Best way to counter Tau?

[Hrolleif]

So I was looking through some old army lists and battle reports of mine and I came across one were I was absolutely routed by my buddy's brand new Tau army. I'll save you from a lot of details but in the first four rounds I lost a Predator, Rhino, a squad and a half of Long Fangs, and two squads of Grey Hunters. Only Ulrik, the surviving Long Fangs, and a squad of Blood Claws survived to the last round, but were still quickly annihilated. It may have been horrible dice rolling but I dunno. What way(s) have you found best to counter them?

[Maximus-92]

Hope to god you get first turn a burst accross the field in rhinos, pop smoke and hope a couple don't get popped then get in his face as fast as possible. Priority targets for shooting are pathfinders, these guys are what holds a tau army together. A very useful unit for handling tau is wolf scouts, take a full squad of ten with a meltagun and a wolf guard with combi melta, this is a staple squad against every army, but against tau they are deadly. Another priority for your big guns is crisis suits because it's difficult to catch these guys in cc, though i've managed it with scouts.

[Vlk]

I had some trouble with the Tau, too. The key to dealing with them (as with most other problems in the game) are the magnificient Wolf Scouts with a WGPL. Just hope they come early or take multiple squads of them, the Tau just hate it when something both shooty and killy jumps on their backs.

 

Long Fangs in cover were also incredibly useful - the Tau kinda suck at killing T4 infantry in cover, at least at long distances, because most of their deadliest weaponry will be focused on your closing Rhinos.

 

And to conclude, I'm really looking forward to using Drop Pods against them. If they don't begin in reserves, you can fall right on their heads and melt their mobility and heavy guns away. If the DO begin in reserves, your Wolf Scouts will have a better chance of arriving in time and your problem with crossing the no-man's land will be solved.

[Hemal]

Turbo-boosting bikes are useful, as they will not be easily taken down by most Tau weaponry, and can act as the "lesser of two evils" but still absolutely butcher most Tau squads. Terminators are good as well, they can be brought in via Drop Pod, and Wolf Guard can carry lots of protective stuff, more than enough to compensate teh amount of fire that would hit them...

[Blitzkreig]

2 Words.

 

DROP

 

PODS

 

That is all.

 

Oh you want a serious answer?

 

WOLF

 

SCOUTS

 

That is all. What? They are ridiculously good against Tau, outflank and either (a) beat weak little blue ass up and down the deployment zone (:lol: beat weak battlesuit ass up and down the deployment zone © beat weak tank ass up and down the deployment zone.

[Jonas Stromclaw]

Lads, this topic has come up numerous times. We have a search function for a reason. The conclusion is usually to take:

 

- 1-2 units of wolfscouts

- fast units (jumppackers or bikes) to provide physical cover for rhinos and hunt down crisis suits

- LongFangs with missile launchers as there is NOTHING in the Tau army they don't make mincemeat of

- and my personal favorite, droppoding dread with multi melta. With first turn and a little luck, one of the xeno's hammerheads will be a smoking ruin before it can ever fire. Plus there is always the "OH CRAP THERES A WALKING TANK IN MY DEPLOYMENT ZONE!" factore. Priceless.

[Maximus-92]

- LongFangs with missile launchers as there is NOTHING in the Tau army they don't make mincemeat of

 

While this is true one must remember that markerlights (no more cover) + long range ap 3 fp (sniper drones, plasma rifles, railguns)= no more small long fangs unit.

[Silvtalon]

- LongFangs with missile launchers as there is NOTHING in the Tau army they don't make mincemeat of

 

While this is true one must remember that markerlights (no more cover) + long range ap 3 fp (sniper drones, plasma rifles, railguns)= no more small long fangs unit.

 

 

There are many ways in handling tau but knowing exactly how to deal with them so they are not much of a threat at the start of the game is knowing target priority. A lot of players and those that play in ard boyz turnies make the critical mistake of eliminating key units at the start of the game if possible. Many times as a tau player I have won many games in and out of tournaments due to these key units not being killed off or their numbers reduced in numbers quickly.

