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Tau Third Phase Expansion Army List

We are not here to bring death and destruction to you, Gue’la. Even though your armed forces have laid waste to our systems, bombarded our cities and slaughtered my fellow Tau, we are not here for revenge. We are here to offer you to share our culture and profit from our technology and protection.

We are not here to take your homes, your families and your beliefs away from you. You can even continue to worship your Emperor-god if you want, you must only swear fealty to the advancement of the Greater Good, which will benefit all members of the empire alike.

We are not here to turn you all into soldiers and demand of you to fight against your former kin. Some of you will be asked to join our armed forces, in return for the protection that we grant to your planet. But if you are unwilling to fight against Humans from the Imperium, you will not be deployed against them. We are not here to enslave you, but to welcome you into our empire, the empire of the Tau.

Por’vre Dal’yth Jishu’iro, Addressing the human population of Goron Minor

Forces

The Tau Third Phase Expansion Army List uses the datasheets from the Tau Forces section.

Using The Army List

Tau formations come in two types: cadres and support formations. Each cadre you include in the army allows you to field any three support formations. Although you can only take a support formation if you first take a cadre, they are treated as separate independent formations during a battle and do not have to move around together. The formations that may be taken in a Tau Third Phase Expansion army are shown on the chart that follows. The chart also shows what units comprise the formations, what upgrades they are allowed, and their points cost.

In addition, formations may be given up to three upgrades. Each upgrade that is taken adds to the cost of the formation, as shown on the upgrade chart. The upgrade chart also lists the units that make up the upgrade. Each upgrade may be taken once per formation.

Tau Third Phase Expansion armies may be supported by Air Caste formations. A maximum of up to a third of the points available to the army may be spent on these formations.

Special Rules

Certain units and weapons have special abilities described in Coordinated Fire (see Coordinated Fire) and Tau Technology (see Tau Technology).

Tiger Shark Gun Drones

Tiger Shark Squadrons may be given a Gun Drone formation to transport. Transported Gun Drone formations may be split across multiple Tiger Sharks as an exception to the normal aircraft transport rules. The Tiger Sharks cannot land, make an engagement, or embark units, but can disembark transported Gun Drones after an approach move. The Gun Drone formation may shoot when it disembarks as normal (see Transporting Ground Units), and counts as having activated for that turn. After this initial deployment the Gun Drones are a completely independent formation. Gun Drones being transported by Tiger Sharks do not generate blast markers for being destroyed until after they are disembarked.

Tau Third Phase Expansion Army List

Tau Third Phase Expansion armies have a strategy rating of 3. Crisis Battlesuit Cadre and Manta Dropship formations have an initiative rating of 1+. All other formations have an initiative rating of 2+.

Tau Cadres
Formation Units Upgrades Cost
Crisis Battlesuit Cadre Four Crisis Battlesuits and one Shas’el character Shas’o, Crisis Suits, Gun Drones 250 points
Fire Warrior Cadre Eight Fire Warriors or Six Fire Warriors and three Devilfish Bonded Team, Broadsides, Ethereal, Fire Warriors, Gun Drones, Hammerheads, Pathfinders, Piranhas, Skyray 225 points
Tau Support Formations
(Any three support formations may be fielded per each core formation.)
Formation Units Upgrades Cost
Armour Support Group Four Hammerheads
Note: One or more Hammerheads with Railguns cost +25 points
Hammerheads, Skyray 200 points
Broadside Group Six Broadside Battlesuits Gun Drones 300 points
Kroot Kindred One Kroot Master Shapers unit and nine Kroot Warriors Kroot, Kroot Hounds, Krootox 175 points
Pathfinder Group Four Pathfinders and two Devilfish Gun Drones, Piranhas 200 points
Recon Skimmer Group Any six of the following units: Piranha, Tetra Gun Drones, Piranhas 175 points
Skysweep Support Group Three Skyrays None 250 points
Stealth Group Six Stealth Battlesuits Gun Drones 225 points
Tau Upgrades
(Up to three upgrades may be taken once per formation.)
Upgrade Units Cost
Bonded Team Give the formation Leader (this special ability is not added to any one specific unit) +25 points
Broadsides Add three Broadside Battlesuits +150 points
Crisis Suits Add two Crisis Battlesuits +75 points
0–1 Ethereal Add one Etheral character per army to a unit of Fire Warriors +50 points each
Fire Warriors Add any one of the following options: Four Fire Warriors +100 points
Four Fire Warriors and two Devilfish +125 points
Gun Drones Add two Gun Drones +25 points
Hammerheads Add any one of the following options: Add two Hammerheads with Ion Cannons +75 points
Add up to two Hammerheads with Railguns or Twin Fusion Cannons +50 points each
Kroot Add five Kroot Warriors +75 points
Kroot Hounds Add three Kroot Hounds +50 points
Krootox Add three Krootox +50 points
Pathfinders Add two Pathfinders and one Devilfish +100 points
Piranhas Add three Piranhas +75 points
0–1 Shas’o Replace one Shas’el character with a Shas’o character +75 points
Skyray Add one Skyray +100 points
Air Caste Formations
(Up to a third of the points available may be spent on these formations.)
Formation Units Cost
Barracuda Squadron Two Barracudas 150 points
Manta Dropship One Manta 650 points
Orca Dropship One Orca 150 points
0–1 Spacecraft Any one of the following units: Protector Class Cruiser 200 points
Custodian Class Battleship 225 points
Tiger Shark Squadron Two Tiger Sharks 175 points
(add a Gun Drone formation of six Gun Drones) (+100 points)
Tiger Shark AX-1-0 Squadron Two Shark AX-1-0s 350 points

