Goatboy’s Grimdark Armylist – T’au Tigershark Terror on the Attack!
The T’au Empire Tigershark is bloodying the waters of Warhammer 40K’s meta. “We’re gonna need a bigger armylist…”
Just when you thought it was safe to go out on the neooprene mat at your local game store – there is a Tiger Shark spotted on the horizon! This is one of those kits that you know a friend of a friend has floating around in their T’au Empire collection. Somehow, through new detachments, missed points adjustments, and this Forge World kit staying in the points update – the 40K meta might have an issue. Let’s get on our helmets, duck under some cover, and hope the Tau hypersonic bullets don’t wreck us too bad in this Armylist.
I don’t know about you – but have you noticed that Flyers just continue to cause 40K 10th Edition problems? It really stems from how they break a lot of Line of Sight rules in a game where the current terrain has a lot of “windows” to see through. You mix that in with most Flyers having pretty tall bases, and you start to see how these models really can be abusive in a game based on ground and pound options.
Here is a list that got 2nd place at Dark Sphere GT over the seas in England. It’s as piloted by a Lewis Smith and was undefeated at the end of the day as well as the CSM winner. I know there is only one Tiger Shark in it but I have read some lists fitting out two and continuing to throw some “hot flyer” summer action all over your face.
T’au Tigershark Terror Armylist
“Plane and Simple”
T’au Empire
Kauyon
Strike Force (2000 Points)
CHARACTERS
Cadre Fireblade (70 Points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Fireblade pulse rifle
2x Gun drone
• Enhancements: Exemplar of the Kauyon
Cadre Fireblade (50 Points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Fireblade pulse rifle
2x Gun drone
Commander Shadowsun (100 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Advanced Guardian Drone
1x Battlesuit fists
1x Command-link Drone (Aura)
1x Flechette launcher
2x High-energy fusion blaster
1x Light missile pod
1x Pulse pistol
BATTLELINE
Breacher Team (100 Points)
• 1x Support turret
• 1x Breacher Fire Warrior Shas’ui
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Guardian Drone
1x Gun Drone
1x Pulse blaster
1x Pulse pistol
• 9x Breacher Fire Warrior
• 9x Close combat weapon
9x Pulse blaster
9x Pulse pistol
Breacher Team (100 Points)
• 1x Support turret
• 1x Breacher Fire Warrior Shas’ui
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Guardian Drone
1x Gun Drone
1x Pulse blaster
1x Pulse pistol
• 9x Breacher Fire Warrior
• 9x Close combat weapon
9x Pulse blaster
9x Pulse pistol
Breacher Team (100 Points)
• 1x Support turret
• 1x Breacher Fire Warrior Shas’ui
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Guardian Drone
1x Gun Drone
1x Pulse blaster
1x Pulse pistol
• 9x Breacher Fire Warrior
• 9x Close combat weapon
9x Pulse blaster
9x Pulse pistol
DEDICATED TRANSPORTS
Devilfish (85 Points)
• 1x Accelerator burst cannon
1x Armoured hull
2x Seeker missile
2x Smart missile system
Devilfish (85 Points)
• 1x Accelerator burst cannon
1x Armoured hull
2x Seeker missile
2x Smart missile system
OTHER DATASHEETS
Ghostkeel Battlesuit (160 Points)
• 1x Battlesuit Support System
1x Cyclic ion raker
1x Ghostkeel fists
1x Twin fusion blaster
Pathfinder Team (90 Points)
• 1x Pathfinder Shas’ui
• 1x Close combat weapon
2x Gun Drone
1x Pulse carbine
1x Pulse pistol
1x Recon Drone
1x Semi-automatic grenade launcher
• 9x Pathfinder
• 9x Close combat weapon
3x Ion rifle
6x Pulse carbine
9x Pulse pistol
Piranhas (55 Points)
• 1x Armoured hull
1x Piranha fusion blaster
2x Seeker missile
2x Twin pulse carbine
Riptide Battlesuit (180 Points)
• 1x Ion accelerator
2x Missile Drone
1x Riptide fists
1x Twin smart missile system
Riptide Battlesuit (180 Points)
• 1x Ion accelerator
2x Missile Drone
1x Riptide fists
1x Twin smart missile system
Riptide Battlesuit (180 Points)
• 1x Ion accelerator
2x Missile Drone
1x Riptide fists
1x Twin smart missile system
Stealth Battlesuits (60 Points)
• 1x Stealth Shas’vre
• 1x Battlesuit Support System
1x Battlesuit fists
1x Fusion blaster
1x Homing Beacon
1x Marker Drone
1x Shield Drone
• 2x Stealth Shas’ui
• 2x Battlesuit fists
2x Burst cannon
Stealth Battlesuits (60 Points)
• 1x Stealth Shas’vre
• 1x Battlesuit Support System
1x Battlesuit fists
1x Fusion blaster
1x Homing Beacon
1x Marker Drone
1x Shield Drone
• 2x Stealth Shas’ui
• 2x Battlesuit fists
2x Burst cannon
Stealth Battlesuits (60 Points)
• 1x Stealth Shas’vre
• 1x Battlesuit Support System
1x Battlesuit fists
1x Fusion blaster
1x Homing Beacon
1x Marker Drone
1x Shield Drone
• 2x Stealth Shas’ui
• 2x Battlesuit fists
2x Burst cannon
Tiger Shark (275 Points)
• 1x Armoured hull
2x Cyclic ion blaster
2x Ion cannon
2x Missile pod
6x Seeker missile
2x Skyspear missile rack
1990 pts
T’au Tigershark Tactics
So why is the Tigershark so good? What does it have for 275 points? A ton of shots, you can’t hide from it, and a ton more shots, especially coming out of Kauyon. Let’s write out all the weapons it throws out.
- 2 Cyclic Ion Blasters – 18” 3 shots with an ability to overcharge as it has the old Cyclic blaster option
- 2 Ion Cannon – 2 60” ranged guns that is blast and fire out d6+2 shots.
- 2 Missile Pods – 2 30” ranged 2 shot guns to throw out more damage.
- 6 Seeker Missiles – We all know what they can do.
- 2 Skyspear Missile Racks – 72” d6+1 Anti Fly 3+ blasts that can also shoot.
This all adds up to a ton of shots that can go crazy especially starting on Turn 3 when they can get Sustained hits 2 when the target unit is spotted. That just is a ton of overwhelming firepower that can easily chew through whatever is sitting on an objective or trying to hide behind that ruin thinking their obscuring rules are going to work.
Oh and remember Aircraft use true line of sight. So if they see you from their grand perch way above the plebs on the tabletop – they see you and are ready to murder you. You can’t hide from this vehicle and while this army list only had one I can expect to see two show up at events – well until GW decided to update their points or shift something.
But hey – at least we got rid of those Tetras causing so many problems right?
