I've recently been giving my Tau some much needed love. With only a crisis suit, one broadside and two tanks away from finishing ... I'd lost interest in the light of the new Guard codex (can that still be considered new? One year on guys?) and the New New nids ... which I'm loving at the moment.
I'd taken by Crisis Suits back to the workbench to implement project 'mini-magnet' and finally magnetised all their weapons. This really is the only way to go with these boys ... giving you complete freedom to deploy the model in whatever format fits and how YOU see fit.
Although there are great believers in the 'fireknife' ... I find that the best build still thwarts me ... and my love for flamers and AFP lingers on.
I've had some of my funniest games between the Tau and Nids. They are great adversaries in the Gorgon campaign fluff, but this is reflected in the balance of the two armies on the field. Tau struggle against Nids ... but they also have some wonderful tools and speed to counteract the Tyranids effectiveness!
What about a anti-Tyranid Tau force ... based around my existing models?
I've come up with the following list:
- HQ: Shas'El with Air Fragmentation Projector, Missile Pod and Positional Relay, HWMT, HWTL, Stim injector
- Elite #1: 2 tau Crisis team: fire knife configuration (plasma rifle/fusion blaster/multitracker)
- Elite #2: 2 tau Crisis team: (missile pod/ flamer/ multitracker)
- Elite #3: 5 man Stealth team, 5 gundrones
- Troops #1: 6 firewarriors in a gunfish (smart missile system and burst cannon), multitracker, fletchette discharger, disruption pod and targetting array
- Troops #2: 6 fire warriors with carbines in a devilfish (multitracker, fletchette discharger, disruption pod and targetting array)
- Troops #3: 12 Kroot
- Troops #4: 14 Kroot (led by a shaper) with 15 kroot hounds
- Fast Attack #1: 8 Pathfinders, led by a shas'ui in a devilfish (multitracker, fletchette discharger, disruption pod and targetting array)
- Heavy #1: 2 Broadsides, teamleader, shield drone, HWMT and HWTL on leader.
- Heavy #2: SkyRay, Smart Missile System (multitracker, fletchette discharger, disruption pod and targetting array)
Total: 1751pts
Overview: Now the first question you are asking is "what are those broadsides doing in there?" ... well the broadside will be adopting a 'sniper' role for this engagement. Outfront and centre ... they also invite retaliation. Their target will be Zoanthropes, Tyranid Warriors and their ilk. Neutralising the anti-mech will be their priority, following by breaking the synapse.
The shas'el deploys at the start (hidden) and 'manages' the reserves by minimising their arrival unlike a late on alpha strike. The idea is to hold off to one reserve a turn using the positional relay and then hit everything at once!
The fireknifes group will be targetting Toughness 6 beasties and piling on the firepower. Hiveguard and Monsters will be the key targets.
The Missile Pod and flamer unit are one of the few units that will operate all game. Separate from the 'El', these guys will attempt to pick off Hiveguard and MC.
The Stealth team have a special role ... they will infiltrate (either within range on a flank, or back towards my lines) and play an important anti-stealer role. Stealth teams should operate fairly free of interference with nids ... plus their strike first stealth fields and S4 give them fair odds in dropping all but the toughest of opponents. If the opponent looks to flank ... they can follow up!
The two Fire Warrior unit basically stay in their vehicles and stay off the board for end game steals. The 12 Kroot are their as a cheap, but durable (in cover) unit for similar objective grabs using the Pathfinder devilfish.
The Huge Kroot Hound horde are designed to sit in cover and take pot shots at the enemy ... the shaper should keep them around for the final fight. S4 rifles are ok for shooting nids ... plus they will get to go first if charged... the real benefit of the Hounds is the ability to get the jump on Termagaunts, Warriors or Gargoyles or even hit at equal time to the Ravenors or Primes. This could prove crucial (although unlikely)...
The pathfinders and Skyray really form the fulcrum of this force. The Skyray can deliver devastating firepower (in seeker missile) and individually eliminate an MC at infinite range. The addition of the markerlights are also essential for removing cover saves. Meaning that the intensive firepower of the stealth team can really hurt. 10 markerlights should deliver enough hits per turn to deny the cover saves on at least one unit a turn or simply up the to hit mark for many...
What do you think?
