Regardless of what the rest of the Tau codex is like, they have done one thing correct – made it very difficult to choose what Sept, which models for each Sept and what wargear / stratagems do you really want. This is akin to the Imperial Guard and Tyranids release where there was no clear cut “Hello I am a hard to hit being” or “please take Girlyman” type of trait. IMO, this is great because it means lists will be different and there are options (also waiting for that neg 1 to hit nerf…).

With that in mind, there is so much more thought that needs to go into building a Tau list and maximising the Septs and options you want within your detachments remember there are lots of <Sept> linked abilities that become diluted or useless if paired incorrectly. Nearly every range or aura based ruling is Sept linked so those Drones can only help Battlesuits of that Sept.

So, akin to our Tyranid codex review, we are going to look at each Sept, not only their traits but their Warlord options, stratagems and signature systems (aka relics) and what this means for that particular detachment. So, let’s begin.

T’au –

Sept: +1 to Overwatch shots including when using For the Greater Good. Stratagem: 3CP; +1 to wound against a unit that has already been wounded this term by a T’au Sept unit (we will assume this is FAQ’d to be against the one unit and not RAW where you can then shoot everything at +1) Signature System: Jump Shoot Jump (6″ move after shooting) for a Battlesuit Commander. Warlord Trait: Roll a D6 for each Mortal Wound inflicted on Warlord; on a 5+ it is ignored (Longstrike has this). Special Characters: Longstrike, Darkstrider, Shadowsun, Aun’Va

T’au has one really big thing going for it – all the special characters. While Shadowsun is still not a great choice (pricey and odd Warlord combination… though still good for a static list to double Kauy’on) and Aun’Va got more expensive despite not being an auto-take over a normal Ethereal, there are two other solid characters. If you are running infantry, Darkstrider is now nearly a must, and if you are running Hammerheads, Longstrike is a must as their bonuses are <Sept> locked. Darkstrider has improved to provide +1 to wound rather than -1 toughness as his special ability for one infantry squad. This pairs great with pretty much all of the infantry Tau have access to though particularly well with a Pathfinder squad sporting Rail Rifles (though this is obviously capped at three weapons so not the most efficient use). More likely you will see this used on Breachers, Stealth Suits and standard Fire Warriors (wounding MEQs on 2s and vehicles on 4s). Longstrike is a known quantity but the Hammerhead itself has improved with the Ion Cannon in particular being stronger (will run the official math soon as part of next codex review post) and cheaper. Longstrike still enjoys the Railhead variant to get mortal wounds on a 5+ (4+ with the Focused Fire stratagem) but the improved Ion Cannon is tempting… Still waiting for a FAQ to clarify if Longstrike can take Forgeworld Hammerhead options and also to see if the Bursthead gets the new Heavy Burst Cannon weapon profile… Regardless, these are both good options to be considered with the T’au sept despite the skornegery of Hammerheads not having For the Greater Good.

Beyond the special characters, T’au is a rather straight forward Sept – charging you is effectively a 67% effective shooting phase, which while not 6th / 7th edition good, is powerful and when you consider that Tau are nearly useless in two phases (psychic and combat), gaining an advantage in one of those phases is good while not being great given it is opponent dependent. It certainly won’t deter anyone from combat but a doubling in expected deaths by Overwatch is not a bad thing. Given the increased effectiveness of units like Fire Warriors / Breachers and Broadsides (two of the few units in Tau that do not have Fly), increased Overwatch damage is certainly useful though the best defense is movement and escape vectors. Darkstrider obviously helps an infantry unit here as well…

The Warlord Trait is basically Smite defense which is a shame as a 5+ FNP type save would have been perfect for Longstrike. As it stands, there are much better choices and you do not need to take T’au for the Warlord Trait. The Signature System and Stratagem though are different stories. JSJ for your battlesuit Warlord is money, particularly on a highly mobile platform like the Coldstar which thanks to their wargear changes will likely become the new hotness (but not the new black certainly). An extra 6″ move can help in many scenarios but importantly can ensure you are within range for weapons or weapon abilities and then scoot to some safety from a distance, terrain or LoS perspective, get you back on objectives / into table quarters, hide behind squads, etc. JSJ was super important and a huge loss for a reason and having it back on an important model is great.

