Just started getting back into doing some gaming with my brother and we both decided to start new armys, But I cant decide which ??? I\'m really into painting also so want an army thats good for both. Thinking Tau, Guard or Eldar... What is your experiance gaming with these guys and which one do you think I sound start...
New 40K army?
- Thread starter Mr Rowe
- Start date
fiesta0618
New member
Absolutely Eldar...all the Aspects give you a huge palette of possible colors and textures all in one force. Guard, I would say, offer the least exciting painting opportunities, what with hundreds of nothing infantrymen and an expectation, though not a requirement, of camo-style earth tones and uniformity.
As for gaming, the Eldar are certainly the most versatile. Also (but this is just my observation from two regular opponents), it seems the Tau have few effective strategies, and none involving hand-to-hand combat, and that gets boring after a while.
As for gaming, the Eldar are certainly the most versatile. Also (but this is just my observation from two regular opponents), it seems the Tau have few effective strategies, and none involving hand-to-hand combat, and that gets boring after a while.
Aliengod3
New member
The two armies I play are polar opposites; tau and orks. Tau pretty much shoot with no close combat and orks suck at shooting but when you get them into combat it is fun to watch the expression on your opponents face when you say that you are making 100 attacks 
Anyways, tau are fun and require some strategy to play effectively. If you do not care much for combat than go with them. Personally I do not think they are that bad in combat. Their WS is 2 so what means that you will hit most enemies on a 4+ which is no different than any other standard strength army (guard, eldar, etc.) and their strength and toughness is comparable to eldar and guard as well. Just use the tau to soften up your opponents numbers and then hit them with kroot (WS 4!) or whatever else that can do close combat damage and you are set! I like fielding a big block of 30 kroot with hounds and krootox, it is very fun! You can also have lots of fun converting your own auxiliaries! You can even use guard models, or any other models your heart desires, as auxiliaries! Although I do not game to win, my armies are mainly designed for how they end up looking, not so much their gaming effectiveness
Anyways, tau are fun and require some strategy to play effectively. If you do not care much for combat than go with them. Personally I do not think they are that bad in combat. Their WS is 2 so what means that you will hit most enemies on a 4+ which is no different than any other standard strength army (guard, eldar, etc.) and their strength and toughness is comparable to eldar and guard as well. Just use the tau to soften up your opponents numbers and then hit them with kroot (WS 4!) or whatever else that can do close combat damage and you are set! I like fielding a big block of 30 kroot with hounds and krootox, it is very fun! You can also have lots of fun converting your own auxiliaries! You can even use guard models, or any other models your heart desires, as auxiliaries! Although I do not game to win, my armies are mainly designed for how they end up looking, not so much their gaming effectiveness
R
redgreen12
Guest
HI THARE
WOW thas a tuffy ok i have eldaer and gaurd and my experns with tau is in dawn of war all 3 intreg me all have good paint scems idaers now the if hade one and its got be say 3000 ponts which one the thing i know of two if i got it fore free the tau then IGs then eldaer the tau i have to bas them on whot thay have in DAWN OF WAR i like that army and te hard bitt whot them or sceem will i paint it i think red and whight and black well thas whot do thanks WKJR
WOW thas a tuffy ok i have eldaer and gaurd and my experns with tau is in dawn of war all 3 intreg me all have good paint scems idaers now the if hade one and its got be say 3000 ponts which one the thing i know of two if i got it fore free the tau then IGs then eldaer the tau i have to bas them on whot thay have in DAWN OF WAR i like that army and te hard bitt whot them or sceem will i paint it i think red and whight and black well thas whot do thanks WKJR
Hay guys (and gals?) thanks for your comments. The poll is at tau for me knew army although you lot have done well to persuade me to play eldar. Would like to know the gamig styles of tau and eldar and your opinions on gaming. (looking like imperial guard are out the window lol!) again thanks for all your comments.
I think between tau and eldar there is little difference in terms of what you can do with the army.
Each can be more orientated to combat (aspect warriors for eldar/kroot for tau) they both have good range elements (grav tanks/platforms as well as some of the aspect warriors-reapers and then most things tau have a wide variety of weaponry) and lastly both armies have pacey options (elder jetbikes/viper jetbacks/shining spears etc and for tau the various flyer tanks/battlesuits etc)
Hope this helps, either in my opinion would be a really good army both gaming and painting wise
Each can be more orientated to combat (aspect warriors for eldar/kroot for tau) they both have good range elements (grav tanks/platforms as well as some of the aspect warriors-reapers and then most things tau have a wide variety of weaponry) and lastly both armies have pacey options (elder jetbikes/viper jetbacks/shining spears etc and for tau the various flyer tanks/battlesuits etc)
Hope this helps, either in my opinion would be a really good army both gaming and painting wise
evil tendencies
Cake or Death?
