Kelharis Posted December 18, 2018 Report Share Posted December 18, 2018 Hi guys. I've been wanting to try an army like this since I started playing 40k. I would love some feedback on the list, mainly as an opponent. Would you enjoy yourself playing this list? I love the idea and fluff behind the list, and love the small number of models in the list, but does it work as an OFCC type of list? Or is it just too much? Thanks for the feedback! ++ Spearhead Detachment +1CP (T'au Empire) [67 PL, 1237pts] ++ + HQ + Longstrike [10 PL, 202pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Ion cannon, 2x Seeker missile + Heavy Support + TX7 Hammerhead Gunship [9 PL, 165pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Ion cannon, 2x Seeker missile TX7 Hammerhead Gunship [9 PL, 165pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Ion cannon, 2x Seeker missile TX7 Hammerhead Gunship [9 PL, 165pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Ion cannon, 2x Seeker missile TX7 Heavy Bombardment Hammerhead Gunship [10 PL, 180pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, 2x High-yield missile pod, 2x Seeker missile TX7 Heavy Bombardment Hammerhead Gunship [10 PL, 180pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, 2x High-yield missile pod, 2x Seeker missile TX7 Heavy Bombardment Hammerhead Gunship [10 PL, 180pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, 2x High-yield missile pod, 2x Seeker missile ++ Spearhead Detachment +1CP (T'au Empire) [46 PL, 761pts] ++ + HQ + Commander Shadowsun [10 PL, 116pts]: 5. Exemplar of the Kauyon, MV62 Command-link Drone, Warlord + Fast Attack + Pathfinder Team [3 PL, 40pts] . 5x Pathfinder: 5x Markerlight Pathfinder Team [3 PL, 40pts] . 5x Pathfinder: 5x Markerlight + Heavy Support + TX7 Fire Support Hammerhead Gunship [10 PL, 190pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, 2x Seeker missile, Twin T'au plasma cannon TX7 Fire Support Hammerhead Gunship [10 PL, 190pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, 2x Seeker missile, Twin T'au plasma cannon TX7 Fire Support Hammerhead Gunship [10 PL, 185pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Seeker missile, Twin T'au plasma cannon ++ Total: [113 PL, 1998pts] ++ Created with BattleScribe 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluger Posted December 18, 2018 Report Share Posted December 18, 2018 I can't give you advice specific to this list, but I played an all tank IG list and it struggled mightily to give fun games. Usually I shot up my opponent until they hit melee and then I folded up like a cheap tent. I mean, it was definitely cool and was interesting, but when you lose most games, your opponent isn't challenged and it gets boring. I love the look and feel of mech armies, they just usually die horribly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 19, 2018 Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 8 hours ago, Kelharis said: Hi guys. I've been wanting to try an army like this since I started playing 40k. I would love some feedback on the list, mainly as an opponent. Would you enjoy yourself playing this list? I love the idea and fluff behind the list, and love the small number of models in the list, but does it work as an OFCC type of list? Or is it just too much? Thanks for the feedback! ++ Spearhead Detachment +1CP (T'au Empire) [67 PL, 1237pts] ++ + HQ + Longstrike [10 PL, 202pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Ion cannon, 2x Seeker missile + Heavy Support + TX7 Hammerhead Gunship [9 PL, 165pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Ion cannon, 2x Seeker missile TX7 Hammerhead Gunship [9 PL, 165pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Ion cannon, 2x Seeker missile TX7 Hammerhead Gunship [9 PL, 165pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Ion cannon, 2x Seeker missile TX7 Heavy Bombardment Hammerhead Gunship [10 PL, 180pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, 2x High-yield missile pod, 2x Seeker missile TX7 Heavy Bombardment Hammerhead Gunship [10 PL, 180pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, 2x High-yield missile pod, 2x Seeker missile TX7 Heavy Bombardment Hammerhead Gunship [10 PL, 180pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, 2x High-yield missile pod, 2x Seeker missile ++ Spearhead Detachment +1CP (T'au Empire) [46 PL, 761pts] ++ + HQ + Commander Shadowsun [10 PL, 116pts]: 5. Exemplar of the Kauyon, MV62 Command-link Drone, Warlord + Fast Attack + Pathfinder Team [3 PL, 40pts] . 5x Pathfinder: 5x Markerlight Pathfinder Team [3 PL, 40pts] . 5x Pathfinder: 5x Markerlight + Heavy Support + TX7 Fire Support Hammerhead Gunship [10 PL, 190pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, 2x Seeker missile, Twin T'au plasma cannon TX7 Fire Support Hammerhead Gunship [10 PL, 190pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, 2x Seeker missile, Twin T'au plasma cannon TX7 Fire Support Hammerhead Gunship [10 PL, 185pts]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Seeker missile, Twin T'au plasma cannon ++ Total: [113 PL, 1998pts] ++ Created with BattleScribe For starters, Zero games playing as TAU in this edition...So I can only really comment on rules regarding the units, or on theoretical uses. I am working on a TAU army and do own the FW book in question. Anywho, feedback in no particular order: Seeker missiles seem an iffy addition due to how few markerlights