Tau

Overview

 * Tau emphasize mobile firepower that is rebalanced towards the use of infiltration, jetpacks and ambushes.
 * Tau can now go both Mont'ka and Kauyon, allowing for far more squad combinations.
 * Their tech tree branches at Tier 2 and can merge back again at Tier 2.5 or Tier 3.
 * Tau have a wide range of soft and hard counter units, with relatively few special weapons.
 * The Tau emphasize teamwork between different unit types, rather than the massing of one unit type.
 * Abilities tend to focus on disrupting or focus firing units.
 * The Tau emphasize cooperation between their Elite and Troop units, with certain Elite units requiring a certain number of Troops to be on the field before they can be deployed.
 * The Tau lack specialised Squad/Support Cap Increase researches as such, and instead rely upon multi-purpose Teachings researches.

Infiltration, Jetpacks (Jump) and Ambushes
Tau have no access to Teleportation, which can be considered the best form of Jump.

Tech Tree
Tau can go Shrine of Mont'ka or Shrine of Kauyon as their Tier 2. If they get the other also, then they're Tier 2.5 (like Sacred Artefact for SM). Unlike the other races, Tau lack a Tier 3.5 structure. Their final structure is Tier 3.

As their units require any Teaching or Mastery research, they can switch swiftly between Kauyon and Mont'ka, or vice versa.

Tau should carefully consider how many fronts they should fight on
A Firewarrior squad cannot stand up to a tactical space marine squad in a fixed confrontation. The Tact has notably more HP / Cost, similar Damage / Cost, far greater melee DPS, less speed and less range.

The melee advantage favours the Tact, so it is harder for the Firewarrior to hold Heavy Cover.

The Tactical Space Marine later gains access to special weapons that dramatically increase its lethality against their favoured armour types. The Eldar, like the Tau, lack such special weapons. The Eldar - however - scale dramatically to compensate, the Tau do not. In such a scenario, it can be worth changing your units up.

Unit : Countered By

Pathfinders : Bolters, Heavy Bolters, Flamers, Snipers

Kroot : Heavy Bolters, Flamers, Snipers, Grey Knights

Firewarriors : Bolters, Plasmaguns

Vespids : Plasmaguns

Stealth Suits : Plasmaguns

Krootox : Commander, Flamer, Dreadnought melee, Grey Knights melee, Powerfists, Lascannons

Crisis Suit : Commander melee, Dreadnought melee, Grey Knight melee

If you commit to only Firewarriors and Vespids, the Space Marines are happy to rely on plasmaguns. Both their Tactical Space Marines and Scouts have access to plasmaguns, so such weapons could be plentiful.

The Astartes won't desire to spread out their marines, as they know the Tau will try to group against one. They will cluster into a death ball. You can - and should - decline to confront this directly. The threat of Tau grouping increases once they have access to key hero wargear, researches and abilities - such as the Markerlight.

Consider allocating your forces across the map as follows: On a map like Blood River this means contesting both Relics simultaneously.
 * On one flank have a Tau Commander + Fire warrior + Pathfinder
 * On the other flank have 2x Pathfinder + 1x Fire warrior
 * If the Space Marines cannot take the relic, then that means they cannot purchase the Iron Halo. This hero wargear provides 10-15% ranged damage reduction for the Force Commander.

Based on what force the enemy has deployed to each side of the map, you should choose to either contest, hunt or evade. Tau are micro-intensive because:
 * If you cannot take the relic, then that means no Advanced Jetpack Booster - which grants an ability that provides a dramatic and temporary speed boost to the Tau Commander. This is really good for helping the TC solo kill builders and scouts - i.e. letting the tau fight in three places at once.

* Their units are fragile, and engagements must be carefully considered

* Ranged specialists cannot survive at all in melee, which is a good way to get butchered when you're not paying attention

* The Tau rely on teamwork, with multiple supporting units working together, often with abilities.

'''Most races lose their Tier upon losing their HQ. The Tau do not.'''

The Tau build a structure to reach Tier 2, unlike the other races.

Either As such, you can delay the Tau's Tier 2
 * The Kauyon Command Post
 * The Mont'ka Command Post

If you can sit in the Tau base, then you can prevent the Tau from building this structure within their base. This exposes the Tau to further weakness.

But it also means the Tau:
 * Lack a single point of failure.
 * Have an extra structure that can spawn units or produce research.

There is little value in clustering your structures and holding your ground
Tau lack the staying power of the older and more territorial races.
 * Their units are mobile, which allows them to more easily disengage from ponderous enemies.
 * They rarely have set up times, which encourages the Tau to readily take up new positions.
 * They have a wide range of beyond visual range weaponry, which rewards falling back and taking on the enemy at max range.
 * They lack the healing auras of the apothecary.
 * They lack the base defenses of the Imperial Guard or Ork.
 * Their base is not as vital to them as it is to the Necrons, who require it for reinforcement.
 * Their structures lack the debilitating auras of Chaos that rewards holding your ground.

Army Composition
Tau's most elite units require that conventional infantry already be deployed to the battlefield, namely:

* Kroots

* Firewarriors

Multiple production structures make it harder for Tau to be pinned within their base.