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Dakka |
So I've been playing around with the basis of Gundam Tau and trying to find an Allies fit which I think works best at 1750 points (the commonly played points level in Australia currently at tournaments). The problem was, even cutting back a bit on the suits there weren't that many points to play with for getting 2x10x MEQs + goodies to support the Tau in midfield and provide mobile scoring options. You could do it but it always felt stretched at 1750 and worked much better at 2000. Orks didn't have this issue however and thanks to Fearless changes, are a lot scarier in combat now since they don't fold like a wet paper bag.
So here's what I've come up with. We have the core of the Gundam Tau template and then we'ved added in two large Ork Boyz squads for midfield supporting & scoring, a Big Mek for utility on said Boyz and a small Loota + Kannon squads for even more firepower on the cheap which can be spread around. The end result:
Shas'el w/Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-tracker, HW-BSF, Drone Controller, 2x Gun Drones
3x Crisis Suits w/Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-tracker, Team Leader w/HW-BSF, Drone Controller, 2x Gun Drones
2x Crisis Suits w/Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-tracker
3x Crisis Suits w/TL-Missile Pod, flamer, Team Leader w/HW-BSF, Drone Controller, 2x Gun Drones
8x Fire Warriors
8x Fire Warriors
8x Fire Warriors
1x Broadside w/BSF, Team Leader w/2x Shield Drones
1x Broadside w/BSF, Team Leader w/2x Shield Drones
1x Broadside w/BSF, Team Leader w/2x Shield Drones
Big Mek w/KFF
5x Lootas
20x Ork Boyz, Nob w/PKlaw, Bosspole
20x Ork Boyz, Nob w/PKlaw, Bosspole
3x Kannonz w/3x Ammo Runts, 6x Extra Crew
Totals: 1748 points
Lots of shooting and there's the two large Ork squads in midfield any opponent has to battle through to get to the main lines of guns. Only five Troops at 1750 is my major worry here, though I could take the 24 Fire Warriors and split them into groups of six and get six scoring options. Stil have 10 Crisis Suits though which gives the army a lot of firepower backed up by Kannonz, Lootas, Fire Warriors & Broadsides - though with only three Broadsides we also have to consider if that's enough? Potentially dropping the Lootas to get an extra Broadside in might be useful.
Anyway, discuss away.
tzeentchling 76p · 659 weeks ago
And at 1750, 5 Troops is probably enough. Since your Troops aren't mobile, there's going to be a limit to how many objectives you'll be able to reach anyway.
I'd probably do two units of two broadsides with the points saved, each having one guy with a bsf and one guy with the drone controller. Or stick the points into making the two Boyz squads larger.
abusepuppy 121p · 659 weeks ago
They add flexibility and anti-flyer capability, both of which are nice to have.
Five troops is probably less than you'd like, but since Tau troops are kinda shit at taking objectives and you can't have more than two Ork troops, it's what you get. I'd prolly go with mobs of 30 at that point level, but it's a choice.
tzeentchling 76p · 659 weeks ago
Eh, like I said. 5 Troops are fine at 1750. More would be nice, but it's not really needed. You could probably get away with 4 even. You need troops to capture objectives, but odds are only 2-3 will be within reach, since nothing is mobile and if the FW are that far up the board you're winning anyway (and the Orks will die as cannon fodder - but I agree 30-man mobs are probably better). So having enough to claim those and maybe a unit for backup is enough - Tau still win by shooting the opponent off objectives, not claiming all of them.
Avatar · 659 weeks ago
"SHOOT THE LOOTAS" works great in an Ork list because they're the most dangerous ranged unit you're facing and also very easy to shoot up. That's not the case in a Tau army, so if it causes your opponent to mistake their target priority, then that's all for the good. And they're not bad by any means if your opponent leaves them alone...
tzeentchling 76p · 659 weeks ago
JDR · 658 weeks ago
Ronnoc · 659 weeks ago
abusepuppy 121p · 659 weeks ago
Threadmiser 79p · 658 weeks ago
SageoftheTimes 77p · 659 weeks ago
Also, consider getting a Dakkajet if you can find the points.
