Tau Dawn of War Strategy

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Thanks to Niatica for this.

When I play the Tau in a dawn o' war skirmish, I use my strategy, which is as follows.

1. As soon as you start off, get your drone building a kroot barracks, then make a new drone and start building a tau barracks.
2. When the kroot barracks are ready, make a carnivore squad. Add as many reinforcements as possible. Same with a fire warrior squad, then send them off to capture nearby critical locations etc. Start building a few plasma generators. Make the commander, give him a flamer.
3. Build a path to enlightment. When all locations nearby are captured, bring the squads back to base to guard it. Add a few more if you want to. Give the kroot a shaper, and the fire warriors a leader.
4. Make a squad of broadsides, and build a mont'ka command post. Eventually build a coalition's center, and make an ethereal. Send him to a corner of the map, out of harms way. Make body guards, teach mont'ka. Send a large kroot squad or two to capture a relic.
5. Build a few more generators, on a slag deposit if available. Build a vehicle beacon, and when teaching complete, make three hammerheads, then a knarloc.
6. Finally, collect the following units together:
- x 1 Greater knarlock
- x 3 Gammer heads
- x 2 Broadside teams
- x 1 Elite bodyguard team
- x 1 Builder unit

Then send them all off smashing their way towards the enemy base, capturing strategic points (etc) on the way (that's what the elite team is for), and the builder to build silencers. Then attack the base head on.

Victory!

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Comment made by thedestroyerofworlds on 14:17:26, 28 August 2008
Even if this tactic was possible it sucks really bad against anything but easy enemys. your enemy has any defence at all and you loose. and what about counterattacks?

Comment made by QuQu on 09:21:09, 18 August 2008
I have way better tactics: 20 stealth teams Commander Knarloc 5x Sky rays

Comment made by thedestroyerofworlds on 00:44:29, 2 August 2008
A) You can't have 3 hammerheads. B)You don't build kroot from a kroot barracks. C) Do you play dark cruisade?

Comment made by crothhaar on 15:57:38, 9 July 2008
you cant have a greater knarlock and a hammerheag or "Gammerhead" as the case may be

Comment made by trooperpaul on 16:22:26, 24 June 2008
you can only get 2 hammerheads

Comment made by insanetau on 11:48:45, 23 February 2008
gammer heads. gammer heads. do you even know what a hammerhead is? you can only get 2, and what about infantry? do you even attack with them anymore?

Comment made by Droids_Rule on 14:41:41, 18 December 2007
@Secataal: This tactica is incorrect whether or not you have the patch. You\'ve never been able to have more than 2 Hammerheads. Seriously, did the writer of this article even play the game first?

Comment made by Secataal on 04:59:40, 11 November 2007
u need to get the new patch, you can only get 2 hammerheads, y did u say to send a builder drone to the enemies base. If this tactic works u either play against easy armies or three year olds. By the way i think u need to leave at least one squad at ur base to defend it incase the enemy rushes u.

Comment made by Shas'ui T'au Kais on 05:32:43, 29 September 2007
Any tip is worth a go

Comment made by Argetlam on 09:38:52, 22 May 2007
this really is poor.the advantage of having tau is the fire power, not the kroot, so if u like close combat go with orks or chaos. and your tactic seems to be incredibly vunerable against deep striking units. when i play, i have 3 crisis suits, pathfinders, 4 squads of fire warriors, and maybe broadside. vehicles are hammerheads (2), knarloc, and the rest are skyrays. also, commander. this kicks ass at defense and offence. make the etheral last.

Comment made by Argetlam on 09:38:52, 22 May 2007

this really is poor.the advantage of having tau is the fire power, not the kroot, so if u like close combat go with orks or chaos. and your tactic seems to be incredibly vunerable against deep striking units. when i play, i have 3 crisis suits, pathfinders, 4 squads of fire warriors, and maybe broadside.
vehicles are hammerheads (2), knarloc, and the rest are skyrays. also, commander. this kicks ass at defense and offence. make the etheral last.

Comment made by Droids_Rule on 15:18:16, 24 April 2007
Um, first off, there is a limit of 2 Hammerheads, and in order to get Hammerheads you need the Mont'Ka Post. Second, you don't need the Kauyon post for the Greater Knarloc. The Knarloc is the Tau's Relic unit and you can get it regardless of your choice of Command Post. Finally, you can only get the Kauyon Post or the Mont'Ka Post, not both. So even if you DID need Kauyon for the Knarloc, you couldn't get the Hammerheads too.

