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I got theree Ghostkeels and they are gonna' be together soon...

Did someone already has experience with Riptide/ghostkeel wings( especially the reactions of other players)?

arthorn wrote:
Did someone already has experience with Riptide/ghostkeel wings( especially the reactions of other players)?

I have fielded the Ghostkeel Wing on 5 occasions. The Stealth/Shrouded from Night Fighting/Conquer of Cities + Ghostkeel Wing has been amazing. Just about all my units were getting a 2+ cover save, except the 'Surge (which our local area's FAQ has Gargantuan only taking cover as a vehicle when 25% obscured). This caused my opponent's shooting to have no quality targets, messing with their target priority. My clubmates know to target Tau Markerlights straight away and keeping them protected when going second has always been a struggle for me. Placing them in reserves is too much of a gamble for my taste, they often come in late. With a 1/3 re-rollable chance to get a Conqueror of Cities or Night Attacker, then even if you don't, still having a 50/50 shot at Night Fighting, most often the Ghostkeel Wing will be giving the whole army a 2+ cover save! The offensive capacity of a Ghostkeel in the Wing is not really devastating without roughly the same amount of Markerlights a Riptide will use, and the Riptide often does it better. The large blast option mitigates some of this, and gives nice tactical flexibility. I also find people often ask "How many Interceptor Large Blasts do you have in your army?" without thinking about how accurate they are with out Markerlights (haven't run the new Drone Network yet) or the AP4 which often can't ignore their armor save (Skyhammer). Psychologically speaking, almost all of my opponents have made it a point to remark on how frustrating it is to not be able to target the Ghostkeel. The Holophoton Countermeasures may be one use only, but I rarely have had to use them at all, as my opponents refuse to waste a quality shooting attack on them. Instead they try to bait me into burning my Countermeasures on attacks that I can let the 2+ cover or 3+ armor handle. My last opponent mentioned more than once how much he would have liked to use the Avenger Gatling Cannon from his Knight on one of my Ghosts, but the risk of all the Knights weapons snap-firing was unacceptable. For myself, this formation has been much better than it appeared on paper. While not offering the devistating firepower of the Riptide Wing or a unit of Stormsurges, there is a tactical aspect to the Ghostkeel Wing that can add exceptional flexability to a list.

Not to mention it actually is fairly costed...

personally, I would probably keep it CIR, Flamer, EWO.

I have enough AV threat anyhow. But this keeps the entire formation to 390 points (393 if FSE), which is not that bad at all considering what it does. Riptide wing is easily over 600 points.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Vineheart01 wrote:
i really wanna mess with that. Long as 2 units of the 3 are within 6? inches of each other, 12" bubble of Stealth. Ohhh how i would abuse that rofl

Maybe someone could clarify.. I remember it as just a 12" bubble around the ghost in the formation.

Plus, no overwatch when they charge.. which is actually pretty amazing. Ghostkeel are actually pretty good in CC. 4 s6 ap2 attacks (5 on charge I think).

OSC ghostkeels don't need markerlights, especially in hunter cadre (easy to bump up +2 or +3 BS and ignores cover for free), at least, although you are paying a stealth suit tax

 Pretzalcoatl wrote:
OSC ghostkeels don't need markerlights, especially in hunter cadre (easy to bump up +2 or +3 BS and ignores cover for free), at least, although you are paying a stealth suit tax

Stealth suits can have homing beacons for no-scatter turn 2 Retaliation Cadre arrival.

SJ

Stealthsuits are just awesome. I have 20 painted up. We're doing this.

 jeffersonian000 wrote:

 Pretzalcoatl wrote:
OSC ghostkeels don't need markerlights, especially in hunter cadre (easy to bump up +2 or +3 BS and ignores cover for free), at least, although you are paying a stealth suit tax

Stealth suits can have homing beacons for no-scatter turn 2 Retaliation Cadre arrival.

SJ

Essentially how I run my list currently.

Cheers!

Are there any battle reps how show this? I couldnt find one:/

Would love to use the osc then come in with a dawnblade contigent no scatter suits. How many points would you need for an optimaal usages?

arthorn wrote:
Are there any battle reps how show this? I couldnt find one:/

Would love to use the osc then come in with a dawnblade contigent no scatter suits. How many points would you need for an optimaal usages?

The key is to keep your stealth suits out of LOS during that first turn... 2nd turn its important if you want the homing beacon but not tabling important haha.

I have run this variant at 2000 points. The OSC is around 500 or more depending on how many ghostkeel you run and how many stealth in each squad.

The DBC is probably going to run you around 1250-1500 depending on your auxiliary.

To directly answer your question.... I would say atleast 1850 points to run OSC with a DBC

Cheers!

