How To Start A Tau Army,, read and post about it here!

This topic is specially made for everyone who wants to know how to start a Tau army, or to tell how to start a Tau army.

Ofcourse, there is no perfect way to start a Tau army, but there are always really good tips and a bit of advice is never a problem. So, do you know how to start a Tau army? Post your ideas!

Shas

Step 1:Codex, Army Backround and Colors
Well, since it was my idea, i'll be the first poster! First, obviously gut the codex and rulebook. Read through everything thouroughly, so you can decide on a paint scheme, prelminary backround, battle plan, theme, sept. Then prepare you're army! I fist bought a Pathfinder Shas'ui to teat my paint scheme, and I would reommend it too. Maybe but a couple test Shas'uis. The Drone you can use to vaguely test tank and battlesuit schemes, the pathfinder itself tests infantery. If you're going to use Kroot, get a Shaper to test on. Keep these models because you might need them eventually. Then start crafting an army list 500 points with 2 troops and an hq or a Shas'vre that can easily become your HQ. Remember to post it here for advice if youre reading this! That's all I have for now. Shas, it might be good to pin this in the gue'la section or put a link there so new user can easily find this. Come back later for the rest of the tips, where I will guide you to a 1000 point army!

Step 2:Initial Armies and First Battles
495 Points Initial Army (from Army Box Set)

HQ: Shas'el (Soul Clense), Fusion Blaster, Flamer, Multitracker, HW Drone Contoller, 2 Gun Drones: 95 Points
2 Shas'vre Bodyguards: (Fire Knife) Missle Pod, Plasma Rife, Multitracker, HW Target Lock:77 Points Each

Troop: 12 Fire Warriors, 1 Shas'ui, HW Drone Controller, 2 Gun Drones: 162 points
12 Kroot: 84 Points

This has the core of a good 100 point army. Fire Warriors and Kroot form a firebase or Kroot infiltrate into tree wreak havoc. Shas'el and Bodyguard tank hunt, Shas'el's flamer and fusion blaster take out close range foes, Shas'vre's shoot at other targets. Small, but very resilient with three powerful Crisis Suits. Fire Knife is adaptable for killing Marines or Guard.

394 Point Combat Patrol (from Box Set)

Elite: 2 Shas'ui(Fire Knife) 1 Shas'vre(Fire Knife). 190 points

Troops:
12 Fire Warriors 120 points
12 Kroot: 84 points

This is a more combat-patrolish version of the above. Missle pods can easily tear away at any tanks, especially with 3 of them. Same strategys, but ad a longer range.

So there you have it, two sample lists you can field from the army box! Come back later for a 750 point expansion and a sample 1000 point list!


This post has been edited by Rev_Enge(spc) on Feb 6 2005, 01:39 PM

Step 3: Expanding The Army

For a good 1000 point example army list, go here.

MMM great site. But it dont enphese a key thing:

Dont get boged down in suits.
3 shas'ui with bust, missiles and mutli= 30, 10 ,14 ,5 = 59pt x3 = 177pts
max kills are 15/ 6 ranged

3 shas'ui with bust flamer and drones= 30, 10, 6 ,20 = 66pt x3 = 198pts
max kills when using bustcannon = 15kills
flamer = 6+kills

12 shas'la =120pts
max kills are 24 in killzone/ 12 ranged

cheaper is the 12 shas'la unit and longer range So dont ott on suits. Cool they are but cheap they are not. keep the backbone the army the shas'la. And the fists to smash ur oppent are criss and steath suits. While if u got a big armored target.... kick them out the way with the tau heavy fire support

Yes, good advice, but I was building the armys out of the Battle Force Set. A better list would take one or two suits, and more Fire Warriors. I would take (this is not what I have) a Shas'ver or if required a Shas'el with shield drones and a TL fusion blaster for hevy anti-tank, and for Combat Patrol, a Fire Knife+ hard wired target lock for the range. However, I am a stickler for "the way it might be in real life" and I would prefer the Sa'Cea battlesuit philosofhy with many different configs. The blasters and flamr are even better for my army because the urban combat constricts longer ranges, and 12 inches is the most Im likely to get! Also, how did you get burst cannons out of that? BTW, post your own newbie guides! I dont want to be the only person contributing to the new commanders!
EDIT: Is it okay that I triple posted for the guides? For the link post, I will edt later with what I was going to type, but mysteriously disappeared!

This post has been edited by Rev_Enge(spc) on Feb 24 2005, 01:05 AM

I agree with the above posts. But may i also include that it is best not to stick Crisis weapons/supports on, then you can optimise your suits depending on what battle you are fighting.

When i started i went for Codex; Core units and colours. However, my colours were dictated by the fact i'd never seen or painted a warhammer model before!
I sprayed my FWs white, to cover the armour then simply put black onto the clothing; with other colours for added details.
Also i planned from the start to get a force as balanced as possible. Get everything from every choice. Basically i have tried to fill every spot on the force organisation chart. That way i have enough variable forces to change the way i play each mission if i need to.

I find it a better idea to try and build a balanced force first; play lots of games; then try and specialise your models in what your tactics are best at.