As for troops, you want to focus on Orks for troops to save points. Shoota Boyz might actually be better here then regular ones (don't know if they cost more, though). Kroot may be an option here w/ Orks acting as bubblewrap (cheaper + more bodies = less chance of running).
Main problems I see with running it are that anything that can get to your suits will have an easy time taking them out (so be prepared for that), and the low Lootas squad (try for 8-10, ditch some FWs or something else useless).
tzeentchling 76p · 659 weeks ago
The gun drones are there to catch missiles and las, so your suits don't auto-die when a Long Fangs squad fires at them. They still essentially get the Crisis toughness since they're not the majority models, but you're right that a 4+ save is worse than a 3+/4++. Shield drones just don't add enough to the squad to make them worth 10 points more, IMO.
The Dakkajet is fun and a decent model, but in this list I'd want to take fliers for anti-flier, and S6 isn't going to get the job done against heavier fliers.
abusepuppy 121p · 659 weeks ago
I would always run Shoota Boyz with Tau- you're looking to push forward and put a bunch of shots out at the enemy; charges are a bonus.
>anything that can get to your suits will have an easy time taking them out
This is just part of being Tau- your stuff is rather fragile. Don't let them do that thing.
>and the low Lootas squad (try for 8-10
I would disagree- more Lootas just mean more models to run off the board after a failed morale check. The squad is fragile- investing more points won't change that.
Jidmah 68p · 659 weeks ago
Lootaz should only be used in mobz of 5 or 15, anything in between will result in a lot of points simply running off the board or being pinned.
tzeentchling 76p · 659 weeks ago
Shas'El, MP/PR/MT, HW-BSF
3x Crisis, MP/PR/MT, Team Leader with HW-BSF
3x Crisis, MP/PR/MT, Team Leader with HW-BSF
3x Crisis, TLMP/Flamer - 141 (note Shas'El goes here turn 1 if there's night fight)
8x FW
8x FW
8x FW
8x FW
2 Broadsides. One with DC, 2 shield drones; one with BSF
2 Broadsides. One with DC, 2 shield drones; one with BSF
Big Mek with KFF - 85
20 Shootas, Nob with PK
20 Shootas, Nob with PK
3x Big Gunz Cannons, 3 ammo runts
Comes to 1749. Basically, the Lootas and Gun Drones went into getting a 4th Troops unit and another suit back. Rearranging the Broadsides makes them marginally cheaper, since there's less shield drones sucking up points, at the cost of limiting yourself to two targets a turn instead of 3. On the plus side, you're more likely to actually destroy those targets with two shots. You could always drop the 4th FW squad and put the points into Orks instead, that's at least 6 more per squad.
abusepuppy 121p · 659 weeks ago
tzeentchling 76p · 659 weeks ago
Kirby 118p · 659 weeks ago
I'd like 4x Broadsides but not really a fan of dropping all the Drones to free up those points necessary. The drones force anti-infantry fire at the Crisis first unless they want to waste lascannons/missiles.
All about the fiddling of course so will see what's what - Lootas might be a good thing to drop which allows for bigger Boyz units, 4 Broadsides and FW at size 9, etc. Might be that extra squad of firepower forces the opponent to be stretched too thin and it might be that the drones do jack all in pairs and thus better to save the points and get all the stuff we just said, etc.
tzeentchling 76p · 659 weeks ago
MrDrumMachine · 658 weeks ago
tzeentchling 76p · 658 weeks ago
Garnet · 658 weeks ago
Coyote81 · 659 weeks ago
abusepuppy 121p · 659 weeks ago
Adding more bodies to the Lootas just means you'll lose more models when they get shot. The Lootas are expendable.
Shas'uis are a horrible investment. I would never take them in this edition.
tzeentchling 76p · 659 weeks ago
I never bothered with Shas'ui before, since a)they were 6-man FWVU and b)if I needed better Ld, I'd attach the Shas'el and give him a Target Lock so neither squad's fire was hampered (did the same with Kroot). Now, I find myself taking more guys, so losing them to morale checks is worse, and there's no more TL so joining them with a character is less appealing.
