Topic: Best Tau HQ unit

[CD]

I'm an experianced player, but I'm just starting Tau. I haven't even started collecting them, but I always like to have a good HQ unit as a centerpiece and focal point of my army. Right now I have a Shas'o w/ plasma rifle, missle pod, shield generator, hard-wired m.tracker, drone controller and two shield drones. The bodyguard have plasma rifles, missle pods, shield generators and two shield drones each. I know I'm going overkill with the shields, but my regular opponents usually use weapons that bypass shields, so I always like to have invulnerable saves. I'm not sure if this is worth the points, so please help me out. I would also like any suggestions for different configurations.

Thanks  

[Aerundel]

I'm voting Aun'shi. I just find it very cool how his special rule implies that any single model with 4 or less attacks are outclassed by him. He could give a hive tyrant trouble   These are ideal conditions of course. 1v1

The best Shas'o depends on what role he's playing. Fusion and plasma rifle for tank hunting, missile pod and plasma for long range. Drones are good for redirecting blast markers as well as taking double strength/power weapon hits. Multi-tracker and target lock are pretty much mandatory for the commander also.

[xv15.]

i say the commander with shield drones, then he can join a crisis squad and boost its firepower and give it some more defense with the 2 extra drones.

As for aun'shi on a hive tyrant, i'd have to disagree, considering 1 unsaved wound results in aun'shi grinded into the dirt by the massive s6 attack.

[Aerundel]

Well I did say Aun'shi would give him "trouble," not whoop him  

[TAUriffic]

Definatly the commander with shield drones and bodyguard.  I know it's HQ overkill and you'd be deducted a lot of points from a RT Tourny, but it's immensly worth it.  That's the exact config that my HQ uses and so far, they have never been lost.  The Shield Drones add immensly to their survival, and most opponents will cry horribly at their resiliance.  This in turn takes up more shooting on them, but they can easily handle it.  That of course, stops him from shooting at the rest of your army and you can blissfully destroy him with your other Tau.

A word of advice though.  That HQ unit should only be used in larger games, 1500+ plus.  In smaller games, it's just a waste of points.  Also, if you ever plan on using just a Shas'O or Shas'El as an HQ unit, if you give him any kind of drones, he loses his independent character status.  That means he can be shot at normally.  So, if you use him alone, don't give him drones.

I hope that helps.

[xv15.]

No he still keeps his independant character status, and he may join other squads, etc., the only drawback to that is when he joins other squads, his drones always have to be the first casualties to be removed.

He only loses the independant character status if he takes a bodyguard.

[Imperial Warrior]

Are you sure the commander keeps his Independant status when given drones?

As far as I know he and the drones form a unit of their own and there fore can be shot at like normal but please correct if I have understood it wrong...

[Aerundel]

The drones are just an upgrade. They have no bearing on IC status. It's the same with vehicles and their drone upgrade. The drones can shoot in addition to any other weapons normally allowed to shoot at the time. Drones don't interfere with much at all, that's the benefit of A.I.  

[Orlanth]

Any normal ethereal should be kept well away from combat. honour blades are a bad idea. They get the Ethereal killed, which is a bad idea.

Consider Aun'shi as you would a liche in Warhammer. Very hard but if he dies your army falls apart. He should only be used to slaughter weak rank and file units that don't have any real chance of killing him. I wouldn't risk him against any half decent character or dedicated melee unit and certainly would keep him well away from any monstrous creature, no matter how well he parries.

[TAUriffic]

From the Chapter Approved FAQ on GW's website  

http://www.games-workshop.com/40kuniverse/warhammer40k/Chapter_Approved/assets/qa/codexTauQAver1.pdf

(At very end of file)

Q. If a Tau Commander is accompanied by Drones can he targeted as a seprate unit.
A. Yes he can, because of this the Commander should try and join another unit to avoid being picked upon.

[Imperial Warrior]

That's how I remember it

Thanks TAUriffic for clearing that one.

[Disciple of Nagash: GT]

I chose the one I did because it was closest to what I take, but instead of shield drone, I take gun drones.

[xv15.]

From the Chapter Approved FAQ on GW's website  

http://www.games-workshop.com/40kuniverse/warhammer40k/Chapter_Approved/assets/qa/codexTauQAver1.pdf

(At very end of file)

Q. If a Tau Commander is accompanied by Drones can he targeted as a seprate unit.
A. Yes he can, because of this the Commander should try and join another unit to avoid being picked upon.

This says he can be targeted, it doesn't say he loses the independant character benifits, it says specifically in the tau codex, i'd scan it and post it but that would probably infringe on some kinda legal issues that are best left untouched.

[Lord Alliben]

"Any normal ethereal should be kept well away from combat. honour blades are a bad idea. They get the Ethereal killed, which is a bad idea."

I wouldn't say that.  I had my Ethereal guard my Firewarriors in one game.  It was about 750 pts.  My opponent had two Ultramarines tactical squads and one squad of 6 terminators, one holding an assault cannon, one with heavy flamer, and one as a sergeant.  Also, they were accompanied by a Chaplain in Termie armour and a Librarian similarly equipped.  Basically he harassed my units with the tactical squads and ran his termies up the middle.  Long story short I killed every terminator with firepower except his chaplain.  I used my commander to block off the oncoming assault but eventually my commander died.  My firewarriors stayed put to rapid fire and kill the stupid chaplain and my stealth suits moved into range to blow him back to his precious emperor.  Well, my firepower failed me (I'm still not sure how) and the chaplain survived.  My Ethereal bought the firewarriors enough time to move away and prepare to rapid fire once again.  (In the end, though, the chaplain survived as well as the sergeants of both tac squads and they finished off the firewarriors, Ethereal, and stealth suits without further harm.  It was vey very bad.)  Negative odd rolling of dice aside, the Ethereal performed rather well and bought me enough time to mount a counter strike.  Although it failed it was not due to the Ethereal.  By all rights I should've won because of his noble sacrifice.

[Aerundel]

I agree, ethereals lead their armies well. That's all I had for an HQ (with 2 gun drones) for my first 2 battles and I tied the first and won second. The only time their abilities can be really hampered is against a DE army with terrorfexes. Re-rolling for Ld 4-5 sucks, I'd rather just run   But if you attach him to the squad they become fearless, so that's still a possibility.

And btw, for the record I'd never put up Aun'shi against a Tyrant. I just think he's cool and has a really nice special rule  

[Shas'Vre'Shi]

To me, i think the best HQ is Farsight, but he has a lil problem, you cant have any kroot or drone squads. I, myself, use him, he is one of the few HQ who can actually hold his own in HTH,besides an etheral, and his Dawn blade is like a power weapon (role 2d6 in hth), so HTH with a tank is nice. My army does well, especially since i think the kroot are useless. Another  thing that the tau need that he helps is HTH. His ork fighter ability, giving them +1 I and +1 S. The tau can really use this, so, yeah. The thing is, if your new to the 40k universe, you will want to have a general army, so, depends what you really want in your army.  

[farseer reg]

a beefed up commander with shield drones and beefed up bodyguards will nail everythin

[Belgarion85]

I say Aun´shi.
I use him myself, and he does some damage.
Its good to have someone that is goo in cc too = )

Voting ethereal. Because he is an ethereal