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

==Sept==
====[[Bork'an]]====
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|[[File:Bork'an Sept Symbol.webp|75px|left]]
| In the grim darkness of the far future, the technology of T'au makes us strong <br>
Thematically, Bork'an is the brains of the Empire. Few of the many great battlesuits in the hunter cadres would be as advanced as they are today without the innovations of this sept. Enlightened and hardworking, they ever aspire to create more technology to better serve both the armies and the citizens of the Greater Good. <br>
On the tabletop, they play similar to any gunline, only they get bonuses to the range of their Rapid Fire and Heavy guns, further detering charges, and allow your weapons to have just that much ability to tap enemy units. <br>
|}
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* '''Sept Tenets – Superior Craftsmanship:''' All Rapid Fire and Heavy weapons get an extra 6" of maximum range. Why wouldn't you want more range? Yes, it stacks with PAC Drones, 42" Pulse Rifles anyone?
** Note that it specifies '''Rapid Fire''' and '''Heavy''' weapons, so Crisis Suits (other than ones with Plasma Rifles), Stealth Suits, and pretty much every Fast Attack choice is out in the cold as they rely on '''Assault''' weapons. Use these guys for Gunlines, Tank Squadrons, and Riptides.
** Y'vahra. drop the mic.
** Like the similar Vostroyan doctrine, this is helpful in keeping your units at the half range out of enemy charges more than it is sending shots far downfield (although they can do that, too).
* '''Warlord Trait - Seeker of Perfection''': For each hit roll of 6+ made for your warlord, add 1 to the wound roll for that attack.
* '''Relic - Plasma Accelerator Rifle''': Replaces Plasma Rifle. 30″, Rapid Fire 1, S7 AP-3 D2 (so +6" range, +1S, and +1D compared to the base gun).
** Remember the Sept Tenet? You don't? This weapon goes to 36" RF1, thanks to '''Superior Craftsmanship''' boosting all Rapid Fire weapons' ranges by 6". If there is a downside to this weapon, it's that you have to use up a slot on a normally very shitty weapon. So only use up 1 slot for the Plasma Rifle and use the remaining 3 for whatever role you want your commander to fill. (Burst Cannons for hordes, Fusion Blasters for Vehicles, CIBs for everything in between)

* '''Stratagem - Experimental Weaponry (1 CP)''': When firing a weapon with a random number of shots (e.g. the Stormsurge's Pulse Driver Cannon), you can reroll one of the dice for the shot number. Makes those Crisis Suits equipped with flamers slightly more effective, but you would probably be better served with Railgun Sub-Munition shots, or units equipped with Ion Weapons. 
** Keep in mind the BRB stratagem does the same thing. Presumably, the only reason it's a separate stratagem is in case you roll double ones on a 2d6 weapon and would like to spend two CP instead of one.
** Don't forget that in matched play, the Strategic Discipline rule prevents you from using a stratagem more than once per phase. This stratagem can allow you to keep your generic re-roll stratagem for another use in the phase (for example, re-roll to hit for a railgun or a fusion blaster).
** Thanks to the new FAQ it's absolute garbage, with the recent FAQ adjusting it so you need to use it before determining the number of shots, meaning if you elect re-roll the humble Pathfinder Ion Rifle you'll have wasted 1 CP 2/3s of the time. Even on the premiere Bor'Kan unit, the Y'Vahra, not only do you now have to determine which of the weapons you're re-rolling, you'll still waste a CP 1/4 of the time you use the stratagem. 
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====[[Dal'yth]]====
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|[[File:Dal'yth Sept Symbol.png|Border|75px|left]]
| In the grim darkness of the far future, there is no victory without unity. <br>
Thematically, Dal'yth is the idealized version of the T'au'va's creed. A world once infested with predators, through hardship, has been transformed into a world of plenty, where aliens of all kinds interact and trade, creating a boon of prosperity. Even in the light of the devastating Damocles Gulf Crusade they gave only inches, and have turned their hardship into reason to push harder and higher. <br>
On the tabletop, they play as a slightly beefier gunline, resisting light arms fire better with their armor saves and wiping out enemy opposition with their sudden surges, that while exposing them, also allow them to shock, surprise, and ambush their opponents. <br>
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* '''Sept Tenets – Adaptive Camouflage:''' Units with this tenet gain cover, but lose it if they move for any reason until the start of the next movement phase. This includes Vehicles. Hammerheads with 2+ saves anyone?
** Like Bork'an this is best suited to a gunline. While tougher vehicles and battle suits are nice, the main benefit comes from value protection against light arms, specifically for infantry blocks. 
** Also note that units that use a recon drone or homing beacon to perform a “low altitude drop” technically receive this benefit. 
* '''Warlord Trait - Gunship Diplomat''': Kroot and Vespid units within 12" of the Warlord gain For the Greater Good. This could probably be good with Vespid with FLY shenanigans, but it's not like you're short on strong Overwatch. Otherwise, there are better traits to take than hoping that Krootox or those Kroot Carnivores save you. For the Greater Good is a two-way street, and if your Kroot screen doesn’t have FTGG then your gunline can’t overwatch charging units. If they kill your screen and consolidate into your big guns, you have a much bigger problem on your hands.
* '''Relic - Dynamic Mirror Field''': -1 to hit the user. 
* '''Stratagem - Strike and Fade (1 CP)''': Pick a unit at the start of your shooting phase. That unit may move 6" after it shoots as if it had another movement phase (it may not advance with this extra move). 
** It's Move-Shoot-Move, with everything that entails. Sucks that doing so means you give up the main benefit of your Sept Tenet, but if your opponent is within charging range cover won't do you any good anyway, as such it's best used for when the enemy's closing in and you really don't want them to catch you, in case you're not going to cause enough damage in the shooting phase. Don't use it for extra speed otherwise, you're giving up your Sept Tenet by doing that and making yourself more vulnerable (also wasting a CP). It can also be used to keep your dudes safe from enemy shooting if you pop out of LoS blocking terrain, shoot, then hide again but this isn't all that great most of the time since you're still wasting a command point by doing that, and good lists you're up against are going to have artillery, fast units that will run down anyone hiding (in which case you've just ruined your Overwatch) or they'll be tough enough/numerous enough that hiding after shooting them is effectively a waste of a CP.
** Can also be used to move heavy weapon units without a penalty to shooting, as an alternative to taking a Target Lock, as this resolves shooting BEFORE moving. So, for example, could use this to shoot broadsides at no penalty, and then move 6" (which is faster than they'd normally move...).
** '''Drawback''' to this stratagem is that it must be done at the START of your shooting phase, or rather, it must be done before you pelt the enemy with markerlights from another unit.