 

Priority listing

 

Path finders - MUST be eliminated at the start of the game on the first turn if possible. If you allow them to live or ignore them they will ensure the rest of the tau army will tear you apart. These units are very critical in any tau army. Any tau commander that has any skill at playing tau now there value. These units provide -1 to cover save, +1 to hit, rarely ever use -1 to leadership tests and a free transport to move troops around that can allow you to re-roll deep strikes.

 

Broadsides - Second target if you can drop pod on them or appear behind enemy lines eliminating 1 or more of these units will ensure your tanks get into position really fast.

 

Devil Fish - Eliminate the troops ability to move. Target the path finders transport first.

 

All other...

 

Eliminating the pathfinders should be the first thing above all else to eliminate ensuring the enemy can't chew though your smoke, add better balistic skill and remove your cover saves. Is highly important when you have a skilled tau player fielding good number of plasma weapons.

 

If possible early game you can take out a broadside team or two before turn three then your solid the tau player shouldn't have any real threat weapondry on the board to really mean much. It's just the first three turns that makes it a bit rough to live though.

 

Eliminating the firewarriors ability to move around, take objectives and jump out and fish of fury your troops with 12-24 shots of pluse rifle fire would be good.

 

The battlesuit teams and firewarrior teams by 2-3 should be engaged in melee combat by one or more squads.

 

The real threat is the support of the tau battle lines. The supporting units make or break the army knowing how to silence them quickly makes it a lot harder for the tau player to eliminate tough units such as those of space marine verities.

[Jonas Stromclaw]

- LongFangs with missile launchers as there is NOTHING in the Tau army they don't make mincemeat of

 

While this is true one must remember that markerlights (no more cover) + long range ap 3 fp (sniper drones, plasma rifles, railguns)= no more small long fangs unit.

 

 

There are many ways in handling tau but knowing exactly how to deal with them so they are not much of a threat at the start of the game is knowing target priority. A lot of players and those that play in ard boyz turnies make the critical mistake of eliminating key units at the start of the game if possible. Many times as a tau player I have won many games in and out of tournaments due to these key units not being killed off or their numbers reduced in numbers quickly.

 

Priority listing

 

Path finders - MUST be eliminated at the start of the game on the first turn if possible. If you allow them to live or ignore them they will ensure the rest of the tau army will tear you apart. These units are very critical in any tau army. Any tau commander that has any skill at playing tau now there value. These units provide -1 to cover save, +1 to hit, rarely ever use -1 to leadership tests and a free transport to move troops around that can allow you to re-roll deep strikes.

 

Broadsides - Second target if you can drop pod on them or appear behind enemy lines eliminating 1 or more of these units will ensure your tanks get into position really fast.

 

Devil Fish - Eliminate the troops ability to move. Target the path finders transport first.

 

All other...

 

Eliminating the pathfinders should be the first thing above all else to eliminate ensuring the enemy can't chew though your smoke, add better balistic skill and remove your cover saves. Is highly important when you have a skilled tau player fielding good number of plasma weapons.

 

If possible early game you can take out a broadside team or two before turn three then your solid the tau player shouldn't have any real threat weapondry on the board to really mean much. It's just the first three turns that makes it a bit rough to live though.

 

Eliminating the firewarriors ability to move around, take objectives and jump out and fish of fury your troops with 12-24 shots of pluse rifle fire would be good.

 

The battlesuit teams and firewarrior teams by 2-3 should be engaged in melee combat by one or more squads.

 

The real threat is the support of the tau battle lines. The supporting units make or break the army knowing how to silence them quickly makes it a lot harder for the tau player to eliminate tough units such as those of space marine verities.

I would argue that hammerheads are of even higher priority than broadsides, with their ability to target infantry units as well. Yeah, I know they're only AP4, but that doesn't matter so much when its a large blast template wounding your lads on a 2+.

[SJumppanen]

I would argue that hammerheads are of even higher priority than broadsides, with their ability to target infantry units as well. Yeah, I know they're only AP4, but that doesn't matter so much when its a large blast template wounding your lads on a 2+.

 

If i had to choose between HH or Broadsides when i got ML Long Fangs, i'd choose Hammerhead. This because HH is more likely to go down. If i play WH and i got Exorcists, then i go for Broadsides if possible because of EXOs AP1 missiles.

[Simo429]

markerlights where a bugger when I played them reducing my cover save.

