Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Tau (section)

==Wargear==
===Melee Weapons===
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HAHAHAHA NOPE! Generic melee weapons are for other armies.
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T'au actually received melee weapons on Battlesuits to help off set the fact that we have WS5+ I guess. Still not that great as they have similar profiles to other monstrous creatures now. Those four attacks most likely will be down to three to two or the enemy units will already be near death before most players remember they exist. Now if you could equip them on an XV109 Y'Vahra, they would actually be useful.
*'''Crushing Bulk:''' Melee S+1 AP-1 D1.
*'''Riptide Fists:''' Melee S+1 AP-2 D2.
*'''Thunderous Footfalls:''' Melee S-User AP-2 D2.
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===Ranged Weapons===
*There are some rules in a variety of places - custom sept tenets, stratagems, the Cadre Fireblade aura, etc - that refer to weapons by category.  All categories have the same definition: a <category> weapon is any weapon with <category> in the name or a relic or prototype that replaces such a weapon.  The categories are:
**'''Burst''', for the custom Sept Tenet that gives you +1 to hit rolls within 12" with these. Unless you're ditching marklights it's useless, as the bonus doesn't stack.
***'''Burst cannon''': see battlesuit entry below. Available to crisis and stealth chassis
***'''High-output burst cannon''': 18” Assault 10, S5 AP-1 D1 super-gatling available only for Coldstar commander. 
***'''Accelerator burst cannon''': 18” Assault 8, S6 AP-1 D1 upgunned version for Devilfish chassis
***'''Pirahna burst cannon''': 18” Assault 6, S6 AP0 D1 Pirahna burst cannon, slightly better than infantry version, but utterly useless compared to Pirahna's super fusion
**'''Ion''',  for the stratagem that lets you cut a unit off from auras by murdering a model in it with one of these.
**'''Missile''', for the custom Sept Tenet for ignoring cover with these.
***'''Seeker Missile''': Found across a wide array of your army, each of these will cost 5 points when they're optional (and be free when they aren't).  72” Heavy 1 S9 AP-3 D2d3 is a good way to ruin your enemy's day, although these are best on units you expect to die quickly so it doesn't matter that the gun can't fire again.described in 
**'''Plasma''', for the custom Sept Tenet for dealing mortal wounds on 6s to wound with these.  There's only one of these, the Plasma Rifle covered in the Crisis section because it's only carried by battlesuits, although you do have a couple nearly-identical variants in a couple places.  <s>The custom Sept Tenet makes Plasma Rifles do ''less'' damage, so you won't ever take it, so in practice this weapon category doesn't matter.</s> Errata fixed this.
**'''Pulse''', for the Pathfinder drone that buffs AP, the Cadre Fireblade aura, the custom Sept Tenet for improving AP by 1 on 6s to wound, and the strat for autowounding on 6s to hit.  
*** '''Pulse Pistol:''' 12" Pistol 1 S5 AP0 D1. Granted, you should not be getting into close combat, but if you somehow survived an assault, your opponent can get hit by this in your next shooting phase from your Fire Warriors. Usually it's better to just fall back and let your other units punish whatever came at you, but pulse pistols are pretty much required in case your unit gets locked in melee, and they're free anyway.
***'''Pulse Rifle:''' The original, the best Rapid Fire basic bitch Troops weapon in the game. 36" Rapid Fire 1 S5 AP-1 D1 smackdown, stacks ''wonderfully'' with some sept traits, wargear, and warlord traits.
****'''Fireblade Pulse Rifle''': 36” Rapid Fire 1 S5 AP-2 D2, because obviously the Tau would never dream of giving their best weapons to their sharpshooters instead of their leadership.  If you have to ask who carries this, you need to re-read the name of the gun.
****'''Longshot Pulse Rifle''': 48” Rapid Fire 1 S5 AP-2 D1, carried by Sniper Drones.
*** '''Pulse Carbine:''' Doesn't pin targets anymore, but is 24" Assault 2 S5 AP0 D1. You don't want to advance and shoot with your shitty BS, so their actual advantage is a defensive one, shooting twice at slightly farther away than a Pulse Rifle does. Gun drones get two of these.
**** In Mont’ka you advance and shoot with no penalty for first 3 turns, so don't forget your pathfinders are shooty now. 
*** '''Pulse Blaster:''' Haven't you always wanted to pay more points for a worse gun?  Breacher Teams are here to deliver.  8” Assault 2 S6 AP-2 D1 or 14” Assault 2 S5 AP-1 D1.

