The Cherokee Open Winning Lists are in and our experts on The Night’s team have the full analysis of those lists for you. One Hundred Seventy Four players descended on Cherokee, North Carolina ready to test their metal and prove who is the meanest army in the competitive meta.
Results from Frontline Gaming:
Nope not Drukhari, Adeptus Mechanicus or even the Crusher Stampede. Tau would sweep the podium with all 3 places and slapping down the Custodes, who made the top 8. Perhaps it’s the Tau Bodyguard rule as all 3 players made use of it. Or the Kroot Carnivores filling out Patrol detachments to allow for extra Commanders. Furthermore, Wisdom of the Guides can help mitigate the Command point cost of those extra detachments. Big thanks to Frontline Gaming for always having the tournament stats ready!
While Genestealers Cults also have a new codex their highest placing was only 21st. Not quite there for a new season of 40K. While tau may be a bit oppressive, Eldar are around the corner. So it was Tau all the way down. Well the top 3 were Tau. You get it.
Cherokee Open – 1st place Jack Harpster
The last T’au standing after 9 rounds at the Cherokee Open was led by Commander Jack Harpster. Taking advantage of the supreme commander detachment and the fact that her t’au keyword is not selectable.
So one way around the datasheet limitation of crisis battle suits is taking the body guards. Which have the added bonus of being a bodyguard to protect characters from being shot at. At some events this will protect characters from overwatch as well due to it not being a limitation of shooting at what’s closer.
Regardless there are plenty of suits bringing lots of high strength Damage 3 guns. Potentially using the Homing beacon for deepstrike plays with the suits. One squad is more anti horde focused.
There may be some confusion on Jack’s list but they are not Farsight Enclaves, they’re Farsight Allied worlds. Which is why the Ethereal can be taken with them. Shadowsuns rerolls to hit work on T’au Empire and not just T’au Sept making for very consistent hitting.
Overall Great goes to Jack Harpster
First Place Winning List – T’au
++ Farsight Allies Patrol Detachment ++
+ Stratagems +
Stratagem: Emergency Dispensation [-2CP]: 2x Additional Relics
+ No Force Org Slot +
Crisis Bodyguards x3 each w/ ion and double plasma, 1 iridium battlesuit and 1 shield drone.
+ HQ +
Commander in Coldstar Battlesuit w/ Burst Cannon, DW-02 Advanced Burst Cannon, High-output Burst Cannon, 2x Plasma, Solid-image Projection Unit, Stratagem: Promising Pupil for Exemplar of the Mont’ka & 1 Marker Drone, 1 Shield Drone
Ethereal w/ 2x Marker drones, Hover drone, Humble stave, Sense of Stone, Wisdom of the Guides
+ Troops +
Kroot Carnivores x10
+ Elites +
Crisis Battlesuits x5 each with Ion, 2x Plasma & shield generator, one w/ Stimm Injectors & Iridium battlesuit. 3 shield drones , 1 marker drone
Stealth Battlesuits x4 w/ burst cannons, Homing Beacon, 1 marker drone, 1 shield drone
+ Fast Attack +
Kroot Hounds x4
Kroot Hounds x4
++ Farsight Allies Patrol Detachment ++
+ No Force Org Slot +
Crisis Bodyguards x3 each w/ ion and double plasma, 1 iridium battlesuit and 1 shield drone.
+ HQ +
Commander in Crisis Battlesuit [9 PL, 202pts, -1CP]: 1. Precision of the Hunter, Cyclic Ion Blaster, Cyclic Ion Blaster, Cyclic Ion Blaster, Iridium battlesuit, Stratagem: Promising Pupil, T’au Flamer, The Be’gel Hunter’s Plate, Thermoneutronic Projector & 1 Marker Drone, 1 Shield Drone
+ Troops +
Kroot Carnivores x10
+ Elites +
Crisis Battlesuits x5 each w/ 2x Frag, Flamer, Target Lock, 1 w/ Iridium battlesuit & 3x shield generator Drones, 1x Marker Drone
+ Fast Attack +
Kroot Hounds x4
++ T’au Sept Supreme Command Detachment ++
Commander Shadowsun [8 PL, 150pts]: 2x High-energy Fusion Blaster, Warlord
Cherokee Open – 2nd place Quinton Johnson
Commander Quinton Johnson went with custom Septs forging his own path in the T’au meta. Clearly it works as he made it to the very last game of T’au on T’au violence. Calm Underpressure provides an extra point of strength for Assault weapons shooting at units within 12”. That’s pretty good when you combine the Army-wide ignore Light Cover from Pinpoint Targeting. While getting that close to a Knight or tough bugs in a Crusher Stampede can be scary, some of those weapons can hit strength 9. Plus for one unit, Exemplar of the Mont’ka will allow for rerolls to wound. So much Dakka from so close can be too much Dakka for some Armies.
