Recent News

The forums have had a bit of a board re-shuffle. The previously known "Off-topic" board is now known as "The Enclave" A few new boards have created as child/parent boards of The Enclave.

Along with this change, a new moderator has been appointed: elflord9d.

Top Five Tau Topics this Month
The reason why Tau are so advanced by Mathiyas
The Tau win Astronomi-con by Shaso Rama
A Cannoness is eatting my army by Shas'Bob
What's best to use against an eldar army? by tyrehire
Commander Config by Ironwolf

Top Three non-Tau Topics this Month
My new gaming table: A photo essay by Waldo_Pepper
Sept Coalition of Arthas Moloch by Shaso Rama
New Tyranids - What we [Witch Hunters] have got to handle them with by redbeard

Building a Tau Army, Part II by 42
After having built a solid combat patrol, with the options to chop and change, now it is time to step up to 1000pts. Firstly though, lets look at where we left off –

12 Fire Warriors, Shas'ui
Pulse Rifles

Devilfish Troop Transport, Decoy Launchers

10 Kroot Carnivores

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit
Twin Linked Missile Pod, Flamer

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit
Twin Linked Plasma Rifle, Flamer

So for expanding to 1000pts we are going to want a few more fire warriors to start off with, I advise another box full. Also, this army lacks heavy support, so that can be rectified with a Hammerhead Gunship. And finally, many players find these units the most enjoyable to play with, and they deliver results no matter the enemy – a unit of 6 stealth suits.

So in total –
12 Fire Warriors, - £18
1 Hammerhead Gunship – £20
6 Stealth Suits - £18

So it's all very well talking about these purchases; but how do we use them together and create a 1000pt army?

HQ –
For a beginner Tau army I advise against the ethereal here, he is vulnerable in your army, and with fewer bodies in 100pts, he can be picked out. Furthermore he is 5% of your army, and he can’t fight. Instead, invest 30 or 40 points more, and we can get a nicely kitted out Shas’el to lead your army and fill up a compulsory slot, acting in a very similar way to your other crisis suits.

TROOPS -
We already have our fast mounted squad and our Kroot. However generally more troops are needed as we increase the points, buying another box of fire warriors is a more than worthwhile investment that can be used straight away effectively in a nice 12-man team.

HEAVY SUPPORT –
I advise a nice versatile choice of the Hammerhead Gunship. One of the best tanks in the game, point-for-point. With the mighty railgun it can also function as a troop killer with a sub-munitions blast, or fire solid shot character/tank-busting rounds! With a few handy upgrades such as decoy launchers and a multi-tracker, it can also stay around for most of the battle!

Our final list: 1002pts

HQ –
Shas’el, Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle, Multi-tracker - 85

A simple but effective and versatile choice that will do you will against any army.

TROOPS –
10 Kroot – 70

12 Fire Warriors, Shas’ui, - 225
Devilfish with Decoy Launchers and Multi-tracker

12 Fire Warriors, Shas’ui – 130

Just more Fire Warriors really, a solid ground team that can be used as a lure and just provide a solid firebase. To read about the other choices see the last newsletter.

ELITES –
6 Stealth Suits – 180

1 Crisis Battlesuit, Twin Linked Plasma Rifle, Flamer - 60

1 Crisis Battlesuit, Twin Lined Missile Pod, Flamer - 57

These can also be used, both with the Fireknife combination (Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle and Multi-tracker, I just find this combination is more reliable)

HEAVY SUPPORT –
Hammerhead Gunship, RailGun, Burst Cannons, Multi-tracker, Decoy Launchers - 165

Happy gaming until next month

Brought to you by your friendly Aun'Ro'Elan 42

Fluff Feature: One-sided Battle
Written by: Farseer Tyross

The cackling energy arced across the battlefield, scorching a large hole in the side of the Leman Russ. As the gunners of the tank struggled to get a bead on the Necron monolith, the wall of steel advanced another step closer to the Guard lines.

Officers barked orders from their command positions, heavy weapons went off in a cascade of energy bolts and high calibre shells. The relentless horde of metal advanced another step closer, only to be met by a salvo of lasgun fire. Though few hit their mark and felled a Warrior, the Necron advance continued.

At last the turret gunner of the Leman Russ gauged the distance to the floating Necron tank, and as he primed the charge, another bolt of energy lept the distance between the two armoured threats. This time, monolith had hit home, and ignited the fuel. Flames raced across the metal surface, cooking those inside in a wash of heat and pain. Those closest to the tank erupted into panic as the screams of the tank crews ingrained into their minds forever. The Guard officers barked another round of orders, but it was fruitless. The Guard lines were shaken and finally broke as entire squads were obliterated in an instant as the Warriors opened fire.

The world of Volistud lay open for the advance of the Necrons once again...

Fluff Feature: Eye to Eye
Written by: MalVeauX

The landscape was desolate and bleak with the ash smell of war burning in the senses of all who took in breath from the charred environment.  Scarcely anything that resembled forest, civilization, thriving colonies or even mining sites could be seen as everything merely took a new shade of Grey on a moon that had little light left due to the immense ash cover in the atmosphere that blocked out the precious resource.  Such was a day in the life of a Shas'vre commanding his squad as normal against the Imperial forces of the Gue'la.

Awaiting the arrival of their Aun, the cadre was bunkered down very well while fending off strangled offensive forces that pressured them.  Obviously it was a ploy to keep them busy and alarmed while something else was going on, a back-plan so to speak, but allowing a murder machine of man to come into the defended territory could not be permitted.  The forces that treaded the lines were not of the tactical sort, but insane individuals, machines and groups of armorless peoples who simply roar and scream and all seem to lust for carnage in the most barbaric of ways.  The sight of these savage human creatures was disturbing to most Tau, but they accurately and proudly silenced their screams with pulse fire.

It wasn't until the ground shook that the Cadre realized just what they had become a part of.  The first machine burst through a charred building wall spewing flames from its appendages and had all sorts of wicked instruments that moved and hummed as it effortlessly crashed through all the obstacles without even slowing.  Immediately, a Fire Caste squad's pulse rifles were fixed upon this fast moving target, but only minimal damage was being produced.  As the Engine roared closer, the Fire Caste could hear the wails of a Gue'la that was strapped into the machine, blind folded and bleeding all over, with iron rods and cables and some kind of liquid being pumped to and from the body of the creature.  Closer and closer the engine roared, as the lines became uneasy with this new threat bellowing flames, until a Shas'vre Crisis Commander settled just off to the flank of it and secured missile pods into the side of the metal beast which caused it to lose one of its horrendous limbs, but it kept coming forward, unshaken by the blow.  It was then that the markerlights were fixed upon the wailing female Gue'la and a single Plasma Rifle silenced her moans causing the machine to fumble and crash into the ground, sending charred fragments of soil into the faces of the stead-fast Fire Caste.

It was their first Penitent Engine that they had encountered, and from the sound of the rumbling hum in the distance and the shaking ground, there would definitely be more.

Find more great stories here

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