Which is the best in Warhammer 40k (specifically tabletop game and not dawn of war): Tau, Necron, or Eldar?
I’m now working on the battle of macragge starter set, but I’m not going either space marine or tyranid. I don’t really know much about them, but I was leaning a bit towards Tau. I also want one with a somewhat modest price, but I will pay a bit extra if it is worth it.
It really depends on what you’re looking for. If you want to buy an army as cheaply as possible and get it painted and looking good on the tabletop in the shortest possible time, then it’s Necrons all the way. The average warrior is expensive enough that even a 2,000 point army will be smaller numerically than almost any other army (with the possible exception of Deathwing). And painting is just a matter of “spray paint black, drybrush Boltgun Metal, add plastic rods”.
On the other hand, there’s a lot to be said for both the other two choices in terms of pure tactical opportunity.
The Tau have by far the deadliest ranged weapons in the game. A railgun will make mincemeat even of a Land Raider, and even the Shas’la’s simple pulse rifle can outshoot damn near anything else you can name. Add in the stealthsuits and sniper drones and you’ve got a highly potent force – but don’t over-estimate the battlesuits. They are best used as mobile fire-points, not as assault troops – unless you’re attacking something small and squishy like Imperial Guard. Despite their bulk and size, their low numbers and low initiative make them easy prey even to a basic Space Marine tactical squad in the assault.
Eldar are a hugely popular army at the moment and it’s easy to see why: good-looking, colourful and elite, they have a lot going for them. But they are terribly, terribly fragile and need careful handling and practice to make best use of them. Shuriken catapults should not, however, be underestimated. In sufficient numbers they can be deadly – especially in the hands of the Dire Avengers, who can use the Shuriken Storm special rule to double their shots!
It’s worth noting, though, that 5th Edition is now on the horizon and the Eldar’s “fleet of foot” is about to lose a lot of its strength when *all* infantry troops gain the “run” ability – which is exactly the same as Fleet, except that you can’t Assault in the same turn.
If I were thinking of buying one of these three right now, I think I’d go with Tau. They fall somewhere between the Eldar and the Necrons in terms of both price and ease of painting, but they have a strong “cool” factor and some brilliant models. They also offer the widest range of tactical options (although assaulting should never be on the menu unless you have Kroot).
Warhammer 40000: Space Marine – Multiplayer
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