=====Crisis=====
Available to Commanders, Crisis Teams and Crisis Bodyguard Teams. Some of these are also available to Broadsides, Ghostkeels, and Riptides, but only a few of them, so it gets specified on their entries.
*'''Airburst fragmentation projector''': 24" Assault D6 S4 AP-1 D1, blast, indirect fire. Often the weakest gun against every possible target, its main value is the ability to ignore LoS. Of some use against hordes.
*'''Burst cannon''': 18" Assault 6 S5 AP0 D1, an increase of +50% shots. A bit redundant given the rest of the army provides plenty of S5 shots, but [[dakka|''gatlings are fun'']], and Crisis units can get enough buffs to reliably attack anything.
*'''Cyclic ion blaster''': 18" Assault 3 S7 AP-2 D1, overcharge for 18" Assault 3 S8 AP-2 D2 and take 1 mortal for each unmodified 1 to hit. Despite the escalating costs of repeated guns, four Cyclic Ion Blasters are cost-effective even if they are the most expensive loadout, given how many D2 shots they fire without having to get within 9" of the enemy like fusion blasters do. Do aim it at the right targets, though: the gun is too expensive to waste it on guardsmen, but shooting at terminators also wastes 25% of the damage output, reducing efficiency, which is the one reason you're buying the gun at almost triple the initial price.
**If you want to avoid high costs, you can instead use a CIB as a filler for other options.
**They have high enough dakka to reliably injure their users when spammed. Bring drones, especially Shield drones, to absorb the damage. And get a source of re-roll 1s.
*'''Fusion blaster''': 18" Assault 1 S8 AP-4 Dd6, +2D at half range. Anything armed with these is fast enough to use it, but 9" melta range basically guarantees close combat. Take that into account, as fusion blasters mostly ''only shine in melta range'', being overtaken by CIB or plasma beyond 9". ''Who dares wins.''
*'''Missile pod''': 30" Assault 2 S7 AP-2 D2. <s>A coward's weapon</s> "Adequate from a safe distance". Reliable 2D without having to either get close or risk overheating. Nothing stellar outside of fighting MEQ.
*'''Plasma rifle''': 30" Assault 1 S8 AP-4 D3. Buffed from the worst plasma weapon in the game into a gun that puts rightful fear into anything W3, like Terminators & Custodes (and even DG), with stats high enough to attack vehicle targets of opportunity.
*'''Flamer''': 12" Assault D6+2 S4 AP0 D1, autohits. Very often the better weapon out of points cost and the sheer number of hits, at the cost of having the least range (except fusion blasters in melta range). Better for battlesuits operating unsupported, as rerolling hits decreases their advantage before other guns.

=====Kroot=====

*'''Kroot Rifle:''' It's a bolter that makes the wielder AP-1 in melee.  Found on Carnivores.
**'''Quill Grenade''': 6" Grenade 1d6 S4 AP0 D1, Blast, found on Carnivores.
*'''Kroot Shaper Rifle''': This is an AP-1 Storm Bolter.
*'''Kroot Pistol''': This is an AP-1 Pulse Pistol only Shapers can take - comes with a Grenade Belt, but means you have to give up your Ritual Blade.
**'''Grenade Belt''': 6" Grenade 2d6 S5 AP-1 D1, Blast, One Use Only.  Found on the Shaper if you swap the Ritual Blade for a Kroot Pistol.
*'''Kroot Gun:''' 48" Heavy 2 S7 AP-1 D2, found on Krootox Riders.

===Support Systems===
Secondary wargear for battlesuit type units, not usually worth replacing a weapon for, but can be when taken in addition to them.  These are specified on each individual datasheet (and hence may have datasheet-specific effects, despite sharing a name; the list below lists their ''usual'' effects) - there is no list of support systems per se, even though Forge World datasheets may refer to such a list.

