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Author Topic: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique  (Read 7651 times)

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Offline Plastikente

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Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« on: March 30, 2015, 03:26:27 PM »
I haven't touched my Tau since before 7th edition came out, because my Evil Space Elves have been getting all the love.  But suddenly this week I feel an urge to fight for the Greater Good once more.

This a 1000 pt list to take on a random opponent at my local GW.

HQ – Fireblade: 60 pts
1 Cadre Fireblade

Elites – Crisis Team: 114 pts
2 XV8s with 2 Missile Pods + Flamer each

Elites – Crisis Team: 114 pts
1 XV8 with TL Plasma Rifle, Fusion Blaster
1 XV8 with TL Fusion Blaster, Plasma Rifle

Elites – Riptide: 185 pts
XV104 with Ion Accelerator, TL SMS

Troops – Fire Warrior Team: 180 pts
9 Fire Warriors + Shas’ui, Devilfish

Troops – Fire Warrior Team: 100 pts
9 Fire Warriors + Shas’ui

Fast Attack – Piranha Squadron: 100 pts
2 Piranhas with Fusion Blasters

Fast Attack – Pathfinder Team: 44 pts
4 Pathfinders

Fortification – Aegis Line: 100 pts
1 Aegis Defence Line with Quad Gun

TOTAL: 997 pts

The theory is, the FWs, Pathfinders and Fireblade hole up behind the Aegis Defence Line to form a static fire base whilst the other stuff uses its mobility to pick off stuff that the Fire Warriors can't see and/or hurt.

This list is a break from how I've used Tau in the past, because I've brought no tanks or Broadsides.  Instead, I'm hoping that I've traded armour for mobility so that I have to use a more developed tactic than "sit still and shoot everything".  In terms of offensive loadout, I think the Crisis suits and piranhas between them can deal with medium and heavy vehicles/MCs, which I would previously have targetted with Railheads and Missilesides.

What do people think?  Have I got all my bases covered?  Are there any changes you would suggest?

Offline Wyddr

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2015, 03:41:16 PM »
At a 1000 points, there's a lot you can get away with using Tau given how cheap our stuff is, in general. I like this list in the sense that you aren't overspending on anything and taking as many toys as possible.

A couple comments:

1) How big a deal are flyers in your meta? If you only expect to see the occasional Crimson Hunter or something, you might be better off ditching the Quad Gun and using those points to buy more pathfinders. Hell, you could stick Skyfire and Interceptor on the Riptide and still have a fair amount of points left over to either fill out your Devilfish squad or something. Heck, you are one Quad Gun away from having an Ethereal, and they are pretty damned useful in a Devilfish squad, let me tell you. 

2) 4 Pathfinders will live for about 1 turn before turning into vapor against anybody who has ever faced Tau. If you're only taking 4 of them, I might just suggest taking no markerlights at all and throwing everything into guns.

3) I've generally found that mechanized Firewarrior teams work better in pairs than alone. That said, this is a 1000 point game, so it might work. I'd like to see the squad a bit bigger, though. Indeed, I'd like to see both FW squads bigger.

4) General observation: the best thing about Piranha are the drones. Don't expect those fusion blasters to pay off often--I've found they tend to miss at the most important times. I *love* piranha, but I consider them harassment units and diversions more than actual workhorse units. In a list this small, the points *might* be better spent elsewhere. Your mileage may vary, of course.

So, in general: drop something to either boost your firepower (Ethereal/more FWs) or your markerlight output (more pathfinders). The Quad Gun seems low-hanging fruit if you don't see a lot of flyers, and the Piranha aren't particularly essential, though I love the little gun drones they offer. 

Offline Plastikente

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #2 on: April 2, 2015, 04:57:53 PM »
Thanks for the feedback.

I'm not playing very often at the moment, so I really don't know if there are many flyers around.  I just wanted to avoid being caught out if I did come across some.

I want to keep the piranhas because of an article I read elsewhere about their uses for positional play, and I want to try it out.  The fusion blasters were not because I expect them to be really effective vehicle hunters, but because the list is a bit low on options to deal with AV14 so they put another threat on the table.

Bearing in mind your other comments, I am considering 2 options:
  • Go (almost) full mech, by dropping the Aegis line altogether, swapping the Fireblade for an Ethereal and using the points to buy another devilfish and 3 Fire Warriors; or
  • Just dropping the Quad Gun to get more footsoldiers.  I could top up the pathfinders with 3 more and add 1 FW to each of those squads.

Offline Spectral Arbor

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #3 on: April 2, 2015, 05:21:30 PM »
Not that I'm a Tau expert, or anything, but I've played against them a handful of times. I found that the more mobile they were, the better they were.

