These are all the new Tau Warhammer 40k Codex rules and models along with how to play the new faction in our review.
Let’s start off by looking at the new model offerings for Tau then dive into the rules.
GW snuck in the first teaser for the new Tau Codex in a Warhammer Community article that may have flew under the radar for most because it was about Kill Team.
Pathfinders made sense for Kill Team and they are coming alongside new sisters minis. Some people were upset that the sisters were the ones who grabbed brand new minis, but this is better than nothing.
The T’au Pathfinders are already incredibly versatile, but the Earth caste has outfitted them with a ton of new gear. Kill Team Chalnath comes with a comprehensive new upgrade sprue for the existing Pathfinder kit, meaning new heads, new gadgets, new guns, and even a few new poses – all you need to bring the Greater Good to the recalcitrant Imperial citizens of the Chalnath Expanse.
Here’s what Warhammer Community had to say:
On the T’au side, the snazzy upgraded Pathfinders can be used as a normal unit in your T’au army. Their kit won’t remain ornamental for long, though – brand new options for Pathfinders will be arriving in an upcoming codex. In fact, Fire Caste commanders among you will be excited to discover that it’s one of the first new codexes coming in 2022.
We were really, really hoping for a fully new Tau set in the box, but an upgrade sprue is better than nothing. 
So getting new bits is cool, but paying more really isn’t. However, this could mean new kits in the future though, as it seems to be happening with Imperial Guard and the Death Korps of Krieg.
Tau Combat Patrol: What is it Worth?
This box looks like it may be coming out at the same time as the codex, so you might want to read the book first to make sure you want the units inside! Let’s check out the value.
Just to note, we’re going to assume the new Tau Combat Patrol is a $140 price point as everyone else has been the same price so far. Let’s check out the value
- Fire Warriors: $50
- Fireblade: $29
- Stealth Battlesuits: $34
- Ghostkeel Battlesuit: $80
- Ethereal: $30 (the Ethereal pictured is the one from the current Start Collecting box, so this is priced a little higher)
Total MSRP: $223
Total Value: $83
This doesn’t have the highest value we’ve seen, but pretty close to a lot of the boxes and still decent for the price. If you need the models inside then it does save you a decent amount of cash and will get you a lot of minis for fairly cheap.
New Tau Darkstrider Model
As you know the community had whispered that the Darkstrider would be the new character update. Since he is still Finecast it’s one of the only logical choices. Named characters are the most popular when GW decides on reworking a model for a faction update!
Did you wonder who the mysterious silhouetted figure was in our Kill Team article on the T’au Empire? It was none other than Sub-commander El’Myamoto, better known as Darkstrider.
The model is actually pretty interesting with him and the drones. Obviously, it’s much better than the old Finecast one and hey, it’s not Finecast! So that right there makes this way better.
Codex: Tau Empire Retail Price: $55
Click here to get yours for less from these retailers: | Amazon | Dicehead Games | Gold Goblin Games or full price on the GW Webstore
This 136-page book comprehensively covers the T’au Empire. It has everything you need to bring the technological might of the T’au to bear on the tabletop in order to expand the empire, plus a selection of lore and art to inspire your own collection.
How To Play Tau 40k Codex Rules, & Review
These unique faction rules are collected from all the following reviews on YouTube, and Warhammer Community alike, so be sure to watch your favorite presenters talk about their take on the book at the links below!
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Here’s the most up-to-date review of the new Tau Empire rules. Click on the gallery above to see all the new 9th Edition rules from the Tau codex!
Tau Empire 9th Edition 40k Army Wide Rules
First up we’ve got some list restrictions that essentially say each detachment can only have one commander unless it’s a Farsight Enclaves detachment, then those can have two commanders.
The drawback for the Enclave is then that they can’t take Ethereals, which got some love in this update.
The big change here for abilities is that Markerlights are now treated as an Action. Additionally, Markerlights are now removed after being shot at, and at the end of the shooting phase.
This means that marker lights are easier to place and get the best effect (no more having to go for a certain number for certain effects), however, you’ll have to keep placing them each turn you want to take advantage of that sweet-sweet +1 to hit.
We will just have to see if this is a strong or weak change in the coming weeks.
Other abilities are also defined here like the pregame move: Ambushing Predators and the deep strike: Manta Strike.
