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Hey guys, recently I'll be getting a team of firewarriors in a trade soon. I've always liked the look of Tau, and I thought "why not start a small allied detachment?" I found and old tau codex which is falling apart, and I'm interested in starting a little tau detachment. The thing is, I need an HQ, and If I'm going to buy a crysis suit I want to make it as fun as possible while still having it be useful on the table. The problem is, I've never even seen a tau model before on the table (they arn't played at the FLGS), and ,likewise, have no idea about their capabilities. I want the tau allies to synergise with my guard as much as possible while still being fun. Here are my thoughts:

The firewarriors:
This won't be hard. These guys are shooty. I already do shooty. I play guard. All I should have to do is plop 'em in some cover and nail whatever needs massed STR 5 to the face.If I play my cards right, and present the opponent with other threats (like a LRBT, or four). With the 4+ save These guys should survive and do decent damage, and maybe even capture an objective later on. The guard's punisher tank has taught me the value of high-volume str 5 shots, and I'm looking forwards to these guys contributing to the greater good one plasma round at a time.

The Crisis HQ:
This is the hard part. As of now, am only going to buy ONE suit for the HQ. So not only do I have to clearly define this single suit's role, but I also have to make it work with my Imperial guard force.

As for my IG force, I run a bit of everything: some tanks, a platoon to sit on the objective, the plasma command squad in a chimera, and a single valkyrie, but I always like to mess with my opponent's backfield through the use of stormtroopers and marbo. That's where I think this crisis suit will come in. It can deepstrike in with the rest of 'em, and the jetpack will give it crazy maneuverability in the assault phase to duck into/out of cover and harass the opponent's backfield, and may be a high-risk, high-reward tactic. So I'm looking at the codex, and I think these are my options. For a Battlesuit commander that works with my deepstriking stormtroopers.

(A quick aside here for tau players looking to give advice: Stormtroopers have AP 3 lasguns at ballistic skill 4. They can be equipped with up to two special weapons and I usually equip them with two meltaguns, so they usually take care of MeQ and important vehicles. I'm looking for a crysis suit that will complement the stormtroopers as they deepstrike in the enemy's deployment zone.)

Option A) Deepstriking Template Commander:
Flamer
This option is risky if the deepstrike goes wrong, but cheap. I need the deepstrike to go well and count on my opponent bunching his models up together. The suit will be supported by stormtroopers, so if the stormies pop a transport the flamer may handily roast its passengers. And, with the jetpack, he'll be able to scoot away (hopefully) behind cover or a blob of stormtroopers.

Airbusting Fraagmentation projector
(For IG players, this is roughly the equivalent of a multiple rocket pod) This, combined with the flamer, offers a large blast template to stack on top of bunched-together units, and, like the flamer, it ignores cover saves. It's got a bit of a longer range then the flamer, but I don't know if my points are better spent elsewhere. I am a fan of these large blast multiple rocket pods on Valkyries, but I don't know how it will perform on a crisis suit.

Multi-tracker
What's the use deepstriking of two templates if you can't fire both at once? What else would I take if I made this multi-tracker hard wired?

This guy clocks in at a fairly cheap 105 points, and can put out a decent amount of firepower compared to his point cost. He'll synergise will with the stormtroopers. The stormtroopers take care of the marheens with their AP3 guns, or the pop transports with their meltas, and the Crysis suit throws templates on everything that's bunched up before retreating with its amazing jetpack.

Option B) The crisis tank.
From guard, I've learnt that a single leman russ or a lone chimera will draw fire. Here, I'm assuming a single crisis suit will as well, so why not make it able to tank the shots and save the infantry? Besides, I normally don't get to play with a 2+ save, and I'm curious about having one.

Plasma Rifle
More AP 2 goodness is never a bad thing, and my opponents have to see this guy as a threat to fire at him. I choose plasma over melta because my stormtroopers can re-roll their scatter dice, and have a better chance of getting in effective melta range then this guy will, plus, it will allow him to keep his distance and harras the enemy longer.

