Has anyone played against Tau since their codex dropped?

[Bulwyf]

I have a friend that wants to play his Tau and we try to bring "power fluff" lists which are fluffy but with teeth. We try not to do cheese lists or GOTCHA! moments. I haven't played against Tau in several  years. 

 

I know right now that Tau are dominating tournies along with Custodes but how do SW fare against them? I tried to put in some 4++ options in my list but there's only so many TWC/Wulfen/BGV you can do that with. Appreciate any advice for those Wolf lords that have fought against the scourge of the blue hippy xenos filth.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

High speed melee with overrun they can’t handle.

[yan]

Dont they have some stuff that ignores invuln saves?

[Karhedron]

Dont they have some stuff that ignores invuln saves?

Yes but it is normally only in limited numbers. The Hammerhead Railgun can do it but you will normally only run into 1 in an army as it is in competition with Broadsides and Riptides. There is a stratagem that does it but it is linked to the Borkan Sept only and is once per turn. Mind you, it is really nasty if played on something big like a Riptide or Stormsurge.

 

A healthy sprinkling of Invulns will help. The other thing you will need is speed. If you try to charge with 1 or 2 key units, you will get cut to pieces by overwatch and then shot by the buddies of the target unit next turn. You need to bring significant numbers of units into melee at the same time and overwhelm part of the line. The good news is that you don't need high quality units to overwhelm Tau. Basic Marine Troops will cut down most Tau units in melee with breaking a sweat. Incursors are good for starting near the enemy. Assault Intercessors are cheap with plenty of attacks.

 

Try to put a Power Fist or similar in each squad if you can. Battlesuits are now T5 and 4W so can take quite a lot of punishment. Also they can shoot into melee like vehicles so you need to start knocking them down quickly as even melee won't properly stop them from shooting.

[Plague _Lord]

Don't take Wulfen - they will get shredded by ignore LOS SMS or if you outflank them and fail a charge they are also dead meat no problemo. Nearly everything  in the Tau army is ideal at killing wulfen. TBH wulfen are so bad mine just sit on the shelf collecting dust.

[Rune Priest Jbickb]

Also dreads don't fair too well. Perhaps ones with invulns would do better but my Redemptor was shredded turn one by a missile captain and a hammerhead rail gun and they still had plenty of guns to do other work. Also remember their base troop guns are strength 5 and tgey have a strat to double shoot at range and increase their ap to -2. This is hard on marine infantry so much might be wiser to avoid losing to much. Also watch out for dropping suits. Try to keep them screened out. They are pretty brutal on the drop there was some wicked lethal strat that I can't remember exactly what it did but I thinknit was like full rerolls tge turn they drop or something to that effect.

[Bulwyf]

 

Dont they have some stuff that ignores invuln saves?

Yes but it is normally only in limited numbers. The Hammerhead Railgun can do it but you will normally only run into 1 in an army as it is in competition with Broadsides and Riptides. There is a stratagem that does it but it is linked to the Borkan Sept only and is once per turn. Mind you, it is really nasty if played on something big like a Riptide or Stormsurge.

 

A healthy sprinkling of Invulns will help. The other thing you will need is speed. If you try to charge with 1 or 2 key units, you will get cut to pieces by overwatch and then shot by the buddies of the target unit next turn. You need to bring significant numbers of units into melee at the same time and overwhelm part of the line. The good news is that you don't need high quality units to overwhelm Tau. Basic Marine Troops will cut down most Tau units in melee with breaking a sweat. Incursors are good for starting near the enemy. Assault Intercessors are cheap with plenty of attacks.

 

Try to put a Power Fist or similar in each squad if you can. Battlesuits are now T5 and 4W so can take quite a lot of punishment. Also they can shoot into melee like vehicles so you need to start knocking them down quickly as even melee won't properly stop them from shooting.

 

 

I thought the Tau overwatch thing was gone in this codex meaning they can only normally OW like every other army?

[Bulwyf]

Don't take Wulfen - they will get shredded by ignore LOS SMS or if you outflank them and fail a charge they are also dead meat no problemo. Nearly everything  in the Tau army is ideal at killing wulfen. TBH wulfen are so bad mine just sit on the shelf collecting dust.