New Tau Tactical Philosophy Mont’ka & Kauyon 40k Rules
The Next big new ability is the Philosophies. Now after you decide who goes first you can decide to commit to Kauyon or Mont’ka.
Durable units get a lot of mileage out of the Kauyon Tactical Philosophy, as the army must be able to withstand several turns of enemy attacks before springing their trap. Stealth and Ghostkeel Battlesuits are well suited for the task, as their camouflage systems offer extra protection and their high rate of fire generates extra hits on the counter-attack.
In general, Kauyon looks to surge up to a powerful final turn, where targeting the closest enemies (within 12″) and rolling an unmodified hit roll (as displayed above) result in an additional hit! This also allows shooting and falling back in the same turn, however, the star really is getting a 50-50 chance for additional hits on round 5.
We’ll have to see how many people pick this one because it means you have to make it to turn three to start getting value. It is strong once you get there, but how many units will you have left to take advantage of it? However, if you make it to turns four and five with a decent amount of stuff, you’re gaining a lot of firepower and maneuverability
Mont’ka Tau Tactical Philosophy Rules
The Mont’ka Tactical Philosophy rewards decisive action in the first three turns, allowing its warriors to rapidly advance into enemy lines and blaze away with powerful close-range firepower. This allows players to move even their foot-slogging Fire Warriors into a commanding position early in the game, getting their new, improved pulse rifles into that all-important Rapid Fire range from the get-go. Mont’ka is a particular favourite of Crisis Battlesuit cadres deploying via Manta Strike, who aim to scrub elite troops from the field by dropping down at close range.
Mont’ka instead cares about a strong start, allowing movement and being treated as remaining stationery, plus getting an extra AP and wound re-rolls of 1 if targetting the closest unit (within the specified distance above).
As we said, you pick these after the turn order has been decided and one helps with the first 3 turns, the other helps with the last three. If you need to get on objectives early and maneuver into a better position this is super strong. As advancing or moving gives you no negative effects.
Then, if you’re getting up close and personal, you get some serious shooting benefits. An extra AP and re-rolling a wound is no joke.
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Overall both of these look extremely good, but it’ll depend on what the matchup looks like to decide which is best for each game! Will the plan be to hunker down and outlast, or rush the board for an early wipe?
Tau Empire 9th Edition 40k Septs Rules
We saw rumors for these, and here are the new Tau Sept rules and the DIY or how to make your own Septs as well!
- Dal’yth is the only Sept that buffs Aux units. No build-a-Sept traits modify them.
- A Bork’an Sept trait is “Ranged Attacks of S7 or less made against VEHICLES and BATTLESUITS are -1 strength” Like Ramshackle, but worse. Sleep in fear, Ork players.
- Tau – reroll 1 hit or 1 wound when a unit attacks, +3″ to Auras, Litanies, Targeted buffs
- Vior’la – +2″ mv when wholly in your deployment zone on your first turn. Reroll Advance and Charge rolls.
- Sa’cea – Ranged Attacks targeting VEHICLES get Dense Cover if the attacker is more than 18″ away. Ranged Attacks targeting INFANTRY (and everything smaller than a Ghostkeel is INFANTRY) get Dense Cover if the attacker is more than 12″ away. VEHICLES and BATTLESUITS do not suffer the penalty for firing Heavy weapons at targets within Engagement Range of them.
- Dal’yth – Ranged Attacks against Infantry have Light Cover unless they are within Engagement Range of the Attacker (so… fear the Dark Angels, I guess?). Aux units get your selected Montka or Kauyon.
- Bork’an – +4″ range to all guns. Ranged Attacks against Battlesuits and Vehicles of S7 or lower get -1S.
- Farsight Enclaves – Always have Markerlight if making attacks within 12″ Seems to be the only time to get marker benefits in the charge phase. Reroll 1 Wound when a unit is chosen to shoot or fight.
The first Sept is the iconic brown T’au. With their new rules, their Vectored Manoeuvring Thrusters looks like the best offering, essentially making the model un-chargable depending on positioning, which is obviously strong!
Your chosen sept also gives you a unique Relic. The T’au Sept is well known for its efficiency in battle, and its Vectored Manoeuvring Thrusters give your (already upgraded) battlesuits even more mobility.
Additionally, their tenet seems great. Being able to re-roll one hit and one wound roll per unit is pretty good.
