My Ork Combat Patrol force got another outing last night, and the six Killa Kans, Big Mek with KFF and unit of 10 Gretchin completely owned a mixed Tau force, reducing them to only two models left when the game ended on Turn 5.  Boss Dredgob was pleased to note that he had only lost one of his beloved Kans to the Tau shooting, with another immobilised and down both weapons systems, but otherwise repairable back at his workshop.  He was also pleased to note the devastating effect on Tau troops of Grotzookas.

Sadly, I was playing the Tau

Well done to my wee brother, Ed, who played the Orks and all but tabled me   Ouch!  When are you going back to Australia, Ed?

Old Shatner Hands over at Tau of War has been putting up some interesting posts about getting into Tau recently.

What with talk of a new codex setting the internet alight (okay – gently warming it, at least), now is a good time to take the plunge and get the feel for how the boys in blue play.

Kill Team

The best way to get started in any army is with low point games.  GW gave us Kill Team in the Combat Missions book, and Nockergeek has a good, detailed look at Tau options here, along with a sample list.

Not having played Kill Team (apart from the 4^th edition version) I can’t really comment, but Kill Team looks like a lot of fun and with its low points (200pt per side) is a very cheap way of getting into a new army.  3 Stealth Suits, 8 Kroot and 4 Gun Drones would be a decent force, with plenty of firepower, sufficient numbers of models, good mobility and a good mix of models to help you get the feel for how Tau play.  Plus, you can field this from a Tau Battle Force.

Combat Patrol

But my favourite small-points game, and the one I have actually played, is Combat Patrol at 400pts.  Like Kill Team, the rules are simple, but the restrictions are fewer.

Being a low-point game, units that you might not take in normal Tau armies are a decent choice here, so – for example – a list like this can do pretty well and is the one I have been using recently:-

• XV8 Team Leader w/  Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle, Targeting Array and HW Multi-tracker (77pts)
• 8 Fire Warriors (80pts)
• 3 XV25 Stealth Suits (90pts)
• Piranha w/ Targetting Array & Fusion Blaster (70pts)
• Sniper Drone Team (80 pts)

Explaining The Choices

You don’t need to take an HQ in Combat Patrol, but since a Tau Commander is always 1+, you do if you’re playing Tau.  Except a Shas’el has three Wounds, and the rules for Combat Patrol have always excluded any models with more than two Wounds.  So I suggest making an exception and get your friends to agree that it is daft to expect an army commander to go out on patrol and use the XV8 Team Leader instead.

His weapons are designed to make him a threat to anything Combat Patrol can throw at you.  His missile pod makes him a threat at range and the closer the enemy gets the more dangerous he gets.  Keep him alive until he has killed what he needs to kill and then you can use him as a distraction to keep the enemy away from your firebase.

As for your firebase, the Fire Warriors fill your mandatory Troops slot.  They don’t have a transport, so you might want to give them pulse carbines if you want to keep them mobile.  I don’t usually do this.

The Stealth Suits are not a unit I usually take in larger games (unless I am playing my Shadowsun list), because I feel they constantly underperform.  They need to get too close to be effective, and are easily picked off by the enemy.  Plus, in larger games, the Tau need S6+ weapons, and not the S5 weapons these guys bring.  In smaller games, however, those S5 weapons are great against foot-mobile units and against AV10 or (at a pinch) AV11.  You have enough points left to take a fusion blaster if you like (+2pts).

Speaking of which, the Piranha brings some AV11 to the party, as well as a Fusion Blaster hitting on a 3+.  The heaviest armour your opponent can bring is AV12, and a Fusion Blaster will pop that no problem, but the presence of a fusion blaster on such a mobile vehicle that itself needs heavy weapons to bring it down can really help you control the table in Combat Patrol.  And don’t forget those drones – always handy for screening or cover saves.

And from Gun Drones to Sniper Drones.  Again, not a unit I usually take for a variety of reasons, but in Combat Patrol they can really shine.  Their rail rifles are the bane of all MEQ armies and if you set them up with a decent corridor of fire, those MEQs won’t be getting cover saves.  The added BS4 Markerlight is a real bonus at 400pts, and remember you can use it to boost any units’ shooting, not just your Sniper Drones.  Your Crisis Suit hitting on 2+ can really swing a Turn in your favour.

