Tau...

[Kelharis]

Reddit is blocked at work for me, so trying this? If that doesn't work I'll post from home later...

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj87fa3mJbfAhWyKX0KHQgDAVoQjhx6BAgBEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2F40k%2Fcomments%2F8q6h7k%2Fnewbie_questions_about_building_my_first_army_tau%2F&psig=AOvVaw0n-RyhoHM165uQApSRY1kR&ust=1544563197749509

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Kelharis said:

Reddit is blocked at work for me, so trying this? If that doesn't work I'll post from home later...

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj87fa3mJbfAhWyKX0KHQgDAVoQjhx6BAgBEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2F40k%2Fcomments%2F8q6h7k%2Fnewbie_questions_about_building_my_first_army_tau%2F&psig=AOvVaw0n-RyhoHM165uQApSRY1kR&ust=1544563197749509

Awesome. First explains there's no official designation for most of it. Then links the Designer's opinion here:

 

[Kelharis]

On a side note, I'm amazed at the sketching ability on display there.

[Guest]

Been tinkering with points and unit rules. I think the Bomber points aren't added right - the drones are too cheap and the bomber is too expensive. Creates a misleading appearance the flyer is overpriced, which I think is why it doesn't sell very well.

Base bomber is 90pts, and then has 37pts of weapons (28pts with CA updates), and two drones at 15pts each. So, minus the drones, it's a 129pt flyer (118 with CA updates), which sounds good until you realize it basically only has 1 missile pod in terms of offensive ability. It does also 2 seeker missiles and a markerlight, but the marker does no damage and the seeker missiles will only realistically hit if there are 2 markerlight tokens already on the target which the.

The drones are 15pts each, but each one has 14pts of weapons. So the drone is 1pt. And profile-wise, they are regular gun drones, but with a 20" move. Even a Marker drone is 7pts without weapons (if it had to buy weapons), and it has under half the speed. So Bomber's drones are really more like 22pts each, while the flyer should really have a base cost closer to 74pts (rather than 90pts), as the bomber is paying for the drones in the cost of it's hull.

No really gain or point here, just an interesting observation.

[Ish]

The internet fandom has a weird tendency to label everything in a codex “Must Have!” or “Absolute Trash!” They seem to think that if one unit is 0.005% more efficient in a given role than you’re an utter moron for choosing an alternative.

To wit, in 5th through 7th Editions, I almost always included a Whirlwind in my Space Marine army. I liked the model and found it useful for dealing with light infantry camping out in cover. Where there other units that could do the job as good (if not better)? Of course. Did it still do the job? Yes.

Ignore the chattering ninnies on the Internet. Use the models you like the most.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Ish said:

The internet fandom has a weird tendency to label everything in a codex “Must Have!” or “Absolute Trash!” They seem to think that if one unit is 0.005% more efficient in a given role than you’re an utter moron for choosing an alternative.

To wit, in 5th through 7th Editions, I almost always included a Whirlwind in my Space Marine army. I liked the model and found it useful for dealing with light infantry camping out in cover. Where there other units that could do the job as good (if not better)? Of course. Did it still do the job? Yes.

Ignore the chattering ninnies on the Internet. Use the models you like the most.

I know. The internet is worse than TV in terms of overall reliability of information.

But regarding the flyer, the main challenge is that the drones can't detach in deployment (as far as I know), so if they destroy it turn 1 I lose the drones. That flyer isn't very durable. Though I suppose if the opponent goes first, it would benefit from the Val'yth Sept trait for opponent's turn 1 shooting - they did reword the ability in the FAQ which should make this possible:

Quote

Page 127 – Dal’yth Sept: Adaptive Camouflage

Change the rules text to read:‘A unit with the tenet receives the benefit of cover, even while in the open. A unit with this tenet that moves for any reason loses the benefit of this tenet until the start of its next Movement phase.’

So it should apply to all units vs opponent's alpha strike, even units that would otherwise be forced to move (like supersonic flyers). Dunno how much it will help, as their still only T6, but a 3+ is certainly better than a 4+...

[Guest]

I'm also noting that the classic TAU suit tactics from 4th and 5th seem to be reduced to a Dal'yth stratagem and a T'au Sept Relic. That would be the Jump-shoot-jump approach, which was the very concept of the TAU Jet Packs.

Means that with two crisis suit squads, I can't Jump-shoot-jump with them both. So I might need to look into a second Crisis team loadout.

[Ish]

I wouldn’t deploy the bombers on the table, leave them in reserve until you’ve established air superiority.

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Ish said:

I wouldn’t deploy the bombers on the table, leave them in reserve until you’ve established air superiority.

Wait, don't we have to deploy everything that doesn't have a deep strike option?

[Guest]

Hmm...Been editing the D4chan tactica for TAU. They really missed a lot in their read through of the codex.

For example zero meniton of this on their site (before my edit): TAU markerlights can't be fired by non-VEHICLE models in addition to any other weapon.

So things like Pathfinders fire Pulse Blaster OR a Markerlight, not both. Matters for Darkstrider, Cadre Fireblade, and various unit leaders who are upgraded to add a markerlight in addition to their other weapons.

[Ish]

1 hour ago, paxmiles said:

Wait, don't we have to deploy everything that doesn't have a deep strike option?

Oh, yeah... 8th Edition has that stupid “Tactical Reserves” rule. 

