Tau HQ Tactics
There are two HQ choices for the Tau army, The Commander in the very able XV8 battle suit, and
Commander
The Tau commanders are hardened veterans that have shown exceptional tactical ability. In game terms the Tau
commander are very able fighters. With ballistic scores of four and five they will hit the targets with at least
the same regularity as a Space Marine. For this reason I recommend that you choose weapons that are not twin
linked. I highly recommend the 'Multi Tracker' support system to capitalize on the commanders excellent BS score
and at least one Shield Drone to protect your points investment.
Watch out for their low initiative value of 3. This will mean that they will be striking last against most foes
in close combat, but then that is what the I4 Kroot are for.
Both commander options wear Crisis Battle suites. I have detailed the pros and cons of these suites in the Elite
Crisis Battle Suite Teams section.
Shas'o
The Shas'o commander is the best skilled of the two commander options. The extra 25 points is well worth the
additional scores you get and I would recommend that choose this commander for games as small as 500 points.
Shas'el
The Shas'el is the poorer brother of the two commander options. If you desperately need to loose 25 points to
make your army legal then it is an option, but not a good one. I recommend that you choose the Shas'o commander and
loose the 25 points elsewhere.
Shas'vre Bodyguard
The Shas'vre Bodyguard have the same stats as the upgraded
Elite Crisis Battle Squad member and what I have written there applies here too. You are only allowed one or
two Shas'vre bodyguard for each commander. As this makes for a very small command squad I recommend that you use
the gun drone option to make up the numbers.
All the Bodyguard have access to the Battlesuit wargear list. This is well worth thinking about if you are
fighting a known opponent with a specific weakness (cheesy army killers).
Independent Character
Instead of taking a bodyguard the commander can be an independent character. This is useful to minimise the
points cost and due to his extra manoeuvrability he will be able to fortify failing troops.
Ethereal
Ethereal's give the Tau player a cheaper H.Q. option. They are 50 points like the Shas'el Commander but do
not need to have any upgrades.
Ethereals can not have a bodyguard. If you find that your Ethereal is being targeted, upgrade him with one or
two Shield Drone.
The Ethereal's extra weapon skill and attacks are hampered by their low toughness and no saves.
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