It doesn't have to be a dreadnought or terminators, you can kill ten firewarriors with a single tac squad if you get them there in a rhino. I'd say to get lots of rhinos, fill them with tac squads, deep strike melta to kill their tanks, and hit the battle suits, especially Broadsides, with your terminators.

Many armies can outshoot the Tau as well. Tau do well with a shoot-n-scoot type army, so if you can neutralize some of their mobility you're helping yourself out greatly.

From what I am seeing, you need 3 Drop Pods
The Wolf Guard with Thor [Arjack] is great, but if he is the only taget he will be the only target.
If you want them to be assualt Terminators, give one a Cyclone or Assuatl Cannon/Storm Shield/MotW
Grey Hunters: A Power Fist/Weapon, MotW and a Wolf Standard are a must if you are going to Assualt, put one of them in a pod with Plama[s].
Logan can help a lot mostly for the FOC. this will make your Wolf Guard Troops.

If you have nor read it yet look at my Space Wolf Synergy Tactica

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/266924.page

If you take out all the tau's fishes they can be easily killed

You should actually try to outshoot the tau cause once they are in cc the tau are dead.

I don't have much to add here, as I've played no 5th yet. But, I'm interested in this thread because I'm currently building a SW army and a friend is working on a Tau army.

We'll probably(hopefully) be playing some games this spring and summer at the local game store and will likely be facing each other quite often.

I'm curious about DP tactics as well. I just picked up my 1st, and will probably get a couple more, but have never used them.

Good thread, I'm learnin' more everyday

O.k., back to painting

Kill his markerlights. Tau players gain their markerlights either through pathfinders or stealth teams.

If he has pathfinders kill them first.
Kill the pathfinders
Kill the pathfinders
Kill the pathfinders
Pathfinders should always be your #1 priority target.

If he has stealth teams for marker lights it's not so simple. Stealth teams have much few markerlights, making their marker lights much less dangerous than pathfinders, and stealth teams are significantly more difficult to kill.