I have used the Riptide Wing four times now and it is absolutely devastating. They effectively become GMCs in shooting because they can make each shooting attack at a separate unit, so none of your shots go to waste. I highly recommend at least one IA for range/armor ignoring purposes and the other two should be HBC. Give each of them SMS and rip into your opponents with effective alpha strike damage. Just make sure you have enough markerlights to really bring it home.

Two of my games were against a Renegade Artillery eith Necron Decurion army. Both games earned two dead spiders, one dead wraith unit, one dead scarab unit, and an artillery team that ran away. It was so potent that my opponent is considering swapping the decurion out with two Riptide Wings.

 Grizzyzz wrote:
Maybe someone could clarify.. I remember it as just a 12" bubble around the ghost in the formation.

You are correct. Any unit that wants the Stealth Field bonus must be within 12" of two units from the Ghost Wing.

 Grizzyzz wrote:
Plus, no overwatch when they charge.. which is actually pretty amazing. Ghostkeel are actually pretty good in CC. 4 s6 ap2 attacks (5 on charge I think).

I agree! Their ability to assault catches people off guard. Only 3 base attacks, but if you pick your targets carefully (Bikes/jetbikes/Devs/Cents/Artillery/transports) they really can fill a valuable role in a phase where we usually don't participate at all. The Stealth Drone's I4 also gives you a puncher's chance to sweep/catch if you opponent fails the Morale check.

 Plainshow wrote:
The Stealth Drone's I4 also gives you a puncher's chance to sweep/catch if you opponent fails the Morale check.

It funny thinking that a unit of jetbikes or whatever gets caught by drones and absolutely destroyed.

DirtyDeeds wrote:

 Plainshow wrote:
The Stealth Drone's I4 also gives you a puncher's chance to sweep/catch if you opponent fails the Morale check.

It funny thinking that a unit of jetbikes or whatever gets caught by drones and absolutely destroyed.

Beware the flying frisbees of DOOM!

 ZergSmasher wrote:

DirtyDeeds wrote:

 Plainshow wrote:
The Stealth Drone's I4 also gives you a puncher's chance to sweep/catch if you opponent fails the Morale check.

It funny thinking that a unit of jetbikes or whatever gets caught by drones and absolutely destroyed.

Beware the flying frisbees of DOOM!

The same Frisbee can block a stompa from your gun line, lol. (Actually happened)

 Grizzyzz wrote:

 raverrn wrote:
I've been doing tests with a VRT Commander joined to a Rail/Plasma Broadside team - the one from the Ret. Cadre. It's a lot of fairly mobile, tough AP2

That is exactly how I run mine.

Fusion blade commander (usually)
2 HYMP, Plasma, target locks
1 HRR, plasma

I realize I am about to get a bunch of "WHY ARE YOU RUNNING HRR, YOUR SILLY, THEY BAD" responses... but consider the Dawn blade contingent I have them in.. with bs4 when they arrive.. and have the mobility and placement of being behind rear armor. being s8 and ap1 (possibly having reroll pens) you have a pretty solid platform for popping vehicles. I have found some success here.. not arguing its the best always!

Because when you deepstrike and can walk, the insignificant range difference is even less relevant.
And the HYMP does more damage to tank rears than the HRR, despite the AP1 factor.

Hey, i had a "frisbee" take out a terminator lol. It can happen.

And yeah i abuse that I4 when i can. VRTs with a drone alive is very good fleeing odds.

 Vineheart01 wrote:
VRTs with a drone alive is very good fleeing odds.

Just not wit Ghostkeels. Ah well!

Drones are the best CC unit. Ever. I have one marker drone named Stubby, the Little Drone that Could. He got his name when in one game his unit was charged by a SM attack bike. The bike killed his buddies in short order. But Stubby held him in combat for 3 turns before finally killing him in CC turn 5. Since then, I have kept a tally of Stubby's CC kills (roll for him separately from the unit). To date, not including the attack bike, Stubby has killed 6 Tactical Marines, 1 Marine Sergeant with a powerfist, and a DA bike in CC.

Fear the wrath of the Drones. Fear Stubby.

In all seriousness, yes that I4 from Drones for hit and run can be a life saver.

 GI_Redshirt wrote:
Fear the wrath of the Drones. Fear Stubby.

Stubby the Murder-Drone-12pts

Question to anyone who has a few games with the Hunter Contingent+Stormsurge and the ITC rules:
-How many Markerlights do you run and of what type?
The Contingent seem to mitigate the need for Markers somewhat, but His Holiness of Surging Storms eats them like Cookie Monster in Toll House factory. Where have you found the balance?

I am putting the Ghostkeels together and man... not a simple assembly. There are parts that just... confound me! the piece that the TL Melta goes on for example does not seat in where it's supposed to very easily. annoying! having said that this model is really really cool. Cockpit flips open which is pretty sweet. Some other nice touches. its a really nice model.