Vior’la have some interesting things up their sleeves as well. Their tenet is fairly aggressive getting 2″ to all models movement on turn one and a permanent re-roll to advance and charge rolls! The warlord trait is also decent serving as a CP engine when using wargear or strategic ploy stratagems on a 3+.
Sa’cea takes a much more defensive turn, with their tenet giving vehicles cover, granting cover to infantry when more than 12″ away, and allows vehicles and suits to shoot heavy weapons within engagement range with no penalty.
Commanders from Sa’cea are meanwhile used to fighting hard-won campaigns in difficult conditions. They know better than any other the value of key strategic terrain and their commanders can delegate control of objectives to units that wouldn’t normally be expected to hold them.
This is a great way to secure objectives. However, we don’t think this is the only rule they will get, so there’s a chance the rumor above is true where you get dense cover and can fire heavy weapons without penalty.
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All in all, a pretty decent option for a more defensive, attrition-based approach.
Dal’yth is a little more tactical with its tenet by giving troops additional cover rules and allowing auxiliary units gain the benefit of Tactical Philosophies.
Dal’yth, for instance, is a bustling trade hub renowned for its Water Caste diplomats, given T’au are one of the few factions in Warhammer 40,000 to entertain the idea of diplomacy. This lends its armies a greater appreciation for the auxiliaries that supplement their ranks, and they excel in training Kroot and Vespid forces to use the Fire Caste’s powerful Tactical Philosophies. In turn, their Hunter Cadres pick up expert fieldcraft skills from alien comrades.
You get light cover against all shooting attacks (more or less) and your auxiliary units actually benefit from your Philosophy, which is just pretty strong.
The Signature system also seems great making it impossible to target the unit with ranged attacks further than 12″ away unless it’s the closest unit. Additionally, they also get a 5+ invulvn which is fantastic for a ranged devoted unit with mobility.
Bor’kan is all about craftsmanship. Their weapons are better, getting +4″ to range, and their armor (vehicles and battlesuits) is stronger subtracting 1 from the strength of incoming shots if they are below 7. Which makes the difference of a 4 or 5 to wound- which can come in clutch when fishing for failed to-hit rolls.
Finally, the Farsight Enclaves are the last pre-made sept. With the changes to markerlights, their tenet is especially good. If you shoot within 12″ then the target is treated as having a markerlight. On paper, this seems super strong, but in general, Tau like to play at range, so this might be an interesting payoff that keeps both players on their toes, especially considering how powerful markerlights are now.
Of course, being able to re-roll one wound roll is also always a great benefit as well.
Tau Empire 9th Edition 40k DIY Septs Rules
The rules for tau creating their own septs is a little different so the chart below might help explain it better.
When creating your own Sept Tenet, you must therefore pick two tenets from neighbouring sectors on the map above, representing the limited range of influence your army can draw from. This in no way means your sept is bereft of choice. Each sector contains four different tenets to choose from, meaning there are a total of almost 100 different combinations on offer.
This is a little confusing for new players but shouldn’t be too hard to figure out.
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Essentially you can choose two traits, however, they must be different and they must be from adjacent zones from the above diagram. So, E and D can pair, but E and C cannot!
An army heavy with Crisis battlesuits can have them Play Their Part to bully lesser foes off critical objectives, using their speed and durability to employ Blocking Tactics and wrest control of the battlefield towards the side of reason and progress.
As for options within each sector, there are a few that stand out. Sector A’s Adherents to the Teachings might be the most consistent option simply because nearly every list runs auras that are important and gaining extra range, makes them all the better.
As for Sector B, Defensive Doctrines looks like a strong option as it can essentially give the equivalent of +2 to save when charged, making your units much more likely to survive and be able to make it out alive and continue laying down fire in future turns. Sector C has Fire Saturation which buffs burst weapons by adding 1 to hit rolls if within 12″ of the target. Burst weapons are already very strong, so this is sure to be a great option.
Sector D offers up Reliable Weaponry, which is a simple one-wound roll re-roll per unit. This is always a solid pick, ensuring you land those critical wounds! Finally, Sector E has Rapid Retreat which helps you distance your models more after being charged by adding 3″ to fall back. However, in general, E seems to be the overall weakest option.
That being said, each sector has a few interesting options, which might mean for some variations in what people consider the best for the faction!
