New to Tau

[swaim]

Hi all,

I'm wanting to start collecting a new army (having previously played with vanilla Marines) and am really drawn to the Tau - I am looking for an army which shines in one particular area, rather than the all-rounders I found my Marines to be, and am impressed with the incredible firepower that the Tau have access to. I also think the models are really cool and look forward to painting them!

I found out my regular opponent is also taking up a new army and will probably be collecting Space Wolves when the codex comes out (early next month I think?) but I've had a quick look over a copy in my local GW store and it looks pretty fiercesome (and just a tad beardy IMO!). Anyway I'm just wondering if all you seasoned Tau players have any opinions on how a Tau army generally fairs against CC-orientated MEQs (surely our worst nightmare?!) and what tactics and units might fair well against them.

Thanks!

[Dtram]

Hey mate! Good thing your into Tau ^^ I love the models too :D

What most people will probably say, or what you will soon find out, it can take a long long time to figure out how to use Tau effectively. Dont get this confused with them not being good, you just need to work out what to move where, what to use to attack what.

Agaisnt MEQ's... Some may say Vespids, because they have AP3 guns and are fairly fast.

You could also stick up a couple full squads of Kroot carnivours and hounds, to tie up the most fearsome CC looking squads, while your long range mates help widdle down the others.

Try to stay mobile, FW's in DF's are good to help stay away from CC. When the enemy is closing in, but its ur turn and u know next turn they'll be able to assault, you can either hop in DF, run away for next turn, or... You could get the inevitable charge on them, reducing their attacks, increasing urs, and hopefully knocking over... Atleast a model :P

Thats some pretty basic stuff, I'm not too good gaming wise since I'm just a painter, but I hope it gives you the main idea.

[Blasterdude3]

alright another adept of the greater good! welcome! really if ur playing space wolves alot (u poor poor person) its gonna be alot about the heavy strength and AP weaponry. the new wolves are pretty scary, and beasts in combat, so basically make sure u keep mobile enough to stay away. if ur looking for MEQs then a crisis suit list would be very useful, but with plenty of drawbacks (as all armies have)
watever you deside to do, good luck with it. (also, dont take vespid)

[swaim]

Thanks for the welcome guys!

I'm really looking forward to the challenge of developing new ways of combating the enemy with the Tau, think I'll aim for a highly mobile mix of FWs in Devilfish transports and crisis suits hopping around the place...I figure if the table is big enough I'll have enough space to move without getting cornered and massacred in CC.

It's a shame Vespids just seem like a waste of points as they carry the only mass infantry gun with AP3 (that I know of!), but I get the feeling they'll just get scared and fly away. Also I don't like the models...maybe I can use something else and play "counts as"...!

[Glavas]

Thanks for the welcome guys!

I'm really looking forward to the challenge of developing new ways of combating the enemy with the Tau, think I'll aim for a highly mobile mix of FWs in Devilfish transports and crisis suits hopping around the place...I figure if the table is big enough I'll have enough space to move without getting cornered and massacred in CC.

It's a shame Vespids just seem like a waste of points as they carry the only mass infantry gun with AP3 (that I know of!), but I get the feeling they'll just get scared and fly away. Also I don't like the models...maybe I can use something else and play "counts as"...!

Don't use vespids. for the cost of a marine you're getting a 5+ save and BS3. Ultimately not work it.

Also, Stormtroopers have AP3 hotshot lasguns :P Fire dragons have s8 ap1 each.

But to the point,

firewarriors in DF always works well. Crisis suits are brilliant too.

Ultimately, there'e isn't a way to evade your opponent. you will get cornered. To save yourself bait him with something else OR make sure the rest of yout army is a good distance away, ready to shoot them down before the same occurs again.

Of course, hammerheads, hammerheads, hammerheads. They are brilliant at popping vehicles and dropping pie plateson your opponents troops.

Feel free to PM me have you more questions :D OR wait for riki/aussiedave to find their way here. They are our residentials experts :P

Glavas

[number6]

Welcome to The Greater Good! Do yourself a favor and check out the most excellent 5th edition Tau Tactica (http://www.librarium-online.com/forums/tau-empire/173742-5th-edition-tau-tactica-w-i-p.html) pinned at the top of this forum. It's the single best concise introduction to Tau tactics on the web today.

I've read through the entire SW codex now, and I feel that it's safe to say that GW has released another codex in the recent tradition of the SM and IG. Which is to say: it kicks mighty mighty ass!

But the biggest problem with it is just how awesome their psyker powers are. Having no psykers and anti-psyker capabilities is one of the defining and balancing features of the Tau army. It's never really been an issue before -- even Lash of Submission can be handled by mech'ing up. But the new SW can really really hurt us in ways no other army has ever been able to. I'm actually, sincerely worried.

