Tactica: Riptides

This is the next article in the Tactica series. Remember, this is a community exercise and all comments and suggestions are very welcome. I’ll make any changes before it’s posted in the Tactica section.

So – Riptides!

Riptides were the shiny new model in the Tau Codex (well other than the flyers which I’ve never seen anybody use!), and they have proved very successful (if you’re a Tau player) and very controversial (if your not!). What I want to do in this article is try and get to the heart of why they’ve been so successful.

There must be very few people who don’t know the basic stats of a Riptide, but just in case you’ve been living under stone for the last few months….! The Riptide is a T6 Jet Pack Monstrous Creature with a 2+ armour save, a 5+ invulnerable save and 5 wounds. Its primary weapons is either a Heavy Burst Cannon (S6 AP4 Heavy 8) or an Ion Accelerator (S7 AP2 Heavy 3, or in Overcharged mode S8 AP2 Heavy 1 Large Blast, Gets Hot). It has a twin linked secondary weapon and you can choose between a Fusion Blaster, SMS or Plasma Rifle. However, at the start of every movement phase, the Riptide can choose to try and Nova Charge its Nova Reactor by rolling a d6. On a 3+ it can choose one of 4 “buffs” – it can fire its secondary weapon twice, it can move 4d6 in the assault phase, it can increase it invulnerable save to a 3+, or “buff” its main weapon. A Nova Charged Heavy Burst Cannon (HBC) is S6 AP4 Heavy 12, Rending, Gets Hot, and a Nova Charged Ion Accelerator (IA) is S9 AP2 Heavy 1, Large Blast, Ordinance. However, if you fail your Nova Charge Roll, you take a wound, with no saves allowed (although the FNP roll from a stim injector works). It can also take any of the Battle Suit Support systems (with the exception of the Vectored Retro Thrusters), although a Stim Injector costs more. Finally, you can take 2 Shielded Missiles Drones, which provide 2 ablative wounds with a 4++. Crucially these Drones are also T6, keeping the unit’s majority toughness at 6. Oh and you also get 4  S7 AP4 Missiles.

So, pretty impressive, but it comes at a price. You can get 3 tooled out Crisis Suits for fewer points, or 3 Broadsides for around about the same, and once you add on support systems and/or drones, it gets really pricey.

By itself the Riptide is not particularly “killy”. For the same points, both Broadsides and XV8’s can lay down more firepower. However, that’s not the point. Neither of them can bring the “package” that  the Riptide brings. And that is the key to the Riptide’s success – what it brings to your Cadre is “utility” - you can do things with the Riptide you simply can not do with other elements of your Cadre.

For Example

And I haven’t even mentioned damage output! Don’t’ get me wrong, the damage a Riptide can put out is OK, it’s just not the main reason you take them in a Cadre.

But talking about damage output for a moment, some thoughts on the main guns. The problem with Riptides is that, by themselves, their main guns are not that great. The HBC will only kill 2 or three marines on average, and will barely scratch the paintwork of a wave serpent. If your opponent spreads out, the IA’s large blast will probably kill around the same once you allow for cover saves, even if it doesn’t scatter. However, where the main guns really shine is when you take the relevant upgrades, and support them with marker lights and/or a Commander with the appropriate support systems.

If the Ion accelerator picks up a few marker lights it becomes really scary – in a recent tournament I was able to pick up 8 marker lights allowing the Large Blast to ignore cover and almost guaranteeing it would not scatter. The resultant blast decimated a unit of Terminators and a squad of Grey Knight Strikers. If the Nova Charged Heavy Burst Cannon can pick up even 2 marker lights, and has an Earth Caste Pilot Array, it almost guarantees 12 hits. If it also has a Commander attached, giving it Tank Hunter, because it rends, and you’re rerolling 12 dice, looking for sixes, it shreds AV 12 vehicles and can also make AV13 and even AV14 sweat.

And don’t forget the secondary weapons – being able to double tap with the Fusion Blaster or the SMS can be useful.

So, in summary, the Riptide’s main battlefield role is not fire power – it’s utility, doing all the things that other elements of your Cadre struggle with, but properly supported, it’s fire power isn’t bad!

There are so many things the Riptide can do, it makes a detailed tactica hard. However, here are some examples

You need to make three decisions when loading out a Riptide –which main gun, which secondary gun, and what support systems.