 

Great. I was hoping they could actually come off the table edge and do something for once.

[TiguriusX]

Get first turn and make your armor saves as you try to get in melee

 

Most competitive tau have large volume indirect fire and rail guns that ignore invulns

 

They also take devil fish and breachers

 

Pre game move gets them in your face real fast and screens out drop pod type attacks

 

Gooooooood luck!

 

*more detailed answer

 

3 units of incursors and lord of deceit WLT

if you get 1st turn you are in his backfield immediately

 

worst case you stop his pre game move and your LF DP can come in close

 

rest of the army advances and hope to make combat turn 2

Edited February 15, 2022 by TiguriusX

[tychobi]

Tau are hot out of the gate.  Competent Tau players are murdering all comers around here. 

[yan]

At the moment im running two packs if 4twc, two packs of wulfen, two packs of jumppack wolfguards, a drop pod with longfangs and greyhunters, assault intersessors and incursors.

 

I really like the speed and the ammount of boddy on the table. I usually put my wulfen and a unit of wolfguard in reserve. This way i can trade a lot and keep hart hitting units save and be in their face fast.

I dont play highly competitive tho, but i would like to test this list against the new tau.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Overwatch is not a major issue any longer.

[Bloody Legionnaire]

Also dreads don't fair too well. Perhaps ones with invulns would do better but my Redemptor was shredded turn one by a missile captain and a hammerhead rail gun and they still had plenty of guns to do other work. Also remember their base troop guns are strength 5 and tgey have a strat to double shoot at range and increase their ap to -2. This is hard on marine infantry so much might be wiser to avoid losing to much. Also watch out for dropping suits. Try to keep them screened out. They are pretty brutal on the drop there was some wicked lethal strat that I can't remember exactly what it did but I thinknit was like full rerolls tge turn they drop or something to that effect.

 

You think they would remain true for Dreads in Drop Pods? They would be protected from shooting until the turn they drop in. MM Dreads could put in some work alongside Devs in a pod. I'm sure the volkite contemptor would do some work as well coming out of a drop pod. 

[Rune Priest Jbickb]

That might help them get some work done, though I suspect that unless you were able to clear the threats to the dread you would still only be trading the dread. Also new rules count the dread as coming from reserves I believe, so if tau have an Auspex scan equivalent that could hurt. I dont know if they do or not but would certainly be good to know before committing to this plan

[TiguriusX]

That might help them get some work done, though I suspect that unless you were able to clear the threats to the dread you would still only be trading the dread. Also new rules count the dread as coming from reserves I believe, so if tau have an Auspex scan equivalent that could hurt. I dont know if they do or not but would certainly be good to know before committing to this plan

Tau player i know told me tau have something worse than auspex

 

2 different tricks to reduce charge rolls

[Bloody Legionnaire]

That might help them get some work done, though I suspect that unless you were able to clear the threats to the dread you would still only be trading the dread. Also new rules count the dread as coming from reserves I believe, so if tau have an Auspex scan equivalent that could hurt. I dont know if they do or not but would certainly be good to know before committing to this plan

 

A couple of things going for us when it comes to using Drop Pod dreads.. 

 

Space Wolves want to be in combat and Drop Pods can't come in T1. If you're thinking about strategically placing the Dreadnought, there should already be other threats that force the Tau players hand at shooting the wrong target. Take advantage of the mistake they make when they make it. 

 

Auspex can is minus 1 to hit and can only be used on one unit. Yes, Tau have some pretty devastating firepower, but if they having anything like auspex scan.. they are also not going to have the opportunity to hit the Dreadnought with marker lights which means their shooting isn't going to be as effective as it would be in their shooting phase. 

 

Dreads deployed via Drop Pod require some finesse but I still think it offers a decent amount of tactical flexibility and security for that unit. 

[Bulwyf]

So we played the game and I won. He brought a friendly list so only one vehicle in a Ghostkeel. He had crisis suits and battle suits, pathfinders, fire warriors some kind of sniper guy and tons of drones. There was an ethereal and some kind of buffing character for the fire warriors.

