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genestealers, genestealers everywhere. 20*6. mycetic spore them, infiltrate them, outflank them. genestealers everywhere.

 Nilok wrote:

djn wrote:

 Ailaros wrote:

djn wrote:I'm not too worried about the riptide, it needs three or four marker lights to really be effective.

Umm, with nova charge giving his fusion gun an extra shot, a riptide can nearly take down a monstrous creature per turn of shooting. They do not need markerlights to beat up your dudes. Of course, that's assuming your monstrous creatures are even surviving against missile spam broadsides or the mass wight of S5 firepower thrown at them by small arms.

3 S7 shots at BS3 and 2 S8 at BS3 twin linked when you're in cover isn't going to nearly kill a tervigon or a flying tyrant. Being generous against a tervigon; 4 hits, 3 wounds and 1 save made is 2 wounds gone. Against a flyrant 1 hit and 2 wounds from grounding and the weapon, again being very generous.

Missilesides are indeed the issue...a well run and bubble wrapped core of those is just about impossible to shift for Nids in my opinion. Unless you spam biovores as already mentioned then you may have a chance. Nearly a third of an army in biovores isn't really very balanced though.

The S7 and S8 shots are AP 2 and 1, using Markerlights' scour, you will have no save (save for invulnerable). If there are more than 2 Markerlights he will be able to up the BS, and if you have Shadowsun/Support Commander (who can also grant ignore cover,) you can TL all the weapons.
With the 2 slots open for Support System, you can give the Riptide Interceptor and Skyfire. It will be hitting the Flyrant just like anything else.

The Tau are built around synergy between units, especially Markerlights.

EDIT: I would have to say a bigger threat to the Flyrant would be the Sky Ray Missile Defence Gunship. With its Networked Markerlights, ability to fire its Seeker Missiles at its own BS, and Skyfire, it could down any flyer it one volley. If another squad gets a Markerlight hit on the flyer, the Sky Ray can boost its BS to 5, and fire its 2 Networked Markerlights. If both hit, it can remove the cover of what it is shooting and fire all 6 BS5 S8 AP3 missile with Ignore Cover and 4 BS5 S5 AP5 TL Ignore Cover.

Damn I didn't realise the sky ray could do that. That is horrendous, I was playing that a marker light was needed to launch a missile and it had to be from another unit.

I know about the synergy Ive been play testing vs Tau the last week or so. The original conversation regarding riptides was in the context of the list in the OP ie no sky fire, but fair points.

I did however manage to beat the Tau list in a five objective mission going first, but given what you've just said about the sky ray I don't think it would have happened. Basically I took out the bubble wrap on the missilesides with biovores and tervigon clusters. Turn 2 the doom and both ymargls came in. One tyrant was alive with two wounds, other had died. The ymargls sacrificed themselves dying to missilesides overwatch so the tyrant could get into the ethereal's unit. He died in a challenge, the unit fortunately held got finished off next turn, meanwhile doom was blowing up Tau heads and was up to 10 wounds. I needed a lot to go my way to the win, mission, first turn, a tyrant surviving and all my reserves coming in on a 2 up.

A Mawloc and some yarmagarl might be enough to disrupt his lines till your main force can get to him.
Tervigons to replace losses at the front might also be a good idea

To beat the Tau the name of the game is weight of numbers and speed. You'll need a lot of bodies to absorb the heinous casualties you will absorb and you will need to get in their faces as soon as possible. Gargoyles are both cheap and fast, and tervigons+termagaunts as always are basically mandatory. As Tau fliers are somewhat lackluster, you can afford to skimp a bit on flying dakkarants, but Zoanthropes in a pod/Doom in a can will be worth their weight in gold. Also, be wary of kroot or worker gang tar pits, the last thing you want is for your face ripping assault units to get bogged down in assaulting things that aren't squishy blue people. I'd also recommend avoiding relying on monstrous creatures too much given all the high strength good AP weapons a tau player can bring on any large gribbly you can shell out. Also, don't trust cover saves too much, they're nice but the Tau are extremely good at removing them from you.

I played against doom the other day he deep striked and he took a whole lot of hurt 3 fusion shots and 6 plasma rifle shots needless to say he died pretty quick from interceptor.

I wouldn't bother with the doom unless you can guarantee he will survive.

kelewan wrote:
I played against doom the other day he deep striked and he took a whole lot of hurt 3 fusion shots and 6 plasma rifle shots needless to say he died pretty quick from interceptor.

I wouldn't bother with the doom unless you can guarantee he will survive.

Never just deep strike one thing against the Tau, they have way too much interception ability. Go balls out and try to overload them with targets or go home.

Maybe try doom and 2 squads of zoans in pods all with shriek to over load them with 3d6 leadership tests?? They fail plenty.

I'm 2-1 vs Tau with the following list:
Flyrant - 2x TL Devourer
Swarmlord
2x Tervigon with 3 power, Toxin/Adrenal
Tervigon with 3 power, Toxin
2x 10 Gant
18 Devilgant in Pod
Doom in Pod
Dakkafex in Pod w/ Cluster Spines

The Tau:
Ethereal
Commander w/ Puretide, 2x MP, Iridium
3x 10 FW
2x 20 Kroot
2 Riptides with Ion/Fusion
2x 3 Broadsides with HYMP and 4 Drones each
Skyray
2x 7 Pathfinder

both lists are 1850. The best advice I can give a Nid player is to choose your targets wisely. Knock out the Pathfinders and then knock out the troops. Most of my games I've lost most of my HQs and what not, but I've been able to keep Tervigons alive and wipe my opponent's troops choices.

Nids should watch out for Sniper Drones + Ethereal. I think it's a really underrated combo in the Tau Codex - a little overshadowed by the Broadsides I think. At full strength it puts out 27 BS5 Sniper shots at 24" (9 at 48") and 3 BS5 markerlights - enough to kill a tervigon in a single turn. Also the Commander w/ Puretide + Monster Hunter can be very nasty when paired with pretty much anything.

Ever since the new edition I have been running 2 Mawlocs because I saw a huge rise in infantry in my meta. Those 2 S6 AP2 pie plates coming up every turn eats through anything not in a vehicle. Yes the Mawlocs will die after an enemy realizes the threat but they are only 160pts a pop and if they are being shot at then the Flyrants and tervigons are having a field day. Last weekend I ran 2 Flyrants, 2 Tervigons, 1 swarm of 30 hormagaunts, 1 of 30 guargs, and 3 biovores against a guys tau and his list looked tougher than yours.

 Kain wrote:

 ruminator wrote:
9 biovores, plenty of terrain and an objective mission. What could possibly go wrong?

"Oh god the Tau are sniping all our biovores like balloons! This was the worst idea!"

We would snipe the biovores only we can't see them ... you do know how barrage weapons work don't you? Even if they miss the biovore still gets to place a spore mine on the board and these then move through their deployment zone next turn. Put them behind LOS blocking terrain and fire away - Tau have to come and get you or sit there and take 9 large blasts a turn.