The Tau, the newest race in the game of Warhammer 40,000. Background-wise they can go anywhere, whether it be masters of the universe or as extinct as the squats, I don't know, but at the moment they're here, and as far as they know, they're ready for the universe - but is the universe ready for them?
In this article I will be looking at the units of the Tau Empire.
First the HQ of the Tau:
| Unit | Opinion |
| Crisis Commander (O) | The best HQ choice for the Tau, highly mobile and firepower mad. The Shas'O is best given two weapons and a multi tracker due to his high BS. He is also very tough with Toughness 4 and 4 Wounds! Highly recommended. |
| Crisis Commander (el) | A nice runner up for best HQ choice. Still the same firepower and mobility as the Shas'O, but lacks the accurancy. If you low on points, a Shas'El will be a good HQ choice, but wherever possible take a Shas'O over a Shas'el. Recommended. |
| Ethereal (Aun) | A nice unit that adds a backbone to the army, making all Tau models (bar Drones and Kroot) more stubborn to morale checks, but at the cost of if the Aun dies, the Tau army may run away from the battle. Whether you take an Aun is up to you, whether the advantages outweight the disadvantages. Personnally I always take an Aun. |
Now for the main part of the Tau Army, Elites!
| Unit | Opinion |
| Crisis Team | One of my favourite units in the Cadre. Unlike other units which have set roles in battlefield, Crisis suits can be individualy tailored to each role. If you want Anti-Tank, Missile Pods and Fusion Blasters, if you want anti-infantry firepower, take Flamers and Burst Cannons, and if you want versatilty, take Plasma Rifles and Missile Pods. Which weapons you take shows the battlefield role. Personally I always use the infamous "fireknife" comfigation for its versatilty. |
| Stealth Team | Another favourite. Easily seen as a anti-infantry unit for its multiple Burst Cannon, but can just as easily take on light vehicles. A good unit able to stay alive with a mighty 3+ save and Stealth rules. Highly Recommended unit, but use caution on using these, a few lucky night fight rolls and you will lose the unit quickly. |
Now the mainstay of the Tau Empire, Troops
| Unit | Opinion |
| Fire Warrior Team | Whether I recommend this unit or not, you will need them, but then I recommend them anyway. A mighty gun for a basic warrior and a good 4+ save for a cheap cost of 10pts each leaves this unit a very cheap and efficentive firebase unit. Just avoid Close Combat at all costs. |
| Kroot Carnivore Kindred | The only Close Combat unit of the Tau, with Strength 4 and 2 Attacks as basic you can see why. But many use the Kroot for assaulting front lines, please do not, they are a counter attack unit, They wait for the enemy to come close then you attack! And while they're waiting for the enemy attack, they can boast their fairly impressive ranged weaponary. Recommended if you will use them right. If you do not take them, you will need more firepower to stop the enemy getting into Close Combat. |
| Human Auxillaries | A nice new unit for the Tau. Normal Guardsmen in the Tau Cadre, they do not pack a punch in the shooting phase, but you do get alot. They are also a highly versatile unit, able to handle tanks with EMP Grenades. Or even as a cheap meatshield. Recommended. Click here to get the rules |
Next, Fast Attack.
| Unit | Opinion |
| Gun Drone squadron | A nice unit, unfortunately I have little experience in the use of this unit. But having Pinning weapons and being highly mobile they can be a pain. Also having a good save will keep the unit alive. But be aware of the small unit size, they will not survive for long. |
| Pathfinder Team | Many do not get the best of this unit, I'm one of them, but I know how to use them. Pathfinders are a unit made to make friendly weapons fire hit with far greater accurancy then normal, sounds good? The one problem seen by other Tau players is the expensive unit cost due to the required Devilfish, I do not see this as a problem as it gives them much needed speed in mission like Rescue and Take & Hold. Highly Recommended, but will require time until you get the best of the unit. Another useful upgrade in the addition of the Railrifle, giving you a good Pinning weapon, but is best given the target lock upgrade as markerlighting vehicles means the Railrifles will also have to fire at the vehicle, which they may not be able to harm. |
| Kroot Hounds | Though not a unit in them selves, they still take up Fast Attack choice. Models from this unit are assigned to Kroot Carnivore kindreds, boosting the squad size. Hounds are cheap and are better at Close Combat then Carnivores due to the higher I of the Hounds, they also benefit from a special attack when the enemy retreats from Close Combat, nice! Highly Recommended when taking Kroot Carnivores |
Now the most important part of the Tau, Heavy Support
| Unit | Opinion |
| Broadside Team | The heaviest battlesuit of the Tau at present. Each fields a mighty Railgun making this unit very Anti-Tank, but they can also handle infantry at short range with their Smart Missiles or can crack marines with their Plasma rifles. Highly Recommended unless you want a mobile Tau Cadre. |
| Hammerhead Gunship | One of my favourite vehicles, having mightly think armour combined with the abiltys of being a Skimmer. Able to handle damn near everything with its primary weapon, either an Ion Cannon or Railgun. A highly mobile unit as well (especially with the Multitracker), it comes highly Recommended. |
| Krootox | Another unit that is assigned Kroot Carnivore Kinderd. A useful unit which is able to handle tanks fairly easily. Unfortnately many Tau players do not use the Krootox, as they take up valueable Heavy Support choices. I do not recommend the Krootox unless you have a cunning plan in mind (a cunning plan equal to a plan make by a professor fox from the universty of cunning!). |
Transports now
| Unit | Opinion |
| Devilfish | A nicely armoured and mobile transport with a good transport capacity. Armed with only a Burst Cannon and 2 Gun Drones, the firepower of the Devilfish is limited, but is recommended. |
Now the Special Characters of the Tau Empire (note: no Tau Special Characters requires permission to use)
| Unit | Opinion |
| O'shovah | A very nasty Close Combat master of the Tau, boasting a Crisis Suit and being a Mountreus Creature, he can be powerful in combat. Not used very much due to his high points cost and army affecting special rules. I haven't used O'shovah yet, but I plan to. |
| Aun'shi | Another Combat Expert of the Tau, but isn't as good as O'shovah, but isn't cheaper and doesn't affect the army selection. In addition of being good in combat, he also has all the special rules of a normal Ethereal, making him a good HQ choice. |
| Anghkor Prok | A Kroot Ambassendor to the Tau, a nice combat character, but lacks a power weapon and armour, but is made up by being a cheap choice. |
Well, there you have it, all the units of the present Tau units.
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