Iridium armor
If it's going to tank, then it'll need a 2+ save

Now, here I'm split between taking a drone controller, and stocking up on shield drones and gun drones for 2+ crazyness and extra dakka, or taking the Vectored thrusters and forgoing the drones in order to escape from close combat. The latter means I take a shield generator for a 4+ invuln, while the former opens up a slot to take an additional system on the suit. Any advice tau players?


Option C) The commander that stays with his men, er, fish, er, cows.

This one is the commander that doesn't deepstrike in and stays on the line with his loyal squad of fire warriors. He'll basically put some glancing hits on transports and markerlight stuff for his fire-warrior squad.

Missile pod
It's got the range, and Str 7 is the new black with all these vehicle hull points.

Blacksun filter
It's really, really, nice to ignore nightfight when you've got the range on your opponent.

Drone controller
You need these for drones, especially markerlight drones. I'd probably run 1 shield drone, and one marker light drone. The commander would stay back behind the firewarriors, designate the target with his markerlight, plink away at enemies with the missile pod and allow the firewarriors to obliterate whatever they were looking at with some BS5. I may put some plain old gun drones on him if I feel like it.

With the shield and marker drones, this guy is 115 points, not bad if he can mark targets for his squad. The only issue I see here is his effectiveness is dependent on his firewarrior squad, and while I try to be a good commander, I know that T3, 4+ models are hard to keep alive. If his squad gets killed off or weakened, he'll basically be useless.




So, those are the three loadouts I'm thinking of. I admit, I am specializing the suits role a bit here, but that's what makes the most sense to me. Any advice? How would you intigrate w one Crisis suit and a firewarrior squad into the many regiments of the imperial guard?




(TL; DR version: What single crysis suit would go best with an IG army and one squad of fire warriors?)

 kestril wrote:
What else would I take if I made this multi-tracker hard wired?

Twin-link the guns. Or add an extra melta/flamer/whatever to fill a secondary role in case you need it (for example, a popular setup on the elite crisis suits is TL missile pod and flamer, missile pods for most situations but a flamer for when something gets close).

The crisis tank.

Way too expensive and not enough firepower. Why is anyone going to shoot at an expensive unit with a single plasma gun when pretty much any of your squishy IG units have more firepower and less durability?

Also, VRT is a waste since you're going to die in combat before you can use it.

markerlight drones.

Never use these. Marker drones are far too expensive for what you get, you're always better off just buying more guns instead. If you want markerlights the only way to get them is to take Pathfinders or Tetras. However, with so few Tau units in your list there's really no point.



Anyway, there are three options (note that all of these are on a Shas'el):

1) TL fusion suicide melta. It seems like you've got that covered though.

2) Fusion + plasma + TA + HW MT. Three marine killer shots at BS 5, with HW DC and shield drones if you're willing to spend the points.

3) MP + plasma + TA + HW MT. Trade the melta for some long-range firepower.


Your idea for the suicide flamer unit isn't bad, but it wastes the BS 4 of the commander. Just put it on an elite suit instead.

I'd go with the tank commander with shield drones. Personal preference. Fit a shas'el with a targetting array (or shield gen), iridium, HW drone controller w/ 2 shield drones, stim injector (this will allow him to absorb even more lascannon fire!), HW multitracker, and either a cyclic ion blaster + burst cannon (goes to work on hordes at BS5) or a missile pod + plasma rifle (a standard weapon loadout). Heck, you could give him TL missile pods on a BS5, and have him sit in the back providing a cover save to a tank or something. Most people tend to not prioritize these crisis suits since your tanks are a bigger threats, so with the missile pods he can go to town on things.

A deep-striking commander only works in conjuction with support, deep striking by himself is just suicide. Especially if you're crafting him to lay down anti-infantry templates. It's a bit unnecessary. For the price of this commander you could buy 3 crisis suits with a flamer and TL missile pods each.

I'm fairly sure that, as an ally of convenience, IG can't benefit from markerlights. This rules out marker drones, unless you plan to use them solely for the FW squad, since 30 points to modestly boost the effectiveness of a ~130 point unit is silly.

