LemonKing
Lieutenant
Sacrifice your turtles or face my wrath!
Posts: 140
|
Post by LemonKing on Jan 27, 2013 5:27:31 GMT -5
So my brother and i have a lot of casual games, he plays Tau, i have my IG.
Tau are one of the few armies that outshoot us, and i am still building my army (1 Battleforce and 2 guardsmen squads at the moment) So i am wondering what sort of tactics should i be using? And what sort of units should i be buying?
I want to get a vehicle once i have some more plasma (planning on buying from GW bitz section, is there a cheaper alternative?) I am torn between getting a russ or a chimera.
Obviously the russ will be of great use against MEQ (Basically the only armies at my local store) but the chimera will be good for getting flamers into my brothers Tau face...
Any help/Advice?
|
|
|
Post by Paradill on Jan 27, 2013 5:51:23 GMT -5
Tau are one of the few armies we can obliterate in CC so you can change up tactics a bit.
They outshoot us as you said, so take care of any rail weapons and other murdery things as you advance in chimeras. Then blow shoot as you advance on their fishmen and just for a laugh, assault them afterwards to watch them die.
As a very basic guide with no real thought put in to it.
|
|
LemonKing
Lieutenant
Sacrifice your turtles or face my wrath!
Posts: 140
|
Post by LemonKing on Jan 27, 2013 6:42:39 GMT -5
My brother has one hammerhead with a rail-gun/cannon (whatever the big one is) He has a whole bunch of kroot, quite a few of which are heavily converted and awesome. One of them is using a stolen chainsword and is holding up a IG sarges head (Courtesy of my Bitz box) My brother probably has around 300-600 points right now, so this is going on what he seems to be using. His basic tactic is have his pathfinders pin me and his firewarriors shoot me up, should my guardsmen get too close he has his kroot jump from the bushes. He (and his models) are housesitting at the moment, but from memory i think he has: 2 squads of Firewarriors 2 squads of kroot 1 Hammerhead 3-4 Crisis battlesuits 3 pathfinders 2 stealth suits List is as follows (just a rough draft HQ CCS -Plasma Gun X4 -Chimera -HK Missile =175pts Ministorum Priest - Eviscerator 60pts TROOPS Infantry Platoon 1 PCS =30pts Infantry Squad 1,2&3 (30 man blob) -GL X3 =115Pts Veteran Squad -Flamer X3 -Chimera -HK Missile =150 pts FAST ATTACK Scout sentinel -3 Sents -Lascannons =150pts HEAVY SUPPORT Manticore =160pts LRMBT - Hull HF and HB sponsons 170 pts Total points=1000 on the nose My tactic being to form a defensive position with the blob+pcs while everything else (minus manticore) screams up towards his face, we have and use lots of dense jungle terrain, thus the flamers. The priest will ride with the flamer vets, and after burning stuff with holy fire, charge the xenos scum to finish them off. The chimeras have HK's in case the sentinels get fried. Would creed work here?to make the sentinel squadron outflank and nail his only big vehicle?
|
|
|
Post by emptyhat on Jan 27, 2013 10:15:04 GMT -5
I think tau currently have low access to AA weapons. Try getting a Valkyrie or two.
(This will probably change a lot when they get their new codex)
|
|
|
Post by dougeye on Jan 27, 2013 10:25:02 GMT -5
or their new flyer next month.
|
|
|
Post by Julian Sharps on Jan 27, 2013 13:46:04 GMT -5
Word of advice: Tau absolutely hate heavy flamers. I suggest running your Scout Sentinels as separate units with heavy flamers and HK missiles, and invest in an astropath. Outflank with them, preferably into his base of Fire Warriors. As for your infantry blob, I'd suggest you use the points from the Sentinel conversion to upgrade those grenade launches into autocannons.
Have your Russ and your infantry blob keep his Hammerhead busy, while your Manticore rains down death from above onto his firebase and everything else advances. When your sentinels show up, send 'em where they're needed, preferably into his Fire Warriors, but go for his other infantry if possible. If there are no infantry in range, let 'em rip with the HK missiles, going for his Hammerhead (if it's still around). If it's not, use 'em on his battlesuits (in fact, if you got close enough, you could unload the HK, flame and assault all in the same turn, but I wouldn't count on it).
|
|
LemonKing
Lieutenant
Sacrifice your turtles or face my wrath!
