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Hey all. Making a return to tau!

I've not played tau since they were first released and had half the units they do now...
Struggling with the commander/buffmander atm
Looking for some ideas on how best to kit the new commander out, is it still best to run a buffmander? Or use a bodyguard/ crisis suit for the buffs?

If anyone could help with some suggestions. Idea is for the new formations
Which armour is better? Is coldstar worth it?

I'm fine playing around with the formations and other units but stuck with the commander.....

TiA
Remlif

As far as I understand it, the Old Buffmander is still fantastic in the Hunter Contingent/Cadre because he can spread his rules out onto other units.

So, Puretide, C&C Node, Multi-spectrum and Iridium will make him a force multiplier for your entire formation and make him less vulnerable to Instant Death.

And speaking of Instant Death, that is the bitter pill that must be swallowed when considering the Coldstar - having a jinking Commander is nice, but for a more than modest points investment, the Coldstar Commander doesn't have a great deal of staying power or general utility. As a harassment unit that is both difficult to take out and hard to ignore, it does its job well, but as a warlord, it's a subpar choice that will give up Slay the Warlord without too much of a fight.

Buffmander is still very powerful, technically even more powerful if taken in the big formation due to the "units fire as one unit" thing.
Hes expensive as gak though, which is a drawback but well worth it. He includes Puretide chip (monster or tankhunter, which shares to the unit unlike his other options), Multi-Spectrum, CnC Node, Iridium armor, Shield gen, Stims, Drone Controller, and 1 free support (i usually slap a flamer for the hell of it for overwatch purposes).

As for Coldstar, if you are looking competitively avoid him. He has a lot of problems, but hes still viable enough to bring if you want something gimiky and fun. He is denied signature systems so you cant make him T5 to avoid a crash landing kersplat

Bodyguards are not worth the investment unless its required via the formation. They have signature system access and autopass lookoutsirs but its not really enough. The signature systems outside what you put on buffmander are pretty meh if not outright useless. No bonus stats or anything either, just signature access without sacrificing support slots like crisis suits do and the pointless LOS. Everything you dont want the buffmander tanking is instantdeath worthy, so that should goto a drone not a suit.

Ok thx guys. Just making sure the buffmander is still the way to go :-). Now to work on the rest of the list lol. Definitely going for the optimised stealth cadre. Just need to figure out if it's worth 3 ghostkeels and what else to use in hunter cadre, either max it out or go minimal and try adding a retaliation cadre lol

Sometimes a more popular option is making a buff crisis 'vre, so your not putting as a target on your commander. Then let him tank with irridium and a shield.

Crisis suits cannot do the buffmander. Only commanders and bodyguards have limitless signature gear access, the crisis suit shasvre is worded differently. It takes one of his three slots.

A Buff'vre needs only the MSSS, CnCN and PENchip. The other stuff can be taken by a Commander.

Not to hijack the thread or anything, but is there any value in running a Mark'O anymore? I was thinking something like 2x Missile Pod, Target Lock, Drone Controller, Iridium Armor, 2x Marker Drone, plus an extra unit of marker drones for the Commander to join. Seems like it might be cheaper than a Buffmander, but I don't have the old codex in front of me right now.

 ZergSmasher wrote:
Not to hijack the thread or anything, but is there any value in running a Mark'O anymore? I was thinking something like 2x Missile Pod, Target Lock, Drone Controller, Iridium Armor, 2x Marker Drone, plus an extra unit of marker drones for the Commander to join. Seems like it might be cheaper than a Buffmander, but I don't have the old codex in front of me right now.

BS5 markerlights are never a bad thing.

 ZergSmasher wrote:
Not to hijack the thread or anything, but is there any value in running a Mark'O anymore? I was thinking something like 2x Missile Pod, Target Lock, Drone Controller, Iridium Armor, 2x Marker Drone, plus an extra unit of marker drones for the Commander to join. Seems like it might be cheaper than a Buffmander, but I don't have the old codex in front of me right now.

With a Hunter Contingent, he's not so good. Drone's MLs aren't networked, so the unit he'll fire with won't benefit of said MLs.
In a CAD, he's as good as ever

I would never put a ranged weapon on your buffmander, even the flamer, as one of the weaker warlord traits is based on having a ranged weapon, but you can reroll if your warlord doesn't have one. Just gives you better odds of getting a more useful trait.

I do often chuck the Onager gauntlet on him for giggles, but only because it's dirt cheap.

 Vector Strike wrote:

 ZergSmasher wrote:
Not to hijack the thread or anything, but is there any value in running a Mark'O anymore? I was thinking something like 2x Missile Pod, Target Lock, Drone Controller, Iridium Armor, 2x Marker Drone, plus an extra unit of marker drones for the Commander to join. Seems like it might be cheaper than a Buffmander, but I don't have the old codex in front of me right now.