New Tau 40k Weapons & Wargear Rules
Just before Thanksgiving Warhammer Community started unveiling new Tau codex rules as previews ramped up.
You’ll no doubt be pleased to learn, then, that the range of both of their primary weapons has been increased. The pulse carbine, for example, now has a very healthy reach of 24″ (a handy boost for the Pathfinders you picked up in Kill Team: Chalnath, too!).
Just what Tau needed, more range to sit further back… Seriously though, this is a pretty good buff overall.
With an enormous 36″ range, Fire Warriors armed with pulse rifles will be able to outrange the Troops units of almost any other faction, giving them a crucial early advantage as well as the ability to Rapid Fire up to 18″. What’s more, they now come with a handy pip of AP for some added punch.
With more range and getting a small bump in AP, we might see more footsloggers than ever for Tau.
Some of the early highlights spotted are below:
- Plasma Rifle is Assault 1, S8, AP-4, Dmg 3.
- Broadside Rail Gun is Heavy 2 S9, AP -4, d3+3 damage, 1 auto MW on a successful wound.
- Seeker Missile: 72″, Heavy 1, S9, AP -3, Dmg 2d3, one shot per seeker.
- Sky Rays have a Seeker Missile Rack – 72″, Heavy d3+1, S9, AP-3, 2d3 dmg
- Vespid Neutron Blasters are 18″ Assault 2, S5, AP-3, D2
Other than keeping the definitions official, the first page of weapon profiles goes over the less-used melee weapons for Tau. As the faction is known for its heavy ranged focus, these kinda go under the radar, however, some still look decent!
Farsight’s Dawnblade for example now has two profiles, giving him the same flexibility so many other top-dog named characters have. With a sweeping attack for chaff and a strike for a single target, he might be even more deadly in melee now!
As for the second page, we get into the meat of Tau… All those ranged weapons! Across the board pretty much all missiles got an extra AP and Burst cannons got even better. Burst cannons were already the weapon of choice for many units, so this buff might just push it over the edge to be the auto-include weapon for a majority of the models who can take them.
Closing out the weapons we see more of the widespread missile and burst cannon buffs, but also the huge change to plasma rifles! They are now even more long-range, with higher AP and damage, making them even better at taking out armor from range.
Tau Codex Markerlight 40k Rules
According to the rumors these are the new Tau Markerlight Rules for 9th Edition.
Fire Markerlights (Action): One or more Markerlight units from your army can start to perform this action at the start of your movement phase. Aircraft Markerlight units can perform this action. The action is completed at the start of your next shooting phase.
If this action is successfully completed, for each model in that unit that is equipped with one or more markerlights, for each markerlight that model is equipped with, select one enemy unit within 36″ of that model that would be an eligible target for that model if its unit had been selected to shoot, and roll one D6: on a 3+, that enemy unit gains one Markerlight token.
While a VEHICLE or DRONE unit is performing the Fire Markerlights action, that unit can move without that action failing. If it does, until the end of the turn, models in that unit without the VEHICLE or DRONE keyword that are equipped with any markerlights are treated as not being equipped with any markerlights for the purpose of the Fire Markerlights action.
Each time a Tau Empire unit (not Aux) is selected to shoot:
- Each time a model in that unit makes a ranged attack against a unit with one or more Markerlight Tokens, add 1 to that attack’s hit roll.
- After that unit has finished making attacks, for each enemy unit targeted by those attacks, remove one Markerlight token from that enemy unit.
- Remove all Markerlight tokens at the end of your shooting phase.
Pathfinders can move then apply Markerlights
While all weapons carried by battlesuits are just as effective fired directly into someone’s face as they are over a long distance, the closer-ranged armaments benefit from shooting into close quarters. Quite a few of these guns have been upgraded in the new codex, now firing more shots than before.
Even though neither have AP or D2 against infantry hordes, you will be able to seriously dish out the damage! Jump down in their face and roast ’em at that sweet 12″ range!
Tau Railgun 40k Rules
There are a few things to break down here. With an AP of -6 and the ability to ignore invulnerable saves, your payload will be making it through almost any kind of energy field, daemonic protection, or battle plate that might stand in its way.
Once that shot hits home, it delivers eye-watering damage with the potential to knock out vehicles and large monsters in a single shot.
