Tau Formations

[Iceman]

I need some help on Tau formations. Specifically, once I take the core formations can I mix and match other formations between the Kau'yon and Mont'ka formations? I ask because it would seem that I cannot use the Ethereal council command formation since neither the Kau'yon nor the Mont'ka have a place for it. This doesn't affect me much since I don't particularly want to use it, but I do want to use the VX-1-0 Drone Network in my Kau'yon formation.

I appreciate any insight into this or even formations in general as it has actually taken me a while to understand how they get used. Too many years of playing with the standard Force Organization chart I guess.

[son_of_volmer]

You don't have to take a Core Formation to unlock access to the other formations.

"The Hunter Contingent" is the things that combines a core detachment and auxiliary. This just gives an extra rule to the various formations you'll field within it. The special rule means that in the shooting phase all formations that are taken as a part of the Hunter Contingent can resolve shooting as if they were all in the same unit (to benefit markerlight abilities), three or more units shooting this way gain an extra BS. You cannot take formations from Mont'ka and have this rule extend to them.

If you want to do bare minimum for a battle forged army, you can take one HQ, two troops, and then add in any and all formations from Mont'ka or Tau Empire

[Iceman]

Thanks, that is helpful. So then can I take a Hunter Contingent and then an auxiliary formation from Mont'ka but then not have the Hunter Contingent benefits extend to them?

[son_of_volmer]

Should be good.

I'm pretty sure that in every codex, before it sets up their Decurion, there is a section that reads:

"You can also include any of the formations presented in this section as part of a Battle-forged army"

[son_of_volmer]

You run into problems if you want to include something from Forge World and your army is only made up of formations. Formations don't give you empty Force Organization slots (HQ, Elite, Troops, Fast, Heavy, Lord of War), instead it just says 1-3 units of _____. Forge World books will usually tell you their models is fielded as Fast Attack or Heavy, or whatever.

[Iceman]

You run into problems if you want to include something from Forge World and your army is only made up of formations. Formations don't give you empty Force Organization slots (HQ, Elite, Troops, Fast, Heavy, Lord of War), instead it just says 1-3 units of _____. Forge World books will usually tell you their models is fielded as Fast Attack or Heavy, or whatever.

Hmm. That's a good point. I only have one Forge World model for Tau (a Barracuda) but it's one I would like to use. So I guess if I want to use it, I would go with the Combined Arms Detachment and then slot the Barracuda in as a Fast Attack. I could then pick whatever formations I want out of Mont'ka and Kau'yon. Come to think of it, it would be clearer (at least to me) if GW presented the CAD in the rules the same way they present formations. This would make it clear that the CAD is just another formation with the only difference being that it is a formation available to every army.

Anyway, thanks for your insight. It has been very helpful.

[Charistoph]

Hmm. That's a good point. I only have one Forge World model for Tau (a Barracuda) but it's one I would like to use. So I guess if I want to use it, I would go with the Combined Arms Detachment and then slot the Barracuda in as a Fast Attack. I could then pick whatever formations I want out of Mont'ka and Kau'yon. Come to think of it, it would be clearer (at least to me) if GW presented the CAD in the rules the same way they present formations. This would make it clear that the CAD is just another formation with the only difference being that it is a formation available to every army.

Anyway, thanks for your insight. It has been very helpful.

But CADs are not Formations. Formations are detachments with strictly specific unit compositions that provide Special Rules that remain even while Unbound. The CAD, along with other Role Detachments, just use Roles that you can fill with anything with that Role from the same Faction. In addition, Role and Choice Detachments come with Command Benefits which are lost with Unbound.