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Now with the new tau codex our heavy support choises got awesome, but the big question is what to take.

Broadsides: Heavy rail-rifles got nerfed but we got new missile high-yield missile pods wich can fire many str7 shots. Can take interceptor or skyfire.

Hammerhead: Railgun is still quite good and we can take longstrike, now we have the option too of taking ion cannon to get cheap pie plates.

Skyray: Excellent anti-air unit with possibility to take interceptor to make it interceptor and skyfire but with the problem that it only has six missiles, once they're gone it's almoust useles.

Sniper drones: Excellent anti terminator/infantry choise but other units do the job well too.

So what are your thoughts?

why exactly do you think sniper drones are excellent anti-terminator options?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
also, You're spamming like mad with these tau threads. Seems like not one thing you've asked hasn't been covered elsewhere.

davou wrote:
why exactly do you think sniper drones are excellent anti-terminator options?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
also, You're spamming like mad with these tau threads. Seems like not one thing you've asked hasn't been covered elsewhere.

I think that sniper drones are excellent anti-terminator option because they can fire many rending shots. And I don't think that my question about what heavy support choisses go well together has been answered.

davou wrote:
why exactly do you think sniper drones are excellent anti-terminator options?

They are sniper, ie rending. They get 2 shots within 24" (3 with ethereal), have stealth, BS5, T4, a markerlight supporting fire and can move+shoot, all for 58pts (for 3) and as low as 148pts for 9.

Statistically, without markerlights and Ethereals they put out superior anti TEQ firepower to anything else in the army.
Fusion/Plasma suits are only superior with markerlights and within 12". Broadsides with rails and missiles have the same performance as each other against TEQ, and are only superior to Sniper Drones 1 markerlight;. Riptides do far worse point for point but Broadsides/Crisis Suits are roughly there point-for-point.

Yeah, I love Sniper Drones, they're one of, if not my favourite HS, don't forget that they bring BS5 Markerlights too.

I'm planning to run a Skyray and two IonHeads as my basic HS lineup, BSFs all around, and 2 seekers on each of the Ionheads.

This gives me a 10 shot alpha strike, two AP3 pieplates, Skyfire if I need it, 2 markerlights, and 3 TL SMS at BS4. That's a lot of dakka for not a lot of points, and allows me to engage pretty much anything except AV14 effectively.

My solution to TEQ is mass FW and Kroot, plus TLFB/PR suits to clean up the stragglers. I'd rather rely on my HS for some AP3 pie plates and anti-air, all on AV13 skimmers. But that's me.

Sniper drones are crazy. When i get my dex i'll finally make a decision whether or not to run Tau main with ork allies when i wanna be competitive (solid orks for da fun). if i do run them main i'll definitely run sniper drones.

Question though, do they still have that sneaky rule where you can take 3 separate squads for 1 heavy FOC slot once? Not sure if i'd want to use all 3 my FOCs for them and i think a single group would be underwhelming lol.

Sniper Drone teams are 1 spotter and 3 drones; you can then add up to 2 more spotters and up to 6 more drones. No set ratio of spotters to drones anymore; the entire team is one unit, and a single HS choice. You can therefore run 9 spotters and 27 drones if desired.

Veskrashen wrote:
My solution to TEQ is mass FW and Kroot, plus TLFB/PR suits to clean up the stragglers. I'd rather rely on my HS for some AP3 pie plates and anti-air, all on AV13 skimmers. But that's me.

Hmm. Ran the numbers for Firewarriors. They're pretty damn effective anti-MEQ/TEQ just from sheer amount of failed saves.
I was seriously considering getting some AP3 pieplates, but I'm not sure the numbers work out.
GW did a pretty good job with this codex: I'm seriously tossing up between all the Heavy Support except railsides. I think I'll run 2 full missileside teams with interceptor and a full sniper drone team. Or maybe Missilesides, Sniper Drones, and an Ionhead. Or maybe I'll just play 2000pts...

So what do you think about how should the heavy support slots be filled? Maybe 2x skyrays and hammerhead or 2x hammerheads and broadsides?

Veskrashen wrote:
You can therefore run 9 spotters and 27 drones if desired.

Taking up x3 HS slots of course.

Trasvi wrote:
Hmm. Ran the numbers for Firewarriors. They're pretty damn effective anti-MEQ/TEQ just from sheer amount of failed saves.

Everything counts in large amounts. Since the majority of the TEQ we see these days are Hammernators anyway, rending / plasma / rail / fusion weapons are a lot less useful than their stats would imply. In those cases it's generally best to just make them roll bunches of saves, and set up to overwatch them to death in the next turn. Obviously Ethereals make a big difference here as well - and keep in mind that Kroot can use the Ethereal bonus if they're not shooting Sniper rounds. Kroot, then, appear to be the most cost effective anti-TEQ in the codex when backed by an Ethereal, at least within half range.

Also of note, FW with EMP grenades are bar none the most effective anti-armor we can take in the entire codex. Getting them to the target and getting the assault off is a different issue, but if you can solve those two they're effing amazing. Purely anecdotally, my first game with the new Tau codex had me facing a GK LR with Libby, Paladins, and some other HQ in it. Managed to box it in with a Hammerhead, DFish, and 2 Tetras, and had 2 9-man FW squads with EMP grenades ready to assault it the next turn. Even with the Libby's foreboding, it would have been wrecked twice over, and he wouldn't have been able to emergency disembark due to all the stuff I had around it.