[Hrolleif]

Lads, this topic has come up numerous times. We have a search function for a reason. The conclusion is usually to take:

 

- 1-2 units of wolfscouts

- fast units (jumppackers or bikes) to provide physical cover for rhinos and hunt down crisis suits

- LongFangs with missile launchers as there is NOTHING in the Tau army they don't make mincemeat of

- and my personal favorite, droppoding dread with multi melta. With first turn and a little luck, one of the xeno's hammerheads will be a smoking ruin before it can ever fire. Plus there is always the "OH CRAP THERES A WALKING TANK IN MY DEPLOYMENT ZONE!" factore. Priceless.

I tried using the search function but nothing came up. And thanks all for the tips!

[Marshal Wilhelm]

LongFangs with missile launchers as there is NOTHING in the Tau army they don't make mincemeat of

 

That is not strictly true.

Hammerheads are AV 13.

to hit 4/6 x to pen 1/6 x destroy 2/6 = 8/216 or 3.7% [same as a Las cannon taking out AV 14 ~ slim]

D-pods give cover save when >12".

That drops to 1.85% ~ very slim!

 

Broadsides will be instant killed. s8 v t4.

But they save on 2s.

4/6 x 5/6 x 1/6 = 20/216 or 9.26%

A bolter has more chance of taking out a Marine than a ML does of taking out a Broadside.

4/6 x 3/6 x 2/6 = 24/216.

 

When you add in shield drones [ who gain the Suits saving through], even a few Fangs are going to take a while to get through them.

 

I would argue that hammerheads are of even higher priority than broadsides, with their ability to target infantry units as well. Yeah, I know they're only AP4, but that doesn't matter so much when its a large blast template wounding your lads on a 2+.

 

Both are hard to take out.

Broadsides are exclusively for popping armour.

Railheads fire at AV if the Broadsides fail, then at infantry if the chance comes up.

 

Assuming you are rushing the Tau, trying to beat them up in the up close and personal range, by T3, you can relax on teh Broadsides and then focus on the Railheads, imo.

By T3 you are out of your transports one way or another. Tau destroyed them or you are assaulting. ;)

 

I would argue that hammerheads are of even higher priority than broadsides, with their ability to target infantry units as well. Yeah, I know they're only AP4, but that doesn't matter so much when its a large blast template wounding your lads on a 2+.

 

If i had to choose between HH or Broadsides when i got ML Long Fangs, i'd choose Hammerhead. This because HH is more likely to go down. If i play WH and i got Exorcists, then i go for Broadsides if possible because of EXOs AP1 missiles.

 

1.87% per missile launcher is not likely to go down imo....

 

+++

 

For the Dreadnought lovers:

 

If you were a Tau player, if your foe was packing Pods with Multi Melta stuff in it, would you leave room for said stuff to land within 12" of your Hammerhead on T1?

I hope not.

I know I wont.

 

AV 12 will get smoked by Railguns and even an amount of Missile Pods. The Crisis Suits may even get AV 10 shots on your Dread *sad face*

[Torin]

well there is a unit that would deal great damage to the tau.. thunderwolves. Just five of this guy would do. Supported with drop pods, and a unit of scouts would do. Drop podding a GH squad with a rune priest with JAW does the work to. coz those tau are INI 3 if im not wrong even the battle suits. Tau have this habit of deploying in a straight line ;). Would be a sight seing 4 battle suits disappear into the crack...

 

cheers.

[Marshal Wilhelm]

well there is a unit that would deal great damage to the tau.. thunderwolves. Just five of this guy would do. Supported with drop pods, and a unit of scouts would do. Drop podding a GH squad with a rune priest with JAW does the work to. coz those tau are INI 3 if im not wrong even the battle suits. Tau have this habit of deploying in a straight line :P. Would be a sight seing 4 battle suits disappear into the crack...

 

cheers.

 

:D Thunderwolves, being speedy and having good WA-potential, would roll those little blue men.

 

However, Broadsides can have bs4. bs4 twin linked hits 8/9 times.

Wounding 5/6

Fail save on 2/6 for the SS dude.

80/324 or 24.69%

120/324 or 37% with 4++ cover save.

40/54 or 74% with no cover save.

 

Huge risk for both sides, imo. Of course, Wolves would be comfortable sailing so close to the sun :P