The blue guys need some real help these days. Come see the biggest reasons that Tau NEED that new codex, stat!
When their current codex hit, the Tau were the pinnacle of the 40k meta. Casual players embraced them because they were robots, and had some really awesome fluff – Farsight anyone? It also didn’t hurt that their new battlesuit models were amazing looking, and that Riptide was one of the coolest looking kits in a long while.
WAAC players embraced them immediately too, and started making ridiculous monstrous creature death stars (plus quite possibly breaking 6th edition 40k in the process). Some of these players experienced unprecedented success on the tournament circuit with this ONE list, and faded out as 7th edition level the playing field back again only a few years later.
C’est la vie, C’est la gare.
But now in the era of 7th Edition hyper releases, what is wrong with the Tau? Let’s take a look.
5). Ignore Cover – A great mechanic still in 7th, but it’s no where what it used to be back in 5th/6th Edition. Very much the flavor of Tau, I think this mechanic is their mainstay, but it perhaps another rule to pair off of in a synergistic manner.
4). All the Re-Rolls!! – Another great hallmark of the Tau that I feel has it’s place in the army, however in a world of D weapons, super heavys and Colossals, it would benefit from higher strength weapons!
3). How Strong? – The bane of Tau’s existence currently is high armor, high toughness big baddies. They can do VERY little against Land Raiders, Knight Titans, and Super-heavies without dropping in on them dangerously. Regardless of if they land their descent, they usually get picked back up very quickly… I feel like they need their Strength 10 back to help with this.
2). Not in the face! – If you manage to actually close with the Tau, chances are they will crumble to whatever actually hits them regardless of their uncanny overwatch abilities. I realize some of you out there may scoff at this statement but death stars, and even a 10 man assault terminator squad with Feel no paint and some 2+ armor characters in the front can crush a whole Tau battle line in just a few short turns.
1). Battle Brothers? – The studio took away just about every good Battle Brother pairing for them, and while at the time of 6th it was a good idea perhaps, today it may not be so bad honestly. They need some sorta buffs to stay relevant, and perhaps a Feel No Pain here and there too. I gotta admit this one may be a stretch and when the new codex drops may not even be necessary, but it’s worth a mention IMHO.
~Well did I hit all the points about why they need an update? Feel free to leave it below about what you think most needs to be changed about the Tau!
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
