Feast of Blades list, Tau & GK allies.

[Sir_Prometheus]

From my blog: http://prometheusatwar.com/2012/09/feast-of-blades-list-tau-gk-allies/

Been a while since I’ve posted (~2weeks) and I’ve been thinking over a few things. I’ve qualified for the Feast of Blades in Denver, and lists are due Oct 1st, so, enough procrastinating. This is the list I’ve been working with for maybe a month now (before Tau vehicles got a 3+ cover save, 2+ when turbo-boosting, so that’s all Gravy now) and it’s been working pretty well.

Basic idea is that the Shas’El goes on top of the Bastion, with the pathfinders, and mans the Icarus Lascannon. Broadsides go inside, so we have a nice, fairly nasty fire base there with cover on the battlements and AV 14.

Purifiers rush up (18″) to midfield and just sit there in their rhino as a deterent with 8 psycannon shots, and happy enough to assault you if you ask for it.

Coteaz goes with GKSS and they move up the field on foot behind the purfiers acting as the main Dakka unit, with Coteaz using Divination and Precience on them.

Psykers move up however far is required to get within 36″, drop Str 8 AP1 pieplates.

Tau Firewarriors get in their Devil Fish (steal one from pathfinders) and probably don’t really get out until last turns, just scooting around with a 3+ or 2+ cover save as required.

Hammerheads do their thing, mostly their for the pie plates.

Dreadknight is there for disruption, counter-attack, and just outright breaking units when required.

Thoughts on the list:

Anti-tank: I feel pretty solid. I have 5 Railt guns and the icarus lascannon available for first turn initial strike, a strength 8 Ap 1 large blast, 4 psycannons that should be in play turn 2+, and many str 5 shots. Hopefully the hammherheads won’t be needed for their anti-tank and can be left for pie plates, but they’re there if needed.

Anti-horde: Super solid. 3 pie plates (2 str 6 and 1 str , the Heavy incinerator off the Dread knight, Cleansing Flame if required from the purifiers (I think not) and lots of Dakka.

Durability: Great. AV14 bastion (vulnerable to Railguns, Lances, and deepstruck Meltas, but that’s about it). 2 Av 13, 2 AV 12 (which should have 3+ saves) vehoicles. Weakspots are the rhinos, easy first turn kill sif I’m not careful.

Mobility: Descent. 4 transports, GKSs can deepstrike if they want to (probably will not) and NDK can be wherever it wants to. (but will almost certainly make itself a big fat target)

Scoring: This is what I’m worried about. I have 4. The GKSS are 10 strong and tough, but they’re walking and can get shot up if the opponent makes a goal out of it. The FW will be pretty hard to kill inside their 2+ DFs, but accidents happen, and there’s only 6 in each. I wanted to do a big squad of 12 but didn’t know what to give up. Psykers are scoring, technically, but are very delicate. So, 3 of those scorers really, really don’t want to get out of their vehicle until the last minute, and truth is the psykers rhino will probably be shot out form under them, anyway.

If it’s nightfight first turn, things are going very well for me!

Thoughts?

2000 Pts – Tau Empire Roster – Matt Bennett, FoB list 2012

Total Roster Cost: 1998


HQ: Commander Shas’el (1#, 85 pts)

1 Commander Shas’el, 85 pts = (base cost 50 + Hard-wired Multi-tracker 5 + Hard-wired Target Lock 5 + Missile Pod 12 + Blacksun Filter 3 + Targeting Array 10)

Troops: Fire Warrior (9#, 145 pts)

6 Fire Warrior, 60 pts = 6 * 10

1 Devilfish, 85 pts = (base cost 80 + Disruption Pod 5)

Troops: Fire Warrior (6#, 60 pts)

6 Fire Warrior, 60 pts = 6 * 10

Heavy Support: Broadside Battlesuit (3#, 223 pts)

1 Broadside Battlesuit, 73 pts = (base cost 70 + Blacksun Filter 3)

2 Broadside Battlesuit, 150 pts = 2 * 75 (base cost 70 + Target Lock 5)

Heavy Support: Hammerhead Gunship (1#, 175 pts)

1 Hammerhead Gunship, 175 pts = (base cost 90 + Railgun 50 + Two Burst Cannons 10 + Disruption Pod 5 + Multi-Tracker 10) + Blacksun Filter 5 + Target Lock 5

Heavy Support: Hammerhead Gunship (1#, 175 pts)

1 Hammerhead Gunship, 175 pts = (base cost 90 + Railgun 50 + Two Burst Cannons 10 + Disruption Pod 5 + Multi-Tracker 10) + Blacksun Filter 5 + Target Lock 5

Fast Attack: Pathfinder (9#, 157 pts)

6 Pathfinder, 72 pts = 6 * 12

1 Devilfish, 85 pts = (base cost 80 + Disruption Pod 5)

: Imperial Bastion (6#, 110 pts)

1 Imperial Bastion, 75 pts

1 Gun Emplacement, 35 pts = (base cost 0 + Icarus Lascannon 35)

HQ: Inquisitor Coteaz (1#, 100 pts)