The obvious choice is an Ion Accelerator – who doesn’t like AP2 large blasts! And that is what I ran more often than not. However, more recently I’ve been using the HBC and the decision is by no means as easy as it seems.

While the IA is excellent against elite infantry, the HBC is far more flexible – it’s good against almost everything.However, the key difference is in performance with and without support. The IA is still OK without support, and in particular gains relatively little from being Nova Charged. However, supported properly, with marker lights and a Commander giving out Tank/Monster Hunter and Ignores Cover,  the HBC becomes particularly deadly.

IMHO, the choice is between the SMS and the Fusion Gun. The Plasma Rifle is a bit unimpressive TBH, it just doesn’t seem to complement either the IA or the HBC.

The Fusion Gun is good if you’re pressing forward with the Riptide to put pressure on your opponent (particularly if he has vehicles). It’s also good if your Riptide has a Velocity Tracker, and you’re moving into midfield to discourage flyers. The SMS is probably better on a Riptide that is being used a little more conservatively, and hanging back. Where it really comes into it’s own is in the later game when you can ripple fire it to winkle out those last few models that are hiding behind terrain.

If I was pressed I would say that the Fusion Gun is better on an HBC Riptide that is being used aggressively to get maximum benefit from the shorter range of the HBC, and the SMS is better on the IA Riptide that is staying back a little and using the IA’s range.

There are really only 3 support systems that shine on Riptides IMO – the Early Warning Override, the Velocity Tracker and the Stim injector.

I’ve already mentioned the benefits of Sky firing Riptides. The one that benefits most from Skyfire is the HBC Riptide, although the extra range on the IA can sometime help. The Riptide that benefits more from the EWO is the IA Riptide, for discouraging Deep Striking marines and terminators. Having said that, I usually run EWO’s and VTs on both.

Stim Injectors are more difficult. Arguably, you’re spending 35pts to give the Riptide an extra wound or 2 over the course of the game. On the face of it not bad. However in my view the problem is opportunity cost – I would usually rather have an EWO and a VT.

There is one other “support” system that is a “must take”, and that’s the Earth Caste Pilot Array. This synergies so well with the HBC Riptide that, if you’re running a Farsight Supplement list, you just must find points for it! Even if you’re running and Emprie list, it’s so good think hard about Enclave allies (and at the same time pick up a Talisman of Arthas Moloch – so good!). However, what ever you do, don’t put it on an IA Riptide (GW – what were you thinking whey you gave O’Vesa an Ion Accelerator!). The HBC benefits so much more from being Nova Charged, and the fact that you then re-roll those irritating “1s” to hit, is just gravy.

Finally, Shielded Missile Drones. Until now, I’ve never seen the point. They are expensive and losing one forced a leadership test. HOWEVER, with Grav Guns you can make a case for adding a couple to “protect” your investment from being wiped out by a unit of 5 White Scar bikes wielding 2 grav guns with a Combi Grav on the sergeant!

The key I think with Riptides is supporting them to maximise their relatively mediocre damage output. Marker Lights, Raven Commanders and allies (i.e. a Farseer guiding one and casting prescience on another) are key to making them work well. You’re spending so many points on the Riptide, a little effort to get the maximum from your investment, is worth it.

You also need to invest points in other units that increase your damage output. If you rely only on Riptides to kill stuff, you might be a little disappointed.

As for lists, I think Riptides work in most lists, whether providing mobility and counter assault punch to a static gunline, or moving forward in support of a Mechanised Cadre of Fire Warriors in D’fish. I also think they work best in pairs. IMHO the ideal pairing is one with an HBC, Fusion Blaster, EWO, Velocity Tracker and an Earth Caste Pilot Array, and the other with an Ion Accelerator, SMS, EWO and Stim Injector.

I’ve never been able to come up with a list that I’m happy with that runs 3 Riptides. For me the extra points on the 3rd Riptide just doesn’t leave enough for the rest of the Cadre. You either end up scrimping on marker light support (pathfinders over a Commander with Marker Drones), scoring (Kroot over Fire Warriors in ‘Fish, although I’m coming round to that approach!), or on other units that deal out more damage.

All thoughts welcome. What have I missed, what have I got wrong?

EYIG