Don\'t expect to be able to do much in melee with Tau. Yes, they have Kroot, but that\'s not much to build list off of. You\'re going to need to have guns, more guns, and then some way to move the guns after the game starts. You\'ll want to be battlesuit heavy, and get used to running and sniping. And don\'t take Ethereals.
I personally would encourage the Eldar over the Tau. Eldar can do the gun line thing just as well, but they also have some good melee units to give you some diversity. Striking Scorpions can do some hurt and still get a 3+ save, and Howling Banshees will annihilate most any unit they gets to grips with.
I personally would encourage the Eldar over the Tau. Eldar can do the gun line thing just as well, but they also have some good melee units to give you some diversity. Striking Scorpions can do some hurt and still get a 3+ save, and Howling Banshees will annihilate most any unit they gets to grips with.
JesterzUSMC
Recovering Megalomaniac
I'd have to agree with the general consensus. Eldar are going to be the better of the three.
Of course, I am wholly biased, as a devout Eldar player.
Of course, I am wholly biased, as a devout Eldar player.
frozenfoxx
New member
In 40k I do Tau, Orks, and Black Templar. To be honest if you want a *lot* of painting opportunity, do Orks, not Guard. You can go absolutely nuts on every and any models and when put together into a battlegroup they'll look fantastic, pretty much no matter what you do to them. You can also freely mod and paint to your heart's content because Orks are all about breaking the rules...thereby making it kind of the rule to break a few conventions with them. The Guard are a great army but a little bland IMO most of the time whereas Orks have many of their bonuses (painting and modeling-wise) but are more open to personal interpretation. We even have an "albino" Ork (he's red with green eyes).
My Tau are characterful though and pretty. Eldar are great to paint, too, but don't discount some of the things you can do with Tau painting-wise. Those Crisis Suits and tanks are very easy to modify and give you nice, big surfaces with which to experiment upon without too much frustration. Gaming-wise there's still plenty of punch in the Tau but we could use an update to help out a bit with the faster game that is 5th edition sooner rather than later. It's an unforgiving army (you *cannot* screw up with it) but you can punish people horribly with a little finesse.
The big thing about Tau is not that they're bad at close combat but rather that most of their weaponry is medium-range. This requires you to be mobile, much moreso than many other armies, because it's mobility on a combined-arms scale. You have to constantly pull, push, and tease your opponent into medium range where you can bring *all* of your firepower to bear. This means using railguns if they get too far, running if they get too close, and once they're in medium range knocking the living stuffing out of them with plasma cannons, railguns, pulse rifles, SMS systems, burst cannons...*everything.*
I find it very enjoyable but it's not for everyone. Eldar have a few more options, but I don't feel as much satisfaction with some of their stuff. Orks...oh hell it doesn't matter *how* you play them, I can guarantee a good time every time no matter what happens.
My Tau are characterful though and pretty. Eldar are great to paint, too, but don't discount some of the things you can do with Tau painting-wise. Those Crisis Suits and tanks are very easy to modify and give you nice, big surfaces with which to experiment upon without too much frustration. Gaming-wise there's still plenty of punch in the Tau but we could use an update to help out a bit with the faster game that is 5th edition sooner rather than later. It's an unforgiving army (you *cannot* screw up with it) but you can punish people horribly with a little finesse.
The big thing about Tau is not that they're bad at close combat but rather that most of their weaponry is medium-range. This requires you to be mobile, much moreso than many other armies, because it's mobility on a combined-arms scale. You have to constantly pull, push, and tease your opponent into medium range where you can bring *all* of your firepower to bear. This means using railguns if they get too far, running if they get too close, and once they're in medium range knocking the living stuffing out of them with plasma cannons, railguns, pulse rifles, SMS systems, burst cannons...*everything.*
I find it very enjoyable but it's not for everyone. Eldar have a few more options, but I don't feel as much satisfaction with some of their stuff. Orks...oh hell it doesn't matter *how* you play them, I can guarantee a good time every time no matter what happens.
