Hey guys, long time no see! Hope the holidays are treating you well with plenty of tabletop carnage.
I thought I'd give an update now because...well, I haven't done one is so damn long!
To start off with, good things happened over the x-mas, because I've picked up a few Broadside Battlesuits from Forgeworld! I've barely had a chance to get started on them, but once they're looking pretty I'll get some pics up!
Just letting you know I'm still around!
Apollo
I am probably one of the last people who will ever tell you to use an Etherial in a game. They're very much a liability and I prefer to use the 50 points on something else that's actually useful for my strategies, like another Crisis Suit. These feelings and personal preferences aside, I can't help but like the models themselves. Unfortunately my willingness to spend money on one of these guys is very little, and therefore I decided to scratchbuild one out of greenstuff and spare parts!
Here's the little bugger so far:
This is the bare-bones army. Designed for a quick game, hour or two, tops.
HQ
Commander 100pts
Shas'El x1
Flamer, Burst Cannon
Shield Generator
Stim Injector
Multi-Tracker
Blacksun Filter
TROOPS
Fire Warriors 120pts
Shas'La x12
Pulse Rifle x12
Fire Warriors 120pts
Shas'La x12
Pulse Rifle x12
HEAVY SUPPORT
Hammerhead Gunship 160pts
Hammerhead x1
Railgun
Burst Cannon x2
Multi-Tracker
I've been thinking about this 1000 point army all week, looking for a nice happy balance to bring in to fight in a tournament. Here's what a week's worth of thinking has done for me. Let me know what you think: leave a comment!
HQ
Commander (1) 101pts
Shas'El (1)
Flamer, Fusion Blaster
Shield Generator
H/W Multi-Tracker
Stimulant Injector
ELITES
Crisis Battlesuit Team (3) 142 pts
Shas'Ui (1)
Flamer, Burst Cannon
Multi-Tracker
Shas'Ui (1)
Flamer, Missile Pod
Multi-Tracker
Shas'Ui (1)
Flamer, Plasma Rifle
Multi-Tracker
Stealthsuit Team (3) 92 pts
Shas'Ui (3)
Fusion Blasterx1
Burst Cannonx2
TROOPS
Fire Warrior Team (12) 120 pts
Shas'La (12)
Pulse Riflex12
Fire Warrior Team (12) 120 pts
Shas'La (12)
Pulse Riflex12
FAST ATTACK
Pirahna Light Skimmer (3) 80 pts
Pirahna (1)
Fusion Blaster
Sensor Spines
Targetting Array
Gun Drones (2)
T/L Pulse Carbinex2
Pathfinder Scout Team (10) 174 pts
Shas'La (7)
Pulse Carbinex6
Markerlightx6
Devilfish (1)
Burst Cannon
Sensor Spines
Gun Drones (2)
T/L Pulse Carbinex2
HEAVY SUPPORT
Hammerhead Gunship (1) 170 pts
Hammerhead (1)
Rail Gun
Burst cannonx2
Sensor Spines
Multi-Tracker
Well, turns out my ride to the tournament wasn't able to make it, so no tournament. :(
However, that doesn't mean I can't show off a bunch of stuff I've been working on! Sorry for the hiatus folks, Swords of the Vior'la is BACK!
Phase in, phase out, phase in, phase out, phase in, phase out, phase in, phase out, phase in, phase out, phase in, phase out, phase in, phase out, phase in, phase out...
The OTHER Commander. I'll probably unleash her next game against the Guard.
Check it out! The Pathfinder Shas'Ui is finished and lookin' good!
A couple Kroot that I painted awhile ago and forgot to post.
Advertising in the 41st Century.
Next Sunday I'll be participating in a doubles tournament with one of my friends who plays Guard. Each of us has 1000 pts, and as there will be a painting competition, I'll be viciously rushing to get those 1000 pts of Tau finished before then, so expect plenty of showcase updates between now and this time next week! I'll also be taking pictures of the tournament and posting some battle reports...unless I massively fail, then they'll only be one report >_>
It's workin' time!
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.
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