I was seriously considering getting some AP3 pieplates, but I'm not sure the numbers work out.

I generally assume 4 hits with a large blast template for comparison's sake. That's generally a good number, even against well-dispersed formations, and doesn't under or overestimate it's effectiveness too much. I feel that AP3 and S7/8 is sort of a sweet spot that we need to take advantage of. It lets us kill off MEQ with relative efficiency, since they often don't have Invuls to worry about. S8 Ap3 in particular is nasty, since the ICs that are usually trying to tank the nasty stuff have to rely on 3++ or 4++ or risk ID, otherwise they'll be tossing the wounds to other MEQ who will be dropping like flies. It's also high enough strength that Plague Marines and bikers aren't an issue with trying to get wounds on them. Oh, and don't forget that you can take 2x Seekers as well - even if most people don't, having 2 more shots of S8 AP3 to help take out that last little bastard int the squad who evaded your large blast, or take that last HP off a vehicle, is a situational advantage that can't really be priced out in pure points per kill type calculations.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Khartas wrote:
So what do you think about how should the heavy support slots be filled? Maybe 2x skyrays and hammerhead or 2x hammerheads and broadsides?

Depends on whether you're running Riptides or not. If so, you don't need the pieplates from the Hammerheads, so go with Skyrays and Missilesides. Otherwise, run 2x Ionheads and a Skyray IMO, as this gives you pieplates and anti-air.

I know some people here really like Sniper Drone Teams, and I can easily see them working in a foot list. I'm simply not a big fan. If you plan to run them, I'd run 1-2 teams of those, and 1-2 Missilesides or Skyrays. Make sure you have some Riptides and some Fusion Crisis on hand as well.

Well, I was considering a Sniper Drone team, but i went with an incredibly expensive Broadside team instead - 3 Railsides with Advanced Targeting Systems, 6 Shield Drones, and with them a Commander with Drone Controller, two Marker Drones, and Multi-spectrum Sensor Suite. Basically, the unit will always hit on 5+, can re-roll failed hits, always ignores cover (the commander will never shoot), precision shots, and six additional wounds with 4++ saves.

My other Broadside unit is similar, but Missilesides, missile drones, velocity trackers, and a commander with drone controller, 2 missile pods, and 2 marker drones.

And a Hammerhead with Longstrike. Hammerstrike?

Wait, you can take early warning override on a skyray??? I didn't know that was in the vehicle equipment section.

 McNinja wrote:
Well, I was considering a Sniper Drone team, but i went with an incredibly expensive Broadside team instead - 3 Railsides with Advanced Targeting Systems, 6 Shield Drones, and with them a Commander with Drone Controller, two Marker Drones, and Multi-spectrum Sensor Suite. Basically, the unit will always hit on 5+, can re-roll failed hits, always ignores cover (the commander will never shoot), precision shots, and six additional wounds with 4++ saves.

My other Broadside unit is similar, but Missilesides, missile drones, velocity trackers, and a commander with drone controller, 2 missile pods, and 2 marker drones.

And a Hammerhead with Longstrike. Hammerstrike?

A squad cannot benefit from their own marker drones though.

 Thaylen wrote:
Wait, you can take early warning override on a skyray??? I didn't know that was in the vehicle equipment section.

I just looked; it is not. I had the same reaction.

davou wrote:

 McNinja wrote:
Well, I was considering a Sniper Drone team, but i went with an incredibly expensive Broadside team instead - 3 Railsides with Advanced Targeting Systems, 6 Shield Drones, and with them a Commander with Drone Controller, two Marker Drones, and Multi-spectrum Sensor Suite. Basically, the unit will always hit on 5+, can re-roll failed hits, always ignores cover (the commander will never shoot), precision shots, and six additional wounds with 4++ saves.

My other Broadside unit is similar, but Missilesides, missile drones, velocity trackers, and a commander with drone controller, 2 missile pods, and 2 marker drones.

And a Hammerhead with Longstrike. Hammerstrike?

A squad cannot benefit from their own marker drones though.

Oh, I know. For some reason, I totally thought that the drones had target locks. They do not.

 McNinja wrote:
Well, I was considering a Sniper Drone team, but i went with an incredibly expensive Broadside team instead - 3 Railsides with Advanced Targeting Systems, 6 Shield Drones, and with them a Commander with Drone Controller, two Marker Drones, and Multi-spectrum Sensor Suite. Basically, the unit will always hit on 5+, can re-roll failed hits, always ignores cover (the commander will never shoot), precision shots, and six additional wounds with 4++ saves.

My other Broadside unit is similar, but Missilesides, missile drones, velocity trackers, and a commander with drone controller, 2 missile pods, and 2 marker drones.

And a Hammerhead with Longstrike. Hammerstrike?

Its too many points in one unit. You would have to kill an absolute ton of things to make it worth your points, but you can only shoot one think at one time (since you didnt give them target lock). Imagine if all you had as targets were Rhinos in the first turn...