New 1000pt Tau List, quick battle report

Last saturday saw a 1000pt quasi-pickup game between Myself (Tau) and Matt (Space Marines) versus Aaron (Eldar) and Russell (Tyranids), played at Chaos Games (our FLGS) on what is without doubt the most amazing and awe-inspiring terrain board I have ever played a game of warhammer on. This thing was an epic, hilly skimmer/jump pack paradise, although as I learned, really obscured line of sight. The entire thing was a snowy painted landscape, and seeing how my models looked on it, I'm thinking about doing the bases as dark rocks with scattered snow - the contrast is appealing without looking absurd.

Anyway, moving on to the nitty gritty. Being as it was a 1000pt battle, I quickly switched around my "standard" 1000pt list to include another Broadside in place of the slow, useless, and utterly ignorable Kroot. Here's the result:

1000pt Tau Empire List
HQ:
-Shas'El Commander w/ Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-tracker, Hard-Wired (HW) Drone Controller and 2 shield Drones
--> 2 Shas'vre Bodyguards, w/ Plasma Rifles, Missile Pods, Targeting Arrays, and HW Multi-trackers.

Troops:
- 7 Fire Warriors
--> Devilfish transport w/ Smart Missile System, Targeting Array, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pod
- 7 Fire Warriors
--> Devilfish transport w/ Smart Missile System, Targeting Array, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pod

Heavy Support:
- Hammerhead Gunship w/ Railgun, Smart Missile System, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pod
- 2 Broadside Battlesuits, advanced stabilization System


Much the same as the last list, but I like having 2 broadsides rather than 12 kroot - with most of my army dependant on mobility and long range, having 1 lone unit of slow short range squishies isn't as effective as I thought, and at times is actually a detriment (12 kroot are __ points of stuff that the enemy doesn't have to worry about with most of his/her army, given that the little twerps aren't fleet and I always forget to make sure there's a good forest on the table.)

Since it was getting late and I'd already played 2 games of Warhammer Fantasy that day (my Lizardmen figured out that High Elves also taste just like chicken, and my Dwarf Army was brought out of retirement to remind me that, while they won't often win combats decisively, they're damn hard to kill, even against swordmasters -- a win and a draw/very minor victory, in total), I was pretty tired and not paying as much attention to the game as I should have been.


Tau (me) and Space Marines (Matt) vs. Tyranids (Russell) and Eldar (Aaron)

Game: Modified Capture and Control (I think...)
Deployment: Dawn of War
Allies: Matt (Space Marines)
Opponents: Aaron (Eldar), Russell (Tyranids)

The single objective was this truly massive and detailed Eldar custom-built Eldar tower (sitting on 2 hill levels in the middle) with rules on gettin infantry from the door to the shooting platform on top. Anything with 12" range was going to have a hard time shooting stuff directly below them, it was that high up (we used 'top down' sighting, we weren't that rules-crazy).

Given the massive amount of dangerous terrain cliff faces and obstacles (no 'slopping' hills here - dangerous terrain slopes were everything here) and the fact he hadn't played anything else for a while, Matt brought out a very standard and well rounded Space Marine Army, consisting of standard Marines (or sternguard?) in Rhinos, a Predator, some CC terminators, and another tank-busting-tank of some sort or another. I was getting pretty out of it by this time, it was after 8:00pm when we started, and I'd been wfb-ing since 11:00am. Russell's list was his standard with a few tweeks (the Genestealers had extended carapace - ohhhh man that hurt), and Aarons was.... some wierd Eldar thing with non-mounted/transported infantry and a big ol' forgeworld Wave-serpent thingy.

They went first, and Turn 1 saw very minimal deployment, given Dawn of War rules, and almost no shooting - except from my commander's battlesuits and the Hammerhead that rolled on during our 1st turn, both of which rolled EXTREMELY NICE night fight sighting rolls, taking out almost 1/3rd of a Guardian Squad, forcing him to go to ground and take a panic check. Matt took the middle/right, going for the objective, while I took the left edge, thinking to swing around and pump enough raw firepower into their flank to send even the synapsed Warriors running for the hills (if, you know, they actually were allowed to fail automaticly passed leadership tests).

Turn 2 - I continue to underestimate Russell, as a squad of incoming Genestealers obliterated my Battlesuits that jumped back to just too near the board edge rather than towards the middle. D'oh. Lots of fighting between Matt's Space Marines and the bulk of Russell/Aaron's infantry started up around the objective, and escalated with each turn. The waveserpent moved up to begin threatening my battlesuits/Hammerhead from behind cover, and recieved a few solid Railgun hits for its presumption, shaking the crew so they couldn't shoot the next turn.