Another possibility is to use a fusion blaster + plasma rifle, vectored retrothrusters, iridium, and HW multitracker and use it to get in deep striking enemy elites faces. He'll at least tie them down for a turn, maybe two if you get lucky with the thrusters. If you get real lucky, he'll take out his points worth of terminators. All in all, though, the tanking commander will be better for you, I think; the 2 weapon systems are up to you.

 Peregrine wrote:

markerlight drones.

Never use these. Marker drones are far too expensive for what you get, you're always better off just buying more guns instead. If you want markerlights the only way to get them is to take Pathfinders or Tetras. However, with so few Tau units in your list there's really no point.

They're pretty fun it stealthsuit units. Relentless markerlights benefiting from both shrouding and stealth. Expensive, though, but more survivable than pathfinders.

Xyrael wrote:
(this will allow him to absorb even more lascannon fire!)

Err, no. Lascannons ignore 2+ armor, ignore FNP, and inflict instant death.

Most people tend to not prioritize these crisis suits since your tanks are a bigger threats, so with the missile pods he can go to town on things.

This is a newbie mistake. Taking weak units because they don't draw attention is always worse than taking so many powerful units that your opponent can't possibly deal with them all in time.

I'm fairly sure that, as an ally of convenience, IG can't benefit from markerlights.

They can't, but it has nothing to do with allies. Markerlights can only be used on Tau units.

Thanks for the advice. But I gotta say, I stayed away from twin-linking because I don't think I really need it as the commander has BS 5. If he had BS 3, i'd definitively go with some twin-linked goodness.

I also don't need a targeting array, as the commander already sports BS 5.

1) TL fusion suicide melta. It seems like you've got that covered though.

2) Fusion + plasma + TA + HW MT. Three marine killer shots at BS 5, with HW DC and shield drones if you're willing to spend the points.

3) MP + plasma + TA + HW MT. Trade the melta for some long-range firepower.

Your idea for the suicide flamer unit isn't bad, but it wastes the BS 4 of the commander. Just put it on an elite suit instead.

I fully realize that I'm wasting valuable BS, the problem is I'll only have one crisis suit for a while, and as you need an HQ to fill out the allies slot, I think a suicide unit backed up by stormtroopers is the best option that will contribute to my list.

I also don't need a targeting array, as the commander already sports BS 5. So I'm wasting another point of ballistics skill lol.

So, If I'm dead-set on having a really expensive suicide unit, I think I'll go with the AFP + Flamer + plasma and just hardwire the Multi tracker. That way, I'm always firing a medium-range large-blast teplate, and have the option to keep my distance and engage elites while still being able to throw down templates if the deepstrike goes well.

I'd go with the tank commander with shield drones. Personal preference. Fit a shas'el with a targetting array (or shield gen), iridium, HW drone controller w/ 2 shield drones, stim injector (this will allow him to absorb even more lascannon fire!), HW multitracker, and either a cyclic ion blaster + burst cannon (goes to work on hordes at BS5) or a missile pod + plasma rifle (a standard weapon loadout). Heck, you could give him TL missile pods on a BS5, and have him sit in the back providing a cover save to a tank or something. Most people tend to not prioritize these crisis suits since your tanks are a bigger threats, so with the missile pods he can go to town on things.

I was thinking I could have the tank commander sit back with his firewarrior squad, and use IC shenanigans to stick him and he shield drones in front. Suddenly, those 12 firewarriors would become a lot more durable, with my opponent having to go through his shield drone's T4, 2+ save/4+ invuln, and then the commander's 2+ The issue here is firepower. I'd be paying a lot of points (around the neighborhood of 140, more if I want more shield drones) for a big tank that doesn't have too much firepower. Maybe I've been playing IG too long, but when a single model costs 10 points less than a Leman Russ Battle Tank, I tend to question the points sink. However, I do need away to advance troops to an objective, and this guy would allow the firewarriors to sit out in the open and take strategic positions that would be suicide for my normal guardsmen squads, and with the firewarrior squad it only comes out to about 250 points--the same price as a fully upgraded punisher tank that has the same volume of STR 5 fire (which I run all the time), all in all, this option doesn't look terrible.

