Tau Empire: Riptide v Crisis Battlesuit Team

Riptide

v

Crisis Team

So I have this little dilemma, Lots of people are saying that I should include a Riptide in my Tau army, most people saying to take them because they are awesome. But here is my problem. I would rather take a loaded unit of Crisis Battlesuit’s instead, as I think it would be more beneficial in game.

So I am putting this out there for a little help with making my decision. Below is my list of pros and cons for both unit types, after reading them, please feel free to comment with your own views and indeed if you think I have it all wrong or not. Try to avoid (I would give them these weapons instead) as this is the options I would take and the comparison in hand.

Riptide

Ok, let’s start off by saying yes, it is an awesome model and I would like to own one someday. But is it worth taking in a game?

Here is how I would arm it if I was to take one

Ion Accelerator

Twin-linked Smart Missile system

Stimulant Injector

Target Lock

X 2 Shielded Missile Drones

The idea is that I would keep it at the back end of mid-field, keeping all of its weapons in ranges of the enemy. The Stimulant Injector would serve to keep it alive longer, especially with the volatile nature of the Nova Reactor and the Target lock would enable it to shoot as a different target to the Shielded Missile Drones. It would be able to take on tanks at long range as well as light and heavy infantry.

Pros

• Powerful main weapon, especially when nova charged.
• Tough with a good basic save.
• A good amount of wounds with Feel No Pain added in.
• Possible Storm Shield equivalent saves if needed.
• The ability to crack open any tank or kill infantry units.
• An imposing model in its own right.
• Immune to instant death (subject to weapon used on it).

Cons

• With a low BS, I would always overcharge / Nova charge the main weapon, leaving it open to get hot and a Nova wound (potentially you could cause yourself 2 wound without event doing anything).
• With the inclusion of the drones, you cannot use the Nova Charge to jump further as the drones cannot jump further than normal.
• The weapons my opponent will be firing at it, will most often force invulnerable saves negating a decent normal save. This would also mean most of the time Nova charging to get the better save.
• Having to Nova charge the shield would negate the extra power of the main weapon.
• 33.333% chance of wounding yourself with Nova, with only a 33.333% chance of saving it, that’s a 22.222% chance of wounding yourself before you even move.
• It’s a big model to hide from harm’s way.

There are probably a few more pros and Cons that I forgot to mention but you get the idea.

Crisis Battlesuit Team

So here is my contender and what I am finding hard to replace with a Riptide.

This is my preferred load out. Obviously other people may choose different weapons etc., but this is how my cake is made.

X 3 Crisis Shas’ui

All with two Plasma Rifles

X 2 Gun Drones

X 2 Shield Drones

All bonded

Being cheaper than the Riptide, I would have most likely have some Markerlight Support from Pathfinders and on most occasions that would up my BS skill by 1 and hopefully let the weapons ignore cover (awesome right). They would hang around mid-field, targeting ANY infantry unit, most often starting with assault troops first, and with the fire power output would seriously dent or destroy said units. They will also hang around ready to shoot at any troops disembarking from Railgun / seeker missile popped transports.

  

Pros

• At arm’s length 6 shots, at short range 12 shots, good strength weapon negating the ‘Get’s Hot’ rule.
• Potential of 12 Terminator armour negating shots, wounding most units on anything over a 1.
• Drones can possibly pin the unit as well after firing.
• Easier to hide in cover and inside buildings.
• Lots of wounds.
• Their bonded.
• 68 points cheaper than the Riptide above.

Cons

•  Low BS skill so would need Markerlight support to aid them.
• Can succumb to instant death with an average toughness.
• Only two invulnerable save on the drones.
• Shorter range weapons, so need placing carefully.
• Cannot take on tanks.
• Without Markerlight support, statistically only 50% of the shots will hit home, with an additional 33.333% hits from the Gun Drones.

The list is far from exhaustive, but they are the Pros and Cons I have in my head at the moment.

So please comment and feedback with your own thoughts, which should I take, a Riptide or Crisis Team? I know there are lots of variables that can affect the outcome of what one should take but I am trying to decide between these two specific units, one or the other.

~ The alien is not intrinsically evil. Do not hate him. Pity him his ignorance. Seek to understand his differences, and acquaint him with his inadequacies. Only then will he accept his place, in the Greater Good ~