Comment made by Droids_Rule on 15:18:16, 24 April 2007

Um, first off, there is a limit of 2 Hammerheads, and in order to get Hammerheads you need the Mont'Ka Post.

Second, you don't need the Kauyon post for the Greater Knarloc. The Knarloc is the Tau's Relic unit and you can get it regardless of your choice of Command Post.

Finally, you can only get the Kauyon Post or the Mont'Ka Post, not both. So even if you DID need Kauyon for the Knarloc, you couldn't get the Hammerheads too.

Comment made by Trash-Candle on 05:10:19, 21 April 2007
gammerheads? try reading your article when your finished!

Comment made by Fasorith on 07:00:31, 18 April 2007
and u can't get 3 hammerheads, only 2

Comment made by lightbulbhel on 07:25:42, 10 April 2007
Muffinstor Kroot carnivores CAN capture stragicic points but Kroot hounds! Besides thats not what you do with Tau. this is what you do: 1)Use builder to make a Tau barracks 2)make as many builders as you can 3) build a kroot baracks then use the remaining 2 builders to build path to enlitenment (when builder on tau barracks is finished make him build plasma generators) 4)Get 2 units of stealth suits get a leader and give them all fusion blasters. Start capturing S-points 5)Get a unit of fire warriors and 2 unit of Kroot carnivores with a kroot shaper in each unit 6)build another tau barracks and build listening posts on s-points/relics 7)Get a Shas O' and give him everything 8) build vechile beacon and make 2 skyrays 9) put all your units in to defence of your base(build alot more fire wariors and 2 broadsides then put in defence) 10) at path of enlitenment reaserch everything 11)build a Kayon' Post and research the teachings 12) get 2 Krootox & 1 Knarloc & 2 more skyrays 13)get an etherial and send him up with 3 skyrays (includes 1 hologram), 2 Krootox, 1 Knarlock, and your 2 units of kroot Carnivores up. put them all on CEASE fire stance until they get to enemy base then put on destroy building stance and Wolla you have a decent defence and a good attack force!

Comment made by lightbulbhel on 07:25:42, 10 April 2007

Muffinstor Kroot carnivores CAN capture stragicic points but Kroot hounds!

Besides thats not what you do with Tau.

this is what you do:

1)Use builder to make a Tau barracks

2)make as many builders as you can

3) build a kroot baracks then use the remaining 2 builders to build path to enlitenment (when builder on tau barracks is finished make him build plasma generators)

4)Get 2 units of stealth suits get a leader and give them all fusion blasters. Start capturing S-points

5)Get a unit of fire warriors and 2 unit of Kroot carnivores with a kroot shaper in each unit

6)build another tau barracks and build listening posts on s-points/relics

7)Get a Shas O' and give him everything

8) build vechile beacon and make 2 skyrays

9) put all your units in to defence of your base(build alot more fire wariors and 2 broadsides then put in defence)

10) at path of enlitenment reaserch everything

11)build a Kayon' Post and research the teachings

12) get 2 Krootox & 1 Knarloc & 2 more skyrays

13)get an etherial and send him up with 3 skyrays (includes 1 hologram), 2 Krootox, 1 Knarlock, and your 2 units of kroot Carnivores up. put them all on CEASE fire stance until they get to enemy base then put on destroy building stance and Wolla you have a decent defence and a good attack force!

Comment made by Shas_O Andrew on 11:02:43, 5 April 2007
Do you have any tips for online play?

Comment made by LordCalsius on 12:11:20, 23 March 2007
the muffinator is right, also you've written gammer heads instead of hammer heads :p

Comment made by B0ttinat0r on 09:13:37, 23 March 2007
BTW, halohog you can have a Knarloc with the Mont'Ka command post, coz I have done it :)

Comment made by [1shot1kill] on 17:25:48, 21 March 2007
There are quite a few mistakes here. First, and most obviously, you can only have 2 Hammer Heads at any given time. Secondly, Kroot cannot capture strategic points. Now, the opinions part (where I differ:) I think that if you get an Ethereal, using him to fight (especially with his Air Caste Bombardment skill) he is much more worth it. Also, it is better to spend the money (which you will indubitably have by that far into the game) to get another squad of Fire Warriors or Broadsides (or whatever you may need) than Honor Guard. Skyrays are really good, especially with their missile barrage. They are NOT overrated, they really are THAT good. You didn't mention Stealth Suits at all. Although I don't favor using them to attack/harass (even fully upgraded they do minimal damage, and I'd rather use the squad points for something else) but they are still quite useful. I use them to capture 90% of my strategic points at least, and usually use them to scout the enemy (especially early on) and hold choke points (to see if/when they come). On a popular map, Into the Breach, Stealth Suits are useful to put in the only opening in the map, so you can see early on when the enemy is getting ready to attack you and you can prepare your defences/launch another attack. Not bad, some of it I like but it does need some work IMO. Good luck!

