Keeping Tau Viable

[ElectricPaladin]

I've recently found my attention drifting back towards the Champions of the Greater Good, which is good because I'm sick to death of painting power armor. I still don't have a huge variety of Tau models, but I've got at least a couple of all the basics. I'd like to start a thread talking about what it takes to keep the Tau viable.

We all know the basics: load up on railguns, put your fire warriors in devilfishes, use Kroot counterchargers to keep your battlesuits alive... but I want to know what works for you. What "common wisdom" have you rejected, "crap" units and wargear you've found a use for? What tactical choices give you wins? We don't have a new codex, but we have some very pretty models - what are you doing with them? Let's keep it positive - focus on what works, not on all the things that don't.

Of course, I have things I could say - I've managed a few wins - but I'm going to let someone else start things off. I am ever humble and eager to learn .

[o0HoldFast0o]

In my experience thus far Tau don't do THAT bad, we just seem to have a very narrow scope. I took second place by 1pt in my first tourney so they aren't horrible.

While waiting for the next book I use the Tau for fun lists. I have even messed around with taking Cmmder Farsight= 17 total crisis suits + broadsides and a hammerhead. Its silly, its fun, its what all the cool kids are doing....

[ElectricPaladin]

While waiting for the next book I use the Tau for fun lists. I have even messed around with taking Cmmder Farsight= 17 total crisis suits + broadsides and a hammerhead. Its silly, its fun, its what all the cool kids are doing....

I've thought about fielding Farsight-Wing, but I don't own enough crisis suits. I'm also leery of buying/kit-bashing Farsight, since I don't love his fluff and I'm not sure that he'll be any good in the new codex. I once saw someone do very well in a tournament with Farsight and his Freaking Enormous Bodyguard, though.

[o0HoldFast0o]

For kicks it might be worth buying a few poorly built ebay crisis suits and doing minimal fixing.

[ElectricPaladin]

For kicks it might be worth buying a few poorly built ebay crisis suits and doing minimal fixing.

I'm doing that, anyway. You can never have too many crisis suits. Especially if the rumors of a more generalized Crisis-Wing turn out to be true.

[BS FADE]

I find target priority with tau is where it counts. Kill lynch pin units or simply make them walk and slow down the rest of the army.

I find the only way I can survive newer codexs with there more up to date rules is to simply prevent them from doing what they want.

The only armies I usually have problems with are foot lists or massed feel no pain. It’s just too hard for tau to field enough quality firepower to deal with that.





P.S. Recently the black sun filters I always took for the hell of it, have been really paying off against necrons

[plasticaddict]

I don't run Kroot at all in my lists, as a counter charge unit the are pretty useless. Instead I use those points to get more Fire Warriors on the table. As far as wargear since we have several Necron players in our local scene Blacksun Filters have found new life in my lists. I've also been adding more Seeker missiles and makerlights than I used to, to help deal with the higher toughness Necron and Tyranid MCs.

[ElectricPaladin]

The only armies I usually have problems with are foot lists or massed feel no pain. It’s just too hard for tau to field enough quality firepower to deal with that.

I don't know - one of the few things Fire Warriors are really excellent at is killing infantry. Strength 5 rapid fire shots is really good at killing anything even remotely GEQish. You roll a lot of wounds that way, especially if the Fire Warriors can double-tap. In my experience, it's all about positioning. Fire Warriors in a ruin, enjoying 4+ cover saves, or Fire Warriors in a building, impossible to directly target, can dominate a huge chunk of the board and kill anything that gets within 12'.

P.S. Recently the black sun filters I always took for the hell of it, have been really paying off against necrons

I'll have to keep that in mind!

[Urza8188]

I have a limited experience in 40k in general because ive only been playing a few months but i have played tau almost exclusively. From my limited experience I have never had much success with fire warriors because cover saves make the AP5 useless. I have been shown this many times fighting geanestealers that I originally thought would get shredded...Last few lists run ive been using more kroot but after much frustration ive concluded that tau troops are mostly useless objective holders and should be treated as such.

Devilfish are the largest point dump in terms of firepower for the entire codex but vehicles are helpful for slowing the enemys advance and contesting objectives. I personally prefer Piranhas for this because they move faster, cost less, and can use the Fusion Blaster to blow that transport to bits when they move in to block it. Recently ive actually stopped using pathfinders and throwing markerlights on my FW leaders and stealthsuits because the devilfish seem like such a terrible waste and the pathfinders themselves typically get blown up the first chance the opponent gets.

As far as crisis suits go most people would say fireknives fireknives fireknives on the forums but i personally prefer heatwaves or deathrains on my standard crisis suits because they are so much cheaper and dont require markerlights. I do however find the plasma and missle pods on the shas-el with BS5 to be obscenely powerful and worth every point.

I could go on all day about my thoughts on Tau (im not freaking kidding) but I will cut the wall of text short. If anyone wants to talk tau theory with me feel free to let me know =).

[Render Noir]

I'm doing that, anyway. You can never have too many crisis suits. Especially if the rumors of a more generalized Crisis-Wing turn out to be true.

I am still not sure how i feel about those rumors. I was planning to go back and magnetize all the weapons but now I am in a wait and see mode.