Tau: 1000 Points, Second Draft
With the tournament on the 18th coming up soon, I've been working on revising my 1000-point Tau list, and I've decided on a couple of tweaks and revisions:
NOTE: Thanks to Rathstar's catching one illegal model which threw off the entire list, I've reworked this. Consider this draft 2.1. Thanks, Rathstar!
HQ (55 pts)
- Ethereal [Honour Blade] (55 pts)
Elites (401 pts)
- XV8 Crisis Team [2x Shas'Ui w/2x Missile Pod, Flamer; Shas'vre w/2x Missile Pod, Puretide Engram Chip] (191 pts)
- XV104 Riptide [Ion Accelerator, Twin-linked Fusion Blaster, Early Warning Override, Velocity Tracker] (210 pts)
Troops (255 pts)
- 10x Fire Warriors with Pulse Rifles (90 pts)
- 10x Fire Warriors with Pulse Rifles (90 pts)
- Kroot Carnivore Squad [10x Kroot, 1 Kroot Hound, Sniper Rounds] (75 pts)
Fast Attack (132 pts)
- 6x Pathfinders (66pts)
- 6x Pathfinders (66pts)
Heavy Support (156 pts)
- Hammerhead Gunship [Railgun, Submunition Rounds, Twin-linked Smart Missile System, Disruption pod, Point Defense System, Blacksun Filter] (146 pts)
Total: 999 pts
The changes:
- Dropped the two Stealth Suit teams in exchange for one Crisis Suit squad. Instead of Burst Cannons and a pair of Fusion Blasters, I've decided to pack a set of Deathrains instead.
The Early Warning Override and Twin-Linked Missile Pods will allow the team to act as an almost-Skyfire anti-flier team, and the shas'vre with his Puretide chip allows them to be flexible and deadly to just about anything on the table. Bonding knife ritual? Technically useless (I'll never be below 25% with 3 suits), but I had 3 points left over. The list could just as easily sit at 997 points. I know I could drop the EWO and un-twin-link the pods (and I still might), but for right now we'll see how this does.I've got double missile pods on the suits to try to maximize their firepower, and a Puretide chip on the shas'vre to make the unit a threat to both MCs and vehicles. A pair of flamers gives the unit tools for overwatch as well.
- Swapped the Riptide's SMS for Fusion Blasters. Trading shots for armor-cracking capabilities.
- Gave the Riptide a Velocity Tracker. Having a true Skyfire unit on the table can't hurt.
- Added a Blacksun Filter to the Hammerhead. No Hammerhead should be without it, and for only 1 point, why skip it?
- Dropping the Fireblade. 2 HQs for 1000 points is a bit much, and I can use those points to improve the Crisis Team and the Pathfinders. I lose firepower from one unit, but gain the freedom to move that unit as needed.
- Using up the extra points. A Point Defense System for the Hammerhead, and an Honour Blade for the Ethereal. I'm running out of things to spend the points on. I suppose I could add one Fire Warrior instead, but I think I'm good with what I've got.
I'm hoping that I can get a test game in this week. If not, this variation will go in cold, but I'm familiar enough with Tau toys that I think it'll have a good run.
In other news, I'm planning on going to the Gateway Grand Tournament in June, and I need to put together a 2,000 single-FOC point list. I'm thinking about expanding upon the list we built on Preferred Enemies. After all, I should put my money where my mouth is, shouldn't I? And it will be money, because the extra Broadside and Riptide, along with some Fire Warrior bodies to slap Pulse Carbines onto, will cost me a bit of cash.
