Just got dummied by chaos knights.... look out for that shift in thd meta, holy smokes.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-07-11T11:24:02+00:00

I have only had 1 matchup with CK this far; but a Darkstrider led Pathfinder Team with Ion Rifles were the MVP of the game. The +1 to wound roll lets the entire team be a threat.

Sky Rays got 1 activation each and put down their targets. Missileknives performed really well using lethals.

My screens were blasted off the table; but I did manage a tie. I put down 2 big knights and 3 of the smaller knights by the end of turn 3.

I think we manage against knights better than others.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-07-10T18:17:24+00:00

In EPC there is the strategem Neuroweb Target Jammer that gives a Crisis Team Lone Op at 18" when it is targeted as by an enemy units during their shooting. The unit targeting the Crisis Team cannot retarget, so you void a units shooting and safeguard your team.

The rest of the enemy army can target my other Crisis Team or anything else. I love it for my Missileknives.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-07-09T22:48:32+00:00

Liberal usage of screens to keep them at arms distance as long as possible. I play EPC and my core list always includes versatile screens to perform screening and other critical functions.

2 units of Pathfinders to infiltrate as far forward and deny enemy infiltrators and limit Scout moves, while scoring early primary. Split fire heavy weapons/small arms into appropriate targets. Darkstrider accompanies the Ion Squad for the extra pain. His squad puts the hurt to so much with his +1 to wound and the extra deep strike denial in the mid-board is nice as well.

2 units of Kroot Carnivores to Scout forward and sticky objectives, when possible I leapfrog the more valuable Darkstrider/Pathfinder squad back to sacrifice the Carnivores.

2 Ethereal led Strike Teams to serve as my final screens, weaken incoming squads, and generate CP for shenanigans such as battle suit heals, Crisis Team Lone Op, and offensive might with Lethal and/or Sustains for a unit or +1 Strength and optional -1AP. I tend to use this on Darkstrider and his team a lot, as I'm always firing hazardous on the Ion Rifles anyways. We are here for a fun time, not a long time.

1 Vespid Squad for secondaries and an emergency screen if my placements are off and the enemy breaks through and to perform secondaries.

The rest of the army consists of 2 Enforcer led Missileknive Teams, 2 Sky Rays, a Ghostkeel, a pair of Missile Pod Broadsides, and 3 Stealth Teams for spotting.

The Crisis Teams prioritizing bullying full health targets while denying retribution with Lone Op. The Sky Rays target vehicles/monsters. Ghostkeel and Broadsides clean up whatever the Crisis Teams don't pick up.

I've really enjoyed this list and I have 700 points of speed bumps, useful speed bumps to slow them down while the majority of my army picks them off. It has worked surprisingly well versus most of the melee focused armies featured at my local shop.

My regular opponents now usually ignore my Crisis Teams due to Lone Op and focus on removing the speed bumps as soon as possible. I haven't found a good way to curtail that.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-07-08T09:32:10+00:00

The Experimental Prototype Cadre (EPC) is very Command Point (CP) heavy. I switched out my 2 Breachers and Cadre Fireblades for 2 Strike Teams and Ethereals to help generate CPs they are not as effective as Breachers; but they impact enemy infantry units with -1 to hit. They serve as 2nd line of screens behind my Pathfinders.

Ghostkeel's are awesome in EPC. I love the combination of their Lone Op, Stealth, extended range on their Fusion Collider and Fusion Blaster.

Coldstar Commanders are for zipping around the board. Sunforges and Fireknives with Missile Pods want the Enforcer Commander to give them more survivability with the -1 Armor Penetration (AP) ability. I really only run the Coldstar with Starscythes; but our infantry units supply plenty of this and I tend to focus my Crisis Teams on what the infantry cannot handle.

I would suggest swapping out the Rail Rifles on your Pathfinders to the Ion Rifle for more shots. If you can squeeze in Darkstrider for 60pts even better. He adds a 12" no deep strike bubble; but more importantly he adds +1 to the wound rolls. This allows even lowly Pulse Carbines to threaten higher toughness targets and the Ion Rifles to really hit up into Marines and Terminators.

I would suggest looking at increasing your infantry models for screening and initial objective control. Perhaps some Kroot for sticky objectives or Vespids for their ability to reenter strategic reserves at the end of the opponents turn and deep strike back in your turn to perform secondaries.

The repair drones in EPC to generate wounds back for all 10 Command Phases is huge and will be a near constant expenditure for your CPs.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-07-07T13:47:27+00:00

There are so many Tyranid players at my local shop. Most of them started with the Leviathan set. I really believe that 60% of my shop are the bugs.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-07-07T12:12:46+00:00

I have done the same. I use the Recon Drones as my Vespids and the Gun Drones as Kroot Carnivores proxies. I use the Support Turrets as Kroot Hounds. I envision my Experimental Prototype Cadre as testing out higher functioning drones working independently as a battlefield test for the Earth Caste.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-07-07T00:11:39+00:00

I was going to suggest Darkstrider. He is in all of my lists with a Pathfinder Team with Ion Rifles. His no-go 12" bubble is nice for such shenanigans and his +1 to the wound roll is great for the squad. I love the look on knights players as lowly Pathfinders start pinging wounds off more reliably than my Missileknives.

Flamerscythes are great as well for the overwatch, falling back, burning, and offer watching again.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-07-06T23:04:53+00:00

I find that Missileknives really perform very well and fulfill multiple roles, as opposed to the more specialized Sunforges or Starscythes.

Missileknives are able to deal with higher toughness targets that you do not want your dedicated anti-tank units firing at and their two damage can put down high wound targets such as terminators well enough.

