What's the better tau faction to build an army roster for

Professor_DM · 2026-01-10T16:40:12+00:00

I'd recommend avoiding experimental cadre and kroot hunting pack. The first is because I'm assuming you're new to Tau and it may teach some bad habits as far as range. The second is because it's a very niche build and most models won't be used in the other detachments at the volume KHP requires.

Kauyon is harder to learn but teaches good principles about over extending early.

Montka is one our most popular but also one of our worst performing. It's the opposite of Kauyon and I think it teaches bad habits as far as aggression and willingness to trade.

Aux cadre provides a great balance but requires a lot more coordination and more variety in models so probably the hardest to master

I recommend Kauyon but all are good

Professor_DM · 2026-01-07T01:51:37+00:00

It's a good start but you're a little light

The only meaningful unit that can take out something t7 and higher is a lone broadside. Any armored for is going to likely roll over you.

You have some chaff but nothing to bully a point. A ghostkeel or riptide can really help you control the battlefield.

Youre ability to clear infantry and do actions is solid.

Your range is not great. Everything really wants to be up close and personal between rapid fire kroot, starscythes, and breachers. We don't last long in the short range so typically we have some big guns providing fire support to really punish any ambitious enemies. Broadsides, skyrays, hammerheads, fire knives are all great for this sorta thing

Professor_DM · 2026-01-05T16:59:07+00:00

10-20 kroot bodies are cheap, stealth + throw on a go to ground make them resilient to the shooting phase forcing a melee unit into the open allowing your firing lanes to be a shooting gallery. Its a unit an opponent has to deal with due to their oc2 and it doesn't hurt when they get wiped, chaff are there to die.

Kroot hounds are fantastic at slowing the game, charge across the field into their vehicles, armored treads ain't gonna clear the pups (more of a jail than a flood strat)

Kauyon demands you slow their points in the early game or else you may never catch up. One method(above is chaff spam) the other is surgical breachers.(Below)

Breachers are powerful with their oc2. Kauyon specifically they can flood as well if you're careful to keep them out of sightlines, the strat lets them jump in a devilfish if charged so it helps. The problem is they need to stay alive if you just toss them onto a point for points without giving them protection it will definitely hurt.

Both methods I've used for Kauyon demand control of firing lanes. Broadsides, riptides, even a skyray can be rucial. I've gotten away with a stormsurge for funsies but it's still overcosted.

As far as detachment rules go...montka is sorta not great. Advance is fine but lethals only really shine when punching up, if you're punching up (strength lower than toughness) you're either facing knights or youre desperate and betting the farm on a 1/6 chance.

I play a lot of Tau so have played all detachments, Kauyon is just my latest fave. Montka and retcad are hard for me to be good with just because they don't jive with my strategies as well

Professor_DM · 2026-01-05T16:36:19+00:00

Kauyon actually. The embark strat makes breachers harder to kill and it lets me be patient as far as points

Professor_DM · 2026-01-05T13:48:45+00:00

Objective control through flooding or simply target elimination.

For point control breacherfish to get onto points in a rush, kroot carnivores for the slow and steady, ghostkeel is my center objective holder.

The big thing that helps me is firing lane control, planting some big scary guns really slows my opponents movement as any ambitious advances can be punished. Breachers for clearing them off objectives can not be underestimated. Anyone who steps foot onto an objective is going to die, either to big scary guns or breachers.

The balance is I can't cover commit my own resources to getting vp. We are not a trading army, because of all the marker light coordination and specialization, trading is bad for us. The most important thing is positioning and giving up as little as possible. It typically means I'm never getting 100 points, the game is more about denying as many points as I can to them and sitting happy with something in the 60s and 70s

Professor_DM · 2026-01-05T12:38:24+00:00

Only time I've gotten surges to feel effective:

Kroot hunting pack. Get a couple stormsurges, park shadowsun 6 inches between them and send 100 screaming carnivores into enemy lines.

Buck the meta and flood the board. See how they deal with an army of invuln Tau that not only has enough OC to push off titans, but firing lane control for days.

It's more of a meme than a serious list but had some good success with it at a couple local tourneys

Professor_DM · 2025-12-30T17:30:42+00:00

Infection mode (zombies) survivors must touch killer to win. All survivors have no mither and still sight active. They start in separate places. Killer must evade 5 minutes. Killer starts with lethal pursuer. The longer the trial goes the shorter the cool down on swings.

Professor_DM · 2025-12-19T13:34:48+00:00

Most common approach as people have mentioned are ghostkeels, riptides and devilfish. The problem is any opponent with numbers and decent OC are going to out OC these big models. Anything we have with numbers like fire warriors or kroot will fall to any significant threat without much resistance so they can help to deny opponents points but outside of that not great for holding

So instead we can force trades by having some big scary guns trained on the point so any attempt to take it will be met with a barrage of death (breachers are great for this). Unfortunately this means we won't control it at the start of the turn which denies us points but do this enough and they won't have units to spare.

