1850 Tau list with 3 Tournament wins and another win after tournament.
Well this is my tourament list. I didn't win overall since my second game I played stupid and my third game only lasted 2 turns. This is my second 6th edition tournament and again not knowing some things cost me winning overall. Even so it would had been hard pressed for me to do so since I need 29 points.
My Tau List
-HQ-
Ethereal
Commander: Puretide Chip, Multi-Suite, C&C node
-Elites-
Riptide: Ion, Fusion, Early Warning
Riptide: Ion, Fusion, Early Warning
3 Crisis Suits:
2 Suits: 2 Fusion: Target
1 Suit. : 2 MisslePod, Velocity
-Troops-
11 firewarriors
11 firewarriors
14 sniper kroot
14 sniper kroot
-Fast-
5 pathfinders
5 pathfinders
6 pathfinders
-Heavy-
3 Broadsides: Railguns, 6 Missile Drones
Skyray, smart
Hammerhead: sub, smart, filter
Typically I have my Commander join my broadsides who can shoot at 4 targets which ignore cover, twin linked, tank or Mc hunter.
My anti air is my 12 twin missle shots from my drones with ignore cover and Tank/ MC hunter. I also have my crisis suit with 4 missles, and I have a skyray. I dealt with 4 flyers rather easily, but lucky me I had to deal with just two which I easily shot out the air.
Playing with this list I have a huge number of deep striking and outflanking with a huge bulk of my army. 3 outflanking with pathfinders, 2 with kroot as well, 2 riptides deep strike, and my 3-4 suits can deep strike as well. 2 out of my 4 games I actually out flanked with one pathfinder squad and won due to fast attack can score on that mission. With my last game I out flanked and deep striked with everyone which really helped.
Game 1 list
I went against Tau. I destroyed this list. I only listing what I remembered
Primary Detachment:
-HQ-
Shadow Sun: 2 shield drones
O'Shova
7 Body Guard
3 x. 2 Fusion: target
CC,Multi, puretide, flamer, flamer
3 x 2 plasma target
7 x. Shield Drones
7 x. Gun Drones
- Troops-
6 fire warrior ???
10 Kroot ???: sniper rifles
6 fire warrior ???
- Elites-
Riptide: Ion, Smart
- Fast -
6 path finders
- heavy-
Hammerhead: railsub, longshot
Allies
Libby: Master 1, Terminator Armour
10 space Marines: ??? Equipment
Due to early warning overide and how I deployed he figured it would had been bad to deply via farsight deep strike, so he infiltrated instead. I was able to wipe the squad in 2 turns including the libby.
At games end he had a hammerhead and I didn't lose anything.
The key players was riptides droping strength 8 pie plates and broadside shooting. Riptides gave me line breaker as well as an ouflanking 5 man pathfinder squad.
Game 2
Played against Necrons
-HQ-
Necron Lord: ??? Died to fire warrior 33 bs 5 attacks, don't know what he had
Command barge.
5 Crypteks: he had the abilty to fire haywire at vehicles
-Elites-
Melta Walker
-troops-
9 regular Necrons
Barge
9 regular Necrons
Barge
9 regular Necrons
Barge
9 immortals.tesla
Flyer
9 immotrals: tesla
Flyer
Heavy
Annilation Barge
Annilation Barge
Annilation Barge
This was a rough game. I killed 1 Annilation Barge, 9 Immortals, Necron Lord, Annilation Barge, 2 Barges, 18 regular Necron, , 2 Flyers, and a Command Barge while he killed a Riptide, Hammerhead, 14 kroot, and 5 pathfinders
I call this a win since I won until 10 min latter my oppnent realized that big guns never tire only applied to the objective in the middle and not the relic objectives. Ironically lst tournament I lost due to the same thing. However it was deemed we had a tie. Also I didn't know that the deployment we was deployed on he could come from the entire long board edge, if I knew that he wouldn't had killed the Kroot or my hammerhead and it wouldn't had been a tie at all. Honestly if the game continued I would had won anyway. We only played till turn 4. However now I know it's the entire long edge and not the deployment zone long edge.
