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 raiden wrote:
you can still have a SS or a shooty attack with a LC if I recall you just don't get the extra attack... LC are good against anything with a 3+ armor, specially those T3 blokes. but on terminators, I would rather take TH/SS 5++ just does not cut it with only one wound.

Sorry but DW terminators are not as customizable as Wolf Guard. If you take LCs then you lose the fist and the storm bolter. If you take TH/SS the same applies. You cannot mix the three weapon choices.
The only way an LC terminator can shoot is with a CML.

This is still a shooty edition where most dedicated melee troops have a hard time earning their keep. TH/SS terminators are holding on as they are pretty tough to remove. LCs on the other hand are just terminators that cannot shoot.
Vs tau, with their range 30+ shooting phase, jump shoot jump battle suits an ion weapons, I wouldn't be confident they would even make it that far.

Another thing to consider is that quite often you will not want to rip and tear a squad to pieces, only to find that next tun you are facing down a tau gunline at rapid fire range. I prefer the power fists, as they guarantee fewer, higher quality hits.

To deal with Tau one have to have a way to:
a) remove those warped markerlights as early as it is possible;
b) to reliably kill theyr troops even in cover;
c) to keep his own tropps alive.

So, my advice would be to ally with vanilla Space Marines (Salamanders or Ultra) and take:
- 5 assault marines with 2 flamers in Drop Pod;
- 5 scouts with bolters in LS Storm with heavy flamer;
- 5-10 tactical marines with flamer and combi-flamer in Drop Pod;
- Thunderfire Cannon.

With it you will be able to burn pathfinders and fire warriors to ashes while at the same time bombarding them with 4 barrage shots each turn. And termies will add endurance nessecary to live till turn 5. Of course, using terrain and LOS-blockers will be of a great help (remember -- as soon as his markerlights are gone his is no more abe to ignore your cover saves).

Big Blind Bill makes some excellent suggestions I would definitely take into consideration what he is saying.

I was trying to suggest that PFG librarian on bike w/ command squad because I think it is cool, competitive, good against tau, and fits well with the DA fluff. Plus, if you use their teleport homers to usher in the Deathwing that makes a lot of sense as well. Plus, I think black knights are one of the "coolest" units in the army but my taste might be different than yours.

An alternative if you want more terminators is to take a Librarian (or even just Belial) and a command squad that looks like this:

Command Squad
- Champion w/ Halberd of Caliban
- TH/SS
- TH/SS
- TH/SS Banner of Fortitude (for FNP bubble)
- Power fist + Assault Cannon or Heavy Flamer (depending on preference)

If you put these guys with Belial, they can deep strike with no scatter, right where you need them to give FNP to everyone you need. Deep strike the rest of your terminators first, see where they scatter, and then pinpoint the banner so that it gives FNP to all your dudes on turn one. Twin link that assault cannon and all the other shooty terminators that dropped in and you should have around 15 twin linked, FNP terminators in his face on turn one. Make sure to have at least 1 TH/SS in the front of each squad to give you that 3++ against any apt for as long as possible too It might not win but it's damn cool haha.

You can also add in a librarian if you want in order to hopefully give some divination powers, effectively letting you have re-roll terminators every turn of the game. You could also give him a PFG if you want to give a shooty squad a 4++ and have the librarian bop around from squad to squad. However, be aware that the PFG confers it to ALL MODELS within 3" including enemies. So best to keep him at the back of combats to only boost your models, or have him leave squads right before they charge in so as not to give tau a 4++ against your power fists haha.

- VardenV2

My brother in laws Tau army is very similar to your friends. I usually beat him with the following.

HQ
Libby with divination (re-roll misses)

If you are in love with DW then run Belial as well

Elite's/ Troops

Dread MM HF in a droppod

Dw termies with HF

2x - 5man tac squads with LC or ML

Fast Attack
Land speeders (typhoon)

Heavy
Devastators w/ LC
Whirlwind
Landraider if you can afford it.

Aegis w/icarus LC

Put libby with Dev squad behind aegis and have the sarg man the ILC. 5LC shots that reroll their misses are nice.

Droppod your dread on the tank if you can if not the riptide is 2nd choice.

Deepstrike termies ontop of pathfinders and cook them with TL HF on your DW strike. If there are any left use the rest of the stormbolters to finish them or split fire onto another nearby unit of firewarriors.

Use 5LC devs to drop the riptide. Followed up by the 2 tac LCs and typhoons

Use the whirlwind to pieplate the firewarriors or pathfinders.

With any luck you leave him with no riptide or pathfinders and a crippled tank after your first turn. This really changes his game plan. Most importantly attack from different directions so he can't focus on any one unit.