How It Plays

Like most Tau armies, it is not straightforward.  You don’t sit back and shoot (or at least, not just that), nor do you charge forward and assault.

The Fire Warriors set up with the Sniper Drones in cover, and form your firebase.  Pick your cover carefully – you want line of sight towards the enemy with no los-blocking terrain in that direction.  Ideally you want a clear fire lane with no cover in it, but rarely will the Gods of Terrain oblige, but with Sniper Drones you don’t really need cover.  They can set up in the open with the Fire Warriors behind them.  The Sniper Drones will get some protection from their Stealth Fields in Turns 1 and 2, and the Fire Warriors will get cover saves from them.  For added protection, stick the Piranha Gun Drones in front of the Sniper Drones – they can jump away to let the Sniper Drones get a clear shot and then jump back to give the Sniper Drones a 4+ cover save in the enemy shooting phase.

Then, when the Sniper Drones are finally assaulted, their attackers will be in the open and your mobile elements can finish them off.

The Piranha, XV8 and Stealth Team are your mobile elements. Position them so that any enemy who opts to head for them instead of your firebase will put themselves in clear line of sight of your firebase, so that your opponent has no easy choices.  Use your Piranha to menace enemy armour and create 24″ no-go bubbles on the table top, or to slow down fast enemy assaulters (don’t forget to drop your drones as a speed-bump if you do).

As an alternative, if the enemy is low on units and/ or mobility, you can set up two firebases no more than 30″ from each other and in line of sight (eg. the Sniper Drones on your left flank and the Fire Warriors on your right).  If the enemy splits, you sacrifice the weakest firebase and focus fire on the elements going for the other.  Once you have wiped them out, mop up the other contingent.  If the enemy focuses on one firebase, the other firebase is still within range to contribute shots, but will be safe from assault.

In all, you have a pretty effective combination of S5-8 weaponry, spread around your force so that wiping out any one of these will not wipe out your heavy weapons.  You also have excellent range, with most units able to threaten 30″-36″ and the others able to project a mobile threat radius.

The only downside to this as a Combat Patrol force is that there are two of the units, the Sniper Drones and the Stealth Suits, that I don’t think scale well and so you may find you stop using them once you build your army up to eg 750 points.  You can always bring them back out for Combat Patrol, though

Behold – 400pts of the first 40k army fully painted from start to finish by yours truly.

Introducing Big Mek Boss Dredgob and his Rekkin Krew.  Boss Dredgob had to leave his last few Warboss employers – usually in the middle of the night, loaded up with all the choicest bitz and gubbinz before the Warboss noticed his favourite battlewagon was missing key parts – and has now set up shop in the badlands, aided and abetted by his ever loyal, ever willing and ever-more-likely-to-be-strapped-into-a-Kan Gretchin.  Out there, far from the covetous eyes of his former employers, Dredgob churns out as many of his beloved Killa Kans as possible.  His dream, sent to him one night by Gork (or maybe Mork) – to see the badlands filled horizon to horizon by a clunking, hissing, gouting stampede of mechanical mayhem.

His dream draws ever closer…

I will put up a couple of posts showing how I went about painting these guys.  The Kans took ages, but the other models were very quick.  If you have any questions or comments in advance, just let me know.

(* unless you live in Glasgow, Scotland, of course, this is a complete lie)

“Captain Hawkes.”  The Judge Advocate’s voice was as solemn as the faces of his fellow judges and as heavy as the pall that had settled over the Court Martial when Hawkes had entered between his iron-faced prison escorts. “Captain Hawkes.  Your long and distinguished career may cause some present to disregard the seriousness of the charges laid against you today, but let no man here imagine I am among them.”  He looked down his aqualine nose at Captain Hawkes standing ramrod straight before the Breaker’s Bench, then glanced down at the court slate before continuing.  “Gross dereliction of duty.  Abandonment of post.  Misappropriation of Administratum materiel, munitions and manpower.  Failure to obey a direct order.”

The Judge Advocate shook  his head slowly.  “Before I hear your plea, just tell me one thing.  What could have possibly caused a man of your experience and accomplishments to leave the security of Forward Base Leonarca and engage with the enemy in direct contravention of standing and specific orders?”

