New Favorite Tau Tactic

space ship + 2x Moray planet fall.

After much searching through our list and many games, I finally found a decent tactic for us - or at least for me.

In all the other lists, there seems to be numerous 'wow' plays and at least really impressive formations that can pack a mighty punch.

I've had a significant amount of bad luck with the Morays with their 'always be seen' rule.

Combining the space ship and its 2x pin-point attacks gives me a weapon to at least pick on an enemy war engine formation and if things go right, possible even break an enemy war engine formation.

Planet falling the morays takes some clairvoience in where they will be most needed, but it does add a 'trick' - correction - a much needed 'trick' to the tau epic army. One needs to be cautious to either draw enemy to or away from a given drop zone though... so again, the tactic does require some planning to pull off properly... however, when it works, you can really add a great  1 + 2 punch to some enemy formation between the pin-point attacks from orbit plus retaining the initiative with the morays.

The other nice thing about this is that it gets the morays in range. Morays don't have the best range compared to something like the shadowsword, the ork nasty 90cm MW blasts, or some of those pesky eldar scorpion MW pulse war engines of Moray wrecking... all of which make short work of the morays - or atleast can suppress one of them pretty quick before you get to activate them.

Planetfalling them and retaining with them assures YOU'LL get the first activation with your morays - unscathed, and before the enemy can diminish your formations effectiveness. So theirs value to the tactic, even if the enemy doesn't have WE for you to target with your pin-point attacks from orbit, the 150 is not completely lost with a well planned drop zone.

Now the morays don't claim, and you are going to have to be careful not to put them in the heat of things where they will get killed all to easily (as they are many times the bts victory condition, but getting those 60 cm guns in range for your first activation can be handy indeed.

Anyway, I was so pleased to stumble upon this 'combo' as I've just had a horrible time competing against eldar, IG, and chaos. This trick gives me some leverage and makes my opponents have to double think a bit about where those morays are going to be coming in at. It also allows me to have the first shot at using these things vs. my opponent decapatating a prized formation.

Just had to share for others to see if they like the tactic. Maybe i've just been lucky when i've gotten it to work out.

My opponents have already started taking space ships now to counter my new tactic. they usually have a higher strategy so it means my ship doesn't come on until turn 2 at earliest.

I even had my cheesy eldar player bring a small piddly ship, declare turn one, then attempt to retain with it as his last activation - hoping to fail so he wouldn't be able to activate until turn 2 - assuming he would win the roll-off since he had a higher strategy - and he didn't plan to use his supreme commander in turn 1!!!

So, there are some 'gotchas' to this tactic. When it works - it can be devistating - it will require some planning and good fortune though.

Heh - I'm just happy to finally have a trick in this list to look forward too. Out of 6 games now, I've managed to make this trick work 2 times the way i wanted it to. But the overall strategy has aided my efforts 4 times - even though my DZ was not in the correct position. I've rolled a 1 to activate my spaceship once pushing me into turn 3 in that game (that sucks as the morays can't even claim/contest - they were just a waste of points that game)

Outside of one game now, I've still had a #### of a time trying to beat the eldar and IG. I've not beaten the IG, and the Eldar - finally played a game where I got a 2-1 victory. they had the worlds worst dice, and the real rain maker move was I killed a transport superheavy on the way in with a lucky crit roll when it had 2 aspect warriors on board - planning to take out my hammerhead formation on the ground.... it was so cool to blow that thing out of the sky. (skyray, marked target, experimental GM at 5+ base took my to hit chance down to 4+). Still - I've only beat them once when some really cool things like this went my way while my opponent lost his supremem commander in turn 1 on a gate charge through an objective to kroot - and he lost!!!!! LOL (kroot have no armor, but he rolled sooooo many 1s and 2s to hit and then again the same thing for saves that it was just painfully commical.

Again, I still think there's a big  balance problem in our list compared to IG and Eldar (maybe even orks) but I've played some fun space marine games recently. They are always close games. Its good to get an occasional win with the Tau though... I just wish it was against the other lists more often. In the meantime, I'm happy to have this new 'trick'  to toy with.

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Rob

Quote (Tactica @ Sep. 25 2005,23:21)

I even had my cheesy eldar player bring a small piddly ship, declare turn one, then attempt to retain with it as his last activation - hoping to fail so he wouldn't be able to activate until turn 2 - assuming he would win the roll-off since he had a higher strategy - and he didn't plan to use his supreme commander in turn 1!!!

Actually, spaceships don't bump into the next turn if another spaceship already has a claim on that turn, so your Eldar opponent can't bump your ship to turn three.

Reread section 4.3.2 to understand what I mean, and good luck with the tactic!

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

What Chroma said.  A failed spacecraft is bumped to the next "open" turn, so you would keep Turn 2 and your opponent would fall to Turn 3 if he failed to activate.

Incidentally, Ork Soopagunz and Soopzzap gunz are 60cm range, not 90cm.

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Neal

Thanks for the clarifications gents... much appreciated.

Good to have the boards back.

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Rob

I quite agree with you Tactica. IMO, a competitve E:A army should be able to deal significant damage in turn #1.

I otfen go out with one or two Orcas generally one transporting broadsides, the other transporting crisis. Incidentally, experience has shown braodside to be far better for the job: their slowness is not a problem any more, their resilience is appreciated, and their 75cm range allows to deploy them in a quite safe position. Not to mention that their AT specialization is much appreciated. Still such formations are quite fragile, but you can cope with that by electing a adequate landing zone on a flank or else.

