Warhammer 40,000/10th Edition Tactics/Tau
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This is the current 10th Edition's Tau Empire tactics. 9th Edition Tactics are here.
Why Play Tau Empire
Pros
Cons
Faction Rules
- For the Greater Good: IT'S BACK!!! Whenever a unit shoots, you can have a second unit act as a Observer and mark an enemy. If the observer has the Markerlight keyword, the shooter gains +1 to BS and Ignores Cover on their attacks, but they need to target the enemy that your observer marks or else they'll suffer a -1 penalty to their BS.
- Note that this has no restrictions on how often this can be used, meaning it can be used at any time so long as each unit only acts as an observer once. While it's not giving two walls of pulse rifles firing overwatch, the one unit that does shoot can do so much more reliably.
- Should also point out the Observer unit must be "eligible to shoot". Meaning units that have already benefitted from this ability and fired can't then be observers for someone else. Sadly, no daisy chaining this through your entire army.
- Note that this has no restrictions on how often this can be used, meaning it can be used at any time so long as each unit only acts as an observer once. While it's not giving two walls of pulse rifles firing overwatch, the one unit that does shoot can do so much more reliably.
Detachments
Kauyon
The patient hunter is back and perhaps better than before, since you don't have to wait until turn 5 for a truly awesome damage buff that you might not even need at that point.
Special Rules
- Kauyon: From turn 3 and later, your units all get Sustained Hits 1, giving them a bit more edge on unleashing their firepower later on. If you use FtGG's spotting abilities, then the unit getting spotted gains Sustained Hits 2.
Stratagems
- Combat Embarkation (1 CP): If an enemy tries to charge one of your Infantry units while they're within 3" of a Transport, the troops can immediately flee into their transport and force the enemy to target someone else. Once again, the Tau has learned a lesson that no one else has; to take your ball and go home when the neighborhood bully comes around with a chainaxe and a raging stiffy.
Equipment
Drones
What is a Tau army without drones? Notably, they're now busted back to being merely special rules linked to wargear rather than being full models with statlines. The more unique drones like the Pathfinders' special drones or the Shielded Missile Drones stuck to a Riptide are now stuck on their respective units' statlines.
- Guardian Drone: Ranged attacks against this unit take -1 to wound.
- Gun Drone: Gives a Twin Pulse Rifle with two shots and Assault and Twin-Linked for a bit of extra firepower on the move.
- Marker Drone: Gives the Markerlight keyword and lets the unit be an observer for FtGG even after advancing.
- Missile Drone: Gives a 30" A2 BS5+ S7 AP-2 D2 missile pod to blow up MEQ foes.
- Shield Drone: Gone are the improved saves, now all this gives is an ablative wound.
Unit Analysis
Characters
Epic Heroes
Battleline
Infantry
- Pathfinder Team: Remain reliably mobile with Scouts 7" and are the shining example of the value of FtGG, not only natively getting the Markerlight keyword but also being able to mark two enemies if they're the observer. The Ion Rifle got a bit of a buff with its overcharge profile maintaining its AP-2 while the basic profile is stuck to AP-1, but it's now under the risk of Hazardous. The Rail Rifle got a Strength buff as well as Devastating Wounds for extra power.
- The Drones are back to just being rules as well. The Grav-Inhibitor Drone makes enemies suffer -2 to charge rolls against the pathfinders like before, the Pulse Accelerator Drone adds +6" to the Pulse Carbines' range, the Recon Drone gives both a Burst Cannon to add to the firing line but also provides Infiltrators so you can set the team up wherever you need them.
Vehicles
- Hammerhead Gunship: We don't have the stats for the machine itself yet, but we do have the stats for the Railgun - A good 20 Strength, -5 AP with D6+6 Damage will mess up most things it looks at, and with Devastating Wounds, it has a chance of doing all that damage as Mortal Wounds instead. The only other gun we've seen that has close to that damage is the Hekaton Land Fortress with the Strength 18 Heavy Magna-rail Cannon, which also has less AP and range than the Railgun. I guess the Squats can pack up again with all that "we kept our best technology to ourselves" nonsense.
- Consider this; with the Kayoun Detachment, all ranged weapons gain Sustained Fire 1 after the third turn, and after turn five, it becomes Sustained Fire 2 - including this one.
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