There was no response from the taciturn Hawkes. Frowning, the Judge Advocate pressed the matter.  “On M39.88641 the Tau seized four of your men from a forest outpost.  Did you lead an unauthorised sortie against them then?”

After a moment, Hawkes shook his head.  “No, sir.  We had orders, sir.”

The Judge Advocate nodded.  “Indeed.  And on M39.88644 the Tau and their mercenary allies firebombed a convoy of eighteen armoured supply wagons.  Did you lead an unauthorised sortie against them then?”

“No, sir.”

“And on M39.88648, hit and run Tau units within the forests placed FB Leonarca under close-range bombardment for a period of eleven days.  Was that sufficient provocation to lead an unauthorised sortie into the woods after them?”

“No,  sir.”

The Judge Advocate leaned over the bench, his face suddenly flushed with anger.  “Then tell me what in the name of the Emperor’s left teat possessed you, at 0800 on M39.88656, to abandon FB Leonarca and seek an engagement with the enemy?”

Captain Hawkes was still for a moment, and then a sideways glance and nod led his lawyer to open a long kitbag and withdraw an item, which he placed on the scribe’s table in the centre of the courtroom.  It was about as long as a lasrifle, gaudily coloured and smooth. Flared at one end, it tapered smoothly to a small opening at the other.

A gasp rippled around the courtroom.

Captain Hawkes looked up at a visibly shocked Judge Advocate.  “The damned xenos got their hands on over a thousand vuvuzelas, sir.”  For a moment, a tremor ran through him.  “My men – they couldn’t last any longer. I – I had to do something.”

The Judge Advocate sat back, his face white.  “All charges against Captain Hawkes are dismissed.  Now,” he snarled, his lip curled in disgust,  “burn that thing.”

Lure Of The TauTauZela

IG Vengeance Sortie (Brian):-

• Veteran squad (10), 3 grenade launchers and Grenadiers (4+ armour save);
• Veteran squad (10), 3 grenade launchers and Grenadiers (4+ armour save);
• Chimera, 2 heavy bolters;
• Ratlings (3)
• Storm Trooper squad (5).

Tau Forest Patrol (me):-

• 10 Fire Warriors;
• 10 Kroot and 12 Kroot Hounds;
• 10 Kroot and 12 Kroot Hounds.

Both forces came to 400 points, and the game was played with Combat Patrol rules.  I would usually go with Crisis Suits in Combat Patrol, but I decided to try something new and (for me) unusual.  Neither army was tailored to the other, and I would up in the unusual position of having fewer KP than my opponent and more models, too!

(NOTE: Tau cannot take the 1+ Tau Commander in Combat Patrol, as he has 3 wounds)

Looking at Brian’s army, I realised there was very little I could do about the chimera.  I could glance it in assault, but it would likely tank shock my Kroot off the table.  I had to avoid it if possible.  The six grenade launchers were a concern, so I would have to spread out.  I decided that the scenario called for my Fire Warriors being the bait in a trap.  I would start them on the table and keep the Kroot in reserve, hoping to get them Outflanking and into assault asap.

I won the roll and elected to let Brian go first, knowing he would have nothing to shoot at.

Turn 1

I didn’t get a shot of deployment, but this shows the IG side of the table, just after movement.  The chimera moved 12″ forward, the storm troopers inside.  One IG squad moved up behind them, and the other stayed put.

Notice the ratlings, perched high on the ruin.

My Fire Warriors, who had deployed on the table out of line of sight, stayed put on Turn 1, playing their vuvuzelas for all they were worth

Turn 2

The chimera moved 6″ and the storm troopers got out into terrain at the rear, and ran around the side into clear ground.  They would have a clear line of sight on my Fire Warriors next Turn.

With nothing to shoot at, the Veteran squads headed for the ruins in the centre of the table, knowing that the Kroot did not have assault grenades (grr!).

Shooting from the Ratling snipers killed one Fire Warrior and succeeded in pinning the unit

The first Kroot squad comes in, sadly on the side I didn’t want them to.  Damned dice gremlins!  I position them so they are receiving cover from the woods.  Notice they are clumped up at the rear – this is deliberate to try and entice the enemy forward to get their blasts in range, or to entice them to target the rear with their grenade launchers and miss for being out of range.