Turn 3 - despite 3 solid Railgun hits, I failed to pen/he rolled good cover on his wave serpent that was progressing on my battlesuits, but 2 full rapid-firing squads of fire warriors finished off the Genestealers - as the 2nd squad came further towards my board edge. Oi. Fighting in the center started to get to a fevered pitch.

Turn 4 - Their turn saw the 2nd squad of Genestealers advance towards my Hammerhead, the waveserpent move from behind cover to point blank range, and the carnifex/warriors/gaunts moving around the middle objective hill to flank Matt's marines, and my hammerhead railgun getting busted off by the genestealers. Shooting was utterly worthless for me, as a lot of shots at the Serpent just ended up "can't move or shoot"-ing it, and another devilfish losing its weaponry to a Fex. The fighting in the center reached its climax, as Matt, desperate to hold the position at any cost, actually blew up the objective building, creating some cover for him to sit in and messing up the Tyranid advance.

Turn 5 - I didn't pay much attention here, with most of my fire warriors, the 2 broadsides, and the hammerhead being destroyed at the onset. Matt somehow managed to pass enough dangerous terrain tests to being his rhinos to the top of the hill to serve as a wall, and I followed closely (and more easily) with the weaponless Devilfish (which was promply blown up at the start of the next turn). A roll of 5 kept us in the game for another turn.

I left at the onset, having only 2 devilfish left, one of them without weaponry and quickly destroyed, the other doing a quick out-of-order but allowed shooting at the genestealers and getting packed up. It was well after 2:00am by this point, so I packed up and got a ride home from the 2 friends who had kindly stayed around another 20 minutes after their game of WFB ended to wait for me to get to a place to bow out.

What I've learned: My usual tactics and army builds works extremely well against tank and transport dependant enemies and MEQs, but not so much against infantry lists - I need to rethink a few things, possibly adding in a few more anti-infantry weapons on the Battlesuits in place of the Plasma rifles, or knocking off a devilfish in exchange for a few stealth suits and a static fire warrior shroud around the Broadsides. Despite some bad rolls this game, I never normally have trouble eliminating enemy tanks, and despite my mobility a lot of the hilly terrain really messed me up at first, allowing the more experienced Eldar player (whose board this was) to bottleneck me and keep me away from the main fight on the other hill. Of everyone, this board was really built for an infantry army, and both Matt and I had trouble with that.

This game also really hammered in the fact that I have to be more mindful of Genestealers/outflankers, especially when playing (Russell's) 'Nids. Overall, the game was fun but exhausting, and I'd rather not play with quite that much terrain and obstacles again, even if it does look just so gosh darn pretty.

Coming up - 3k and 4k Apocalypse lists and tactics for the game on Memorial Day. I'm not going to be there, but I'm letting them borrow my Tau to make the sides even if they can't find a 6th player (hopefully on the condition that they take pictures and let me live vicariously through their blog posts).

Tau Anti-Infantry Weaponry

The Tau Empire aresenal is filled with a lot of high S/AP weaponry, most with very specialized roles such as anti-tank (Railguns, Fusion Blasters, Plasma Rifles, etc.), anti-MEQ (Vespid Neutron Blasters, Rail Rifles, Missile Pods, etc.), or just plain old anti-everything-else (Pulse Rifles, Burst Cannons, Smart Missile Systems, and just about every other S5/AP5 gun out there). There are also certain "random" helper weapons, such as the famed Markerlight Target Designator and the almost never used flechette discharger.

The tricky thing here is that, while most of the commonly employed Tau weaponry are effective against infantry due to their high S/AP, most of them just don't have the necessary rate of fire to deal with larger infantry blocks. Sure, a burst cannon's S5 AP5 will deny most non-MEQ infantry an armor save, but each burst cannon only has 3 shots at mostly BS3, and doesn't really come in bulk, truth be told. A 6-strong Stealth Suit squad can crank out a hiddeous 18 shots per turn with their Burst Cannons - but, at BS3, we're looking at a statistical 5-6 wounds on basic, bulk-underpants infantry. Not great odds when there's another 100 or so more ready to step up and take their place.