Tau Forces

Ethereal CH n/a n/a n/a n/a
Honour Blade (bc)
Assault Weapons
  • EA(+1)
  • Invulnerable Save
  • Leader

All units in a formation joined by an Ethereal gain Fearless. If the Ethereal is killed then all these units lose Fearless and the formation receives an additional D3 Blast markers.

Shas'el CH n/a n/a n/a n/a
-
  • Coordinated Fire
  • Leader
Shas'o CH n/a n/a n/a n/a
Experimental Weapons 30cm
AP4+
  • Coordinated Fire
  • Leader

Each Shas’o character in the army allows a player to re-roll one failed initiative test (of any type) once per turn.

Crisis Battlesuits INF 20cm 3+ 5+ 5+
Missile Pods 45cm
AP5+/AT6+
Twin Plasma Rifles 30cm
AP4+/AT6+
Twin Fusion Blasters 15cm
MW4+
  • Invulnerable Save
  • Tau Jet Packs
Fire Warriors INF 15cm 5+ 6+ 5+
Pulse Rifles 30cm
AP4+
Pulse Carbines 15cm
AP5+
  • D
Gun Drones INF 20cm 5+ 6+ 5+
Twin Pulse Carbines 15cm
AP4+
  • D
  • Tau Jet Packs
Kroot Hounds INF 20cm - 3+ -
Fangs (bc)
Assault Weapons
  • Infiltrator
  • Scout
Kroot Master Shapers INF 15cm 6+ 4+ 5+
Kroot Rifles (15cm)
Small Arms
Mercenary Weapons (bc)
Assault Weapons
  • EA(+1)
  • Infiltrator
  • Leader
  • Scout
Kroot Warriors INF 15cm - 4+ 5+
Kroot Rifles (15cm)
Small Arms
  • Infiltrator
  • Scout
Krootox INF 15cm 4+ 4+ 5+
Kroot Guns 45cm
AP5+/AT6+
Claws (bc)
Assault Weapons
  • EA(+1)
Pathfinders INF 15cm 5+ 6+ 5+
Rail Rifles 30cm
AP5+
  • S
Pulse Carbines 15cm
AP5+
  • D
  • Coordinated Fire
  • Markerlights
  • Scout
Stealth Battlesuits INF 20cm 5+ 6+ 5+
Silenced Burst Cannons 15cm
AP4+
  • D
  • First Strike
  • Markerlights
  • Reinforced Armour
  • Scout
  • Tau Jet Packs
  • Teleport
Broadside Battlesuit LV 15cm 4+ 6+ 5+
Twin Railguns 60cm
AT3+
Smart Missile System 30cm
AP5+
  • IC
  • Reinforced Armour
  • Walker
Piranha LV 35cm 5+ 6+ 6+
Burst Cannon and Drones 15cm
AP5+
Seeker Missiles 90cm
AT6+
  • GM
  • Skimmer
Tetra LV 35cm 5+ 6+ 6+
Tetra Pulse Rifles 30cm
AP6+
  • Coordinated Fire
  • Markerlights
  • Scout
  • Skimmer
Devilfish AV 30cm 5+ 6+ 6+
Burst Cannon and Drones 15cm
AP5+
Seeker Missiles 90cm
AT6+
  • GM
  • Skimmer
  • Transport

May transport two units of Fire Warriors or Pathfinders.

Hammerhead AV 30cm 4+ 6+ 5+
Smart Missile System 30cm
AP5+
  • IC
Seeker Missiles 90cm
AT6+
  • GM
0–1× Railgun 75cm
AP5+
or 75cm
AT4+
  • L
0–1× Ion Cannon 60cm
AP4+/AT5+
0–1× Twin Fusion Cannon 30cm
MW4+
  • Skimmer

Armed with either a Railgun, Ion Cannon or Twin Fusion Cannon.

