Tau - Just for giggles
May 31, 2013 11:34:18 GMT -5
Post by bob on May 31, 2013 11:34:18 GMT -5
So having been virtually tabled a number of times vs. Tau, I thought I'd goof around with Army Builder and Vassal and get a feel for it to see if I can learn how to deal with it better.
I played a game last night using an Ethereal, missile crisis suits, fusion crisis suits (3 of each), riptide with ion and fusion, broadsides with missiles, 6 giant units of kroot, 2 skyrays, and 3 units of 6 pathfinders.
I played against an FMC Daemon list, which I almost tabled, losing only a couple of kroot units.
Tau are gross.
Based on that experience, I tweaked it a bit:
2000 Pts - Tau Empire Roster
Total Roster Cost: 1997
HQ: Ethereal (1#, 50 pts)
1 Ethereal, 50 pts
Elite: XV104 Riptide (1#, 180 pts)
1 XV104 Riptide, 180 pts
Elite: XV8 Crisis Team (3#, 156 pts)
1 XV8 Crisis Team, 0 pts
1 Crisis Shas'ui, 52 pts = (base cost 22 + Fusion Blaster x2 30)
1 Crisis Shas'ui, 52 pts = (base cost 22 + Fusion Blaster x2 30)
1 Crisis Shas'ui, 52 pts = (base cost 22 + Fusion Blaster x2 30)
Elite: XV8 Crisis Team (3#, 156 pts)
1 XV8 Crisis Team, 0 pts
1 Crisis Shas'ui, 52 pts = (base cost 22 + Fusion Blaster x2 30)
1 Crisis Shas'ui, 52 pts = (base cost 22 + Fusion Blaster x2 30)
1 Crisis Shas'ui, 52 pts = (base cost 22 + Fusion Blaster x2 30)
Heavy Support: XV88 Broadside Team (3#, 279 pts)
1 XV88 Broadside Team, 0 pts
1 Broadside Shas'ui, 93 pts = (base cost 65 + Seeker Missile 8) + Velocity Tracker 20
1 Broadside Shas'ui, 93 pts = (base cost 65 + Seeker Missile 8) + Velocity Tracker 20
1 Broadside Shas'ui, 93 pts = (base cost 65 + Seeker Missile 8) + Velocity Tracker 20
Heavy Support: Sky Ray Missile Defence Gunship (1#, 125 pts)
1 Sky Ray Missile Defence Gunship, 125 pts = (base cost 115) + Point Defence Targeting Relay 10
Heavy Support: Sky Ray Missile Defence Gunship (1#, 125 pts)
1 Sky Ray Missile Defence Gunship, 125 pts = (base cost 115) + Point Defence Targeting Relay 10
Fast Attack: Pathfinder Team (6#, 66 pts)
1 Pathfinder Team, 0 pts
6 Pathfinders, 66 pts = 6 * 11
Fast Attack: Pathfinder Team (6#, 66 pts)
1 Pathfinder Team, 0 pts
6 Pathfinders, 66 pts = 6 * 11
Fast Attack: Pathfinder Team (6#, 66 pts)
1 Pathfinder Team, 0 pts
6 Pathfinders, 66 pts = 6 * 11
Troops: Fire Warrior Team (7#, 170 pts)
1 Fire Warrior Team, 0 pts
6 Fire Warriors, 54 pts = 6 * 9
1 Devilfish, 116 pts = (base cost 80 + Smart Missile System 10 + Seeker Missile x2 16) + Point Defence Targeting Relay 10
Troops: Fire Warrior Team (7#, 170 pts)
1 Fire Warrior Team, 0 pts
6 Fire Warriors, 54 pts = 6 * 9
1 Devilfish, 116 pts = (base cost 80 + Smart Missile System 10 + Seeker Missile x2 16) + Point Defence Targeting Relay 10
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (16#, 95 pts)
1 Kroot Carnivore Squad, 0 pts
15 Kroot, 90 pts = 15 * 6
1 Kroot Hounds, 5 pts
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (17#, 101 pts)
1 Kroot Carnivore Squad, 0 pts
16 Kroot, 96 pts = 16 * 6
1 Kroot Hounds, 5 pts
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (16#, 96 pts)
1 Kroot Carnivore Squad, 0 pts
16 Kroot, 96 pts = 16 * 6
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (16#, 96 pts)
1 Kroot Carnivore Squad, 0 pts
16 Kroot, 96 pts = 16 * 6
Validation Report:
c-1. File Version: 1.19 For Bug Reports/www.ab40k.org; b-1. Roster Options: Named or Special Characters; a-1. Scenario: Normal Mission; 1. Enclaves: Tau Empire; b-2. Levels of Alliance: Allies of Convenience
Roster satisfies all enforced validation rules
Composition Report:
HQ: 1 (1 - 2)
Elite: 3 (0 - 3)
Troops: 6 (2 - 6)
Fast: 3 (0 - 3)
Heavy: 3 (0 - 3)
Fort: 0 (0 - 1)
Created with Army Builder® - Try it for free at www.wolflair.com
AB is weirded out, and won't let me note that the Broadsides replace their silly gun with Missiles.
