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So I'm interested in building a tau army, but I'm displaced about it. As long time necron/blood angels player, I've gathered over then course of my games that I much rather enjoy the shooting aspects of the game more than melee, and it feels like the tau definitely cater to that. However, I flipped through the codex, and I was surprised at the subpar BS of a lot of the units. I figured an army with more focus on firepower rather brute strength would have a better skill a ranged warfare, 3s and 2s just don't feel good to me, what I'm try gather is what a tau army feeels lime on he table, and what the average success rate is at shooting / winning. What are the typical tactics and things to look out for. Can any veteran tau guys help me out? Thanks!

Creepjack01 wrote:
So I'm interested in building a tau army, but I'm displaced about it. As long time necron/blood angels player, I've gathered over then course of my games that I much rather enjoy the shooting aspects of the game more than melee, and it feels like the tau definitely cater to that. However, I flipped through the codex, and I was surprised at the subpar BS of a lot of the units. I figured an army with more focus on firepower rather brute strength would have a better skill a ranged warfare, 3s and 2s just don't feel good to me, what I'm try gather is what a tau army feeels lime on he table, and what the average success rate is at shooting / winning. What are the typical tactics and things to look out for. Can any veteran tau guys help me out? Thanks!

They are excellent at shooting. Check out what marker lights do. You'll then see where the increase in your ballistic skill is going to come from. Also look out for twin linked units, BS4 vehicles (Hammerhead & Skyray), even the Long Strike upgrade for your hammerheads & the signature system that gives twin linked.

Don't be fooled. Their BS may not look like much but they are a DEVASTATING shooting army. You just need to know how to use them to get the best from them.

1. Tactile firepower: Tau have a lot of really nasty shooting options, and while their Bf isn't impressive they can easily buff it on a few targets by using 'markerlights'. You will have to figure out your shooting priorities, but if you point your weapons at something you can be pretty sure that you will cripple, if not outright kill it.

2. JSJ: Tau suits, while not as nimble as jetbikes, still have a pretty impressive movement range (6inches+ 2d6inches during the assault phase). If you use the terraint properly you can often shoot at squads without fear of retaliation.

3. Gunlines: A lot of the Tau abilitys reward more static closed packed formations. This can make a Tau army feel a bit boring at times.

4. Riptides: High T monstrous creature with a decent dammage output. Not the strongest, but strong enough that you can't ignore it, resilent enough that it can't be brought down quickly, mobile enough that it can avoid being assaulted. Take one, maybe two; if you take three prepare for your opponent kicking you in the nads and leaving the table...



Most of the Tau stuff is pretty straightforward, "point at enemy, watch him die" but the codex has some fun unusual (though not very competitive) toys as well (a HQ which lets it's squad treat your opponents T as one lower, space communist popes which hand out buffs like candy, the possibility to field an all infiltrators list).


If you include the supplement ("Farsight Enclave") you can field a all suit list, which is very low model count, but has a really nasty amount of firepower and mobility.



Potential cheese: When "abusing" the ally system a Tau army can field some very cheesy combinations. Don't do that...

Well, they do have 30" S5 shooting for only 9 points. Having BS3 is considered as their 'downside'.
Luckily you have Markerlights that completely take care of that downside.

I'm not a veteran at Tau, but I do know a lot about their codex.
The success rate of shooting is gigantic, it's not that hard to make squads BS5.
And their win-chance is rather high, they bring the strongest lists at the moment.

DrunkPhilisoph wrote:

4. Riptides: .................................................Take one, maybe two; if you take three prepare for your opponent kicking you in the nads and leaving the table...

Even I'm not nasty enough to do that. I am saving money for the games day model though, so effectively that will actually give me my third Riptide.

Potential cheese: When "abusing" the ally system a Tau army can field some very cheesy combinations. Don't do that...

Talking mostly about Eldar here. Its cheese beyond belief. Think Farseer with Prescience as well as guide. Now you have a farseer that twin links two of your units at a time. As above though if you do it be prepared to have your opponent kick you in the nads and walking away.

Don't be fooled by the mediocre to low-ish BS's. Markerlights on pathfinders and some other stuff can buff a units BS very, very easily on a target that is hit by markerlights.

Essentially pathfinders fire markerlights at a target, for each hit, that target gets a markerlight token. Other units can then spend tokens to improve ballistic skill, ignore cover, or fire off a seeker missile.

Tau have exceptional shooting, even with BS 2-3 baseline.



... echo what others are saying on riptides. 1-2 is generally considered polite. Using 3-5 (enclave + tau allied together for 4+) is considered by most players to be kinda douchey.

Tau BS is misleading upon the first flip through the codex for the following reason:

- Drones are BS2 but if in a squad with commander who has drone controller - they are BS5
- All broadside weapons are twin-linked - making them effectively BS 4.5
- commanders are BS5
- sniper drones are made BS5 due to their BS5 markmen with drone controller
- Crisis suit weapons can be twin-linked for 5 pts (and a module slot) which would make that weapon BS 4.5
- commanders and team-leaders have a piece of wargear that allows them to forfeit shooting that turn in exchange for making on weapons in their squad twin-linked that turn (aka BS 4.5)

All of that is without marklights... add the +1 BS a squad gains that turn by spending 1 marker light token and you can very easily have your entire army shooting at BS5 all game.

Note: I say BS 4.5 because BS 3 is a 50% chance to hit so if you shoot 4 shots at BS3 (twin-linked) you will hit with 2 and miss with 2 and then you re-roll the 2 misses and hit with 1 (3 hits 1 miss total or 75%) This falls between BS4 (67%) and BS5 (83%) .... thus BS4.5 (75%)

Because of drone controllers alone my 1750 list has 22 miniatures shooting at BS5 - this allows my markerlights to focus on stripping cover and boosting the odd BS3 squad whose weapons aren't twin-linked.

Tau are a great army to learn the game on, have some great customizable model options/paint schemes, and gunline isn't the only viable build.

The internet would have you believe that you simply place Tau models on the table, roll dice in the shooting phase, and then win. It's not that simple when playing for objectives or relic especially. Competitive players are experienced with dismantling gunlines (IG have been doing this for years with the "leafblower" fad long before the new Tau book and can still out gunline us IMO). The other myth is that supporting fire stops all assaults. Even with cascading markerlights this is difficult to pull off.

Every new book introduces new and improved ways to ignore cover. So short of using a Skyshield Landing Pad your gunline isn't safe from shooting. Marines, Eldar, Daemons, and even Necrons can be in your back lines no later than turn 2. Tyranids are coming and if the rumours are to be believed they will be all over you in turn 2 as well with some units being able to assault from reserves.

Popular Daemons lists especially can counter Tau hard. If you fail to kill the model holding the Grimoire of True Names the "2++ Screamer star" or "Khorne Dog pile of 40 wounds" type lists in the first turn they can easily roll through anything Tau.

The biggest challenge of playing Tau is the lack of assault and the lack of durable or fast troops to grab or hold objectives. These weaknesses are easily shored up with allies in either Eldar or Farsight Enclave supplement. Which is why this combo seems to be the particular FTM at tournaments these days.

At the end of the day choose the army you like the look of and the fluff behind as you will stick with it longer and be motivated to get it painted. Power levels of books change as fast as the meta does with each new release.

The Tau's base weapon (Pulse) is St5. So even if your shooting is only 50% you tend to wound what you hit forcing your opponent to make saves. Just dont get caught in assault....its fun watching 1 or 2 SMs roll a Crisis squad in CC and then sweep them.