Strategies and Tactics (2)

Learn how to leverage the Tau's ranged superiority and manage their melee weaknesses in Dawn of War. Discover effective army compositions and unit roles.

Alright, let's talk about the Tau in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. Their biggest ace in the hole is their shooting. Seriously, they can lay down some serious hurt from a distance. So, the core of your army should absolutely be Fire Warriors, backed up by those beefy Battlesuits and vehicles that pack bigger guns. Don't sleep on the Kroot and Vespid, though! They're your melee specialists. Their job is to grab the enemy's attention and hold them in place while your ranged units do their thing, or while you pick off other parts of their army.

These melee troops have another trick up their sleeve: they can act as your eyes. If you send the Kroot and Vespid charging in while your Fire Warriors hang back, you'll extend your line of sight. This means your shooters can open fire from way further away – some Tau units can even shoot further than they can actually see!

The trick with Kroot and Vespid is figuring out the right numbers. A few squads will survive longer and dish out more melee damage, but every squad you have is one less squad of pure firepower, which is where the Tau really shine. Also, try not to build an army that's *only* Kroot and Vespid. While it's not a guaranteed loss, they just don't perform as well on their own. They really are best used as support, doing their auxiliary role.

Now, about those Tau weaknesses. Your absolute top priority is keeping them away from enemies, especially those nasty melee types. Fire Warriors are some of the worst fighters up close in the game. You need to position them so they *never* have to fight hand-to-hand. This not only protects them but also lets them do what they do best: shoot. If an enemy army comes charging at you, you've got a bit of a tricky situation. You might be tempted to just stand your ground and try to blast them before they reach you, but be warned: if that fails, you're in serious trouble. In the long run, it's way better to give up a little bit of shooting and reposition your forces out of danger. Even better, use your Kroot and Vespid to tie up the enemy while your main force stays safe without needing to move.

Pushing forward aggressively with the Tau can work, but only if you've got a solid economy going. You only need a few squads of Fire Warriors for a rush, but they cost 210 requisition to train. Plus, you'll need to spend another 210 requisition to upgrade them from three warriors to six. If your economy isn't strong enough, or you don't have the Honour Guard, a rush might not be the best plan.

One last thing: if you push far enough up the tech tree, you'll unlock the Ethereal. This unit is pretty darn powerful, not because of its own fighting abilities, but because of the awesome buffs it gives to all your Tau units on the battlefield – think increased health, morale, and damage. The catch? If your Ethereal dies, all your Tau units will suffer temporary but significant stat penalties. So, it's often a really good idea to just keep your Ethereal safe and sound back at your base.