I've decide to begin with a kill team and an 400points army..
here my list, in fact, i've just one shaper, one stealsuti and one gun drone....oh sorry and 16 Kroot!!(yeah Like those guys!!!! )
Kill team
1 Stealthteam Shas'Ui Leader with Drone controller and two gun drone 57 pts
1 Fire W. Shas'Ui Hard-Wired target-Lock 27 pts
3 FW Sha'La - photons grenade 33pts
4 kroot 28pts
2 kroot hound 12pts

400pts
1Crisis plasma rifle missile pod 68pts

1FW leader HW target lock 27pts
9 FW grenades EMP photons 126 pts
all bonded

11kroot 7pts

1devilfish troop (with gun drone) targeting array decoy launchers 90pts

It's for beginning, my friend have eldar and space wolf... so I can test my list (when finish!!!) with two different army...
I think trying some proxy for my first battle... to see what's good and what's nut!!!

Any coments or hint? go and tell!!!
thank's!!!

Make sure you don't buy anything but one crisis suit for your commander until
you have at least three boxes of Fire Warriors.

Kroot are optional. I, personally, dislike taking them, and can think of hundreds
of ways to use the points other than for them. They aren't even worth the 7 points,
even for cannon fodder. If you want cannon fodder, get some Cadians and make
them human recruits (make sure you convert 'em!) - at least they get a save!

Once you get crisis suits, always deep strike them, unless your enemy is bunched
tightly together, or extremely mobile. When you deep strike them, be careful to
take into account the scatter dice for deployment, and make sure that they are
behind any applicable vehicles and within range to strike with any weapons S7 or
over.

Gun Drones and Pathfinders really aren't that useful at all, as far as I've seen. I'll
try using Pathfinders a bit more, but the points are better spent on Hammerheads
and Broadsides. I would rather have 3 twin-linked Railguns and 1 more flexible
Railgun than 1 flexible railgun and a vulnerable targeting squad who can only light
up one target at a time.

thank's... I' m going to think about that.. in fact, i've nothing ....
only a box of kroot.... and one stealthsuit....
I've seen a game yesterday, and, yes, I thought that i've not enough fire warriors in my army....
so.... go for fire warriors..!!!!!

You can never have enough of any armies basic troop types.
I god Idea for when you're choosing a paint scheme for your army is to paint a few models in different variations, then you can get a good feel about the look of it, also don't be afraid to expand on your ideas by adding your own Knowledge and experiance.
To start with my Tau didn't have any markings so (a long time ago) I thought what about a bit of binary for squad markings
And just recently, they've gotten a darker shade of blue after I experimented with a new ink (Inking thirty fully painted and shaded Fire Warriors is fun, Tanks and Crisis's even more so...)
Probably in the future I might paint all thier boots black instead of silver...

How about adding...

Choosing your style of play [this should be done with step 1 as posted above].

Static, Hybrid, or Mechanized?

Static - if you want to sit there the whole battle and stand and shoot, hoping that you won't get assaulted, then here's the army for you. There is one key to victory though which is making your points back.
Include units such as:
-Commanders
-Ethereals
-Stealthsuits
-Crisis Battlesuits
-Fire Warriors [on foot]
-Kroot
-Pathfinders
-Broadsides
-Sniper Drones

Mechanized - meaning that any infantry is in a transport and the rest of your points are put in suits and tanks. The key to victory here is to preserve your points until they are needed. Most mechanised players who play this way have their devilfish mounted fire warriors sitting behind a big piece of terrain until the third turn. hopeful by then everything else has eliminated some of the enemies army without wasting their 450 points of troops.
Include units such as:
-Commanders
-Ethereals [joined with a unit of fire warriors]
-Fire Warriors [in devilfish]
-Pathfinders
-Piranhas
-Skyrays
-Hammerheads
-Broadsides
-Sniper Drones

Hybrid - probably the most common to noobs. this is a mix of mechanized and static armies, creating an equilibrium of synergetic units[meaning that your all of your units overlap in an overall plan].
Include units such as:
-any of them

hope this helps.

This is probley going to be the stupid question of the year but... Where can I find some of those army lists for 1700 pt army? Thanks

How is this a noob startegy? It is not exactly themed, but a fair bit of both can work extraordinarily well, once again I will say it. The commander makes the army, if you can devise a way to make a strategy work them good on you.

For instance "hybrid tau", you have stealth teams and suits with say two hammerheads and say maybe 2-3 squads of FW on foot w/ maybe a d/f in there to get them in a secured position quickly,and a few broadsides, if you can set up your firewarriors and broadsides in a "Static" Position and use your mobile "mechanized" units such as Crisis suits stealth suits and hammerheads to draw, push, the enemy into pre determined firing lanes, it can be very devistating to your opponent when they are forced into it. I call it the box of death. It is a little more intricate and can go wrong, but what strategy can't go wrong.


I have used Mech Tau and Hybrid tau, I detest sitting still comletely. For sheer fun and strategy Hybrid was always a good way to go. If I absolutely wanted to win I used Mech tau, an easy strategy, simple concept and hard to counter.

IMO mech tau is a little more noobish and easier to get a grip on.