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Hi all. I?m doing a trial list based on the new Tau Codex. I?m expecting to face chiefly Marines in my local area, with a smattering of Orks and Eldar. We play to the 25% minimum terrain guidelines.

 

HQ

 

Shas?O

Cyclic Ion Blaster

Plasma Rifle

Multitracker  

Stimm Injectors (125)

 

Bodyguard  for the Shas?O

Plasma Rifle

Airbursting Frag Projector

Targetting Array

HW Multitracker  (95)    (210)

 

Shas?El

Plasma Rifle

Positional Relay

Targetting Array  (95)

 

The Shas?O and bodyguard are kitted out for short-range blasting (12-18?) with weapons that maximise the value of his BS of 5. He and his bodyguard can handle Heavy/Med/Light infantry with equal grace.

 

The Shas?El is kitted out to provide accurate plasma fire, and in Gamma missions he can call down the Shas?O who will be waiting in the wings. In Omega, things are more dicey, but there?s a reasonable chance I?ll get the El on so he can control the flow of reserves.

 

(315)

 

ELITE

 

2 Man Crisis Team

Equipped With Flamer, Plasma Rifle, Multitracker. (108)

 

1 Man Crisis Team

Equipped With Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle, Targetting Array. (67)

 

1 Man Crisis Team

Equipped With Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle, Targetting Array. (67)

 

The Elite and the HQ form the ?heavy assault? section of the Cadre, as they have the mobility and the weaponry to blow dirty great holes in the enemy. All are kitted out for MEQ blasting with plasma. Two monats are prepped to handle light/med vehicles. The 2-man team seems bizarrely kitted out, but I?ve found flamers to be very useful as counters to all the little tricks people play to get up close and personal.

 

(242)

 

TROOPS

6 man FW team with Pulse Carbines.

Shas?ui, Markerlight (80)

 

6  man FW team with Pulse Carbines

Shas?ui, Markerlight (80)

 

These teams are here to support the suits, Vespids and Hammerheads with their markerlights. Two small teams to minimise the effect of escalation/infiltration and  pie plates zatting the markerlights.

 

(160)

 

FAST ATTACK

 

7 Vespids, Strain Leader  (134)

 

7 Vespids, Strain Leader (134)

 

I have a variety of aims with the Vespids. Strip away ablative MEQs and expose the chewy centre for my suits, cripple thrusts from assaulty elements and/or tie them up while more vulnerable units relocate

 

(268)

 

HEAVY SUPPORT

 

Hammerhead, Railgun, Smart Missiles, Multitracker, Target Lock, Decoys (180)

 

Hammerhead, Railgun, Smart Missiles, Target Lock, Decoys, Multitracker (180)

 

2 Sniper Teams (80)

 

A pair of multifunctional hammerheads kitted out to kark vehicles, break up large groups and form the vehicle component of the assault portion. The Sniper Teams put more AP3 weapons on the field along with a higher BS markerlight.

 

(520)

 

Total:  1495

 

Tau forces in Omega tend towards the offboard configuration ? all the best stuff is either jump infantry or vehicle-based, so I made the army with that in mind. It?s also configured to MEQ blasting, as everything except the two FW teams is packing AP3 or better weaponry.

I'm not really convinced your elite slots are going to be all that effective. They'll be firing one weapon a turn (I can't see the flamers seeing that much action), and are fairly expensive. I just don't see them blowing "dirty great holes in the enemy". Can you upgrade suits to team leaders and give them HW multitrackers? (don't have the new codex, so am unsure on that point).

I'm also unsure about your HQ choices. The lone shas'el seems almost exclusively selected to assist the other HQ slot with deepstriking. Is the HQ unit so valuable that you need to dedicate a 95 point unit to it? Especially with 1/3 of the games at omega, where 1/2 the time the relay system won't help at all. Even when the unit does drop in, will it earn its points back? The stim injectors will help it survive enemy fire, but without and invulnerable save, I think these suits will drop pretty quickly to a light smattering of str 8+ shots.

Not that it matters a great deal, but what was your thought process on giving the two FW squads carbines instead of rifles?

Why carbines instead of rifles? Because they are six-man teams. By my reckoning, there isn't enough zap in a six-man team from pulse rifles to dent even IG teams. By going carbine, I cause less of a dent, but the team gets more mobile and has the possibility of causing a pinning test.

Well, I can swap out the flamers for a Team Leader+MT upgrade, and turn one suit into a fireknife. It would (currently) work out as:

1 Man Crisis Team * 3
Equipped With Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle, Targetting Array. (67)
Team Leader. Hardwired Multitracker. (15) (82)

Which is 246 points, 4 points more.

Tough decision. I'm think of specializing my suits more....makes them much cheaper, although more tricky to use at times. I keep thinking the TL missile and TA suit is a bargain at 53 points. For 236 points, you could get a pair of TL missile and TA suits and a pair of TL plasma and TA suits. Split amoung three crisis teams as you like (probably the missiles together and the plasma seperate). Just a thought. I've been playing with a few TL missile suits and have been fairly pleased. Good range, enough strength to threaten anything, and relatively inexpensive.

 

As for the FW squads, you've already paid for a markerlight, so the squad should be staying still anyway.  Might as well use the rifles and make the best of it.  You're right, they won't make a huge impact, but the carbines will make even less of one.  If you get close enough, manage to wound something, and then it fails an armor save AND a leadership check, the carbines will be worth it.  Think the odds are against that.

Fair point about the rifles. About the HQ, while I'm deliberating what to do about the 'El, I had one or two thoughts about the O+bodyguard. I was considering turning the Bodyguard a "shieldbearer", swapping out the Fragger, taking away the HWMT and putting in 2 redshirts. That should work out at the same points, but boost survivability.

THats an incredibly small army.......Not convinced its any good.

How about this?..

HQ

Shas?O
Cyclic Ion Blaster
Plasma Rifle
Multitracker (115)

Shas?El
Plasma Rifle
Airbursting Frag Projector
Multitracker (95)

(210)

ELITE

2 Man Crisis Team
Equipped With TL Missile Pod, Targetting Array (53) (106)

2 Man Crisis Team
Equipped With Plasma Rifle, Targetting Array, Flamer (59) (118)

2 Man Crisis Team
Equipped With Plasma Rifle, Targetting Array, Flamer (59) (118)

(338)

A re-jig of the Elites and HQ. There?s one more crisis suit and the suits have been split into 2 units of MEQ zappers, and a unit of light/med vehicle zappers. I?ve gone for TA rather than twin-linked as I?ve got a fair few markerlights on the field so I should be able to get BS 5. I gave the MEQ zappers flamers as the other alternative is a BSF. The HQ has been slimmed down and I gave the Fragger to the ?El, as he has the lower BS.

Current Total: 1500