Edit: It's nice to see both a guard player and a tau player give advice. It's pretty cool.

Uhhm... for a Tau allied list, I have a quick question, does your FLGS allow Forgeworld? (which they should considering anything with a 40k stamp is legal, you just need to bring the rules with you).
If they do, one of the best things Tau can bring to a guard army are FWs Remote Sensor Towers.

Each tower can twin-link and grant night vision to a nearby unit and carries a Twin Linked BS3 Markerlight, up to three can fit into a Troop Slot. The wording for the tower make it so any unit can be twin-linked, not only Tau or Battle Brothers. The way they are built, too, they're VERY easy to hide for a cover save while still being able to fire their markerlights.

For 400 to 500 points you could bring to the table;

Commander with twin-linked plasma, 2 shield drones (extra wounds with 4++ save), iridium armor, a target lock and Advanced Stabilization System,
you could attach him to a two man plasma broadside (heavy support) team with multitrackers, drones of their own and another target lock.

This means a unit that has 4 expendable drones with 2+/4++ saves, can move, fire plasma and railguns at full BS at up to three different targets and STILL fire plasma and railguns on overwatch (everything twin-linked) thanks to A.S.S shenanigans.

A single squad of fire-warriors... because you have to. And they're not great but not that terrible anymore.

Two/three sensor towers to twin link your guard units and provide some markerlight support for your Tau units.

If I had a little more detailed information about your Guard army and Tau allies, I could give you a better idea on your Crisis Suit Commander.

+ If you're not running him with a Crisis Suit Squad, his survivability plummets, so taking expensive wargear will actually be a detriment. The Stimulant Injection Sytem, Iridium Armor, and even the Fail Safe Detonator are things you want to stay away from. He's toughness 4 and can be turned to paste from Missiles to Meltas.

+ If the suit is your HQ, I strongly suggest not suiciding him. It's simply a waste of points where a normal Crisis Suit would be a far better choice.

+ Don't take a Shas'o. A Shas'el is cheaper with the targeting array, so you save a little on points for the same platform.

+ Weapon wise, I'd take one heavy duty weapon (Plasma Rifle or Missile Pod) and take a twin-linked burst cannon, so he puts as many wounds as possible on targets while he Jump-Shoot-Jumps. Twin-Linked Burst Cannons are cheap (12 Points) and keeps costs down. This advice is only if you're running your Crisis Suit alone.

+ If you're worried about survivability, take shield drones, but be warned; every drone counts towards your squad size, which can force him to make a Leadership check and unexpectantly run off the board.

Independent from this, about your Fire Warriors...

+They're not that survivable.

+Upgrade a Warrior to a Shas'ui and give him a bonding knife.



In summation; Option C is your best bet, but I wouldn't hinge your Crisis Suits success with how your Fire Warriors survive...

 Duredhel wrote:
Uhhm... for a Tau allied list, I have a quick question, does your FLGS allow Forgeworld? (which they should considering anything with a 40k stamp is legal, you just need to bring the rules with you).
If they do, one of the best things Tau can bring to a guard army are FWs Remote Sensor Towers.

Each tower can twin-link and grant night vision to a nearby unit and carries a Twin Linked BS3 Markerlight, up to three can fit into a Troop Slot. The wording for the tower make it so any unit can be twin-linked, not only Tau or Battle Brothers. The way they are built, too, they're VERY easy to hide for a cover save while still being able to fire their markerlights.

For 400 to 500 points you could bring to the table;

Commander with twin-linked plasma, 2 shield drones (extra wounds with 4++ save), iridium armor, a target lock and Advanced Stabilization System,
you could attach him to a two man plasma broadside (heavy support) team with multitrackers, drones of their own and another target lock.

This means a unit that has 4 expendable drones with 2+/4++ saves, can move, fire plasma and railguns at full BS at up to three different targets and STILL fire plasma and railguns on overwatch (everything twin-linked) thanks to A.S.S shenanigans.

