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I am at the moment building a Tau Mech-ish list. I have only 24 FW at my disposal, and while that is okay for footslogging (six Crisis and one Riptide can deter anyone), I want transport.

I have been looking at the Devilfish a lot lately, and it just seems underwhelming to me. Sure, more guns and armor than other Metal Boxes, but is that what I want? Is there other alternatives to protect my FWs other than transport? What can I use the Devilfish for when it is done Transporting?

Any mention of a certain tactic will be quickly exterminated for the Greater Good.

Well, I guess you have to ask yourself what problem with your army you are trying to solve.

The decision to use transports isn't always around what damage they can do. It's usually in how they can help your army become more mobile. This is critical when attempting to correct for a bad deployment.

If you find yourself constantly moving one or more groups of FW quite a bit away from where you initially placed them then the transport is a good buy. On the flip side, if you find yourself normally just using a static gun line with those units then the points are better spent elsewhere.

Once a transport has dumped it's cargo, you are left with a good sized, fast moving wall. This isn't exactly "fish of fury" - as the mechanics for that are all but dead. However, a properly positioned transport can make sure your guys get a 5+ cover save (intervening models) when out in the open OR allow you to snipe certain enemy models by giving parts of the target unit a cover save while you focus fire on the models that don't have it.

This is a valid tactic employed by many different armies.

They can also help in dislodging enemy troops from an objective by trying to run them over. A similar tactic is to push back a set of enemy troops just to get them out of range. It can even help protect your troops from an assault by forcing the enemy to go around the model...

Point is, don't think of it as just a transport model. Think of it as being like a mobile Aegis line that just happens to have a bonus of being able to shoot.

clively wrote:
Well, I guess you have to ask yourself what problem with your army you are trying to solve.

The decision to use transports isn't always around what damage they can do. It's usually in how they can help your army become more mobile. This is critical when attempting to correct for a bad deployment.

If you find yourself constantly moving one or more groups of FW quite a bit away from where you initially placed them then the transport is a good buy. On the flip side, if you find yourself normally just using a static gun line with those units then the points are better spent elsewhere.

Once a transport has dumped it's cargo, you are left with a good sized, fast moving wall. This isn't exactly "fish of fury" - as the mechanics for that are all but dead. However, a properly positioned transport can make sure your guys get a 5+ cover save (intervening models) when out in the open OR allow you to snipe certain enemy models by giving parts of the target unit a cover save while you focus fire on the models that don't have it.

This is a valid tactic employed by many different armies.

They can also help in dislodging enemy troops from an objective by trying to run them over. A similar tactic is to push back a set of enemy troops just to get them out of range. It can even help protect your troops from an assault by forcing the enemy to go around the model...

Point is, don't think of it as just a transport model. Think of it as being like a mobile Aegis line that just happens to have a bonus of being able to shoot.

Good point. I just don't know if it is worth it - I always go gunline as a start, to deal with the worst enemies, whereafter I close in for the kill late in the game, while backing any FW unts who have trouble up with suits and other kinds of dakka.

I... I just don't know, guys.

Devilfish is a little pricy for what it does imo. Granted its better than before since now it can hold a full unit of firewarriors (before it was something stupid like 8-9 i think, and it costed more) but unless you KNOW youre against a gunline army and they wont be surging 2/3 their forces down your throat, why do you want the mobility? not like they can shoot out while inside the things.

It allows the firewarriors to zip to an objective or fortify a midfield point virtually instantly. But like i said if youre playing against an army that wants to charge you, wth would you want to do that for? lol

if Devilfish were a Fast vehicle, i'd be using them like crazy because for 105pts you'd get a devilfish toting around your 12 firewarriors that has d-pods, burst, and SMS. But it isnt fast, so it cant fire both weapons unless you sacrifice your jink, and its not worthy of marker support to negate the snap firing.

The fish isn't bad when you just have a burst cannon and gun drones, since both can fire on the move. You can always give it two seeker missiles for added punch when you need it. It becomes the poor mans anti-infantry tank, but tau have good anti-infanty (firewarriors) so how you build your list is up to you. Less FW on the field tends to mean more fishes.

True, i always forget they fire like passengers that benefit from markerlights the vehicle does and have to shoot at the same target, rather than regular guns.

Drawback is that means on my Piranha theyre firing snaps :( since Fast has no effect on embarked units (which i find odd)

You can put a unit of fire warriors in a fish, keep them in reserve, and use them to contest late-game.

Starting a unit of fire warriors off inside a fish, behind LOS-blocking cover, lets you decide where they'll spend their first turn of shooting. Either where you deployed them, or somewhere else. And if you're having trouble with anti-infantry barrage weapons, like Biovores and Whirlwinds and other crap like that, they'll weather a round of enemy shooting a lot better in a transport.

Or you can take Darkstrider as an HQ choice, put him in the fish with 11 fire warriors, and outflank them onto the board, dump out and do some seriously lethal shooting at a surprised unit, especially with a couple of Target Aquired.

Just a couple of suggestions. Devilfish is pretty pricey, so the decision to take one or not really depends on what you're having problems with. Personally, my Fire Warriors did fine as static shooters against my friends at first, and then they started taking things to kill them from long range with large blasts, so I had to adapt.

I've actually started replacing D-pods for the much cheaper sensor spines which has been working rather well. Tau vehicles become mobile pillboxes and don't always have to move to get their cover save. Especially useful on Skyrays and the move through cover is also very good at getting the FWs to exactly where they need to be. Also, over a number of skimers it saves a significant amount of points.

same as any transport i see their usefullnes in being able to protect from blasts and baleflamers, just because you take one doesnt mean you have to embark on it right away.

i dont get the pillbox reference when they cant shoot out of it, which is what a pillbox is used for lol.

Best use i'd see a devilfish for after they dumped the firewarriors off is to zip over and cockblock a unit, buying a turn for the firewarriors (or more, depending on rolls)

Definitely upgrade to bring the SMS. You rarely want to be within 18" until late so the 30" range gives you something to do with it once they come on from reserve. If it kills 1 marine it's made up for it's points and then some. I run them in pairs for late grabbing and have found them to be more resilient than kroot screens. 2 SMS systems, 2 Burst Cannons and a Riptide with all its guns bristling makes a great late game advance to claim objectives and bid for linebreaker.