SageoftheTimes 77p · 659 weeks ago
abusepuppy 121p · 659 weeks ago
5pts for a Shas'ui might be a different matter, but 10pts is just too much of a tax for a mediocre Ld number. The new Ld rules help a lot in that regard, but I still think the points generally are better spent elsewhere. (Having a squad of nine is a pretty decent deal, though- harder to force checks on you and more firepower as well.)
Scuzgob 96p · 659 weeks ago
tzeentchling 76p · 659 weeks ago
abusepuppy 121p · 659 weeks ago
Tim W · 659 weeks ago
artemi7 78p · 659 weeks ago
That said, i might try to cut some Broadside shield drones to bump the orks up to 30 strong each, maybe?
Salvation122 · 658 weeks ago
Martin · 659 weeks ago
Martin · 659 weeks ago
2 lordbarges
3 Arks w 5 warriors, 2 lancecrypteks in each
2 Night schytes w 5 warriors
2 Annihilation barges
1 warboss, powerklaw, bosspole
2x20 boys w nob, bosspole
Any thoughts?
Mr.darkness · 659 weeks ago
Algesan · 659 weeks ago
2x Shoota Boyz Mobs (26 Shoota Boyz, 3 Big Shoota Boyz, 1 Nob w/ Boss Pole)
Just over 500 points there. From that you can build your Necron list and see if there are extra points to be added in here and some of the points can be rearranged.
chumbalaya 79p · 659 weeks ago
Zahndrekh
5 Deathmarks + despairtek + Scythe
6 Warriors + pulsetek + Scythe
2x 5 Warriors + stormtek + Scythe
5 Tomb Blades
3 A Barges
KFF Mek
2x30 Shootas
3 Kannonz
Martin · 658 weeks ago
chumbalaya 79p · 658 weeks ago
I've got shootas because their job is not to rush across the board, but clog up midfield with bodies. The extra shots help, and their assault presence is more for tying things down than actually killing.
Threadmiser 79p · 658 weeks ago
Threadmiser 79p · 658 weeks ago
chumbalaya 79p · 658 weeks ago
Threadmiser 79p · 658 weeks ago
chumbalaya 79p · 658 weeks ago
ru486baby · 659 weeks ago
abusepuppy 121p · 659 weeks ago
VampireCabbage · 659 weeks ago
You've missed a trick with the broadsides, give them the shas'vre upgrade as well, this gives them the unit type 'In (Ch)' which allows them to precision shot (should you find them shooting at a termy/pala squad for example) and allows them to LoS incoming precision shots onto their drones
And the point that's up for debate, if you upgrade them to 'vre then the drones also gain the character unit type so they could LoS non-instant death wounds back to the commanding suit and also accept challenges should they find themselves in assault
abusepuppy 121p · 659 weeks ago
Sethis_II 87p · 659 weeks ago
100pts for 2 Twin Linked BS3 Skyfire Interceptor Autocannons plus 24" of difficult terrain/4+ cover saves for the enemy to jump over
Possibility?
abusepuppy 121p · 659 weeks ago
Sethis_II 87p · 658 weeks ago
tzeentchling 76p · 658 weeks ago
Panzerbjørn · 659 weeks ago
wolfbane · 658 weeks ago
The question though on the Ork Boyz - are they the shoota or slugga variety (with the Sluggas replacing Kroot as a melee meatshield). The other question though is would a squad of deffcoptas or wartrakks be a good FA compliment for the Tau?
tzeentchling 76p · 658 weeks ago
At higher points, certainly those would be good FA compliments. Tau don't have anything like that in their FA.
wolfbane · 658 weeks ago
Just too bad that Weirdboyz as they are now don't have a psychic defense otherwise they would be a good HQ addition as allies (then again they could entertain the Tau then they to 'eadbanging. :P) as the Tau lack much in the way of psychic defenses (unless a new codex gives them a natural resistance better than that of Deny the Witch).