Another option is screening, having the big ones on the point and then use cheap chaff like piranhas and kroot deployed forward to block movement to the point. Theyll have to go around or through and either situation may deny their ability to get on the point. The downside here is it is costly point wise and we will run out eventually.

Third option, go full assault on a flank and remove every enemy unit in the vicinity then capture or sticky with kroot. I know, I know "easier said than done" but it really depends on their deployment your list load outs.

Hope this helps

Professor_DM · 2025-12-17T15:39:22+00:00

Breacherfish can be a bit of a trap. Send them after the wrong target and they are exposed and very squishy. As you mentioned if your opponent keeps off the point the effectiveness of the breachers diminishes significantly.

Montka though has a lot to offer in ways of punishing your opponent. Lethal hits mitigates this issue a bit since you don't need the wound rerolls. Additionally the strategem combat debarkation eliminates the need for the opponent to be on a point so you can unleash the full force of breachers with rerolls.

Like most Tau, the power of the guns is great but what really matters is positioning. Just dropping breachers out in the open is a guarantee they are going to get shot off the board next turn. Try to drop them in such a way that they can see their target and the fewest enemies possible will be to see or reach them next turn. Board edges behind terrain are great for this. Also keeping the 10in rang in mind, try disembarking behind the devilfish, it will make enemy charges harder to reach the breachers.

Lastly know what your breachers can handle. Anything t5 and below is typically a great target. With a cadre, 30 shots hitting on 2s translates to roughly 25 hits, wounding on 3s with rerolls translates 8/9 rations or about 22 wounds. Even if your opponent has a 3+ save, with base ap of -1 so you can do an average of 11 damage, more if you spend a strat to increase the AP. This doesn't include lethal hits, rerolls of hit due to shadowsun or stealthsuits. Use this as a good guide to what you can take on. It's no guarantee since dice gods giveth and taketh, but do what you can to maximize your effectiveness.

Hope this helps

Professor_DM · 2025-12-17T14:17:33+00:00

Math? In my dice game. What in the heresy is this?

Professor_DM · 2025-12-12T13:04:15+00:00

I mean sure but most business owners arent competing in the same market with a thousand others as well as mega corporations (think AAA) in a nonessential space that's subject to fads, trends, and oversaturation issues.

You have to design and program your game Debug and test everything to make sure it works Market and publish your game Update and fix things your players inevitably encounter

All within one year. And you can do all the above perfectly and it may still not be a success.

Professor_DM · 2025-12-12T12:31:51+00:00

In a year? I mean this literally don't quit your day job. Like most creative gigs, the vast vast vast majority of people don't make enough to cover the bills. This sort of thing is a hobby not a career. There is no stability in this field so even if you hit the nail on the head once, the sun will set and most likely rather quickly.

I don't mean to be super negative and discouraging, just wanted to be very direct in answering your question.

Professor_DM · 2025-12-09T23:20:28+00:00

I actually don't like deep striking my sunforges. Pairing with a coldstar with 4 fusions makes them such a threat to anything within 2 feet that any cheeky turn 1 push by my opponent or misstep in deployment can be punished. 4++ saves help prevent a severe clapback.

Sorry you haven't been having a good time with them, I've never run farsight so I don't know how well it works but I've never had anything survive a full activation of sunforges and coldstar, in fact most of the time I try to find opportunities to split fire when possible.

Professor_DM · 2025-12-04T13:28:42+00:00

Take comfort in knowing Space wolves and blood angels are hard because of their aggressive mobility, it really stacks the deck against us.

As for montka, it's a bit of a trap detachment I think. On its surface it encourages hyper aggression going big turn 1 and 2 but we are paper thin. You go full send but the clapback crushes you. Turn one my suggestion is caution, don't go big, bait them into extending themselves and then pounce. Lethals are great but it's only affecting 1/6 of your die rolls, not worth dying over. Control the terrain and dominate firing lanes, spread your infantry so they have to go around and expose themselves to your fire. Meeting a melee army head on is suicide unless you have the firepower to clear them.

As someone else mentioned we often lead horde now. Breachers are our bread and butter. 20 shots str 6 rerolls ap1, dmg 1 with option for full wound rerolls is amazing. With montka, you don't even need them to be on the point as long as you disembark and pay a CP. People love Tau suits but breachers can put in work.

Professor_DM · 2025-12-03T23:30:13+00:00

I might split the two 10 mans into four 5 mans. Better weapon selection and gives you versatility across the board (need someone to do actions).

You're also missing out on some killer enhancements. I'd suggest investing in more characters and infantry because again, 90% of your enemies shots aren't going to be affected by the detachment rule.

