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So, I got tired of reading posts and decided to contribute. I was curious, in all the posts Ive seen about the Tau Empire, Ive noticed the Sky Ray doesnt seem to get a whole lot of credit.
While I certainly know and appreciate the capabilities of the Hammerhead, mostly rail, not really big on the Ion, I started thinking about the fact that the Sky Ray has good range for the markerlights, and the seekers are unlimited, and that even if you pop two missled off of it a turn, that's 3 turns of shooting, and even after the missles are gone, you've got 2 markerlights to give any random squads a boost (like a BS5 unit of Fire Warriors that happened to be nearby). Is it me, or are these tanks underused/underappreciated or are they really just that awful? Thanks!


-trogdor

Anyone have an opinion?

I consider them awful because if you run Piranha's with seekers + min-sized FW squads with markerlights, you get the same benefit as the Sky Ray.

You really need the S10 shots to put away enemy vehicles quickly. Especially the AV14 ones, which are not afraid of seeker missiles.

Also, the greatest strength of seeker missiles is being able to fire them off Piranha's into side armor (usually 11 or 10) and a Sky Ray can't do that either.

Hope that helps.

What do you mean, fired off the side armor? Im trying to put together something competitive, but still try a bit of everything. I have a 500 pt starter list,
HQ- Shas'El Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Targetting
Array, HW-Drone Controller and 1x Shield
Drone.
Elite- 3x Stealth Team w/ burst cannons
Troops- 3x 6 man Fire Warrior squads
Fast Attack- 2x Piranhas w/ burst cannons is 505pts.
Any thoughts?

What Stelek is saying is the pirahna are faster and have a better chance to swoop around a flank and take shots at the exposed flanks and rears of tanks, (Which usually have lower armor) while a Skyray does not have that kind of mobility. (It is not a fast skimmer)

Also, the Skyray competes with the Railhead for a Heavy Support slot, and anywhere you can get S10, you should go for it. Conversely, if you are using broadsides, they also compete against the Skyray, and the Ionhead, while the pirahna can perform the same duties as a Skyray and not suck up a valuable Heavy Support Slot.

I would also like to say that I disagree that the seekers are really all that effective in the first place, and my pirahnas only have the Target Lock and Fusion Blaster.

EDIT:
It's generally considered bad form to go over your points limit, even if it is only 5 points.

Ok, so with that in mind, my choices are the following
O'Shovah, Shadowsun, 10 crisis suits, 6 stealth suits, 24 fire warriors, 1 devilfish, more kroot than I care to admit, 3 piranhas, 6 vespid, countless gun drones, 8 pathfinders w/ devilfish, 2 sniper drone teams, 1 hammerhead w/ railgun, and 3 broadsides. So that's what I have to work with. Im just trying to get a decent list together.

My intent was to shoot for something that starts at 500pts and goes up from there, maybe in 250 to 500pt increments. I definetly need some extra fire warriors, that I know, 2 squads isnt enough really. Other than that Ive gone with the suits as the main theme, why you wouldnt I dont know, but are vespid worth taking? broadsides? Everyone seems to angle towards a select few units, which is why I was inquiring about the SkyRay in the first place. Thanks-

You cannot afford to waste Tau HS slots. Hammerheads and Broadsides are good for s10, Sniper drones work because you can take a lot of firepower for one slot.

The Skyray just cannot compete outside of Dawn of War. Its overpriced, and even if it was fairly priced you cannot afford to take it. Its firepower is equal to two missile launchers, thats all.

It also has a screaming dilemma. It needs the markerlights to fire its payload yet any markerlight hit it makes, verage 1 a turn is FAR better used boosting a large team than firing one seeker missile.

If you do like the Skyray consider the ionhead, its very cheap and has the sort of firepower you would get from your seekers, but it lasts longer and has better BS.

Awesome man! Thats very helpful.
I may just go with an Ionhead to get the high strength
multishots, and I guess realistically you wont run out of
Ion shots. So, heavy slots consisting of a
Railhead, Ionhead and 3x broadsides.

Any counter points?

