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.

Hello, I've recently run into a problem with my Tau. The problem presents itself as : Now what? So I'll give you my list and I've also got another question, how should I arm my Crisis (including support systems and wargear)?
Bear in mind the armies I most often face are DE, Orks, IG and Necrons. So here we go:

1 Crisis Commander
2 Bodyguard

Ethereal

3 stealth suits
(one with fusion blaster)

24 Fire warriors

20 Kroot
6 hounds
1 krootox
1 Shaper

10 Vespids

6 Pathfinders and Devilfish

1 Hammerhead (Can be played as Skyray due to clever application of magnets)

2 Broadsides

Thank you! May the Greater Good fight with you.

- Aun'Shi

I would equip: cyclonic ion blaster, plasma rifle and multi-tracker on the commander.
plasma rifles, burst cannons and multi-tracker on the bodyguards

I think missile pods are pretty much THE thing to have on suits. It brings many high strength shots at long range for a decent price. Burst cannons on the other hand bring MORE s5 that is already so inherent in the tau list to begin with.

With your list I'd start of with using the Crisis suits as elite suits as oppossed to bodyguards. Use every heavy support that you can and arm them with railguns.
Sadly you should generally avoid both vespids, krootoxes and ethereals.

What sort of point limit are you aiming for anyway?

Usually I'd say my army would be used in points battles of 1500 to 2000

Then you frankly need more suits. 3 barely cut it in 1k, much less so in 1,5-2k.

Ok Thank you very much. What are your views on Piranhas, my DE player friend has a raider heavy army I was thinking one with a fusion blaster seeing as how they don't attract hardly any fire. What do you think? (I also like the model!)

I like piranhas very much. A blaster, Array and possibly pods and you're set. Don't go too heavy on the single squadrons though as each is worth 2kp's.

Use them as tank busters and blockers.

Cheers! That's me convinced, I'll buy two soon, then I'll get some more Crisis. Fireknife for the commander?

Hmm..don't be too convinced yet, I'm just a dude on the net.

*I* like to keep it simple so I go with fireknife on most of my suits. (I mix it up with some deathrains too) But the commander can be built in several ways...to start off, sure fireknife is fine.

Thank you very much "dude on the internet". Yes I'll stick with fireknife.

Aun'shi wrote:Ok Thank you very much. What are your views on Piranhas, my DE player friend has a raider heavy army I was thinking one with a fusion blaster seeing as how they don't attract hardly any fire. What do you think? (I also like the model!)

I think it is a waste of points and focus of the stealth unit. Every gun you have, except the kroot can drop the DE vehicles. A FusionBlaster is a waste vs. the DE. Go all BCs on the Stealth crew.

I'll address the IG opponent after the others. Given those opponents you mentioned, orks, DE, and NEcrons, this is what I'd do:

Aun'shi wrote:1 Crisis Commander 2 Bodyguard

Always try to keep XV8s as separate as possible. Also, volume fire is needed for those opponents, so:

Shas'el BC/MP/Target Array hwMT <-- This is called a "FireStorm" configuration.

Crisis Suit - Team LEader, Target Array/BC/MP/ hwMT
Crisis Suit - Team LEader, Target Array/BC/MP/ hwMT

Ethereal - needs a vacation. He has no place in your list.

3 stealth suits - (one with fusion blaster) - Pull it off and go all BCs and Target Arrays, which will help with orcs and DE. The Necrons do get snuffed from ID and the FB's AP1, but that would only be one model per salvo and the FB's 'melta' capabilities are nil against a monolith (Necron players, do I have that right about WWB? The AP1 and ID?).

24 Fire warriors - have one embark into the Pathfinder's D'fish on turn 1.
20 Kroot, 6 hounds, 1 krootox, 1 Shaper - all good

10 Vespids - *Sigh* I have these models too. But for their points cost they're not worth it in any of the armies you face. They are a less than marginal unit against Marines/MEqs. Necrons suck at h2h too, and the Vespid just won't be that great against an average crew of Necron Warriors. Shelve 'em.

6 Pathfinders and Devilfish - Run the D'Fish as SMS, TA, MT, Dispod. You need the anti-Infantry fire power. Move Combat Speed and shoot 7 dice at a good BS. It's called a Warfish.

1 Hammerhead - RG, BCs, MT, DisPod, Target Lock. Have the Crisis Suits bring down the Raiders & Ravagers. Any passengers the DE raiders have hit with the submunition. Any characters that fail a save will die from ID.


2 Broadsides - Team Leader, A.s.s. 2 Shield Drones, Bonded**

**The only place your ethereal *might* have is with a b-side team, with his own Shield Drones, against the IG opponent you mentioned. What degree of Mech is he running? Otherwise, seriously, don't bother.