=====Units=====
* '''Shas'O R'myr (Forge World):''' Equipped with a Twin Plasma Rifle and a 6" Assault 1d6 S4 AP0 D1 gun, as well as an S4 melee weapon that doubles his attack volume (and since against literally every target in the game, 2 S4 attacks are equal to or better than 1 S5 attack, you'll always use it; the weapon's immunity to STR debuffs on him is just icing on the cake). Re-rolls 1s to hit against [[Imperial Guard]], which makes his weapon loadout an odd choice. His 4++ becomes a 3++ when attacked by a melee weapon (updated in FAQ) and he [[Fail|can't take any drones]]. Overall, not great.
** Not being able to take drones doesn't really have any effect (unless you're critically short on Detachment slots), as drones purchased separately work identically to drones purchased along with characters anyway.
** A note with the S4 attack option: It's a fixed weapon strength 4, while the other profile is user. So in the rare case, his strength is adjusted (like via an enemy psychic power), the S4 attacks will remain S4, while the other profile will adjust to his current strength.

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====[[Farsight Enclaves]]====
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|[[File:Farsight Enclave Banner Flag.PNG|Border|75px|left]]
| In the grim darkness of the far future, freedom isn't free. <br>
Thematically, the Farsight Enclaves are patriot rebels, aspiring to the tenets of the T'au'va away from what they perceive to be the corrupt and tyrannical rule of the Ethereals. They are also highly aggressive, a trait born of necessity when the only support they have is each other and the few allies they have in the main Empire.

On the tabletop, they play as a highly aggressive mobile attack force not unlike Eldar, subverting the ranged stereotype of the Tau with plenty of close range shooting tricks and even some melee tools. Playing FSE means to always be on the offensive, potentially blindside an opponent expecting a static gunline.

''If you would do away with tau stereotypes and bring the fight to the enemy, then suit up with the Farsight Enclaves and redden the skies''.
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* '''Sept Tenets – Devastating Counter-Strike:''' When shooting enemies from a distance of 6" or less with someone using this Tenet, re-roll 1s to wound. Should also work on Overwatch if the enemy's charging from close enough. Overall a high-risk low reward version of the lieutenants everyone else has. ''Fortune favours the bold, and an army that would rather keep its distance would be better served by using a different tennet.''
**Succintly geared towards battlesuit use, which have the speed to get up close and the resilience to survive: their flamers (including the Y'varha's) and fusion blasters (especially fusion cascades) will thank you.
* '''Aggressive Footing:''' Gifted from Psychic awakening since the tenet can be underwhelming. When shooting an enemy within 12", they are treated as having +1 markerlights. ''AKA turns 0 to 1, and 4 to 5.''
**The first markerlight is the most important one for Commanders, what you’ll probably be taking a lot of if your force is Enclaves heavy. This lets you run lean on Markerlight platforms or devote more of them to the rest of your BS 4+ army that won’t be shooting at the same things your super special suits will. It's also the most important one for Overwatch.