1000 Point Tau: First Draft
I've got a 1000-point tournament on May 18th at our local store, so I think it'll be a good opportunity to take the new Tau codex out for a spin. I'm wanting to do something a bit different than my older Tau lists, so I'm thinking about going Crisis Suit-less. Fortunately, this is pretty easy to do with the new book. I also want to make sure I have plenty of Markerlight support and a fair amount of anti-infantry firepower while still being able to handle vehicles should they appear. Right now, this is what I'm toying around with:
HQ (110 pts)
- Cadre Fireblade (60 pts)
- Ethereal (50 pts)
Elites (380 pts)
- 3x Stealthsuits [2x Burst Cannon, Fusion Blaster] (95 pts)
- 3x Stealthsuits [2x Burst Cannon, Fusion Blaster] (95 pts)
- XV104 Riptide [Ion Accelerator, Twin-linked Smart Missile System, Early warning override] (190 pts)
Troops (255pts)
- 10x Fire Warriors with Pulse Rifles (90 pts)
- 10x Fire Warriors with Pulse Rifles (90 pts)
- Kroot Carnivore Squad [10x Kroot, 1 Kroot Hound, Sniper Rounds] (75 pts)
Fast Attack (110pts)
- 5x Pathfinders (55 pts)
- 5x Pathfinders (55 pts)
Heavy Support (145 pts)
- Hammerhead Gunship [Railgun, Submunition Rounds, Twin-linked Smart Missile System, Disruption pod] (145 pts)
Total: 1000 pts
The Fireblade and Ethereal support the Firewarrior gunline that's holding the backfield (or moving up, as necessary), the Pathfinders mark targets as needed and stay nearby as well, and the more mobile elements - the stealth teams, Riptide, and Hammerhead - go where needed and put as much fire out as necessary. The Kroot serve either as infiltrating snipers or outflanking objective grabbers, depending on the mission and board layout.
I'm still kicking around ideas and tweaks, though. I'm not sure about 2 HQs in a 1000-point game, but considering how inexpensive these are and how much they support the rest of the force, I think they're worthwhile. Still, I could maybe drop either the Fireblade or the Ethereal and use the points savings elsewhere. For example, I could a drop the Fireblade, a Pathfinder from each team, and one Stealthsuit (merging the two squads into one) and use the points to drop in a Skyray for some Skyfire capability. Or, even better, just drop the Fireblade and Stealthsuit and put in a single Broadside with Missile Pods, a Velocity Tracker, and a Seeker missile. I'd trade off the Fireblade's Volley Fire, but It'd trade it for much stronger, more versatile firepower overall.
Anyway, still tossing around ideas. Meanwhile, I have a halfway-built Riptide sitting on my hobby table (waiting for some magnets) and a couple of new Broadside boxes on my hobby shelves waiting to be assembled, along with some plastic Pathfinders. I just need to track down an Ethereal, and I should be golden. I've never actually owned one - there was no point before the new codex!
Slaanesh: Building on the Backbone
I think I have the backbone of my revised Slaanesh CSM army figured out. Right now, it's looking like this:
HQ: Chaos Lord w/Mark of Slaanesh, Aura of Dark Glory, Power Sword, Chaos Bike, Veterans of the Long War - 135
Troops: 9 Noise Marines w/8 Sonic Blasters, 1 Blastmaster; Noise Champion - 234
Troops: 9 Noise Marines w/8 Sonic Blasters, 1 Blastmaster; Noise Champion - 234
Fast Attack: 4 Chaos Bikers w/Mark of Slaanesh, Icon of Excess, 2 Meltaguns,Veterans of the Long War; Biker Champion - 180
Heavy Support: 4 Chaos Havocs w/4 Autocannons, Veterans of the Long War; Aspiring Champion - 120
Fortification: Aegis Defense Line w/Quad Gun - 100
This comes in at just over 1000 points, and gives me some core capabilities:
- The Lord and Bikers provide a fast, tough assault unit with anti-armor capabilities
- The troops give me two Fearless units that can put out a deadly barrage of fire that ignores cover
- The Havocs and ADL provide a steady supply of autocannon fire that can be equally deadly to light vehicles, light infantry, and fliers (and the extra Leadership from Veterans helps keep them from breaking)
The next step is figuring out where to go from here and filling in the next 497 points to get to 1500. Do I expand my assault capabilities? Do I add more troops? More heavy support? It's not like there's any lack of options in the Chaos Marine codex, even if I just limit it to vehicles and Slaanesh-marked units (and unaligned ones). I'm playing around with a few ideas that I can possibly mix and match. Some possibilities include:
Troops: 24 Cultists w/2 Flamers, 22 Autoguns, Mark of Slaanesh; Cultist Champion - 167
I've tried playing around with Cultists as an aggressive assault unit, and unless they're in huge numbers and/or have a lot of cover available (which slows them down), they tend to die before they can really contribute. Instead, I'm thinking of using them as a shooting objective-holding unit that's hard to assault safely. Sitting them on an objective in cover or behind the ADL, I can keep them alive longer, and while they may not be great shots and have weak guns, they put out a massive number of shots. Between the flamers and the rapid-firing guns, assaulting them's not a safe bet either.
