Hello everyone, once again I have 40K musings. This time, I'll be doing something rather more pertinent that usual: a review of, as the title may suggest, the new Tau Empire codex! Without further ado, let the words flow...
(As a quick aside, I'm not going to include pictures of the book, as I'm not sure of the legal implications of photographing a book or its contents)
First up, presentation: The book, as with all of the hardback 6E 'dexes, is rather 'pretty,' for want of a better word. The art (particularly the cover) is, for the most part, fantastic, especially in colour. The hardback adds a measure of satisfying heft, though it does make the books harder to transport, as they are slightly heavier and don't yield. Some may feel that the latter is for the better, however, stopping creases and making the book survive a bit better.
The pages are well-laid-out, and look suitably high-tech. However, I feel that having illustrated paragraph breaks and page borders is a bit unnecessary. However, the background details aren't overdone, unlike the Dark Angels codex (which had the text overlaid onto an image of a huge Gothic cathedral).
So, in general, it's all very nice, and a well-crafted appearance, but most of that isn't really necessary.
Secondly, the fluff. There isn't a huge amount to say about it. It's worth reading through once or twice, but after that there isn't really anything new. There's some documentation of battles, almost all of which obviously look favourably on the book's subjects (the Tau themselves). Not much really seems crazy (read as 'Wardian'), apart from a case of Shadowsun destroying 50 or so tanks without breaking a sweat.
So, onto the real meat of the Codex; this is about the units themselves. This info is split over the forces section and army list, as usual. Now, I'm not going to go over every unit, but I'll look at a few stand-outs. Then I'll see about putting in a sample list.
As an army, the new Tau are very powerful at what they are supposed to do, namely shooting. There is definitely a massive improvement over the old Codex. I took Chaos Marines to the first game against them, and was tabled by turn 4. I really wasn't prepared for some of the points drops, and my opponent's 1250-point army was bigger than his 1500 list in the last book. The army works very well, laying on pressure. Target priority, however, is definitely key. I'd say they are good in the right hands, though first-time players may find that they take some getting used to.
So, here's my list of stand-out. Please note that I'm not a Tau player myself, though I do face them across the table very frequently, so I have a 'refined outside perspective,' one could say.
H.Q:
Cadre Fireblade:
One of the Tau's shiny new toys, I feel the Fireblade is definitely worth a look. He's cheap, has 3 wounds, and a set of rather good special rules. Volley Fire can allow Fire Warriors to take chunks out of anything in 15", as it gives an extra shot to all Pulse weapons. That's 3 shots each when rapid-firing. However, they do have to stay still, so there is a downside. He also comes with a markerlight as standard, meaning that he can call in Seeker missile support. In conjunction with Split Fire, he can take out a heavy threat to the unit (think Dreadnoughts and the like), while they FWs keep on frying enemy infantry.
Commander Farsight:
Farsight is mostly notable for being a strange addition. He is a very good close combat character, in an all-shooting book. He has an AP2 sword (that isn't Unwieldy!), and a powerful statline. Most other books will envy him, particularly Loyalist Marine variants. The Dark Angel's only comparable character, Sammael, costs a lot more points, and Chaos Marines have to pump a lot into a Lord with even close to equivalent wargear.
Battlesuit Commander:
The humble XV8 Commander is actually more expensive in the current edition. However, he has access to Signature Systems, as well as an extra weapon or support mount, allowing you to tailor him to suit your needs. There's not really much else to say. I feel that it's worth putting a few points into an Iridium Battlesuit for the 2+ save, but otherwise the loadout is really up in the air. Against mech lists, you can do worse that twin-linked Fusion Blasters and a Shield Generator, while against hordes a Flamer and Burst Cannon loadout might perform better. He is far and away the most flexible unit in the book. I might go as far as to say the most flexible HQ in the game. With the new Onager Gauntlet, he can even do CC, replacing his normal attacks with a crushing Strength 10 AP1 blow!
Troops:
Fire Warriors:
Ever a mainstay of the Tau army, Fire Warriors are still as good as ever. They're now cheaper, with defensive grenades as standard. They also have access to EMPs to tackle vehicles, though these seem a bit overpriced to me. There's not a huge amount more to say, other than 'use them.'
Kroot Carnivores:
The only other Troops unit, the Kroot are still a worthy addition to an army. It is true that they are now awful in combat, however they now have access to Sniper rounds. These, in my opinion, are utterly essential. at only 140 points for 20 Kroot with snipers, there's really not reason not to run a squad of these.
Elites:
XV104 Riptide:
The Tau Empire's obligatory massive kit, the Riptide isn't just for show. It is incredibly powerful against almost anything, able to slaughter heavy infantry with its Ion Accelerator, tanks with Fusion Blasters, and it doesn't die the moment a Tactical Marine moves within a metre of it. Again, I really don't have a lot to say about them Very little compares to them in sheer fire-power, survivability or manoeuvrability. Really, at least one of these is essential to a Tau army.
Fast Attack:
The Flyers:
The new flyers have received their fair share of Internet hate, though I feel it is mostly unjustified. The Razorshark isn't terribly good, but it has it's niche. Really, I wouldn't ever fire the turret un-overcharged. However, the template can wreck most Xenos formations, even if it does leave something to be desired against power armour.
The Sun Shark, however, seems really rather good. The pulse bombs aren't breaking any boundaries, but they can break up hordes with ease, and can be used more than once. However, in the cost of this flyer, you get the rather nice Interceptor Drones. Each has a power Ion weapon, with the pair of these being essentially the same as the Razorshark's Quad-Ion turret. They also have Skyfire and Interceptor, a well-liked pair of rules for reasons that should be obvious.
Heavy Support:
XV88 'Broadside' Battlesuit:
Benefiting from a rather nice new model, as well as overhauled rules, the Broadside suits seem to have a whole new application. They lose 2 points of Strength on their main gun, the Heavy Rail Rifle. Access to the Velocity Tracker for Skyfire seems to really make the Broadside suits, though. As a highly durable anti-air and armour platform, it's hard to better than a Broadside or two. I personally feel that the high-yield missile pod isn't really worth it, considering that they already have Smart Missiles, though I am sure someone will find cause to disagree.
Sample List:
Bearing in mind everything I've written about in this article, here's my first attempt at a 1250-point list:
H.Q: 230
Battlesuit Commander: 170
Iridium Battlesuit
Puretide Engram Neurochip
Plasma Rifle
Fusion Blaster
Stimulant Injector
Cadre Fireblade: 60
Troops: 500
Fire Warrior Team: 90
+4 Fire Warriors
Fire Warrior Team: 90
+4 Fire Warriors
Fire Warrior Team: 90
+4 Fire Warriors
Pulse Carbines
Fire Warrior Team: 90
+4 Fire Warriors
Pulse Carbines
Kroot Carnivores: 140
+10 Kroot
Sniper Rounds
Elites:
XV104 Riptide: 185
Ion Accelerator
Fast Attack:
Sun Shark Bomber: 165
Twin-Linked Missile Pod
Heavy Support:
XV88 Broadside Team: 170
+1 Broadside
2 Velocity Trackers
TOTAL: 1250 points.
Feel free, as ever, to comment or discuss! The Dark Angels tactica that I mentioned last time is still on the way, so never fear! Happy Hobbying!
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