With a giant range, ignoring Invulnerable saves, S 14, and D3+6 Damage, this will blast stuff off the table. Then not to mention you also just suffer 3 mortal wounds for the heck of it! This can easily take out all light vehicles in a single shot and nearly kill (or bracket) the majority of models in one go.
Tau Stormsurge Pulse Blastcannon Rules!
While this doesn’t ignore basically every save in the game as the new Railgun does, it does get 2 shots at Strength 16, and not that it’s a big deal, it deals 12 Damage with each shot!
Acting rather like a colossal shotgun, the pulse blastcannon can lob its payload over long ranges, but it really shines when concentrating its immense power into a close-range blast. Although it lacks the shield-busting power of the Hammerhead railgun’s hypersonic slugs, with a whopping Strength 16, it will still wreak plenty of havoc on even the sturdiest targets – Knights or even Titans included.
Either way, you shoot this thing it’s going to deal damage. Somehow, it almost feels better to play against because at least you can take your Invulnerable saves. So that’s something… However, if you fail any of your saves, get ready to take basically any model off the table!
Then, the other mode of fire is still insanely strong and will be perfect for taking out things like bikes and high would unit-type models. Still, this has the ability to deal 24 wounds in either form! Plus at Strength 16, it will wound almost everything on 2’s.
Crazy!
When you have enough firepower at your disposal to terrify Imperial Knights, you’ll want to make sure that your shots hit. The Earth Caste couldn’t agree more, and Stormsurges are thus equipped with retractable anchors to absorb the massive recoil. By deploying these in lieu of moving, pilots can significantly improve their accuracy.
Ah, then you’ll get to re-roll all your missed hits, so while you give up maneuverability, you will be re-rolling everything. Some pretty insane stuff overall!
Tau Empire 9th Edition 40k Prototype System Rules
Prototype Systems are a sort of trait system that helps to buff up important battlesuits in a Tau list. That being said these aren’t free and do cost points to add, so only the best options should be seriously considered if you are short on points.
On the first page, there are 4 options with one of the best being the Advanced Burst Cannon. Burst cannons are already a fantastic option for Tau lists, but upgrading one even further for 15 pts seems fair when you consider the buffed stats and the ability to prevent and wound loss negation abilities.
The second page has much more options, meaning there are more good things to consider too! Internal Grenade Racks is a decent choice, providing some mortal wounds (d3) output every turn on a 2+. Stim Injectors is another great option allowing you to get a 50-50 FNP on an important life or death turn where you really need one more turn out of the model.
Tau Empire 9th Edition 40k Stratagem Rules
Other than the two stratagems below that were previewed early from this page, Point-Blank Volley looks like a strong option for tau to not simply die in melee. Being able to have an entire unit of fire warriors shoot after being charged (assuming they live past the initial attacks), means you might be able to take a few extra bodies with them thanks to their much better ranged weapons and non-existent melee abilities.
Even without passengers, the Devilfish provides ample firepower and can support nearby infantry with a suite of sensor equipment. Sophisticated onboard systems guide Fire Warriors towards priority targets, and are especially good for getting the most out of the ion rifles and rail rifles carried by Pathfinder teams.
Getting that many re-rolls for only one CP is pretty crazy. While it’s only on one unit, you will really up your chances of hitting, and again, it’s only one CP.
When dodging back behind cover isn’t an option, battlesuits deploying from a low-flying Manta can use the Drop Threat Acquisition stratagem for extra accuracy.
This might seem expensive at first, but this is for each model in the unit and rerolling all hits. So this will seriously make that first strike when they come down insanely strong!
There was one stratagem previewed from the second page, with another great option being Saviour Protocols. Of course, the ability to shrug off wounds to drones is iconic, but being able to have a 1cp maximum panic button when an incoming 6 damage shot (or melee swing) makes it through, it’s very strong, too strong to not acknowledge!
Once the Fire Warriors have reached their destination, they waste no time in springing from their transport and blazing away with pulse fire. The most dedicated will leap while their ride is still in motion, landing with a roll heedless of their own safety.
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Disembarking after moving will really increase your mobility and with this being a Stratagem for up to three Devilfish, you can really cover a lot of ground and take your opponent by surprise.
The third page also had one previewed stratagem, with another great option being Orbital Ion Beam. While 2 CP starts can be a big ask, getting potentially d3 Mortals on around 3 units seems like it might be worth the investment.
