Editing Warhammer 40,000/8th Edition Tactics/Tau (section)

===Heavy Support===

===={{W40kKeyword|<SEPT>}}====
* '''[[Tau_Drones#Sniper_Drone|MV-71 Sniper Drones]]''': Without support these are terrible, they have BS 5+, a 48" Rapid Fire 1 S5 AP0 D1 gun that can target characters. If you have a Firesight Marksman who can see the target and have another unit with drone controller nearby they gain +2 to hit, then add Deadly Aim for 2 CP for -2Ap at 24", going from below to above average for snipers. As with all drones, their LD is garbage, so keep an ethereal nearby if they start to get shot at. Another important to make most out of the deadly aim you real need fill to upper limits  to about 12 drones Ethereal will help but so will the Stratagem - Strike and Fade for one command point you can move it into behind line of sight. If get opponent real angry you might want to do same after doing this for two or three turns
** Note that Cadre Fireblades don't work on these guys - The FAQ specifically says Longshot Pulse Rifles are not a Pulse Rifle for the purposes of volley Fire.

* '''[[Tau_Drones#Heavy_Gun_Drone|Heavy Gun Drone Squadron]] (Forge World)''': Gun Drones packing double the usual firepower with two Burst Cannons for 34 points ''each''; alternatively, you can swap one Cannon for a Markerlight to get a combination Gun and Marker drone (the downside being that they don't have a way around the -1 to hit for moving and firing a Markerlight and that they still cost a ''colossal'' 29 points each). They can fire guns and Markerlights at the same time thanks to '''Automated Targeting Protocols''', but if any of them do, the whole unit gets no benefit from Markerlights at all that turn. So they're hideously expensive compared to an equal weapon loadout in standard drones, and they take up a Heavy Support slot to boot. All of those extra points buy you 3W per drone instead of 1 and removes '''Threat Identification Protocols''', so they don't have to shoot the closest unit. If that sounds like a good deal to you, then, by all means, knock yourself out.
** If you're buying these just for the guns, remember that 76 points for a minimum size unit of these with two cannons each (6 wounds, 16 shots) would have bought you nine Gun drones (9 wounds and 36 shots) or eight Gun Drones and a Shield Drone (9 wounds, 32 shots and a 4++ until you take your first wound) with four points left over for a Kroot Hound too. The Burst Cannon/Markerlight Heavy Gun Drones are marginally more efficient, but still stupidly overpriced for what they do compared to regular drones.
*** FAQ gave them the codex Tau Drone Saviour Protocols and these are 3 wound models, so rather than dying when they save people, these can save up to 3 models before being destroyed.
**** These drones also don't require any extra space in transport, so you could put 12x of these in a devilfish. The point cost is insane, but they bring 108 shots.

* '''[[Skyray_Missile_Gunship|TX78 Skyray Gunship]]''': Two markerlights, six seeker missiles, same drones/burst cannons as before. Seeker missiles only hit on 6+ unless the target has 2+ Markerlight Tokens, and deliver an S8 AP-2 D1d6 hit apiece. In other words, six hunter-killer missiles. These have amazing alpha strike capability, delivering a huge amount of firepower turn 1. After that, they really don't do much besides provide some markerlights and S5 shots.

* '''[[Hammerhead_Gunship|TX7 Hammerhead Gunship]]''': Railguns are kinda questionable without Longstrike. However, Solid Shot can now deliver D3 Mortal Wounds on a to-wound roll of 6+, making them useful against Vehicles and smaller Squads (remember Mortal Wounds ''always'' rollover within a unit - if you add 3 extra mortal wounds onto 1-wound infantry model, you'll kill three of his mates with a quadruple-collateral railgun shot). Ion Cannons are only 5 points more, but now rolling a one to-hit when they're overcharged will slightly damage the Hammerhead. Try to always keep them buddied up to Longstrike, for that sweet, sweet +1 to hit (which will stop you hurting yourself with Ion Cannons). Frankly, take Ion if you are only running one Hammerhead, and take Rail if you brought Longstrike.
** Crunch-wise, Hammerhead-borne railgun is actually buffed up due to new vehicle rules. It is Strength 10 and AP-4, that ensures that the vehicles with Sv 3+ or lower (and Sv 3+ is what most tanks or even such mighty war engines like Reaver battle titans have) get NO armour save at all. Many targets will have an invulnerable save anyway, and if Longstrike's around you should just go for that Ion Cannon, you'll get a better return on investment.