Since the weapon makes the Tau, in this instance, lets go through all the Tau weaponry that IS effective against massed infantry, ranked by availability. (To avoid a GW lawsuit/face slap, I'm not including points values).

Shas'O/Shas'El/Shas'Vre Battlesuits (i.e. access to special issue)
Airbursting Fragmentation Projectors - S4/AP5, G18", large blast and denies cover
- One of the three blatant exceptions to the normal theme of Tau weaponry, this fella is flat out designed to be anti-infantry. Only 1 shot a turn and special issue (i.e. you can only have 1 in a list), the AFP gives you a massive template of cover denial, and throwing this thing on a BS4/5 commander means you've got one heck of a potential Guard killer. Rank = A++

Cyclic Ion Blaster - S3/AP4, 18", assault 5
- The second exception to the trend, the Cyclic Ion Blaster is another special issue anti-infantry that would actually pair pretty well with the AFP on a Commander or, better yet, one of his Shas'Vre bodyguards. Low Strength means you'll have a problem or two with MEQs, but even Guard command squads will come to fear this little do-hicky thanks to its more substantial armor save denial. Rank = A+

Crisis Battlesuits
Burst Cannon - S5/AP5, 18", Assault 3
- one of the many SAP-5 Tau weapons, the Burst Cannon is still a very effective infantry killer due to its 3 shots per turn, and excells at killing the average 5+ armor save infantry. However, even on the cheaper Stealth Suits, you're going to have to kill 5-6 Guard per suit to make up their points. Rank = A-

Flamer - S4/AP5, template, Assault 1
- the humble flamer is the third trend-breaking Tau weapon, and much more common among 40k armies as a whole. The template weapons can wreak havoc on massed infantry, and the undesirable need to be incredibly close to the enemy is mitigated by jump packs and a high survivale rate against basic, non-upgraded or power weaponed infantry. Great for busting those hard-to-kill units out of cover, and even Twin Linked, its also really, really cheap! Rank = A

Missile Pods - S7/AP4, 36", Assault 2
- While generally more of a MEQ killer, what the missile pod lacks in comparable rate of fire, it makes up for in range and save-denial. Good at focusing fire on HQ or Elite infantry without fear of immediate reprisal, its still on the mildly expensive side, and fire warriors are nearly as effective. Rank = C-

Troops
Pulse Rifle - S5/AP5, 30", Rapid Fire
- the most famous of Tau weaponry, the SAP-5 Pulse rifle is the mainstay of the Fire Warrior arsenal, and a good anti-everything gun. The lack of a higher rate of fire is mitigated by the cheap cost of Fire Warriors, long range, and the rapid-fire option (though getting that close with fire warriors is always a gamble). Pulse rifles are one weapon Tau can bring to the table in force. Rank = A+

Kroot Rifle - S4/AP6, 24", Rapid fire, counts as +1 hand weapon
- Kroot themselves are highly effective anti-infantry (IF they get the charge), and the Kroot Rifle is a good weapon for them - getting in close with Kroot is the point, and having rapid fire and +1 hand weapon really helps with this. However, as cheap and effective as kroot are at assulting, even basic guard can shoot them to a quick and early grave. Best as a backup to more dedicated shooting. Rank = A-

"Ferocious Fangs"
- Strangely enough, one of the only (effective) close combat weapons mentioned in the text, they aren't on the weapons sheet, and don't actually do anything outside of the normal stats for their originators, the Kroot Hounds. These are worth mentioning simply because Kroot Hounds are basically weapons in and of themselves - they can only be added on to a Kroot squad, and are slightly more effective (and cheaper!) than Kroot at combat, but don't have a ranged weapon. Guard squads will quail before these guys (again, IF they get the charge). Rank = B+

Pulse Carbines - S5/AP5, 18", assault 1, Pinning
- nowhere near as effective as Pulse Rifles, carbines are worth mentioning solely for their pinning ability - which most armies have ways of ignoring anyway. Target a lonely basic Guard squad and they have the potential of delaying them, at the very least. BS2 Gun Drones, with Twin Linked Carbines, are mobile and ignorable enough to make these worth it for versatilities sake. Rank = C+ (on Drones)

Vespid Neutron Blasters - S5/AP3, 12", assault 1
- the under-used MEQ killers of the Tau List, Vespids' weaponry is only matched by their incredible agility at covering ground - Jump infantry with the 'Fleet (of wing)' special rule and the ability to re-roll failed dangerous terrain tests, these fellas can fly circles around most other infantry squads while laying into them with some very effective AP3 shots. Their 5+ save, T4, and I5 make them a decent CC strike team against weaker targets of opportunity, but throw in a Strain Leader and they've got Ld9! Although they're easily the most expensive non-battlesuit infantry in the Tau list and only have 1 shot a piece, their massive combat mobility (especially when combined with Kroot) is just too good to pass up. Rank = A