 

He warned me before the game started that whoever went first would probably win. He was right. I went first and was able to clear out all the units that give marker lights. I killed off all but one wound on one unit of battle suits as well. I thinned down a great deal of his shield drones as well on most units. On his turn one he killed off one redemptor, almost killed off two intercessor squads and another redemptor. On my turn 2 I was able to get TWC with a chap on bike into his lines clearing out stealth suits and into his fire warriors in consolidation. On the other side of the board my surviving redemptor, Bjorn and BGV got into his lines and into the Ghostkeel. He used a strat to auto explode the Ghostkeel which did mortal wounds to everything.

 

We called it at that point because I was about to use Wulfen coming off the table edge to charge into his surviving battle suits and with 4 TH/SS they would have cleared them out as well. He would have had left at that point an almost dead unit of breachers, his warlord in a crisis suit or something that looked like one and his unit of crisis suits.  He had that sniper character/unit on top of ruins that I couldn't get to in melee. The crisis suits and his warlord were in deep strike waiting to come down on his turn 2 if he felt there was a chance he could still win.

 

I appreciate the fact he didn't bring the meta lists against me. We did roll out if he had gone first and it would have been bad for me. I only killed off about 280 points on my first turn but had he went first he would have wiped about 600 or more points including both redemptors and my venerable dread. The sniper character/unit would have then killed my primaris techmarine he couldn't get LOS on his turn. I would have tried to make it two turns but with missing that much of my list it would have taken the luck of Russ to win the game. Russ only knows how much he would have then shot off the table in turn 2 because then he would have just shot my 4 intercessor squads off the table which would have been impossible for me to hold objectives.

 

I hate games that are pretty much decided in turn 1 but given how absolutely lethal Tau shooting is I don't know how that can be different with that army.

[temneb]

 

 

That might help them get some work done, though I suspect that unless you were able to clear the threats to the dread you would still only be trading the dread. Also new rules count the dread as coming from reserves I believe, so if tau have an Auspex scan equivalent that could hurt. I dont know if they do or not but would certainly be good to know before committing to this plan

 

Space Wolves want to be in combat and Drop Pods can't come in T1.

Why can't drop pods come in t1? I thought that was their thing?

[Bulwyf]

 

 

That might help them get some work done, though I suspect that unless you were able to clear the threats to the dread you would still only be trading the dread. Also new rules count the dread as coming from reserves I believe, so if tau have an Auspex scan equivalent that could hurt. I dont know if they do or not but would certainly be good to know before committing to this plan

 

Space Wolves want to be in combat and Drop Pods can't come in T1.

Why can't drop pods come in t1? I thought that was their thing?

 

 

Nothing put in reinforcements can come onto the table until T2 for matched play games. 

[Xenith]

 

 

 

That might help them get some work done, though I suspect that unless you were able to clear the threats to the dread you would still only be trading the dread. Also new rules count the dread as coming from reserves I believe, so if tau have an Auspex scan equivalent that could hurt. I dont know if they do or not but would certainly be good to know before committing to this plan

 

Space Wolves want to be in combat and Drop Pods can't come in T1.

Why can't drop pods come in t1? I thought that was their thing?

 

 

Nothing put in reinforcements can come onto the table until T2 for matched play games. 

 

 

Drop pods are the specific exemption to this, as per their rules. 

[Valerian]

 

 

That might help them get some work done, though I suspect that unless you were able to clear the threats to the dread you would still only be trading the dread. Also new rules count the dread as coming from reserves I believe, so if tau have an Auspex scan equivalent that could hurt. I dont know if they do or not but would certainly be good to know before committing to this plan

 

Space Wolves want to be in combat and Drop Pods can't come in T1.

Why can't drop pods come in t1? I thought that was their thing?

 

 

Yes they can: " This transport can be set up in the Reinforcements step of your first, second or third Movement phase, regardless of any mission rules."

[Plague _Lord]

Congrats on the win but I cannot for the life of me fathom how you managed to kill any battle suits (broadsides?) with turn 1 shooting. Any player I play against would 100% hide all his suit units behind obscuring terrain so I wouldn't manage to do anything to his main units and the 2nd thing that baffles me is how you managed to take out his markerlight units? Don't they take marker drones attached to crisis suit units and didn't he hide his pathfinders?

