Guard vs. new Tau

[Lukash_]

Gents,

 

I have a 1850 point game against a friend who's breaking out the Dawn Blade contingent for the first time against my Steel Legion. This is my first time going up against Tau since their big update, and I know he will be bringing a Stormsurge to oppose my Shadowsword. Any tips for fighting the new Tau aside from the obvious things (kill the markerlights?)

[librisrouge]

If they've taken the formation that targets rear armor automatically, kill it fast, with fire and anything else you're packing.

[march10k]

It's called "optimized stealth cadre."  It consists of a unit of 1-3 ghostkeels and two units of 3-6 stealth suits.  The ghostkeels project a bubble of all shots hitting rear armor.  With rear armor 12 on the shadowsword, it's not that bad, only fusion weapons will really be a threat.  TBH, though, an all-comers OSC will be rocking Cyclic Ion Rakers, since a high number of  S7 shots against rear armor is going to be more than sufficient against most things, the CIR has more range than the fusion collider with its one melta blast.  If you are facing the melta version, then definitely kill the OSC fast, though (and feel free to suspect that he's list-tailoring)

 

The key to taking down the OSC is the stealth drones.  The ghostkeels will be closer, meaning you ostensibly have to kill them (with their portable 2+ cover from the drones) first, so you'll need either precision shots, ridiculous maneuverability, or barrage weapons.  I recommend pounding the drones with wyvern fire.  Once they die, the ghostkeels are easy meat.  And once they die, the stealth teams lose all special rules.

[Indefragable]

Take off and nuke 'em from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. 

[Emicus]

Vanquishers with beasthunter shells scare riptides into submission. Wyverns to maul the optimised stealth cadre and any markerlight drones he takes

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Vanquishers with beasthunter shells scare riptides into submission. Wyverns to maul the optimised stealth cadre and any markerlight drones he takes

Goody, I now have 2 beasthunter vanquishers to use, and a Wyvern. I also have an Eradicator to use too, for more cover ignoring shenanigans. Think that'll do? That and Yarrick for ignores cover orders on lasguns. I think that a 20 man blob of guardsmen getting ignores cover on their weapons is pretty good for taking down some stealth suits, or combined fire from 2 vet squads with ignores cover lasguns would do it too. So much ignores cover I can use to kill stuff.

[march10k]

Goody, I now have 2 beasthunter vanquishers to use, and a Wyvern. I also have an Eradicator to use too, for more cover ignoring shenanigans. Think that'll do? That and Yarrick for ignores cover orders on lasguns. I think that a 20 man blob of guardsmen getting ignores cover on their weapons is pretty good for taking down some stealth suits, or combined fire from 2 vet squads with ignores cover lasguns would do it too. So much ignores cover I can use to kill stuff.

 

All good except the idea that a mob of guardsmen will survive long enough to get in lasgun range of stealth suits.  Three S5AP5 shots each will make a pink mist of enough guardsmen that the lasguns won't do much.  Also, cover-ignoring lasguns are useless, the stealth suits have power armor.  If the suits are in natural cover, okay, you just cut them from a 2+ cover save to a 3+ armor save with your cover-ignoring.  They'll still eat your lunch.  Guard infantry are the perfect prey for tau small arms fire, pulse weapons work even better than boltguns against our boys, from longer range, for fewer points.  If it's tau, you need to be cowering in ruins with chamelioline cloaks and firing autocannons at them, or be inside a chimera.  The vanquishers, eradicator, and the wyvern are excellent against tau, though.  Actually, the eradicator is phenomenal.  Wounds fire warriors and pathfinders on 2+ and allows no save except an invul...plus, it's AV14, which tau struggles with (except the OSC...that eats russes)

 

/edit/

But the stealth suits...if they're in the open, cover-ignoring AP3 shooting.  If they're in cover, torrent them with multilasers from outside their own range....or, if they're not holding an objective, just ignore them until they break cover.  If they want to cower in a clump of bushes for the sake of a 2++ at the expense of accomplishing anything useful, let em!

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

 

Goody, I now have 2 beasthunter vanquishers to use, and a Wyvern. I also have an Eradicator to use too, for more cover ignoring shenanigans. Think that'll do? That and Yarrick for ignores cover orders on lasguns. I think that a 20 man blob of guardsmen getting ignores cover on their weapons is pretty good for taking down some stealth suits, or combined fire from 2 vet squads with ignores cover lasguns would do it too. So much ignores cover I can use to kill stuff.

 

All good except the idea that a mob of guardsmen will survive long enough to get in lasgun range of stealth suits.  Three S5AP5 shots each will make a pink mist of enough guardsmen that the lasguns won't do much.  Also, cover-ignoring lasguns are useless, the stealth suits have power armor.  If the suits are in natural cover, okay, you just cut them from a 2+ cover save to a 3+ armor save with your cover-ignoring.  They'll still eat your lunch.  Guard infantry are the perfect prey for tau small arms fire, pulse weapons work even better than boltguns against our boys, from longer range, for fewer points.  If it's tau, you need to be cowering in ruins with chamelioline cloaks and firing autocannons at them, or be inside a chimera.  The vanquishers, eradicator, and the wyvern are excellent against tau, though.  Actually, the eradicator is phenomenal.  Wounds fire warriors and pathfinders on 2+ and allows no save except an invul...plus, it's AV14, which tau struggles with (except the OSC...that eats russes)

 

/edit/

But the stealth suits...if they're in the open, cover-ignoring AP3 shooting.  If they're in cover, torrent them with multilasers from outside their own range....or, if they're not holding an objective, just ignore them until they break cover.  If they want to cower in a clump of bushes for the sake of a 2++ at the expense of accomplishing anything useful, let em!

 

I sort of figured that cover ignoring lasguns would be useless, except to force saves. Force enough saves and it'll fail eventually. Laws of probability and all. The ignoring cover order would be of most use by my plasma vets, who can then ignore their cover and their armor.