December Detachment Review: Auxiliary Cadre

Over the last 3 edition, T’au has slowly become more tolerable and fun to play against. Terrain has gotten better, the rules have been hammered out.

T’au are a pretty decent experience to play against, so I was pretty excited to see them get a new play style, and to nobodies surprise the detachment is all about bringing Kroot and Vespid along side the Fish.

The detachment rule is called Integrated Command Structure and it gives you two separate abilities.

The first is a 9″ aura called Targeting Triangulation and is given to Kroot and Vespid units. Enemy units within the aura and visable give +1 AP to T’au Empire units (non Kroot and Vespid).

While the second ability is given to T’au Empire units (again not Kroot or Vespid) and is a 6″ aura called Localised Stealth Projectors, which make your Kroot and Vespid wholly within the aura unable to be shot outside of 18″.

There’s a fun dance here with keeping your auxiliary safe until you launch them to get the AP bonus. GW really wants to sell those Vespid, and they should, the new sculpts are amazing.

Enhancements

The enhancements are split in two. The first two are cute little flavor picks that aren’t useless but are more about the aesthetic. The other two are just flat out excellent. T’au players won’t complain about these offerings. I hope not at least. You guys seem chill.

Student of Kauyon goes on a Kroot Shaper and lets you gives up to 3 Kroot Carnivores or Farstalkers Deep Strike. This is, fun? I have no idea if this is any good. For 15 points, like, why not? It helps scoring. B+

Admired Leader is 20 points and goes on any non-Kroot model and lets you in your command phase select either a Kroot or Vespid unit within 12″. they gain +1 leadership and +1 OC while not battle-shocked. Ramming a pile of kroot onto an objective with extra OC can be fun, but I don’t know if 20 points makes up for them being made of paper. B-

Fanatical Convert is 10 points for a Kroot model and gives it’s unit For The Greater Good. This is very good for 10 points, giving you the ability to make Kroot spotters is pretty based. Now Deep Strike them with Student of Kauyon and you have some on demand Guiding. A

Transponder Lock Module is 25 points for a T’au Empire Walker model with Deep Strike (aka Commanders) that lets you Deep Strike turn 1, which is huge, but it has to be within 12″ of Kroot or Vespid, which honestly isn’t the biggest ask. I’d pay more than 25 points for this, you’ll see it in every list mark my words. A+

Stratagems

The stratagems are very funky but in a good way. Most of them gaining benefits for being an Auxiliary unit instead of a normal T’au unit. What really hampers the stratagems here is that Kroot aren’t the most killy thing in the universe, but perhaps they’re cheap enough to make up for it.

Experimental Modifications gives +1 AP to Kroot and Vespid units in the shoot or fight phase. This actually might be a pretty sick chaff clearing tool for a 20 block of Kroot. But then you’re running 20 Kroot, which is bad. AP 3 Neutron Blasters of Vespid though? Buddy. A-

Multisensory Scanning is usable in the shooting or fight phase, and let’s a T’au empire unit re-roll wound rolls of 1. If that unit is Kroot or Vespid, it’s full wound re-rolls. This is just very good no matter what unit you use it on. Any amount of re-rolls on demand is tight. Sunforged won’t hate it. A+

Interlocking Manouevres is an end of fight phase stratagem which lets you either fall back, or if you’re not in engagement range of any enemy units, move a flat 6″. You can not embark at the end of these moves. Again, this isn’t limited to any type of unit, so just charging into some chaff with battle suits then falling back to snipe an objective is very good. This is extremely usable, it just takes some finesse and understanding your limits. Great players will win games with this stratagem. A+

Pheromone Waypoints is in your movement phase and lets you pick a Kroot or Vespid unit and auto advance 6″. Mobility tools like this are always welcome. To be clear, this let’s Vespid move 18 with their assault weapons. A

Alien Expertise lets you advance and shoot with anything. This is already, very good. If you’re a Kroot or Vespid unit, you can also charge. Not as good, but Kroot will welcome it. The first half of this ability gives it an A.

Guided Fire lets one T’au Empire unit (non Kroot or Vespid) in the shooting phase add 1 to their units ranged weapon strength characteristics. If that unit is wholly within 9″ of Kroot or Vespid, it’s +2 strength instead. Strength 8 Pulse Blasters on Breacher Teams makes me shake with hatred. A+

Lists

This week we have local expert Aidan Horseman and a legendary guest appearance from Thomas Cruickshank coming in hot.

