New to SG Tau - How to Expand My Army?

[AndrewChristlieb]

I cant see taking a Messanger in a carrier based fleet. Having a few in a gunline would only make sense but even then id only do it in a one off game, they really dont feel right for campaign use.

[Zhukov]

My local Games Workshop has announced they will be holding a BFG campaign over the course of the summer, and I’d like to take part. My eventual goal is to have different fleet options all the way up to 2500-3000 points. While not many people at my GW play BFG yet, they are all buying fleets now.

This warms my heart.

I remember that back on the old port maw forum 

And this totally deflated all my good feelings. Gawd I miss that forum.

Oh, add a demiurg stronghold as the centrepiece.

I do not own any Tau pieces, but I own a fleet of Demiurg vessels. If for nothing else, adding one or two ships to your campaign list certainly creates some variables for the larger scenarios. They are expensive, but boy do they have versatility in combat.

A major question is what version of the rules is the shop planning on using? 2010 FAQ with all the updated fleet lists? Because at that point, even a Kroot Warsphere isn't such a bad option. I'm thinking of adding a 'Sphere into my Demiurg fleet. I may even buy the massive model GW sells

-Zhukov

[Carrelio]

I asked earlier today, and they said they will be using the 2010 compendium for the rules.

[horizon]

In a GW store? Cowabunga!

[Carrelio]

Now my next big question is how to paint these things to look good! I suppose it's not something that I can really ask anyone here about since it will come down to personal preference in the end. I'm considering a Farsight Enclave based on the Vior'la colour scheme to make for a nice bright and colourful contrast against the usual blacks, blues, and greys. Though for that I really do need to do some research about how spaceships would 'weather' to give them the appropriate wear and tear of being an old workhorse of a fleet.

[AndrewChristlieb]

Weathering on this scale... Black and or brown wash . Seriously tho its pretty hard to get any kind of noticeable weathering on these, the FW tau might not be so hard with all those big panels tho.

[horizon]

Perhaps this as an inspiration:

[Carrelio]

Alright! all set to go!

I've got my ships.
I've got my colour scheme.

Now I need a little bit of tactical advice. How do Tau usually go about doing what they do? I understand that I want to keep my distance from enemies, and send wave after wave of ordinance into anything that stands in my way... but does anyone have any specific hints tips or tricks to do this?

When should I start launching mantas? Should I always be trying to use special orders or should I hold off until I get closer to engagement distance?

[Talos]

A couple of rules of thumb for almost any fleet:

1) Special orders all the time. There is no prize for not using them, so whenever they would benefit in the slightest use them. The skill is knowing which ships to pick first, what orders to pick and when to use your re-rolls.

2) Ordnance should be launched right from the start of the game, because ordnance dominance is established from turn 1, whether offensive or defensive in nature. If your fleet has more ordnance then your opponent, pouring out a massive offensive right out the gate is sure to put them on the backpedal, and successfully doing so not only limits their tactics but also helps protect you, since they will be forced to use their own ordnance defensively.

Now as for tau specific:

1) Keep your explorer's far back from the fighting. Do this by moving them at their slowest possible speed, skirting the fight if necessary by collectively breaking left or right en masse. Unlike more aggressive carriers like the styx and the dictator they cannot afford to slug it out at short range, so treat them carefully.

2) The Hero's are very strong and versatile, but they are vulnerable by virtue of being the only line ship in the fleet, and thus often strung out on their own. Make sure to use their ordnance aggressively to soften incoming foes up and take advantage of combi-ordnance attacks with your explorers. Although their ordnance is solid and versatile, they are a very strong mixed gun boat so the times may come where it is better to use Lock-On then reload ordnance. Try to maintain a safe distance, because even imperial vessels can board yours and destroy them with ease.

3) The Orca's are fast but not very maneuverable for escorts, so you will probably have to commit them to a fight much more than typical escorts. Try to use them as bouncers early on to keep things from engaging your explorers, but be on the lookout for a fight that they can win and send them into the fray. Escort pack getting behind your heros? Chase them off and wing around for a flank attack. Weakened crippled capital vessel near the flank? Swing in and finish them off, splitting your opponents fire between them and your heros.

4) If you are fielding defenders, what goes for orcas goes for these big boys, save that they are better suited for slugging on the side lines and worse off for anti-escort duty. Use their small torpedo volleys to peg off enemy torpedos or to hammer a vessel that has used its turrets versus your AC waves that turn. Torpedoes are also good for taking out enemy escorts, but due to their small size they will be low on your priority list and thus will probably miss several reloads a game, and thus are less reliable in this regard.

5) Your merchants are like the imperial guard: they kill through volume rather than quality of fire. They might be weak but a couple of them can soak up serious firepower that would otherwise cripple more expensive vessels. Use them alongside your heros to keep them in tip-top shape, or use them as a second wave with your defenders to sweep through their lines, leaving the crippled vessels for your orcas to finish off.

Bear in mind I am not the greatest player ever, and people all have different opinions. These are however solid and broad guidelines that will give you a starting point when you first play. You will learn stuff yourself after that but feel free to get some second opinions.

[Khar]

From personal experience with and against Tau:

Your battle plan revolves around Explorers. As long as Explorers are operational, battle is yours, but when you start losing them, you lose the battle. Thing is, you WILL have more ordnance than enemy. Therefore, in this aspect of the battle, he will be in defensive position. If you lose this advantage, he outpaces, outmanouvers and probably outguns you.

But with masive ordnance superiority Tau can achieve, you mitigate it. You force him to spent time braced, to reload his own fighters instead of locking on or coming to new heading.. His advantages disappear.

Therefore, guard your Explorers, it's your one sole priority in battle, because it's the Explorers that allow other ships to win (And, in case of low-turret enemy vessels, they will destroy them on their own)

Second of all - when it comes to special order priority, do your best to keep battlefield fully saturated with ordnance all the time. Every time siginificant amout of it gets used up or destroyed, reload. Keep your explorers away from the main battle, behind rest of your fleet. Braced explorer does not reload, so whenever enemy forces you to do it, he gets a bit of breathing space next round and you may not allow it to happen.

Remember that explorer has lots of hits - he can take a few and keep fighting. Don't brace them unless something significant hits them.

Do not separate your ships. Mind the formation, with combat ships in the front and carriers in the back, but keep them close to each other. You need ability to mass your firepower, and you don't have mobility to do it when formation breaks. Unless enemy has significant advantage on extreme ranges, such as multiple nova cannons, do not close faster than necessary. Just send ordnance forcing him to come to you.

[Carrelio]

Thanks for all the help guys! This has all been really useful so far!

[AndrewChristlieb]

Dont be affraid to launch fighters either, ill often ignore your bombers and launch my own if were that unbalanced and rely on heavy turret ships and massed turrets to soak the damage.

[afterimagedan]

Would you guys be OK if I took some of this advice and put it into a blog post on my blog? I will save it until I can make and post a tau tactics article. I would credit you, of course.

[Talos]

Sure sounds cool.

[horizon]

Khar & Talos gave some sound advices. Use them.

Keep that formation.

But do note, that once you start playing other scenarios then a standard pitched engagement formation keeping becomes a lot less easy.
Even a battle scenario like fleet engagement or escalating engagement (both cool scenarios!) will throw your fleet apart.
And do play other scenarios, it will make you a better allround player. Adapting is fun.