Fighting the tau?

[TheDevourer]

I´m sorry if you got my post wrong. 

No offense in it.

The thing is you can play any army skilled. And Playing a list like that is not a insta-win list.

I´ve seen top necron players lose to sisters of battle (And they aren´t really seen as being competetive are they?)

 

Nevertheless the chaos dex has its strengths aswell... And the tau codex has weaknesses against hordes (Lack of template weapons). 

 

As for my opponents... They are skilled. Kind of expected from top ranking tournament players.

 

Like I said. Find weaknesses in the tau codex and try to play against them. I agree on many of your points. Playing rhinos is all in all kind of meh. Against Tau even more so.

Deepstriking can still be an option as the units that can Intercept (broadsides) are usually played as missile spam bases (At least in my meta). The general lack of ap2 weaponry in most tau lists is also another decent point to go for. Obliterators. 

[Saa]

Maybe I read it wrong then :) 

 

However, it's very difficult to beat a Tau player with a degree of tactical skill with the Codex we as Chaos have at this time.

 

The weaknesses Tau have are Pathfinders and Ethereals.  By that I mean weakness in *remove them and you're fine*.

 

Tarpitting a riptide is a fine and dandy tactic and yeah you wont have to deal with a :cusstonne of its shots.  But terrain and meatshields (and let's be honest, Fire Warriors are the ONLY troop choice a Tau player will take) will stop you going any where near it's gunline.  

 

Ethereals can flit between units to survive, Pathfinders will markerlight up anything you have of value.........

 

Tau are a ballache now, let's be honest.

 

Saa

 

........or something like that

[minigun762]

I'm curious if Tau generate enough firepower to kill horde marines.

A 3+ is enough to get a save against pulse weapons and the various autocannon analogs whereas plasma is going to punch through a terminator anyway so might as well have a cheaper target.

[TheDevourer]

I think the amount of high strength weaponry could be more than enough to take out horde marines. The potential fire power of fire warriors with ethereal is frankly quite frightening. Combine that with superior range and hmm. Maybe I´ll try it out some time, but I doubt that it will be all that efficient. 

[Brother Amarel]

I´m sorry if you got my post wrong. 

No offense in it.

The thing is you can play any army skilled. And Playing a list like that is not a insta-win list.

I´ve seen top necron players lose to sisters of battle (And they aren´t really seen as being competetive are they?)

 

Nevertheless the chaos dex has its strengths aswell... And the tau codex has weaknesses against hordes (Lack of template weapons). 

 

As for my opponents... They are skilled. Kind of expected from top ranking tournament players.

 

Like I said. Find weaknesses in the tau codex and try to play against them. I agree on many of your points. Playing rhinos is all in all kind of meh. Against Tau even more so.

Deepstriking can still be an option as the units that can Intercept (broadsides) are usually played as missile spam bases (At least in my meta). The general lack of ap2 weaponry in most tau lists is also another decent point to go for. Obliterators. 

 

I'm facing Shadowsun with a Plas/TL Plas Crisis Team, Two units of Pathfinders, Riptide, 3 large units of Firewarriors (one with Ethereal), Stealth Team and Hammerhead. It's horrible to face, even though it's not been super refined.

 

Those Infiltrating Crisis Suits will waste any MEQ / TEQ unit it gets close to and with JSJ & 4+ Cover Save vs Shooting they aren't easy to pin down. The Hammerhead is also always at a 4+ Cover Save (up to 2+ if it's near a building) and the Riptide is just freaking nasty (tying it up, if you can get to it, is one option, but don't forget that it's not exactly awful in CC; the WS2 hides the fact that with Smash and the melee table only stretching from 3+ to 5+ he can deal with mulch relatively easily).

[Trevak Dal]

My advice for taking on Tau?

Thousand Sons.

All those scary weapons are suddenly a lot less scary when the majority of your army has a 4++ invun, but all Tau weapons basically turn your Nurgle guys into bog standard CSM.

MY advise on taking on Tau?

Weep inconsolably because you will lose nearly every game you play against them.

A static gunline army of incredible proportions vs the weak sauce codex Chaos has to offer will furnish your opponent with all the delicious tears he can drink.

I dare you to try deepstriking anything of value against them.

One of my main opponents is a Tau player and though to be fair he's stuck with them for 2 editions while they sucked a bit, he's now reaping every single one of us every time we play.

Is my post constructive? - No, and for that I apologise.

Is my post accurate? - May the Gods help you when you face the Tau in the hands of a skilled player.

Saa

......or something like that

You can't afford to play like a wuss. You have to be bold and wreckless and have massive balls (or ovaries as the case may be) of Iron. Guys are going to die. It's war.

Tau go down like the Trojans once we get our hands on them. You just have to fight like Khar...Achilies.

[Trevak Dal]

Deepstriking is tough when they can shoot you as you land

 

That's a real pain from Riptides, because they can drop the Ion Template right on your guys and No Saves are you getting. What I'd suggest, is to deep strike at dangerous ranges. As you say, your guys are probably going to die anyways-why not send them out in style? And if they are real close, then the Riptide has to be wary of it's blast scattering onto his own guys. A single Mutilator or a small group of Mutilators or Termicide if that's your bag popping up Danger-Close can only be ignored at their peril.