With a Hunter Contingent, he's not so good. Drone's MLs aren't networked, so the unit he'll fire with won't benefit of said MLs.
In a CAD, he's as good as ever

I wouldn't say he's bad in a Hunter Contingent, but your Mark'O can't also double as your Buffmander since a unit cannot benefit from its down markerlights. One option floating around to give a use to the Coldstar is to give him a pair of Marker Drones that he can move around quickly and mark a backfield target (Destroyer Missiles anyone?).

 Vineheart01 wrote:


Bodyguards are not worth the investment unless its required via the formation. They have signature system access and autopass lookoutsirs but its not really enough. The signature systems outside what you put on buffmander are pretty meh if not outright useless. No bonus stats or anything either, just signature access without sacrificing support slots like crisis suits do and the pointless LOS. Everything you dont want the buffmander tanking is instantdeath worthy, so that should goto a drone not a suit.

Technically they get +1 Ld and +1 Attack (for what that's worth), so stat-wise they're slightly better than regular Crisis.

That said, they're not really any more effective than regular 'suits at shooting stuff to death.

 Nilok wrote:

I wouldn't say he's bad in a Hunter Contingent, but your Mark'O can't also double as your Buffmander since a unit cannot benefit from its down markerlights. One option floating around to give a use to the Coldstar is to give him a pair of Marker Drones that he can move around quickly and mark a backfield target (Destroyer Missiles anyone?).

If he Glides, yes. But he's too flimsy to hop anywhere - If I field a Coldstar, I'll want him flying high above.
Unless your tables have a LOT of impassable terrain, then it's ok to Glide.

 Vector Strike wrote:

 Nilok wrote:

I wouldn't say he's bad in a Hunter Contingent, but your Mark'O can't also double as your Buffmander since a unit cannot benefit from its down markerlights. One option floating around to give a use to the Coldstar is to give him a pair of Marker Drones that he can move around quickly and mark a backfield target (Destroyer Missiles anyone?).

If he Glides, yes. But he's too flimsy to hop anywhere - If I field a Coldstar, I'll want him flying high above.
Unless your tables have a LOT of impassable terrain, then it's ok to Glide.

Turn one, swoop into the near back field, switch to glide and mark a backfield tank for the Stormsurge and use a target lock to gun down some infantry/heavy infantry. The biggest problem is getting shot out of the sky, which he should have been buffed to T5. Silly GW forgetting why FMC are at least T5.

Edit: Ha ha, I forgot it only has two support system slots, so it can't take a drone controller, target lock, and more importantly, shield generator together.

 Nilok wrote:
Turn one, swoop into the near back field, switch to glide and mark a backfield tank for the Stormsurge and use a target lock to gun down some infantry/heavy infantry. The biggest problem is getting shot out of the sky, which he should have been buffed to T5. Silly GW forgetting why FMC are at least T5.

Edit: Ha ha, I forgot it only has two support system slots, so it can't take a drone controller, target lock, and more importantly, shield generator together.

You can't change flying modes twice in the same turn. If you start swooping, you won't be able to glide until turn 2. And if you don't start the game, the enemy can kill your Coldstar turn 1.

I rather use Coldstar as the Run-and-Shoot enabler for Hunter Cadre

 Vector Strike wrote:

 Nilok wrote:
Turn one, swoop into the near back field, switch to glide and mark a backfield tank for the Stormsurge and use a target lock to gun down some infantry/heavy infantry. The biggest problem is getting shot out of the sky, which he should have been buffed to T5. Silly GW forgetting why FMC are at least T5.

Edit: Ha ha, I forgot it only has two support system slots, so it can't take a drone controller, target lock, and more importantly, shield generator together.

You can't change flying modes twice in the same turn. If you start swooping, you won't be able to glide until turn 2. And if you don't start the game, the enemy can kill your Coldstar turn 1.

I rather use Coldstar as the Run-and-Shoot enabler for Hunter Cadre

Actually, that is exactly what I was suggesting with marking in turn two. Start the Coldstar outside line of sight (classic Flyrant tactics), swoop the first turn, prey you don't get shot down, switch to glide turn two and mark a target.

i would totally use the coldstar if there was a way to be T5, without that im not a fan at all.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, as far as a Tau commander goes, i have always had great success with my Mark'O. i give him 2 marker drones 2 misslepods, dc and target lock. Then stick him in a squad of 8 drones, 4 gundrones,(ablative squad wounds/ overwatch help/ a lil occasional damage) and 4 markers. Been using it since it became a possible thing in 6th. I dont have a huge amount of games with him but hes never ever failed me in a game.