A single squad of fire-warriors... because you have to. And they're not great but not that terrible anymore.

Two/three sensor towers to twin link your guard units and provide some markerlight support for your Tau units.

Dear goodness, that sounds brutal. That'll be a long-term goal I suppose when I pick up some broadsides and scratch-build the sensor towers down the line.

If I had a little more detailed information about your Guard army and Tau allies, I could give you a better idea on your Crisis Suit Commander.

The usual army I run consists of mixing and matching any of the following: 1 platoon with 30 or so troops, a handful of heavy-weapons either in the squads themselves or in heavy weapons teams. Up to two squads of vets in chimeras. A plasma-chimera CCS. One Valkyrie carrying a fireball PCS, a squad or two of stormtroopers and marbo, and finally a leman russ variant or two, usually the executioner. Occasionally, I'll drop the platoon and run footslogging dura-vets hiding behind lots of tanks. I always take the stormtroopers/marbo, so if I do deepstrike this fellow, he will not be unsupported.

+ Don't take a Shas'o. A Shas'el is cheaper with the targeting array, so you save a little on points for the same platform.

Well, if then you have to take a targeting array to boost that BS, and that takes up one of three valuable slots. I get it saves points, and could work, but I do like the on-paper versatility of having that flamer.

+ Weapon wise, I'd take one heavy duty weapon (Plasma Rifle or Missile Pod) and take a twin-linked burst cannon, so he puts as many wounds as possible on targets while he Jump-Shoot-Jumps. Twin-Linked Burst Cannons are cheap (12 Points) and keeps costs down. This advice is only if you're running your Crisis Suit alone.

But I can't take a twin-linked weapon and another weapon if I want to have the BS skill of 5 by taking the targeting array, as you suggested. Plus, twin-linking weapons doesn't really add that much effectiveness when the fellow already has BS 5--I don't see the point of taking twin-linked weapons when he'll be shooting like Marbo anyways.

Ohguys.

This suit is going the way of Deepstrike + lots of templates + AP 2 weapon. Guys, I'm trying to take Taubo. I'm trying to make another marbo.

 kestril wrote:
[

+ Weapon wise, I'd take one heavy duty weapon (Plasma Rifle or Missile Pod) and take a twin-linked burst cannon, so he puts as many wounds as possible on targets while he Jump-Shoot-Jumps. Twin-Linked Burst Cannons are cheap (12 Points) and keeps costs down. This advice is only if you're running your Crisis Suit alone.

But I can't take a twin-linked weapon and another weapon if I want to have the BS skill of 5 by taking the targeting array, as you suggested. Plus, twin-linking weapons doesn't really add that much effectiveness when the fellow already has BS 5--I don't see the point of taking twin-linked weapons when he'll be shooting like Marbo anyways.

Ohguys.

This suit is going the way of Deepstrike + lots of templates + AP 2 weapon. Guys, I'm trying to take Taubo. I'm trying to make another marbo.

I was assuming you were taking a Shas'o, as you've stated.

And turning him into a Deep Striking Marbo is just a terrible, terrible idea...

 KplKeegan wrote:


I was assuming you were taking a Shas'o, as you've stated.

And turning him into a Deep Striking Marbo is just a terrible, terrible idea...

As opposed to what? Sink all my points into a 2+ save to protect a STR 6 plasma rifle? I'd understand if it was to place him with two broadsides as stated before, but I'll only have 1 suit, and 1 squad of fire warriors to work with for a while.


What other options support the guard army as a whole? 105 points for a Model that can show up anywhere on the board, fire indirectly, fire as many templates as my stormtroopers ever will, be able to engage heavy infantry as well as light vehicles with the str 6 plasma gun, and keep the swarmy stuff off my stormtroopers while the stormies and marbo deal with the vehicles and str. 8 stuff. He's not going in solo. He will have at least two squads of stormtroopers to back him up. Yes, I know a cheaper crisis suit is better points-wise, but this is to make the HQ as usable as possible to mitigate the HQ "tax" found when taking allies. It's the HQ requirement (and the lack of other crisis suits) that is the problem. If I could afford 4 crisis suits, sure, I'd take 4, but I can't. This is making use of what I've got. Having a deepstriker is much, much better than having a 90 point autocannon sit in my gunline.