Troops: 9 Noise Marines w/9 Close Combat Weapons, 0 Boltguns, Icon of Exces, Veterans of the Long War; Noise Champion w/Doom Siren, Power Weapon; Rhino w/Dirge Caster - 290
Instead of using them as a shooting unit, this unit tries to use Noise Marines as a dedicated assault unit. High initiative, good armor, and FNP helps to ensure that they get their strikes in, and the champ is no slouch with his MEQ-killing template and power sword. Hopefully, competent placement of the Rhino will keep them safe from overwatch shots as well. A bit pricy, though.
Troops: 9 Chaos Marines w/9 Close Combat Weapons, 0 Boltguns, Mark of Slaanesh, Icon of Excess, Veterans of the Long War; Aspiring Champion w/Power Sword; Rhino w/Dirge Caster - 255
Same idea as the previous unit, and noticeably cheaper, but without the Doom Siren goodness to melt enemy faces. Very similar to the above, but an option if you want to shave off a few points. Also not Fearless, so they could get swept in combat if they break.
Fast Attack: 5 Chaos Spawn w/Mark of Slaanesh - 165
A unit for quickly rushing the enemy and hitting them with (hopefully) a ton of attacks. The Mark makes sure they go simultaneously with most MEQ armies; while they may not survive the fight (although with Toughness 5 and 3 Wounds each, they might), they're likely to make a big, messy dent.
HQ: Chaos Lord w/Mark of Slaanesh, Aura of Dark Glory, Power Sword, Steed of Slaanesh, Veterans of the Long War - 135
Not a replacement for the Biker Lord, but a companion for the Chaos Spawn if I go in that direction. Together, the unit's just slightly more expensive than the Noise Marine assault squad.
Heavy Support: 4 Chaos Havocs w/4 Autocannons, Veterans of the Long War; Aspiring Champion - 120
Yes, it's a repeat, and it'll double my kit-bashing requirements, but it's a solid unit; running 2 is not a bad thing.
Fast Attack: 4 Raptors w/Mark of Slaanesh, Icon of Excess, 2xMeltaguns, Veterans of the Long War; 1 Raptor Champion w/2x Lightning Claws - 195
A classic Raptor unit, and one that fulfills much the same role as my Bikers do. Not quite as tough as the bikes, and slightly more expensive, but still nasty.
Heavy Support: Chaos Predator w/Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons - 115
A reliable little workhorse, although those sponsons are Snapshotting if it moves. Slightly cheaper than Havocs, but more fragile in general and with less firepower.
This just scratches the surface of what choices I have, but these were the ones that seemed most reliable in doing their jobs. Now it's time for decisions, decisions, decisions.
My Black Templars in 6th Edition
With the rules changes in 6th Edition, my current Black Templar list is going to need some revisions. While some of the things the list had in 5th Edition are still good (and some even got better), other things no longer function as well as they did before. The challenge is to change up the list while not spending a lot of money - this is my tertiary army, after all, and my budget has pretty much been used up buying allies for my Tau. Some of the changes that I'm looking to make include:
- Rhinos are out. I feel a bit silly having 3 Rhinos/Razorbacks for my Templars now, since they're just not that solid anymore. They're too easy to glance to death, and they're just not a good fit for assault-themed armies anymore. Not being able to assault out of a Rhino even if it didn't move means that the best I can do is a third-turn assault, which just isn't quite as effective as before. Sure, the Rhino could probably allow the squad to get some decent distance (12"+6" Flat Out on turn 1, 6" + 6" deployment turn 2, 6" + 2d6" charge turn 3), but on turn 2 the unit is left just sitting out in the open. Instead, I could save the points and put them towards more bodies. Speaking of which:
- Blob squads are in. Since Templars can't combat squad, we have to come up with a way to survive Overwatch on the assault that doesn't rely on a one-two punch (let one unit get Overwatched, assault with the other). One way to do that is just with more bodies, Ork-style. Fortunately, we can get our squads over 10 models with the addition of Neophytes, and while they don't get the benefits of our vows, they're still more bodies and more attacks. Also, the new Accept Any Challenge wording means that any Initiates I add to my Crusader Squads get even better. Even if I go with a different vow (Abhor the Witch is an even more viable option now), larger squads do well.
