Enemies of the Imperium Tactica: Tau
"Alright scouts listen up in todays class we going to learning about one of fithliest xenos in the galaxy, Tau. Tau present one of the clearest and most imment dangers to the imperium. Today we have Brother-Librarian Arostarcus help recognize some key strengths and weaknesses when fighting this foe."
"Good morning,
Let us first talk about the problem of technology. Those of us born here, rightwise, in the imperium know that the techpriests of mars long ago created the greatest machines and devices ever and that the emperor blessed these devices, ensuring they would work forever so long as they were dutifully tended to by their users. The Tau race does not believe in the divine nature of the emperor, and they seek to subvert him by using blasphemous creations of all types, which offend nature and the proper ways of the imperium. Now that we all understand that lets learn how to kill these blue xenos..."
The first thing to under stand about Tau is their rules
Support and Signature Systems- Like the necrons tau have numerous ways to subvert the existing rules for the galaxy and human understanding. The majority of these are their "support systems" and can be understood in the following manner.
Signature Systems one per army
Markerlights - Marker lights are used in variety of ways that allows them to boost the ballistic skill of friendly tau units. They can also be used in other ways like firing avilible seeker misslies or ignoring cover of the unit targeted by them.
Supporting Fire - This rule allows units within 6"of a unit being charged to fire overwatch along with that unit. This rule also extends to to some vehicles too, beware.
Pathfinders - This unit used to be the mainstay of Tau armies, and they are still found in many. It is a fast attack unit that primary job is to support the remainder of the army by increasing ballistic skill and debuffing enemy units. These units are generally found in cover and often cover ignoring weapons or melee is an excellent way to eliminate them, and help to cripple the rest of the tau army.
Tetras - tetras are a kind of mechanized pathfinder that is a forge world unit that many Tau general employ. it has a 2+ cover save at all times and fires a slew of marker lights. Cover ignoring weapons are a good first step to destroying these.
Kroot - this bunch of carniverous troops are able to out flank and claim objectives, they are generally equipped with 24" anti infantry weapons which can fire strength four or sniper rounds (automatically wounding on 4+. usually walking on from a flank but can potentially enter from your board edge. Use antiinfantry fire to kill these troops.
Firewarrior- the footsoldiers of the tau. these guys have str 5 guns and rapid fire at 18 inches. That is a brutal combonation if you are charging them. Its likely that they will be in cover or riding in a devilfish the typical transport of the tau. Charging these guys with assault troops, or try to get them to take leadership tests.
Broadsides - this unit is the bane of many unit types. Equipped for antitank with Railguns or anti infantry with smart missle systems (str 5 weapons that DO NOT require line of sight.) Assault marines are usually best unless you can assault them with bikes.
Riptide - These are the Big hitters of the tau army, 2+ save monstrous creatures with T6 and five wounds, capable of firing 3 weapons, and taking all the support systems. They come standard with the ability to activate the novacharge ability on a 3+ , should they fail they take a wound with no save. If successful they can choose assault move 3D6 inches, gain a 3++, or overcharge their weapon. Usually these units come standard with early warning (interceptor), and velocity tracker (skyfire). The main weapon of this behemoth is the Heavy Burst Cannon (hvy8 str 6 ap4, Novacharged hvy12 with rending and gets hot) or the Ion accelerator (hvy 3 str 7 ap2, Overcharged str8 ap2 gets hot large blast, Novacharge str9 ap2 ordinance gets hot large blast) but it has free spplementary weapons as well. Though they do have smash attacks being monstrous creatures, they are WS2 and I2, meaning they are poor in assault. If you can charge them with something like hammernators or Deathwing knights that is usually best, otherwise use anti tank weapons aka lascannons or multimelta attack bikes. If your feeling bold bring your forceaxe weilding librarian and try to Instant death the guy. the ion cannon will eat deep striking termies, and the blast means the whole squad can be hit with ap2 on arrival. to mitigate this try to land behind LOS blocking terrain, or a friendly land riader. Alternatively you might try landing right next to the riptide and hoping he scatters onto himself. When charging it is sometimes possible to get a multi charge off that allows you to cause the enemy to fail morale. this can sometimes cause the riptide to run.
Tau-suit commander - this guy is usually a nasty piece of work. they can be equipped with any and all of the special rules seen above. Most of the time these days there will be a tau commander whose role is simply to sit in the back line and dole out special rules. This can make him very hard to kill to especially as he's normally attached to Riptides.
Farsight - Now hes got his own supplement for the cash cow that is Tau, in which he can make battle suits scoring. This leader of the fishboy's has an AP 2 sword that strikes at I5. He has a crisis suit team body guard that he can deep strike with and not scatter. Each crisis suit can take rules from the support systems for extra shenanigans. A nasty customer.... ultilze plasma cannons
"Good morning,
Let us first talk about the problem of technology. Those of us born here, rightwise, in the imperium know that the techpriests of mars long ago created the greatest machines and devices ever and that the emperor blessed these devices, ensuring they would work forever so long as they were dutifully tended to by their users. The Tau race does not believe in the divine nature of the emperor, and they seek to subvert him by using blasphemous creations of all types, which offend nature and the proper ways of the imperium. Now that we all understand that lets learn how to kill these blue xenos..."