Besides, if my opponent knows how to use meltas, he'll be advancing his meltas towards my Russes. It shouldn't be too hard to place this guy out of melta range, especially with his 2d6 move in the assault phase. And if they take an entire turn to double back and fry him with melta, fine. My executioner gets another turn to lay down five plasma templates.

If you're not doing the broadside+HQ thing yet, and want something that can deep strike and put in the hurt, might want to go with either twin-linked flamer + an AFP(cheap) or Plasma + Melta. You could also add a pair of gun drones for a lucky pinning shot here and there (they come with the crisis, good against orks and stuff, after flaming them to fell... can you pin on overwatch? not sure...).

Good thing Crisis Suits can do their jetpack move after deep striking now.

 kestril wrote:
Thanks for the advice. But I gotta say, I stayed away from twin-linking because I don't think I really need it as the commander has BS 5. If he had BS 3, i'd definitively go with some twin-linked goodness.

You TL the flamers because it's a re-roll to wound, not to hit, and you TL the melta because you need your suicide melta to be absolutely reliable and even BS 5 can miss on a 1.

I fully realize that I'm wasting valuable BS, the problem is I'll only have one crisis suit for a while, and as you need an HQ to fill out the allies slot, I think a suicide unit backed up by stormtroopers is the best option that will contribute to my list.

Crisis suits are cheap, go buy a second one. If you're going to add allies you should do it right, not force your list to fit an extremely limited set of models.

I also don't need a targeting array, as the commander already sports BS 5. So I'm wasting another point of ballistics skill lol.

BS 4. Never take a Shas'o, you pay too many points for BS 5 compared to a Shas'el with a TA.

I was thinking I could have the tank commander sit back with his firewarrior squad, and use IC shenanigans to stick him and he shield drones in front.

Instant death kills this. You pay a ton of points and if single lascannon shot gets through your expensive tank is dead. It might have worked in 5th where you could save the shield drones for the ID wounds, but in 6th your opponent can, say, fire a tactical squad at your unit and force you to roll saves on the bolter wounds first, killing the shield drones, and then drop the no-save ID lascannon wound on the crisis suit.

And of course there's also the problem that if your opponent shoots you from a different angle your whole tank plan falls apart.

 Peregrine wrote:


You TL the flamers because it's a re-roll to wound, not to hit, and you TL the melta because you need your suicide melta to be absolutely reliable and even BS 5 can miss on a 1.

Crisis suits are cheap, go buy a second one. If you're going to add allies you should do it right, not force your list to fit an extremely limited set of models.

I'm only buying one for now I have enough mini's as it is. Besides, I see it as a challenge to build something decent out of this. This is the fun part, and I doubt there is a single right way to build a list.

BS 4. Never take a Shas'o, you pay too many points for BS 5 compared to a Shas'el with a TA.

Perhaps, although I'm certain some situations exist when you want the Shas'o, although they are difficult to think of off the top of my head.

Instant death kills this. You pay a ton of points and if single lascannon shot gets through your expensive tank is dead. It might have worked in 5th where you could save the shield drones for the ID wounds, but in 6th your opponent can, say, fire a tactical squad at your unit and force you to roll saves on the bolter wounds first, killing the shield drones, and then drop the no-save ID lascannon wound on the crisis suit.

He's acts as an idependent character while in the fire warrior squad, so he'd get a 2+ look out, sir! If I build my guard list right, they'll probably be trying to pop chimeras and Leman Russes with those lascannons, rather than risk doing virtually nothing to a less threatening 12 man squad.

And of course there's also the problem that if your opponent shoots you from a different angle your whole tank plan falls apart.

Well yeah, it'll be the normal guardsmen bubblewrap gig if they get flanked, for sure.