Basic plan is to castle around the Fish with the Ethereal, anyone that gets close dies to millions of krootgun shots. Anyone that charges the Kroot bubblewrap takes support fire from the rest of the army...if they live, they kill Kroot and get shot next turn.
Skyrays have anti-air, anti-vehicle, and SMS for late-game dominance.
Broadsides have anti-air, anti-light vehicle, and SMS for late-game dominance.
Fish have SMS for late-game dominance, can zip troops if needed, and a couple Seekers to help with vehicles (or anti-air once some marker-lights have been applied).
Skyrays and Fish are adding weight to overwatch with support fire.
Pathfinders hide behind the kroot wrap also, giving markerlight love at start, and considerable weight of fire in overwatch or when things get close (with Ethereal love, Pathfinders effectively each have a heavy bolter...Fire Warriors too, for that matter)
Riptide is loaded for torrent of fire, he's backup anti-heavy vehicle (melee) and a tarpit-ish unit when needed. Jumping makes him deceptively fast.
Crisis Suits are primary anti-vehicle...deep strike if someone camping at range, or killing Land Raiders that get too close. Jumping also makes them faster than folks will expect (move 6, run 3, jump 7 for 16" move/turn...getting linebreaker in two turns!)
Ethereals are broken.
Kroot would love to have Snipers, but no points. Have a couple of them set up to outflank as needed, where they excel walking on and dishing out massive bolter fire.
I'm having a hard time thinking of an archetype of opponent that this doesn't have multiple answers for.
I played a game last night using an Ethereal, missile crisis suits, fusion crisis suits (3 of each), riptide with ion and fusion, broadsides with missiles, 6 giant units of kroot, 2 skyrays, and 3 units of 6 pathfinders.
I played against an FMC Daemon list, which I almost tabled, losing only a couple of kroot units.
Tau are gross.
Based on that experience, I tweaked it a bit:
2000 Pts - Tau Empire Roster
Total Roster Cost: 1997
HQ: Ethereal (1#, 50 pts)
1 Ethereal, 50 pts
Elite: XV104 Riptide (1#, 180 pts)
1 XV104 Riptide, 180 pts
Elite: XV8 Crisis Team (3#, 156 pts)
1 XV8 Crisis Team, 0 pts
1 Crisis Shas'ui, 52 pts = (base cost 22 + Fusion Blaster x2 30)
1 Crisis Shas'ui, 52 pts = (base cost 22 + Fusion Blaster x2 30)
1 Crisis Shas'ui, 52 pts = (base cost 22 + Fusion Blaster x2 30)
Elite: XV8 Crisis Team (3#, 156 pts)
1 XV8 Crisis Team, 0 pts
1 Crisis Shas'ui, 52 pts = (base cost 22 + Fusion Blaster x2 30)
1 Crisis Shas'ui, 52 pts = (base cost 22 + Fusion Blaster x2 30)
1 Crisis Shas'ui, 52 pts = (base cost 22 + Fusion Blaster x2 30)
Heavy Support: XV88 Broadside Team (3#, 279 pts)
1 XV88 Broadside Team, 0 pts
1 Broadside Shas'ui, 93 pts = (base cost 65 + Seeker Missile 8) + Velocity Tracker 20
1 Broadside Shas'ui, 93 pts = (base cost 65 + Seeker Missile 8) + Velocity Tracker 20
1 Broadside Shas'ui, 93 pts = (base cost 65 + Seeker Missile 8) + Velocity Tracker 20
Heavy Support: Sky Ray Missile Defence Gunship (1#, 125 pts)
1 Sky Ray Missile Defence Gunship, 125 pts = (base cost 115) + Point Defence Targeting Relay 10
Heavy Support: Sky Ray Missile Defence Gunship (1#, 125 pts)
1 Sky Ray Missile Defence Gunship, 125 pts = (base cost 115) + Point Defence Targeting Relay 10
Fast Attack: Pathfinder Team (6#, 66 pts)
1 Pathfinder Team, 0 pts
