Starting a Tau Army

[Carlgar]

As of right now i only have an Ultramarine army and it is nearing completion and once it is done i was looking for another army to start and figured that tau have my style of fighting...shooting the crap out of things then beating them to death later (am i right? lol). The main point of this post is asking for help on how to start and tau army and how to use them. i was thinking id start smallish and have a 1000 point army. thank you in advance for all your help.

[The Envoy (AWOL)]

Well, it depends on the type of Tau force you're thinking of. There really are so many ways to play them and they can be pretty flexible when handled well.

I've got a pretty large force with a lot of different play options, so if you have any questions, just ask.

And by the way, no matter what anyone tells you, a well timed charge with some Crisis Suits or even Fire Warriors can be well worth it.

[Carlgar]

haha im sure they are...seeing that im an Ultramarine through and through...i read all Ultra books and the last one where they fight the tau has inspired me to start their army seeing the fight they put up with the Ultramarines i was very impressed. what are some of the ways i can field them...is it like the DOW computer game? but i was thinking of a well rounded shoot/attack army and i think the suits do both of those if im not mistaken lol

[The Envoy (AWOL)]

Well, Tau can be run in multiple formats depending on your style of play:

1. Static Gunline- Your basic stand and shoot line. I don't really like this style myself, as it cuts down on your objective grabbing ability, and you can easily get pulled apart by fast assault units or outflankers. With this type of list you don't really rely heavily on Crisis Teams, but Broadsides become very much worth it.

2. Mechanized- Again, pretty standard fare, everything that can have a transport does. This is what I normally play, as it provides the most protection for my Fire Warriors, and dropping three Hammerheads can be quite scary for some people. Depending on preference, you can be suit heavy or not. I tend to run my HQ and a Stealth team in smaller games, but in higher points, I take at least another unit of Crisis Suits.

3. Hybrid- Pretty much what you're thinking of. It's a good mix of speed and fire, as you can hold your home objective with some Fire Warriors, and range ahead with Crisis Teams to contest other objectives. Add in a little mobile fire support from a Hammerhead or two, and some static support in the form of a Broadside team or a Sky Ray.

4. Ninja Tau- Because of the way Reserves now work, Ninja Tau is a fairly new option that I'm not really keen on, but it does work. Basically, you start with everything but one, maybe two models in reserve. You then use normal reserve rolls or the Positional Relay to pull in your units from all over when you want them to come in. This style relies heavily on Deep Striking and Outflankers for getting in your opponents face quickly, so it can work for or against you.

Those are the big four styles I'm familiar with. There are others no doubt, but these tend to be the most effective from what I have seen.

[Carlgar]

yes the hybrid is most likely what i would drift to lol but i could probably explore the mechanized style when i get more into them and get more models/points. thank you very much for all this help and advice. just one more favor to ask. could you give me a good 1000 point army list for me to go out and purchase when i am ready to for the hybrid style? thank you again in advance

[The Envoy (AWOL)]

Hmmmmmm...

I'll see what I can throw together. I might have one lying around I can modify a bit and toss out as an example.

This is a list I posted a while back, but it's still pretty good overall:

HQ-
Shas'El: 135pts.
Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Targeting Array, Stimulant Injector, 2x Shield Drones

Elites-
Crisis Team: 116pts.
2x Crisis Suit with Twin-Linked Missile Pod, Target Lock

Troops-
12x Fire Warrior Team: 135pts.
Shas'Ui, Bonding Knife

12x Fire Warrior Team: 135pts.
Shas'Ui, Bonding Knife

15 Kroot: 119pts.
Shaper

Heavy Support-
3x Broadsides: 225pts.
3x Target Lock

Hammerhead Gunship: 135pts.
Ion Cannon, Burst Cannons, Disruption Pod, Target Lock, Multi-Tracker

Total: 1000pts

It's fast, hits hard, and can bring units in as a support element when you need them. It's a little light on vehicles, and is a little more static, but it's a pretty solid start.

[Carlgar]

i think that sounds awesome lol...thank you very much for all your help...i will let you know when i will be starting them and after i start them how they do in battle

[The Envoy (AWOL)]

That sounds good to me.

I hope this works out. It's a decent start, and you'll eventually find your niche and tweak it to fit your style of play.