 

Overall the problem with Tau seems that they can wait for you to expose yourself and you can't afford to play the waiting game since they can just pommel you with massed indirect fire so van vets and wulfen both aren't safe behind walls. Charging from table edges also becomes really hard because of the -2 to charge rolls the Tau has in strats.

 

I think this might be a time for TWC to shine - they are tough and quite fast, with TH&SS they can tank a bunch and destroy the Tau line if they get a charge off.

[Bulwyf]

Congrats on the win but I cannot for the life of me fathom how you managed to kill any battle suits (broadsides?) with turn 1 shooting. Any player I play against would 100% hide all his suit units behind obscuring terrain so I wouldn't manage to do anything to his main units and the 2nd thing that baffles me is how you managed to take out his markerlight units? Don't they take marker drones attached to crisis suit units and didn't he hide his pathfinders?

 

Overall the problem with Tau seems that they can wait for you to expose yourself and you can't afford to play the waiting game since they can just pommel you with massed indirect fire so van vets and wulfen both aren't safe behind walls. Charging from table edges also becomes really hard because of the -2 to charge rolls the Tau has in strats.

 

I think this might be a time for TWC to shine - they are tough and quite fast, with TH&SS they can tank a bunch and destroy the Tau line if they get a charge off.

 

The broadsides were hidden behind LOS blocking terrain until I could move my dreads that then could get LOS on one of the two units. I was then able to shoot them with the overcharged macro plasma guns on two redemptors plus the icarus pods. After that plus Bjorn with twin las cannon he only had one wound left on one model in that unit. His other broadside unit was able to fire after he brought it out of LOS. 

 

His units that had markerlights were the troop options. They were in cover inside ruins. We were playing one of the new missions that don't let you infiltrate units so he was hiding in terrain for cover but also had to be on the objectives on his side of the table. The onslaught guns on my two Redemptors plus 4 squads of intercessors and my chap on bike's guns shot them off the table. I rolled very well to hit/wound and he was not rolling well to save.

[Sigvard]

 

Congrats on the win but I cannot for the life of me fathom how you managed to kill any battle suits (broadsides?) with turn 1 shooting. Any player I play against would 100% hide all his suit units behind obscuring terrain so I wouldn't manage to do anything to his main units and the 2nd thing that baffles me is how you managed to take out his markerlight units? Don't they take marker drones attached to crisis suit units and didn't he hide his pathfinders?

 

Overall the problem with Tau seems that they can wait for you to expose yourself and you can't afford to play the waiting game since they can just pommel you with massed indirect fire so van vets and wulfen both aren't safe behind walls. Charging from table edges also becomes really hard because of the -2 to charge rolls the Tau has in strats.

 

I think this might be a time for TWC to shine - they are tough and quite fast, with TH&SS they can tank a bunch and destroy the Tau line if they get a charge off.

 

The broadsides were hidden behind LOS blocking terrain until I could move my dreads that then could get LOS on one of the two units. I was then able to shoot them with the overcharged macro plasma guns on two redemptors plus the icarus pods. After that plus Bjorn with twin las cannon he only had one wound left on one model in that unit. His other broadside unit was able to fire after he brought it out of LOS. 

 

His units that had markerlights were the troop options. They were in cover inside ruins. We were playing one of the new missions that don't let you infiltrate units so he was hiding in terrain for cover but also had to be on the objectives on his side of the table. The onslaught guns on my two Redemptors plus 4 squads of intercessors and my chap on bike's guns shot them off the table. I rolled very well to hit/wound and he was not rolling well to save.

 

Having played a similar list yesterday I am as shocked as Plague Lord if am honest with you that you managed to damage the Broadside's (if that is what they were) with shooting attacks. Bearing in mind they are infantry models so gain the benefits of whatever terrain they are in with T7, 2+ Save and 8 Wounds they are an exceptionally tough nut to crack. Then factor in saviour protocols and those Super-Charged Macro Plasma Cannon shots are just wafted away onto two meaningless drones which is the exact situation I found myself in yesterday.