- LRCs move back to Heavy Support. Instead of being dedicated transports, moving a Land Raider Crusader to a Heavy Support slot gives it more flexibility. On one hand, it can now hold any unit that can fit inside, instead of being limited to one unit, and on the other it now counts as scoring in Big Guns Never Tire.
- More Thunder Hammers, fewer Lightning Claws. My Terminator squad is going to likely shift from 4 LC/3 TH to 4 TH/3 LC. The extra resilience from Storm Shields never hurts, and with Claws only being AP3 now, they're not the go-to weapon for anti-infantry anymore. Sure, they have 1 more attack each, but being unable to crack 2+ armor is a problem. I still have the Marshal with a Lightning Claw/Storm Shield combo, but I might have to either pop his arm off or make an alternate model, using either a Thunder Hammer or Power Fist. However, keeping the Claw on him might help in some challenges, since he could go at initiative 4 instead of 1.
Right now, here's what I'm looking at in the 2000-point level:
HQ: Emperor's Champion (Accept Any Challenge) - 140pts
HQ: Marshal (Lightning Claw, Storm Shield, Terminator Honors) - 137pts
HQ: Master of Sanctity (Crozius, Bolt Pistol, Terminator Honors, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades) - 129pts
Elite: Sword Brethren Terminator Assault Squad (3x Pair of Lightning Claws, 4x Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield, Furious Charge) - 301pts
Elite: Venerable Dreadnought (Twin-Linked Lascannon, Searchlight, Tank Hunter) - 156pts
Troops: Crusader Squad (8x Initiate w/Bolt Pistol & CCW, Initiate w/Meltagun, Initiate w/Bolt Pistol & Power Fist, 5x Neophytes w/Bolt Pistol/CCW) - 250pts
Troops: Crusader Squad (8x Initiate w/Bolt Pistol & CCW, Initiate w/Meltagun, Initiate w/Bolt Pistol & Power Fist, 5x Neophytes w/Bolt Pistol/CCW) - 250pts
Troops: Crusader Squad (4x Initiate w/Bolter, Initiate w/Plasmagun, Initiate w/Lascannon, Razorback w/Twin-linked Lascannon) - 208pts
Fast Attack: Land Speeder Typhoon (Heavy Bolter) - 70pts
Fast Attack: Land Speeder Typhoon (Heavy Bolter) - 70pts
Heavy Support: Land Raider Crusader (Blessed Hull) - 290pts
The only new purchase this should require is a Tactical Squad box, since I need about 9 more bodies than I had before. I've got some spare marine bodies/bits now, but not enough for this list, and I'd like to use some of the spare to make alternate weapon load-outs, like Power Axes and Flamers, so I can experiment with those as well.
Re-Evaluating My Tau Strategy
Just because I've been devoting a lot of time to painting and revising my Chaos Marines doesn't mean I've completely ignored my Tau. They're still my first, best, and favorite army, if a bit dated and static. I don't intend them to remain static, though. Every now and again, it's good to re-examine and re-evaluate your battle plan, to see what's going on in the environment, and to change things up a bit. And so it is with my Tau; it's time to switch things around a little.
Some recent battle reports I've seen, such as this one on BoLS, or these two on Imperius Dominatus, have reflected a Tau army that varies somewhat from what I normally run, but is similar enough to my style that I should have little trouble adapting. The main differences I'm seeing include:
- 2-man Crisis Teams, Including HQs - Rather than the 3-man squads and solo commanders I usually run, these lists are running 2-man squads in every available slot. This includes bodyguards for the commanders. While the net result tends to be slightly fewer suits than I usually run (10 versus the 11 I squeeze into my army), the logic is sound. First, you've got an increased ability to divide fire as necessary without buying target locks. Also, it games the morale system a bit; a 2-man squad is never below 50%, so it can always reform. A 3-man team can fall to 33%, break, and never come back.
