Countering the new Tau

[job]

For the first time I've encountered Tau across the battlefield in four games the past two days. There are some things that are eyebrow raising, not broken, but shocking. Anyway, if it "broken" Tau can pretty much ally with everyone so we can all just go out and buy broadside suits as allies.

But, I think it is best for the gaming world if we didn't all surrender cash to GW for the newest wave of their high-priced toys.

So, my questions lie in how should players attack/counter Tau? And secondly, what are the limitations to the Tau codex?

There are limitations to the Tau, it seems. One, they are terrible in close combat. The kroot wilt, and the tau warriors can't strike back. Of course, it can be hard to bring the crisis suits into base-to-base contact.

It seems the Tau lack high AT in large amounts. They've got railguns at 8 and Riptide's gun at 9 on a charge. So how many players think using powerful vehicles would be a good way to attack them?

Also there are the battlesuits. They can dispense a terrific amount of fire with missiles, their two guns and the gun drones. They've got lots and lots of shots, re-rolls on hits, high strength to wound and they can fire in overwatch for units 6" from them at BS5. (I once took 21 overwatch hits when assaulting firewarrior squad. This isn't including the firewarriors.) They can also jump back in the assault phase making them mobile and pesky.
So, what is the best way for dealing them them? Long-range, high AP weapons? Fast moving units to get into combat with them?

Also it seems a way to counter castiling is to come at the Tau with ordnance.

What do you guys think?

[job]

Interesting ideas. I really like the 2nd idea because it is uncommon but very rational.
http://www.40kglobal.com/2013/05/14/howtobeattau/

[Primarch]

The same things will kill tau that always used to.
Heavy Bolters are very effective against fire warriors, especially those not in cover. Heavy Flamers are great if you can get them in range.
Against Battlesuits, Missile Launchers are aces.
Broadsides are still 2+ save right? Lascannons are your best bet.
Against the riptide? I'd probably be looking at plasma or melta weaponry.
With that said, weight of fire will bring down anything in the Tau book (except maybe the riptide). Battlesuits are just 2 wound marines after all.
Of course, cover, deployment, mission, luck and your opponent will all factor in, but really it is a question of finding the right tools for the job. Every one of their models you kill is a significant drop in firepower, and their squads are usually small enough that you can force Ld checks on them fairly easily.

That's just my thoughts, I haven't played a real game against a pure tau list yet.

Incidentally, why do the battlesuits have BS5 for Overwatch?

[Primarch_Vanguard]

They can have up to BS 5 because of marker lights and the pinpoint ability that states it can be used in over watch. Very nasty. And add on to that the counter fire system to give them BS 2 on overwatch and watch them mow you down.

Try lots of long range fire power behind an aegis line or a fortress of redemption. It's missile system which can be protected by a power field generator, will blow up those pesky broadsides effectively. Add to that the Icarus cannon and good bye hammerhead tank. And a nice model too! Between taking a land raider and this fortress, I take the fortress. Can't move but can dish it out. And hard to take down since it has multiple sections. Put a DA Techmarine on their with a power field generator and a devastators unit with missile launchers and/or a las cannon or two and GO TO TOWN! Also if you take allies, a Techmarine with a conversion beamer is pretty nasty if you need the long range extra firepower. Hope it helps.

[job]

The same things will kill tau that always used to.
Heavy Bolters are very effective against fire warriors, especially those not in cover. Heavy Flamers are great if you can get them in range.
Against Battlesuits, Missile Launchers are aces.
Broadsides are still 2+ save right? Lascannons are your best bet.
Against the riptide? I'd probably be looking at plasma or melta weaponry.
With that said, weight of fire will bring down anything in the Tau book (except maybe the riptide). Battlesuits are just 2 wound marines after all.
Of course, cover, deployment, mission, luck and your opponent will all factor in, but really it is a question of finding the right tools for the job. Every one of their models you kill is a significant drop in firepower, and their squads are usually small enough that you can force Ld checks on them fairly easily.