Likewise the stratagem, while expensive, is a great option. +1 to wound is an amazing ability, particularly when you pair it with the fact that there are a handful of weapons in Tau that gain a benefit from wounding on a 6+ (i.e. rail weapons). Handing out more Mortal Wounds is nice but this is all about making a dead unit, dead faster. At 3CP this is a lot more expensive than other armies options but with base S5 guns, Tau also wound big things on a 4+ with this compared to the 5+ of a lasgun. They also get back to wounding T3 models on 2s…

All in all, T’au is a great “general” Sept choice – the Warlord Trait is the only bad option and there are good generic options and if you are after some of the special characters, you have to anyway.

Vior’la –

Sept: If a unit Advances, treats all Rapid Fire weapons as Assault weapons and do not suffer the to hit penalty when shooting Assault weapons and advancing. Stratagem: 2CP; infantry unit can shoot twice this phase but must target the closest enemy unit each time. Signature System: replaces flamer for 8″ Assault D6 S6 AP -1 2D automatically hits weapon. Warlord Trait: If your Warlord has Master of War, Volley Fire or Failure is not an Option ability, the range of that ability is increased to 9″ and you can an additional CP for being battle-forged (Aun’Shi). Special Characters: Aun’Shi

Vior’la is the Sept of speed and given Tau have lots of Assault weapons already, advancing without penalty can really help them maximise the two phases they do control (movement and shooting). Starting with that benefit first, Coldstar Fusionmanders are a must – move 40″ and still hit on 2’s without issue is insane. The only thing it’s missing is a JSJ option… Even other common units such as Stealth Suits, Hazard Suits, Devilfish, normal Commanders and Breachers will gain great benefit from this Sept trait (lesser options such as Crisis Suits are also benefited or secondary systems of the big Riptide / Ghostkeel suits). The other benefit here is allowing Rapid Fire weapons to count as Assault weapons (and thus Advance and shoot without penalty) to give extra mobility to units like Sniper Drones and Strike Teams. Unfortunately Kroot and Vespid do not gain these benefits, two units that really would benefit (mostly Vespid) and you cannot advance and shoot with heavy weapons so the bigger units (Broadsides, Riptides and Ghostkeels) gain little to nothing from this. It is also worth considering that the 4 on the Markerlight table provides the same benefit to Assault weapons as well as using the Mont’ka Master of War ability.

Moving past the Sept trait itself, the Stratagem is a double shooting option for an infantry unit. Tau do not have a great many infantry units, and this cannot be paired with Darkstrider given they are both Sept locked, but a Breacher team in close range can cause murder with this, dropping 40 S6 shots (and using their free Advance to get in range). Stealth Suits with mass Burst Cannons or a couple of hidden Fusion Blasters / Markerlights are also good options. Fire Warriors are the other option though the former generally bring more bang for your buck, particularly at 2CP. The target limitation is somewhat restrictive but easy to overcome with proper model placement. The stratagem does not say when the unit has to shoot the second time (I query if this will be FAQ’d) so you can avoid overkill with some smart shooting orders.

The super flamer Relic is good, especially at 2D, but Tau are spoiled with good Relics so it unfortunately falls down the pecking order pretty quickly, especially as you do not want to be giving up a 2+ to hit weapon slot on a Commander for an autohitting weapon.

The Warlord trait is likewise solid. It’s the only option for Tau to add to their CP pool outside of a dice dependent Relic or army composition and while it’s only 1, 1 free CP is 1 free CP. Turning the auras of each HQ (Commander, Fireblade and Ethereal) to 9″ is also a subtle but strong buff. It effectively adds an extra 6″ to the aura diameter which means you can spread out more to gain the most benefits from those abilities. Master of War is a one off (cannot use for Farsight or Shadowsun) while Volley Fire and Failure is Not An Option are all game long. All are good options though Volley Fire and Master of War are Sept locked while Failure is Not An Option is not so is more readily applicable (though if you are running MSU Tau, Morale really does not become an issue unless facing armies with Ld check weapons / abilities). That does mean taking a Battalion of Vior’la though if you were planning on just running a Vanguard / Spearhead / etc type detachment.

Overall, Vior’la is another strong Sept though one that requires a bit more application to unit composition – units like Riptides, Ghostkeels and Broadsides will gain very little while Breachers, Hazard Suits and Stealth Suits will gain a lot more. It has a good Sept trait that does not require you to rely on Markerlights and gives you more movement without sacrificing shooting power while having a solid stratagem and good Warlord trait. Aun’Shi is the only special character they have access to and as badass as he is, he remains on the shelf so does not enter this discussion.