So far, here's what I'm thinking:

A deepstriking Shas 'el with a TL flamer, APS, and a hard-wired multi-tracker is about as points-efficient as I think I'm going to get, although the lack of high-str weaponry leaves something to be desired, my stormtroopers and gunline should have that covered. He's 76 points, and looking decent for his price.

 Peregrine wrote:


BS 4. Never take a Shas'o, you pay too many points for BS 5 compared to a Shas'el with a TA.

While true in this case, this is not entirely accurate...
The more points you pay is not to free up the TA slot (well, not only), but for extra wounds and higher leadership, who are both good things.
There is also a slight melee improvement, but thats REALLY not an issue, unless you want to try to assualt a tank in case the fusion fails in hope to glance it down, but thats so rare to be of use its not worth considering.
Shas'o upgrade has its uses, in a true tau list at least.


Back to topic.
A crisis suit is a jack-of-all-trades kind of unit and the HQ suits are the jackiest, it can do liturally ANYTHING if you equip him for it, so use him as a gap filler-after the list is mostly done think about what you are missing, and then arm him accordingly to fill the gap.
Or, alternatly, there is also the fireknife setup (a missile pod and a plasma gun), for the guy who is not very good at anything, but can help against any possible target in the game short of a land raider.

Now, I personally DONT like the flamer suits, you just need to get too close for me to feel at ease with such a fragile unit compared to it's cost. I would have gone for either plasma-missile, plasma-cyclic ion or plasma-fusion there, as they are the most flixible suits you can make that threat a seriously large number of options while still maintaining a good kill ratio on the common opponents (marines and terminators), the missile one got most range and anti-transport power, the fusion the most anti-terminator and anti-tank power and the cyclic ion the most anti-infantry power

I've never owned Tau myself but from palying against a friend of mine who basicly tried everything the load out that worked the best I thought was Cyclic + Airburst with shield gen. and Stim injector. The suit aboslutely pounds any infintry and is tough enough to survive to go back and do it again, as long as your not putting him in the middle of the enamy hoarde. But he's mobile enough to; stay ahead of, Just to the side of, or just around the courner enough to protect him.

aleis wrote:
I've never owned Tau myself but from palying against a friend of mine who basicly tried everything the load out that worked the best I thought was Cyclic + Airburst with shield gen. and Stim injector. The suit aboslutely pounds any infintry and is tough enough to survive to go back and do it again, as long as your not putting him in the middle of the enamy hoarde. But he's mobile enough to; stay ahead of, Just to the side of, or just around the courner enough to protect him.

^ Would not recommend that. Problem is you're making a very expensive suit who will die with the first Str8+ wound it fails to save (with a 4+ save and doing the math you only need to do two Str8 wounds and you have a very good chance to kill it). Remember that double strength still denies FnP. Its much better to have shield drones you can pass off those wounds to on a 2+ LoS. Still not cheap, but at least if they fail they don't take the whole unit with them. (Remember that if the suit controlling them dies, drones die too).

On a side note with the LoS save on the suit in a squad of fire warriors, you don't get to use the suit's save. The suit will have a different save value then that of the unit, and as such you must first pass the wound off before you roll a save. As such, now with you opponent telling you which wounds you take it's risky to have him leading an unit across the field. Deep striking him isn't viable either, other then solely for an one hit wonder. The commanders best roll for survivability and use-ability is a gun line support. He can wonder behind armor or around guardsmen for the best a cover save and drones for LoS, and when need support a flank of the gun line to pop back at enemies. A flamer sounds like a good choice, and of course something anti tank never hurts, taking a missile pod is a good support for that. The rest is for you to play around with.

I'm also starting tau allies for my orks and am puzzeled by this.

But: What do twin linked flamers do for me? I thought they auto hit? or do I get two templates? (is there any way to get this, anyway?)

Two templates as flamers are auto-hit

Ministry wrote:
Two templates as flamers are auto-hit

Please read the rules in question before trying to post about them. A TL template weapon gains a re-roll to wound.