Tactica: Gun Drones and Vehicles

I was reading a recent battle report over on "The Tau of War" and it got me thinking about a very important aspect about the Tau army when it comes to annihalation missions.

Every Tau player has been there at some point. You waltz into a game with your friends and it comes up annihalation. Sure enough, you look and see Gun Drones all over the place. Tiny little units of free kill points....

Those Gun Drones could be the deciding factor of the game, and no one wants to see that happen! How do you get around this? There are a couple of ways to make sure you're secure in th number of kill points you offer up to your opponents.

First, and foremost, make sure you only ever have as many Devilfish as you need. True enough, you can purchase a Smart Missile System for the Fish for 20pts, but that adds up very quickly and depletes from your resources. Instead, keep your transports safe and in few numbers. I prefer to bring in a Pathfinder unit and use their Devilfish to swap between Pathfinders, Fire Warriors and Kroot moving across the table. For 80 points, you've got a transport for all your infantry, as long as you keep it safe. The 20 points for the SMS could be two more Fire Warriors, and you need all the fire power you can get in these missions.

Second, have your Pirahnas in formations. Yes, I know, having Pirahnas zoom across the table independantly is very nice and can help alot for contesting in objective games. However, you'll quickly find that in annihalation having each fragile speeder worth 2 kill points will lose you battles quickly. In squadrons, Pirahnas deploy their Gun Drones as a single unit, meaning the entire formation is worth only 2 kill points as opposed to 2 points for each Pirahna.

Thirdly, you have the Gun Drones, so use them. Gun Drones can be deployed and as you have them for free, it'd be a waste to not let them have fun. While your vehicles speed off to focus on another part of the battle, Gun Drones can hold down enemy units with pinning fire, supported by your Pathfinders' markerlights. A BS 2 they may have, but never discount the twin-linked effect (it may surprise you to know that BS 2 T/L is actually MORE accurate than normal BS 3). Gun Drones are surprisingly hardy, and can take as much punishment as Fire Warriors. Gun Drones can also guard your more important units, such as tanks and Crisis/Broadside Teams, giving them valuable cover saves against deadly heavy weapons. Gun Drones can also block assaults, which is good news for the Tau (it gives me great pain to say that at Init 4, Gun Drones are one of the fastest units in the Tau Empire in combat. Heck, I almost had a single Gun Drone take out a Carnifex in close combat because of this). Gun Drones often have a better chance of survival on their own. Instead of keeping them with a vehicle to make it 2 for 1 kill points, send the Drones off to support your other units. Remember that they have assault moves thanks to their jetpacks, which can allow them to duck from cover to cover, making them great for tagging with Stealth and Crisis Suits. Don't forget about pinning either: this can really annoy your opponent as he tries to advance on the battlefield while dealing with pesky drones. Pinning is a deadly--if not forgotten--weapon when used properly. Pinning nearby units keeps all your units alive, which is bonus points in annihalation games.

Finally, be aware of how you conduct the Tau's "disadvantage" in annihalation as it can rapidly become your advantage. Gun Drones are as much a weapon as they are a nuesance. They make great distractions, suppression firers and can STILL blast through Guard, Ork and 'Nid armour. Next time you fight in annihalation, surprise your enemy when they think those Gun Drones are going to be to their benefit.


Apollo out.

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