6 Pathfinders, 66 pts = 6 * 11
Fast Attack: Pathfinder Team (6#, 66 pts)
1 Pathfinder Team, 0 pts
6 Pathfinders, 66 pts = 6 * 11
Fast Attack: Pathfinder Team (6#, 66 pts)
1 Pathfinder Team, 0 pts
6 Pathfinders, 66 pts = 6 * 11
Troops: Fire Warrior Team (7#, 170 pts)
1 Fire Warrior Team, 0 pts
6 Fire Warriors, 54 pts = 6 * 9
1 Devilfish, 116 pts = (base cost 80 + Smart Missile System 10 + Seeker Missile x2 16) + Point Defence Targeting Relay 10
Troops: Fire Warrior Team (7#, 170 pts)
1 Fire Warrior Team, 0 pts
6 Fire Warriors, 54 pts = 6 * 9
1 Devilfish, 116 pts = (base cost 80 + Smart Missile System 10 + Seeker Missile x2 16) + Point Defence Targeting Relay 10
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (16#, 95 pts)
1 Kroot Carnivore Squad, 0 pts
15 Kroot, 90 pts = 15 * 6
1 Kroot Hounds, 5 pts
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (17#, 101 pts)
1 Kroot Carnivore Squad, 0 pts
16 Kroot, 96 pts = 16 * 6
1 Kroot Hounds, 5 pts
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (16#, 96 pts)
1 Kroot Carnivore Squad, 0 pts
16 Kroot, 96 pts = 16 * 6
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (16#, 96 pts)
1 Kroot Carnivore Squad, 0 pts
16 Kroot, 96 pts = 16 * 6
Validation Report:
c-1. File Version: 1.19 For Bug Reports/www.ab40k.org; b-1. Roster Options: Named or Special Characters; a-1. Scenario: Normal Mission; 1. Enclaves: Tau Empire; b-2. Levels of Alliance: Allies of Convenience
Roster satisfies all enforced validation rules
Composition Report:
HQ: 1 (1 - 2)
Elite: 3 (0 - 3)
Troops: 6 (2 - 6)
Fast: 3 (0 - 3)
Heavy: 3 (0 - 3)
Fort: 0 (0 - 1)
Created with Army Builder® - Try it for free at www.wolflair.com
AB is weirded out, and won't let me note that the Broadsides replace their silly gun with Missiles.
Basic plan is to castle around the Fish with the Ethereal, anyone that gets close dies to millions of krootgun shots. Anyone that charges the Kroot bubblewrap takes support fire from the rest of the army...if they live, they kill Kroot and get shot next turn.
Skyrays have anti-air, anti-vehicle, and SMS for late-game dominance.
Broadsides have anti-air, anti-light vehicle, and SMS for late-game dominance.
Fish have SMS for late-game dominance, can zip troops if needed, and a couple Seekers to help with vehicles (or anti-air once some marker-lights have been applied).
Skyrays and Fish are adding weight to overwatch with support fire.
Pathfinders hide behind the kroot wrap also, giving markerlight love at start, and considerable weight of fire in overwatch or when things get close (with Ethereal love, Pathfinders effectively each have a heavy bolter...Fire Warriors too, for that matter)
Riptide is loaded for torrent of fire, he's backup anti-heavy vehicle (melee) and a tarpit-ish unit when needed. Jumping makes him deceptively fast.
Crisis Suits are primary anti-vehicle...deep strike if someone camping at range, or killing Land Raiders that get too close. Jumping also makes them faster than folks will expect (move 6, run 3, jump 7 for 16" move/turn...getting linebreaker in two turns!)
Ethereals are broken.
Kroot would love to have Snipers, but no points. Have a couple of them set up to outflank as needed, where they excel walking on and dishing out massive bolter fire.
I'm having a hard time thinking of an archetype of opponent that this doesn't have multiple answers for.