* '''TX7 Heavy Bombardment Hammerhead Gunship (Forge World)''': Initially massively overcosted and lacking the right keywords. The new FAQ lowers the cost of the base tank down to index level (so 17 points ''above'' Codex level), and gives it the {{W40kKeyword|HAMMERHEAD}} keyword so it can be buffed by Longstrike. Unfortunately, the big seller on this is replacing the turret with a pair of high yield missile pods, whose cost is also substantially above Codex levels - 82 points for the pair, rather than the 50 the Codex would charge. The net effect is that you'd be much, much better off just taking a Broadside with the same HYMP pair and a support system that's appropriate (target lock or ATS).

* '''TX7 Fire Support Hammerhead Gunship (Forge World)''': Initially massively overcosted and lacking the right keywords. The new FAQ lowers the cost of the base tank down to index level (so 17 points ''above'' Codex level), and gives it the {{W40kKeyword|HAMMERHEAD}} keyword so it can be buffed by Longstrike. Has a choice of three main guns: a Twin Plasma Cannon, which will behave like a badly overcosted Ion Cannon, a Twin Fusion Cannon, which will behave like a moderately overcosted Railgun, or a Twin Heavy Burst Cannon, which hasn't got a ''dreadful'' cost for its profile until you remember the 17 point surcharge you paid for the chassis. Avoid this; you're better off, depending on the profile you like, fielding more standard Hammerheads for cheaper.

* '''[[XV88_Broadside_Battlesuit|XV-88 Broadside Battlesuits]]''': Their ''Heavy Rail Rifle'' has long-range and fires two S8 AP-4 D1d6 shots, as well as an extra Mortal Wound from rolling a 6+ to-wound. The HRR can be exchanged for two High-Yield Missile Pods, which can allow you to do far more damage, especially when targetting anything with an invulnerable save. Broadsides still have the (practically mandatory) option to take their one Seeker Missile for that nasty potshot. It can take up to 2 drones, in any combination of tactical or missile, per '''model'''. These suits are getting damn cheap, at 76 points with dual plasma rifle and rail weaponry. Three of them with Shas'vre nets you 228 points and the Magna-rifle upgrade can be had free of points cost. 
** A large squad of these can be buffed with Kayuon and Command and Control node, giving them full rerolls on both to hit and to wound. This is an excellent tactic to take out a large threat, but be aware that they aren't very mobile at all and lack fly. If they get engaged in close combat you can say goodbye to any use they have. Keep them screened.
** '''[[Tau_Drones#Missile_Drone|MV-8 Missile Drone]]''': A mobile Missile Pod for fewer points than two Missile Pods. Low BS hinders it, though. As with all drones this edition, is not attached to the Broadside unit after deployment, so it can be moved where it is needed (but is also independently targetable, so be wary of getting them shot).
** A note on cost: With the Chapter Approved 2018 the chassis for the Broadside has gone down significantly to 35! Now a Broadside with an HRR and 2 Smart Missile Systems is a 100 points. Combine it with the point decrease for Attack Targeting Systems and 2xHYMP, 2xSMS and ATS are just 121 points. At that point range, you can get 2 of them for 252 points, rivaling the Riptide's 280 points while also competing it in firepower. ATS Riptide's Heavy Burst Cannon offering 12/18 S6 -2AP 2 damage shots vs the two ATS Broadside's 16 S7 -2AP D3 damage shots. A Hammerhead with an Ion Cannon and 2x smart missile systems will run you 165 while being tougher and more mobile (and more accurate while holding still). Both can be cheaper with different choices (plasma rifles and burst cannons, respectively, will bring the costs down to 113 and 151, respectively).
*** If you prefer to keep them close to their missile bubblewrap, consider taking heavy Rail rifle broadsides, two with shield generators/velocity trackers and the Shas'Vre taking a drone controller. Suddenly your unit is a blob of rail-and-missile death that can cause problems for almost everything.

* '''[[Battlesuit#XV107_R.27varna_Battlesuit|XV-107 R'Varna Battlesuit]] (Forge World)''': Heavy support version of the Riptide, a long-range [[TEQ]] and light vehicle killer. Like the Broadside, it gives up {{W40kKeyword|FLY}} in exchange for its heavier weaponry and increased durability. Use the nova reactor to Reroll those 6d3 shots, get the godlike 3++ or blast some MW into the units tying you up. It has value that exceeds 1 MW no matter what you do with it.
** While the R'varna remains a very powerful choice, it is a much more specialized unit than it was in previous editions: it no longer gains weapon strength or additional hits against larger targets, and the removal of blast weapons has reduced its efficiency against hordes. Keep it pointed at its favorite targets, and it'll never disappoint.

====Kroot====
* '''[[Great_Knarloc|Great Knarloc]] (Open and Narrative Play only)''': GMO space chickens have taken to the extreme. Their big melee brutes equipped a big gun or Gattler, and can either inflict MW on attack or be a large standard to keep your Kroot chaff in line.