you have. If you don't go first, it wouldn't be surprising to have your 10x pathfinders die off on turn 1 before they get a chance land any markers. After all, they are your only soft target, which makes them the ideal target to destroy if looking for First Blood mission objectives. Army is very light on Command Points, which means that anything you do want CP will really cost you. Hammerhead spam seems like a mixed bag. I mean, if the opponent can't deal with tanks, it should work great, but if they can deal with tanks, you don't really have anything else. I strongly suggest getting some Skyrays in there to replace the pathfinders. The Skyrays feature built-in markerlights and they have the same defensive profile as the hammerheads. I'd cut points from some of the FW hammer variants. I'd also look into removing shadowsun (not really sure what she brings to the army). I replacing Gun Drones with Burstcannons. Your list doesn't really have anything the drones can protect. The burst cannons have the same weapon profile as the 2x pulse blasters on the gun drones, but the burst cannons are 2pts cheaper than drones (per set, so 4pts saved per tank). Regarding events, your army has basically no models for holding objectives (like the relic) and nothing objective secured. This gunline sort of list might be consider bad sportsmanship, though the bigger event issue is that the opponent steal objectives from under you, so the list is unlikely to win without a wipe. I'd suggest some Devil Fish with embarked infantry, just so you have the option to hold objectives securely. As for players having fun, Tank spam lists can be fun. Really depends if they can cope with you or not. The main thing is that since your army basically has only 10 models (who count), you need to paint them amazing. A quick paint job will look much worse when your army has only 10 near-identicle models... I will note that none of the FW tank variants are currently in production. So unless you already have them, this army would heavy conversion/proxy. Additionally, while the GW hammerhead got a point drop in the CA, the FW ones did not. They're possibly overpriced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelharis Posted December 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 (edited) The seeker missiles were basically for more 'splosions, with not much care given for if they hit or not. Pathfinders are the "not much" part of that caring. Though I would normally use a cadre fireblade for the marker light hit, pathfinders give me a few more bodies for objectives. Pathfinders and seeker missiles were the last additions to the list, and I'm not sold on them. I do realize I'm sorely lacking in CP. However, I pretty much always forget to use stratagems, aside from the marker light strat. I probably need to play more to get in the habit of using them. Part of the issue with Tau is, Tank spam isnt really any different than using tanks and large suits. The large suits that I could bring (riptide and ghostkeel) might have a different look and slightly different loadouts, but are in essence walking (jetpacking) tanks. Does that make them feel less spammy for the opponent? I dont know myself, but maybe? I could run sky rays, but would have to drop other tanks. The pathfinders are much cheaper than a single sky ray. Also, sky rays do not benefit from Longstrikes +1 to hit ability as the other hammerheads do. As for Shadowsun, she allows you to "Master of War" twice in the same game (well, one has to be Kauyun). I'm fully aware that this list basically gives up all objectives. That is the major "event" downfall to me, but something I'd be able to live with. I would run all burst cannons, but I run short of them, since some of my tanks are built from devilfish kits, which contain a single burst, not 2 per like the HH/sky ray kit. One of the main goals of the list was to try and be as infantry free as possible, although I may have to just swap around and put in stealthies for objective management and drone control. I'm a terrible painter, whether I paint a ton of models or only a few, results will be lackluster, and I'm ok with that. The FW HH variants were dropped to 100 without gear, same as the HH itself. Sky rays dropped to 70 though. Thanks to the deep, dark interwebs, nothing is truly out of print... 🤐 Edited December 19, 2018 by Kelharis phone decided to change a word. and forgot to mention Shadowsun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelharis Posted December 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 I do want to thank you both for the feedback, it is helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ish Posted December 19, 2018 Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 I played Imperial Guard Armoured Company for several editions. The trick was to bring two Chimera-mounted Infantry Squads to be able to at least contest Objectives... But, yeah, mostly you just tried to annihilate the other guy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 19, 2018 Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 4 minutes ago, Kelharis said: The seeker missiles were basically for more 'splosions, with not much care given for if they hit or not. Pathfinders are the "not much" part of that caring. Though I would normally use a cadre fireblade for the marker light hit, pathfinders give me a few more bodies for objectives. Pathfinders