Rail Rifles - S6/AP3, 36", Heavy 1, Pinning
- available either on Sniper Drone Teams, or as upgrades to 1/2 a Pathfinder unit, rail rifles have never quite seemed in the right place for me. Up to 3 Sniper Drone teams take up a single Heavy Support choice, but that's normally better suited to another Hammerhead; and putting them on pathfinders costs more and negates the markerlights! You get 3 Drones and a Networked markerlight per Sniper team (so a potential 9 BS4 shots, using markerlights), though, and for long range precision, nothing beats that. A lot of Tau anti-infantry can be considered sledgehammer-like, so having a bunch of precise, mid/long range, save-negating, command/character killers could potentially be VERY lethal against infantry armies such as iGuard. Rank = A-

Markerlights - S-/AP-, 36", Special
- Nothing much to say here - markerlights don't actually do damage themselves, but given their ability to boost friendly BS and eliminate enemy cover, they can make other shooting MUCH more effective. Pathfinders are the most points-effective method of using them, and I'm on the fence about whether or not another squad and a half of fire warriors isn't more effective for the cost. They've got their place. Rank = B-

Vehicles
Smart Missile System - S5/AP5, 24", Heavy 4, Ignores Line of Sight
- SMS are another SAP-5 Tau mainstay, and prove themselves highly effective on both Devilfish and Broadside Battlesuits (not really a vehicle, but close enough). Their range and ability to shoot at ANYTHING within 24", even outside of line of sight (although this gives the target a cover save) is nothing to laugh at, but with only 4 shots a piece, it adds up to a very expensive option. Rank = C+

Hammerhead Railgun Submunition - S6/AP4, 72", Heavy 1, Large Blast
- available only on the Hammerhead Railgun, this blast template is startlingly effective against most types of infantry, especially at long range, but comes at a pretty high cost - I usually run Hammerheads at over 160pts! For an infantry killer, this bugger has one huge threat area, but most skilled enemies aready know this, so are less likely to cluster, even in their deployment zone, but with only 1 shot a turn for its cost, has some downsides. Rank = A-

Flechette Discharger - CC, Special
- often ignored, this add-on to Tau Vehicles isn't technically a weapon, though what it does can be almost as effective - any enemy model assaulting the vehicle take a wound on a d6 roll of 4+, with saves allowed, before combat begins. Given how often enemy infantry have assaluted my tanks, I'm surprised I don't take this more often, but its points value and relative ineffectiveness against MEQs' armor saves makes it less likely to recoup its points. Throwing it on a Devilfish (which is likely to get in close) might be a good option, especially against Guard, but for its points, not a mainstay on most of my tanks. Rank = C

Well, that's the weaponry I think will matter in this case. I'm deliberately not including Etherial CC weapons, or a bunch of Battlesuit weaponry, simply so save space on an already LONG post (and I consider Etherials to be useless to my style of play). After reviewing it all, there's quite a bit in the Tau army that has the potential to be anti-infantry (if used right), and I'm man enough to admit I was a little off in my earlier presumptions.

Taking Ranks, potential, uses, and how they all fit, here's what my top choices for things to make room for in my Anti-Guard/Anti-Infantry list, and why.

1). Vespids - mobility, mobility, mobility, and utter lethality
2). Airbursting Fragmentation Projector/Cyclic Ion Blaster - the best choices out there for modifying my command team.
3). Sniper Drone Teams - lots of potential at killing commanders/comissars/etc.
4). Kroot/Kroot Hounds - very effective against infantry, and good at protecting snipers/fire warriors.
5). more Fire Warriors - versatile and cheap anti-infantry fire, they can take out the whole gamut of stuff thrown down, and with Kroot to back them up, don't need Devilfish.

I'm pretty much set with a mainly Static build in my anti-Guard list - less vehicle-focused (no devilfish) while remaining agile (Vespids and Battlesuits), and more ability to lay down a withering hail of fire (fire Warriors, Sniper Drones, and Stealth Suits) with good combat backup (Kroot). Some of these may get cut in favor of a more generalized feel, but I'm trying to stay focused on the "tailored list" idea (also, given the Guard preference for tanks, a Hammerhead and a 3-strong Broadside contingent with target locks (fire at different Targets) are almost a certainty). We'll see.

