IG v. Tau...Thoughts?

[Brent]

Hi,
I'm going to be facing a Tau army with my IG, 1,850 points. The terrain is a city board, with plenty of cover (ruined buildings, mostly).
I'm sure that my opponent will have lots of battlesuits, and will hide in a building, pop out, shoot, and then use his assault move to return to cover.
Accordingly, my thought was to bring lots of barrage weapons, something like a trio of Basilisks and maybe also a Manticore.
Anyone care to offer any suggestions?
Thanks,
Brent

[mallet_man]

A Manticore would be a good choice I think with the option for creating more templates! what about a griffon I think that is st 6 AP 3 ignores cover?
I would make sure to have units defending the tanks though as most of the Tau force will be strength 5 I'm guessing so armour 10 on the side of the ordnance will be risky! mortar teams are also quite good for thinning troops when taken in numbers! I would also suggest getting some heavy flamers in as if there are stealth suits present then their cover saves will be super annoying!

[charliemachina]

Having had a 4500 point marines VS new Tau.

I have so far concluded the following:

- TAU supporting fire on overwatch can cause horrific casualties
- Marker lights make TAU shooting effective target them even though they don't seem like a significant threat and the damage output of the TAU
will fall.
- If you are going to bother shooting RIPTIDES shoot them until they are dead. A RIPTIDE with one wound is as much a threat as an undamaged
one.
- Instant death those suits with your STR 8+ templates
- Cause lots of morale checks and make them run.
- Use the objectives to draw them into your guns. TAU stand back and shoot but don't advance well.
- If you can't dig stealth suits out with flamers etc assault them don't shoot them it's a waste.

Hope this helps....kill em good like they did me and my Marines.

Cheers

Charlie

[henrythesecond]

A Manticore would be a good choice I think with the option for creating more templates! what about a griffon I think that is st 6 AP 3 ignores cover?

The Griffon's Heavy Mortar doesn't ignore cover saves, though it does benefit from the Accurate Bombardment special rule.

The Colossus, however, does ignore cover saves.

Cheers. Jay.

[Firecrest]

If you're worried about cover then utilise weapons that ignore that, so vets with 3 flamers in a chimera with 2 heavy flamers for example or the wonderful hellhound squadron, or the banewolf with its ap3 loveliness. On the note of heavy support, leman russ eradicator is also a good weapon for ignoring cover, but any of ordinance weapons will be useful as they can be hidden away and pound away all day long. Also if you get chance take out the units which create the markerlights, that makes the tau just like normal guardsmen with bs3.

[Caitsidhe]

Pretty much the old Drop and Pop puts Tau Gun Lines out of commission real fast. Terminators with Heavy Flamers, Obliterators w/Heavy Flamers (if you are CSM), Marine vehicle that doesn't need LOS and does a large blast fire template that ignores cover (can't remember name), Helldrakes (if you are CSM), not to mention Doom Sirens, Dirge Casters, and countless other flamers (including basic flamer). The new Tau are just the old Tau with their shooting on steroids. They rely on cover A LOT.

[Firecrest]

All good suggestions, but he's using his IG army, but the drop and pop is a very good description for what you need to do. Harker with 3 flamers and another heavy bolter infiltrated in cover can cause harassment from the get go.

[dirkspair]

i would put little trust in chimera based vehicles. it only takes one marker light hit to send a guided missile their way that ignores cover and does not need LOS.

[Subexarch]

Leman Russ Eradicators, heavy flamers, Colossi. If the terrain is fairly dense than Demolishers with hull heavy flamers. Outflanking sentinels with heavy flamers just for larfs.

[Blenderovski]

Sentinels are good for flushing out troops - don't bother making them armoured. Just treat them as one-turn wonders and write them off after flaming a squad or two