and seeker missiles were the last additions to the list, and I'm not sold on them. I do realize I'm sorely lacking in CP. However, I pretty much always forget to use stratagems, aside from the marker light strat. I probably need to play more to get in the habit of using them. Part of the issue with Tau is, Tank spam isnt really any different than using tanks and large suits. The large suits that I could bring (riptide and ghostkeel) might have a different look and slightly different loadouts, but are in essence walking (jetpacking) tanks. Does that make them feel less spammy for the opponent? I dont know myself, but maybe? I could run sky rays, but would have to drop other tanks. The pathfinders are much cheaper than a single sky ray. Also, sky rays do not benefit from Longstrikes +1 to hit ability as the other hammerheads do. I'm fully aware that this list basically gives up all objectives. That is the major "event" downfall to me, but something I'd be able to live with. I would run all burst cannons, but I run short of them, since some of my tanks are built from devilfish kits, which contain a single burst, not 2 per like the HH/sky ray kit. One of the main goals of the list was to try and be as infantry free as possible, although I may have to just swap around and put in stealthies for objective management and drone control. I'm a terrible painter, whether I paint a ton of models or only a few, results will be lackluster, and I'm ok with that. The FW HH variants were dropped to 100 without fear, same as the HH itself. Sky rays dropped to 70 though. Thanks to the deep, dark interwebs, nothing is truly out of print... 🤐 You have 100pts invested in seeker missiles. Then another 80pts invested in seeker missiles hitting on better than just 6s (pathfinders). If you don't care if they hit or not, might want to ditch them altogether. Could get a whole extra tank for the points you have invested in seeker missiles and markerlights. Depends on the opponent, as to if spam is an issue or not. Not different than running imperial knights. Just depends if the opponent wants to play that or not. Longstrike's +1 to hit within 6" does not apply to the FW hammerhead variants. They don't have the same keyword as the ability requires. Might be altered in the FAQ. Might be able to convince an opponent that the RAI is meant to apply, but you'd have to do that every time it came up. Regarding Skyrays, they already have a built in Velocity Tracker, so they already hit on 2+ vs anything with the FLY keyword. Painting wise, you need to fix that. It's one thing to get wiped by a spammy list with 2x cheesy special characters and a block 9 other cheesy tanks, and it's something totally different to lose against an amazingly painted army (which elimininates any mention of spam or cheese). And if you are painting 10x of the same tank, you really should get better at it if you do them one at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ish Posted December 19, 2018 Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 Here’s the six step process to amazing looking tanks: • Buy the Anarchy Models HD Stencil Patern of your choice. I’m partial to “Hexocam” for Tau. • Buy three cans of Rustoleum Camouflage Spraypaint. I’d recommend Black, Army Green, and Khaki. • Follow Anarchy Model’s instructions on their YouTube channel. • Basecoat all the gun barrels/muzzle, vents, and other such things in gunmetal of your choice. Wash with basic black wash. • Pin wash all the recessed details and panel lines with black or brown wash. • Use Microsol and Microset to apply decals. My old armored battlegroup had twenty-some tanks in it. I had to use painter’s tape for the camo masking, since the Anarchy Models stencils weren’t around. The Rustoleum Camo sprays are the best thing ever for wargamers that want any kind of earth tones for their base layer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelharis Posted December 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 17 minutes ago, paxmiles said: You have 100pts invested in seeker missiles. Then another 80pts invested in seeker missiles hitting on better than just 6s (pathfinders). If you don't care if they hit or not, might want to ditch them altogether. Could get a whole extra tank for the points you have invested in seeker missiles and markerlights. Depends on the opponent, as to if spam is an issue or not. Not different than running imperial knights. Just depends if the opponent wants to play that or not. Longstrike's +1 to hit within 6" does not apply to the FW hammerhead variants. They don't have the same keyword as the ability requires. Might be altered in the FAQ. Might be able to convince an opponent that the RAI is meant to apply, but you'd have to do that every time it came up. Regarding Skyrays, they already have a built in Velocity Tracker, so they already hit on 2+ vs anything with the FLY keyword. Painting wise, you need to fix that. It's one thing to get wiped by a spammy list with 2x cheesy special characters and a block 9 other cheesy tanks, and it's something totally different to lose against an amazingly painted army (which elimininates any mention of spam or cheese). And if you are painting 10x of the same tank, you really should get better at it if you do them one at a time. Like I said, not entirely happy with the Pathfinders and seekers. The +1 to hit applied to the Heavy Bombardment Hammerhead in the Imperial Armour index due to HAMMERHEAD keyword once they FAQd Longstrike. The Imperial Armour Xenos FAQ added HAMMERHEAD to the Fire Support Hammerheads, so now all HH benefit from Longstrike's +1. I'm not sure how to respond about the painting. Are you saying that there's an unwritten rule that says your painting ability determines what units you're "allowed" to field? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 19, 2018 Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 59 minutes ago, Kelharis said: I would run all burst cannons, but I run short of them, since some of my tanks are built from devilfish kits, which contain a single burst, not 2 per like the HH/sky ray kit. I suggest asking in the trade section if people have any extras. Don't even offer any trade, just ask if they have extras. Might get some, might not, worth asking if you really want them. Could also offer trade/cash. Look pretty easy to convert, too. They're basically a Drone (which you already have) with a single burst cannon. And burstcannons are pretty common extras. I've got maybe 8 extra burst cannons from the crisis suits and another 2 from the sunshark bombers. I am surprised that while you lack the burst cannons, you do have 20x seeker missile bits... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelharis Posted December 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 18 minutes ago, Ish said: Here’s the six step process to amazing looking tanks: • Buy the Anarchy Models HD Stencil Patern of your choice. I’m partial to “Hexocam” for Tau. • Buy three cans of Rustoleum Camouflage Spraypaint. I’d recommend Black, Army Green, and Khaki. • Follow Anarchy Model’s instructions on their YouTube channel. • Basecoat all the gun barrels/muzzle, vents, and other such things in gunmetal of your choice. Wash with basic black wash. • Pin wash all the recessed details and panel lines with black or brown wash. • Use Microsol and Microset to apply decals. My old armored battlegroup had twenty-some tanks in it. I had to use painter’s tape for the camo masking, since the Anarchy Models stencils weren’t around. The Rustoleum Camo sprays are the best thing ever for wargamers that want any kind of earth tones for their base layer. Yes, but I want my Tau to be decked out in Glorious Crystal Blue! I suppose I could use a stencil, but I don't really like the asthetic. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 19, 2018 Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 13 minutes ago, Kelharis said: I'm not sure how to respond about the painting. Are you saying that there's an unwritten rule that says your painting ability determines what units you're "allowed" to field? It's not a rule thing, it's a social thing. Losing against a well painted army is more enjoyable than losing against a terribly painted army. The more you can get the opponent to focus on your amazing models, the less they focus on how broken the rules are that you are using or on how spammy your list is. Having a great attitude is another one, like that. A-hulls with amazingly painted armies are more tollerable than A-hulls with crapply painted armies. It doesn't make them pleasent, but it helps overlook them being A-hulls. And you asked if people would "enjoy" playing against your list. This isn't a rule, just a social thing regarding enjoyment of 40k (especially at events, where opponent selection isn't a choice). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluger Posted December 19, 2018 Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 Bollocks to that. I paint like a drunk Ork with only a thumb and I get no complaints. Being a fun person is the most important thing. I legit don't care if my opponent has purty models or not, if they are a jerk, they are a jerk, can't put lipstick (or paint) on a pig. My only social concern with this list is that you will lose a lot and that's rough. Most people want a challenge and not a cakewalk. At least you have a cool theme! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 19, 2018 Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 4 minutes ago, fluger said: Bollocks to that. I paint like a drunk Ork with only a thumb and I get no complaints. Being a fun person is the most important thing. I legit don't care if my opponent has purty models or not, if they are a jerk, they are a jerk, can't put lipstick (or paint) on a pig. My only social concern with this list is that you will lose a lot and that's rough. Most people want a challenge and not a cakewalk. At least you have a cool theme! https://weheartit.com/entry/311877716 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluger Posted December 19, 2018 Report Share Posted December 19, 2018 18 minutes ago, paxmiles said: https://weheartit.com/entry/311877716 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 21, 2018 Report Share Posted December 21, 2018 Back to the TAU list in question. One you may have overlooked is that Longstrike, being a CHARACTER, is eligible for protection from Crisis Bodyguards. Not mech and certainly not as good as the drone version, but since a lot of your army hinges around that one character providing his bubble, might be worth considering getting a few Crisis Bodyguards to protect longstrike, since he isn't eligible for drone protection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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