Thursday 20 September 2012

Tau in 6th, Part 3


I’ve already written a little about allies for Tau, mostly focusing on Eldar, but I’m thinking about 2 others – orks and SM bikes. Brief thoughts below, followed by a list for each army. These will be the list I’ll take to the gaming day this Saturday.


Eldar

I have already written quite a bit about this. Broadly speaking Eldrad uses his 4 rolls on the Divination table to buff the army’s shooting. Last time I played a version of this list I ran Eldar Pathfinders. As reported the list lacked fast scoring units.  The next iteration will run jet bikes instead. The list will be

Shasel – death rain with iridium armour, black sun filter and 2 shield drones

3 XV8s -  death rains, with black sun filters and 2 gun drones
3 XV8s – Fireknives, with BSF and 2 gun drones
3 XV8s – Fireknives, with BSF and 2 gun drones

12 Fire Warriors
10 Kroot
10 Kroot

2 Broadsides, targeting arrays, 2 shield drones, BSF
2 Broadsides, targeting arrays, 2 shield drones, BSF

Eldrad
3 Guardian Jet Bikes
3 Guardian Jet Bikes


Orks

The problem with the Eldar list is that it doesn’t solve the main problem with Tau – crappy troops, and their inability to take and hold objectives. Adding a big mek with KFF and 60 shoota boys with power claw nob might solve that problem!  The list will be

Shasel – death rain with iridium armour, black sun filter and 2 shield drones

3 XV8s -  death rains, with black sun filters and 2 gun drones
3 XV8s -  death rains, with black sun filters and 2 gun drones
3 XV8s -  death rains, with black sun filters and 2 gun drones


12 Fire Warriors
10 Kroot
10 Kroot

2 Broadsides, targeting arrays, 2 shield drones, BSF
2 Broadsides, targeting arrays, 2 shield drones, BSF

Big Mek with KFF
29 boyz and a power claw nob with a boss pole
29 boyz and a power claw nob with a boss pole



SM Bikes

Again, this is an attempt to solve the “crappy troops” problem, but also the difficulty of where one should put ones plasma (!). The list will be

Shasel Deathrain 2 Shield Drones

2 XV8s -  death rains, with black sun filters
3 XV8s -  death rains, with black sun filters and 2 gun drones
3 XV8s -  death rains, with black sun filters and 2 gun drones

6 Fire Warriors
6 Fire Warriors

Devilfish

2 x Hammerhead

SM Captain, Bike, Artificer Armour, Power First, Lightening Claw

8 Bikes, 1 MM Attack Bike, 2 Plasma Gun, Combi Plasma
8 Bikes, 1 MM Attack Bike, 2 Plasma Gun, Combi Plasma

So, the choice between Eldar and Orks is between boosting Tau’s strength (with Eldar), or shoring up their weakness (with Orks). The SM Biker option tries to do a bit of both, but also significantly increases the armies mobility.

I’ll be playing all three lists on Saturday.

EYIG

7 comments:

  1. I'd go with the bikes or the orks, both provide durable scoring units. The bikes are probably the better choice, purely on speed more than anything else. They'll contribute to the fight faster and the weapons people will want to shoot at your suits they'll also want to shoot at the bikes. Both bikes and orks will tar pit well. The bikes have T5 and atsknf, the orks numbers and fearless for a time.

    Have you considered trying to get the orks as 3 x 20 instead of 2 x 30?

    Sir#67

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  2. Cant go 3x20 on the orks, can only take 2 troop units as allies.

    Playing all three at the weekend, will let you know how they go.

    EYIG

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  3. go with ork bikes!
    1850 list:
    HQ el twl MP , plasma, mt, x2 sd, blacksun
    crisis x3 deathrain + flamer
    crisis x3 fireknife
    broadside x2 plasma, mt, x2 sd, blacksun
    broadside x2 plasma, mt, x2 sd, blacksun
    FW x12 w/ 'Ui, blacksun
    FW x12 w/ 'Ui, blacksun

    GutzMek
    Warbikers x7 (gutz squad)
    Warbikers x8 w/ nob + PK + Pole
    Dakkajet w/ extra shoota Fighta ace

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  4. funny you should say that.....I had along chat with an experienced Ork player the other day and he was saying exactly the same thing. A;though he was trying to persuade me with Nob bikers - what are the benefits of normal bikers over nob bikers?

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  5. I have not been able to run either one of them but nob bikers started off in my head. Nobs get 2 wounds and a painboy which gives them FNP. but they also cost at least double the amount of regular warbikers.

    take a Boss on a bike and a squad of 5 nobs upgrade one to a painboy and that is 250+ 150 +? = way too much for what you need. It is an idea of "boys before toyz" which I think also helps us some in tau lists too.

    Going with the warbikers drops multiple wounds, drops FNP, but you get MORE! that is the point of using gutzmeck to make the warbikers troops. Nobs with a warboss on a bike become troops also but its realisticly one 5 man squad that has 4+/4+/5+ vs 4+/4+ and way more dakka overall. really in a 2.5k game it may work but under 2k just feel like the nob squad wouldn't be effective or your list woudn't have enough survivable troops.

    Do the math comparing the points vaules of a nob squad on bikes vs just warbikers. Then remember that orc bikes are ass3 and TL. It'll be tempting to go to CC with them but you really want them to just finish off units not straight up close combat everything in a tau ally.

    Pure theory on my part but I've been looking at lists for different armies trying to get bikes into my tau lists. Orc warbikers are cheapist.

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    Replies
    1. Okay for the math, sorry if last comment seemed incoherant.

      Warboss + bike, PK, pole = 130
      4 nobs w/ choppas + painboy = 275

      Gutzmek = 180 (upgraded bike over standard)
      12 warbikers (no upgrades) = 275
      10 warbikers (no upgrades) = 225 (to equal the same amount of points with warboss)

      so yeah basicly double the warbikes for the same number of points, you do loose the multi wounds and FNP which would prob make nobs better or rather more effective of a unit, But in an allies list getting enough troops seems to be a factor. with the high toughness insta kills would only happen from str 10 weapons also, for both units but more important for the nobs.

      The other point is orc bikes having the TL dakka gun. The nob squad would be geared to CC but would have 3x5 = 15 BS2 TL shots
      whereas 10x3 = 30 TL shots. str 5 ap 5 on the dakka gun, which is what tau have but only a range of 18".

      So the improvement would be Multiple troops for allies 2 squads instead of 1, and way more TL shots = more hits - softer targets.

      Not saying don't use the nobs on bikes, I'm just theory crafting that warbikers would be more effective for the points to have some fast moving scoreing units instead of just one mini deathstar.

      Delete
  6. Interesting. Might jsut need to try this......!

    EYIG

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