1 Feb 2011

[Tau] Monday night anger

Got an annihilation match against Dan tonight, I won set up and got him to go first. Going into my turn 4 it was 6 points to 2. I pulled it back to 6-4 but gave up at the end of the turn. Long story short I'm sick fed up with playing against every army out there and watching them roll 2 saves everytime I shoot them. I hate that my army has pretty much 0 variety, I hate Kroot and their zero save."Oh but put some of them in cover"  Yeh awesome I'll then use 5 guys to protect or slow down an entire army between them. They're like using tissue paper to hold back a water cannon.

For now I'm done with Tau, the army is not getting used again till it's fully painted. Hopefully I can still be motivated then to still play. Heck right now I'll struggle to even paint them with the mood I'm in.  I remember when 40k used to be fun. All I seem to do now is put models on the table to then remove then as my opponent always rolls more dice than me, can get multi save regardless of what I shoot at them and I then can't do shit when they return fire. - Now I know people will blame the codex, but forget the codex. "Feel no pain" and any double save system... I'm sick fed up of it. As a Tau player you have 1 trick and that's to shoot things. When most armies can out gun you AND paste you in close combat... What's the point and where's the fun?   It's like being a one legged blind man in an ass kicking contest. Where is my double roll to hit rule? Can't I get army wide twin linked weapons?

This then set me off for a bad night on Halo as more than half the usual people bailed without even saying they wouldn't be there. All in all a really bad night, I wish I'd just stayed in and went to bed early.


11 comments:

Heretic said...

I'm sorry you had such a bad time. I stopped playing Tau for Eldar awhile ago and Tau can be up a creek against some of the newer codices. I hope you have some games that are more enjoyable soon.

Captain Yukka said...

I know exactly where you're coming from mate. My Tau haven't been out since about April time last year because of similar frustrations.

I was finding that the bigest frustration was how utterly unforgiving the Tau had become to play - you make 1, even small, mistake or the turn doesn't go exactly to plan that there was no way to recover.

All I can say is roll on the new codex, I may actually feel like I can play them and stand a chance again then!

Gredus said...

I'm not giving up on them, I just want to at least roll with a painted army. Getting my ass kicked and having a half painted army makes me feel like a big nooby mcnoob pants.

Tim said...

The light of the Tau Empire in fading in these outer reaches. Dust yourself off, Shas, and reload that pulse rifle...

I know what you're going through. But it's not a question of playing with a crappy codex, it might be your list. There are very few Tau army builds that work and if you aren't playing with them, it can seem like an uphill battle. However, those few army builds can still kick the pants out of a lot of armies, but it's important to remember that Tau are becoming a specialist army. By specialist army, I mean one that requires a certain build, certain tactics and very careful positioning. They require "micro-managing," and when managed well you can really make people cry.

That said, there are some lists out there that will just make your Tau lose. Blood Angels' Decent of Angels lists are a good example. With every trooper coming down via deepstrike with jump packs, buffed by multiple FNP bubbles and wielding meltaguns and power-weapons, your army just dies by turn 4. They cut through the kroot walls, shrug off the counter-attack, then charge your XV8s and it's basically over at that point. Mech BA isn't as bad because our weapons and move-blockers can keep them away. But BA jumpers just land, shrug off a crap-tons of Tau shooting, then proceed to disassemble your army turn by turn. Mephiston is also a major pain for Tau. But that's the only list I can think of that is especially suited to wasting Tau.

Before blaming the codex, you need to a good look at your list, and possibly buy more models (the last thing you wanted to hear, lol!). Tau Lists without piranhas and at least 2 squads of kroot are not going to work properly. It sucks that but thats Tau these days, it's an old codex so it isn't very flexible...if you're games are utter failure, you're either playing against that one list that built to kill Tau or your own list is not up-to-par.

This game sucked, that's clear, but you can take it as a crushing defeat or you can take it as a way to improve.

Chin up, dust yourself off, and get back to the training dome.