Nothing needs to be static in a Tau list, and I've found they were best when they weren't. Planning to move around, Fish of Fury, Jinking away damage is quite powerful, especially with Suits jumping in and out of LOS.

I'd suggest against DS'ing the Suits. I've seen them wiped out nearly every time they do so, and they've seldom killed their target except for some Super-Mega Killmeister squad that killed their target [Farsight Bomb? Is that a thing?] but then were nearly wiped themselves right afterwards.

Hop them along with the rest of a mobile army, and you'll be able to keep them alive for repeated beatings. Are Pathfinders the Markerlight guys? If so, I'm pretty sure the Drones can move and more accurately fire their lights.


Just remember to flow back and forth, like water. It sounds cheesy, but it's the best way I can describe the "best way" I've seen Tau played.
« Last Edit: April 2, 2015, 05:22:39 PM by Spectral Arbor »

Offline Wyddr

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #4 on: April 2, 2015, 08:46:33 PM »
Piranha blocking is very handy in certain situations, yeah. I've found that I play sufficiently few armies that are either able or willing to get into assault with me that it doesn't come up that much. It can be very handy for frustrating transports, though--probably its most reliable use.

As for whether to go full mech or partially static, I'd recommend full mech if only because moving is more fun that sitting there on your hands (ymmv, of course). Hybrid is a valid option, though. With the fireblade, those firewarriors are throwing a lot of S5 downfield.

I am not a huge fan of Pathfinders, full stop. I find them too fragile. I prefer Marker Drones, despite their worse accuracy, simply because the added T, Sv, and the Jetpack make them much, much more survivable and flexible. You kind have to convert them, though.

I'd suggest against DS'ing the Suits. I've seen them wiped out nearly every time they do so, and they've seldom killed their target except for some Super-Mega Killmeister squad that killed their target [Farsight Bomb? Is that a thing?] but then were nearly wiped themselves right afterwards.

The Farsight Bomb is a thing, yeah, but as you say, it's very expensive and tends to die pretty quickly after its initial smackdown.

As for dropping suits, I think it's okay to do with Fusion/Plasma suits. You'd do well to give them a Shield drone or two just to soak the hits, but a small squad of Crisis Suits can be dropped and do some damage *and* survive so long as the rest of your army keeps up the pressure. Don't do it with Deathrain suits (twin Missile Pods)--no reason. Let them shoot all game, instead, hopping back and forth from helpful pieces of cover.

Offline Plastikente

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #5 on: April 3, 2015, 05:38:52 PM »
Ok, you've persuaded me; I'll try full mech.  Mobility is my favourite thing about Dark Eldar, but that's all about open-topped paper transports and super-fast jetbikes.  I suppose the hybrid list was largely because it seems like a waste to keep such powerful shooters as Fire Warriors stuck inside transports they can't shoot out of.

I am not a huge fan of Pathfinders, full stop. I find them too fragile. I prefer Marker Drones, despite their worse accuracy, simply because the added T, Sv, and the Jetpack make them much, much more survivable and flexible.
I'll swap the pathfinders for some marker drones and see how they do, although I'll have to sacrifice one of the extra FWs in order to find the points.

You kind have to convert them, though.

Like this?

Made out of spare bases, Tau aerials and targetting Imperial building targetting optics. They look a bit clunky, but I like to think that they are an earlier model which is still in service.

Offline Wyddr

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #6 on: April 3, 2015, 10:05:12 PM »
The drones won't produce the same markerlight output as the pathfinders, but they will probably consistently provide that output for much longer, since you can hide them somewhere, have them hop out and mark something, and then have them hop back.

Offline Spectral Arbor

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #7 on: April 3, 2015, 11:03:54 PM »
Keeping in mind, that you really just need 2 light "hits" to deny cover to soft troops, or to hit tough troops on a 2+. :) Or remove cover to tough troops if you're going to slap them around with the Riptide's Battlecannon-like weapon.

6 of them should do the business pretty reliably. Especially if they're twin-linked, but maybe that was just the guns or something. It's been a while.

Offline Wyddr

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #8 on: April 4, 2015, 10:39:05 AM »
Keeping in mind, that you really just need 2 light "hits" to deny cover to soft troops, or to hit tough troops on a 2+. :) Or remove cover to tough troops if you're going to slap them around with the Riptide's Battlecannon-like weapon.

6 of them should do the business pretty reliably. Especially if they're twin-linked, but maybe that was just the guns or something. It's been a while.

They aren't twin-linked, sadly. Just basic drone BS. But yeah, 6 of them work pretty well. Like you say, you really only need 2-3 hits on a single unit, usually.

Offline Spectral Arbor

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #9 on: April 4, 2015, 03:12:49 PM »
Oh, bummer. Well, 6 should still be ok, and I love the conversions. :) At first I was like, "What's he talking about, painted bases? They're clear!"