Comment made by [1shot1kill] on 17:25:48, 21 March 2007

There are quite a few mistakes here.

First, and most obviously, you can only have 2 Hammer Heads at any given time.
Secondly, Kroot cannot capture strategic points.

Now, the opinions part (where I differ:)
I think that if you get an Ethereal, using him to fight (especially with his Air Caste Bombardment skill) he is much more worth it. Also, it is better to spend the money (which you will indubitably have by that far into the game) to get another squad of Fire Warriors or Broadsides (or whatever you may need) than Honor Guard.

Skyrays are really good, especially with their missile barrage. They are NOT overrated, they really are THAT good.

You didn't mention Stealth Suits at all. Although I don't favor using them to attack/harass (even fully upgraded they do minimal damage, and I'd rather use the squad points for something else) but they are still quite useful. I use them to capture 90% of my strategic points at least, and usually use them to scout the enemy (especially early on) and hold choke points (to see if/when they come). On a popular map, Into the Breach, Stealth Suits are useful to put in the only opening in the map, so you can see early on when the enemy is getting ready to attack you and you can prepare your defences/launch another attack.

Not bad, some of it I like but it does need some work IMO. Good luck!

Comment made by jbradlyn on 10:28:35, 19 March 2007
You can have a knarloc if you have relic the teachings don't affect that.

Comment made by railgun convention on 22:24:17, 18 March 2007
er, slight problem - firstly, you can't get three hammerheads in standard Dark Crusade (unless you forgot that you had some interesting mod that no-one else has) and you certainly can't take a knarloc with the HH - why? Brcause they need a KAUYON command post. Kauyon and Mont'Ka command posts just are not compatible... and then, of course, you forgot not only about the enemy launching a major offensive, but your attack team, as well as usually being impossible, is more of a raiding party. Not to mention the fact that stealthsuits can be very useful in all times of the game. At the start for rapid capturing, and in mid to late game for acting as spotters for FW and Broadsides. personally, i like sending in two HH with either a couple of skyrays or a hell of a lot of drones, backed up by a full complement of FW, and a stingwing strain too.

Comment made by railgun convention on 22:24:17, 18 March 2007

er, slight problem - firstly, you can't get three hammerheads in standard Dark Crusade (unless you forgot that you had some interesting mod that no-one else has) and you certainly can't take a knarloc with the HH - why? Brcause they need a KAUYON command post. Kauyon and Mont'Ka command posts just are not compatible...

and then, of course, you forgot not only about the enemy launching a major offensive, but your attack team, as well as usually being impossible, is more of a raiding party. Not to mention the fact that stealthsuits can be very useful in all times of the game. At the start for rapid capturing, and in mid to late game for acting as spotters for FW and Broadsides.

personally, i like sending in two HH with either a couple of skyrays or a hell of a lot of drones, backed up by a full complement of FW, and a stingwing strain too.

Comment made by webkilla on 14:45:56, 18 March 2007
ok uhm... first of all, your strategy doesn't seem to take into account things like, say... getting attacked or anything a good tactic for tau on the other hand is this: (can be used both in skirmish, online or in the single player campain) get a squad of kroot, FW squad and a skyray. 1) enemy is sighted - send in kroot 2) have FW squad and sky ray shoot at enemy squad 3) if enemy breaks kroot or if they just need a good final pounding, have skyray dump missile AOE strike on enemy squad to those not aware of it, the skyrays missile AOE attack has a big pushback effect, knocking enemy troops down, giving your troops time to relocate or just stop fleeing. this can also be done with similar effect with kroot hounds, knarlocks, vespids

Comment made by webkilla on 14:45:56, 18 March 2007

ok uhm... first of all, your strategy doesn't seem to take into account things like, say... getting attacked or anything

a good tactic for tau on the other hand is this:

(can be used both in skirmish, online or in the single player campain)

get a squad of kroot, FW squad and a skyray.

1) enemy is sighted - send in kroot

2) have FW squad and sky ray shoot at enemy squad

3) if enemy breaks kroot or if they just need a good final pounding, have skyray dump missile AOE strike on enemy squad

to those not aware of it, the skyrays missile AOE attack has a big pushback effect, knocking enemy troops down, giving your troops time to relocate or just stop fleeing.

this can also be done with similar effect with kroot hounds, knarlocks, vespids