1 Inquisitor Coteaz (HQ) [GK], 100 pts

Troops: Grey Knight Strike Squad (10#, 240 pts)

1 Grey Knight Strike Squad (Troops) [GK], 20 pts + Psybolt Ammunition 20

1 Justicar [GK], 20 pts

7 Grey Knights [GK], 140 pts = 7 * 20

2 Grey Knights [GK], 60 pts = 2 * 30 (base cost 20 + Psycannon 10)

Troops: Inquisitorial Henchmen Warband (8#, 104 pts)

1 Inquisitorial Henchmen Warband (Troops) [GK], 0 pts

6 Psyker [GK], 60 pts = 6 * 10

1 Warrior Acolyte [GK], 4 pts

1 Rhino [GK], 40 pts

Heavy Support: Nemesis Dreadknight (1#, 235 pts)

1 Nemesis Dreadknight (Heavy) [GK], 235 pts = (base cost 130 + Personal Teleporter 75 + Heavy Incinerator 30)

Elite: Purifier Squad (6#, 189 pts)

1 Purifier Squad (Elite) [GK], 0 pts

1 Knight of the Flame [GK], 26 pts = (base cost 24 + Nemesis Force Halberd 2)

2 Purifier [GK], 68 pts = 2 * 34 (base cost 24 + Psycannon 10)

1 Purifier [GK], 26 pts = (base cost 24 + Nemesis Force Halberd 2)

1 Purifier [GK], 29 pts = (base cost 24 + Nemesis Daemonhammer 5)

1 Rhino [GK], 40 pts

Validation Report:

c-1. File Version: 1.07 For Bug Reports/www.ab40k.org; b-1. Roster Options: Named or Special Characters; a-1. Scenario: Normal Mission; 1. Enclaves: Tau Empire; b-2. Levels of Alliance: Allies of Convenience

Roster satisfies all enforced validation rules

Composition Report:

HQ: 1 (1 – 2)

Elite: 0 (0 – 3)

Troops: 2 (2 – 6)

Fast: 1 (0 – 3)

Heavy: 3 (0 – 3)

Fort: 1 (0 – 1)

[Tharcil]

Interesting list, and the Tau/GK combo is interesting.  I don't have enough experience playing GK to comment against any of this, but will ask some questions to at least make you validate how well things fit, and at the same time educate me.

I guess to start I would say, what are GK adding to Tau that another army wouldn't compliment them better?  For example I find adding Orks or Blood Angels work better with Tau.  In the case of the Orks, your brining more bodies to take the punishment that the rest of your list can't afford to do.  There aren't enough troops with the Tau to take much damage, and the broadsides and pathfinders getting taken out early can really cripple your game play.  I know that the Bastion helps with the survivability, but the results of the bastion getting popped can be pretty brutal to anything on top or inside.

Dreadknight is another interesting addition that I just need to you to explain to me how it fits in, because I don't get it at all.  (not saying it is a bad choice, I don't see them enough to recognize how it fits in).

The only thing about GK that I like right off the bat is the Psyker squads.  The AP 1 pie plates are a definite inclusion. I think you can get the same effect though from another ally.  Any of the marines can take vindicators, Guard can take psykers as well and deliver a lot more scoring units for you at the same time.

Now looking at the Tau choices, I can comment on with a bit more knowledge.  Hammerheads for me are never as good as more broadsides.  They draw fire too easily and even with the disruption pod saves, I would prefer the reliability of some shield drones with the suits in ruins. 

The other concern is scoring units.  The 2+ cover on the fish is great, but again much like with the hammerheads you're putting faith in the dice, rather than increasing your chances by having more models with more wounds.  You could all to easily get one really bad game, losing the devilfish and hammerheads early to an opponents lucky shots.  With more and bigger fire warrior squads I think you have a nice cushion for the occasional unlucky rolling streaks.

Just a few thoughts, let me know if any of this is useful and I'd love to hear more about how GK integrate with the Tau for you.

[Sir_Prometheus]

GK hold middle ground, that's what they excel at.  I agree that Orks are very good ally, but I don't want to paint orks, so.......

Blood angels, no I don't see it.  SW maybe, if that's the sort of thing you're looking for.  But I'm a GK player so I have the models and I like them.

Dreadkngiht is primarily a disruption unit.  Run forward, make people deal with it.  The torrent flamer is also really really useful.  It's been working pretty well in that role.

Hammerheads for me are never as good as more broadsides.

I could not disagree in stronger terms.  Broadsides can essentially only do one thing: kill vehicles.  What do you do once all the tanks are dead?  You no longer see 9+ tanks like you did in 5th. Hammerheads have far more utility, and yeah, the 3+ save is pretty sweet, broken even.  AV13 is pretty tough. 

The only thing about GK that I like right off the bat is the Psyker squads.  The AP 1 pie plates are a definite inclusion. I think you can get the same effect though from another ally.  Any of the marines can take vindicators, Guard can take psykers as well and deliver a lot more scoring units for you at the same time.

Heh, ironically I wound up ditching the psykers.  They just never did anything, failed their lead check or whatever too many times.  And as troops they are too delicate.  I wound up ditchign the purifiers and psykers for a second GKSS squad in a rhino.