Tau Ethereal

[Panxer]

I'm a Tau player who laments his Tau. Usually and standardly by turn 3, most of my jump infantry have run off of the board and whomever I'm playing will casually mop up the rest, making me either concede or combat ineffective. Typical game night ends for me with a hot shower while crying that I'll never get clean because I've been violated so many times... I both love and HATE my Tau, but they're my army, and I stick with them.

BUT!!!!f I never typically played Ethereals before when building my list, and I have to say, that my last couple games have been spectacular and actually...FUN!

Since I've put this little blue dynamo in with our fishy friends, I've actually made it past turn 3 with no real losses and have stood a fair chance of winning or at least a very strong tie... I'm impressed. Ok, you sacrifice another slot for XV commander with all kinds of cool gadgets and firepower... BUT, whomever your Ethereal is attached to is FEARLESS! (You already knew this) AND! Every Tau unit within line of sight of him gets to re-roll their poor morale! (You already knew this too) BUT IT'S STILL COOL!

So! You put the little blue boss and his 2 shield drones in with a sqd of broadsides with plasma rifles and shield generators and guess what?! They don't skin their knee and run screaming off the board anymore! HOOSAH!

He's totally saved my little blue posterior at least 2 times in each game! Failed morale again? Can you see Aun Ah-sum? You can!? Roll again, and guess what?! You get a second chance to stay in the fight and shoot some more!

And that's not all! He can take infantry stuff! EMP grenades and pop vehix at a distance with S10 rail death/24" plasma OR up close with his S5 4 attack honorblade- along side his 2+SV/4+ Invul 2 attack S5 friends!

Wait... But what if he dies?! I'll have to take a morale check?! If I'm not an HQ my best leadership is 8! I'm doomed! Fret not, little smurf friend...If you're a fire warrior, and you're in a vehicle, the GW FAQ says you don't have to! So keep yer little hooves in the devilfish for as long as you can! But after you get out of your vehicle you and all your XV friends have PREFERRED ENEMY! I know you knew this already, and I don't care, IT'S STILL COOL!

Do you play an Ethereal in your Tau army? I wanna hear about it! What Tactics do you use him with? Why don't you use him? What have you heard about Ethereals in the upcoming codex?

[Rapture]

Ethereals are bad. It is a fact. What is also a fact is that unconventional tactics can surprise and confuse opponents. The problem is that most people have a small circle of potential opponents. Eventually, people will figure out that you leader is a little blue liability. Keep in mind that the ethereal lets Tau units reroll the morale checks, not only their failed morale checks. This can be helpful when you want a unit to run away in the shooting phase or to get swept in that assault phase so that the rest of your army can shoot them in your turn.

Just keep waiting for the new codex. Hopefully the grey knights author gets to write the unit entry for the ethereal :)

[Wildeybeast]

Sorry but etherals are a liability. I always play with one for fluff purposes but I curse him with every breath. Any opponent worthy of the name will make a beeline to kill the little chump and stuff up your battle plans. Whta use is preferred enemy in a Tau army? To use it you have to be in combat and if any of your Tau units are in combat then you have already lost.

[Panxer]

I'm not a tourney player. It's a game to me and that's how I treat it. I've played Tau sans ethereal for about a year, and my guys would ALWAYS run back off the board by turn 3. I just put my blue boss in with a sqd of Broadsides with plasma, and you have a unit that's hard to get to (placed properly and bubble-wrapped) and if I make it past turn 3, I'm a happy camper.

I know you sacrifice some shooty, but he's cheap, and what he does is pretty cool for the price you pay. He's saved my *** at least 2x per game!

[Anggul]

The only real use I can see for them is the BS4 Fire Warrior squad, just because it means you can just throw it in without having to balance your markerlight support.

For 50pts he isn't bad for what they do for you. The problem, though, is what they does against you. I would happily pay 50pts to let my entire army re-roll morale and a few more points for a BS4 Fire Warrior squad, but the cost of death far, far outweighs the benefits.

[Panxer]

To each their own. After 60 or so consectutive losses due to morale issues (ie, they almost always skin their knees and run off of the board by turn 3), I've actually won one and tied the other in the last week.

Yes, he can cause a morale check and your suits could fall back, but that's why Tau jesus invented bonding knives and marker beacons for deep strike so your suits have a better chance than most to land accurately (not to mention fowling up your opponent's march forward and get into CC strategy)- meaning, that suppose the blue boss dies and your suits have to fall back, ok suits fall back 3D6, BUT if you deep struck them (or they aren't even on the table yet from reserves *thanks Positional Relay) they stand a very good chance, should they fail, of regrouping before the next phase.