 

supporting fire decimates charges

 

How many 6's are going to come up, and then wound? It's a cool and thematic ability, and they can expend marker lights to bolster overwatch-but it's best to use Markerlights in your own shooting phase to cripple troublesome squads. My suggestion is to send a unit that inspires a lot of fear-like Khorne Beserkers in first. In their panic, they drop all their nearby overwatch and supporting fire into that unit of beserkers and feel Safe...and Secure, until they realize the FauxZerkers and Raptors were getting ready to knuckle up and they got no more shots to offer.

 

Also, Firewarriors have defensive grenades base. "Oh noes, I'm losing attacks!" think of it as you are gaining the ability to freely multi-charge units without penalty.

 

Remember, that suits with two weapons can only fire 1 weapon system in overwatch (unless this has been FAQed)

 

Chaos Raptors are exceptionally nasty, because with the Icon Of Wrath, they can move 12 inches and still re-roll their assault charges-and not many people know this.

 

rhinos rarely survive longer than 2 turns as transports

 

That's why you move your full 12, and flat out. Don't pop smoke-a properly Kitted Commander and Squad will just ignore the coversave from smoke anyways and be hitting it as Tank Hunters.

 

I'd try to keep a couple Rhinos "in reserve" in the sense that I'd disembark the units that ride in them and hold it behind cover for those late game objective grabs (actually I rarely worry about objectives personally-I just kill stuff, "Victorious Slaughter or Slaughter" as a motto has made the game immensely more fun for me. It's gotten me closer to stuff I want dead in later game turns).

 

and even the beloved *skillful* Helldrake spam can be gunned down with relative ease.

 

Yeah, I do like killing Helldrakes with my Tau. "Turkey season is open boys! WOO!" Never used one myself, I guess try not rely too heavily on it?

 

There is no Magic Bullet that will beat Tau, but you got to get in the right mentality. You're going to lose guys period. If you get into a prolonged shooting battle with Tau, they will drag you down and civilize you with superior firepower. You have to get in quick, fast and dirty with multiple units.

I'm curious if Tau generate enough firepower to kill horde marines.

A 3+ is enough to get a save against pulse weapons and the various autocannon analogs whereas plasma is going to punch through a terminator anyway so might as well have a cheaper target.

 

Indeed, about the only thing they can hope for is mass Riptide and IonHead template spam, and that's Gets Hot or Nova (Gets hot on a 1 or 2). Spread out at 2 inch max, that's a single unit absorbing a lot of fire, which leads to other supporting elements (other hordes, Raptors, etc) getting in close.

 

Also, the use of Rhinos as "fire ships", with dirge casters and dozer blades going as far forward as they can might be useful. Nothing inside them mind you-no offensive weapons what-so-ever. They get up close, get disabled and hopefully ignored-they won't have any weapons, and there's more important stuff to shoot at...

[Someblindmarineplayer]

I've been running 50 cultists(5units), 20 marines(1squad)/ plasma guns, bikes with plasma guns and melts bombs, and 3oblits. i have finished on top of the tau in the only two games I've played against them since the new codex.no tactic I just kinda charge at them with everything.

 

I've been running 50 cultists(5units), 20 marines(1squad)/ plasma guns, bikes with plasma guns and melts bombs, and 3oblits. i have finished on top of the tau in the only two games I've played against them since the new codex.no tactic I just kinda charge at them with everything.

[jerryrich]

the 2 games i played against them that is what i did and it worked out ok. just gotta charge in waves. never played the old tau dex but i read alot that tau are no good in combat..... they are not..... if you can counter some of their mobility they are not that bad. i actually thought the game with my chaos marines was better/easier than the game with my Orks cuz my marine list is faster. As soon as people are used to playing them the Tau will be a pretty balanced book. I think people are still in the "new stuff" panic mode.

[Brother Amarel]

This is a relatively helpful resource, but if you've played against Tau and done well then it would helpful to list (roughly) what they had and a little bit about setup.

 

For example, stating the following about supporting fire sounds like there's at least some theory in it to me:

How many 6's are going to come up, and then wound? It's a cool and thematic ability, and they can expend marker lights to bolster overwatch-but it's best to use Markerlights in your own shooting phase to cripple troublesome squads. My suggestion is to send a unit that inspires a lot of fear-like Khorne Beserkers in first. In their panic, they drop all their nearby overwatch and supporting fire into that unit of beserkers and feel Safe...and Secure, until they realize the FauxZerkers and Raptors were getting ready to knuckle up and they got no more shots to offer.

Firstly, firing Markerlights on Overwatch isn't going to stop them being used in their own Shooting Phase.

 

Secondly, with regards to how many 6's are going to come up - well let's say your opponents has set-up somewhat sensibly with Pathfinders near enough to help, a second Fire Warrior unit within range and an Ethereal on one of those Fire Warrior units. You're looking at one Markerlight (on average) hitting and then 60 Str 5 Overwatch shots coming your way, hitting on a 5+ (or about 12 Wounding hits on average, that you marines are going to fail 4 of (again on average)). That's not a bad defense.

 

Lastly, they can declare Overwatch on a unit per unit basis, so if a supporting unit wipes out a smaller decoy charge unit, the main unit still has Overwatch ready to use.

 

And that's just their basic troops, you have to find a way to deal with the Riptide (Cultists are fine for jamming him, but Marines will die too easily to his AP2 hits) and Triple Plas Crisis Suits (which are going to be pumping out 6 plas and 6 re-rollable plas with extra help from Shadowsun and then 3dice jumping away out of range).