40K: Anyone for 1500pts?
Tastytaste put up his opinions on the merits of playing 40K at 1500pts. Come for a GT in the UK, and you will almost certainly play at this arbitrary level. A lot of people find it strange adjusting to this smaller points limit when they’re used to 2000pts and more, just ask Mkerr!
First, a disclaimer from me: This is an article about trying 1500pts again, or even for the first time. I’m not saying 1500pts is better or worse than any other limit. I know a lot of people will say one limit is more balanced than another, it’s not, there’s no points limit that is balanced to all armies. This article was written for two reasons, first Tasty’s articles on BoK. Second, when an email I received said that 40K didn’t work below 2000pts and then admitted they’d never even tried below that! Hmmmmm!
Firstly, have a read through Reece Robbin’s introduction to list building, read all four parts. While I don’t quite go about things the same way, there is some solid advice in there regardless of the level you play at. The general things I look for in a list are:
1. Scoring Units
2. Ability to deal damage to most things
3. Mobility/Survivability (depending on the army)
At 1500pts, you have to make some compromises, and that is where the skill comes in. What you sacrifice can depend on many things, your local tournament scene, what you expect to face, your preferred style of play, the army you have available, etc etc, but I would always at least partially consider the above. With that in mind, let’s have a look at a fairly ‘standard’ Tau list, one that I have used on many an occasion with mostly positive results:
HQ – Shas’o with Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multitracker, Positional Relay
Elite – Shas’el with Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multitracker
Elite – Shas’el with Twin Fusion Blasters and Target Array
Troops – 8 Firewarriors in Devilfish with SMS, Distruption Pod and Multitracker
Troops – 8 Firewarriors in Devilfish with SMS, Distruption Pod and Multitracker
Troops – 10 Kroot with 4 Hounds
Troops – 10 Kroot with 4 Hounds
Fast – Piranha with Fusion Blaster and Distruption Pod
Fast – Piranha with Fusion Blaster and Distruption Pod
Heavy – 2 Broadsides, one with Targetting Array, other with Target Lock
Heavy – Hammerhead with Railgun, SMS, Decoys, Distruption Pod, Multitracker and Target Lock
Heavy – Hammerhead with Railgun, SMS, Decoys, Distruption Pod, Multitracker and Target Lock
This comes in at just under 1500pts, and delivers a great deal of firepower. The biggest problem you encouter is covering all eventualities. This list will struggle against a horde, as it is deliberately weighted the list towards tackling mech, but these are more common (well certainly at Warhammer World!). That’s my compromise. The obvious weakness in close combat is of course a problem with any Tau list, and this again is a compromise, if one we have little choice about!
But does it satisfy my criteria? I think so.
1. Scoring Units. Depending on the mission and the opponent, I can choose whether to flank with the kroot, or deploy them in some cover. The former is almost always the better option. These combined with the two Devilfish full of Firewarriors is normally enough to capture key objectives.
2. Ability to deal with most things. Facing some heavy AV14 armour, we can use Broadsides, Hammerheads, fusion crisis suit and Pirahnas. Transports are easy fodder for the crisis suits and Broadsides. Heavy infantry are targets for the suits and weight of fire from Firewarriors and Hammerheads. Light infantry, as stated before, are this list’s problem, the options generally being the troop’s basic weapons and Hammerhead blast shots.
3. Mobility/Survivability. All important in objective missions is the ability to move your troops around. 2 transports and 2 flankers gives me some options for getting the far-flung objectives, especially if I can delay the kroot arriving until late game. That’s where the postional relay comes in, meaning I only bring one reserve on a turn (on a 2+), meaning I can almost always ensure things arrive when I want. Devilfish aren’t the best transports (by any means) but with Disruption pods on them, they can actually survive fairly well.
A 1500pt army, that while not ticking all boxes, does a good job at ticking most of them. This certainly isn’t the perfect Tau army, and there are of course numerous ways to change it, but what it does do is show how even at 1500pts, you can form a solid force.
So, my challenge to you all is this, if you are used to playing 2000 (or more) points, then try 1500pts this week and let us know what you think. You will have to make some tough choices on what to cut, the board will seem a great deal emptier than normal, and you will find that you have more room to manoeuvre. Good luck soldiers, and lets hear your thoughts on 1500 vs 1750/2000/2500 etc.
