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Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:12 am
Posts: 2241
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Dobbsy and Honda, you got me thinking - E:A Stealth tactics.
Honda's Finesse comments are dead on IMHO
Your opponent's willingness to allows these stealth chaps to linger will be a direct result of how effective they are for you. If he sees them as little more than a nuisance that he doesn't have to really worry about... well, I feel sorry for him.
Bring on the GMs, bring on the crossfire, and start forcing indirect fire targets to move as opportunities present themselves.
However, the tactic will not be near that value against a player not willing to allow you to run all over his backside.
You will get to teleport, no question about that.
You will likely have a blast marker - unless the greater good is on your side. Odds alone say you should statistically always have one after teleporting. If you don't get one, look out for your next game where you may end up with 2 to balance out your odds! 
Once landed, you may or may not desire to put the enemy within your scout range. That's your call.
Now you have to win the inititiative. That may be a feat in itself. You will have to gauge your teleport deployment based upon the probability - or severity of the situation. If playing against Marines, Chaos, Necrons, or Eldar - don't count on winning the init roll off... Orcs and IG are another story - but nothings guaranteed even in these cases - so judge the situation accordingly.
I'd recommend having a clear cut reason for teleporting - prior to throwing them out to the wolves.
These opinions above stem from what I presently believe are three primary modes of operations for this formation:
1) Target elimination
a. markers
b. shooting
c. assault
2) Distract and Diversionary
3) Objective grab
1) Target elimination
This mode of operation has three subcategories to it IMHO. Depending upon your approach, it may be the hardest category to pull off of all three major modes of operation - but it may be the most gratifying if your enemy fails to deal with the threat, chooses to ignore them, or has a series of bad events affording you to capitalize on the Stealths location.
1-a. Marking is the easist, you show up via teleport, accept your blast marker graciously, and then the target is marked. With initiative in hand - now you can activate a fresh formation to move up and take advantage of the marks by your stealth - brilliant! I think this will be the primary role of the formation. You will have to consider such things as enemy overwatch and whether or not the +1 to hit with GM's on another formation is worth what will likely result in the sacrifice of the stealths, but you should be able to find the occasional use where it does pan out in the numbers. If you break that hiding artillery formation or whatever that's relatively easy for another one of your formations to break - now considering the marks - you may even risk retaining with the stealths to go further make use of them and activate before they are shot up or engaged. The stealths could serve as that last bit needed to put a blast marker on a broken formation for extra damage. This will have to follow a manouvre that already went your way of course, but these guys are not going to game breakers - but they may be able to nudge an already teetering apple cart situation [envokes Honda-ism]
1-b. Once landed, and with blast marker in hand, you may or may not want to now risk activation of the Stealths assuming you have the -1 to activate from the blast marker. The Stealths only have AP and no AT. So your 6-man formation will likely have 5 AP 3+ disrupt shots. Against an infantry target in cover (probably typical) you'll need 3+ sustaining and 4+ if you have to move and 5+ if you have to double (with 15cm guns, you may find you have to move unless you just are going to put them in harms way and go for broke!). With your 5 shots and assuming a 4+ to hit, that will likely result in 3-4 blast markers on the enemy infantry formation... Well, that's OK in some situations and probably not so good in many others. AGain, you'll have to gauge. If your enemy is kind of enough to leave his formation in the open and you are lucky and receive no blast marker rolls and get to go first in the initiative then at best you'll get 7 blast markers on the enemy if all of your models hit and you had no blast markers when you teleported in! (btw: you should go to vegas after that game!) So those pesky indirect firing tank formations may receive a blast marker from you - but your likely hood of breaking an unscathed AT formation is rather bleak if you do not call on your friends to use your markers - unless you wish to charge. Furthermore, your likeliness of utterly shooting down a significantly sized infantry formation in cover or with any amount of cover is also not very promissing - so shooting alone will have its uses, but not really the best use of the formation IMHO.
1-c. To engage or not to engage. Well, the FF 5+ first strike with 6 models will get you 2 hits before the enemy can swing back. Situationally, this may be of value to you. If they have an armor save or any significant number, what the heck are you doing? Chances are you will be going in with 1 blast marker on you and 6 models. So against an unguarded manticore battery, maybe it makes sense - but how many times are you going to get to use this against an unguarded artillery battery? Well, if you have a generous adversary - more power to you, however, many times the artillery will be guarded by at least one other formation that can lend fire. So is the sacrifice worth it? Your call. Typically, charge is not going to be the worlds best option for you - but situationally will have some uses perhaps. Later in the game when other formations can FF along with you, the Sleaths may have an advantage - but one wonders why the tau are so close to the enemy at that point!
2) Distract and Diversionary.
Distracting the opponent to go after the stealths instead of something else that's already on the field and that you know you need to live - there's a possible tactic to consider. Even if they do die, this can have value as something else lived or the enemy formation had to move to go after the stelaths and extend themselves, etc. Teleporting stelaths behind LOF blocking terrain but close enough to double or single them in to mark or grab an objective will make the opponent really question whether or not they need to divert some resources to deal with this new pest. If diversionary, you really don't care if they die or not straight away - your goal is to distract the opponent from your main push which you are trying to plan for elsewhere on the field. Mind games and bluffs are great tools IMHO. The stealths should afford such an opportunity from time to time. In the event that the initial telport does not alarm the adversary (silly enemy general!) Scout may even help you stretch out and further irritate the opponent if not provoke them into dealing with the scouts lest they afford the tau player a crossfire or marker light opportunity (see mode of perationer 1 above!). One could even talk up this potnetial if so necessary to get the enemy to 'bite' the bate so to speak. So head games and diversionary roles may be something to think about...
3) Objective Grab.
This one is obvious, if you think you have the game locked up but need one more formation to insure success - the teleporter may be relied upon. This means you go for 2-3 turns without these points in play and that in itself may be quite the risk, but you will force the enemy to now deal with the formation - whereever it lands if it will be the formation to put you over the top. The formation can break pretty easily so this will have its situational uses as well. If you are down in activations or don't have good field control, the chances of survival with the formation are limited at best. However, this tactic is another tool to consider. I know there's been more than one occasion where I wished I had one more formaton in reserve to help out a desperate situation, but I had all my points in play in those games already too!! This is a possible use for the formation though - if things are relatively in good shape for you already. If you are down and losing, its probably going to be of little significance.
Anyway, long post - but that's basically where I see the value in the formation. Situational and risky, but a trick to be used as opportunity is created or presents itself.
Cheers,
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Rob
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), but it could be capable of so much more.
). 
I'm sure others will look at such odds different, but that's just me.