Static Tau

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**QuietOrkmi**

So how does a "static" tau list do in games...

Automatically Appended Next Post:
To clarify static tau, the idea is not to meched out... but rather use a static firebase and the mobility of crisis suits.

**Lord Rogukiel**

It depends on the enemy. Against a fast enemy reasonable in assault, really badly.

Against a slower enemy, quite well.

**QuietOrkmi**

What about using 2 units of fire warriors... then deep striking in crisis suits and stealth suits behind the enemy... creating 2 separate fronts...

Throw in kroot coming from the sides and you could end up with 4 fronts nipping at the opponent's sides...

**Dashofpepper**

Think of an onion.

Static Tau still work against fast assault armies (like orks) by presenting layers that have to be peeled back. Take my ork army for example- presume you've deployed in a rear corner, not up on the line.

I move 12" towards you.

You shoot me.

I move 12" towards you.

You shoot me.

I move X" towards you, disembark and charge. Your army is surrounded by a layer of kroot; no access to the broadsides, suits, sniper drones, pathfinders etc. I assault your army and kill the crap out of your kroot.

You not only shoot me, but also rapid fire me with your fire warriors, plasma, and everything else.

My surviving army assaults into you again and hits your second layer of kroot. I kill those too.

You shoot the crap out of everything as it consolidates out of combat....again.

We're 4 turns into the game about to hit Turn5 (presuming I went first) and the only damage I've done to you is killing two units of Kroot and any shooting my Lootas and deffkoptas have done into your army.

**QuietOrkmi**

So let me get this straight...

Static Tau would works better if the Kroot blocks all access to the squishy gun holders? Wouldn't that grant the Orks a cover save against those gun holders because you are firing through your own units?

**Dashofpepper**

QuietOrkmi wrote:So let me get this straight...

Static Tau would works better if the Kroot blocks all access to the squishy gun holders? Wouldn't that grant the Orks a cover save against those gun holders because you are firing through your own units?

I prefer to use firewarriors as my onion layers simply because I detest Kroot. To each their own though.

And while you would be granting a cover save to ork INFANTRY.....I've relayed to you elsewhere what a fan I am of handheld markerlights, networked markerlight drones, and pathfinders. So.....

**MagicJuggler**

That, and many Ork units would be getting cover anyway (KFFs or lurking in terrain, or being bikers, etc), and in the case of vehicles, you check for >50% hull visibility rather than "Am I firing through units"

Plus in the case of the Crisis Suits, they can jump in front of the Kroot, fire fire fire, then jump back behind the Kroot.

**QuietOrkmi**

Hmmm... I did not think of the markerlights negating the cover save granted by firing through your own unit... interesting

**Lorek**

Don't forget that static ANYTHING struggles in objective missions. Unless you table your opponent, you lose.

**starbomber109**

Static armies need mobile elements to grab objectives. However, a static fire-base as an anchor to an army is a great idea. Something like a broadside team and a hammerhead tank or two.

A static army can get out-paced and assaulted by a more mobile foe.

**Acardia**

I hybrid my army lately.

a static core around broadsies two units of FW, a pathfinder block, hammerhead and deathrain hang in the area, and I send out a contigent along the flank consisting of a devilfish with 12 FW, hammerhead, and fireknife. sometimes even the helios set.

both commanders I DS,(one fire knife, one TL flamer and AFL) I also out flank 2 units of kroot with a few hounds each, and a small unit of pathfinders with emp.

my tatic is seperate and divide, while keeping kroot off the table to score objectives in late game.

**ryanstartalker**

Well static gunline is just not THE type in 5th edition anymore... Mech is taking over everything... Even the trend of GW new products shows this...
I am not REALLY sure (because I never done it myself... Battlesuits rule!), but I figure plenty of markerlights (I mean PLENTY... 1:1 rate... Don't tell me how much pts that would cost!) and reasonable number of Hammerheads (means more than 3) would resist for a while... and a chance to win.

**Lorek**

starbomber109 wrote:Static armies need mobile elements to grab objectives. However, a static fire-base as an anchor to an army is a great idea. Something like a broadside team and a hammerhead tank or two.

That'd be a hybrid army. Static means that nothing is very mobile.

**QuietOrkmi**

So if a tau army includes vehicles, and suits... it is by definition a hybrid army?

**Lorek**

Well, hybrid between footslogger and mech. "Static" usually just refers to footslogger armies, even if they do some moving.

**Aftersong**

Personally I am a firewarrior/markerlight/broadside spammer and the thing that people don't consider is that yes a mechanized army can outmaneuver a footslogger army but not if you blow up all their transports turn 1 or 2 and make them walk slowly towards your firebase. Will it win every game? Certainly not, but making them waste all the points spent on anti-tank weapons (by not having any tanks) and having the firepower to wreck all their transports on your opening turn will throw a great many people off their game allowing you to seize victory if you can play flawlessly.

**Dashofpepper**

Aftersong wrote:... will throw a great many people off their game allowing you to seize victory if you can play flawlessly.

Indeed.

A static Tau list is unquestionably brutal on the table (with the possible exception to the static rule being the mandatory devilfish to acquire pathfinders).

The problem with the list is that it requires concentration, forethought, and excellent generalship to succeed. That's why I switched to orks. There's no intricate tactics required to win, just a brazen "WAAAAUGH!" and a charge.

**QuietOrkmi**

@Dash: Funny enough, that is exactly what is driving me toward Tau... I have been trying to use taktiks beyond Waaagh! and a charge to win games...

**Dashofpepper**

QuietOrkmi wrote:@Dash: Funny enough, that is exactly what is driving me toward Tau... I have been trying to use taktiks beyond Waaagh! and a charge to win games...

But you don't take your greatest pleasure in 40k while you're staggeringly drunk and incapable of superior tactics, do you?

**MagicJuggler**

"What? Orks don't use tactics!"
Famous last words...

**TRISKELION7**

As was mentioned earlier layers for instance Pathfinders, Piranhas, Battlesuits, Devilfish, Kroot and finally anything else you are using. IN THAT ORDER!