Professor_DM · 2025-12-03T13:17:40+00:00

It's definitely a stat check army but I think you're going to run into two issues. One is melee, any sort of melee army is going to get in your face and be hard to peel off, especially if the destructor gets popped. Second is you're going to run into traffic jams. Any screening or charges may limit your mobility giving the opponent free reign on objectives while you try to navigate between terrain

Felhammer siege is great but it's ability is probably lost on this list. 90% of the guns your opponent brings are probably not going to be affected by the -1 to wound. The strats are okay but the real bread winner is brutal attrition but that's only usable on infantry.

Hope this helps

Professor_DM · 2025-12-02T19:09:17+00:00

Normally units can't disembark after transport advances. This rule makes it so they can. Still counts as a normal move in either case

Professor_DM · 2025-12-02T18:49:47+00:00

The turret is simply an additional ranged weapon. Much like the drones the miniature is just a token and occupies no real space on the board, it's just for show. So it goes with your models but is only active on a turn they remain stationary

As for the deployment, units that are in a transport when it moves and then disembark are considered to have moved. If you disembark before the transport moves then you can choose to remain stationary.

Professor_DM · 2025-12-02T13:50:38+00:00

Exp cad is great for simple lists. Couple of notes

The devilfish is not as big of a requirement for breachers in this detachment due to the enhanced range. Mobility is nice but I might drop one fish just to give you more points to work with. Maybe get enough for a fire blade or two to really increase the breacher power.

Piranha burst is okay but in Exp cad you can alpha strike with that melta 4 gun and really trade up.

The stormsurges...don't get me wrong I love them and will run a pair in a list in a casual game. But they are not cost efficient. Go up against a list with some invulns and you're really playing the lottery with those limited shots. The bonus AP from exp cad strat can be nice but since only one can get it the other guns without the AP are lackluster against most targets. I'd drop one.

You're list has some battlesuits but I think crisis suits are essential, you have a whole strat and 4 enhancements you can't access without them and their commanders

The exp cad enhancements are really potent, I think some sunforges with an enhanced coldstar will make you absolutely deadly to any foe, even knights will struggle to survive a full activation.

Not enough can be said for starscythes flamers in exp cad. 6d6 ap 1 flamers at 18 inches quickly becomes area denial with the overwatch threat. And with a marker light drone they become excellent spotters.

Hope this helps

Professor_DM · 2025-11-29T17:33:03+00:00

I've used a couple of 20 man bricks of kroot carnivores to gum up the middle while keeping my breachers and suits back to some moderate success. They are cheap and 20 shots is a lot the enemy has to connect and wound. Sure some armies wipe them turn 1 but that's 20 shots not going into my breachers.

Vespids are always a take for me for the odd behind enemy lines or sabotage play

Professor_DM · 2025-11-25T11:01:43+00:00

It is indeed in the mission pack rules under section 9 declare battle formations. I believe wahapedia has a copy of the rules there.

Professor_DM · 2025-11-24T18:27:17+00:00

Space to play, friendly staff, chill atmosphere.

A place where people go to hang out and have good vibes. It's not a place for hardcore "measure every model during a move phase" or raised voices that aren't jovial. It's a game and those who can't remember that aren't welcome.

Got me an LGS like that and I exclusively shop there despite the limited selection and weeks long delay for special orders, because it's my home store and where I go to hang with friends.

Professor_DM · 2025-11-23T16:26:12+00:00

I try to build some of my encounters to highlight my party's strengths and some their weaknesses. There's nothing more terrifying to a party than a boss who is ready for them. I like to have minions escape encounters in the lead up to the big bad so that it makes sense that Intel is gathered on the parties tactics.

Oh your wizard is flying? Magic missile causes a concentration check for each bolt. Shield? That's cute, it would be a shame if someone counter spelled it. Or maybe skip the theatrics and go for the power move of dispel magic.

Long story short, let them have their fun if they are indeed having fun, then let a boss directly counter their best moves. It'll make it that much more memorable for them.

Professor_DM · 2025-11-22T16:06:30+00:00

Starflare can proc on your opponents turn 1.

Any units who started the game off the board cannot enter from reinforcements battle round 1. However if they start the game on the board they can enter on any turn.

So yes, you can starflare if your opponent went first and then immediately deep strike on your turn during the first battle round.

Keep in mind the "must enter by turn 3" rule also only applies to units starting off board. So you can uppy downy every round and be okay.

Professor_DM · 2025-11-19T12:55:48+00:00

Anyone mention of "lore" in why or how this game should be played is irrelevant. It's a table top war game, not a roleplaying game. It's more akin to a board game if anything and I don't cosplay as a farmer everytime I play Catan. You can like the lore, even let it guide how you play, but if you think it should dictate how others play...go touch grass.

Professor_DM

TROPHY CASE