So, 3 suits, 2 units of FWs, a 6 pack of PFs, Warfish, Railhead, pair of XV88s and a load of kroot ... off the top of my head I'd say you have a good 1k list. Not much more than that.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Aun'shi wrote:Thank you very much "dude on the internet". Yes I'll stick with fireknife.

Against the opponents mentioned, the FireKnife is *not* good as the Dark Eldar don't have infantry that needs the plasmagun's AP2. Same with orks (well, okay, there *is* Ghazgkull). Necrons? Again, I'm relatively positive that the AP2 is only going to bag you *one* model, denying WWB.

Against Mech IG, different story, depending on his models.

If you had a lot of Marine oppoenents, BAs, SWs, CSM, then *yes* the FireKnife is a great way to go, but for what you mentioned, orks & DE? No, Necrons, yeah ... ish.

I've played tau for 5 years. I've tried them in 5e. In 4th Edition I had a 45-14-8 WLD record (infrequent gaming made it easy to keep track of). 5th Edition? 5-6-5. I think I have the experience to make a good call on what to equip.

Read AdvancedTauTactica.com. It helped immensely.

Just a few disagreements with brother.

Brothererekose wrote:

Aun'shi wrote:Ok Thank you very much. What are your views on Piranhas, my DE player friend has a raider heavy army I was thinking one with a fusion blaster seeing as how they don't attract hardly any fire. What do you think? (I also like the model!)

I think it is a waste of points and focus of the stealth unit. Every gun you have, except the kroot can drop the DE vehicles. A FusionBlaster is a waste vs. the DE. Go all BCs on the Stealth crew.

Burst cannons are decent...but piranhas block battlewagons, pop ANY vehicle ('cept the lith) and has the speed to catch up with anything. A burst cannon piranha *might* work though.

3 stealth suits - (one with fusion blaster) - Pull it off and go all BCs and Target Arrays, which will help with orcs and DE. The Necrons do get snuffed from ID and the FB's AP1, but that would only be one model per salvo and the FB's 'melta' capabilities are nil against a monolith (Necron players, do I have that right about WWB? The AP1 and ID?).

I dislike stealth suits in general, very fragile, very expensive. But I agree that that is probably the best way to run them

20 Kroot, 6 hounds, 1 krootox, 1 Shaper - all good

As long as you ignore the krootox and the shaper.

1 Hammerhead - RG, BCs, MT, DisPod, Target Lock. Have the Crisis Suits bring down the Raiders & Ravagers. Any passengers the DE raiders have hit with the submunition. Any characters that fail a save will die from ID.

Don't rely on the sub TOO much. Afterall, even if you hit everyone, if you roll a single "one" to wound the character is safe. Hemonculis are also T4 and Archons rock the shadowfield.

2 Broadsides - Team Leader, A.s.s. 2 Shield Drones, Bonded

Bonding knife feel like a waste. It'll only come into play if the leader, and only the leader, is left and running. Even more so if you drop them sides far back in your deployment, where they are dead anyway if they fail morale.

So, 3 suits, 2 units of FWs, a 6 pack of PFs, Warfish, Railhead, pair of XV88s and a load of kroot ... off the top of my head I'd say you have a good 1k list. Not much more than that.

Agree. Need MOAR suits.

Against the opponents mentioned, the FireKnife is *not* good as the Dark Eldar don't have infantry that needs the plasmagun's AP2. Same with orks (well, okay, there *is* Ghazgkull). Necrons? Again, I'm relatively positive that the AP2 is only going to bag you *one* model, denying WWB.

Three words: Power through Pain.
Any DE unit of even moderate importance WILL have feel no pain, and then there's the incubi. Add in that any wound from the plasma/missile combo inflict instant death to any DE unit and wound any ork on a 2+...
Vs necrons...ap2 doesn't even deny WBB.

Read AdvancedTauTactica.com. It helped immensely.

Can't disagree.

Yeah I've recently been using ATT, I will take into this into account. Maybe one submunition railgun. Yeah Necrons are problematic. I'll find a way (he isn't the best player I know!) Might think about Deathrains. Still I am fond of Fusion blasters. This might require a few playtests...

Starting a campaign with all of the aforementioned armies 750 points 1HQ choice 1 Troops and one other. Any ideas?

Max out suits.

1 HQ and one troop should run you about 150p

600p is enough for 6-9 elite suits and a pair of railheads.

EDIT: Not a pair, but a single one atleast.

Right, so railhead or stealthers?
How would you arm Crisis leader?
Bodyguard? Y/N

Railhead > Stealthers

Crisis...keep it simple and cheap, fireknife or deathrain, might want to give him a target lock too so that he can join anything.

Bodyguards, IMO no. Not until you maxed the elite ones.

Good, thanks for giving me something to go by.