Jaxler wrote:I'd like to start this by saying that I do honestly think codex T'au is one of the most well balanced codexes in this edition. I've plenty of options to enjoy and play with. Most options don't scream bad, yet some regardless some are obvious takes over others. Here I'll be suggesting some basic changes to allow more potential diversity in the codex. I will first list the unit, the change to the unit, and the reasoning behind it. I'll be focusing on point changes, as they're the easiest to implement.
---- Troops ----
Strike team: Pulse rifle costs 1 point.
This makes it so pulse carbines actually have a role while making strike teams less of a no brainer. It also allows one to consider breachers as well, as they're no longer being compared 1:1 with fire warriors with pulse carbines.
Breachers: 6 points a model (Previously 7 per model). Pistol is made free.
Breachers are bad. Their numbers don't make it look like it, but mechanically they serve no real purpose besides maybe deterring people from getting too close. Compared to even fire warriors with carbines, they're lacking. The pistol should be free because it is bad.
Kroot: 4 points each. (Previously 5 points each)
Kroot are worse guardsmen. While they have some neat tools guardsmen lack, the value of them is questionable. the +1 inch of movement, scout move, and
tac marine melee, really aren't that insane when you consider they lose 1
LD and are a 6+ compared to a 5+. Kroot currently costs more per squad than a min squad of fire warriors. Their ability to harm deep strikes due to their scout move is made far less valuable because of the changes to turn 1 deep strikes. I feel like making them 4 points would make them a cheap unit of bodies that allows them to actually be considered and gives them a role.
Pathfinders: Made to troop choices (Previously fast attack), lowered to 4 points base
Allowing them to be brought as troops makes them far more easily considered as an option. I've found the thing that always has held them back is their fast attack designation. Allowing a tau support unit in the troop slot makes it so you can enable more interesting strategies as well and make fluffier lists. I'm considering this more of a quality of life change than a balance focused one, but I'm certain it'd make a lot of tau players enjoy the codex more.
---- Fast Attack ----
Drones: look out sir! on a 3+
Drones are part of what keep tau competetive, but I've found that this is because of what I have to define as cheese. Drones are dumb. I have yet to find a single opponent who finds their interaction fun, and I honestly feel dirty making entire turns of shooting mean nothing because I could get some 10 point models out of sight. I don't like it being codex riptide wing and friends, and I believe hurting drones is a large step in fixing this.
Piranhas: 17 points base (45 after wargear vs 58)
The role Piranhas have always played in the codex is as cheap fast moving speed bumps with some extra utility. I see no reason not to let them take this role again, as currently, they have none. At 45 you'll be able to actually find a use for the sad model.
Vespid: 12 points (from 14)
Vespid are almost good. They're fast, have a good gun, and honestly, are very close to being good models. What's holding them back is just being a tad too expensive to fit comfortably in most lists. This small push should get them buzzing on the field more often.
---- Heavy Support ----
Sniper drones: 14 points (from 18)
This unit needs the points drop desperately. Compared to other sniper units (chiefly space marine scouts) the unit is effectively going to land you 1 less shot, at 2 fewer
bs. At 14, you're making them pay for the extra
str compared to scouts. As it stands right now, 18 points is an insane amount of cost, and even at 14 I don't know if it'll be enough to make up for the unit's mechanical issues, namely that it's hard as could be to get markerlight hits on characters, and the unit only hits on 5s naturally.
Hammerhead: Lower the railgun's cost to 5 points, (125 points per tank down from 150 base), Ion cannon lowered to 20 points (140 per tank down from 155).
Now, I know what you're thinking "10 points for a better lascannon?" but hear me out. Anything that can take a railgun is paying out the nose for the pleasure of taking a rail gun. Compare the rail-head to a skyray. A skyray's chassis is worth 80 points and is identical to a hammerhead's, which is worth 100 points base. As it stands a skyray is a vastly superior weapon of war than the hammerhead. It can fire 6
str 8,
ap-2,
d6 dmg shots at bs3 (
bs 2 vs fly) shots on turn one, after which it operates as a 13 wounds, 12 inch move,
bs 3 marker light platform and bumper annoyance vs midfield shooting units. The hammerhead is 150 points for a slightly better lascannon. The ion cannon is good, but not really better than a lot of other options in the codex, so bringing down just a bit might get it seen more often as well.
---- Transport ----
Devilfish: -28 points. (70 after wargear vs 98.
This unit is essentially 100 points for a burst cannon. It costs more than what it transports. Compared to other dedicated transports it's grossly overpriced. It's tough, comes with fly, but at its current price point is just does nothing. There are no tau units save breachers who really crave the added mobility to thing offers. If it was this dirt cheap, maybe you'd see people run breachers and not be absolutely ruined for it. Keep in mind, at 70 points, it's still doubling the cost of almost any tau infantry that'd be using it for moving around the board. The tank is basically a chassis with 4 shots. It'll be 2 points cheaper than a rhino, but it also has far less worthwhile infantry to carry than a rhino, and essentially this tank would need to justify it's cost to some degree without any support because it's carrying capacity means so little to tau as an army.
---- Elites ----
Riptide: +20 points (Burstcannon riptide with
SMS and ATS at 288 points from 268)
I'm rather unhappy to see this edition of tau once again become riptide wing. I feel that riptides need a nerf. Considering I already called for the knee-capping of drones, I feel I should verge on something subtle when it comes to hurting riptides. A 20 point raise is a slap on the wrist I feel, but this compounded with the hurt to drones from earlier I think would cement riptides as back in line with the rest of the dex, or at least leave them making less of a power black hole in the unit roster.
I feel these changes would help tau's style of play as well as list building diversify a tad. I have a few changes I feel I could recommend beyond just these, but I don't feel confident enough about those ones to say "this is a healthy fix" without fear of possibly messing with things. I've tried to help specific units and not target specific guns used throughout multiple unit cards and the like, because I want to avoid hurting or over buffing unintended targets.
