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Greetings all, I'm a new Tau player and have been reading up on the Tactica and advice and had a quick questions about the Fish of Fury or really blocking with vehicles in general. This might be a rules clarification question (if so mods, please feel free to move it as appropriate), but I don't understand how the Tau can use large(ish) vehicles such as the Piranha or Devilfish to block a squad or vehicle to then allow Tau units to fire at them.


Example:
I have a Tau Fire Warrior Unit that has, say, a squad of Termies and a squad of Bikes approaching it. They're obviously closing for a charge, so I bring up my one of my Fish vehicles - Piranha or Devilfish and park it in between the the FW and the Bikes/Termies. I then can shoot both the vehicle and the FWs but, more importantly, be protected from a charge since the enemies would have to either go around or through the vehicles. Got it.

Obviously intervening units (friendly or enemy) will provide a 5+ cover save, but wouldn't the vehicles block LOS for at least some of the FWs? Do I then go FW by FW and make a call if they can see the enemy units to allow them to fire?

If I spread the FW line out so less FW's LOW are blocked by the friendly vehicles, then less FW will get the cover and could be charge, forcing a pile in, so I obviously want to keep them clumped up behind the vehicles, but doing this will mean more of them will have their LOS completely blocked by the very vehicles giving them protection. Does the fact that the vehicles in question are Skimmers have something to do with this and negate the LOS blocking for allied shooting? What am I missing?

Thanks much

Remember that the ability to shoot is True Line of Sight, or TLOS. If the models can 'see' underneath the devilish, you are good - bring the circular hover stand and the high rod, and you are good.

If you forget it, or it breaks in a game and you have to set your devilfish on the table, then it blocks TLOS (if you deployed the firewarriors behind the models) and your infantry cannot shoot.

Remember also, if you are using Breachers, then the devilfish is longer in length than their most damaging profile and it won't be able to be used.

It may require gaming, or figuring out at home but; if you put two tau skimmers next to one another, is there enough room behind the 'wings' on the front for your squad to cower behind after they deploy.

Lastly, I cannot speak to the piranha, as I don't have any. But whether they can be shot around can be determined at home before your next game.

Wouldn't having the skimmers modeled to have more clearance underneath be the definition of modeling for advantage?

I never read up on that tactic, but I always presumed it was just parking the vehicle in front of the warriors to block line of sight. As in move it out of the way in the movement phase then shoot with the fire warriors and flat out the fish back in front of them in its shooting phase. Purely conjecture on my part though.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Rommel013 wrote:
Wouldn't having the skimmers modeled to have more clearance underneath be the definition of modeling for advantage?

I suppose so, but they come with landing gear and the stand breaking is purely a matter of time. Haven't seen a single hover vehicle NOT break its stand eventually. Seems easier to just put it on the landing gear.
Even with the hover stand thoguh, the enemy unit needs to be standing on even ground to see them. it won't take much elevation for the fish to hide the tau.

I do not believe that vehicles can move in the shooting phase. The only things that can jsj to cover are scriptures, stealth, and crisis suits.

 Rommel013 wrote:
Wouldn't having the skimmers modeled to have more clearance underneath be the definition of modeling for advantage?

I don't think it counts as modeling for advantage to use the base a model comes supplied with.

I do not believe that vehicles can move in the shooting phase. The only things that can jsj to cover are riptides, stealth, and crisis suits.

Oh, and personally, I swapped all the hover rods for metal rods, specifically I cut up a bunch of metal coat hangars and used them.

 carldooley wrote:
I do not believe that vehicles can move in the shooting phase. The only things that can jsj to cover are scriptures, stealth, and crisis suits.

Instead of running a vehicle can move flat out. First thing page 75 and on page 85 you can see at which speed the various tanks move.

Keep in mind
They cannot move flat out if the occupants disembarked after the 6" move.

 Rommel013 wrote:
Wouldn't having the skimmers modeled to have more clearance underneath be the definition of modeling for advantage?

Well, yes and no. It is, but it is a component of the kit as an option so by that same reasoning choosing to model a tactical squad with a flamer rather then melta out of their kit because it will be more useful would also be modeling for advantage.

When people talk about modeling for advantage they generally mean heavy conversion work that is no longer fitting into the rule of cool territory and starting to change the outcome of games heavily.