Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Sorry I don't have any real points values here, just toying with different ideas. Maybe this belongs in the tactics thread, not sure.

Going up against Tau with at least 1 riptide, probably 2.

Normally I'd bring this list -

CCS, 3x plasma, chimera
Veterans, 3x plasma, chimera
Veterans, 3x plasma, chimera
Veterans, 3x plasma, chimera

Manticore

2x Vendettas

Then I'd add either Russ tanks or Basilisks, depending.

This standard list is about as successful a TAC as I can come up with, it's tough, it's flexible and it puts plenty of damage down range. It lacks in CC, but that's of little concern when fighting Tau.

What concerns me now, is that he'll be able to play an anti-vehicle game and win. I wonder if I should add a fast CC option.

I was going to add Seraphim to engage his broadsides, but getting them there would be risky.

I don't know, maybe SM bikes ... I need to find a way to engage the Tau in CC, which I believe to be their greatest weakness (and my own ... ug).

Any ideas?

Bloodthirster with 2 greater gifts. Fly into face, eat face.

 Mulletdude wrote:
Bloodthirster with 2 greater gifts. Fly into face, eat face.

LOL! Well, I won't argue with that. I don't know if people would play 40k with me anymore ... might be worth it anyway.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
You know ... my standard TAC list might work here ...

I'm trying to think, what are the most powerful weapons in the IG? I sort of have most of them in this list already, except AV12 Medussas and certain situational items like Vanquishers or Punishers.

So, it's a matter of how I use this list, or if I try to get some extra mobility or damage output with allies ... I mean, CC is really a Tau killer, there is no way around that. CC would win it for me vs Tau, if only I could find a good way to do it.

meh, I don't know ...

Why not try a blob with Flamers axes and a commissar to tar pit his riptides in cc? Therefore leaving the rest of your army to pick his apart? What are his main threats apart from the riptide?

SpankingApe wrote:
Why not try a blob with Flamers axes and a commissar to tar pit his riptides in cc? Therefore leaving the rest of your army to pick his apart? What are his main threats apart from the riptide?

First off, thanks a lot of the advice! Good thinking.

This is a great idea, and I actually went to count how many men I could put in a blob already. I was going to roll with 2x 30 man blobs with commissars.

His main threats are the riptide(s) and crisis suits. He has a pattern of "jump shooting" back and forth from cover with the suits, using the jetpack move, so I can't get LOS on them. It's super annoying, especially when I have the weapons to shot him into another dimension, if I had LOS.

So I did some rolling, and some rough math, I don't want to go with a blob. They are so slow to engage, easy to kite. Their lasgun shooting, even with orders, isn't great vs T4 and T6 with 2+ saves. If my Tau enemy is dumb enough to let his most agile troops get into CC with a blob ... well then I've already won. I seriously considered a blob or 2 blobs, but I'm not into it anymore. I started playing 40k with a foot horde, and 6th ed made it impossible to win with it.

I keep coming back to my standard list - plasma, chimeras and vendettas.

I also had a wacky idea that is looking more promising the more I think about it. If I were to field 3 squads of ratlings, I could pick up LOS on more suits, and that T6 2+ riptide would probably take 1 wound per turn with poison rending shots. It's looking good enough to give sniper rifles to my veterans instead of plasma, given that they main threat they will face will be at range 30", with a 2+ save. Plasma and melta will be useless for those targets, because they won't dare get close.

I don't know, I'll keep thinking. This might be a rare case where snipers actually turn the game, because he's fielding lots of high profile specialist dudes and fewer infantry, it could work.

I definitely agree with adding a commissar in a blob with axes, I reckon if you want something to get in fast and engage in CC then take a suicide storm trooper squad to deepstrike next to a broadside or something.

Between the Russ' or the Basilisks I'd go with the Basilisk. I play against a friend who has Tau with my IG really often and it's usually the unit that is able to outrange some of the Tau units, just sit it behind some cover at the back somewhere and bombard them.

Use dark Eldar beastmasters and just keep them more than 6" from your main force, they are cheap units, excellent in cc and have 4+ invuls.

Barrage weapons.

Manticore's are your friends. Yes, they're only AP4, but that will crush his firewarriors. And, at S10, you can knock out pesky Skyrays and the like as well. You're also insta-gibbing his suits if he fails a 3+.

In other news, Vendettas are good against Riptides, but be careful where you enter play. Intercepting Heavy Burst could cripple you.

Have you thought about taking 3 squadrons of x3 vendettas with plasma vets inside?