*'''Matched play rule - Commanders:''' You can bring up to two {{W40kKeyword|Farsight Enclaves Commanders}}, as opposed to the codex' limit of one. Regarding whether or not this rules overrides the codex one, this rule says you can bring up to two...so you can. 
**A popular way to bring a lot of commanders is to bring multiple battalions, each with 2 commanders and 3 strike / breacher teams for roughly 450pts (depending on commander equipment).  
**Do note Shadowsun, who can now be used with any sept, is ''not'' a "Farsight Enclaves Commander", so you can have a Battalion with two FE Commanders and Shadowsun and still be legal. 
** When playing with the rule of 3 in a 2k game. you can bring 6 "Farsight Enclaves Commander" split over different types. exp 3 enforcers and 3 cold stars in 3 detachments to still comply with the entire rule of 3. 

=====Warlord Traits=====
#'''Hero of the Enclaves''': The Warlord can perform a Heroic Intervention if they're within 6" of enemy units after all enemy charge moves are made, and can move up to 6" when doing so as long as they end up closer to an enemy. Additionally, if the Warlord charged, was charged, or made a Heroic Intervention, it re-rolls all failed hits until the end of the turn. ''Note this would affect his overwatch, which happens during the charge phase.''
#*Farsight has this and it's ''extremely'' superfluous on Farsight himself. His "Way of the Short Blade" ability gives him the melee re-rolls anyway, and even buffs it to shooting against Orks. [[Fail|Never take Farsight as the warlord of the Farsight Enclaves]].
#'''Aggressive Tactician''': When the Warlord (Commander model only) declares Mont'ka, its range is extended to 12". The extended range can be used to bring more units in the ride, like accompanying Drones.
# '''Blooded Through War:''' Bonding knife units pass morale on a 4+ within 12" of the Warlord. Effectively makes you never lose more than 3 Fire Warriors to a bad morale phase. More useful than Ethereal support for large blobs of FW or against fear-based armies, but you have warlord traits with more general purposes.
#'''Master of the killing blow:''' Re-roll hits rolls against {{W40kKeyword|CHARACTER}} models for your Warlord. Thoroughly meh; your commander lacks both a sniper gun to hit characters from afar, or blades to strike them down up close. No, with only 2A the Fusion blades aren't reliable either.

=====Relics=====
It is a good thing that GW released Prototype Weapons and that the Enclaves are no longer restricted from taking Tau Empire Signature Systems (back in the day...), because these relics are...underwhelming, to say the least.
* '''Fusion Blades''': They give a character with at least two fusion blasters TWO (and only two) melee attacks at S8 AP-4 D1d6, the remaining attacks will be S5 AP0 punches. Not melta in melee so if you roll a 1 for damage, that's what you get.
**Where marines get Thunder Hammers, you have to use a relic to get two S8 armour-ignoring attacks. They are '''obsolete reminders of a previous age''', when meltas could one-shot tanks by causing an Explode result and S8 meant Instant Death; a high risk - high reward gamble. They are cool, but <u>they shouldn't be the sole reason why you paint your suits red</u>.
**<u>Do not also take the Onager Gauntlet</u>. That thing is only one attack, this one is two. You should NOT be spending a CP for 3A with power weapons.
* '''The Mirrorcodex''': The wielder re-rolls all hits (not just failed ones) against enemies within 18". Should have been an aura because that's kinda how it worked last edition, but no. It <s>does work</s> pretty much ''only works'' in melee, since your Commanders are BS2+ and get +1 markerlight when within 12". And you're not giving it to a single-gun Fireblade. Pass.
* '''Talisman of Arthas Moloch''': Gives the user a 5++, and allows one DTW against enemy psykers within 24" per opponent's psychic phase. Use it to deny psychic powers that boost enemy units or debuff your own; you have sacrificial drones to eat Smites.
* '''Seismic Fibrillation Node''': Once per battle, you can activate this relic at the start of your opponent's turn. For the rest of the turn, if an enemy model starts or ends their move within 6" of the relic bearer, roll a d6, on a roll of a 1 that enemy model's unit suffers 1 mortal wound. Has been nerfed with the 03/12/20 Errata to ignore Pile-Ins or Consolidation movement, so it can't be used to support other combats. ''The enemy will totally end their move at 6.1" away, HARD PASS''.