 Jancoran wrote:
I am putting the Ghostkeels together and man... not a simple assembly. There are parts that just... confound me! the piece that the TL Melta goes on for example does not seat in where it's supposed to very easily. annoying! having said that this model is really really cool. Cockpit flips open which is pretty sweet. Some other nice touches. its a really nice model.

Yeah the pieces where the Twin linked guns have to be exactly perfect or your those little guns will be angled pretty badly.
The cockpit that opens is also hard to paint because every time you move the hinge it peels the paint away

The pieces the guns sit on took me a bit to realize how they go together. The part that connects to the body has to be on the inside, i.e. closer to the jetpack.

But yeah those kits are a nightmare to figure out lol. I spent a good 3 hours putting together my first one (i have 3), and that wasnt even "finished" assembly because i refused to put the arms, thigh pads, helmet, or jetpack on it until it was painted lol. So many pieces you gotta glue with another piece inside that you cant glue beforehand (or at least easily) lol

Just wait until you try to pose them differently. THIS little runt took me about an hour of finagling to get in this pose lol....


Originally wanted him to be running, but couldnt get him to look like it without having a noticeable "imminent faceplant!" look lol so i just settled on walking pose.
I love the posability their leg/arm design offers just like riptides/surges, but MAN is it a pain to get it in the right pose

notredameguy10 wrote:

 Jancoran wrote:
I am putting the Ghostkeels together and man... not a simple assembly. There are parts that just... confound me! the piece that the TL Melta goes on for example does not seat in where it's supposed to very easily. annoying! having said that this model is really really cool. Cockpit flips open which is pretty sweet. Some other nice touches. its a really nice model.

Yeah the pieces where the Twin linked guns have to be exactly perfect or your those little guns will be angled pretty badly.
The cockpit that opens is also hard to paint because every time you move the hinge it peels the paint away

I actually did not find the model terribly difficult to assemble, but I did glue the cockpit shut (usually not gonna open it during a game anyway). I posed mine in the stock pose, and it looks just fine. As for getting the TL guns right, it took a little effort, but I think I did okay. Probably the fiddliest thing of all in a very cool model.

 Vineheart01 wrote:
The pieces the guns sit on took me a bit to realize how they go together. The part that connects to the body has to be on the inside, i.e. closer to the jetpack.

But yeah those kits are a nightmare to figure out lol. I spent a good 3 hours putting together my first one (i have 3), and that wasnt even "finished" assembly because i refused to put the arms, thigh pads, helmet, or jetpack on it until it was painted lol. So many pieces you gotta glue with another piece inside that you cant glue beforehand (or at least easily) lol

Just wait until you try to pose them differently. THIS little runt took me about an hour of finagling to get in this pose lol....

Spoiler:

Originally wanted him to be running, but couldnt get him to look like it without having a noticeable "imminent faceplant!" look lol so i just settled on walking pose.
I love the posability their leg/arm design offers just like riptides/surges, but MAN is it a pain to get it in the right pose

Freakin sweet.

After having run the OSC, I fell in love with ghostkeels. It also validates my love of stealthsuits as it makes them useable again. I havent tried multiple keels yet, but probably next time.

So I bought a copy of the original Tau Codex, am I the only one who likes Aun'shi so much more in that version than what we have now? It feels like he was less points, had better abilities, and was just more interesting. It's like they tried to streamline things, but failed, and then gave up so that things like Aun'shi have rules bloat but cost too much to matter.

 Tinkrr wrote:
So I bought a copy of the original Tau Codex, am I the only one who likes Aun'shi so much more in that version than what we have now? It feels like he was less points, had better abilities, and was just more interesting. It's like they tried to streamline things, but failed, and then gave up so that things like Aun'shi have rules bloat but cost too much to matter.

huh? you would rather have 'Price of Failure' rather than 'Failure is not an option'? reminds me of the one time that I saw him in an infantry tournament list - I shot him off the board and waited while the rest of them ran off the field.

Ethereals as a whole were terrible in that codex. They didnt give you a VP for killing them, but they instead crippled the entire Tau army.

If Aun'Shi didnt have that too, i'd like him. But since hes so easy to remove then and now, hell no.

I freaking love Aun'Shi's original fluf and entry(so much so that my tag for a lot of things,including xbox was AunShi420 for a while).

only took him once and he didnt die but he didnt do much either.

Now though? Im just not a fan of ethereals in general, so i dont take them, escpecially not an overpriced one.

 Wolfnid420 wrote:
I freaking love Aun'Shi's original fluf and entry(so much so that my tag for a lot of things,including xbox was AunShi420 for a while).

only took him once and he didnt die but he didnt do much either.

Now though? Im just not a fan of ethereals in general, so i dont take them, escpecially not an overpriced one.

Aun'Va for the win

That link is what I have to say about Ethereals. Lol.