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

==Special Rules==

===Common Unit Abilities===
*'''Ambushing Predators'''/'''Vanguard''': All {{W40Kkeyword|Kroot}} gain the former and Pathfinders and Darkstrider gain the latter, but it's the same rule - a Scout move.  Start of the first battle round, before the first turn, the unit can move up to 7", as long as it does not get within 9" of an enemy unit.
*'''Battlesuits''': All models with the {{W40kKeyword|BATTLESUIT}} keyword get Big Guns Never Tire (like vehicles and monsters), although it's not ''named'' that, if it matters. Remember that wielding guns like they were pistols is a ''defensive measure'': for that to come up you have to survive one round of melee first, and then also choose to not Fall Back.
*'''Infiltrator''': Stealth Battlesuits, Ghostkeels, and Shadowsun get this ability that lets them set up anywhere more than 9" away from an enemy unit and 9" from the opponent's deployment zone.  Shadowsun is a Commander so she also gets Manta Strike - you'll have to choose which she uses.
*'''Kroot Pack:''' Your incentive to go all-in with the Kroot, this is actually an ability that's only printed on Kroot Carnivores, but it's really a Kroot-wide rule. For each unit of Kroot Carnivores, you can take up to 1 unit of Krootox Riders, up to 1 unit of Kroot Hounds, and up to 1 Kroot Shaper without taking up extra slots.
*'''Manta Strike'''/'''Plunge from the Sky''': Deep Strike. Crisis, Commanders, and Drones do the former, Vespid do the latter. Dahyak Grekh from Blackstone Fortress also has his own version, '''Tracker'''. How very clever.
*'''Markerlights''': Units with this ability can perform the following action:
*;Fire Markerlights (Action): One or more {{W40Kkeyword|MARKERLIGHT}} units in your army can begin this action at the start of your movement phase ({{W40Kkeyword|aircraft MARKERLIGHT}} units are explicitly allowed to do this). It completes at the start of your next shooting phase. When it is completed, for each markerlight in the unit, select one enemy unit within 36” that would be an eligible target for shooting and roll a D6. On a 3+, that unit gains a markerlight token. 
*:*While a {{W40Kkeyword|VEHICLE}}/{{W40Kkeyword|DRONE}} unit is performing this action, it can "move" without the action failing. If it does, non-{{W40Kkeyword|VEHICLE}}/non-{{W40Kkeyword|DRONE}} models in that unit are not counted as having markerlights for the purposes of the action.
*:**Since this doesn't specify what kind of move, presumably it allows of Normal Move or Advance. You cannot Fall Back and preform the action because you cannot begin an action in Engagement Range. 
*:**Your Pathfinder units (including Darkstrider) can begin this action at the end of their Move phase instead, which only allows them to make a Normal Move - remember, a unit can't be selected to perform an action if it Advances or Falls Back.  That also applies to marker drones in Pathfinder units - they can't be selected for the action in the first place, which means their ability to do the action without the action failing doesn't help.  If you want marker drones in a pathfinder unit to Advance or Fall Back while Markerlighting, you have to begin the action at the beginning of Movement (so the markerlights on your infantry can't be used, but the drones are allowed to begin the action), ''then'' Advance.  This is unfathomably useless, so never do it - just stick to Normal Move (or Remain Stationary) with your Pathfinders.
*:*Each time a {{W40Kkeyword|T’AU EMPIRE}} non-{{W40Kkeyword|T’AU AUXILIARY}} unit is selected to shoot, it gains +1 to hit with its ranged attacks against any enemy unit with at least one markerlight token. After the unit has finished making attacks, remove one markerlight token from each enemy unit that it targeted.  Note that both the +1 to hit and the token removal are ''compulsory'' - you can't elect to leave a token in place for some other unit to benefit from, so try to shoot flamer spam ''after'' you've shot everything else to avoid wasting token, and try to be careful when a support model with a markerlight, like a Cadre Fireblade, shoots.
*:*At the end of your shooting phase, remove all markerlight tokens from all enemy units.