Gredus said...

I've spent today finishing off my Firewarriors. I got back to Scotland on Friday for a long weekend so I'm planning to dip into my old local Games Workshop to pick up some models (Pound Sterling is waay cheaper than Euro) 3 Piranha is all I really need, anything else can be assembled with what I have lying around. Considering switching the Hammerheads for Ionheads and SMS

Iggy said...

Chin up dude, you're simply feeling the push of 5th Edition vs 4th. Listen to the wise words of Old Shatter Hands however, take this as a way to improve. All-in-all, my best lessons have come by way of defeat rather than victory.

NockerGeek said...

Plasma. Plasma, plasma, plasma, plasma, plasma. Should I say it one more time? Okay, I'll bite: plasma. It wounds MEQs on 2+, ignores all armor, and, best of all, ignores FNP. Land a wound with plasma, and short of cover or invulnerable saves, it sticks.

Ionheads, on the other hand... I've tried them, they're not bad - they have good range, and 3 Str 7 AP3 isn't shabby - but it still won't get you around FNP, it's on a one-shot-able platform, and it means giving up a Railgun slot. They're not an optimal choice, but go ahead and try one out and see how it does for you.

Also, OSH is right - DOA Blood Angels is pretty much the anti-Tau. I have a friend that runs it, and I have yet to defeat that list. That said, I do whatever I can to make him fight for every inch of that table. I might not get the win, but it's a satisfying game nonetheless.

Rathstar said...

Regarding the ion head you must make sure you have your railgun count high enough. Having 2 ion heads would mean having only 3 railguns (and all of them in the same unit). You'd have to increase your anti tank elsewhere in the list. Pihranas would help (I haven't used them but people swear by them).

I second everything OSH said. You do need particular type of list. You can vary from it a bit to suit units you like or use well, buy too far and you suffer. For example I don't use pihranas, but I have to make up for their crucial role, by including a 3rd kroot squad and more railguns than most people.

Also at least 2 elites slots should be fireknifes. You need more shots than deathrains when shooting infantry, and the plasma helps with Feel No Pain.

Reflect on the game, think up a new list and tactics, then post them for us all to discuss.

Lastly did you opponent have any mech elements and did you reserve some of your easy kill points such as fire warriors ?

Rathstar

Gredus said...

I foolishly had the Firewarriors on from the start. That's because I knew turn 1 they were walking straight into the Pathfinder Devilfish. I tried to do an awesome rapid fire move with them but really screwed up and didn't shoot with them first. Oh how we laughed when Dan layed down the nearest guys to that unit denying me precious rapid fire.

If I was going to Ionheads I'd also add in the Piranha's with Melta. I have a list floating in my head but it's just a case of getting it down on paper/work/notepad and then working it out.

Gundam John said...

FNP is garbage. No argument there. Like Termies need more help.
At Templecon I fought a Deathwing 36 Termie army. I killed 20 of them.
The other 16 sat on objectives.

However, Tau get Broadsides. And Kroot Hounds.

Try this:

The problems I had at TempleCon was that I have no assault in my army.

Kroot have no armor save.
If I place my Firewarrior Gunline infront of the Kroot they gain a 4+ cover save.
Allied units, if the bases fit, can move through each others space.
Thus my Firewarriors grant a cover save to my Kroot who can then move out and assault.

(Unless my rules are wrong above) I place my Kroot just behind my gunline, allowing me to Jump-Shoot-Jump with the Crisis Suits over them and then assault out of the Gunline when the opponent closes.

Kroot Hounds are 6 points each with Initiative 5 making them the most assaulty part of the Tau Army. 66 attacks vs Anything? Something in the opponent's squad is going to fail a save.

Gundam John said...

Also, and Ionhead/Railhead requires Pathfinders to make sure it hits.

Use Pathfinders to strip off cover saves and hit them with twinlinked Broadsides instead.

Also, you can't FNP vs Broadsides.

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