Dal’yth –

Sept: Unit gains cover if they did not move, advance or manta strike the previous turn (awaiting FAQ to confirm you get this if you go second on first turn) Stratagem: 1CP; unit can shoot and then move up to 6” as if it it were the movement phase sans Advancing. Signature System: -1 to hit bearer. Warlord Trait: Kroot and Vespid gain for the Greater Good while within 12″ of your Warlord. Special Characters: R’myr

Dear GW FAQ team – please make sure that Dal’yth gain the benefit of their trait going second on the first turn please. K thanks bye. If this gets FAQ, this discussion is vastly different and you can make a very solid static Tau list to maximise a Kauy’on and then nabbing Shadowsun to get a second one for your T’au sept units. It would be a bit of an interesting jigsaw puzzle but if you can stack some of the “don’t move and get this benefit” options that Tau have, it could be worthwhile. As it is, I am a strong disbeliever in anything that sacrifices movement for shooting, particularly for Tau when you only really impact the game in two phases. 8th edition has given everyone the most freedom in moving and shooting in forever with heavy weapons firing on the move at a neg 1, use it please! Okay, beyond that – free cover is great for static type units (thinking… Broadsides or Hammerheads without Longstrike) as you are not limited to finding some cover to stick your toes behind and can make those units a pain in the behind to move. There are not many Tau units that do not move though and it does seem odd that Tau get such a lesser version compared to Tyranids.

Beyond the Sept trait, the Stratagem is amazing and it is unfortunate that it is locked to Dal’yth units. Move and shoot as we discussed with the T’au Sept relic is great. Eldar use it to great advantage on Dark Reapers regularly and can be just as great with Tau. Broadsides popping out and blasting you and then disappearing? Riptides able to use Branched Nova Charge and Fire and Fade to use their NOVA profile, have a 3++ and move in the assault phase? Um okay! A Commander again having all the options of moving after dropping 4 Fusion Blasters into something? A Ghostkeel kiting back into range of the Stealth drones who are hidden behind a LoS blocker? All of these are possible with Fire and Fade and I am so upset it is linked to the worst of the Sept traits (oops, spoiler alert). If you are taking Dal’yth, you are taking it for this stratagem.

The Relic is also a good option but like the Vior’la super flamer, there are such better options that Tau have access to. Most characters are all about using the character keyword for protection though there is no doubt that a -1 on top of that really helps when units start to disappear or against sniping weapons / move options. Shame there is no standard stealth commander though.

The Warlord Trait is blah. Vespid are often off doing their own thing and Kroot are normally charged first / dead already – they are not going to be sticking around to contribute to Overwatch often.

Amusingly, Dal’yth do get a special character through R’myr but he is bad – not even able to do a double Master of War ability.

Overall, Dal’yth is certainly lacking and I would say they are the weakest of Sept traits unless their ability gets FAQ’d to work when going second Turn 1 which then makes it a potentially strong static component for a list and alpha strike defense when going second. Otherwise, the stratagem is money and would be great to use on a variety of units but you are giving up a lot to run unit() just for this and ultimately puts them at the bottom of the heap in most scenarios but also has really good niche uses.

Sa’cea –

Sept: Unit unit can re-roll one missed hit each turn and reduce losses by Morale by 1. Stratagem: 2CP; pick an enemy unit visible to a character; that unit and all units within 6” gain a markerlight counter. Signature System: subtract 2″ from charge distance if declared as a charge. Warlord Trait: friendly Sa’cea unit within 6″ reduced the number of models that flee by 1. Special Characters: Nil

Another Sept trait that is similar to another ability (Salamanders Chapter Tactic) but strictly worse (no re-roll to wound). Re-rolling one hit per unit is great for lots of small units or units with one or two important weapons. Firesight Marksmen, Hammerheads, Rail based Broadsides, Pathfinder units with special weapons, Fusion Blasters / Markerlights nestled in Stealth Suit / Fire Warrior squads, etc. Free re-rolls are free re-rolls but given that Tau do not really have lots of options that run around with hidden special weapons such as Tactical Squads and have a lower base BS meaning more shots are likely to miss (unlike say 1 on a Devastator Squad) make this a generally less applicable Sept trait. There are great uses for it though as mentioned above and each unit gains a Morale benefit of 1, though this is rarely likely to come into play for such units given their encouragement to MSU (more skornergy!).