Posts: 140
|
Post by LemonKing on Jan 28, 2013 0:03:25 GMT -5
How do i outflank with my sentinels? I am probably wrong but i thought they only had scouts, not outflank?
|
|
|
Post by Ymmot (M.I.A) on Jan 28, 2013 0:21:42 GMT -5
Reread rules for Scout. Page 41.
|
|
|
Post by StillANoob on Jan 28, 2013 0:59:13 GMT -5
The Special Rule Scout allows you to Outflank LK.
SaN
|
|
LemonKing
Lieutenant
Sacrifice your turtles or face my wrath!
Posts: 140
|
Post by LemonKing on Jan 28, 2013 6:32:48 GMT -5
Ah right, i didnt notice that it continued on the top of the page, thanks
|
|
|
Post by Aeon on Feb 2, 2013 3:05:44 GMT -5
Everyone has given great advice for slaying Tau. Once we got our current codex, I actually got good at killing the fishy bastards.
Some tips (some are very obvious):
- Hammer heads are probably one of the best anti armor vehicles in the game. Las cannons should focus those things before you move your armor out of cover. Anything long range will do. I suggest a las cannon team, or a piece of artillery. It sounds like you're getting a manticor. It's been awhile, I don't remember the stats, but I believe a manticor can kill a Hammerhead. Eliminate the hammerheads before you move your tanks out to start shooting
- Tau fire warriors are pretty squishy just like guardsmen, but they do have carapace armor and they'll almost always be in cover. The trick to beating them is either out ranging them and hitting them with superior firepower, such as LR Battle Cannons (I used 3 of them to wipe FW squads off the field), or a ton of heavy bolters. Heavy bolters in mass causes them to have to make more cover saves, and if your HBs are positioned right, you have the range on them (if ever so slightly), and the FWs can't leave cover, or they'll get chewed apart. Beating Tau is all about denying them their mobility!
- The other way to kill Tau FW teams is in close combat. I once ran a Guard army that consisted of 6 squads of Penal Troops. They managed to outflank the FW teams and charge them. I out gunned and out stabbed them. It was glorious. With krak grenades, you can even take out Devilfish and get those FWs to lose their mobility, making them easy pickings for a well placed heavy bolter squad or a Leman Russ BT
- Like Sharps mentioned, Heavy Flamers that can get close enough are a nightmare for Tau. Veteran squads with a heavy flamer is one way, but my favorite is to run a maxed out Al'Rahem platoon. The command squad has a heavy flamer and 3 regular flamers, and all 5 squads get a flamer. You can outflank that platoon, come in from the side and hit them with so many templates, taking out a good many FWs. Wounding on a 3+ with regular flamers is great. Wounding on a 2+ and denying both cover and armor saves is even greater. Anything that's left gets swarmed by guardsmen who can out fight Tau in hand to hand.
- Ratlings: longer range than pule rifles, they rend and Ratlings hit on a 3+. A squad of 10 Ratlings can mess up FWs, even in cover if you're lucky, and Ratlings get 2+ cover saves when they're in cover (I think. Can't remember). Ratlings are a great way for supporting your advancing troops who are trying to engage the Tau in hand to hand
- Dealing with Kroot: Don't assault them, and don't try to get close enough for flamers. Machine guns and pie plates are the way to go. A single shot from a Leman Russ that doesn't scatter can take out an entire handful (literally, not figuratively) of Kroot warriors. They have p*ss poor armor, and they're not so great at shooting. They'll be a shield for the FWs.
- Never prioritise the Kroot. You must focus on them both. Deal with his Hammerheads or XV88s to make your armor save, and take shots at the Kroot as they advance, but do your best to suppress the FW teams with snipers, mortars, heavy bolters, tanks and flamers
Beating Tau is easy if you can kill their armor
Another tip: for blob squads, i'd use a commissar to keep them from running. A good volley from a FW team can make a platoon of 30 men run away with their tails between their legs, i've seen it happen many times
Good luck to you, Commander LemonKing. Keep us informed
|
|