That's just my thoughts, I haven't played a real game against a pure tau list yet.

Incidentally, why do the battlesuits have BS5 for Overwatch?

Good thoughts. I'll keep that in mind as I play Tau next time.
As for the BS5, I meant BS2 (5+ to hit).

They can have up to BS 5 because of marker lights and the pinpoint ability that states it can be used in over watch. Very nasty. And add on to that the counter fire system to give them BS 2 on overwatch and watch them mow you down.

Try lots of long range fire power behind an aegis line or a fortress of redemption. It's missile system which can be protected by a power field generator, will blow up those pesky broadsides effectively. Add to that the Icarus cannon and good bye hammerhead tank. And a nice model too! Between taking a land raider and this fortress, I take the fortress. Can't move but can dish it out. And hard to take down since it has multiple sections. Put a DA Techmarine on their with a power field generator and a devastators unit with missile launchers and/or a las cannon or two and GO TO TOWN! Also if you take allies, a Techmarine with a conversion beamer is pretty nasty if you need the long range extra firepower. Hope it helps.

Yeah, I was thinking of doing something like that. Slightly cheaper lascannons, an auspex and I was thinking a librarian next to them to provide re-rolls.

So far I am hearing Heavy Support, heavy weapons and long(er)-range support options.

[Primarch]

They can have up to BS 5 because of marker lights and the pinpoint ability that states it can be used in over watch. Very nasty. And add on to that the counter fire system to give them BS 2 on overwatch and watch them mow you down.

Ah, I see, you use a few markerlights to raise the BS of one unit.

[Auxryn]

Also I must confess that I fired all the weapons on those Broadsides instead of just the high-yield pods. Overwatch only lets you fire one weapon unless you are a Riptide. Oops.

As always it helps if you know both your own and the Tau Codex very well so you can keep the game honest.

The Tau often bring such overwhelming firepower, particularly at medium and close range, that running into the guns, orky as that may be, is just not a good idea. Sometimes you need to play to the objectives and try to survive while sitting on objectives rather than just try to table your opponent. Some Tau units are very maneuverable, but the scoring ones generally aren't. A lot of Tau gun lines, particularly those based on Broadsides, are not very mobile.

It also helps if you are facing them on a battlefield with lots of cover saves and line of sight blockers and not an open field of grass with a couple of hills and a quaint cottage prone to structural collapse. If you hide objectives where you can stay out of line of sight then you force them to come dig you out.

[The Underdweller]

The reason my Broadsides had BS2 was that I had bought the Counterfire support system for each of them, which lets you fire Overwatch at BS2. Markerlights would also work, though!

As for how to defeat them, I agree with most of what everyone has already said.

So far I am hearing Heavy Support, heavy weapons and long(er)-range support options.

Yep, Heavy Armour (14 or 13) is hard for Tau to defeat - sure, there's Hammerheads, but it's a lot of points to pay for a once per turn shot at BS4. Having a few strengh 8 or 9 guns (non-hammerhead Railguns or the Overcharged Ion Accelerator) at BS3 tends not to work so well either. Deepstriking Battlesuts with Fusion Blasters (meltas) are better but still a bit unreliable.

Tau have relatively high armour saves, but not especially high toughness, and only a few middling invulnerable saves, so weapons that have good AP and/or ignore cover hurt a lot.

Also as Auxryn said having your own cover would help; our battlefield was pretty flat.

The Riptide is hard to take down, but it also tends not to do huge amounts of damage (unless attached to a Battlesuit commander with lots of overpowered upgrades...), due to it's poor BS, and in general getting only one shot per turn. I guess the best thing to do is ignore it, at least until the bigger threats are taken out.

[Konrad]

Sort of disappointing advice for us Orks. "Best way to beat the Tau, out shoot them......." That being said, I've always had fun shelling Underdweller with Lobbas. Not an ace unit, but cheap as chips. You can hide them and fire indirectly. Armies with real indirect weapons would have more options. More disappointing advice, "Out shoot them....while cowering like a Grot!"