While the Sept trait is not as widely applicable as might initially seem, the Stratagem is another strong option, particularly in 8th edition where big screens are nearly a must to avoid being tied up in combat. A, you get a free markerlight with no roll required and B, you get free markerlights for a bunch of other units within 6″. Any aura based model (which is normally 6″) is going to be handing out free markerlights like no tomorrow while a big screen type unit (think old Conscripts) will be giving out markerlights all across the army. At 2CP and combined with the fact that Firesight Marksmen are some of the best Sa’cea Sept options, and you have a very reliable Markerlight system. And despite what everyone has been saying about markerlights in 8th edition, 5 markerlights is generally a 55% increase in damage so, the more the merrier. Throwing lots of 1 MLs on different units also gets one of the best and most accessible table benefits in re-rolling 1s (“ignore” all those Mortal wounds on overcharging weapons please).

The Relic is again a nice option, particularly for a Coldstar Commander that is likely exposed to these types of attacks (i.e. combat) but again, there are so many better options out there it won’t see much use. If you find your Coldstar is getting assaulted too often and an extra 2″ would save it, go for it but you will generally get more mileage out of other options. Ditto with the Warlord trait. Again, Sa’cea favour MSU and while reducing models lost from Morale by 2 when in range is great, very few units would be that big and need that safety net.

Sa’cea is a great secondary or tertiary Sept option to run a couple of key units such as Firesight Marksman and to gain access to another (and efficient) Commander along with a great stratagem. Markerlights are one of the few things in the Tau book that impact all models and are not Sept locked so having reliable access to them is great. The Signature System and Warlord Trait can be left at home though.

Bork’an –

Sept: Add 6″ to any Rapid Fire and Heavy weapons the unit is equipped with. Stratagem: 1CP; use this stratagem when a Bork’an unit shoots that has a randomly determined number of shots, you may re-roll one of those dice to determine the number of shots. Signature System: replaces Plasma Rifle with 30″ RF1 S7 AP-3 2D. Warlord Trait: For each hit roll of 6+ made for your warlord, add 1 to the wound roll for that attack. Special Characters: Nil

If you’re running a Y’varha, this is the Sept you run. 14″ flamer and 18″ ion gun puts the threat range of this thing through the roof. While many people are going Bork’an as their standard option, it is certainly not the clear cut winner. +6″ on your standard Fire Warriors and some key weapons such as Ghostkeel / Riptide / Broadside weapons and SMS are all good things. It does not turn bad options such as Plasma Rifles, into good options however – you are looking to make good units better and 42″ range HYMP, 36″ range SMS, 24″ Ghostkeel weapons, etc. are all nice. Double tapping Fire Warriors at 18″ is also strong (triple tapping with the Fireblade you are taking) and while Pulse Accelerator Drones can make this 21″, they are hard to keep alive without helpful terrain.

The stratagem is again, super great for the Y’varha. You are rolling six dice for the NOVA weapon profiles, it is likely you will roll a 1 or 2 on one of them. Bork’an clearly were the first Sept to make Y’varha’s and now get royalties. The wording otherwise on the stratagem is a bit frustrating and while Tau have lots of DX weapons, this has been reduced in the codex and the flat re-roll is a better option. If that has been used though and you really need some reliability to avoid a low DX roll, its not a bad thing to have up your sleeve if the Y’varha is dead.

The Relic Plasma Rifle is a great option as well. At effective 36″ range due to the Bork’an Sept Tenant, you are getting double tap at 18″, S7, -3 and a flat 2D for the cost of a Plasma Rifle. I would need to run the math but this appears to run comparably to a CIB and I would be looking at running something similar on a Commander anyway (or Fusion Blasters). Unfortunately Coldstars cannot take CIBs for some inane reason. ATS increased cost is not the no brainer for Commanders it was before either… The Warlord Trait is great with Markerlights but not amazeballs like a flat +1 to wound. It combines great with the S7 of the Plasma Rifle or even turning Fusion Blasters / CIBs into wounding things on 2s (particularly CIBs with lots of shots) so it’s certainly not a bad option but again, there are some other strong choices for Tau in this department.

Overall, Bork’an is a great Sept for some of the medium ranged options for Tau but it is ready made for Y’varhas. It is then about weighing up the advantages of taking increased ranged on your key units like Fire Warriors and Broadsides or more Overwatch firepower. I am personally inclined to T’au Sept in this regard (doing an extra half MEQ of damage from 5 triple tapping FW or 1.15 MEQS from a Broadside adds up) but Bork’an is still a solid option (36″ SMS is particularly strong as are 18″ triple taps).