=====Stratagems=====
* '''Drop Zone Clear (2 CP)''': Select a {{W40kKeyword|battlesuit}} unit that was set up using a manta strike ability this turn and add +1 to hit rolls for that unit. Will protect Battlesuits dropping in with Overcharged Cyclic Ion Blasters to clear out hot spots.
** Note that this Stratagem cannot be used with Homing Beacons or the Positional Relay Stratagem as these lead to the unit performing a "low-altitude drop" instead of a "Manta strike".
* '''Danger Close (1 CP)''': In the shooting phase, pick a Breacher Team or Strike Team. When performing ranged attacks against enemies within 12", they can re-roll all wound rolls (and not just failed ones). Compared to the universal '''Breach and Clear!''', this doesn't need the enemy to be in cover, which would cost you 2 markerlights to ignore. It does need close range, but that's a given for Breachers, and it can also be used by the more common Strike Teams.
**Simply put, this increases a troop's dakka when close to the enemy. So, not only you could spend points on a Devilfish and ferry your Breachers to the meatgrinder of the front lines, but you could also use it defensively. It is your enemy who will try to reach you in melee; many times they will succeed. Either keep some Pulse Rifle squads further back, or a few Breacher MSU inside Devilfish, or use the transports themselves (or drones) as a front line, but the point is to have squads who can respond to an enemy who has reached your lines. Then you teach the fools what "Danger Close" means by rerolling all wound rolls on S5-S6.
* '''Veteran Cadre (1/2 CP, Single Use):''' Costs 2CP for units with more than 3 models. A Crisis Suits or Crisis Bodyguard unit (but not their drones) gain WS4+ BS3+. ''Better than Drop Zone clear, which only works on a Manta strike and doesn't affect melee''.
**This is perhaps the better way to get re-rollable BS2+ Crisis suits, especially since the Enclaves need only 4 markerlights at close range. The other two "+1 to hit" options ('''Drop Zone Clear''' & '''Coordinated Engagement''') cost 2CP per use. This one may be single use, but it lasts all match long and can even be combined with '''Sworn Bodyguards''' or Farsight's own '''Way of the Short Blade''' to get a unit with decent melee in addition to awesome dakka.
* '''Defense in Numbers (2cp):''' When a Crisis Suits or Crisis Bodyguard unit is targeted for an attack during the fight or opponent shooting phase, they gain 5+ FNP. ''Useful for the shots you'd try to save with the suits' armour instead of passing on to nearby drones''.
* '''Furious Assault (1cp):''' When a jet pack finishes a charge move, for each model, one nearby enemy takes an MW for each 3+, aka 2 MW for each Crisis trio that charges. Neat.
* '''Focused Fury (1CP):''' When a character is used during the Shooting phase, he can re-roll the wound roll for the phase. On top of the Commander being BS2+ re-rollable at close range. Use it on a Coldstar for ''[[Shas'O Kais|REAL MONAT TIME]]''.
* '''Firestorm (1CP+ each affected unit):''' ''AKA 2CP-4CP''. At end of the movement phase, a pick up to 3 T'au empire Flyers. Each enemy within 3" takes D3 MW on a 4+. Can stack to nasty levels with bombers, as both effects happen at the end of the movement phase. ''One of the few stratagems that can be used with FW options, since it doesn't specify which flyer to use''.

=====Units=====
======HQ======
*[[Farsight|'''Commander Farsight''']]: The rebel melee commander got better with the codex, and now Psychic Awakening gives you the tools to solve the old problem of him being the only melee model in your army. Now that reserves and deepstrike scatter no longer exist, Farsight's focused on his one true calling: Close. Quarters. Combat. His '''Way of the Short Blade''' is a 6" aura for any {{W40kKeyword|Farsight enclaves}} to re-roll 1s to hit...in the Fight phase, upgraded to any phase vs Orks because fuck Be'gel. His S+3 AP-4 D1d3 Dawn Blade effectively strikes like a power fist, but with only 4A he still has to pick his battles: finish infantry shot half to death alongside your trusty S5 3A Crisis Bodyguards, or put a dent in a tank. He's got no drones of his own, so buy some separately.
**Naturally he goes well with Crisis units. He's got a relic-tier S6 AP-4 D2 plasma rifle good for killing TEQ, but he's still the least shooty commander you'll see because that's his only gun. As such, he's perhaps the best candidate to use the '''Command and Control Node''' stratagem, and sacrifice only two shots for half a dozen battlesuits to re-roll wounds for shooting the turn they arrive. Next turn you can get closer to 6" of the enemy and get the wounds re-rolls of 1 from the tenet, and you can use Farsight's '''Genius of Mont'Ka''' extra activation to get those Fusion Blasters in position.