Of course, the floor is only 1 and the ceiling is the entire army, so it’ll be interesting how people play around this one. A full turn of warning is probably enough to dodge it, but 2cp to force your opponent to move might still be good enough in a competitive setting.
Such a large war machine is naturally a big target on the battlefield, so no expense has been spared protecting it from enemy fire. Improvements to its Toughness, Wounds, and Save join a built-in shield generator, while a total redesign of the counterfire defence system now unlocks a powerful Stratagem that nullifies attacks before they even reach the armoured shell.
Well, one thing we said about the new Hammerhead is that it might be super easy to kill, doesn’t look the same for the Stormsurge as it’s getting better toughness, save, and a shield generator.
Then, you can just change any weapon’s damage to 1, so if you thought you would take this down with Lascannons or such, not so fast.
Lastly, the final page had 2 stratagems previewed early, with another new option being Photon Grenades. The Tau always wants to be at range, so being able to hurt an enemy unit’s charge and hit rolls for a single CP is a huge tool for tau!
Veteran T’au commanders may remember that moving after shooting was a hallmark of the battlesuits of old, and those days are here again with the Strike and Fade stratagem.
A staple stratagem honestly, and it can let you jump out of terrain, shoot, then get back out of sight. It’s always been annoying and strong and probably will continue to be.
The King is dead, long live the King!
The Hammerhead is shockingly effective at turning single targets into smoking wrecks, but what if the enemy is coming in numbers? Faced with smaller foes, Hammerhead pilots can load short-ranged Submunitions.
This isn’t the best against smaller units, but against hordes, this will most likely dish out the full 8 Mortals. For 1 CP this makes the Hammerhead so much more versatile!
Then there are the stratagems. Bork’an reminds its sister septs that time spent in the laboratory can bear bountiful fruit on the battlefield, and it live-tests powerful Experimental Weaponry on the battlefield.
When they said the Railgun was the only weapon that could innately get rid of invulns, they weren’t lying. However, just use this instead and take away their saves! This combined with a Bork’an Stormsurge is going to be insane, as it does all the damage of the Railgun, and for 2 CP gets the ignore Invulnerable saves.
- Nova Reactor no longer has a risk of damaging the model. Instead, it burns out for the rest of the battle if you fail the test. Branched Nova Reactor turns a failed test into a success.
- There is a stratagem that allows a unit to hop out of a devilfish after the devilfish moves.
- No stratagems that modify Montka or Kauyon (which I thought would have been a gimme for the rules team) by advancing or rolling back the turn number for a specific unit or giving the OTHER one to a unit for a single-phase or something.
- Saviour Protocols is a Stratagem. It works on ANY unit (that has the same Sept as the Drone), but the drone model must be within 3″ and dies as part of the strat. Drone controllers boost the range to within 6″… but SS and Riptides can’t have them. Shield drones do not have FNP.
- There is a Strat that allows you to shoot at things out of LoS with Seeker Missiles if they have a Markerlight token (and you get +1 to Wound for the attack)
- Breachers have the Sweep and Clear Strat (Ignore cover, reroll wounds) Strikes have the Relentless Fusillade Strat (Ignore Rapid Fire rules, double shots, additional point of AP), BOTH can use Pulse Onslaught (unmodified 6 to Hit auto wounds the target). They can use Point Blank Volley (Pulse weapons are Pistol 2) if… like, somebody charged you as a joke or you want to waste a CP.
- A strat gives a re-roll 1 to hit aura to a devilfish that only works on Fire warriors.
- Fireblade Volley Fire is an aura of 6s to hit gives an additional hit for Core units with pulse weapons.
New Tau Battlesuit & Vehicle Upgrade Rules
They’re tough, which allows experienced pilots to keep a clear head, even when surrounded by baying hordes of knife-wielding nasties. Those who think they can make easy prey of a battlesuit in melee will quickly become the target of point-blank gunfire, crushed underfoot by these surprisingly sprightly suits.
If Tau Battlesuits happen to get caught in melee, being able to shoot is really nice! They just have to survive the combat to get their turn to shoot back!
Quite a lot of the support systems have also been tweaked by the Earth Caste engineers. Multi-trackers now assist their pilot’s aim when targeting large groups, while target locks highlight vulnerable areas in the enemy’s cover.
It looks like they are giving Tau a ton of anti-infantry this time around. Scoring extra hits, even if it is one per model, is pretty nice, and getting rid of light cover can never be bad.