AND I'll also note (that at least for me) I don't play FW spam. I micro them, maybe give them EMP grenades, and keep them in the fish. So a BS4 squad at 12pt per FW could be better spent on TL missile pods and burst cannons if you ask me.

But they have 30" range and hit on 3's; 2's if they have marker light support! Ok, but they still only have 4+ armor and I'd rather keep those fragile minions safe inside of a tank and pull them out only in the case of that tank becomes a smoking roadblock.

Use what you use! I'm just saying that I've had a very positive experience using him! I've actually had 2 games now where my broadside team didn't lose a drone and run screaming off the board! That's amazing for me! Not to mention, all I did was kit up the boss with shield drones and gave the XV88's shield generators and plasma, put them up high and BAM 3 TL Railgun shots per turn! I might lose the boss, but they're going to have to get through all that fire and 8 wounds w/ 2+ armor and 4+ invuls to make that a reality.

[plawolf]

To each their own. After 60 or so consectutive losses due to morale issues (ie, they almost always skin their knees and run off of the board by turn 3), I've actually won one and tied the other in the last week.

Yes, he can cause a morale check and your suits could fall back, but that's why Tau jesus invented bonding knives and marker beacons for deep strike so your suits have a better chance than most to land accurately (not to mention fowling up your opponent's march forward and get into CC strategy)- meaning, that suppose the blue boss dies and your suits have to fall back, ok suits fall back 3D6, BUT if you deep struck them (or they aren't even on the table yet from reserves *thanks Positional Relay) they stand a very good chance, should they fail, of regrouping before the next phase.

AND I'll also note (that at least for me) I don't play FW spam. I micro them, maybe give them EMP grenades, and keep them in the fish. So a BS4 squad at 12pt per FW could be better spent on TL missile pods and burst cannons if you ask me.

But they have 30" range and hit on 3's; 2's if they have marker light support! Ok, but they still only have 4+ armor and I'd rather keep those fragile minions safe inside of a tank and pull them out only in the case of that tank becomes a smoking roadblock.

Use what you use! I'm just saying that I've had a very positive experience using him! I've actually had 2 games now where my broadside team didn't lose a drone and run screaming off the board! That's amazing for me! Not to mention, all I did was kit up the boss with shield drones and gave the XV88's shield generators and plasma, put them up high and BAM 3 TL Railgun shots per turn! I might lose the boss, but they're going to have to get through all that fire and 8 wounds w/ 2+ armor and 4+ invuls to make that a reality.

Ever play against a Blood Angel army?

Broadsides would already be a tempting target for Vanguard, and attaching an Ethereal to them will all but guarentee that that unit will be first turn assaulted by a HI vanguard squad.

A shunting GK interceptor squad could do something similar. And I am sure there are other units in the game with similar capabilities as those are just the two ottomh.

Generally, in my view, it is not a good idea to place too many eggs in one basket.

If you want to play an Ethereal, go for it, but maybe think about putting him with a lower profile unit so the enemy has to make a tougher choice on which to priorities on.

Never make the enemy's job easier by making the hard decisions for them.

[Anggul]

To each their own. After 60 or so consectutive losses due to morale issues (ie, they almost always skin their knees and run off of the board by turn 3), I've actually won one and tied the other in the last week.

Yes, he can cause a morale check and your suits could fall back, but that's why Tau jesus invented bonding knives and marker beacons for deep strike so your suits have a better chance than most to land accurately (not to mention fowling up your opponent's march forward and get into CC strategy)- meaning, that suppose the blue boss dies and your suits have to fall back, ok suits fall back 3D6, BUT if you deep struck them (or they aren't even on the table yet from reserves *thanks Positional Relay) they stand a very good chance, should they fail, of regrouping before the next phase.

AND I'll also note (that at least for me) I don't play FW spam. I micro them, maybe give them EMP grenades, and keep them in the fish. So a BS4 squad at 12pt per FW could be better spent on TL missile pods and burst cannons if you ask me.

But they have 30" range and hit on 3's; 2's if they have marker light support! Ok, but they still only have 4+ armor and I'd rather keep those fragile minions safe inside of a tank and pull them out only in the case of that tank becomes a smoking roadblock.

Use what you use! I'm just saying that I've had a very positive experience using him! I've actually had 2 games now where my broadside team didn't lose a drone and run screaming off the board! That's amazing for me! Not to mention, all I did was kit up the boss with shield drones and gave the XV88's shield generators and plasma, put them up high and BAM 3 TL Railgun shots per turn! I might lose the boss, but they're going to have to get through all that fire and 8 wounds w/ 2+ armor and 4+ invuls to make that a reality.