Skyray AV 30cm 5+ 6+ 5+
Smart Missile System 30cm
AP5+
  • IC
2× Hunter Missiles 60cm
AA5+
2× Seeker Missiles 90cm
AT6+
  • GM
  • Markerlights
  • Skimmer
Barracuda AC Fighter 6+ n/a n/a
Ion Cannon 30cm
AP4+/AT5+/AA5+
  • FxF
Twin Burst Cannon 15cm
AA6+
Twin Missile Pods 45cm
AP5+/AT6+
  • FxF
Manta WE 20cm 5+ - 4+
Twin Heavy Rail Cannons 90cm
MW2+
  • FxF
  • TK(D3)
3× Heavy Ion Phalanx 75cm
AP3+/AT4+
  • FxF
4× Twin Manta Burst Cannons 30cm
AP5+/AA6+
Twin Missile Pods 45cm
AP5+/AT6+
  • FxF
2× Seeker Missiles 90cm
AT6+
  • GM
  • Damage Capacity 8
  • Deflector Shield
  • Fearless
  • Markerlights
  • Planetfall
  • Reinforced Armour
  • Support Craft
  • Transport

May transport 20 infantry units or Broadside Battlesuits; plus four armoured vehicle or light vehicle units (except Broadside Battlesuits); Tetra count as one-third of a unit each, rounding up. Crisis Battlesuits count as two units each. Critical Hit Effect: The unit looses Tau deflector shield. Subsequent critical hits cause an extra point of damage.

Orca AC/WE Bomber 4+ 6+ 6+
Twin Burst Cannon 15cm
AA6+
Twin Missile Pods 45cm
AP5+/AT6+
Aircraft Seeker Missiles 45cm
AT6+
  • GM
  • Damage Capacity 2
  • Planetfall
  • Transport

May transport twelve infantry units (except Krootox) or Broadside Battlesuits; Crisis Battlesuits count as two units each. Critical Hit Effect: The unit and all units on board are destroyed.

Tiger Shark AC Bomber 4+ n/a n/a
Twin Ion Cannon 30cm
AP3+/AT4+/AA4+
  • FxF
Twin Burst Cannon 15cm
AA6+
Twin Missile Pods 45cm
AP5+/AT6+
  • FxF
  • Transport

May transport three units of Gun Drones.

Tiger Shark AX-1-0 AC Bomber 4+ n/a n/a
Twin Rail Cannons 45cm
MW3+
  • FxF
  • TK(D3)
Twin Burst Cannon 15cm
AA6+
Twin Missile Pods 45cm
AP5+/AT6+
  • FxF
Aircraft Seeker Missiles 45cm
AT6+
  • GM
Custodian Class Battleship SC n/a n/a n/a n/a
Gravitic Tracer Salvo n/a
3× MW4+
  • GM
  • IC
Pin-Point Attack n/a
MW2+
  • TK(D3)
  • Transport

May transport 18 of the following units and the units being transported on them: Orca, Manta; Mantas count as thee units each. The Gravitic Tracer Salvo may be fired at a marked formation of any type.

Protector Class Cruiser SC n/a n/a n/a n/a
2× Pin-Point Attack n/a
MW2+
  • TK(D3)
  • Transport

May transport six of the following units and the units being transported on them: Orca, Manta; Mantas count as thee units each.

Coordinated Fire

Some units are noted as being able to call in coordinated fire. These units can order up to two other formations within 15cm that have not taken an action this turn, and which are not broken, to follow their own formation when they take an advance, double or sustained fire action.

Make a single initiative roll for all formations, counting a single -1 modifier if any have blast markers. If the test is failed then the original formation (containing the unit calling for coordinated fire) receives a Blast marker and must take a hold action, but the other formations are unaffected (and may take an action later in the turn). If the test is passed then all formations concerned are allowed to take either an advance, double or sustained fire action.

There is no obligation for all formations to take the same action, and these actions may be resolved in any order, but they must all fire at the same target formation. The formations don’t have to stay within a given distance of each other and will complete their actions one after the other. Each formations action is declared and resolved (including testing to see if the target formation is broken) before moving on to the next Tau formation.

Note that units with this ability confer the coordinated fire ability to any formation that they join. For example, a Pathfinder upgrade purchased to be added to a Fire Warrior Cadre, adds the coordinated fire ability to all units in the Cadre.

Tau Technology

Deflector Shield
Tau deflector shields work like an invulnerable save in all respects, except that this invulnerable save is always at 5+.
Guided Missiles
Guided missiles may only be fired at a target formation that is marked, but guided missiles may be fired without line of fire if the target is marked.
Markerlights
All enemy formations with at least one unit within 30cm range and line of fire (Line of Fire) of at least one Tau unit with the markerlights ability is considered to be marked. When shooting at a marked formation, all ranged firepower attacks add +1 to their to-hit roll. This bonus for shooting at a marked enemy may not be used when making Anti-Aircraft attacks. A Tau formation that is broken or marched this turn may not mark an enemy formation.
Tau Jet Packs
Tau jet packs follow all the rules for Jump Packs. Additionally, units with Tau jet packs are allowed to make an additional move of 10cm at the end of an advance, double or march order. The extra move is allowed whether or not the unit fires and takes place after any firing. This extra move may be in any direction and follows all the normal movement rules, so unit coherency and zones of control must be adhered to as usual. No extra movement is allowed on any orders other than advance, double or march.
In formations where only some of the units have Tau jet packs, the units without Tau jet packs are not allowed the extra move.
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