The Crisis Battlesuit: Tactica

The Crisis Battlesuit makes up the very heart of the Tau army, being the most mutable and deadly choice for any player to have as Elites. With an array of weaponry to choose from, 3+ armour save and jetpack movement in the assault phase, the Crisis suit should become an object of fear for your enemies.

THE WEAPON SYSTEMS

The standard Shas'Ui pilot has a choice of five weapon systems: the Flamer, the Burst Cannon, the Plasma Rifle, the Missile Pod and the Fusion Blaster. The varience between armament is extreme, and it comes down to personal taste in what you choose. Each design has a number of applications.

Anti-Infantry suits should always have Flamers. Burst Cannons are a good alternative, but also consider twin linked Flamers for rerolls on to-wound.

Anti-Vehicle units are good to arm with Fusion Blasters, supported by Missile Pods. For this time and this time alone, I will suggest for going without the Multi-Tracker in favour of the Targetting Array, as you have less shots than against infantry and will want all the hits you can get. Alternatively, you may wish to use Twin-Linked Fusion Blasters.

The method I prefer for Crisis Suits is the multi-purpose team. A 3-man squad, all armed with Flamers and Multi-Trackers, with one Burst Cannon, one Missile Pod and one Plasma Rifle. This set-up maximizes the number of shots for the entire unit, as well as creates seperate profiles amongst the unit, allowing you to distribute wounds. The unit is 142 points and I use it in almost every game.

THE SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Without a doubt, the single choice you have for basic suits is the Multi-Tracker. If your suits have two weapons, you will almost always want to have one of these to fire both weapons in the same turn. For Shas'Vres and up, a Shield Generator is an excellent choice, especially for bodyguards. A Shas'El or Shas'O should always be armed with a Shield Generator as they will be a prime target for your opponent.

THE WARGEAR

This section is open to Shas'Vres and up, and is extremely useful for command squads. He you can purchase a Multi-Tracker for the same cost as normal without taking up a hard point on your battlesuit. Other items of interest are the Iridium Armour for increased protection, the Failsafe Detonator and the Stimulant Injector.

MY CRISIS COMMANDER

A Shas'O or Shas'El makes a good choice in any situation. The BS 4 is not a bad penalty for the 25 points it frees up. I prefer the Shas'El.

My Commander is a Shas'El armed with a Cyclic Ion Blaster and Flamer. He carries a Shield Generator support system and has a Hard-Wired Multi-Tracker and Stimulant Injector for Wargear. The Flamer is often swapped for a Fusion Blaster to make him a multi-purpose unit.

CUNNING STRATEGIES

Remember that the safety of your Battlesuits is a priority. As 3-man teams, Crisis suits are fragile units that can be taken down by a few lucky shots. The best strategy is often the simplest, so use your assault move to duck and weave between cover. If cover does not exist, create it by moving tanks or Pirahnas into the open to block line of sight.

Knocking out enemy infantry with Flamers means getting close enough, leaving your suits vulnerable. I've found the best option with flamer units is to use Deep Strike. The risk pays off more often than not, placing your suits within arms reach of the entire unit. Flamers will make short work of Guard, Ork and Tyranid troops. Placement is key, making sure you drop your suits where they cannot simply be wiped out by other enemy units in the area.

For anti-vehicular units, such as those armed with fusion weapons, Deep Strike can also be the best option. A well-placed Deep Strike can get you inches away from a troublesome tank's rear hull, blowing it to pieces with a few shots. Again, be wary of where you Deep Strike. An alternate strategy is arming the suits with Missile Pods as well as Fusion, advancing upon the vehicles while pinning them down with missile fire. This strategy will not work on AV 14 vehicles, so be warry.


The Tau are a mobile army first and foremost, so remember to keep moving, and not to let your opponent catch you off guard. Tailor your Crisis teams to find what works with the rest of your army and watch as you bring down enemy unit after enemy unit.



Apollo out