Running Tau Pathfinders

[Darnath Lysander]

Hey all...

I don't think I'm missing anything, but would appreciate being set straight if I am.

If I take a squad of pathfinders, they all have to fire at the same target right? I mean, if there are 6 of them, and i want to markerlight targets, they all have to markerlight the same target yes?

I know everyone thinks they are amazing, but I'm struggling to see how to use them effectively.

Help a brotha-captain out?

[magickbk]

You are correct. Think of it from the other direction, though. Rather than having one unit of Pathfinders lighting up targets all over the place, your Pathfinders pile up markerlights on one target, and then your entire army gets to use those counters against that unit. It used to be that you'd take 3 rail rifles, and you would only have a few markerlight equipped guys left anyway to fire at other targets, but now that the rail rifles don't come with Target Locks, the strategy for using the unit has to be different.

[ElectricPaladin]

If I take a squad of pathfinders, they all have to fire at the same target right? I mean, if there are 6 of them, and i want to markerlight targets, they all have to markerlight the same target yes?


That's correct.



I know everyone thinks they are amazing, but I'm struggling to see how to use them effectively.


Pathfinders are... tricky. The new codex breathed some life into them by giving them powerful rapid fire special weapons - ion weapons, especially, are ridiculously versatile - making them basically miniature devastators with a scout redeploy. Using them for their markerlights, though, takes some finesse. The trouble is that markerlights are Heavy and pathfinders are infantry, which means that their markerlights are ony useful for so long as the pathfinders stay still... which is a weird combination for a unit that's supposed to react to the your opponent's army to continue to empower your army. I think it's supposed to work like this:

1) Take a mid-sized pathfinder squad without a devilfish.
2) Deploy them centrally.
3) Use their Scout redeploy to react to your opponent's deployment choices, making sure to keep them in cover. Remember that as the Scout power is a redeploy, not a move, it isn't effected by things like terrain; you can easily redeploy them to, for example, a nearby forest or the upper floors of a nearby ruin.
4) Mostly keep them in that location, using the significant range (36'') of their markerlights to keep them relevant.

[Darnath Lysander]

Oooohhh....

thanks for the feedback, gents. I'm very anxious to get these out on the table. Perhaps even two units of them.... :)