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I'm thinking of starting a new tau army, I already have a few models (some pathfinders, 3 stealthsuits, 1 battlesuit and a piranha+a random assortment of drones. ) but I need to make a good list so I'll know what else I should get, any suggestions? I was probably going to go for the classic "gunline" strategy.

As many rail guns (broadsides hammerheads) you can afford and fit.
Especially for gunlines.

beyond that mabye 2-3 full squads of firewarrior bodies
devilfish body or 2
and mabye 5 more crisis suits.

will give you decent starting point.

add in a ageis/quad helps for anti air a bit.

lastly magnitize EVERYTHING (well not everything but i meen vehicles and crisis suits). lets you change your build whenever you want.

Tau are only competitive at smaller point battles. Above 1500 they just don't have enough staying power as their rivals can bring things they can't deal with (like Str 10 shooting for one). Deathstars come out past 1500 (like Eldar/DE or Necron) and just tip the scales against you.

If you want to play at 1500 or 1000 Tau are really fun and competitive with their Broadsides, Firewarriors and suits. I play them pretty successfully in these types of matches!

I am just starting tau as well.

If your local opponents allow forge world then it might be worth picking up some Tetras. Their rules seem pretty funky.

So far I have been advised to concentrate on firewarriors for now their codex is rumoured to be updated sometime in the next few months.

 Praxiss wrote:
I am just starting tau as well.

If your local opponents allow forge world then it might be worth picking up some Tetras. Their rules seem pretty funky.

So far I have been advised to concentrate on firewarriors for now their codex is rumoured to be updated sometime in the next few months.

We been getting that room for 2 editions now, I don't expect till 2014

Ok, thanks for the advice and do you think that in bigger games it would work to use eldar allies seeing as they are battle brothers? Their psykers could buff tau units, a fire prism would fit into gunline and something like scorpions or a wraithlord could provide CC defense as needed.


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and also, are "chapter approved" units (Eg. human conscripts) allowed in general play?

walkiflalka wrote:
Ok, thanks for the advice and do you think that in bigger games it would work to use eldar allies seeing as they are battle brothers? Their psykers could buff tau units, a fire prism would fit into gunline and something like scorpions or a wraithlord could provide CC defense as needed.


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and also, are "chapter approved" units (Eg. human conscripts) allowed in general play?

Chapter approved has not really existed for a long time. The closet thing to that now is the new allies rules. That said, if you have the rules and if your local group agrees to use them you can. Just don't expect to take it to a tournament.

Eldar a one of the 3 big Tau ally codex right now, with the others been Orks (even with far sight, go figure), and GK

Ok thanks and I'm not sure if I will use allies, I'm going to make a basic list first and see how it does. I've already started painting my stealthsuits and I'm doing the whole army in a sort of woodland camo/flecktarn scheme, I'll post pictures in a project log later I think and I've almost finished converting a sniper drone team too.

I have had much success, even at larger game levels, by using a mechanized army! I like running at least 6 vehicles when I get around 2000 points. Many people say that vehicles were nerfed by 6th, but with the disruption pod giving us a 3+ save if we move, i don't think the hit is as bad as everyone says. Due to their age (sigh) the Tau only have a few army lists that are commonly seen, and they often center around as many crisis suits as possible. I suggest overall that you run an army that you think is cool. Unless you really botch it, most any army has the same tactics. Focus your fire on one unit at a time, destroy it, pick another unit, repeat. A friend of mine likes to laugh at me when I spend a good majority of my shooting knocking down his 20 man strong necron warriot unit, but he doesn't laugh after he's been wiped off the board by turn 4. Tactics wise, I suggest you come up with a plan, any plan, and stick to it. You may be playing Tau, but if you force your opponent to react to your manoeuvrings rather than vice versa, then you are going to win more games than you lose! For the Greater Good!

I suggest a command group and at least two groups of fire warriors ..a kroot karnivore group is not out of the question either ..

Basically, once we get flyers, tau are going to be insane.

Hopefully. i would hate to start an army and then have it get "updated" (read: nerfed) out of the game.

To be honest I am hoping the next codex will be more of the update variety and not a complete re-hash. I like most of what i have read in the current codex.

 Praxiss wrote:
Hopefully. i would hate to start an army and then have it get "updated" (read: nerfed) out of the game.

To be honest I am hoping the next codex will be more of the update variety and not a complete re-hash. I like most of what i have read in the current codex.

If Tau get nerfed they will become almost unplayable. I am pretty sure any update will improve the play of the army just not so sure it will keep the feel of the Army.

Gw has been sitting on a new codex for a while they are just releasing the DV starters first then tau probably or eldar both need updates badly if they update anything else besidss those 2 except for release a real codex for sisters and some plastic for the love of god enough with the metal everything even most tanks and the engine walker guy I think is also metal

So its tau eldar or sob to get updated next because daemons are fine they need nothing new and shiny just yet

honestly I think Tau deserve it, Eldar likely has more players but it can survive longer without an update and while sob definitely need one too the priority should be Tau as they probably have more active players.

I agree tau really deserve an update but they probably wont get one. whichever one will sell more (eldar) will get the update so they can make more money they are a business thats how they will work because there are more eldar players then tau
After eldar hopefully they will update tau finally although I would be really happy if I could start collecting sisters again without having to order small packs of 3 each


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Either way 2 groups are unhappy
the 10 sob players in the world (me included)
The large amount of tau players
Or the larger amount of eldar players

Bell of lost souls has just posted a good semi competative list for Tau with Necron allies for large games circa 2000 points which is worth a read. Failing that you cannot go wrong with marker light rail gun or marker light and missile pod spam.

That tactic is tried and true for tourneys go more with hammermeads for pick up games depending on who you're playing against tailor more towards whether a pie plate to the face would be better or tl railguns