And then it dawned on me. Nice work on that free-hand!

Offline Plastikente

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #10 on: April 5, 2015, 12:09:25 PM »
So, v1.1 of the list is as follows:

HQ – Ethereal: 50 pts
1 Ethereal

Elites – Crisis Team: 114 pts
2 XV8s with 2 missile pods + flamer each

Elites – Crisis Team: 114 pts
1 XV8 with TL Plasma Rifle, Fusion Blaster
1 XV8 with TL Fusion Blaster, Plasma Rifle

Elites – Riptide: 185 pts
XV104 with Ion Accelerator, TL SMS

Troops – Fire Warrior Team: 179 pts
11 Fire Warriors, Devilfish

Troops – Fire Warrior Team: 188 pts
12 Fire Warriors, Devilfish

Fast Attack – Piranha Squadron: 100 pts
2 Piranhas with Fusion Blasters

Fast Attack – Drone Squadron: 70 pts
5 Marker Drones

TOTAL: 1000 pts

I have swapped the Fireblade for an Ethereal, who will jump in with the smaller FW squad.  Because of his leadership bubble, I have sacrificed the Shas'uis and used the points to top up with more grunts.  The Aegis defence line has gone in favour of a second Devilfish so that my two FW squads can stay mobile and stay together.  Finally, I have dropped the pathfinders and replaced them with marker drones, trading accuracy for survivability.

Now I just have to find time to actually play a game with this lot!

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #11 on: April 5, 2015, 01:21:26 PM »
From what i see you have a solid battle plan and this list is surely something i would play if i where a tau player so i'm defenetly looking to see how it work. (will play tau one day once i'm out of school and got time and money for 40k >< ) Please tell us how well or not you did ^^ really looking forward to it.
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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #12 on: April 5, 2015, 11:37:30 PM »
... (will play tau one day once i'm out of school and got time and money for 40k >< ) ...

Oh, if only it worked that way. :(

As to the list, only minor things. The squadron of two Piranha could be two independent units. If one Jinks to avoid damage, the other is still at full pop. I think the Devilfish have an upgrade that improves their Cover Save? I'd say it's pretty useful. If you've got terrain to work with, great, and if not, jinking with a bonus is good times to ensure the Mega-Dump of shots they'll give out when the boys deploy.

I've never seen the Piranhas before, but if they're rocking a single Fusion Blaster... I'd find other ways to spend those points. A larger drone squad, upgrades to the Devilfish... more suits, or drones for said suits?


Offline Plastikente

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #13 on: April 6, 2015, 05:01:32 AM »
From what i see you have a solid battle plan ... Please tell us how well or not you did

I'm actually not sure I do.  I have always played pretty static lists of Tau in the past, so part of the point with this so that I can teach myself how to play mobile.  I find static lists a bit dull, and mobility is one of the things I love about Dark Eldar.  We'll see what happens!  ;D

As to the list, only minor things. The squadron of two Piranha could be two independent units. If one Jinks to avoid damage, the other is still at full pop. I think the Devilfish have an upgrade that improves their Cover Save? I'd say it's pretty useful. If you've got terrain to work with, great, and if not, jinking with a bonus is good times to ensure the Mega-Dump of shots they'll give out when the boys deploy.

I've never seen the Piranhas before, but if they're rocking a single Fusion Blaster... I'd find other ways to spend those points. A larger drone squad, upgrades to the Devilfish... more suits, or drones for said suits?

Yeah, I suppose I could shell out for some disruption pods, but I'll have to find a saving somewhere.  I generally prefer more guns over neat gadgets, particularly at smaller points levels.  For example, I would have to drop 4 Fire Warriors to raise the points for 2 DPs, which I'm not keen to do.

I've never played with piranhas before either, and I want to keep them in the list to try them out.  They are the fastest ground unit in the codex, so I think they fit well with the style of the list.  If I dropped the Fusion Blasters then I would make the points for a single disruption pod for a Devilfish, but this list is a bit light on options to take AV14, so I think I would rather keep them.  Good point about splitting them into 2 squadrons though.

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Re: Coming Back to Tau - 1000 list for critique
« Reply #14 on: April 6, 2015, 07:23:28 AM »
well i don't know if you guy's do this, but personally i like to play what looks cool to me  >< so i loved pirahna since the first time I got my eyes on the tau codex, so i would never take pyrahna out of a list ><

Well if you played dark eldar before i think you should be fine when it comes to handeling moving list :) give it a try before saying you are not confident, go in confident, then when you get stumble upon rethink your battle plan to go against your opponent's one ^^  i'm pretty that's the best way to win, believe in your strategie... never had real strategie that's why i lost most the game i did >< don't be like me ^^
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