Wow, this was an incredibly long post.

Vote in the Poll! Also, weapons roundtable!

The title of this thread is slightly misleading - its mainly there to get you, my fellow warhammer crazies, to vote at the aforementioned poll to your immediate right. Thats right, look over there and vote quick for 2 units you believe would work well in a for-fun Anti-Imperial Guard list (who in turn is bringing an Anti-Tau list). Go on, vote....

... you voted now? Ahh, good, good.

Now, on to the other nitty-gritty bits of this post. As anyone who has experience with/against a Tau Empire army can tell you, Tau shooting excells at basically 3 things -

A). Anti-Vehicle Weaponry - Railguns, Fusion Blasters, Plasma Rifles: heck, even the humble pulse rifle has a chance of glancing or even penetrating AV10.

B). Versatility - Battlesuits and tanks have a surprising array of possible weapon combinations and upgrades, giving the ability to tailor specific Crisis teams and Devilfish/Hammerheads to one purpose or another.

C). Range - from 72" range Railguns to 30" range Pulse Rifles, Tau have very few problems finding suitable targets for their weapons, and with rapid-firing Plasma and Pulse rifles, getting in closer isn't necessarily safer for the enemy.


While these 3 advantages are all well and good, there are a few things that hamper the effectiveness of Tau shooting in certain situations. For example....


A). Volume of fire - Tau weaponry is definitely quality-over-quantity, and as such even the anti-infantry weapons can't match other armies in sheer quantity. Even burst cannons, for all their potency, only fire 3 shots.

B). Numbers - given the focus on Battlesuits and Tanks, and that the cheepest infantry units on the Tau list (that aren't Kroot) are 10pts a model, Tau have a hard time putting down as many ground-pounders as most other infantry-oriented lists.

C). Close Combat - there is nothing in the Tau codex that has a decent chance of survival if assaulted. Sure, battlesuits are S5 T4 - but WS2. Kroot can dish it out - but cannot take it. Vespids are mildly effective - but hiddeously expensive for it. Fire warriors... don't ever get fire warriors into combat.


What all this boils down to is a serious problem with Horde armies, who have too many models for a Tau player to kill enough of to stem the tide. Orcs, Imperial Guard, and Tyranids all have fairly effective Horde-options, and as such are probably the best suited to negate a fair amount of Tau Weapon advantages.


However, all is not lost! Even though they focus on anti-tank/MEQ weaponry, the Tau arsenal does have a few weapons specifically geared towards the hordes of uncivilized heathens who would rather die in the millions than follow the true and logical teachings of the Greater Good. However, they do require a fair bit more precision in both list construction and strategy than other Tau armies, and as such are most effective when you know you'll be facing a big ole' Horde and plan to counter it somehow.

In the next post - the lowdown on Tau Anti-Horde Weaponry!

A warning for those who don't know me - I make metaphors cry

Well, against my better sense of moral originality, I've decided to start one of these to track the assembly, painting, and cohesive-izing of my Tau army (in between working on Comps, for those of you with the inclination to beat me over the head with that dead cat. If you want to know how comps is going, go check my comps Twitter. Yes, I have a Comps Twitter, and I update.... often. The trick is finding it.)

If you've come here expecting: ...
A). original Tau Tactics ideas
B). painting tips
C). powergaming army list pointers
D). unit/item points values (shame on you)
E). The Inquisition (no-one expects the Inquisition)

... you are unfortunately completely out of luck. However, if you're interested in: ...

1). Trial-and-error Tau unit and list configurations
2). Sporadicly detailed battle reports
3). Ranting
4). what I have painted so far
5). occasional amusing commentary and terrorized metaphors
6). kittens

... then go nuts, and welcome to Caleb's attempts to regain a hold on his sanity while writing a 30 page paper, taking an internet class on the Holocaust, working 40hrs a week, getting his appartment into better order, and the rest of the myriad things that have prompted my sanity/higher reasoning to take a vacation somewhere on Hawaii.

Why Hawaii, you ask?
Its the only place that doesn't have dodo birds dancing the cha-cha with penguins. (they dance the Hula instead.)

Right, first 1000pt list will be posted up... eventually. Feel free to hold your breath, the funny shades of blue your faces will turn gives me inspiration for paint colors.