====Invocations of the Ethereals====
They work like the prayer mechanics of other factions. In your Command Phase the {{W40kKeyword|ethereal}} can attempt an invocation that hasn't been intoned by a friendly model this turn - on a 3+ (2+ if named or if the Ethereal has the Humble Stave relic) on 1d6 the invocation is successful. {{W40Kkeyword|Farsight Enclaves}} players can stop reading now; they cannot be affected by perfidious ethereal pheromones.
#'''Storm of Fire''': Select one friendly {{W40kKeyword|core}} unit within 6”. That unit can make ranged attacks without its actions failing.
#*The Ethereals' 'Inspired to Greatness' already does the same thing (and that one does affect AUX), without a chance of not casting. So, this grants you a repeat and allows two units to do actions without giving up their shooting. Or maybe the ethereal was inside a transport and couldn't use 'Inspired to Greatness', but can use this invocation through the 'Wisdom of the Many' stratagem.
#'''Sense of Stone''': Select one friendly {{W40kKeyword|core}} unit within 6”. {{W40kKeyword|CORE}} models in that unit gain a FnP(5+).
#*This not only fortifies them against incoming damage, but it also protects Crisis teams from frying themselves with their own Cyclic Ion Blasters. Crisis-Ethereal teamwork! An Ethereal on a hover drone has the same M10" as them, even.
#'''Zephyr’s Grace''': Select one friendly {{W40kKeyword|core}} unit within 6”. Each time a ranged attack is made against that unit, that attack takes -1 to hit unless the unit remained stationary in your previous movement phase.
#*Technically you cannot combine this with Mont'Ka, as units that moved count as being stationary, which this invocation does not affect.
#'''Power of Tides''': Select one friendly {{W40Kkeyword|TAU AUXILIARY}} unit within 6”, instead of the usual Core. That unit gains +1 to wound, making Ethereals the only non-Dal'yth Tau able to actually interact with those <s>hideous savages</s> esteemed allies.
#*+1 to wound is drastically better than +1 Str, especially for all those S5 weapons.
#'''Unifying Mantra (Aura)''': While a friendly {{W40kKeyword|core}} unit is within 6”, that unit can re-roll morale tests and adds 1 to combat attrition tests. ''Has anyone seen my bonding knife?''
#'''Wisdom of the Guides''': You gain 1 CP, easily earning the Ethereal's worth in your army if you can afford it.

===Detachment Rules===
Note that Farsight Enclaves-specific rules below are written into the special rules in question, rather than the Sept's definition.  You also get the standard rules for handing out relics (and in your case, prototype systems) and warlord traits, as well as using stratagems.  

*'''Cadre Command:''' Maximum 1 {{W40kKeyword|Commander}} unit per detachment. Or 2 for {{W40kKeyword|Farsight Enclaves}} and Farsight-aligned {{W40kKeyword|ALLIED WORLD}} detachments.
*'''Independent Power''': ''Zero'' {{W40kKeyword|ethereal}} units per {{W40kKeyword|Farsight Enclaves}} and Farsight-aligned {{W40kKeyword|ALLIED WORLD}} detachments.
*'''Objective Secured''':  Given to all of your Troops.
*'''Sept Tenets''': Non-{{W40kKeyword|Tau Auxiliary}} units gain subfaction traits.  This isn't blocked by {{W40kKeyword|tau auxiliary}}, {{W40kKeyword|supreme commander}}, or {{W40kKeyword|unaligned}}, which means Shadowsun won't block it.  Aun'Va and Aun'Shi have special rules on them preventing them from blocking this.

===Army Rules===
Your monofaction bonus is Philosophies of War - pick one of the following Tactical Philosophies after determining who has first turn if your entire army is the same {{W40kKeyword|<sept>}}, ignoring {{W40kKeyword|tau auxiliary}}, {{W40kKeyword|supreme commander}}, or {{W40kKeyword|unaligned}}, and all of your non-{{W40kKeyword|tau auxiliary}} {{W40kKeyword|tau empire}} units benefit.  That means Shadowsun, your only Supreme Commander, won't turn this off, <s>but Aun'Va and Aun'Shi ''will'', as their special rule doesn't cover this.</s>
* Their Leadership Caste rule explicitly states they ''do not'' prevent any detachment they’re added to from being a {{W40kKeyword|<sept>}} detachment which is the only thing required to gain philosophies and so they ''won’t'' turn this off

*{{W40kKeyword|Mont'ka}} is active from turn 1 to 3; you may advance or normal move and you count as having Remained Stationary until the end of shooting, and when shooting at the closest opponent within range (18" turn 1, 12" turn 2, and 9" turn 3), you can re-roll wound rolls of 1. Your markerlights will enjoy this. Remember that counting as remaining stationary after Advancing does not work for performing Actions, as clarified in an FAQ
**Per the FAQ, a unit embarked on a transport that "counts as stationary" can't disembark. Just use the Combat Disembarkation strat, that's why it's there. 
**The Q2 2022 Dataslate have added two very fundamental changes to Mont'ka. The first is forcing you to target the closest enemy, which might not be such a big issue, but you're likely to see that happen once you see everything BUT your preferred target close in around you. The second is that you lost the AP boost, which increases the need for Markerlights and Ignoring Cover. 
*{{W40kKeyword|Kauyon}} is active turn 3 to 5, allowing you to fall back and shoot at -1 to hit, and when shooting at the closest unit (in a turn where you didn't fall back and aren't engaged), you get exploding hits (6+ turn 3, 5+ turn 4, 4+ on turn 5). Sounds rad on paper but in small scale games you might have already lost by the time this take effect! Much better in bigger games.
**One of its weaknesses is that Shadowsuits anf Ghostkeels don't get to make the most of their scout deploy; Kauyon does well with units coming out of reserves, and does really well with Fusion weapons for multiple hits in later turns.