Having read through the fluff of the available races, and after having spent countless hours in the Dawn of War computer game series, one race in particular caught my eye: the technologically advanced Tau.
The Tau are a young race that is maximizing in working together to achieve the best results for the good of the race as a whole. Individuality is only defined through the part that one plays in the greater scene.
Pros:
- Access to, probably, the most powerful weapon of the game , the Hammerhead Railgun.
- Extreme mobility, rivaling the Eldar in some cases, and exceeding them in others.
- Completely versatile Crisis Battlesuits, able to fill almost any role (e.g. Heavy support, Ambush, Support Fire, etc.).
- Markerlights. The one sure way to expose even Dreadnoughts to target dummies.
- Seeker Missiles and Smart Missile Systems. Fire and Forget. Blind. In the night. Used in conjunction with markerlights and you have a nice pile of destroyed vehicles/walkers/avatars/individual characters.
Cons:
- No leadership, unless you include a very underpowered Shadowsun, or an incredibly vulnerable ethereal.
- No true firebase as there are no squad heavy weapons.
- No assault units or at least close-combat ready. If someone reaches your lines chances are that you lose. Big time.
All things considered they fit my interests completely, and I think that I will enjoy amassing and playing them. They are deeply strategical and that is the most likely point of frustration. It is not a forgiving army. You should carefully plan and methodically destroy your opponent. And all from a distance. A couple of well placed ambushes were you overpower your opponent through superior and overwhelming firepower is also an option, but should be used as an add-on and not as the main strategy.