[Guest]

Just now, Ish said:

Oh, yeah... 8th Edition has that stupid “Tactical Reserves” rule. 

That one only covers units with existing deep strike-like abilities. Doesn't grant reserves to units that don't have it already.

As far as I know, flyers have to begin the game deployed on the table. They then have to move their minimum speed (if any) every turn.

[Guest]

Hmm...seem to have made an oversight that works in my favor, turns out that pathfinders come in a box of 10, not 5 as I had thought. Picked up a box, as planned, and that means I've bought all the models in the planned basic list.

[Lord Hanaur]

On 12/10/2018 at 1:19 PM, Kelharis said:

Yeah, they are all just listed as generic support systems in the instructions.  I know on Reddit someone posted a handwritten image that was supposedly drawn by the person who designed the Tau models.  I'll try and track it down for you.

It shows them in older codex's

[Guest]

14 hours ago, Lord Hanaur said:

It shows them in older codex's

I guess my question is: Does the current Crisis Suit Squad kit include a Drone Controller? If so, which bit is it?

[Lord Hanaur]

On 12/10/2018 at 2:01 PM, Ish said:

The internet fandom has a weird tendency to label everything in a codex “Must Have!” or “Absolute Trash!” They seem to think that if one unit is 0.005% more efficient in a given role than you’re an utter moron for choosing an alternative.

To wit, in 5th through 7th Editions, I almost always included a Whirlwind in my Space Marine army. I liked the model and found it useful for dealing with light infantry camping out in cover. Where there other units that could do the job as good (if not better)? Of course. Did it still do the job? Yes.

Ignore the chattering ninnies on the Internet. Use the models you like the most.

Agree.  You can learn to win with a LOT more than the internet claims.  I took 3 Gunrigs, and a T'au Batallion and won my last tourney.  Neither choice,  apparently, impresses most min/maxers.  The proof of the pudding is in the eating however.  

[Lord Hanaur]

4 hours ago, paxmiles said:

I guess my question is: Does the current Crisis Suit Squad kit include a Drone Controller? If so, which bit is it?

When i get a moment ill take a pic of the old codex that shows them.

[Guest]

Ended up converting one (Drone Controller) up. Though I can always break it off and use another bit if it looks too different from the one LH posts.

Hmm...other tau thoughts: 

Pirhana's are basically attack bikes. I think they cost too much, even with the CA leaks, but they tempt me all the same, as they represent a cheap seeker missile mount. I very much like the idea of seeker missiles, possibly more than is really viable. 

Built the first unit of Crisis Suits. I like the crisis suits I made, but without the jump-shoot-jump, their role really changed from how I picture them. Dal'yth do have a stratagem that would allow this, but it would limit it to only a single unit per turn. So it makes me debate the second unit. Furthermore, I started working out the mathhammer on the missile pods - really bad weapons against meq. Might break off the two flamers for either fusion blasters or plasma rifles, though I do like how they look now.

Given the "short model" theme, I am debating stealth suits instead of crisis suits. Probably would keep the unit I already made, but might look into trading off the other three. If anyone is interested in on sprue current crisis suits, let me know, I have 3x suits (1 squad) on sprue. 

Built the Pathfinder unit. Ended up with 8x markerlights+pulseblasters and 2x ion rifles. I modeled them with 2x sergeat looking models so they can be a squad of 10 or 2 squads of 5. 

Bombers and gunrig are mostly built. Need to do some priming before I fully assemble these.

Still debating paint scheme. 

Debating FW flyers too. 

[Guest]

At some point, I'll get some pictures up.

[Ish]

When mathhammering the Tau, you really have to run the numbers multiple ways. Markerlights make a big difference on the performance of all of them.

[Guest]

40 minutes ago, Ish said:

When mathhammering the Tau, you really have to run the numbers multiple ways. Markerlights make a big difference on the performance of all of them.

An interesting one.  

Weird that it doesn't cover seeker missiles...

I do think that Missile Pods having double the range of the other suit-weapons is downplayed with that info. 

EDIT: Looks like they got the Ion Rifle (Overcharge) profile wrong. The damage should be 2, not 1. It's otherwise correct.

[WestRider]

If that allows hotlinking, that's what a Drone Controller looks like. Part #73 on the Crisis Suit sprue, right next to one of the Fusion Blasters on the frame that has two of them.

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, WestRider said:

If that allows hotlinking, that's what a Drone Controller looks like. Part #73 on the Crisis Suit sprue, right next to one of the Fusion Blasters on the frame that has two of them.

Is that not the Multi-Tracker?

[Guest]

Okay, paint scheme-wise, I think I'm going to try for Cherry Blossoms on a blue background. Difficult to find a picture of what I mean with my weak google-fu skills. Basically a blue backdrop with dark brown vines/branches and bits of pink attached. And that would be for main flat portions of the armor. Black/grey for exposed gearing/cloth. And then I'll need an energy color, possibly fluorescent pink.

So for majority, they'll be bright blue.

[WestRider]

20 minutes ago, paxmiles said:

Is that not the Multi-Tracker?

My bad. I just went for the first result when searching for "Tau Drone Controller". Shoulda checked further. Turns out it's on the Stealth Suit sprue. That was done before they started numbering the parts, but it's in the corner by the drone, in two parts, the dome and the antenna.