With such a powerful single slug, connecting with each shot is crucial, so the Hammerhead has an advanced targeting array that pairs well with the new Markerlights rules.
Well, if you were worried about actually hitting with this… Worry no longer as you already get to reroll a hit and then who knows exactly how the new Markerlight rules will play out. Then, if you were worried about this being only effective against vehicles, it also can deal tons of damage to infantry too!
Tau Empire 9th Edition 40k Unit Datasheets
While there are a ton of datasheets for the Tau, we wanted to specifically highlight the new Darkstrider and all the drone changes.
All-in-all this also looks like a big improvement over his old rules! But this also came with a stunning new model.
Did you wonder who the mysterious silhouetted figure was in our Kill Team article on the T’au Empire? It was none other than Sub-commander El’Myamoto, better known as Darkstrider.
The model is actually pretty interesting with him and the drones. Obviously, it’s much better than the old Finecast one and hey, it’s not Finecast! So that right there makes this way better. They also showed a couple of rules for the new mini.
The new miniature sees Darkstrider carefully releasing one of his drone familiars, with his trusty pulse carbine, Shade, tucked under his right arm.
This is a serious increase of both damage and AP from the last version, so nothing wrong with more firepower!
Darkstrider’s optical scanner incorporates a highly advanced structural analyser, enabling him to direct the fire of his kin at the weak points of their targets with ruthless precision.
This is very similar to his old ability. So not much changed here, which is a good thing considering this is a pretty good (and unique) ability.
Previously, all drones had more or less the exact same stat line, however, this new change gives them way more diversity! It’s also a little hilarious that shield drones are now tanky-er than a Chaos Space Marine, but hey, this is still a great and welcome update!
These new stat lines will hopefully make the decision on drone types in lists much more interactive and interesting. Gone are the days of only taking gun drones and shield drones…
As for the drone’s abilities, there are some changes here too! Shield drones lost their 5+ FNP, however, the extra wound should more than compensate for that
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The other big change is to Sniper Drones which lost the mortal wound rule, but now have -2 AP instead of 0!
Marker Drones are potentially going to be more important now given that marker lights need to be constantly re-placed each turn, so expect a few more of those in games for sure.
Pulse Accelerator Drone got completely changes from extra range, to an extra AP and now only affects pulse weapons, which seems like a good thematic change.
Lastly, the Guardian Drone is now changed to a 4+ invuln and 1-2 to wound always fails when targeting it, it sadly no longer gives Strike Teams a 6+ invuln of their own. While the Gun Drone has gotten an extra 6″ range with no downside, making it still a good option for a few extra shots!
Stormsurge costs 330 pts. Blast cannon is the more expensive weapon. Driver Cannon is Hvy 3d3, S10, AP-4, dmg 3, Blast. Cluster Rockets retain Blast ability. Built-in 4++.- Piranha assembly picture is incorrect. The burst cannon is AP 0 base. The fusion blaster is a heavier, vehicle-mounted specifically for the piranha. The Crisis version remains d6 damage. Both types of FB get the new Melta treatment: +2 dmg at half range.
- Enforcer Commanders have DR -1 innately.
- Hammerheads are 145pts (+10 for Ion) Hammerhead Railgun is the only weapon that ignores Invuls innately.
- Farsight gives the same buff as a standard XV8 Crisis Commander: Tactical Acumen. Choose a Crisis team in the Command Phase within 6″, they can Shoot and Charge after falling back. They Ignore and or all ranged Hit modifiers He also can choose a Farsight Enclaves Core unit at the beginning of the Fight phase and give them +1 to Hit in Melee for the phase.
Above is the old rules for Shadowsun from The Greater Good
- Shadowsun has Full Re-roll Chapter Master Buff, does not break Sept Traits if she doesn’t match the army, and is a Supreme Commander.
- BOTH Farsight and Shadowsun have RR1s to Hit for Core aura.
- Farsight has A5 and does that “Choose Double weak attacks or Single, 2x 3 dmg attacks”
- Shield Drones are 12ppm.
- Crisis Suits profile: W4, 30ppm base, 3-6 unit size. ATS is gone now. Most support systems are free (not shield generators) and they get a 4th hardpoint only for support systems.