I would advise testing out with friends and not relying on message board users!
What are you looking for in the army? What models do you like? What playstyle? What is your budget? One of the worst things you can do is get a bunch of models and then find you don't like how the army plays!
The ones you mentioned:
Tau have one of the older codexes and have some discrepancies, which may be a downside. Definitely could use a newer codex. They tend to be a very shooty army with some good light infantry options (Kroot). Some very powerful vehicle mounted AT, but their normal troops crumble under fire and in close combat. Their look is pseudo anime. A fragile army that can be used for powerful offense. And yes they are bad at close combat unless they are kroot and then still not A list close combat (compare to things like assault terminators, ork bikers, genestealers, harlequins, etc.) more like B-List (assault marines, CSM, etc.) without much of an AS.
Imperial Guard have a shiny new codex that is very strong and loaded with new options (like the Valkyrie/Vendetta). They can be built for mediocre hand to hand but, again, strength in shooting. They have alot of very good armor. Again, mediocre line troops, but vets are pretty nifty and can pack melta (strong short range AT) or plasma (kills heavy infantry). Stay away from Ogryn and Stormtrooper unless you know what you are doing. Take plenty of bodies to "bubble wrap" your tanks and keep melta away.
This would probably be my recommendation as they are flexible and can do exceptionally well against any army (can even out shoot Tau!). They are nice models and have gotten revisions to old models. you can do them as loyalist or traitor guard as suits your fancy.
Eldar are one of the older "new" codexes. Their power level has declined both with their rules and subsequent editions. Currently, rather mediocre. Alot of meh choices and some very solid ones. Fire Dragons in a wave serpent are one of the better buys in the game, but fragile like most eldar and prone to disappearing from the table after use. Eldar can do decent shooty or close combat, but lack alot of accuracy on the first and resilience on the second. HQ can supplement this somewhat through psychic powers. Eldar tend to rely on gimmicks to be competitive. (It used to be tri-falcon, now it's jetbike seer councils.) Unfortunately, this is because most of the codex is pretty subpar. A shame because the line has some great models.
What are you looking for in the army? What models do you like? What playstyle? What is your budget? One of the worst things you can do is get a bunch of models and then find you don't like how the army plays!
The ones you mentioned:
Tau have one of the older codexes and have some discrepancies, which may be a downside. Definitely could use a newer codex. They tend to be a very shooty army with some good light infantry options (Kroot). Some very powerful vehicle mounted AT, but their normal troops crumble under fire and in close combat. Their look is pseudo anime. A fragile army that can be used for powerful offense. And yes they are bad at close combat unless they are kroot and then still not A list close combat (compare to things like assault terminators, ork bikers, genestealers, harlequins, etc.) more like B-List (assault marines, CSM, etc.) without much of an AS.
Imperial Guard have a shiny new codex that is very strong and loaded with new options (like the Valkyrie/Vendetta). They can be built for mediocre hand to hand but, again, strength in shooting. They have alot of very good armor. Again, mediocre line troops, but vets are pretty nifty and can pack melta (strong short range AT) or plasma (kills heavy infantry). Stay away from Ogryn and Stormtrooper unless you know what you are doing. Take plenty of bodies to "bubble wrap" your tanks and keep melta away.
This would probably be my recommendation as they are flexible and can do exceptionally well against any army (can even out shoot Tau!). They are nice models and have gotten revisions to old models. you can do them as loyalist or traitor guard as suits your fancy.
Eldar are one of the older "new" codexes. Their power level has declined both with their rules and subsequent editions. Currently, rather mediocre. Alot of meh choices and some very solid ones. Fire Dragons in a wave serpent are one of the better buys in the game, but fragile like most eldar and prone to disappearing from the table after use. Eldar can do decent shooty or close combat, but lack alot of accuracy on the first and resilience on the second. HQ can supplement this somewhat through psychic powers. Eldar tend to rely on gimmicks to be competitive. (It used to be tri-falcon, now it's jetbike seer councils.) Unfortunately, this is because most of the codex is pretty subpar. A shame because the line has some great models.
