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Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:44 pm
Posts: 1891
Location: Katy, Republic of Texas
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What they need is Fire Warriors that can actually perform their assigned role in a more effective
way, and possibly also an extra use for Markerlight units in order to accentuate the 'synergy' theme that
the Army Champions see as core to the Tau way of war.
I agree whole heartedly with this comment. I think the key to what we are looking for resides in the
markerlight itself, not the GMs. As stated earlier, GMs are icing on the cake.
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I don't see why +1 to shooting at a markerlit target couldn't be applied across the board.
2 of the most frequent complaints (and ones i have mentioned myself on several occassions) are that
Hammerheads and Tau in general are not as shooty as advertised or as they need to be if they're not to do
engagements and that HHs are much too expensive.
I definately like this idea and would definately consider getting some more markerlight bearers into my
list, rather than just spending points on more useful guns, if this was to come into effect.
Agree with this general concept as well. I will dig out some fluff from IA3 - Taros, but it was very
clear that FW's had to work in concert with HH's firing at dug in infantry positions in order to
advance. In essence, they fired until nothing existed, they didn't drive the units out in close
combat. We should explore our options in such a way as that is the guiding framework for our
solution.
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Markerlight synergy is a good thing.  It gives the Tau army a great deal of its flavour.
Note that units that carry markerlights that have weapons that "we" do not want to recieve a bonus could
be adjusted (e.g. Pathfinders you could simply reduce the AP values by one if markerlights were to give +1
to hit).
Agree that this approach is feasible.
Ok, now this is a wild idea that I am just throwing out there to see what happens so don't crucify me on
this..
What if we gave GMs indirect fire.  Adjusted all GM to hit numbers back to AT6, AP6, MW6.  And made
Markerlights give all weapons +1 to hit AND GMs an additional +1.
Although this is possible, it has the potential for radical impacts on the rest of the army. I would
prefer that we keep this in our back pocket for later discussion.
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Best shooting army in 40K" has always looked like a great FF army in epic to me too.
Many disagree of course.
Let's play the cards we are dealt. Revisiting this issue over and over doesn't move us closer to
the goal line.
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Early on in the list's development the list adopted a whole bunch of new units and weapons, that never had
a chance of getting models made for them, and which have plagued the list's balance ever since.
The major reason for them staying was Tau players being unwilling to buy Fire Warriors, so they turned the
Tau into some sort of tank based army instead. Until recently they had made up Skimming Titans too.
FW W40k have given us a very large and detailed pallette of units to work with, right the way from
infantry to the manta, with plentiful aircraft and vehicles...
I agree, but the Tau players kept demanding lots of new units, and that's what they got.
I disagree quite strongly with these statements. It was only natural that the boundaries for the Tau
palette of units expand beyond the original 40K scope of the Tau. The same comment could have been made
over the IG. At the time this version of EA was created, there were no 40K Shadowswords, Hydras,
Marauders, Bombards, Manticores, Valkyries, etc. in standard 40K IG lists. They were included to provide
spice to the IG. Yes, they existed as FW models, but they were not a part of straight 40K.
To infer that the Tau list designers (of which there have been at least 4 if you include JJ) have stepped
over some undefined boundary for list definition and that no other list has done that ignores what the rest of the races have done.
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Fire Warriors should be the mainstay of any Tau army...and should a good choice taken to fulfil AP duties.
And I would rephrase this statement to say that, "Fire warriors should be the core infantry choice"
Kroot, IG mercenaries, Vespids> ...and should be a good choice to fulfil AP duties.
I do not agree that the Tau are an infantry based army. Do they use infantry? Absolutely, but it is not
the be all to end all. The Tau are all about combined arms and there is plenty of evidence that they can
be heavily mechanized if they so choose.
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Entertainingly some stuff looks like shifting back again (witness complaints about Tau barracuda,
which could probably come down to 150 points for 2 or certainly go to 225 for 3, but still it seems a
bunch of people want to upgun it to its old self again).
The Barracuda was designed to go in light this round. It would be presumptious to assume that after
having cut it's strength, that I'm going to go right back to where we started. That would be a waste of
everyone's time. Let's focus on what we observe in games.
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Markerlights are the lynchpin of the Tau winning games in 40k. They can improve a Fire Warriors'
squad's to-hit chances by up to 33%, and can allow them to ignore cover too IIRC.
I could see Markerlight units operating in a similar manner to 'supporting fire' formations for the Tau,
as instead of them Supporting an Engagement with Firefight attacks, they'd support the Tau's ranged
shooting granting them +1 to hit.
Ie: Accentuating the Tau's ranged shooting, their Synergitic style, and importantly offering the Tau an
analogue to the Double-to-shoot-then-retain-to-engage tactic available to more conventional armies.
I like this description
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I was under the impression that few used them in 40k, though I've no idea if that was the intention.
That mechanic of having the ML's around to support is interesting. Currently they are used to call in fire
rather than support anything close by (with the exception of embedded ML's in formations so they fire
their missiles better).
However make them reliant on ML's and surely you have a one dimensional army? I'd like to see at least
three styles of playing them, similar to the other lists various builds.
1. In one of the more frequently seen builds, ML's play a large part in the army's effectiveness
2. Making the list dependent on MLs could lead to a one dimensional army. However, that isn't what is
being proposed. As E&C and others have stated, the ML "could" be used to facilitate the synergy that
the list is looking for.
I would like us to continue to expand on this approach. Perhaps come up with two possible builds and see
where that leads us.
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_________________
Honda
"Remember Taros? We do"
- 23rd Elysian Drop Regiment
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