Trogdor the Burninator wrote:Ok, so with that in mind, my choices are the following
O'Shovah, Shadowsun, 10 crisis suits, 6 stealth suits, 24 fire warriors, 1 devilfish, more kroot than I care to admit, 3 piranhas, 6 vespid, countless gun drones, 8 pathfinders w/ devilfish, 2 sniper drone teams, 1 hammerhead w/ railgun, and 3 broadsides. So that's what I have to work with. Im just trying to get a decent list together.

My intent was to shoot for something that starts at 500pts and goes up from there, maybe in 250 to 500pt increments. I definetly need some extra fire warriors, that I know, 2 squads isnt enough really. Other than that Ive gone with the suits as the main theme, why you wouldnt I dont know, but are vespid worth taking? broadsides? Everyone seems to angle towards a select few units, which is why I was inquiring about the SkyRay in the first place. Thanks-

1. Ok, you know you cannot run with ll that you have there, many of the units are mutually exclusive with O'Shovah.

2. Tell us how you have outfitted your Crisis suits. If you have some 'spare' try to build a standard Commander for versatility. If you can magnetise your Commander as there are several options worth taking.

3. For basic suits go no further than Fireknife (plasma, missile pod and multitracker) and Blinding Spear (plasma, burst cannon and multitracker).

4. 10 Crisis suits is more than you can fit in a list unless you leave out your stealthsuits, so take two or three and outfit them for the Sight Council, and run them with three Blinding spear suits. How you equip these suits is up to you, but I would give every suit a plasma rifle, after that its up to you. Some wargear like failsafe detonator are great in the Sight council, and useless elsewhere.

5. To back up your stealthsuits paint up two gun drones in your stealthsuit colours. Boosting the team size to eight is a good idea, and it makes some of your attacks pinning, assisting in their disrupt role. I always bond stealthsuits if I take more than four.

6. 24 Fire Wariors is sufficient if you are taking mobile Tau. What you need is an extra Devilfish.If you want static Tau you need a whole lot more. in any case always take a Shas'ui for the leadership, and always take twelve. If they are static take two gun drones too and bond them. 14 in the team is hard to shift. Generrally spweaking though you should try and get Devilfish, they are so much better with them against most opponents.

7. Your kroot. Avoid Shapers and krootox, but do add kroothounds 'to taste' if you want to boost squad size. There are two ways of running kroot. In squads of ten or twelve hidden in woods, or large hordes as big as you can make filled with kroot and hounds. NEVER take a shaper, unless you love the model, and then only as a normal kroot.

8. Piranhas are good only as objective grabbers and suicide tank hunters. You only really need one, and it must have a fusion blaster.

9. Vespid suck. Sure they shoot through marine armour, but marines shoot through yours twice as fast and twice as far. This is not good. Vespid are a cheap gimic, if you need Ap3 get sniper drones.

10. Gun drone squadrons do work, in 5th they will become exccellent screens for your Crisis teams and other key units as they can jetpack move in the way of enemy fire. Keep some gun drones aside to add to units. Namely maxed out stealthsuits, pathfinders and all static fire warrior teams. The exta two bodies in the unit help enormously.

11. Good, you have not tried to take a minimum Pathfinder team. Many people try to run with five. You should always run with eight, even if you think you need less. The reason is because not only will you never know how many times you will miss but the Devilfish, which is not needed to transport this 'heavy support' team is a mandatory add on which forces small teams into becoming a false economy. On that note not only do I say always take eight, always give them a Shas'ui, always bond and always add two gun or shield drones and always set them up in the back in cover. Forget all this scout move rubbish, Pathfinders are a heavy support unit if ever I saw one.

12. Your heavy support choices are spot on, you have no need or room for a Skyray. Give your broadsides at least two shield drones, ASS is popular though with enough drones you can just set them up in harms way and absorb lascannon.

13. What secondary weapon did you give the Heammerhead, I recommend burst cannon, its cheaper and you want direct fire anyway, burst cannon are a useful backup if you are firing submunitions. SMS is a waste regardless.