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IdofEntity
New member
2 cents
For painting, Eldar are a great choice. They're also great since you have a couple different tactical choices to go along with them. They're not the most powerful army by any means, and I've found through playing eldar they take a lot of getting used to (former IG player). The Grav-Falcons/Wave Serpents/Fire Prisms are wicked fun to paint though
With IG, you're kind of stuck with stand & shoot methods unless you're really innovative. The only difference being what kind of artillery you prefer going with. Also you're going to wind up with a ton of models. If you love painting en masse, this is good. If you're looking to spend a lot of time with each individual model and make them look as snazzy as possible, probably not your best bet. (though if you go crazy with tanks...eh)
Tau are your best paint option if you're interested in really dedicated your time and resources to just a few models for maximum look. Tau XV8 Battlesuits can be made to look amazing. Same with the their Devilfish/Skyray/Hammerhead. You also can make a mass troop list (though you won't be focusing much in hand-to-hand) if you prefer massive painting schemes. The only downfall you might experience in painting Tau is that most people expect them to have a similar coloring scheme amongst the majority of troops/vehicles. (you may not care) The main downfall of tau is they're not very forgiving. You need a good balance of firepower and maneuverability to win. They just don't have the toughness to be an attrition army.
Hope this helps, and that it's not too late to be useful.
For painting, Eldar are a great choice. They're also great since you have a couple different tactical choices to go along with them. They're not the most powerful army by any means, and I've found through playing eldar they take a lot of getting used to (former IG player). The Grav-Falcons/Wave Serpents/Fire Prisms are wicked fun to paint though
With IG, you're kind of stuck with stand & shoot methods unless you're really innovative. The only difference being what kind of artillery you prefer going with. Also you're going to wind up with a ton of models. If you love painting en masse, this is good. If you're looking to spend a lot of time with each individual model and make them look as snazzy as possible, probably not your best bet. (though if you go crazy with tanks...eh)
Tau are your best paint option if you're interested in really dedicated your time and resources to just a few models for maximum look. Tau XV8 Battlesuits can be made to look amazing. Same with the their Devilfish/Skyray/Hammerhead. You also can make a mass troop list (though you won't be focusing much in hand-to-hand) if you prefer massive painting schemes. The only downfall you might experience in painting Tau is that most people expect them to have a similar coloring scheme amongst the majority of troops/vehicles. (you may not care) The main downfall of tau is they're not very forgiving. You need a good balance of firepower and maneuverability to win. They just don't have the toughness to be an attrition army.
Hope this helps, and that it's not too late to be useful.
Torn blue sky
New member
None of the above. Space Wolves.
Seriously though, I'd chose Eldar. (if I had to) They're more tactically flexible offering a wide array of troop types AND (the most important thing) they look pimp.
Seriously though, I'd chose Eldar. (if I had to) They're more tactically flexible offering a wide array of troop types AND (the most important thing) they look pimp.
HF Izanagi
New member
Hmm... I'm kinda in the same boat in that I love to paint more than game. I usually pick out the army that appeals to me the most- this time being the new Tyranid models. Tau I think would offer interesting opportunities to paint because of the majority of flat surfaces- perfect for some freeform if that's your thing. Same thing goes for Eldar, esp. the vehicles- I forget who has them, but I think the guy's name is Yellowone on here? But look up Eldar and you'll see some sickeningly good tanks with freeform, perhaps put you over the edge to the Eldar. IG... if you dig the whole army thing, then they've got it down. My cousin is building an army of them and the bits he uses on the bases look great - gives a fully "entrenched feel". (that, and I'm putting more oomph by modelling a Tyranid hunter out of Sly Marbo... in the form of a Predator) But the choices you have are pretty dissimilar, I think. You have boxy-smooth Tau, oval-smooth Eldar, and boxy-chunk IG.
DannyBoy2k
New member
Nah, that's the Blood Angels now!
I have to agree. The BA is about as horrendously cheesy as it gets.
blackbolt
New member
i play tau and they are pretty fun to paint. if u do get tau commander farsight is a must to get. although he negates use of kroots ethereals and vespids a farsight squad of 4 or 5 suits with plasma rifles and shield gens can really tear it up. but u still have to diversify a bit as in battle suits galore isn't actually that great. also no matter what list u go with broadside battle suits are the best for killing vehicles 10 str ap1 TL is awesome
EskanderaStil
New member
New 40K army
New Tabs added Youll find a new gallery tab at the top of the page under the site header.It will link to all albums and galleries on the site.
There will also be some other tabs eg.external links placed there shortly just sorting out some script.
New Tabs added Youll find a new gallery tab at the top of the page under the site header.It will link to all albums and galleries on the site.
There will also be some other tabs eg.external links placed there shortly just sorting out some script.