======Lords of War======
* '''The Eight:''' As of The Greater Good, Commander Spam is back -- if you’re willing to pay for it.<br/>As a single Lord of War choice, you get Farsight, 5 Commanders (One in an XV85), a Missileside, a Riptide, and 14 Drones, at a discount of over 100 points than if you took them individually. In exchange, you must take all of them, and their loadouts are static (including their Drones), though they do come with some unique abilities in addition to their wargear.<br/>If you take this unit, you must make Farsight your Warlord. Of course, you may not take The Eight and a second Commander Farsight using the Codex Datasheet. Additionally, this unit must be taken alone in a Super-Heavy Auxiliary detachment, and actually ''costs'' 3 Command Points to take. The book justifies this as an automatic use of the extra relics stratagem, as 3 of the unit's models carry Signature Systems. The whole unit is set up at the same time, but they don’t have to set up in cohesion with one another (though Drones are set up in cohesion with the character that brings them). With the exception of O’vesa, any character may be set up in Reserve via Manta Strike. For what you're paying (1120 points) you're getting phenomenal discounts along with very potent special rules and what its essentially 6 drops and 2 anchors all in one unit. Following setup, each of the Eight is treated as its own unit. Farsight’s profile is identical to his HQ profile. The other seven are:
** '''Commander Brightsword:''' Fusion Blades (i.e., 2 Fusion Blasters), a Target Lock, a Counterfire Defense system, and 2 Shield Drones. His Drones (and only *his* Drones) have the nifty ability to slow down enemy charges, a la Grav Inhibitor Drones - helpful, as his primary weapons will frequently keep him within easy charge range. Do note his Fusion Blasters are two extra attacks on top of his regular melee ones, unlike the normal version.
** '''Commander Bravestorm:''' Plasma Rifle, Flamer, Advanced Targeting System, Shield Generator, the Onager Gauntlet, and 2 Gun Drones. Has a better Armour Save than Brightsword and an inherent 6+++. Unlike other users, his Onager Gauntlet is an extra attack on top of his regular melee. Still, it's a single punch.
** '''Shas’o Sha’vastos:''' Plasma Rifle, Flamer, Advanced Targeting System, Shield Generator, the Puretide Engram Neurochip, and 2 Gun Drones. He carries a loadout largely identical to Bravestorm’s, but he is not as durable while having the same effective range. Serves best as a backfield buff-Commander so that he can continue generating Command Points while being screened by more expendable units.  
** '''Shas’o Arra’kon:''' +1 Wound from his enforcer suit, plus a Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Airbursting Fragmentation Projector, Counterfire Defense System, and 2 Gun Drones. His Repulsor Impact Field ability is similar to the stratagem of the same name but goes off on a 2+. It's still just 1 Mortal Wound, but at least it's free.
** '''Sub-commander Torchstar:''' 2 Flamers, an Advanced Targeting System, a Drone Controller, and 2 Marker drones. Like Arra’kon, she has an ability named after an existing Stratagem (Neuroweb System Jammer). However, it functions differently: any shooting attacks that target her are penalized, and enemy units cannot arrive from Reserves within 12” of her. Her fluff paints her as a hot-blooded frontliner, but she may be tactically better on the backfield, buffing her Drones, denying deep-strikes, and assisting a gunline with her souped-up flamers in Overwatch.
** '''Ob’lotai 9-0:''' High-Yield Missile Pods, Smart Missile System. Seeker Missile, Velocity Tracker, and 2 Missile Drones. Takes no penalties to shooting after moving and reduces all incoming damage by 1 (min 1). Tougher to crack than a standard Broadside due to being a {{W40kKeyword|CHARACTER}}; Have him hang out with a couple of Strike Teams to keep him from being targeted.
** '''Honour-Shas’vre O’vesa''': A Riptide with an Ion Accelerator, Fusion Blasters, a Target Lock, an Early Warning Override, and 2 Shielded Missile Drones. Re-rolls 1s when shooting without the need for markerlight buffs, and doesn’t take Mortal Wounds from using the Nova Reactor on a 4+. Like the rest of The Eight, he is a {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, though his Riptide profile won't keep him safe from being shot at. Instead, it makes him eligible for (and vulnerable to) abilities, stratagems, and powers that would not affect a stock Riptide.
** Three of the individual units focus mainly on infantry (~GEQ): Torchstar, Sha'vastos, Bravestorm. Two focus mainly on heavier infantry (MEQ and TEQ): Ob'lotai, Arra'kon. Another two deal with high toughness/armour: O'vesa, Brightsword. Farsight is, of course, your warlord and can handle business on his own, but will work well when in CC with the onager gauntlet or the fusion blades and is best suited to attacking TEQ.
* The Eight are a very cinematic choice and can be effective when played to their strengths and properly supported. However, the unit will account for more than half of your army’s total points in most games it can be brought to. Furthermore, Battlesuit gameplay changed A LOT from 7E to 8E, and this guys didn't. <u>Any loadout that isn't 4x of the same gun is a waste of a Commander's BS2+</u>, and many of them are actually spaztic, combining anti-GEQ flamers with anti-MEQ plasma rifles. Yes they are stacked with relic gear, but if what you want is to merely spam Commanders, then bring the ones you want instead of the ones GW gives you: You can bring 3 Commanders (rule of three), Farsight and Shadowsun, with Commander flavours the Eight don't have (markerlight Commander, Smart missile commander, COLDSTAR MONAT). Hell, you could represent Torchstar with a Crisis Bodyguard Shas'vre (she's SUBcommander) with dual flamers and a drone controler, even give yours a 2+ save the real one doesn't have. You would miss out on Broadside Ob'lotai and Riptive O'vesa...were it not for the amazing Prototype Gear you can equip your versions with. All in all, [[your dudes]] can beat GW's 8 anytime.

