Dark Crusade

In this match-up early game can be very important because wethere the Ork player can cripple you hard or you can defend rush very well and let him crippled. Also dont let orks get map control because they`re shooty buildings will be hard for you to destroy on T1 and enemy will get resource advantage. If this happens, dont panic, concentrate more on eco boom but if you need more units to defend, dont worry and create them. Another disadvantage for Tau is that they cant use their great Vespid+ Tau Commander rush which can be very powerful against other factions.

Tau early game strats:

On small maps:
HQ: Earth Caste Builder+ 2 Stealthsuits squads+ Jetpacks.
Buildings: Tau Barracks+ Plasma generator.

On small maps, on my opinion is harder to deal with a good and well executed slugga boy rush. When your Tau barracks is finished, I suggest creating a Kroot carnivore squad first followed up by Tau Commander. When your first Kroot carnivore squad arrives, he must be already attacking and trying to decap with his Slugga Boy squad so your Kroots will make him retreat for a while. If he is applying more pressure to you afterwards, spend resources on units, get 2 fire warrior squads and reinforce when you can. If he isnt applying pressure to you, expand, get map control and build some LP2. Get units when needed. Also dont forget that a good use of snare traps can win you the game, they are vital on early game even though Big Mek can detect them, he will fall in many traps. Another important point is that you will need to use cannibalize as much as you can so alter on your Kroot carnivores can do a decent job against enemy Nob squads.

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On big maps:
HQ: Earth Caste Builder+ 3 Stealthsuits squads+ Jetpacks.
Buildings: Tau Barracks+ Plasma generator.

As you are playing on a large map, ork rush will take more time and you will have more time to prepare for it and you will have 3 Stealthsuit teams for capping/decapping faster. In this ocasion, ill will go for the Tau Commander which can kill/distract first incoming squad of Slugga Boys until your first Kroot carnivores arrives. Later on, I will go for a Eco Boom strat if needed but if you feel enemy is gaining map control and you`re defending too much, get units. Another squad of Kroot carnivores and two of Fire warriors. Order in this part can vary wether if you would like Fire warriors faster or vice versa. As I said before, your Kroot carnivores need to cannibalize as much as they can to prepare for Tier 2 and remember to place snare traps wisely.

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[color=#FF0000]Ork strats that can be used against you:

Slugga Boy rush+Big Mek followed up by fast T2:
The Ork player will begin to rush fast with one squad of slugga boys soon followed up by another incoming slugga boy squad and then not far on time, the Big Mek will arrive to the battlefield. When the third squad of slugga boys finishes capping all near Strategic points, it will come to harass you. While that is happening he will build Waaagh Banners and tech fast to T2. First strat for Tau will work most effective against this ork strat.

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Big Mek+ Shoota boy squads:
This rush is seeing more often, the Big Mek+Shoota boys squad can be effective against Tau too. As other start, rushing first with one slugga boy squad but alter on Big Mek and shootas will come. Shootas can easily kill any kroots with good micro but by the time Ork player has that, you must have a good force too. Second strat of Tau will work most effective against this ork strat.

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This post has been edited by .bAgr: Oct 1 2007, 09:09 AM

If orks could survive and didnt got much cassualties, he will still put you a lot of fight on Tier 2-3 and this is also the stage when the Orks get their three most powerful infantry units,im talking about Mega Armored Nobz, Nobz squads and Flash Gitz. This mid-game stage is crucial for you and I recommend that you destroy ork player on Tier 2 preferably than on Tier 3 as soon as you can. Remember also to do upgrades from Listening Posts which give you a nice boost to your requisition and build some plasma generators if you feel like your running too fast out of power. I consider power resource very important for Tau because their vehicles/some units cost many power (Skyray Gunship and Broadsides) and you need to get a nice flow of power going. Here, on mid-game station we will discuss about what strategies you need to keep the ork stuck in his base and even better, destroy them!