*'''Advanced Targeting System''': 6s to hit autowound (compulsory effect, <s>even though it nerfs some weapons</s> autowound now explicitly counts as a secessful wound roll, so take away with Heavy Rail Rifles).  Only found on Broadsides.
*'''Counterfire Defence System''': Grants the Keyword of the same name, which lets you use a strat to reduce the Damage of a specific attack in the enemy shooting phase to 1.
*'''Drone Controller''': A{{W40kKeyword|<SEPT>}} {{W40kKeyword|DRONE}} unit picked within 6" in the Command Phase becomes BS4+ and loses Target Priority, which is the Gun Drone nerf preventing it from shooting anything but the closest target. Optional on pathfinders and stealth team, included for free into Ghostkeel and Stormsurge for some weird reason. Used to allow you to take 40 BS 3 with marklight S5 bolter shots for 80 pts, but with the drone point increase its become a way to screen that Ghostkeel with drones.
*'''Early Warning Override''': This model always hits on Overwatch on a 5+ and the entire unit spends 1 less CP (minimum 0) on the strat to Overwatch.
**The Crisis Bodyguard version now provides the CP discount with the errata, but you were never going to take it anyway because that's a slot you'd be better off filling with a gun.
**Got updated so one system covers the WHOLE squad now, and since regular Crisis teams can take it for free in addition to weapons its a must have for Fusion Blasters. Not even all that bad for flamers, as they get charged a ton and the free CP can be used elsewhere. 
*'''Multi-tracker''': Unmodified 6s to hit against a 6+ model unit hit 1 additional time, which is like +1 to hit only better as you get full stacking with every other buff (including the fact that it works on Overwatch whether or not you hit on 5+); the only thing you don't get full stacking with is abilities that trigger on 6 to hit (like auto-wounding), as the additional hit won't count as having hit on a 6. Just remember most players take squads of 5 to avoid shit like this, so best against armies that must take larger squads like guard or other tau.
*'''Positional Relay''': Only activates ''when'' a unit is set up from Strategic Reserves and only affects ''where'' they can be placed. The only real difference this amounts to is that on turn 2 you could potentially set up in the enemy's deployment zone. Don't misread the rules for this Support System, it does not allow turn 1 Strategic Reserves. It is in fact an unmitigated turd. Do not waste your hardpoints on it.
*'''Shield Generator''': 4++.  Usually worse than taking more drones. Well, until the drone cost went up. Now it's better to combine the two instead. Shield drones are still better, but the cost of one drone could give three suits a generator. 
*'''Stabilised Optics''': Ignore the -1 to hit penalty for firing Heavy weapons after moving or while Engaged. If you're doing Mont'Ka this system does nothing period, so remember that. Only found on Broadsides.
*'''Target Lock''': Ignore Light Cover. Pretty reliable against shooting armies, but a must have for stealth suits who already struggle with a lack of firepower.
*'''Velocity Tracker''': +1 to hit when targeting units with {{W40kKeyword|FLY}}. Against dedicated flyers, this just counters their -1 to hit '''Hard To Hit''' ability; however, skimmers and jump infantry also possess the {{W40kKeyword|FLY}} keyword, so you can also use the bonus against jetbikes, skimmers, assault marines, and anything else that jumps or hovers. Free for everything that can take it, but ''almost'' always worse than another support system choice (and ''always'' worse than taking another gun).
** Just like the +1 to hit with Markerlights, has no interaction with abilities that trigger on unmodified rolls to hit, like Ion guns killing the shooter or a Broadside with ATS auto-wounding.
**You should generally take this on a Stormsurge, where its only competition is a counterfire defence system - 2CP to reduce one attack's Damage to 1 per enemy shooting phase is decidedly underwhelming compared to a permanent +1 to hit Flyers.

===Signature Systems===
Also known as relics. Now there's Kroot stuff.  Since you can take a Signature and a Prototype system on the same model, as well as a Warlord Trait, combining multiple synergistic traits can get you a genuine terror on the table.  As an example, the Onager Gauntlet Signature, the Thermoneutronic Prototype, and the Precision of the Hunter Warlord Trait will combine to get you a Commander who's a melee blender that will make mincemeat out of opponents expecting the opposite from the Tau.

*'''Advanced EM Scrambler''': Now restricted to characters instead of some Ghostkeel. Enemies cannot deep strike within 12" of the bearer. Also, in your command phase select an enemy unit within 6"; until the start of your next command phase it cannot benefit from their teammates' auras (except psychic auras). The aura disabling has a range so short you will only rarely use it, so the main purpose is deep strike denial.
*'''The Be'Gel Hunter's Plate''': The bearer has +1 to armour saves and a 5+++. Fun on a shooting Enforcer, so long as you take a SG with it.
*'''Borthrod Gland''': {{W40kKeyword|KROOT}} model only. Once per battle, in your command phase, gain a 6” aura until the start of your next command phase, giving friendly {{W40kKeyword|KROOT}} +1A and +1S.
*'''The Humble Stave''': {{W40kKeyword|ETHEREAL}} model only. The bearer can intone one extra invocation each turn, and gains +1 to its rolls to intone them, turning your nameless ethereal into Aun'Va/Aun'Shi's equal where it counts, yet cheaper (and faster with a hover drone).  If you're taking an Ethereal and you aren't Tau Sept or Vior'la for taking a named dude instead, this is nearly an auto-include, as while the named Ethereals can be taken cross-faction, <s>they disable Tactical Philosophy.</s>  This relic lets you keep their improved invoking for cheaper.
  
