Tau. To many people, it's all about shooting your opponent until he or she surrenders. But it's more than that. A Tau tactic is a masterpiece of timing, precision and accuracy (yeah, right). But it's true!

Consider the following. You are playing against, lets say, Terga-Dare Eldar (Raymond's damn Eldar Craftworld). Do u know what will happen if you just sit back and shoot? Its only a matter of time before his damn Banshees come in front of your Fire Warriors and start RIPPING THE CRAP out of you.

So, to not get yourself ripped apart, planning is needed. The first thing you need to know about is your opponent's super close combatants, such as Howling Banshees or a Blood Angels Honour Guard. Then, you have to know about your opponent's super powers, such as Leman Russes or Wraithlords. Even though you might not know what your opponent might be playing, this is still important. Why?

Well, with this knowledge you can deploy your army in such a way as to counter whatever he or she can throw at you. One of the most useful weapons I've found would be the Seeker Missile-Pathfinder combo and the Drones (this might sound crazy, but yes, they are GREAT!!!). The combo is great for taking out the heavier threats, such as tanks, without actually placing much of your force in danger. The drones, on the other hand, provide fast ways to kill and PIN your opponent's infantry to the ground. Especially since they are independent in most cases, you can send a few to attack certain squads and pin them, leaving them helpless for at least one or more turns.

Planning your army correctly is also an important matter. Plan an army for all possibly races, not only against specific armies. One of the best, all rounder units would be the battlesuits. The Crisis battlesuit is great, as it is a fast moving, power packed unit. The Broadside, on the other hand, can take out bigger targets without wasting manoeuvrability.

In a Tau army, troops, especially the Kroot, are very important. However, I would not recommend taking more than 2-3 squads, or rather 30-40 men, because if you concentrate too many points on your troops, you won't have much to use on more important units, like Crisis Battlesuits. This might sound crazy, but it's the ONE TRUE TACTIC all Tau players use, even expert gamers. However, don't overlook their importance either. More men mean a greater chance of out gunning your opponent. One quick Kroot rule of the thumb: always take them (unless you're playing Farsight Enclave), and always take Krootoxes or Kroot hounds with them, since both are great close combatants, which is one of the Tau's vulnerabilities.

Always remember that Kroot, although many might find them pretty useless, are very important key components of a Tau Army. Their ability to infiltrate in front of your opponent's face is incredibly useful, especially if they are used to gun down enemy troops early in the first game. Always try to leave them behind forests, since their Fieldcraft ability allows them to see 12" into the forest instead of 6" if they don't move. Also, remember to take as many Shield Drones as you can. Sure, they can be very expensive (ok, not very, only a few points), but they increase your army's survivability.

Although this tactic might seem unusual and beardy, it is advisable to take A LOT of Battlesuits, as battlesuits are the only really well rounded units in the Tau army. Sure, they still lack the ability to actually fight, but they make up for it with incredible speed, armor, and most importantly, wargear. Stealthsuit squads are just as good, and if you are playing against troop heavy armies such as Tyranids or Imperial Guard, these guys WILL be a very powerful force. Crisis Battlesuits can be used for many roles, from tying up your opponent to blasting their vehicles and troops. Broadside Battlesuits are more of a Tank-busting type, used mainly to smash tanks into useless pulps of molten steel.

Above and beyond that (or rather what I can't think of right now), I will write about later on, as this article is what you call "an evolving article". Until then, au revior!

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