I sometimes play a planetfalling Manta, filled with broadsides and other stuff. It is the only way I could challenge heavily armored Imperial guard so far. It's not a game winner but it really helps a lot to be able to deal some damage in turn 1 (and the pin-point attacks are #### good to deal with those nasty lonely shadowswords). The cool thing here is that you can ferry expensive but tought frontline formations. A favourite of mine is Broadsides with either additional broadsides or a heavy drone upgrade. Not only do you deploy them in a good firing position, you also deploy them under the Manta's "Firefight umbrella", ensuring that they won't be and easy take in an assault. Along with that, I like to support them with a pathfinder contingent, to eventually make all of them team-up against a big ennemy formation. More rarely, 4 hammerheads may fit inside instead if I know I won't need coordinate fire (this could also come in handy in a tourney, if there is not enought places to hide them on the board).

About Moorays, Planetfalling seems a good idea too as you said. They don't ferry anything, but as you explained it should work well anyway. I'm just about to finish to paint 2 BFG protector cruisers for that use. The size is fine for DC3, and the weaponry (a mixture of hull-embeeded railguns and ion cannons) are just fine to count at ion phalanxes, I didn't even bother converting them.

I'm going to a 'tourney' in two weeks and will have some interesting data at least I hope so, if I don't get crunched. Marines don't fright me much, but IG and Eldar do.

BaronP, I've wanted to put the broadsides in the orca to see how that played out. Glad somebody else is doing it. I need to give that a go. I've not played a large enough game to suppor the manta yet - well, not when I was fielding the tau anyway. 850 is some change for something that can always be seen. Dropping it in means another 150 in aerospace for the ship. Still have to have 250 for at least one formation of barracudas - my playing style anyway. So that puts aerospace at 1250 minimum. What is that... 3750 point game at least? I've not played a tau 4K+ game yet. Perhaps I need to give one a go. That manta looks increadibly expensive though considering it really only has the firepowere of two moray - basically... Perhaps the resilience and transport capacity make up for it though. Again, need to try it before I pass judgement on it I suppose.

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Rob

Quote (Tactica @ Sep. 28 2005,20:33)

Still have to have 250 for at least one formation of barracudas - my playing style anyway. So that puts aerospace at 1250 minimum. What is that... 3750 point game at least?

850 for Manta + 250 for Barracudas = 1100 x 3 = 3300 point minimum game to field both

Heckler MD, sorry I wasn't clear in my post. There was an implied (in my mind anyway!) 150 for the spaceship in my numbers.

1100 + 150 = 1250 x 3 = 3750 min.

Due to 'always being seen' rule and the relative minimal range of our main weapons coupled with slow speed on manta and moray - I'll always take the ship to drop in these chaps. That was the whole 'new favorite tau tactic' concept in this thread that I was trying to portray.

Sorry for any confusion I caused. ?

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Rob

As an additional twist to this tactic, you could use Pathfinders and Coordinated Fire. You make the Planetfall on either turn 1 or 2. If you do it on turn 1, you make the drop on the vicinity of a forward garrisoning Pathfinder formation, then retain and use Coordinated Fire to activate all drop assets, with the PFs attempting to claim Crossfire. If use come in on turn 2, you just make sure to move a PF formation on the drop zone on turn 1. Using PFs allows you to attempt to get Crossfire, use two separate Moray formations to place more BMs and possibly you get to shoot at a broken formation.

Asura,

I like the crossfire setup concept, I'll see if I can incorporate it as I prefer PF's over the LV tetras all day long.

I'm not a big fan of two moray formations of 1 model, but two formations of 2 models is very appealing - LOL... probably won't fit that into my typical game though.  

My personal experience is, the morays break way to easily as single model formations and are always choice targets for the enemy. If the CF didn't work, I'd have at least one moray that didn't activate that the enemy could now harm if not destroy.

For the bigger games, you may be onto something... 600 2x moray +600 2xmoray +150 ship = 1350 still... (need a 4,100 point game +!!) I'd prefer to have +250 barracudas too = 1600 aerospace! (4800+ point game now!) Ulgh...

Now I guess I might go 600 2x moray + 300 1x moray + 150 space ship + 250 barracudas = 1300 ... that puts one moray at potentially a dangerous position... but that's at least a 3,900 point game... hmm... Still... a 4K game probably. :\ Well, if I play 4K plus games, i'll consider this for sure.

Until then, I'll definitely look at how easy/hard it is to set up the crossfire with the PFs. It still requires good drop zone placement, a good scatter of your morays if your PF's are dead on where your morays are going to land, and the enemy moving within range for you to set up crossfire... moreover, you are going to 'hope' your PF's don't generate blast markers prior to the ship showing up, otherwise, you are retaining with a 4+ to get them to CF with the morays as a retain!

Hmm... an awful lot has to go right to make this work out. I'll explore though.

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Rob

Boy I feel better now that the 'Cookie Monster' avatar is back, the smurf wasn't really cutting it.

Hey, I feel the need to do a three game Battle Report (vs IG, Ork, Eldar) to show off "The Way of the Tau" tactics report I have been working on.

Besides I need a reason (right Jaldon sure you do) to put together a three game batrep series now that I am back home again-again. (Hey I got back from the Islands, then Katrina and then Rita hit and I had to leave again-again)

JG could you post the maps if I e-mail them to you?(Please-Please)

Jaldon

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Brave sir Robin, when danger reared its ugly head he bravely turned his tail and fled, Brave sir Robin.

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Neal