=====Tactical Objectives=====
=====Tactics=====

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====[[Sa'cea]]====
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{|
|[[File:Sa'cea Sept Symbol.png|Border|75px|left]]
| In the grim darkness of the far future, the Banner of T'au flies high. <br>
Thematically, Sa'cea is the most militant and disciplined of the Septs, where Fire Warriors and Pathfinders train for years in order to unneringly stand their ground against even the mightiest Monsters and war machines. They are ever eager to expand the greater good, and have disciplined and well trained soldiers prepared to perform this task. <br>
On the tabletop, they highly favor the use of low-volume shot weapons and low squads of regular infantry, allowing them to almost never fail morale and very reliably hit with those extremely powerful and valuable heavy weapons. <br>
|}
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* '''Sept Tenets – Calm Discipline:''' +1 Leadership. In addition in the shooting phase, you can re-roll a single failed hit roll for each Sa'cea unit. 
** Oh, my railgun... Sa'cea heavily favors MSU lists trying to take advantage of the free re-roll per unit. Conversely, you could use it to run bigger blobs and make use of the +1 Ld but you're better off breaking the units up into smaller sizes to get as many free re-rolls as possible. HQs with a 2+ML are almost guaranteed to land that first stack, letting the rest of the sept use their tenet to re-roll a 2 or 3. Add to this the uplinked ML strat and your Sa'cea battalion with 2x Cadres are going to put 5 MLs on whatever you need them too every. Single. Time.
** Ethereals are great in Sa'cea sept detachments. The +1 Ld on them will give them an Ld 10 aura for your entire army, and their abilities do not require a shared {{W40Kkeyword|<Sept>}}, unlike most.
** The only units that don't '''Massively''' benefit from this are the high volume models like Burst-tides and stealth suits. Ion-tides, Rail/Ion-heads, Rail-sides, every unit with MLs can get game-changing utility out of the simple free re-roll.
* '''Warlord Trait -  Beacon of Honour''': Friendly Sa’cea unit within 6″ reduce the number of models that flee by 1. If you really want to take big units of FW, with an ethereal nearby you're looking at the equivalent of LD 11 troops with autopassing moral on 6's.
* '''Relic - Grav-Inhibitor Field''': Subtract 2″ from charge distance if user is declared the target of a charge. It can really save you from a charge while still letting you fire Overwatch. 
* '''Stratagem - Orbital Marker Distribution Uplink (2 CP)''': Pick an enemy unit visible to a character. That unit and all units within 6” gain a markerlight counter.

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====[[T'au|T'au Sept]]====
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{|
|[[File:Tau Empire Flag.jpg|Border|75px|left]]
| In the grim darkness of the far future, the T'au'va burns bright <br>
Thematically, the T'au sept demonstrates the T'au beliefs to the fullest. From the political ideals of T'au to their tactics, the T'au sept is the singular source for everything regarded as properly T'au. Having a great concentration on Ranged warfare and ways to make sure things keep far away, they are the building block of which every other sept in the T'au Empire is built, and have spawned many great heroes over the course of hundreds of years. <br>
On the tabletop, they play like the classic gunline, blasting anything they see to pieces, and anything that tries to get close will very soon find that charging basically is a second shooting phase for you. You won't be moving much, and that's ok, because that is where your true beauty shines. <br>
|}
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* '''Sept Tenets – Coordinated Fire Arcs:''' Any unit with this tenet that fires Overwatch within 6" of another {{W40Kkeyword|Tau}} unit or triggers For The Greater Good hits on a 5+ rather than a 6+, ignoring Ballistic Skill or any modifiers. Makes charging Tau gunlines an even more daunting prospect.
** to be clear, this could easily be the best sept trait but is highly dependent on your opponent. An assault-heavy army will hate you even more than they already do, while against another gunline you may as well not have a tenet. Though sept is not just tenets, it also has unique units, relics, and strategems, and Tau sept gets jackpot in all three.
* '''Warlord Trait - Strength of Belief''': Roll a D6 for each Mortal Wound inflicted on Warlord; on a 5+ it is ignored. Longstrike has this.
* '''Relic - Vectored Maneuvering Thrusters''': Battlesuit only. The User can move 6″ after shooting. Move-shoot-move, how we have missed you. Same as Dal'yth Sept stratagem, only now you don't need to pay CP for it and it's only on 1 model. 
* '''Stratagem - Focused Fire (3 CP)''': When a unit with the {{W40Kkeyword|T'au Sept}} keyword inflicts an unsaved wound on an enemy in the shooting phase, add +1 to wound for all other shooting attacks made against that enemy by anyone who shares the same Sept. Don't you just love being able to wound Knights on a 4+ with only basic infantry?