However this was our second game and I countered his list by adding in more range and anti-air since he was staying out of range. This game I was destroying him. He was lucky I rolled bad a lot on the vehicle daage table.m
That being said he was a good player and it was a very hard fought game. Lot's of stopping the game to look up rules.
I would say my MVPs was both my Riptides. They fley across the table and was smashing and killing Necron Troops. I got in his deployment zone pip slaping crons left and right.
Game 3
This Game was vs Daemons
- HQ-
Skarbrand
Bloodthirster: True Names, +4 feel no pain
- Elites -
3 Nurgle Beast
- Troops -
12 Letters: +1 wound it wil not die, banner, instrument
12 Letters: +1 wound it will not die, banner, instrunent
12 letters: + 3 save, banner, instrument
- Fast-
20 hounds
- heavy -
Nurgle Grinder: pelghm
Nurgle Grinder: phelgm
Slaanech Chariot: 4 ull
This game only lasted two turns which I was able to kill his Thirster, and 12 Letters while he killed nothing.
If it went to turn 3 Skarband may or may not come in, but I am sure I would had easily killed all his letters and his chariot. The beast of nurgle would be locked in combat with x unit being 2 strong with one with a wound and my fire warriors still locked in combat with the hounds.
I probably would had shot everyone , but skarbrand if he came in. When he killed unit x if he can kill a unit next turn I would had dropped him and the grinders maybe. Dumb +5 invulnerable from the grinders. I am pretty confident I would had won.
Game 4
The last game was someone who came to the tournament late with his IG list. I decided to play him even though I was worn out with 3 games strait.
-hq-
Command Squad: power fist
-troops-
Pc squad: power fist
Pc squad: power fist
20 man squad: 2 power axes
30 man squad: 2 power axes
20 man squad: 2 power axes
- heavy -
3 Bascalisk
2 Bascalisk
3 Vanquiser Battle Tanks: all shooting 9x wth 3 heavy bolters, and 3 super tank killing shots.
The guard player went first, so I only started on the board with my commander, broasides, 2 fire warrior squads, devilfish, and hammerhead. Every thing else was in reserve.
Due to gtg a lot my initial force survived long enough for my outflankers and deep strikers to come in. I was down to one 3 man fire warrior squad and a 4 man. Both tanks took 2 hull points and was immobilized, and I lost 3 drones from my side unit.
The reserve units coming in really helped. My Ethereal with 14 kroot didn't come in, but I was still able to destroy a lot on the table.
I killed 5 bascalisk, 3 battle tanks, and pcc squad. While he was able to kill 5 pathfinders. The deepstrike fusion shooting really helped.
After all 4 games I came away with this.
My abilty to shoot at 4 targets with my broadsides was major in all 4 games. The railrifles allowed me to shot at vehicles a lot that would had been out of range with the high yield missiles. In all 4 games I would say it was best to use rail over high yield. With necrons I was able to drop 2 barges, Annilation barge thanks to the railrifle shots and wouldn't har targets with the high yield. The same with the 3 bascalisk with guard, the same with the Tau Riptide and Shadowsun, O'Shova, Libby, 7 suits, 16 drone blob. Also it would had been the only weapon besides my railgun to shoot the grinders.
I don't see the need to use high yield to to the limited range and the fact I already have a lot of strenght 7 ans strength 5 shots already in the unit.
My Riptides was awesome. Ordanace Barrage help get rid of units hiding behind terrain. Smash attacks allowed me to plow through vehicles if my fusion gun fail me. I would say the tides was key in all my games. They easily earned their points back and more. Especially in the Necron game, well the sides earded their points back as well in that game. The sides killed both flyers rather easily.
Skyray was helpful in 2/4 games. The problem was 3/4 games was a long range game outside of 36". It was helpful when it was in range, especialy with 5 seeker missles in the bloodthirster face thanks to marker lights.
The crisis suits was helpful vs the guard which took out 2 bascalisk, other than that they reall didn't do much. The skyfire is weaker than my other sources and I think I may drop this unit. The issue I seem mainly is the range. Deep Striking was a good ideal and I may re write with deep striking in mind. I noticed in my last game deepstriking within 9" of a tank for fusion shots is not as hard as I thought it would be. I have to look at my options and go from there.