Farsight Encalves –

Sept: Re-roll wound rolls of 1 when the target is within 6″ of the firing model. Stratagem: 2CP; battle suit unit that was setup using a manta strike ability this turn and add 1 to hit rolls for that unit. Signature System: replaces two fusion blasters to provide 2 S8 AP-4 D6D combat attacks. Warlord Trait: heroic intervention for 6″ and re-roll hits in combat during Heroic intervention or charges (Farsight). Special Characters: Farsight

*looking at stratagem* this is the main thing Farsight has going for it. Lots of people are gagga over the re-roll 1s to wound which is a great ability for a shooting army but it’s range requirement is so restrictive and it’s model based so you need every model within 6″. That is hard to achieve en masse and fits really only a handful of units for Tau. Breachers are the most obvious answer as well as Fusion Commanders (which does pair well with the Fusion Blades relic) but both of those options are probably stronger with Vior’la to get into that range band faster. A Farsight Coldstar Fusionmander with Fusion Blades (Coldfusion!?) would not go amiss in a standard Tau army due to its actual decent strength in combat which Tau normally lacks but I am not sold on using a whole detachment just for that (while I would re Bork’an and Y’varhas). Flamer Crisis Suits are also a unit which benefits from re-roll 1s but Flamer Crisis Suits are also… well Flamer Crisis Suits. It’s not like Tau have issues dealing with infantry mobs and it gets no benefit from the Stratagem (even bringing in via Homing Beacon is then not engaging in a Manta Strike which the Stratagem is keyworded to).

So, back to the Stratagem. Drop Zone Clear is a great way to make Crisis Suits suddenly efficient – for a single turn. I would be looking at CIBs as the best option here as you are then ignoring their overcharge Mortal Wound and they are getting in close so the range difference compared to the Missile Pods is a moot point. To use Command and Control Node here though, you are sacrificing the shooting of a Fusion Commander and there becomes a very delicate balance of managing both the size of the Crisis Suit squad to maximise the stratagem, not losing important shooting from the Commander and understanding you have an inefficient Crisis unit afterwards (they have no way of jumping back into the sky). I love my crisis suits – I really, really do, but I do not think this makes it worth it when there are better Sept options. Still, it’s not bad and it’s just about what else to take in the detachment other than Commander + Crisis Suits as Stealth Suits / Hazards / Firesight Marksman are that much better in nearly every other Sept. Kroot Hounds are cheap…

Farsight as a special character remains trash, though double Mont’ka can really help with getting close to actually use the Sept trait and he is a great option with which to waste his shooting on via Command and Control Node but the Coldfusion option is really, really hard to pass up. The Warlord Trait is also pretty bleh though it does make the Fusion Blades that much stronger – there are so many other good Warlord Traits though and it’s not going to save Tau in combat.

Conclusion

Tau really have lots of strong Sept options. Even the most “useless” (and I use this term really lightly) of traits have strong options within the codex. Dal’yth has a great stratagem and Farsight has a great Commander build in the Coldfusion and can turn Crisis Suits into something very powerful with their own stratagem. They are however, lacking compared to the breadth of options that the other Septs bring.

I feel Bork’an and T’au are the two primary Septs to be used as the “core” of the army and can make strong Brigades based around six Fire Warrior squads and throwing in cheap units into the other slots not looking to be maximised (Firesight Marksmen in Elites, Hounds / Drones / Pathfinders in Fast Attack and Sniper Drones in Heavy Support). I again lean to T’au in terms of the assistance it provides in the defense of assault but Bork’an by no means has anything going against it and is the best Sept to activate the Y’vahra’s pure power. Bork’an are a lot easier to bring as a support element detachment (i.e. bring Y’vahra’s) though T’au can also do this through Broadsides or Fire Warriors providing Overwatch support.

Sa’cea and Vior’la, while probably not the best options for Brigades or primary armies for Tau, bring great support elements across their Sept traits and utility Warlord Traits / Stratagems / Relics. I see them being used in the smaller detachments for +1 CP, another Commander and whatever access you want that Sept trait to bring (i.e. re-rolling Markerlights + Markerlight stratagem / Breachers breaching, etc.).

Overall, there are lots of combinations and ways to piece together a Tau army across the Septs and that is great to see. While there is no clear cut winner like a neg 1 to hit, like Tyranids and Imperial Guard before them, there are so many options that we will hopefully see lots of list variations which is always a fun thing.