- Dual Pathfinder Squads. There's nothing unusual about Pathfinders in a Tau army, but I never really make use of them. In my last games with my Tau, though, I've had moments where I'm screwed by my merely-average BS or by the ever-present cover saves, and Pathfinders are still the best way to get markerlights into a list and counter those situations. They're also taking advantage of Marker Beacons to allow the Crisis Suit teams to deep strike more accurately. Two squads helps guarantee that you've got decent markerlight saturation, and that you're not screwed if one squad goes away.
- Unmounted Fire Warriors. Two 6-man Fire Warrior squads on foot, ready to take advantage of the Pathfinders' Devilfishes for taxi service. This is more a matter of economy, since you're already paying for the Pathfinder transports. I still don't like the temporary loss of tempo, since you have to do the disembark/embark shuffle sometimes, but what else was I going to do with those Fire Warriors? They're not making up a gunline.
There's differences between the lists - all MP/PR suits versus having a squad of TLFL/FB suits, and having standard Kroot/Hound squads versus having one big blob squad of 20 - but overall, they're very similar. They're also both 2000-point lists, which is more than I normally play. However, our local area is starting to shift towards 1750 being the "standard" army size, so could this concept be adjusted down to that point level, especially with what I currently have available? Here's my take on it:
HQ: Commander Shas'el w/Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle, Multi-Tracker; Bodyguard w/Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle, Multi-Tracker (159 pts)
HQ: Commander Shas'el w/Twin-Linked Missile Pod, Flamer, Hard-wired Blacksun Filter; Bodyguard w/Twin-Linked Missile Pod, Flamer, Hard-wired Blacksun Filter (135 pts)
Elite: 2 Crisis Suits w/Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle, Multi-Tracker (124 pts)
Elite: 2 Crisis Suits w/Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle, Multi-Tracker (124 pts)
Elite: 2 Crisis Suits w/ Twin-Linked Missile Pod, Flamer (94 pts)
Troops: 17 Kroot Carnivores (119 pts)
Troops: 6 Fire Warriors (60 pts)
Troops: 6 Fire Warriors (60 pts)
Fast Attack: 5 Pathfinders; Devilfish w/Disruption Pd (145 pts)
Fast Attack: 5 Pathfinders; Devilfish w/Disruption Pd (145 pts)
Heavy Support: Broadside Team Leader w/Advanced Stabilization System, Hard-Wired Blacksun Filter, Hard-Wired Drone Controller, Shield Drone; 2 Broadsides w/Advanced Stabilization System (263 pts)
Heavy Support: Hammerhead Gunship w/Railgun, Blacksun Filter, Disruption Pod (160pts)
Heavy Support: Hammerhead Gunship w/Railgun, Blacksun Filter, Disruption Pod (160pts)
Total: 1748 points
The only thing that's really missing, as far as I'm concerned, is a Piranha or two. I just don't have the points to fit them in at this level, although at 2000 points I'd definitely put one in (and maybe a squadron of 2). Alternately, I can drop one of the Broadsides from the squad, fit in a Piranha, and still have points for a couple of Kroot Hounds. The extra blocking is good; I just don't know if it's worth the loss of a railgun. I suppose testing will tell.
I was originally planning on taking my soon-to-be-completely-painted Chaos Marines to a local tournament on April 1st, but I'm wondering if I shouldn't take the above list (or a variant) instead...
Proud Member of the FtW Blogger Group
Archives
Categories
Painting Points 2013
Blogroll
++ From the Warp ++
3++ is the new black
Bell of Lost Souls
Incunabulog
Int'l House of Paincakes
On the Painting Table
Preferred Enemies
Rathstar's 40k Ramblings
The Independent Characters
The Tau of War
Undergopher Central
Warhammer Tau
On Google+
Warhammer 40K Links
- ++ From the Warp ++
- 3++ is the new black
- Bell of Lost Souls
- Int'l House of Paincakes
- On the Painting Table