Tau Balance Dataslate - A personal tragedy
Alright, lets dive right into what this June 2025 dataslate means for my army, and other fellow warriors of the greater good…
Updated Army Rule: “For the Greater Good”
One of the biggest updates in the latest T’au Empire Balance Dataslate is the “For the Greater Good” army rule. This rule has undergone a substantial overhaul, and its impact on the way the T’au play is massive. Here's the updated version:
How it works:
At the start of your Shooting Phase, you can pick units with the For the Greater Good rule to become Observer units (except Fortifications and Battle-shocked units).
Each Observer unit can choose one enemy unit that is visible to mark as their Spotted unit.
Units from your army (except for the Observer units) become Guided when shooting at one or more Spotted units.
Until the end of the phase, every time a model from your army with For the Greater Good makes an attack against a Spotted unit:
+1 Ballistic Skill
If the Spotted unit is marked by an Observer unit with the Markerlight keyword, that attack gains the [IGNORES COVER] ability.
What this means for T’au:
This new version of For the Greater Good is so much easier to understand and implement. The old mechanics were a bit of a headache to manage with various interlocking rules, but now, it’s pretty simple:
You pick your Observers at the start of the Shooting Phase.
Those Observers mark their Spotted targets.
Your army gets +1 Ballistic Skill and [IGNORES COVER] against those units.
This is a huge improvement in terms of streamlining the army's playstyle. It’s easy to track and makes every unit’s shooting more reliable, especially when combined with the Markerlight keyword.
Stealth Teams: The New MVPs (But Protect Them!)
If there’s one unit that absolutely thrives under this new army rule, it’s the Stealth Battlesuits. They’ve always had a special place in T’au armies, but now, they’re absolutely pivotal to how the army functions.
MY NEW MVP’s
This data-slate has made Stealth battle-suits pivotal to how my army functions. So glad I have some!
Here’s why:
Re-roll 1s to hit and wound: Stealth Teams now enable your whole army to re-roll 1s to hit and wound when targeting the enemy unit they’ve spotted. This is a massive increase in the consistency of your army's shooting.
Markerlight Synergy: With the Markerlight keyword, Stealth Teams can ensure that all attacks targeting the enemy unit they spot get the [IGNORES COVER] ability. This makes your army’s firepower even more potent.
Stealthy but Soft: While Stealth Battlesuits have great utility, they’re not tanky. They’re quite fragile and are likely to be prioritized targets by your opponent. Their low Toughness and lack of heavy armor means they can be easily taken out if you don’t protect them. The trade-off is that they offer huge value by enabling the whole army to benefit from their Markerlights and re-rolls.
However, there is a downside: Stealth Teams have gone up by 20 points, which is a pretty substantial increase. Given how much better they’ve become with the new rules, though, I think this is more than worth it. Expect Stealth Battlesuits to be priority targets for your opponents, but if you can protect them, they’ll be a cornerstone of your army.
Stealth Teams are the key to unlocking the full potential of For the Greater Good — make sure to include them in your lists and keep them safe!
Mont’ka Detachment: The Clear Winner
Mont’ka has always been a solid choice, but with the new rules, it’s now by far the best detachment for T’au armies. Here’s why:
More Lethal Hits: The synergy with the updated For the Greater Good rule makes the Mont’ka detachment even deadlier. With +1 Ballistic Skill and the ability to re-roll 1s to hit and wound, Mont’ka units are now extremely reliable at causing damage. The Lethal Hits mechanic, which makes it easier to convert critical hits, is a perfect complement to the updated shooting buffs. Mont’ka units, especially when supported by Stealth Teams and the rest of the army, can easily turn into high-damage monsters.
Reliable Aggression: With the ability to Spot and Guide your enemies, Mont’ka excels at a more aggressive style of play. It’s about getting the first strike, making your opponent react, and punishing them with precise firepower. The synergy with Stealth Teams makes this detachment even more powerful, and you’ll likely see a rise in Mont’ka’s popularity.
Pathfinders: A Sidegrade, Not a Buff
The Pathfinder teams have been hit with a slight change that I think qualifies more as a sidegrade than a buff.
Lost Double Spotting: They no longer have the ability to spot two enemy units in a turn, which is a real blow. Being able to mark multiple targets was part of what made Pathfinders so versatile.
+1 Ballistic Skill: Now, however, they get +1 to Ballistic Skill if they shoot at the target they’ve spotted. While this is useful, it feels more like a sidegrade than a straight-up buff. It’s better than nothing, but it’s not a game-changing improvement by any means.
While not a massive improvement, Pathfinders are still a decent unit and should definitely be included in a list if you’re running a more balanced force. They provide support, help with markerlights, and make decent shots against spotted targets.
Kauyon Detachment: A Personal Tragedy
Now for the part that hits me hardest — Kauyon. I’ve always been a big fan of the Kauyon detachment, but this update feels like a near-death blow to it.
Death Blow
This update has destroyed the Kauyon detachment, something that has been integral to my approach until now.
Lost Sustained Hits 2: The ability to gain Sustained Hits 2 on Guided units from Turn 3 onwards was huge. It helped keep the detachment relevant even in the late game, allowing you to reliably churn out damage when you needed it most.
New Rule - Ignore Hit Modifiers: The new rule in its place is the ability to ignore hit modifiers, which sounds nice on paper. But here’s the problem: Many units in T’au armies already have this ability baked into their datasheets. So, the rule feels redundant and doesn’t bring the same level of power that Sustained Hits 2 did.
This feels like a loss of identity for the Kauyon detachment. The loss of sustained damage through sustained hits really reduces the impact of units you might have used in this detachment — like Riptides and Broadsides. They now seem to lack that little extra punch that made them such heavy hitters in the late game.
Conclusion: A Day of Cheer… and Moaning
So, where does that leave us? This update is overall a small buff to the T’au Empire — but it comes at the cost of Kauyon, my favorite detachment, which has been absolutely decimated.
What we gained:
Simplified army rule: The new For the Greater Good rule is streamlined, easier to use, and more powerful.
Stealth Battlesuits are better than ever, enabling the whole army to re-roll 1s to hit and wound.
Mont’ka Detachment is now the go-to detachment for reliable aggression and high damage output.
Pathfinders get a slight improvement with +1 BS when shooting at the units they spot.
What we lost:
Kauyon detachment is effectively dead — losing its Sustained Hits 2 and gaining a rule that doesn’t bring much new to the table.
Pathfinders’ loss of their double-spotting ability leaves them a little less versatile.
All in all, I’m excited to see how the new For the Greater Good rule plays out in games. I’ll be brewing a new list soon, and I’ll be sure to share how it performs once I’ve had a few games under my belt.
As always, I’ll march forward in the name of the Greater Good!
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