=====Units=====
*[[Aun'Va|'''Aun'va:''']] Dead, but apparently that doesn't stop him from spreading the good word. Nearby units can use his Leadership, and as long as he is "alive" any friendly Tau units can re-roll any morale tests, regardless of distance. AP also works inversely on him when shot thanks to '''Paradox of Duality''', making him very resistant to character killer weapons. It also gets to provide two buffs per turn, instead of one. Definitely an auto take in any team game with multiple Tau players. The space pope also brings two super cheap cannon fodder bodyguards with alright melee ability and 2 wounds each, great for the laughable 5 points you pay for each of them.
*[[Shadowsun|'''Commander Shadowsun:''']] Ever wished your Stealth Suit squad could carry more Fusion Blasters? Well, now they can. Everyone's favorite Tau waifu comes with a pair (of [[Schlicktau|''fusion blasters'']]), and your other Stealth Suits love her so much they'll even take a bullet for her on a 2+. She can also bring along a Command Link Drone, which lets you give one {{W40kKeyword|TAU EMPIRE}} unit rerolls on 1's to hit in a shooting phase as long as it stays close to Shadowsun, and two upgraded MV52 shield drones for ablative wounds with a tasty 3++ rather than the usual 4++. May perform an additional ''''Kauyon'''' per game.
** With chapter approved she dropped 57 points to 110 points, while she still takes up the commander "slot" for that detachment with the point decrease her ability to declare ''''Kauyon'''' twice per game becomes more valuable especially for gunline armies. Place her in the center of your castle and don't forget to use Command and Control Node.
** She got a new battlesuit in The Greater Good, and consequently has modified rules.   She can now take one of two different types of fusion blasters. The high-energy fusion blaster is the type you know and love, best suited for busting tanks; the dispersed mode has slightly shorter range and strength and only does d3 damage, but the extra shot it fires makes it a bit more useful for taking on multiple MEQs at once (it retains the melta effect too). Her shield drones have been replaced with a single Advanced Guardian Drone that gives models within 3" a <s>4+ invulnerable save and</s> FnP 6+, and her Supreme Commander rule allows her to be used in any {{W40Kkeyword|Sept}} (although only {{W40Kkeyword|T'au}} actually lets her benefit from the Sept Tenet). 
** Although she can be used in any {{W40Kkeyword|Sept}} army now, only  {{W40kKeyword|Tau Sept}} units can benefit from her '''Kauyon''' and '''Mont'ka'''. As for her guardian drone, it grants a FNP6+ to any model inside the 3" bubble. Her drone abilities are the only one she has working in multiple {{W40Kkeyword|Sept}} armies. Strangely, the guardian drone grants its FNP to any model, meaning its the only way to have a FNP on a Stormsurge, or other vehicles, for a small improvement in survivability. Saviour Protocols also is tied to {{W40Kkeyword|Sept}}, so if she isn’t used with T’au, she can’t be protected by drones. 
*[[El'Myamoto_(Sub-commander_Darkstrider)|'''Darkstrider:''']] Now buffs a nearby {{W40kKeyword|Tau Sept}} infantry unit, giving them +1 to wound rolls against a single enemy unit that Darkstrider can see, and also allows nearby {{W40kKeyword|Tau Sept}} infantry to Fall Back and shoot as if they had {{W40kKeyword|FLY}}. And as an added bonus, he brings along a Markerlight and a tasty BS2+! An excellent choice to accompany a unit of Breachers in a Devilfish and can be really handy in a drone port or gunrig. Even better, pair him up with a Fireblade and a few Strike Teams to get a bunch of dakka that can’t be tied up in melee! Tau Sept overwatch and Focused Fire makes this combination super cheesy.
* '''Longstrike:''' No longer an upgrade to a Hammerhead, but a separate HQ unit choice and {{W40kKeyword|CHARACTER}}. Gains additional BS (down to 2+ base), '''For the Greater Good''', '''Tank Ace''' for +1 to Wound rolls vs {{W40kKeyword|MONSTER}} and {{W40kKeyword|VEHICLE}} models, and '''Fire Caste Exemplar''' which grants all {{W40kKeyword|TAU}} {{W40kKeyword|HAMMERHEAD}} units within 6" a +1 to hit in the Shooting phase (including himself, naturally). Finally, he is also wearing some fancy duds inside that tank - his '''XV02 Battlesuit''' lets him treat the number of markerlight counters on a target as one higher than it actually is, is great for only 37 extra points on top of a base Hammerhead. If you plan on running any Hammerheads, he's a must-buy. Also makes his gun drones/burst cannons (which you should ''never'' take; 8 points total to detach them for holding objectives is easily worth it)/smart missiles serious anti-vehicle and monster weapons, as they will wound any of them with T6+ on 4+ while wounding those with T5 on 3+. Also, the +1 to hit will prevent you from hurting yourself while overcharging Ion Cannons. Either weapon is viable on him, even if you do not plan to take any other Hammerheads, he is still worth some serious consideration in almost any list, he is that good.
** Longstrike only needs 1 token to fire his seeker missiles at full BS and can reach that +1 to hit that much faster, so ''strongly'' consider seeker missiles on him.
** Can now buff the Forge World Hammerheads, as everyone's keywords changed to {{W40kKeyword|HAMMERHEAD}}.
** Cannot buff Hammerheads that are not {{W40kKeyword|TAU SEPT}}, so prepare to sacrifice some fluff for crunch if you want to drink enemy tears.
** Consider paying the 6 points to upgrade the two gun drones to smart missile systems, which synergizes much better with the range of the primary gun, allow you to ignore cover bonuses, shoot stuff outside of line of sight, and are great for putting the hurt on flyers thanks to the range and Longstrike's passive abilities.
** You can make him your Warlord, but he'll be forced to take the 5+ FNP against mortal wounds trait, which isn't great on him - it's not like he was concerned about snipers anyway since his Wounds are high enough to make him a target for everything the enemy has. Instead, the best way to buff him via Warlord Trait is to strap a Warlord to his ass with the trait that provides -1AP to nearby friendlies against target enemies when they roll a 6+ to wound because it will stack with '''Tank Ace''', letting Longstrike get it on a 5+. Obviously, this is better if he takes an Ion Cannon than a Railgun, as the Railgun doesn't generally need the help against anything.
** One final note, this guy draws a lot of fire. Without an invulnerable save he doesn't have very good survivability. It's probably a good point to keep him tucked away until you get a chance to shoot since he can move and ignore the penalty due to the +1 to hit.
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====[[Vior’la]]====
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{|
|[[File:Vior'la Sept Symbol.png|Border|75px|left]]
| In the grim darkness of the far future, a good warrior strikes as fast as he flees. <br>
Thematically, Vior'la are some of the most aggressive and reckless warriors in the Empire. They are taught from birth to do one thing: move close as quickly as possible, and blast their enemies into paste. They are a tough people that come form an even tougher world, and produce some of the finest military minds ever known.  <br>
On the tabletop, they are a highly mobile combat force. They make use of lightning fast speed and powerful weaponry in order to let them outmanuever and shatter their opponents on highly concentrated gunfire.  <br>
|}
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* '''Sept Tenets – Strike Fast:''' If a unit advances, its rapid fire weapons become assault instead. In addition, units with this Tenet do not suffer a penalty for advancing and shooting assault weapons. Perfect for granting Battlesuits extra mobility, but doesn't help the bigger suits that have Heavy weapons. You will still need a target lock or Mont'ka for them. If only this worked with Vespids.
** Note that the “rapid fire (x)” gets converted to “assault (x)”, so you will be settling for one shot after the advance move.
** Pulse carbines are a bit more valuable too because they retain their two shots at 18” while still giving the extra mobility of advancing. Being able to advance, plus the 3” the carbine has over the rifle’s rapid-fire range, allows your breachers to threaten a wider range with two shots each and making hit and run tactics more viable.
* '''Warlord Trait - Academy Luminary''': If your Warlord has Master of War, Volley Fire or Failure is not an Option ability, the range of that ability is increased to 9″ and you can get an additional CP for being battle-forged. Aun’Shi has this. Let's be honest, you're taking this mostly for the CP.
* '''Relic - Thermoneutronic Projecter''': Replaces a flamer. 8″ Assault D6 S6 AP -1 2D. So basically a souped-up heavy flamer that you can still fire after advancing.
* '''Stratagem - Hot Blooded (2 CP)''': Select an infantry unit; it can shoot twice this phase but must target the closest enemy unit each time. With Rapid Fire weapons, this practically amounts to giving them FRFSRF from the Imperial Guard.
** With Breacher Teams or Rail Rifle Pathfinders, this can devastate a lot of units. 40 strength 6 AP-2 shots anybody?
** XV25 Stealth Teams are both {{W40Kkeyword|Battlesuits}} and {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}}. While you'll usually get more overall shots out of a unit of Fire Warriors, a Stealth Team in the right place can make excellent use of this Stratagem. Getting the team into the right place is all the easier given the accompanying Sept Tenet. Another advantage of using this on a stealth team is, unlike pulse rifles or blasters, your burst cannons will be just as effective in the second volley as the first; using this stratagem on a strike, pathfinder, or breacher team runs the risk of your first set of attacks killing the closest couple models and causing the next wave to either be out of rapid fire or max strength range.