NOTE: yes, the Kroot with tyranid arms are “counts as” Kroot Hounds.  The other squad has actual Kroot Hound models, but I think these ones really capture the Kroot evolutionary processes.

Turn 3

The Veteran squads don’t move, so they can shoot 24″ with their lasrifles.

The Chimera advances 6″, with the storm troopers in cover behind it.  Why in cover, since they have a 4+ save and I have no AP4 or less weapons?  Who knows

Shooting kills another Fire Warrior, although the snipers miss completely.

Both Veteran squads unload into the Kroot, all six grenade launchers hit, but with their 3+ cover save and wide distribution the Kroot take only one casualty!  Captain Hawkes starts to worry…

The second unit of Kroot come in, annoyingly on the same side as the first unit. They run an extra 3″.

The Fire Warriors climb into the ruins, to avoid being tank shocked.

They unleash hell on the storm troopers below, killing three. The storm troopers make their morale with snake-eyes, and laugh in the face of danger.

The first unit of Kroot move forward, but roll badly to enter the ruins and fail to even reach them. They shoot, but only three can see the Veterans. Nonetheless, they kill one.

Turn 4

The wounded Veteran squad climb into the ruins. They shoot at the Kroot, killing only a couple.

The other Veteran squad seek the cover of the ruins as well, but fail to get completely inside. They shoot, and kill a single Kroot. Cover saves are great!

The chimera rotates in place, and the storm troopers move up to shoot. They and the chimera unload on the Fire Warriors, killing two.

The Fire Warriors make their morale check and shoot back, killing both storm troopers.

The first Kroot squad move towards the ruins again, but fail to get inside. Opting not to shoot, they try for the assault, but fail to get the necessary 6″

The second Kroot squad move up 6″ and blast away at the Veterans, killing an incredible seven with their Kroot rifles! Only the sergeant and the three special weapon

Turn 5

A change of plan for the Imperial Guard. Enraged beyond human endurance by the sound of the plastic horns (and behind on KPs), they turn their fire on the, err, Fire Warriors.  Both squads move through the ruins into position, and they, the Ratling snipers and the chimera blast away at the brave Shas’la…

…who promptly go to ground. Despite the 3+ cover save, four are killed. The unit makes its morale check, and keep playing those wonderful horns.

The second Kroot squad moves up 6″, and gets all 10 Kroot carnivores within rapid fire range. Being too far away to assault, they unload into the badly depleted Veteran squad. 20 shots, 16 hits and a plethora of wounds later, the Veteran squad is gone.

The first Kroot squad move into the ruins and assault.

Ten of them get to attack and, even though they go last, slaughter the other Veteran squad for only two casualties back.

They consolidate to try and get line of sight on the Ratling snipers.

Turns 6 & 7

There is not much left to do. The chimera and ratlings shoot.  They get the Fire Warriors down to two shas’la, and they fall back.  The Kroot shoot back at the Ratlings, who go to ground, and with 2+ cover saves they are fine till the end of Turn 7.

The game ends 3KP to 1KP in favour of the Tau

Aftermath

IG

Brian brought the stormtroopers for their AP3 thinking I would have crisis suits, and they did very little for him this game.  The snipers managed to pin the Fire Warriors but, as later Turns showed, this was more luck than anything predictable with so few snipers in the unit.

The grenade launchers were a good choice, with S6 options available, but with the spread-out Kroot and cover saves, they didn’t perform well.

Brian said after the game that he should have focused on one squad at a time, and I agree with him.  I think he should also have made more use of the chimera to tank shock and screen his other units.

Swapping out the ratlings and making a few changes might get him one or two sentinels, which are always good value at 400 pts.

Tau

It’s not often I get to play horde armies(!), so this was a fun experience.  I felt a little unlucky with both Kroot squads coming in on the worst side of the table, but as the game showed, never discount the value of cover saves for Kroot.  Against flamers, however, the story would have been a very different one.

This game has reminded me of the value of Combat Patrol in letting players get experiencce with unusual units or playstyles, and we’ll certainly try and get some more games in soon – especially looking forward to facing Robert’s new Daemons and Orks

(PS. I actually like the vuvuzelas )