7th Edition Tau

I'll be a monkey's uncle!  Here we are in 7E and every one's got an opinion.  I'm no different.

When you play Tau, you are going to be in a whole new world of rules soup.  Fundamentally there were some really really hard hits for Tau.  I know a few people who will shed no tears over that but I will submit to you that there's a lot that makes one reconsider lists.

Just briefly because I don't want this to turn entirely into just another rundown of 7E changes.  Lord knows there's enough of that.  Some worthy mentions should be made though.

In the Heavy Support slot, the Sniper Drone Squads no longer can pin the enemy.  With as many shots as they could unload, that is a bummer.  Daemonology has changed the world and almost necessitates a unit that can knock the summoners out early and often.  So I am wondering if, despite the loss of Pinning, Snipers might have become much more valued than before?  Its a give and take but if you play people who don't use Daemonology it feels like all give and no take.

A bigger bummer is Kroot who had the Sniper Rounds option cut in half in value by the same change, not that I used them anyways.  I know some of you did though.  Worse, the Kroot can now not charge on THEIR first turn when infiltrating, not even when going second!  This made the unit which is already not able to charge from outflank a real question mark again.  I remember thinking that they were utterly worthless when 6E came out after having loved them for so long.  The Tau Empire Codex brought them back to respectability.  7th edition has now clouded whether it is worth it once more.  Forcing Kroot to take TWO rounds of fire from the enemy before they can act is asking for a hell of a lot, even from an optimist like me.  Perhaps they make good reactor shielding still.

XV104 Battlesuits took a big hit on the Smash attack rule which now simply says you treat your attack kinda' like meltabombs, giving up all attacks for just one.  On the plus side, ALL attacks made by a model that has Smash are AP 2 so even normal ones are pretty darn good now and so Smash isn't as necessary.  But it's still a hit when you're talking vehicles.  The Onager Gauntlet gives you more than the XV104 Smash attack does.  Just saying.  If you thought they were a hairs breadth from taking LD checks in melee before, they are really in for it now.  Again, some people will be glad to see it, but it affected Tyranids and other armies also, which could have done without more nerfs.

The reality is that new opportunities opened up as well.  Supreme levels of mobility are rewarded in 7th Edition, especially in Maelstrom of War missions.  This will make battlefields and fights far more interesting than ever and in fact have for me.  Not only that but the vehicles that seemed so spendy before have now grown QUITE doughty.  Unlike some enemy vehicles, there aren't a lot of Tau who care if their Devilfish is forced to Snap Fire next round in order to dodge bullets.  That weapon is as likely to get blown of before it matters than to fire or do much that is useful unless there are a mass of them...  and whose making Devilfish Burst Cannons a "strategy"?  No one.

Night Fight was a non issue for Tau before.  Night Fighting is even tamer and easier to handle now for the few Tau units who didn't have Black Sun Filters, devaluing that war gear but not making it useless.

So as the changes have morphed the value of some units, I look to my shelves again for salvation and who will deliver me?

Who indeed.

Flamers took on a new aspect as they can now bake a unit inside an open topped vehicle.  It happens that Tau can take a lot of flamers.  Like 18.  Which is a lot.  This doesn't suck if you enjoy a more melee oriented Tau force.  Softening up the target is just what you'll need to do before charging in with Tau.

Screwing with enemy deployment got better.  The enemy Scouts that once could threaten your infiltrators now cannot in round 1.  So it gives you a chance to act without getting tied up and you can affect enemy deployment better for it.

Overall I'm pretty jazzed about the 7th Edition and how much it favors mobility.  Vehicles are tougher which makes Fire Warriors happy and the rules for being blown out of them are also VERY forgiving.  The Diamond formation of Devilfishes with a Fire Warrior vortex in the middle is totally viable and awesome now.  Better than Dark Eldar Raiders and thanks to Fire Warrior range, no less deadly.

Other thoughts?

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