 

A unit of Eradicators who were only 40 points cheaper then the broadside unit with 2 Heavy Melta Rifles and and 1 Multi-Melta managed to do some impressive damage but most of it was put onto the drones and the next turn they turned the Eradicators into a fine mist with Heavy Rail Rifle shots at Heavy 2 S9 Ap-4 D3+3 that causes a mortal wound on a successful wound...for an extra 40 points than the eradicators they get a better save, 7 extra wounds (the unit does) 36" of range, drones (throwaway wounds) and the frankly ridiculous ability to fire those guns in engagement range!.

 

They also managed to pop my Redemptor like a pinata poor fella, he lasted one turn.

 

The shooting in engagement range caused me the most issues - even against a strike team which my Chaplain on a bike tied up - the S5 Ap-1 pistols shots due to Mont'Ka hitting and wounding him on 4's caused me so so much pain, considering also that no matter the amount of wounds their leadership is so high I couldn't get them to flee!

 

Needless to say I am a little salty about and their Codex in general really. Don't even get me started on Commander Farsight....

[Bulwyf]

 

 

Congrats on the win but I cannot for the life of me fathom how you managed to kill any battle suits (broadsides?) with turn 1 shooting. Any player I play against would 100% hide all his suit units behind obscuring terrain so I wouldn't manage to do anything to his main units and the 2nd thing that baffles me is how you managed to take out his markerlight units? Don't they take marker drones attached to crisis suit units and didn't he hide his pathfinders?

 

Overall the problem with Tau seems that they can wait for you to expose yourself and you can't afford to play the waiting game since they can just pommel you with massed indirect fire so van vets and wulfen both aren't safe behind walls. Charging from table edges also becomes really hard because of the -2 to charge rolls the Tau has in strats.

 

I think this might be a time for TWC to shine - they are tough and quite fast, with TH&SS they can tank a bunch and destroy the Tau line if they get a charge off.

 

The broadsides were hidden behind LOS blocking terrain until I could move my dreads that then could get LOS on one of the two units. I was then able to shoot them with the overcharged macro plasma guns on two redemptors plus the icarus pods. After that plus Bjorn with twin las cannon he only had one wound left on one model in that unit. His other broadside unit was able to fire after he brought it out of LOS. 

 

His units that had markerlights were the troop options. They were in cover inside ruins. We were playing one of the new missions that don't let you infiltrate units so he was hiding in terrain for cover but also had to be on the objectives on his side of the table. The onslaught guns on my two Redemptors plus 4 squads of intercessors and my chap on bike's guns shot them off the table. I rolled very well to hit/wound and he was not rolling well to save.

 

Having played a similar list yesterday I am as shocked as Plague Lord if am honest with you that you managed to damage the Broadside's (if that is what they were) with shooting attacks. Bearing in mind they are infantry models so gain the benefits of whatever terrain they are in with T7, 2+ Save and 8 Wounds they are an exceptionally tough nut to crack. Then factor in saviour protocols and those Super-Charged Macro Plasma Cannon shots are just wafted away onto two meaningless drones which is the exact situation I found myself in yesterday.

 

A unit of Eradicators who were only 40 points cheaper then the broadside unit with 2 Heavy Melta Rifles and and 1 Multi-Melta managed to do some impressive damage but most of it was put onto the drones and the next turn they turned the Eradicators into a fine mist with Heavy Rail Rifle shots at Heavy 2 S9 Ap-4 D3+3 that causes a mortal wound on a successful wound...for an extra 40 points than the eradicators they get a better save, 7 extra wounds (the unit does) 36" of range, drones (throwaway wounds) and the frankly ridiculous ability to fire those guns in engagement range!.

 

They also managed to pop my Redemptor like a pinata poor fella, he lasted one turn.

 

The shooting in engagement range caused me the most issues - even against a strike team which my Chaplain on a bike tied up - the S5 Ap-1 pistols shots due to Mont'Ka hitting and wounding him on 4's caused me so so much pain, considering also that no matter the amount of wounds their leadership is so high I couldn't get them to flee!

 

Needless to say I am a little salty about and their Codex in general really. Don't even get me started on Commander Farsight....

 

 

My friend was playing a fluffy list not a tournament list. We try to play friendly games at all times. If it makes you feel better I played his new Eldar codex against my Death Guard and Eldar were dropping my units like flies with their shooting and he won that game easily.