Pathfinders: intersting enough they was helpful in 3/4 games. Triple tapping bs 5 was nice here and there. Overall though I am thinking of simply droping them for the extra 200 points roughly well 176 points. Due to most games I wasn't really able to marker light as I wanted too. Either they got blasted or people stayed out of their range most of the games. However outflanking with them has been really helpful. It gave me nice options which was helpful.
Firewarriors: solid, but thinking of adding a transport for movement and protection issues.
Kroot: Might drop the sniper rounds. I will still use them, but I rarely even used the sniper rounds. Either shooting normal due to rapid fire was better or wounding on 3s was better than wounding on 4s. I may go this route and run normal kroot which will free up 30 extra points. I can see why to take them, but I think I have enough shooting to deal with high toughness.
Commander: with the broadsides is a wet dream come true. No more need to be said.
Ethereal: leadership 10 and stubborn really is helpful. I noticed for the most part people avoided the triple tap of death like the plague. I may drop him for something else. I think he will be missed, but I can't recall playing a game without one.
Hammerhead: don't see why not to take it. I think I rolled bad or it got shot up. I will have to think how I will handle this unit. The railgun wasn't relly all that helpful and I find my self using the submunition a lot. I am thinking of maybe running another broadside unit instead. No really sure if I should keep this unit or not. I may keep it due to needing extra long range. The main issue was dumb cover saves.
I think that is all the run down of what I had. I would like suggestions on how to modify. I think deep striking would be helpful. If I drop the units I said I would drop or thinking of dropping I would or might be close to 600 points. I liked outflanking and deep striking which was pretty effective.
With the slots that are open I have the choice of a commander, 2 body guard squads, and an elite slot.
This is my thoughts on improving my list:
I think early warning on my riptides simply does not work well for me, especailly when I miss all the time. In all 4 games it was useful twice and bad rolling negated 3 pie plates, and a fusion shot. Honestly out of all my games I roll bad with every single time with this upgrade. I will go through the upgrades and figure it out. Also skyfire is a poor upgrade since I reall don't want them shooting at flyers, they are tank and troop killers and shooting flyers takes away from that, gives them options, but they don't need it. I may go the shielded missile drone route with them. I did it before and really didn't like it.
Next is thinking of adding stealth suits. They can outflank, infiltrate, or deep strike. The issue here is I am thinking more fire power more than anything else. Just under 200 points I have a lot of fire power with anti tank. The problem is with 3 crisis suits I can dish out the same amount of fire power for around 140 points vs 180 points. The main differance is one have stealth and shrounding and on do not.
With my kroot I am thinking of adding krootox to my squads and maybe a kroot hound. The krootox will give me extra strength 7 shoots at decent bs. Also in combat I will have a decent amount of attacks. The hounds will be helpful if I lose or win combat. How ever I may not add the hounds anyway and stick with jsut the krootox.
I am thinking of adding devilfish which will help my troops out. I don't know if I will add one or two yet. I used two before and they performed well for me. I think it will help me get my people where I need them to be.
if I drop my tank I will add my drone snipers which will make up for dropping my kroot snipers. I may at a latter date add more to have a full squad. I have 6 drones and two controlers. I always thought an Ic with 2 marker drones would be ideal for this unit.
I may or maynot decide to run O'Shoava. If I do so it will not be as a huge squad. I am thinking of differant squads. I have to look if I can deep strike of the homer the turn I come in. What my thoughts here is that I can deep strike another unit or units within 6" of the unit with the beacan the turn I come in. If I am 6" away from the rear of my enemies deployment I can have my kroot out flank from my enemies deployment with my krootox guns hopefully hitting vehicles in the rear or rapid firing units while my suits melta units.
Another thought is to run 3 riptides. I don't know how effective it will be, but the barage shooting would help vs vehicles. I may do this in the long run, but not sure. I do know FNP is nice, but I don't see that it is needed.
I am also thinking of giving my commander irdium armour. In a lot of situtions it will be helpful. It will cut down the amount of drones I lose in my side squad and will help with allocation more. If I have the extra points I am thininking fnp.
I think I will re read my Tau and put out my remade list. I think this list is very strong, but my remake will be due to what I gleemed from these games to make it even better.