=====Units=====
*[[Aun'Shi|'''Aun'shi:''']] An Ethereal that, unlike the other Ethereals, really did [[meme|study the blade]]. Good in melee for the points even compared to the melee characters of other factions, especially before considering that you are playing Tau and literally ''every single other unit you can pick besides Farsight, Kroot Hounds, and Krootox absolutely suck in combat and are better off trying to shoot things if at all possible''. For only 23 points more than a vanilla Ethereal you get a 4++ invulnerable save, another wound, two more attacks, hit stuff in melee on a 2+ and S5, and in each fight phase you can either give yourself AP -2 or the ability to re-roll failed invulnerable saves. In other words, he does serious damage to most choppy melee infantry or fast assault units such as Assault Marines or Storm Boys (which people like to spam against Tau), particularly with a smartly pulled-off heroic intervention that only allows a few of the attackers to attack him instead of the Fire Warriors they charged (since being T3 still, don't expect him to not get hurt), ideally he could even hold up the enemy unit and then retreat in your movement phase afterward. If your gunline gets charged by something that would trounce him otherwise, you can still use him as a charge blocker and annoy your opponent by tying their killy murder machine down with your re-rollable 4++ saves. Worth considering instead of the standard Ethereal if you plan to do any close combat, but most of the time you'll want your characters to be screened by other units rather than fighting.
** Note: While Aun'shi is great at murdering single wound units and still quite capable of killing heavily-armoured two wound units such as Terminators in a pinch, he is not a good duellist, as his attacks only have D1. Consider switching over to re-rolling your invulnerable saves against buff and choppy characters or monsters and simply tying them down until you can fall back and open them up to your shooting.
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