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I have yet to play against the New Tau but I have a league match coming up against a Tau player. I am not sure what he's going to bring but I understand that Tau are uber shooty now, so I am figuring to get in close combat fast. There's a couple red herrings in the list to draw fire and to possible break a couple holes in the lines to reduce all the overwatch shots. There job is to draw fire until my battlewagons can unload their cargo into the lines at the latest turn three. I'd like to know the thoughts of the Ork and Tau players out there.


Warboss with Bosspole, Cybork Body, Warbike,Power Klaw, and Shoota/Skorcha Kombi-weapon
Nob Bikers x5, one with Power Klaw + Bosspole
Boyz with Shootas x 19, Boyz Nob with 'Eavy Armour, Bosspole and Big Shoota
Boyz with Shootas x 19, Boyz Nob with 'Eavy Armour, Bosspole and Big Shoota
Boyz with Shootas x 19, Boyz Nob with 'Eavy Armour, Bosspole and Big Shoota
Deffkoptas x 5
Dakkajet with TL Supa Shoota x3 and Flyboss
Battlewagons with Deff Rolla and Big Shoota x2
Battlewagons with Deff Rolla and Big Shoota x2
Battlewagons with Deff Rolla and Big Shoota x2

I have also yet to play the New Tau. you are correct with taking a very mobile army. Everyone seems to love the deffkoptas I usually find myself with one attack and then they are gone. If you are luckier than me with them, go for it. A single Dakkajet has to Fly across the board and since the New Tau is loaded with Skyfire, it wont last long.
Why 19 instead of 20 Ork Boyz? You have to replace one for the nob, I would take the full 20. If you can I would give the Nob a Power Claw and 2 Big Shootas.
Nob Bikkers Should take a Waaagh! Banner. I would take the full 10 - 5 might not last long enough to be worth taking. Pain Boy is expensive but you will wish you had Cybork and Feel No Pain. A Pain Boy bikker gets to shoot a dakkagun. With the Tau I find that I always want to be in melee.

If you can't make the Nob Bikkers work, Try Gutsmek and a 12 warbikker squad, Ultimatly cheaper, you gain a Nob with a Powerclaw. This squad can take objectives and hold its own with the distraction. Basically the Tau are going to want to hit this squad hard.

Battlewagons are going to be lucky if they make it, no need for the Big Shootas (probably just end up a waste of points). Big certainly take the Def Rolla, always fun at parties.

For just taking on the Tau. This is one of the few times I would say Snikrot and 2 Burna with a full compliment of Kommandos. If they can survive long enough to get into melee, they could survive the entire game, Unless your opponent throws everything at them, then the door will be wide open for def rolla carnage.

I wish you could fit a Big Mek with a KFF to give all your battlewagons the 5+ save.

Your Bikkers probably wont survive the first turn, if this happens you have to survive 2 turns to get those Battlewagons to the other end of the board (the odds wont be in your favor) - which is why adding Big Shootas is a waste of points.

First of it's 19 boyz with shootas and 1 nob

I questioned the WAAAGH! Banner but do I really need it against Tau?

Also am not taking power klaws everywhere for two reasons I don't think I'll need them and with all the sniper rifles won't they just pick it off?

I hate not taking the big mek but the markerlights are going to make him useless so I don't see the point.

There's been a lot of talk about tau and skyfire but theirs only going to one or possibly two units with the rule, should really be that worried to not take even one flier?

This is kinda weird. Theres a guy with a similar avatar to me going around dishing out largely the same advice I'd be giving.

You want Cybork and FNP on the Bikers as Sleg said. I've never faced Tau (sadly almost no Xenos around these parts...) but I know they get a bunch of ignores cover, and if that happens to be AP 4 as well your bikers are toast. For a relatively low cost you make them far tougher than they would normally be in this case.

To... repeat Sleg's advice again, the Deff Koptas are a real iffy part of the list. I use them for three purposes

~solo kopta hides and takes linebreaker/objective in that one mission and scares them with rokkits

~solo kopta or squad of koptas outflank a bikerboss

~five koptas with TL Big Shootas outflank and *nail* rear armour ten. They're a reliable way to kill anything with an AV10 value anywhere on the vehicle though you have to ask yourself if 175 points are worth it.

Would be interested to hear how your intending to use them

Good luck! I play both Tau and Orks, I like the list its pretty solid. There are a few suggestions I have, but they are only suggestions.

Firstly I am not sure that the Dakkajet is going to be a whole lot of use. Although you don't seem to be worrid about skyfire I would be. It is not just skyfire that is the issue velocity trackers give units interceptor. If your opponent knows how to build a good list he is more than likely to have a unit of Misslesides with VT's. These things can tear apart your flyer before you even get to use it. If he doesn't then you will at least get 1 round of use out of it.