*'''Ka’Chak’Tarr''': Enhances a Shaper Kroot Rifle into 24" Rapid Fire 2 S5 AP-2 D2, plus ignores Look Out Sir, and 6s to wound cause a mortal wound.
*'''The Kindled Blade''': {{W40kKeyword|CADRE FIREBLADE}} model only. Once per battle, in your command phase, gain a 6” aura until the start of your next command phase. Friendly {{W40kKeyword|<SEPT> FIRE WARRIOR TEAM}} units in the aura autopass morale tests. ''The Yawn Blade''.
*'''Multi-sensory Discouragement Array ''': At the end of your movement phase select one enemy unit within 12" and roll 3d6. If it's higher than their Ld, that unit is debuffed until the start of your next movement phase. Since the roll happens before the shooting phase, you can either commit or JSJ your Commander away. Select one of the following effects:
**The unit loses obsec.
**Halve the move stat and charge rolls of the target.
**The target's ranged attacks can only target the closest eligible target.
*'''Neuro-Empathic Nullifier''': {{W40kKeyword|ETHEREAL}} model only. Once per battle, in your command phase, select one enemy unit within 18" of and visible to the bearer and roll a D6. On a 2+, until the start of your next command phase that unit cannot perform actions and any current action fails.
*'''Ohr'Tu's Lantern''': Replaces a markerlight only with a high intensity one. When this model performs a Fire Markerlights action, roll five additional dice.
** Rather useful for pathfinder-light lists to put on Fireblade. Beware that you can't split individual model's markers, so this is got lighting up something whole army plans to unload at 
* '''Onager Gauntlet''': {{W40kKeyword|Battlesuit Commanders}} only. It has finally become a proper S12 AP-4 D3 weapon you can do all your attacks with.
* '''Puretide Engram Neurochip''': While the bearer is on the battlefield, each time you spend a CP to use a '''Battle Tactic''' or '''Epic Deed''' stratagem, regain that CP on a 3+. Many strats are in those categories, so make sure you've studied the list so you can competently choose this relic or not.  It's hard to argue with, but then again, you can generally use an Ethereal as a CP battery on your own turns, reducing this relic's utility.
*'''Solid-Image Projection Unit''': 4++ (''meh''). Also the first failed save ''every turn'' gets turned into D0 (the characteristic, not the damage inflicted). Useful to foil snipers (unless they manage to inflict their mortal wounds) and can buy a character time to run away from melee.
** Arguably an auto-take on either this or begel plate for tough as nails commander who wants to take 4 guns (as this is better than shield-Gen)

===Prototype Systems===
Akin to special issue wargear like Kustom Jobs, but thankfully paid for in points instead of CP. Can be given to any {{W40kKeyword|COMMANDER}}, Crisis Shas’vre, Crisis Bodyguard Shas’vre, or Ghostkeel Shas’vre. Weapon systems replace only ''one'' gun; you can give them to regular Crisis models, but it goes without saying that guns should be given to Commanders instead.  A given model can't have more than one Prototype System (even though this is a plot hole, as the Earth Caste loves giving a suit multiple prototypes at once), and a given Prototype System can't be in your army more than once.