- Vespid are 12ppm. WS 4, BS 4, S4, T4, W1, A1, Ld8, 4+ SV
- All three Crisis Commanders are still around. They each have a different buff they give to a unit of Crisis suits. They have the RR1s to Hit aura for Core units and they give a benefit (not mentioned what benefit is) to a group of Crisis suits. Still, only 1 per detachment unless you are FSE – then you get 2.
- Sunshark is all damage output. 12 Ion Rifle shots that can overcharge. I think it’s the only model in that game that can murder itself stacking Overheat MWs now. The Pulse Bomb seems alright. 6d6 dice, 4+ is an MW. Can go to 10 dice against large squads.
- Ghostkeels 160pts, apparently very hard to shift now, and cannot get an invulnerable save.
Tau Empire 9th Edition 40k Warlord Traits Rules
Of the 6 new Warlord traits, two look a little better than the rest. The Precision of the Hunter is simple but powerful! While the age of Coldstar Commanders may be gone, getting to have one with re-rolling hits and wounds, does make it feel like they might be back into prime time!
Second, Exemplar of the Kauyon also looks very strong, being able to completely switch up your turn 1 gameplan after deployment to surprise your opponent is a powerful competitive edge. Especially if you are Kauyon and get to redeploy three whole units!
As for this group of 3 dedicated Kroot warlord traits, Pack Leader seems to be pretty good! As Kroot are cheap units, getting into melee to stall more expensive units is a powerful plan and this trait helps nearby Kroot do just that!
Tau Empire 9th Edition 40k Relics Rules
As for relics, the first page has a total of 5 with Puretide Engram Neurochip looking like a good CP generation option. Unlike other factions’ equivalents, this doesn’t state that you can only get one CP per unique stratagem. However, this is more restrictive with only two categories
. At least if there is even just one strong option you’d use multiple times, you can continue to get CP back!
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Multi-Sensory Discouragement Array also looks like a great competitive option. With three fantastic options, when this goes off you will almost always have a great effect to help out in that turn specifically, whether that be neutering a threat, clenching extra Victory Points, or slowing the enemy advance!
As for the second page, Ohr’tu’s Lantern looks like a simple but strong option greatly boosting a single model’s effectiveness at getting Markerlight on a target.
Neuro-Empathic Nullifier looks like another great competitive option by preventing a single unit from performing any actions for a turn and causing any current actions to fail, making room for outplays.
Tau Empire 9th Edition 40k Ethereal Traits Rules
Since the tau doesn’t have psychic powers, their Ethereals get these trait options to make up for it! Think along the lines of a shaman with their elements. Of the 6 options, Sense of Stone looks decent by giving an entire unit a 5+ FNP potentially saving quite a few wounds.
Power of Tides also looks good with an easy +1 to wound for an entire unit! Maybe this will make huge squads of Fire Warriors a legitimate option?
Tau Empire 9th Edition 40k Points
Looking at the points, they all hover around the similar points they were at, with a few going up or down a couple of points. However, the big change comes in at the weapons for each model.
Now you are heavily punished for taking multiples of the same weapon, with each one past the first getting more and more expensive. With some weapons getting better, it makes sense to make it hard to spam the “best option”. At the end of the day, some people might still go for 4x fusions, but maybe it’s time for a shift to more diverse weapon load-outs for Tau?
Most of the same additions on the last page with the same point penalty for multiples of the same weapons. Another notable change here is the Riptide moving from Elite to Heavy support and going down 20 points base.
Tau Empire 9th Edition 40k Secondaries
Of the three new Secondary Objectives, each of them seems to be an interesting choice without a clear winner.
A Clean Victory puts a decent amount of agency in your opponent’s hands thanks to them knowing your plans and path to victory. This gives them a window to try and counter you!
The same is true for Decisive Action. However, at the end of the day, you might be able to power through, even if it’s obvious what your plan is. Only time will tell which is the best.
So far the new updates to infantry and battlesuits seem to be just what the doctor ordered for the Tau rules-wise in 9th edition!
Here’s all the latest on the new Tau codex rules updates and points changes for Warhammer 40k.
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- All The Tau 40k Rules So Far
- Tau Stratagems Rules
- New Markerlight Rules for Tau
- Tau HQ & Unit Rules Rumors
- Farsight & Tau Sept Rules
- New Tau Codex Wargear & Weapon Rules
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Are you excited about a new tau 40k codex rules and models? What rules changes would you like to see?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