Absolutely everything you just said about them falling back would happen anyway because whoever they are, no matter the situation, they can and will kill the Ethereal with laughable ease, thus causing not only the occasional injured squad to take a morale check, but most of your army.

[Panxer]

Ok, they kill the ethereal. All Tau infantry in tanks don't have to take morale checks, XV suits and pathfinders do, but that's about it! Ok, the blood angels run up and kill the ethereal and the broadsides he's with, If you've been smart, you have a positional relay on the board and have been trickling in your reserves reducing the liability from his death while gaining preferred enemy when you come in and get assaulted.

I agree, I'd rather have 2 shooty hq's. More shots= more math-hammer. My point it that I've had so many expensive units literally skin their knee, fail moral and run right off of the board by turn 3! This little blue boss has saved my Taucuss at least 2 times a game with regard to morale.

Ok, you'll assault me... If you're smart, you've put them up somewhere with overwatching fields of fire anyway, not to mention made a NICE Kroot speed bump which will slow you down for at least a turn... You can't stop loosing units BUT you can make it very difficult and expensive to get your fleshy reward.

[Tynskel]

I still like the Ethereal.
They are useful, you just have to know the limitations and plan accordingly. One of the more important things: Don't line your troops along the back board edge. If the Ethereal pops, you have a good chance that your army will just be gone. Second, get those bonding knives so you can rally.

[spydertau]

I use an Ethereal quite a bit. Initially, like most of the posts it was a detrement because my opponent would go after him, everytime and everytime my army would fold because of it. Until, I planned for it.

When you put an Ethereal on the table, his a big target. It's almost asking your opponent, please kill this 1 model so my whole army can flee or get prefered enemy ... Nothing more frightining then Tau Firewarriors in combat...

When I say plan for it, I mean use your Ethereal as bait. Lure your oponent into attacking him. Put him in a squad on your left flank, away from any objectives or away from the majority of your force so that any unit going after him, is effectivly out of the game.

or Put a unit of Kroot in reserve , have them come in near the Ethereal for counter attacking purposes.

Generally, I like the combo of an Ethereal in a unit of Firewarriors with a Devilfish and Shadowsun. Any unit within 18 inches of Shadowsun's drone is LDR 10 and if in LOS of the Ethereal, re-rollable. Create a deathtrap of overwhelming firepower so that anything attempting to get near the Etheral is dust by the time it get's there and if it does, that's what the Devilfish is for.

[marandamir]

The blue HQ is weak sauce but his morale boost is a huge factor. You can protect him fairly easily as well. Take a broadside team with multi-trackers and plasma rifles, then snag an team leader with 2 shield drones. Then park a stock ethereal in with that unit and bubble wrap it with some infantry like pathfinders.

You got plenty of durability and protection. Drones and Broadsides got 2+ saves with 4+ saves via invuln on the drones or cover from shooting through the pathfinder unit. The pathfinder unit blocks any alpha strike attacks against the broadside unit as well. Any unit that comes calling is then looking at 3 railguns and rapid fire plasma rifle shots from the broadsides, and the ethereal can run out the back door to join up on another team if the danger is too high. Plus you get rerolls on your army morale while the blue hq is alive. Not bad for the points.

[Panxer]

I do something very similar most times if I field him. Typically, I equip him with an honor blade, (if I'm feeling like it) EMP grenades, and a drone controller with 2 shield drones. With all that kit, he's still only 90 points.

I then stick him in with a broadside unit with plasma rifles and shield generators (if they take drones, they typically lose one and run off the board, so with SG's and an Ethereal, they're fearless), in front of that I either take kroot or pathfinders and blaze away for the +1 BS skill.

So you get a fearless unit with 2 shield drones, and 2 wounds, accompanied by 2 wounds (ea) with 2+ armor and 4+ invuls with twin linked big sticks, behind a buffer, and you'll at least make it to turn 3 before I'm wiped out.:D

[Skari]

I can see the benefit. But you would have to play it very well to make the most out of it. Some of the posts have highlighted this:
- Using him as bait.
- Broadsides as the squad he sits with (all benefits for less risk, can stay away and still be effective.
- An exit strategy (devilfish).

Now, its very important to remember that the game is 5-7 turns. And his death at the very end of turn 7, making your units flee off objectives, could mean the game.

Make sure you have units that can bubble wrap his unit. Kroot make great screening units. 2 units of 10 as standard to screen, and they infiltrate, so the enemy don't have to know where the screen is until later. This protects from HI vanguard... and very fast charges. And then you hope the kroot die and you better have enough firepower to wipe out the threat before your ethereal gets annihlated.

And, yes he is cheap. If you can fit him in while fitting the caveat of 1 suit per 100pts then go ahead!