Tau as Grey Knights

[sniperhavens]

I want to run a Grey Knights army but Im not that into their models. Now Im wondering what are the rules with using Tau models to represent Grey Knights. I would use Stealth Team legs with Anvil Industry Tech Torsos, and either standard marine arms or the Stealth Team arms and the normal Tau Firewarrior helmet to represent Strike Squads. The legs and torso from the Stealth Squad to represent Terminators with conversions to represent the various weapons and the Awesome Forgeworld XV9-04 with Phased Ion Guns as Psyfeldreads with some conversions as well. Here is a link for the inspiration for my army. http://proiteus.deviantart.com/art/Tau-Commando-Battle-Armour-200085027. Please any C&C would be greatly appreciated

[Enzephalon]

In general I don't have any problems with count as armies.

I have a count as army myself (Custodes as Grey Knights), but I think there are certain limits.

And Tau counts as "super elite mid range and close combat psychic space marines" is one of them I guess.

 

If it's nicely done I would play against you nevertheless, but prepare yourself for the fallout you may receive from others.

[spafe]

If it was holding a stormbolter (or close aprox) and nfw that would be fine by me. If I have to remember that carbines are this and rifles are that and this squad has missile pods that count as this etc then I'd not enjoy it half as much

[carnosaur93]

yeah... i would say that vanilla spacemarines are infinetly more fitting... you become a very very shooty army, and you get combat tactics, which gives that sorta special-force commando hit and run -feel that tau has per alot of fluff ... your army can still contain rifle dreads (up to 6, even, if you also choose the shooty MotF HQ) and the best thing yet, you have actual tau as battle bro's, which lets you still field some actual tau gear (like ethreals, broadsides and fire warriors)

 

generally i think that using something THAT far from actual GK, but with GK rules will get you in alot of trouble... i know i would probably personally even be one of the people holding a big "No."-sign if you wanted to field it agaisnt me

[sniperhavens]

I appreciate the feedback one thing to keep in mind is that there are only 5 units in this army 2 identical Terminator squads The Paladins, a Strike Squad and the Psyfeldreads. The wargear is all pretty much the same and I would take measures to make sure that the weapons were easily identifiable as well as the units themselves. I figured there would be some issues with forcing your opponent to have to think not only about his strategy but also about what kind of units and weapons he is facing on the field. I will do up a model of each and post it to see what you guys think.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

I want to run a Grey Knights army but Im not that into their models.

 

Then don't use our rules. Tau have a terrible codex that is 100% legal. Use it instead.

 

The wargear is all pretty much the same and I would take measures to make sure that the weapons were easily identifiable as well as the units themselves. I figured there would be some issues with forcing your opponent to have to think not only about his strategy but also about what kind of units and weapons he is facing on the field.

 

Two problems. Firstly, you are still going to confuse people when they see Tau kitbash and you say 'oh I'm using GK codex for this army'. It makes zero sense, and even if it isn't your intention, people will have fair call to accuse you of powergaming.

Second issue is you can't do what you suggest (ie obscure your list). You have to bring a valid army list to the table. All he then has to do is look at your roster, mentally tag which unit is which, and your advantage is lost.

 

I play both armies, and I sorta get what you are trying to do. Tau are bottom of the barrel right now, but one day we might get a Cron-style update (I pray we get Ward). You are trying to use models that are otherwise pretty worthless (except as Allies). The answer isn't to just copy rules from a better army. If you were going count-as IG or even Eldar, it might work, but Knights are a MeQ army and so different in design and playstyle. It's powergaming, pure and simple. If you really like Knight rules that much, get the legit models and kitbash them until they work for you. Using Tau models is a bridge too far.

[sniperhavens]

I think when I post the models you might see the plan. My idea would be power armored Tau. The only things identifiable as Tau would be the Legs and the helmets, with the exception of the Terminatirs who would be in full stealth suits but with Terminator arms. Honestly I may not pursue this though because I dont want to put an army on the table that my opponent doesnt feel is fair. I will creats a squad to look at myself as a side project and post it to see what kind you guys think of the finished project.

[Brother Tyler]

Images of Tau models are not to be posted here at the B&C. You can continue the discussion, but please ensure that the focus remains on the GK background/rules and how you will use the Tau bits to represent them.

 

Intellectually, as long as your opponent accepts Tau-looking models as Grey Knights and clearly understands what each model/unit is and has, I suppose you should be okay.

 

Personally, my gut instinct is to hate the idea from a gameplay perspective. That's not to say that I wouldn't let you do this if I was your opponent, but I would need very clear indicators of the above. My concern is that regardless of how clear your indicators might be, the appearance of the models is going to register is "Tau" and your opponent's tactics will tend towards anti-Tau rather than anti-GK.

[thade]

I say go for it on one condition: heavily convert them. The more work you put into your models

• the more they will stand out and be easy to distinguish from normal Tau;
  
• the more willing an opponent will be to accept them as what you say they are.
  

The hobby is half game play, half art. The more plainly obvious your effort is on the art side, the better that will go over. One gentlemen on this board uses heavily converted SM Scouts as Sisters of Battle and his opponents give him no trouble, and one of the reasons I think is the shear amount of work he's put into making the models unique, using SM and other bits, kit-bashing himself a unique-looking army. Get into it, enjoy it, and I think you'll find them well received.

 

Meanwhile, as Bro Tyler said, no pictures of Xenos on the B&C. <3

[MrSocks]

What about Farsight Enclave? You could use a squad of battlesuits with blades and wrist mounted shooty weapons as paladins to represent Farsight's bodyguard? 2 wounds, similar stat lines (ish) just with different weapon systems and rules. You would of course need to heavily convert them and make them look awesome!

 

I think it might be a bit too much of a stretch to use Tau as Grey Knights, but it is possible to grab a few units from the codex to make a really stand out squad. I guess really it depends on how good you are at converting and painting.

 

The problem isn't that you couldn't use some of the units as GKs, the problem is finding a troops choice that can be justified by Tau Fluff without going too outlandish

[chaplainmeliadus]

You could use Coteaz's rules as an Ethereal, and henchmen for fire warriors. You could say that the psychic powers are just the manifestations of the Ethereal charisma-voodoo. Then you can have the actual space marines as the stealth suits/broadsides/whatevers. I think the bigger troubles you might have will be with the vehicles. Will Rhinos be Devilfish? Though stormraven rules for some of the Tau fliers might work.

[thade]

Some combination of Tau, SM, GK, and Fantasy Empire kit-bashing could make for some really remarkable Adeptus Mechanus conversions. (They're one forum down from this one. <3)