For starters, SW players can take up to 4 HQs. Most of the sample lists I've seen have 3-4 Priests in the list for lots of psyker power. Yikes!

There's a power called Tempest's Wrath that is absolutely brutal. It places a 4' diameter circle of dangerous terrain on the table that only effects SW opponents. Specifically, it forces dangerous terrain tests for all skimmers, jump infantry, and deep-striking units. We may have to start putting sensor spines on all our vehicles as a result. But our jump troops are always vulnerable. :(

There's also Jaws of the World Wolf. The psyker shoots a 24" line -- it doesn't require line of sight and travels through models and terrain! -- and any model touched must take an Initiative check. Failing the check removes the model from the table, no save, no wound. Just removed from play. As we completely depend upon crisis suits and broadsides and Kroot (not to mention Fire Warriors) -- all of whom have poor initiatives -- this is very worrying. It is assymetrically potent against us when compared to its effects on other armies.

And then there's Njal Stormcaller with Lord of Tempests. This character is just plain broken IMHO. And the longer he is left alive, the more his mere presence just affects the battlefield to our extreme detriment. Look over that power and I think you'll agree.

Which is to say that I have been quite confident all up through 5th edition. The new Marines are tough, but we know how to beat 'em. The new IG are amazing, but again, we have ways to drop them. There are going to be common SW builds that, IMHO, frankly just have our number and there won't be much we can do to counter it. :( Just hope your SW opponent won't be playing psyker heavy. Hope he'll be more interested in Thunderwolf Cavalry and Lone Wolves, for example. Otherwise, I seriously am not sure what to do yet.

[chefsdad]

WOOHOO! welcome to the greater good.

in respect to SW we have a longtime SW player at our store who is hyped by the new SW but is always there to help with tactics on how to beat them, so ill give him a shout and post his advice.

just remember that wolf priests cant take storm shields, so if you can get around the inevitable bodyguard of termies he'll have one railgun hit should do it or if that fails plasma rifles will. if he's only in power armour then you could always firekife (a suit with Plasma Rifle and Missile Pods) his ass. you could alwys carbine him with a ton markerlights and hope for a pinning test, but thats always risky. i cant think of anything else at the mo except wait for Rikimaru and Aussiedave!

More to come ;)

[kororizon]

Hey there
The greatest strength Tau have (besides railguns that is ;)) is mobility with all our vehicles being skimmers. Combine this with the range of our weapons and you have a super powerful force. If you are worried about CC get some unupgraded kroot and use them as meat sheilds.

-'Rizon

[haddatt]

I have a sizeable SM army. It is what I started with. Mostly because I started playing with the original space hulk and therefore had plenty of termies already.

I have now been playing Tau for about 5 years and love them. They can be frustrating as it does take some time to get used to them. On the other hand, my little guys get the job done for me and when used correctly, really tick off my opponents.

Nothing gives you a warm fuzzy feeling then when your opponent glares at your pathfinders and starts using curiously inventive expletives. Or when you can gleefully explain that you can shoot your weapons at different targets cause of that beautiful thing called target lock or even better, when one of those weapons is a smart missile system and therefore dont even need line of sight. Thats especially entertaining when you watch them take the time to try to huddle their unit behind a piece of terrain so they cant be shot at.

Ahhhh, those good moments ....

[Ryuhei]

Because i'm biased i'll suggest broadsides, not too expensive, long range, lots of anti infantry and anti vehicle fire power alike, and a tasy morsel for the sons of russ to chase whilst you relocate units, i think the SMS is gonna be your biggest friend in this one, as you'll need massed fire power more than powerful fire power, luckily with Tau there is a relativly small difference between the two.

your biggest problem is that your fire warriors will loose their advantage of range against the dreaded children of mother Fenris, their 'true gift' is gonna be a thorn in your side.

but congratulations on choosing Tau, they're a niche army but you gotta love 'em.

[MarneusCal]

I recently saw SW going HQ heavy (preists) on Tau army couple days ago and it was horrible... D=

The "line of death" just killed whole squad from the side (something tells me I'll never going to put my FW in two rows when facing SW) and game ended with crushing victory for SW [FYI, SW player was GW owner... *shudder*]

[number6]

Yeah, see my first post in this topic. I think SW may be the one army that can outright demolish us with little resistance.

The best defense against SW psyker powers is mechanizing. All infantry on the table is easy pickings for SW psykers. Sadly, we rely very strongly on our infantry -- Kroot, XV8s, XV88s -- so ... there's only so much we can do to mitigate this. :(