Aidan “Rt Cadre or Nothing” Horseman’s List

CHARACTERS

Commander in Enforcer Battlesuit (80 Points)
• 1x Battlesuit fists
• 1x Cyclic ion blaster
• 1x Gun Drone
• 1x Marker Drone
• 3x Missile pod

Darkstrider (60 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Close combat weapon
• 1x Shade

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

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Devilfish (85 Points)
• 1x Accelerator burst cannon
• 1x Armoured hull
• 2x Seeker missile
• 2x Twin pulse carbine

OTHER DATASHEETS

Crisis Starscythe Battlesuits (110 Points)
• 1x Crisis Starscythe Shas’vre
◦ 1x Battlesuit fists
◦ 2x Burst cannon
◦ 1x Gun Drone
◦ 1x Marker Drone
• 2x Crisis Starscythe Shas’ui
◦ 2x Battlesuit fists
◦ 4x Burst cannon
◦ 2x Gun Drone
◦ 2x Shield Drone

Kroot Carnivores (65 Points)
• 1x Long-quill
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Kroot pistol
◦ 1x Kroot rifle
• 9x Kroot Carnivore
◦ 9x Close combat weapon
◦ 8x Kroot rifle
◦ 1x Tanglebomb launcher

Kroot Hounds (40 Points)
• 5x Kroot Hound
◦ 5x Ripping fangs

Pathfinder Team (90 Points)
• 1x Pathfinder Shas’ui
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x 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

Riptide Battlesuit (190 Points)
• 1x Ion accelerator
• 2x Missile Drone
• 1x Riptide fists
• 1x Twin fusion blaster

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

Vespid Stingwings (65 Points)
• 1x Vespid Strain Leader
◦ 1x Neutron blaster
◦ 1x Stingwing claws
• 4x Vespid Stingwing
◦ 4x Neutron blaster
◦ 4x Stingwing claws

Aidans a busy boy and will have his thoughts for us when he finds the time. Check back soon.

Thomas Krootshanks List and Thoughts

“While detachment rules seem to oppose each other, they in fact play well into the Tau game plan.,T’au players hide like cowards, and now you can expose the kroot and your opponent must get within 18 of a unit with stealth. And T’au love to punish an army that over extends.

Breacher fish love this detachment. Broadsides with missiles love the extra ap at 36 inches. Kroot hounds are going to be annoying for opponents to deal with. 40 points,5 models, move 12, can advance and charge, and an aura of ap 1 for T’au is excellent

CHARACTERS

Cadre Fireblade (50 points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Fireblade pulse rifle

Commander in Coldstar Battlesuit (95 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Battlesuit Support System
1x Battlesuit fists
1x Cyclic ion blaster
1x High-output burst cannon
1x Marker Drone
1x Shield Drone
1x T’au flamer

Kroot Lone-spear (90 points)
• 1x Blast javelin
1x Close combat weapon
1x Hunting javelin
1x Kalamandra’s bite

BATTLELINE

Breacher Team (100 points)
• 1x Support turret
• 1x Breacher Fire Warrior Shas’ui
• 1x Close combat weapon
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

OTHER DATASHEETS

Crisis Starscythe Battlesuits (110 points)
• 1x Crisis Starscythe Shas’vre
• 1x Battlesuit fists
1x Gun Drone
1x Shield Drone
2x T’au flamer
• 2x Crisis Starscythe Shas’ui
• 2x Battlesuit fists
1x Gun Drone
1x Shield Drone
4x T’au flamer

Hammerhead Gunship (145 points)
• 1x Armoured hull
1x Railgun
2x Seeker missile
2x Twin smart missile system

Kroot Carnivores (65 points)
• 1x Long-quill
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Kroot pistol
1x Kroot rifle
• 9x Kroot Carnivore
• 9x Close combat weapon
8x Kroot rifle
1x Tanglebomb launcher

Kroot Hounds (40 points)
• 5x Kroot Hound
• 5x Ripping fangs

Krootox Rampagers (95 points)
• 3x Krootox Rampagers
• 3x Hunting blades
3x Kroot pistol and hunting javelins
3x Rampager fists

Riptide Battlesuit (190 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

Vespid Stingwings (65 points)
• 1x Vespid Strain Leader
• 1x Neutron blaster
1x Stingwing claws
• 4x Vespid Stingwing
• 4x Neutron blaster
4x Stingwing claws

“It’s a little light on screens but should deal with most threats, The Rampagers are intended as a counter unit.”

Final Thoughts

This is a really cool offering for T’au and opens up the entire book to the them instead of “THIS IS THE BATTLE SUIT DETACHMENT” or “THIS IS THE KROOT DETACHMENT” which is how it should be.

I’m excited for Kroot players, they’ve earned this.

Tomorrow is Black Templars. If you have done well at events with Black Tempalrs, please message me, I have no expert for tomorrow, and you don’t want me submitting a list for it.

Be safe everyone. Drink lot’s of water.