How to beat Tau (campaign)

[eyeslikethunder]

I like putting Jaws on a Rune Priest that is not the warlord. I try to run a Wolf Lord and a Rune Priest in the same list.

I find this a nice combo too

[hengrid]

I would really like to thank you for help. I have already played that game. I unfortunately lost (3 to 2), but it was because of my few tactical mistakes (I targeted two wrong units, so wrong target priority and I moved too soon from a cover). He played a Fire Warrior heavy list (2x12+3x6) with Etheral and with a special character Crisis (Infiltration) accompanied by bodyguards (meltas and plasmas), another group of Crisis Suits and 2 Broadsides (rockets). It was really brutal shooting and I really need more troops to keep myself on the board.

 

What do you suggest to the next battle (I won't let that planet to the xenos). I want some heavy shooting (I will keep my Long Fangs) and I will protect it with Chooses of the Slain against his infiltrators. I really want to keep at least one Runepriest with Jaws (great against Tau) and the rest is optional, but I will probably exchange the Dreadnought for a Grey hunter's pack with a Wolg Guard with a heavy flamer.

 

I am looking forward to your suggestion.

 

Your sincerely hengrid

[Squark]

Yeah, you really can't run a dreadnaught with that force org chart against Tau. Well, frankly, with that force org chart, you just can't run mech, period (Have I made my feelings clear on what happens when you mess with the force org chart like this? * ). You just don't have the slots for heavy armor saturation.

List-wise, I'd reccomend several pods of grey hunters coming down turn 1 with plasmaguns and TDA wolf guard packing combi-plasmas (the heavy flamer addition is a solid choice, though). Should help close the gap quickly, and it also fits the idea of a ground assault fairly well..

*Specifically, this is encouraging troop spamming lists. So, armies with do-everything troops (*cough* guard *cough*) and the ability to take multiple units in a single slot (guard again) are going to do well, while armies with poor-quality troops (Eldar and "I can't hold objectives because of a stupid FAQ" Black Templars) are basically hosed. Also, a lot of counters to some units that are on the edge of brokenness require you to run them in multiples (For instance, Nob bikers are kept in check in no small part due to the fact that you can end up staring down 3 vindicators in a single list. With this force org chart, your opponent may not even be able to field one) Also, most people are only getting one flier, while 'Crons can field 4. More to the point, with their bread and butter heavy support slots locked out and no guarantees they can get the second HQ slot they need for foot lists, the force org chart is actually screaming "PLAY SCYTHEWING"

[ErikThunderclaws]

Hi, I'm a new player (a Blood Claw with a very little known of English ) and I think you should put in your list two units of 9 Grey Hunters (flamer) in a drop pod with a Rune Priest with Jaws (and other Codex power) they only cost 280 points. Remember that Tau have a very poor initiative, and if you put well your pods there's a chance to kill a lot of smurfs!

Does he have the special wargear which let him shoot you before your shoot phase? (I don't remember the name of the special rule now )

Good luck, wolf - brother! (ps: you'll need another drop pod for better use of them)

[Squark]

I'd avoid a second Rune Priest at this point level; That's 2/3rds of another drop pod squad, And bodies > fancy tricks, generally speaking, especially since the Tau aren't packing Psykers. On the other hand, if you've got the same bonus for attacking he got (+200 points, but he chooses the map), you might be able to spare the points.

 

 

Also, there's not enough 5+ saves in the Tau army for flamers to be worth it. The 5-10 points for a better gun is really really worth it considering the utter lack of CC ability Tau pack, and it's not like AP5 bothers Fire Warriors anyway, and it doesn't look like he's packing Pathfinders in that list (A move I applaud him for, by the way; A lot of Tau players use the markerlight as a crutch, and learning to play without them is vital).

 

Assuming 1200 points... I'd go with something like...

 

Rune Priest -110 points

-Chooser of the Slain

-Jaws of the World Wolf, Murderous Hurricane

 

8 Grey Hunters -203 (Team Anti-Fire Warrior)

-Plasmagun, Drop Pod

-Wolf guard in TDA with Power Maul and Heavy flamer*

 

8 Grey Hunters -203 points (Team Suit-hunter)

-Plasmagun, Drop Pod

-Wolf guard in TDA with Power Sword and Combi-plasma

 

8 Grey hunters -203 points (Team Anti-rip tide)

-Meltagun, Drop Pod

-wolf Guard in TDA with Power Sword, Melta bombs and Combi-melta

 

7 Grey Hunters -188 points (Librarian caddy)

-Plasmagun, Drop Pod

-Wolf Guard in TDA with Power axe and Plasmagun

 

Total: 907 points

 

Play around with Wargear and add goodies as you feel appropriate. I would note you'll need 1 more wolf guard to take the heavy flamer- Perhaps you could make the 5th drop pod a small suicide wolf guard combi-weapon team?