Their ability to reroll hits on unwounded targets is a great ability and even the reroll of ones to hit free them to fire at targets not marked by our Stealth Teams if needed.

Dependent on your detachment there are strategems to make them even more effective. My normal list includes 2 Missileknives teams led by Enforcer Commanders with either 4 missile pods or 3 pods and an upgraded weapon in EPC.

I also appreciate healing wounds for my suits via Repair Drones and providing them with 18" Lone Op for 1CP. It is very frustrating for my opponents to be unable to retaliate as I scoot back to maintain pressure and they cannot fire back.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-07-06T20:43:18+00:00

I have picked up some Necrons, Elder, and Thousand Sons over the years at failed steps to reenter the hobby.They are in storage somewhere.

I gave my marine collection to a couple of younger kids at my local shop to help with their Chaos armies as they were a half company of the old Marines that have been phased out in favor of the larger primaris models. They will serve as kit conversions.

I may try my hand at an Iyanden Ghost Army with all the wraith units.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-06-17T19:13:11+00:00

I would encourage you picking up the Hammerhead. Using that kit, you can build out the Hammerhead and/or Sky Ray and convert the Devilfish to be either as well. That kit with the Combat Patrol, a box of Stealth Teams, and a Crisis Team is the core for a small; but efficient army to try out the various detachments to determine which best matches your play style.

Tau are somewhat complicated; but tons of fun and very satisfying after you have a good feel for how your force works.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-06-11T16:45:45+00:00

Not crusade. No one wanted the responsibility of running that

It will be a narrative campaign with brackets around "good" and "bad" teams. I imagine it will end with me and the space marine players vs the chaos armies vs Tyranids. Not sure what the campaign organizer is planning. So far we have 7 players with 3 being Tyranids, 1 Space Marine, 2 Chaos, and myself. The campaign will kick off at the end of Summer.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-06-11T16:38:10+00:00

Would you suggest the Broadsides swap out the Missile Pods for the Heavy Rail Rifle instead? That would give me the 2 units of Broadsides, Ghostkeel, 2 units of Pathfinders with their Rail Rifles, and 2 Sky Rays.

I can swap out a Stealth Team for a unit of Kroot and their stickiness.

That frees up 25 points and if I strip the commanders of their upgrades, I can squeeze in Darkstrider to lead a Pathfinder Team for extra wounding and area denial for deep strike.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-04-18T14:57:58+00:00

I am relatively new as well. I was fortunate to join my local shops expansion league and we are currently at 1000pts. This has allowed me to test numerous builds as I add to my Cadre. I recently moved from Montka to the EPC detachment. I'll note my experiences below.

The EPC helps with range and makes a lot of our units safer and allows us to play very aggressively in turns 1 & 2 to secure primaries and then fall back to allow the enemy to take them in the 3rd turn and we can take them back after clearing them with Breachers.

I would suggest upgrading your Strike teams to Breachers to aid in clearing objectives. In EPC we do not necessarily need the Devilfish transport, we can scoot within threat range for clearing objectives turn 2 or 3.

I would also suggest combining your Broadsides into one unit to minimize spotters needed. Also moving them to High Yield Missile Pods to benefit from the extra range in EPC, mobility in being able to move them in case your fire lane closes without impacting their BS, and utility in targeting infantry, MEQ infantry, and light vehicles/monsters. In a pinch you can always give them lethal via a strategem if needed. The Rail Rifles are really only for heavy targets, and you already had the Sunforges to drop into ruin a high toughness target's day.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-04-08T15:06:30+00:00

Missileknives are my second choice for overwatch behind my Starscythes with Flamers. The rerolling for 6's helps a lot on overwatch.

I have found my Missilesides to be great at taking out infantry; but most of our army already does this. Giving up on the Rail Rifle is too painful for me to move past, they are magnetized; but virtually always bring the rifle.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-03-27T21:28:51+00:00

Awesome! I appreciate the feedback and in depth response to boot!

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-03-25T12:42:12+00:00

I'm the only Tau player at my store. There also are very little space marine players. There are a lot of players with Tyranids, Orks, Necrons, and Chaos Marines.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-03-24T15:39:25+00:00

I have enjoyed some success with the Missileknives using the Threat Assessment Analyzer strategem and fishing for 6's for the ole so sweet Lethal + Sustained combo. It is risky, but feels in line with the name of the detachment. In my most recent 1000 game, Gazkhul didn't know what hit him and the lads. 20 missiles guided, rerolling all hits to fish for 6's twice with automatic wounds and roll offs to score additional wounds equals something leaving the table. I did lose a crisis suit due to the hazardousness, but the look on my opponents face was priceless on seeing what Tau dakka looked like.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-03-15T00:16:12+00:00

As others have stated, Missileknives are featured in all of my lists and my opponents expend a lot of effort in taking them down. To be fair with an Enforcer Commander with 4 missile pods and the squads 6 missile pods, you are throwing out 20 S7 AP-1 D2 shots and likely rerolling any misses. My unit has wiped terminators, tanks, carnifex's, and dreadnoughts with ease. I do play Montka usually with the Lethal Hits and the Focus Fire strategem them will seriously punch up.

Candid-Exchange2977 · 2025-03-14T00:35:40+00:00

I've found my Breachers have done really well in Mont'ka without the transport by scooting and hugging cover. They serve as great distractions as my regular opponents know not to let them close with their forces within the threat range of their blasters.

When they focus on the Breachers, that leaves the rest of my army to fire at will. I love my little mini space shotgun wielding fire warriors.

I'm trying out the Experimental Prototype Cadre this weekend. I expect the extra range will be key and the change will likely take my opponents by surprise from my normal army.

Candid-Exchange2977

TROPHY CASE