Tau Mid-game strats:

Tier 2:

As we have passed the early game stage, there will be no difference on doing each strategy on a small/big map because it wont matter. As soon as you reached Tier 2, you must have got a good resource flow from at least about 90/40 and with Listening post upgrade + Plasma generator upgrade your resource flow will go much better. Also remember ALWAYS to keep capping points (if theres some left) and trying to decap/destroy his strategic points and listening posts to keep the Ork player crippled. Another important point is research all upgrades from Path to Enlightenment you need.

Lets discuss now what should you do on Tier 2. Build a vehicle beacon and as soon as its finished, and create two Skyray Gunshipsand research Missile Barrage. Later on, if you feel your units move so slow and on mass, create Devilfish transports so you can travel faster and easier and also your transports will be stealthed. For me, Skyray Gunships and Devilfish transports are your best bet of vehicles against orks, though if you are more aggresive and you got enough power, get a Harbringer Drone, but remember, just get them if you got enough pwoer or otherwise get drone squads and begin to send drones to enemy units. getting ork weak buildings (speciallybanners) is very important and ork will get crippled. Though watch out for those sneaky Tank Bustaz that can kill your drones in just one shot and for any other Tau vehicle its also a threat, with ease so watch out for these boyz. You ALWAYS need to have a detector on your main army.



Lets talk about what units you should be getting on Tier 2 for Tau. Your main force of early game should be withouth much cassualties and if many units died, create them again depending if either they were Fire Warriors or Kroot Carnivores. Upgrade your Tau Commander with his two available weapons, fusion blaster and missile launcer) As for Tier 2-3 units I like to create Broadsides (1-2 are enough) to protect my forces/base from any incoming vehicle and also your Devilfish transport can carry them onto ork base and Broadsides destroy wtih ease those weak, shooty buildings. Also get a pathfinder squad as Markerlight is a good ability and will help you kill enemy`s stronger unit faster. When you`re done with that I usually will mass FW until my cap is full and as soon as I can I upgrade each squad with one drone shield and a Fire Warrior leader.. You must have also 2 Fully reinforced Kroot Squads with a good amount of cannibalize so they can tie up Nobz squads/Mega Armored Nobz while the rest of your army shoot enemy down from the back. Try to get to your Kroot Carnivores a Kroot Shaper attached because it boosts squad`s health. A last but useful unit for Tier 2, is a fully reinforced/upgraded Stealthsuit team which is a great Anti-Vehicle and his EMP grenade can stop any vehicle from moving, create the always if ork player goes for Wartrakks/Wartukks.




Ork units player will be getting on Tier 2:


From Tier 2, Nobz squads will constitute most part of Ork close combat force and each time, they receive buffs+upgrades when the ork player techs. Your force of Kroot Carnivores (if possible fully-cannibalized), will be essential as they will cover your ranged units and also they will do a decent job against Nobz squads.


Keep your vehicles at all costs away from these boyz. As Tau vehicles have low health, Tank Bustaz squads will kill your vehicle on 3-4 shots. They also get a infiltration upgrade so they will be harassing your base. Always ahve a detector on your main army and if they`re sneaking into your base to harass while you`re attacking, keep a Fire warrior squad and a detector squad on your base, that will stop them from harassing.


Mega Armored Nobz fully reinforced will just be 4, but their high health/attack and a team with the Nobz squads, it make up for it. Target with Markerlight these boyz and they will not be any longer on the battlefield but if they reach and attack to your army for too long you will find yourself with many cassualties. Your Kroot Carnivores will also need to tie them before they do any damage to your ranged units.

Ork vehicles player will be getting on Tier 2:


These fast light vehicles have low health though they serve as transport for the ork player so they will be harassing constantly alone or when full, they will unload Nobz squads, making their harassment a lot more effective. Keep 1-2 Broadsides on your base so any enemy vehicles can enter and as soon as you noticed them, your main army can come and kill them while the Broadside distracts them. Also Stealthsuit teams help a lot specially with EMP grenade so wartrukks cant escape.


