Unit of the Week: Tzaangors

[Xenith]

++Thousand Sons Unit of the Week++

++Tzaangors++

New codex, new discussions about units! As we already have in other faction sections, this is the Thousand Sons Unit of the Week series, where each week we select and dissect a datasheet found in the book, and discuss how we use the unit in-game, favoured loadouts and combos, essentially how to use these units best. What have you found that works, and what doesnt? Please try to stick to the idea of making the unit in question work, as opposed to pointing out other units that might do a better job - we'll get to those in time!

This week, we will be discussing the former key unit for most Chaos Builds, Tzaangors. Formerly a mainstay of lists for their numbers, killing power in melee and speed, we don't see them on the table at all now. We've gone from 30 strong fight again blobs of blue goats to nothing - is that because they got worse, other options got better, or both? How would you use Tzaangors in your lists?

What are you thoughts, and how best would you use the unit?

• To compliment a list, or to build a list around?
  
• Will you be running multiples?
  
• What <GREAT CULT>, loadouts, spell relic and Stratagem support do you prefer and how much does it depend on the above choices?
  
• Are you buffing this unit, and if so, how?
  
• Are you building as a damage dealer or buff-provider?
  
• Uses in Matched, Narrative and Open Play
  
• How have they fared for you in-game?
  

Over to you.

++Thousand Sons Unit of the Week Index Link++

[Naryn]

I used to be staunchly anti-goat, and to some degree still am. Lately however i've been running a unit of 20 Tzaangors for screening purposes and they've been putting in work. The 32mm bases are excellent for covering lots of ground, the native 5+ puts the leaps and bounds ahead of cultists in terms of survivability. The AoS weapons still seem to be better than chainswords+pistols, which is a shame, but I've been pleased with the unit as a whole and think that it's worth including.

[WarriorFish]

I suspect like many I view them as supplemental - they come after the Sons. It is Codex: Thousand Sons after all. I think it has long been lamented that the pistol/CCW build isn't very good but they will want to be in combat anyway? As Naryn says I think they are pretty straight forward in use, as a better Cultist alternative.

 

I think it you want to use them you should be looking at an HQ addition, as a thematic consideration as well as effectiveness?

[Brother Kraskor]

What sort of unit size? Big blob of 20, camp an objective? Or unit of 10 harassing/screening/suiciding to bait units out?

[byrd9999]

A blob of 20 Tzaangors with dual blades plus a Shaman will give some great melee options, objective camping, and buffs/spells/cabal points from the shaman.

 

The 5+ inv save means they are no pushovers either, against high AP opponents.

 

They also act as a great distraction, forcing your opponent to deal with it early or risk getting bogged down, reducing the damage taken from the more meatier elements of the TSons army (Rubrics, Scarabs) that you want to still have in play later in the game.

[Xenith]

An intereting point - 150pts for a reasonable tar pit? I wouldn-t run the shaman with them for points, but It would be possible to swap a 10 man rubric unit out for 20 tzaangor to take up valuable real estate, plus something else. 

[WarriorFish]

Might 20 be a bit unwieldy to use? Back in the day I liked 14 strong SoB squads to be more manageable otherwise they can get bogged down moving. That said the game is different now and deadlier, so a squad that starts out at 20 probably wouldn't stay that way for long so it probably works out?

[Brother Kraskor]

An intereting point - 150pts for a reasonable tar pit? I wouldn-t run the shaman with them for points, but It would be possible to swap a 10 man rubric unit out for 20 tzaangor to take up valuable real estate, plus something else. 

 

T4 and 5++ so it's not bad for a tarpit. 70pts to make them WS 3+, not worth it? 

[Xenith]

 

An intereting point - 150pts for a reasonable tar pit? I wouldn-t run the shaman with them for points, but It would be possible to swap a 10 man rubric unit out for 20 tzaangor to take up valuable real estate, plus something else. 

 

T4 and 5++ so it's not bad for a tarpit. 70pts to make them WS 3+, not worth it? 

 

 

Well as a tarpit, their job is to die, as slowly as possible. Something that makes them better at something I don't want them to do doesn't seem ideal. If you have a 10 man unit, I'd say 70pts is better spent on adding more models first over buffs. 

[byrd9999]

Yes, take more than 10 because they will likely be whittled down before getting into melee.

 

Their appeal for me is not just as a tarpit but also a distraction. With a shaman (buffing WS 3+) and casting Smite, it forces your opponents' hand to deal with it sooner rather than later. This also reduces firepower directed towards your other units.

 

If your opponent does ignore the Tzaangor blob, get into melee, use Shaman to cast either Smite or Weaver of Fates to give your blob a 4++ and wreak havoc.

[Lucky_Lee]

I apologize if I'm late to the party. (Usually the case)

I don't hate goats, but only because they serve a good purpose.

I think GW was very very lazy in putting them in our book and I really wish we had gotten a range like DG. That said, they do fill a solid role in our army. They're cheap, they're obsec, and they're moderately durable especially with some buffs.

Tzaangors are just better cultists for an extra 2 pts. I like to run them when I want to load up on SoT and HQ's (which is always)

My standard battalion loadout looks like this.

3x10 Rubrics w/ Temporal Surge

3x10 Tzaangors

3x5 SoT w/Temporal Surge


Having the Tzaangors leaves me plenty of room to run 3 HQs or 2 with a Heavy Support option.

++Some Tips++
+1+
Remember, they're obsec so 10 man units make great bait vs close combat armies. Put your goats out on a middle objective. Get them to expose a unit to a counter charge!
If they don't take the bait and fail to wipe the unit in shooting, that's free primary points.
If they die it was 70 points... send in the rubrics.
If they get charged and lose just make sure you're trading up on the counter and its all good.
If they get charged and WIN, you HAHAHA to free primaries and free kills.  I LOVE taking out vanguard vets/ sanguinary guard this way. A -1 to be hit and 4++ can go a loooooong way.

+2+
I'd say 20% of my games that I run the combo my opponent either doesn't see or can't adequately screen out the ol' umbralific crystal on the goats.  You'll just need a 8" charge with a horn, and an Infernal Master using glimpse. Getting the choice of rerolling 1 die for free or spending a CP to reroll 2 is pretty amazing! Get in with a 20 bomb and start popping strats! Gum up the table and have an exalted use the prism to buff them into a proper tarpit from afar.

+3+
General philosophy here but try to use them as shields against the weaknesses of our dusty bois.

Tzaangor units let me pay for more durable Rubric/SoT units. This in turn shields me from giving up too many "Free Points" in any particular secondaries, Abhor the Witch being a big one. In games against other shooting armies or forces with "deep-striking" elements the 10 man Tzaangor units make for great backfield screens and objective holders.

That is my take on the goats. I've literally had someone walk up to a friend playing me and ask them why he didn't have any "Free Abhor the Witch points" and my friend's exasperated response was "I've only been killing goats and he teleports everything away before I can kill it!"


Good *BLAAAT* Luck!

Edited January 28, 2022 by Xenoscry

[Xenith]

Great experience and advice there - I think I'd pretty much written the goats off, but I'll have to try them in games. Only have ten painted, will have to work on some more! 

[Lucky_Lee]

Great experience and advice there - I think I'd pretty much written the goats off, but I'll have to try them in games. Only have ten painted, will have to work on some more! 

I hope my experiences can help all of my Proserpine brothers. Knowledge is power!

 

I never bought a single box of goats btw. GW forced them on me in like every box set we've been in. I am very sick of that.