I'm a Tau player who laments his Tau. Usually and standardly by turn 3, most of my jump infantry have run off of the board and whomever I'm playing will casually mop up the rest, making me either concede or combat ineffective. Typical game night ends for me with a hot shower while crying that I'll never get clean because I've been violated so many times... I both love and HATE my Tau, but they're my army, and I stick with them.
BUT!!!!f I never typically played Ethereals before when building my list, and I have to say, that my last couple games have been spectacular and actually...FUN!
Since I've put this little blue dynamo in with our fishy friends, I've actually made it past turn 3 with no real losses and have stood a fair chance of winning or at least a very strong tie... I'm impressed. Ok, you sacrifice another slot for XV commander with all kinds of cool gadgets and firepower... BUT, whomever your Ethereal is attached to is FEARLESS! (You already knew this) AND! Every Tau unit within line of sight of him gets to re-roll their poor morale! (You already knew this too) BUT IT'S STILL COOL!
So! You put the little blue boss and his 2 shield drones in with a sqd of broadsides with plasma rifles and shield generators and guess what?! They don't skin their knee and run screaming off the board anymore! HOOSAH!
He's totally saved my little blue posterior at least 2 times in each game! Failed morale again? Can you see Aun Ah-sum? You can!? Roll again, and guess what?! You get a second chance to stay in the fight and shoot some more!
And that's not all! He can take infantry stuff! EMP grenades and pop vehix at a distance with S10 rail death/24" plasma OR up close with his S5 4 attack honorblade- along side his 2+SV/4+ Invul 2 attack S5 friends!
Wait... But what if he dies?! I'll have to take a morale check?! If I'm not an HQ my best leadership is 8! I'm doomed! Fret not, little smurf friend...If you're a fire warrior, and you're in a vehicle, the GW FAQ says you don't have to! So keep yer little hooves in the devilfish for as long as you can! But after you get out of your vehicle you and all your XV friends have PREFERRED ENEMY! I know you knew this already, and I don't care, IT'S STILL COOL!
Do you play an Ethereal in your Tau army? I wanna hear about it! What Tactics do you use him with? Why don't you use him? What have you heard about Ethereals in the upcoming codex?