Having most resistance to damage than the wartrukk, they can deliver a bomb with an Area of Effect damage which can clear up Kroot Carnivores attacking his Close combat units while they soon tie up your ranged units. Later on, wartraks can get Bomb Chuckas which is an Anti-Vehicle bomb. Stealthsuit teams are your best bet against them.


These expensive ork walking vehicle is very powerful on close combat, do not let it gets into close combat because neither of your infantry units ( Except your Stealthsuits) will deliver any good damage to it. Theres an exception though, you can use a combo of Stealthsuit squad to throw a EMP grenade into them and keep attacking (jetpack them to a safe place if enemy notice you) while your Broadside shoots down the Killa Kan and it will be no problem for you.


Tier 3:

If the ork player still manages to survive, then prepare for another incoming very powerful though low on health, ranged ork infantry. Flash Gitz+Mad Dok its a powerful combination and if not tied up, These boyz can eat very fast your forces. Then, for Tau its time to decide which path we must go, either Montka or Kauyon. I prefer going Kauyon on this ocassion because Kroot Hounds+Shaper are good VS enemy Ork close combat units and can tie up Flash gitz, completely annulating their powerful ranged attack. On this stage, Kroot carnivores are mostly useless so dont bother using much resources on reinforcing them, better focus on your Kroot Hounds. Also for going Kauyon, you receive two powerful upgrades on Path to Enlightenment which its a boost to range+health to some of your units and other one gives a boost to health for your Tau Commander, research this two as soon as possible.

As for vehicles on Tier 3, ill keep massing Skyrays and some 2 Devilfish transports and I repeat once again, beware of those sneaky Tank bustaz can kill your expensive Skyrays/Devilfish transports so ALWAYS have a detector on your army. Once again, you will ahve available upgrades from your Listening posts and your plasma generator so research them again, they`re more expensive than the first one but definitely worth it.




Ork units player will be getting on Tier 3:


These powerful heavy ranged ork units will arrive few secodns alter after ork player reaches Tier 3. Their fire power can be devastation and mad dok can be attached to it for healing them though they have not a very good armor and low health. Your Kroot Hounds/Carnivores + Shapper can tie up Flash Gitz, completely annulating their firepower and making them retreat, leaving ork close combat units, withouth ranged support. Also your Fire warriors can outrange Flash Gitz by far if you researched upgrades from Path to Enlightenment, making them good at killing Flash Gitz too. If their Mad Dok active Fighting Juice, on a close combat unit, retreat any unit attacking it until juice disappears and attack again and if they activate it on themselves, do the same thing,


Mad Dok cant do any damage alone but it can be attached into groups of ork units (mostly ork players attack them to Flash gitz) so he can heal any units. It also make available the ability Fighting Juice which is great for orks but can be avoided if you stop attacking that certain unit with juice and taking out other units while juice disappears and then you attack that unit again. Beware from the most powerful tool of the Mad Dok though, the Bomb, it can take medium armies with ease and heavily damage large armies so kill any incoming Mad Dok you see comig near to your units.


The Warboss, being the toughest commander on health and with a great attack power, it can be a threat to any of your commander/infantry units. You can target him with Markerlight and all units willa ttack him though his high health will allow ork player to retreat him. Every time he comes close, target him or any squad he is attached you and the Warboss will be no big problem.


Though Slugga Boyz are Tier 1 units, they can be upgraded and theres a great ability that ork players can use in general which is called "More Sluggas" giving them free slugga boyz. This ability is for Tier 3, so thats why I put Sluggas on here. They will come in huge masses though ork player will keep them safe until they fully reinforce and then send waves of these boyz. Best suggestion agains this, use all you units/vehicles you can get until when ork player reaches this, apart that any of your main army units will have, will be very effective against Mass Slugga Boyz Squads.

This post has been edited by UserFrank: Aug 6 2007, 19:52 PM