Congratulations on making it to the end pulling out second.
Second Place Winning List – T’au
Custom Sept Patrol Detachment 0CP (T’au Empire) [83 PL, 1,467pts, -2CP] ++
Calm Under Pressure, Pinpoint Targeting
+ Stratagems +
Stratagem: Emergency Dispensation [-1CP]: Additional Relics
+ No Force Org Slot +
Crisis Bodyguards x4 each w/ 2x frag, 1 burst, & 3x Shield Drones
+ HQ +
Commander in Coldstar Battlesuit : 2x Burst Cannon, High-output Burst Cannon, Target Lock, Flamer, Thermoneutronic Projector, Onager Gauntlet, Stratagem: Promising Pupil for Precision Hunter,
Ethereal: w/ Marker Drone, Hover Drone, The Humble Stave, Honour Blade & Sense of Stone, Wisdom of the Guides, The Humble Stave, Warlord Through Unity, Devastation
+ Troops +
Kroot Carnivores x10
+ Elites +
Crisis Battlesuits x5 w/ 2x Burst Cannon, Ion, Shield Generator, 1 w/ Iridium Battlesuit, Stimm Injectors & 3x Shield Generators
Crisis Battlesuits x5 w/ 2x Burst Cannon, Ion, Shield Generator, 1 w/ Iridium Battlesuit, Stimm Injectors & 3x Shield Generators
Kroot Hounds x4
Pathfinder Team x10
+ Dedicated Transport +
Devilfish 2x Smart Missile System, Accelerator Burst Cannon
++ Custom Sept Patrol Detachment -2CP (T’au Empire) [31 PL, 529pts, 9CP] ++
+ HQ +
Commander in Crisis Battlesuit Burst Cannon, 2x Ion, DW-02 Advanced Burst Cannon, Stratagem: Promising Pupil for Exemplar of the Mont’ka & 1 Marker Drone
+ Troops +
Kroot Carnivores x10
+ Elites +
Crisis Battlesuits x3 each w/ 2x Burst Cannons, Flamer, Early Warning Override, 1 w/ Iridium battlesuit
Stealth Battlesuits x4 w/ Burst Cannons, & 2x Marker Drones
+ Fast Attack +
Kroot Hounds x4
Cherokee Open – 3rd place Sean Rice
by John-Stone-Art
Commander Sean Rice could keep the Crisis Bodyguards out of Line of Sight so they could do their main job of keeping Characters safe. However, the Airbursting Fragementation and ignoring cover due to Target Lock gives them something to do. The Pure T’au sept army makes the Broadsides even better with their rerolls. Of course, Shadowsun will allow for even more rerolls to hit for one unit.
Congratulations again to Commander Sean Rice on getting every point he could and pulling out ahead in the semifinals for a third place.
Third Place Winning List – T’au
++ T’au Sept Patrol Detachment ++
Stratagem: Emergency Dispensation [-1CP]: Additional Relics
+ No Force Org Slot +
Crisis Bodyguards x2 w/ 2x Airbursting Fragmentation, Target Lock & 1 Gun Drone
Kroot Hounds x4
+ HQ +
Commander in Enforcer Battlesuit w/ Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle, T’au Flamer, Thermoneutronic Projector, Shield Generator, Promising Pupil for Precision of the Hunter, The Be’gel Hunter’s Plate, & 2x Marker Drones
Ethereal Hover Drone, Stave, Sense of Stone, Wisdom of the Guides, & 2x Marker Drones
+ Troops +
Kroot Carnivores x10
Kroot Carnivores x10
+ Elites +
Crisis Battlesuits x5 each w/ Airbursting Fragmentation Projector, Missile Pod, Plasma, Target Lock, 1 w/ Iridium Battle suit & 4 Shield Drones
Stealth Battlesuits x4 w/ Burst Cannons & 1 gun drone, 1 Shield Drone
+ Fast Attack +
Vespid Stingwings x6
+ Heavy Support +
Broadside Battlesuits x3 w/ Rail, Twin Smart Missile System, Stabilized optics & 1 Marker Drone, 2x Shield Drones
Broadside Battlesuits x3 w/ Rail, Twin Smart Missile System, Stabilized optics & 1 Marker Drone, 2x Shield Drones
++ T’au Sept Patrol Detachment ++
+ HQ +
Commander in Crisis Battlesuit w/ 2x Marker Drones, Airbursting Fragmentation Projector, Dominator Fragmentation Launcher, Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle, Target Lock & Promising Pupil to gain Exemplar of the Mont’ka
+ Troops +
Kroot Carnivores x10
++ T’au Sept Supreme Command Detachment ++
Commander Shadowsun Warlord
