Warhammer 40K: This Week’s Meta Hotness – T’au Crisis Battlesuits
Let’s take a look at a unit that does well in an emergncy, T’au Crisis Battlesuits.
In the ever-shifting meta of 40K, armies rise and fall. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about armies that are hot or not, but a lot less time looking at units that are running the show. Today let’s start by taking a look at one of the hottest units currently running around the tabletop.
The Unit
Crisis Suits are the iconic unit if the T’au Empire. These advanced battlesuits are worn by elite T’au solders and form the core of many battlelines. Though and fast, they are super modular and able to carry a ton of mission specific weapons. They act as heavy T’au fire support units.
Why are T’au Crisis Battlesuits Good?
Crisis Suits start off with a pretty solid stat line. Move 10 keeps them nimble, while T5 4 wounds and a 3+ save means they can take a lot of damage before going down. Three attacks and S5 is also nothing to laugh at if they can hit you. The one big draw back to the units stats is the hitting part. WS 5+ and BS 4+ aren’t super amazing, though T’au have some ways of mitigating this.
Of course the suits are really just platforms to mount a ton of different weapons on. Each suit can mount 3 weapons, a suit system and up to two support drones, with up to 6 suits in a unit thats nearly infinite combinations. Crisis suits have access to a number of deadly weapons, from heavy hitters like Plasma Rifles, now upgraded, and Fusion Blasters, to specialist high right of fire weapons like T’au Flamers or Airburst Fragmentation Projectors. A large unit of Crisis suits can put out a really terrifying amount of fire power.
Crisis suits really combine the best of all worlds. With the ablity to deep strike, fly and 10″ move they can get around. A large unit supported by drones brings a absolute ton of wounds to the table that are hard to remove. They put out a ton of firepower and can be kitted out to kill any kind of target. On top of that being Battlesuits means not even locking them up in combat will stop them from shooting. It a badass unit only toned down by the cost.
A Sample List
Saying a unit is hot is all well and good, but let’s take a look at how players are using it. Crisis Suits have been in a number of lists that have done well at recent tournaments. One list that uses them is the following: run by Alex Harrison for a top place finish at Beachhead Brawl.
+ T’au Sept Patrol Detachment 0CP (T’au Empire)++
+ HQ +
Ethereal w/ 2x Marker drones, The Humble Stave, Hover Drone, Sense of Stone, & Exemplar of the Mont’ka,Wisdom of the Guides, Sratagem: Promising Pupil,
Longstrike w/ 2x Smart Missile System, Railgun, Warlord
+ Troops +
Kroot Carnivores x10
+ Fast Attack +
Kroot Hounds x4
++ T’au Sept Patrol Detachment -2CP (T’au Empire) [101 PL, -4CP, 1,660pts] ++
Stratagem: Emergency Dispensation: Additional Relics
+ HQ +
Commander in Crisis Battlesuit w/ 2x Marker Drones, Fusion Blaster, Onager Gauntlet, Plasma Rifle, T’au Flamer, Target Lock, Thermoneutronic Projector, & Stratagem: Promising Pupil Precision of the Hunter,
+ Troops +
Kroot Carnivores [3 PL, 60pts]
. 10x Kroot: 10x Kroot Rifle, 10x Quill Grenades
+ Elites +
Crisis Battlesuits w/ 5x Shield Drones, 3 w/ Ion, Plasma, Flamer & Tracker, 1 w/ Ion, Plasma, Flamer, Target Lock & Iridium battlesuit, 1 w/ Ion, Flamer, Fragmentation & Velocity Tracker
Crisis Battlesuits w/ 5x Shield Drones, 4 w/ 2x Frag, Plasma & Target Lock, 1 w/ 2x Frag, Plasma, Target Lock, Stimm injectors & Iridium battlesuit.
+ Fast Attack +
Vespid Stingwings x5
Vespid Stingwings x5
+ Heavy Support +
Broadside Battlesuits w/ 4x Shield Drones, 1 Marker Drone, 3x Broadsides w/ Heavy Rail Rifle, Twin smart Missile Systerm & Velocity Tracker
Broadside Battlesuits w/ 4x Shield Drones, 1 Marker Drone, 3x Broadsides w/ Heavy Rail Rifle, Twin smart Missile Systerm & Velocity Tracker
Using Crisis Suits
Alex’s list makes use of two large 5 suit units of Crisis Suits. With each unit also taking 5 shield drones, they clock out at 30 wounds. A good mix of solid regular saves and Invulnerable ones makes them an absolute beast to kill. The units are equipped with a large mix of weapons. The first unit is set up for a bit more close range work. The mix of Plasma and Ion makes for a unit that is deadly at killed MEQ and TEQ units, and can put the hurt on light armor as well. Flamers give the unit anti-horde punch and make charging them a bit risky.
The second unit is set up for more stand off work. It still has a good number of plasma rifles for killing heavy infantry and anti-armor work, but also rocks out ten AFP. 10d6 blasts shots that ignore LoS is pretty deadly and enough firepower to take out anyone trying to hide. Combined the two units represent the bruises of the army and are the lynch pin for the force.
Let us know what units you think are hot right now, down in the comments!