The first thing to under stand about Tau is their rules
Support and Signature Systems- Like the necrons tau have numerous ways to subvert the existing rules for the galaxy and human understanding. The majority of these are their "support systems" and can be understood in the following manner.
Signature Systems one per army
- Neuroweb jammer - target unit weapon subject to gets hot rule.
- Onager gauntlet - hidden one time use to trade all attacks for strength 10 ap1 attack
- Command and control node - if model doesn't shoot re-roll to hit for other models in unit
- Failsafe detonator- Str5 ap- blast centered on model carrying it if killed in assault
- Repulsor impact field - D6 str 4 Ap- hits against all charging units
- Puretide Engram Chip - Choose a rule counter attack, monster hunter,
- Mutlispectrum system suite - if model doesn't shoot ignore cover for other models in unit
- Irridium Battlesuit- 2+ save
Support Systems as many as possible.
- velocity tracker - unit gains skyfire
- early warning override - unit gains interceptor
- advanced targeting - precision shot on roll of 6, characters gain Precision shot on 5 or 6
- vectored retro thruster - unit gains hit and run and fleet
- positional relay - reserve unit may out flank from nearest board edge if model with relay within 6"
- target lock - unit can fire at differnt target than rest of unit
- done controller - use controller's BS skill for all drones.
- stimulant injector - Feel no pain
- Sheild generator - 4++save
Markerlights - Marker lights are used in variety of ways that allows them to boost the ballistic skill of friendly tau units. They can also be used in other ways like firing avilible seeker misslies or ignoring cover of the unit targeted by them.
Supporting Fire - This rule allows units within 6"of a unit being charged to fire overwatch along with that unit. This rule also extends to to some vehicles too, beware.
Pathfinders - This unit used to be the mainstay of Tau armies, and they are still found in many. It is a fast attack unit that primary job is to support the remainder of the army by increasing ballistic skill and debuffing enemy units. These units are generally found in cover and often cover ignoring weapons or melee is an excellent way to eliminate them, and help to cripple the rest of the tau army.
Tetras - tetras are a kind of mechanized pathfinder that is a forge world unit that many Tau general employ. it has a 2+ cover save at all times and fires a slew of marker lights. Cover ignoring weapons are a good first step to destroying these.
Kroot - this bunch of carniverous troops are able to out flank and claim objectives, they are generally equipped with 24" anti infantry weapons which can fire strength four or sniper rounds (automatically wounding on 4+. usually walking on from a flank but can potentially enter from your board edge. Use antiinfantry fire to kill these troops.
Firewarrior- the footsoldiers of the tau. these guys have str 5 guns and rapid fire at 18 inches. That is a brutal combonation if you are charging them. Its likely that they will be in cover or riding in a devilfish the typical transport of the tau. Charging these guys with assault troops, or try to get them to take leadership tests.
Broadsides - this unit is the bane of many unit types. Equipped for antitank with Railguns or anti infantry with smart missle systems (str 5 weapons that DO NOT require line of sight.) Assault marines are usually best unless you can assault them with bikes.
Riptide - These are the Big hitters of the tau army, 2+ save monstrous creatures with T6 and five wounds, capable of firing 3 weapons, and taking all the support systems. They come standard with the ability to activate the novacharge ability on a 3+ , should they fail they take a wound with no save. If successful they can choose assault move 3D6 inches, gain a 3++, or overcharge their weapon. Usually these units come standard with early warning (interceptor), and velocity tracker (skyfire). The main weapon of this behemoth is the Heavy Burst Cannon (hvy8 str 6 ap4, Novacharged hvy12 with rending and gets hot) or the Ion accelerator (hvy 3 str 7 ap2, Overcharged str8 ap2 gets hot large blast, Novacharge str9 ap2 ordinance gets hot large blast) but it has free spplementary weapons as well. Though they do have smash attacks being monstrous creatures, they are WS2 and I2, meaning they are poor in assault. If you can charge them with something like hammernators or Deathwing knights that is usually best, otherwise use anti tank weapons aka lascannons or multimelta attack bikes. If your feeling bold bring your forceaxe weilding librarian and try to Instant death the guy. the ion cannon will eat deep striking termies, and the blast means the whole squad can be hit with ap2 on arrival. to mitigate this try to land behind LOS blocking terrain, or a friendly land riader. Alternatively you might try landing right next to the riptide and hoping he scatters onto himself. When charging it is sometimes possible to get a multi charge off that allows you to cause the enemy to fail morale. this can sometimes cause the riptide to run.
Tau-suit commander - this guy is usually a nasty piece of work. they can be equipped with any and all of the special rules seen above. Most of the time these days there will be a tau commander whose role is simply to sit in the back line and dole out special rules. This can make him very hard to kill to especially as he's normally attached to Riptides.
Farsight - Now hes got his own supplement for the cash cow that is Tau, in which he can make battle suits scoring. This leader of the fishboy's has an AP 2 sword that strikes at I5. He has a crisis suit team body guard that he can deep strike with and not scatter. Each crisis suit can take rules from the support systems for extra shenanigans. A nasty customer.... ultilze plasma cannons
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