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Help vs Tau


FishFuzz99

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I recently started playing 40k with some friends. I mainly play agianst Tau, and I have been struggeling against him. What are some good things to take vs tau? He generally has 6 crisis suits, 2x fire warrior teams, 2x pathfiders, a few tanks, a skyray, and sometimes some stealth suits. He has a broadside or two. He does not own a riptide as far as I know, or any fliers assuming Tau have some.

 

The last game I played I took this list:

 

Captain Tycho, non DC version (only HQ model I have atm)

 

Librarian Furioso

Sanguinary Guard

    Banner

    2x Infernus Pistol

 

Assault Squad

   2x Meltaguns

   Power Axe on Sgt.

   Jump Packs

Scout Squad

   Missile Launcher

   Sniper Rifles

   Camo Cloaks

Death Company

   5x

   1 Power fist, 1 Power sword, 2 bolters

   Razorback with las plas

       Captain Tycho was intended to ride with them

 

Baal Predator

   TLAC, HBsponson, Storm Bolter

 

Vindicator

   HSM, Storm Bolter

 

In hindsight, this wasn't the greatest list to bring. I lacked models to go grab objectives. That combined with some bad luck and losing the main guns on both tanks by turn two set me up for a rough time. I know SG and DC are fairly poor choices as well.

 

Any advice?

 

I've got a Stormraven, 15 more assault marines to assemble, a few more razorbacks/rhinos, some devestators, a land raider, and one drop pod I can use.

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His list is thankfully weak on high-strength and intercept weapons it seems. A couple of frag cannons would make short work of his suits, so if funds are not an issue I would put two furiosos in pods and have a third pod for an assault squad.

 

Also if I remember right the railgun took a nerf from S10 to S8 so they have nothing to hurt your raider with, not at range anyway.

 

Tau are a gunline army with fearsome firepower potential, so I would avoid going toe-to-toe and footslogging it.

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As a former tau player, I will say that missile launchers scared me the most.

 

This is mainly because they can instantly destroy a battlesuit with T4 3+SV 2W. Also frag missiles annoy the ever living hell out of pathfinder and fire warrior squads.

 

I'd say bring some sterngaurd vets in a drop pod too because they can combi melta his suits or shoot kraken bolts to kill fire warriors or the dragons breath shot to kill off hiding pathfinders. Sterngaurd are your best buddies.

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The Assault Marines were 10 strong, scouts 5. I need more troops, yeah. It was 1500 points.

 

He said his railgun was S10 AP1. Did they FAQ that? I've only got one Furioso and one drop pod at the moment, I'll have to look into getting some more.

It might be that character they can get, upside is theres only one of them.

 

Ive had success at the 1250 pts level with podded Tac squads, I think everythign Tau dies faster to bolter fire then almost anything else.

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I've been trying to get some sternguard.

 

As for missile launchers, I've got a devestator squad but the box only came with 1 missile lancher and I'm having some trouble finding any more of them. As of now their loadout would be 2 lascannons, 1 missile launcher, 1 heavy bolter or plasma cannon. That jacks up the points with those lascannons being so expensive though.

 

What are your guys thoughts on whirlwinds vs tau? The large blast ignore cover seems pretty good for getting those pathfinders, as they wouldn't get armor saves either. (iirc their armor is 5+)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I played my friend again today. The whirlwind wasn't too bad. The ignore cover is pretty good for taking out the pathfinders. I had one frag cannon furioso drop in and that was very effective. The game ended after he landed 3 snap shot marker lights on my storm raven turn 3 and got an explodes on his rail gun hit and killed all the passengers =/.

 

I've got two more drop pods to put together, and I'll likely get another furioso to go in one of those. What would you recommend go in the thrird? Sternguard seem like a good choice but I am having trouble finding some.

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Hmm, I like your list.

I think that as a starting player the biggest reason you lost might be small mistakes.

Pathfinders are indeed 5+

My best advice would be this: Learn about Tau, read their tactics and discover their weakness and fears.

If you know what each unit is for, you will also know what your opponent is most likely to do and you can anticipate that.

 

I do have one question: Who two Bolters in the DC?
A Bolter is a great choice for a Specialist Weapon, but otherwise I'd go for the Pistol for an additional attack.

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One was for the guy with the power fist, no really good reason for the second one. A little more range I suppose.

 

I've since decided that having special weapons on the death company probably isn't really worth it unless I'm trying to kill tanks with them, as they will completely wreck any Tau unit they assault. Maybe one axe for broadsides and even that is a little unnecessary.

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I've been trying to get some sternguard.

 

As for missile launchers, I've got a devestator squad but the box only came with 1 missile lancher and I'm having some trouble finding any more of them. As of now their loadout would be 2 lascannons, 1 missile launcher, 1 heavy bolter or plasma cannon. That jacks up the points with those lascannons being so expensive though.

 

What are your guys thoughts on whirlwinds vs tau? The large blast ignore cover seems pretty good for getting those pathfinders, as they wouldn't get armor saves either. (iirc their armor is 5+)

 

One solution to both problems:  Sternguard are just amrines with special issue ammuniton 9for modeling purposes).  A sufficiently bitted and blinged box of tactical marines would both provide you with bodies to make into sternguard AND a missile launcher.  Third party weapons/shoulders/heads and/or a nice paint job 9somtething to denote veteran status) it all it would take to make them visually different enough

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PDC gaming makes a sprue called 'Combined Assault Rifles'.  It's £7.5 for 5 x combi-flamers, combi-meltas and combi-plasma.  15 in total.

 

http://www.pdcgaming.co.uk/shop-

 

There sculpts could use a little work, but they are cheap and plentiful, and uniquely different.  I also find the missile launcher from AoBR on eBay quiet a bit, to the tune of enough for  three fully kitted missile dev squads for under $10.

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I'll have to watch Ebay for those, don't see any at the moment though.

 

I'm assuming my friend will tailor his list against me for the next game we play. He really didn't like that furioso dread, so I wouldn't be suprised to see him running EWO on his crisis suits and or broadsides. Anyone have experience with that? Does it allow each unit with it to shoot at each unit deepstriking within range or only shoot at one?

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In my experience Stormravens with melee dreadnoughts are the biggest counter. They will usually survive interceptor but if he dosnt have any even better. Turn to zoom right next to your target and shoot 5 weapons. If your running sponsons use them to take out shield drones (they have 4invul, but die to lots of low str shots pretty quick). Broadsides have 2 plus save, so you want to have atleast one with blood fists. Vs crisis suit's anything assaulty will stop them. (but they are good at kiting)

 

So turn one you play extremly passive and hide as much as possible, when the flyers come in you can start moving up.  Vs Tau the Furioso with less attack actually works better, as more often then not you will stay in combat (not getting shot at next turn) and the AV13 helps vs overwatch wall. Make sure your flyers are as close as possible in turn 2, because he can jump away with suits and try to deny turn 3 assault. Coming in from multiple angles is pretty good. 

 

AV14 is also pretty strong vs Tau as they really shine vs av12/13. The railguns are ap2 now? (i think). 

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  • 2 weeks later...
I played my friend again. 2 vs 1 with my friends orks. 1000 vs 500x2. 500 points seems like too few for BA. Anyway, I had a devestator squad with 3 missiles. They were just ok till they got Los on some crisis suits then proceeded to one shot the squad with 3 missiles. We lost anyway but I was quite pleased with them. Do you guys prefer 4x missiles or 3 with a lascannon or some other loadout for devs?
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