Your bikes are very nice, just remember that that 4+ cover will be gone with 2 markerlight hits. So I would make sure you use LoS as much as possible. A nasty tactic for Tau at the moment is to bring a Riptide, overcharge, boost him to a ridiculous BS placing a strength 9 ap 2 large blast with no scatter. It won't cause instant death but its gonna be painful if you don't look after them.

I see what you are doing with the DeffKoptas but like already said they are a bit meh. Although 3 BWs are lovely it may be nice to drop 1 BW and get a group of Big guns. Strength 8 against tau is nasty. Insta kills crisis suits (if kannons)! But I wouldn't know what to do with the additional points spared.

My final comment would be your lack of anti air. I don't know If flyers are big in your meta but at present any flyer will cause havoc. Although you probably don't want lootas and kannons because you want to be mobile but at present I don't see how you will deal with tau flyers.

Good Luck, remember take out markerlights. If its an objective game, smash his troops by far the worst part of the Tau codex.

ATO

But I wouldn't know what to do with the additional points spared.

More Big Guns man. Can't believe I forgot to mention these. Toughest shooty in our dex, and doubly so against "ignores cover"

hmmm, maybe I should change my Avatar (you were here first).
I know about the markerlights - but I still wish you could take the Big Mek. I would love to hear what you finally decided and how the match went.

As for the 19 orkboyz, that's what I thought you did. I normally just call it 20 with the nob written as wargear - maybe I should change that? People might think I've added an extra Boy

Bad Moonz klan iz da best klan an all dese 'ere grots gotta know it! As long as my bad moon iz bigga den yoors... ouvvawise dere's gonna be trouble!

Also I call it "20 boys with a Nob Upgrade"

I like would like a Painboy. Cybork and FNP would be nice but at 1500 points I am limited and sinking more points into a unit thats going to die doesn't seem like a great idea.

The deffkoptas and Nob Bikers are red herrings. They will move up either flank trying to stay out of LOS or just enough out of LOS to force him to move out of position.

I might have to agree about the Dakkajet and I am not really scared of Tau Air.

My Standard Nob Biker squad looks like this ..
5 Nobz,2PK,2BC,PB,WB,BP,Cyb all ....
(yep more pointz but ehh it is ded killy and hard to get at ..warboss goes with deffkoptas to get in behind..and fix deffkoptas lack of leadership..(causing all kindas of hate and disruption)

Alternatly Wazzdakka and a Full group of regular bikes with Nob/PK is great to but I take Wazdakka with TL-RKT deffkoptas and ride the Bikers as Cover for the Main force ..with the Deffkotas Rockets coming in and taking out the big threats from behind .. Drop one Big shoota off each wagon for RPJ ..(yes it makes a differnce)

 Dakkamite wrote:
Bad Moonz klan iz da best klan an all dese 'ere grots gotta know it! As long as my bad moon iz bigga den yoors... ouvvawise dere's gonna be trouble!

Yippie! Trouble. Oh I forgot I'm still just a Grot, grovlin' no less

OK back to the 1500 pts

How did you do?

I would like to know as well...

I play against Tau all the time but gave up on playing my Orks against them months ago.Got tired of being shot to gak before ever getting into combat.

The three Battlewagons is interesting indeed,the most I can muster is one but I used a looted wagon and a couple of trucks to go with it.They all would get pounded every time.

I also ran my nob biker group once(5 with the boss) they pretty much got focused down midfield but that was back when the Broadsides had Str10 rails.

The main concern I would have with the BW rush now is getting bombed from behind on turn 2.I had a similar situation with my IG armor list and lost a Russ,Griffon and chimera all from a turn two bomb.

Ive finally broken down and purchased a Tau Battlforce..
Hello FOTM!

Minijack wrote:
I also ran my nob biker group once(5 with the boss) they pretty much got focused down midfield but that was back when the Broadsides had Str10 rails.

Speed Freaks can be heartbreaking to play. The one rule I always follow with the Orks, is how would each unit do if it were halved?
My 1500 Speed Freak List look like this
HQ Gutsmek
HQ Warboss (warbike, cybork, Power Klaw)
Elite (15) Lootas - Mek (big shoota, grot oiler)
Troop (10) Nob (Warbike, Cybork, Waaagh! Banner) - Painboy (Orderly)
Troop (11) Warbikers - Nob (Power Klaw, Bosspole)
Heavy Support Battlewagon

This list either produces a very close win or a very close loss. If my opponent focus is on my nobs, both my HQ can join the warbiker squad and do similar damage. If the focus is on the Lootas sitting in the Battlewagon - it gives my bikers plenty of time to do damage.