* '''Alternating Fusion Blaster:''' Crisis and {{W40kKeyword|Commander}} only. Replaces a fusion blaster, changing it to 12" Assault 1 S8 AP-4 D d6+2 that can draw a line from the bearer to the closest model of the target unit, rolling to wound for all units this line crosses as well as the target.  That means your total range drops from 18 to 12, although your melta range improves from 9 to 12, and of course you can murder intervening units as well if that comes up.
*'''Dominator Fragmentation Launcher''': Gives a {{W40kKeyword|COMMANDER}} or Crisis's airbursting fragmentation projector AP-2 and makes its targets suffer -4Ld until end of turn.
*'''DW-02 Advanced Burst Cannon''': Turns a {{W40kKeyword|COMMANDER}} or Crisis's burst cannon into 18" Assault 8 S6 AP-1 D1 (so +2 shots fired, +1S, and -1AP), and models "cannot use any rules to ignore the wounds it loses" from this gun, meaning it works both on FNP and on "x amount of wounds taken" rules like Thraka's '''Prophet of Gork and Mork''' ability and the C'tan's '''Necrodermis''' ability to limit the number of wounds they lose in a particular phase.
*'''E-H Disruption Suite:''' Ghostkeel only. Once per battle in your command phase, gain a 12” aura until your next command phase. While an enemy unit is in this aura, each time your opponent selects that unit for a stratagem, and each time your opponent uses a stratagem when that unit is selected to shoot or fight, increase the cost of that stratagem by 1CP. Not all that great since you want your ghostkeel either as far away from the enemy as you can or sneaking up on a isolated unit. Being only once per game doesn't help...Could won you the game if used in the right place at the right time, but that won't come up often if ever.
*'''Internal Grenade Racks:''' One of the few relics available to all heroes, this allows you to deal d3 mortal wounds on a unit they "moved across" on a 2+ roll on 1d6.  Moving across a unit isn't defined, so in particular if you manage to move across a unit by flying between its models, you're going to have [[skub|an argument on your hands]] if you don't discuss the issue with your opponent beforehand. Of course, you can slap this on a Coldstar Commander in order to imitate the Swooping Hawks, though this can still make for a deterrent for any enemies looking to charge a more vulnerable commander.
**'''Alternate Take:''' most Tau Battlesuits have the {{W40kKeyword|FLY}} keyword, particularly any of the suits that can take this prototype system, so they are technically permitted to "move across" units. Maybe chalk this one up to poor wording but it seems like this one would only really work on a Crisis Suit, especially a Cold Star considering its M value.
*'''Novasurge Plasma Rifle''': Gives a {{W40kKeyword|COMMANDER}} or Crisis's plasma rifle AP-5 (eh) and the ability to ignore invulns (absolutely incredible), setting dangerous precedent. Same ability as the {{W40kKeyword|Bork'an}} stratagem. Tends to get overhyped since it's limited to a single D3 shot but it's still the most reliable prototype. Just don't expect it to turn the tide of battle unless you get a nice shot at a support character. 
*'''Resonator Warheads''': Gives a {{W40kKeyword|COMMANDER}} or Crisis's missile pod +1 shot fired, +1S, and if any hits are scored against an {{W40kKeyword|INFANTRY}}, {{W40kKeyword|BEASTs}}, or {{W40kKeyword|CAVALRY}} unit, halve its movement until the start of your next shooting phase. This cannot stack with other movement debuffs to reduce it to less than half. Not worth it if you're making a missile heavy commander but as a stand alone weapon it can help keep him safe from fast moving Melee units. Also fucks over vanguard vet focused lists.
*'''Sensory Negation Countermeasures''': Crisis and {{W40kKeyword|Commander}} only. Once per battle at the start of the fight phase, select one enemy unit within engagement range of the bearer. Until end of next turn, models in that unit take -1 to hit. Great on a punch commander, but not much else.
*'''Starflare Ignition System''': {{W40kKeyword|COLDSTAR COMMANDER}} only. Once per battle, when the bearer starts or ends a move, or uses its High-Altitude Maneuvers ability (before removing it from the battlefield), it can use this system. Roll a D6 for each other unit within 3” of this model. On a 2+, that unit takes D3 mortals. Coldstar punch Commanders should already be using High-Altitude to escape when they eventually bite off more then they can chew, so it's good for that, especially to finish off a wounded character.
*'''Stimm Injectors:''' Crisis and {{W40kKeyword|Commander}} only. Provides a once-per-game 4+++ FNP until the end of turn, which could be just enough to likely shrug off a meltagun or other massive warhead, or even survive whole enemy's turn of shooting, which is rather useful for close-ranged commander.
*'''Thermoneutronic Projector''': Not only more than doubles a {{W40kKeyword|COMMANDER}} or Crisis's single-flamer output by making one of them AP-2 ''D2'', it also gives you an actual '''Tau Melee Weapon''', as the bearer can make D6+2 ''additional'' attacks with its profile of Melee S4 AP-2 D2. It begs to be combined with the Onager Fist and Precision of the Hunter. Just remember that as opposed to your standard flamer, this weapon doesn't auto-hit. However considering the increased hit output, this isn't much of an issue, especially since it will likely be placed on a commander.
*'''Wide-Spectrum Scanners''': Model with an early warning override only (so Enforcer and Coldstar Commanders can't take it). At the end of your opponent’s reinforcements step, if the bearer is not engaged, it can shoot at a single enemy unit that arrived from reinforcements this turn and is within 12” as if it were your shooting phase. Pretty much used to scare off deep strike meltas or point blank stormbolter terms.