Farsight List - does if really work?

Just because I don't think the bomb works, doesn't mean I wont paint the model!

Using Commander Farsight to create a large unit of suits that deep strikes into your opponents lines is a classic Tau List – often called the “Farsight Bomb”. Firstly I should say I have never used this sort of list. In the old codex the problem was that Farsight gimped your FOC, in that he limited the other choices you could take. As well as that, I always doubted the wisdom of (a) keeping so many points off the table for possibly 2 turns, and then (b) delivering it (including your warlord) into your opponents lines – sure he’ll kill 3 units, but what happens next? Most armies will have enough left over to retaliate effectively.

Gun Line Tau

This list is a counter point to the last one – i.e. no tanks!

 

The core of this list will be a bunch of guns behind an Aegis Defence Line. So, let’s get a bunch of guns.

 

Three full squads of Fire Warriors are a good start. Add in an Ethereal to use Storm of Fire, and buff their leadership and that’s a lot of dakka at 15”. I also want to try cascading marker light support. The idea is that one unit fires with an embedded marker light, and then the next unit picks it up. So you give the first Fire Warrior Squad a Shas’ui with a Marker light and 2 Marker Drones. You’ll probably get at least 1 Marker Light hit, maybe 2. The next Fire Warriors Squad also has a Shas’ui with a Marker Light. When they fire they pick up the marker lights from the first squad, to boost their BS. In this way the gun line “passes” the Marker Light hits to the next unit, increasing the gunline’s  BS as a whole. It might be tricky to organise, but I would like to try it.

Mech Tau

So the first list I want to go through is a Mech Tau list.

I’ve always tried to build “all comer” lists with my Tau armies. Tau were the army I took to most tournaments all the way through 5^th, and in the first few months of 6^th, and I still think an all comer army is the way to go for tournament. The problem has been in 6^th that building an all comers list is harder. The sheer variety of armies, with allies thrown in, and of course flyers has made it much harder. However, of all the Codices in 6^th, I think Tau has the best chance of doing this… so let’s see.

Hobby Progress

I know, I know, not something I usually post, but I’m really getting into painting and modelling my new Tau army.

As I think I mentioned earlier on the blog, I’m selling my old Tau army and starting from scratch. While my old army was fully painted and “OK”, I painted if for speed rather than beauty. I’ve also come a long way in terms of skill level when it comes to painting and modelling since I painted it (almost 3 years ago), and I know I could do better. So, it will be on the eBay sales block shortly and with the money I make from selling it (plus a Black Templars and Grey Knights  army I never use!) I’m starting from scratch.

Its all About the Tau - Lists from the New Codex.

Having gone through the Codex in some detail, the next step is to put it all together and come up with some lists.

As I’ve been going through the codex 4 potential list have been rattling around in my head, 2 of them I think will be more competitive than the others, but the less competitive ones might be more fun. The lists are

Mech Tau. Mobile Fire Warrior Squads in D’fish.

Gunline Tau. Lots and Lots of Dakka blowing everything off the board.

Farsight Bomb. Farsight and his 7 Samurai deep striking in an blowing stuff away, and

Shadowsun’s Ghost Cadre, Stealth Suits, Pathfinders and Kroot….. lots of Kroot.

Now of course there are a loads of variations on these themes, but you need to start somewhere!

It's all About the Tau - Marker Lights

I've already posted this on Warhammer Tau, but thought I would also post here for completness.

Marker Lights are very useful. They can do 3 things 

·      Any unit can use a Marker Light hit to boost their BS by one point, this works on snap shots, and for other Marker Lights.

·      2 Marker Lights hits can grant any firing unit Ignores Cover, and

·      You can use a Marker Lights hit to fire a Seeker Missile.

So in an army when most units are BS3, and in a game where many death stars use (abuse!) boosted cover saves, that’s pretty useful. This post is about Marker Lights and how best to field them. But first…… do you need them at all?