Commander Farsight is back in action this week as Arks of Omen: Farsight thunders into view with plenty of action, drama, and even a little tragedy. His sleek new model is available first in Boarding Patrol: T’au Empire, so as with Boss Snikrot yesterday we’re having a look at the kinds of armies you can build with this legendary renegade commander at their head.
Since it’s his first foray with the new XV-86 Supernova battlesuit, we’ll start with the Boarding Patrol.
Swiftstrike Boarding Team
Even though both Farsight and his Crisis Team both have the Fly keyword, they have special dispensation to undertake Boarding Actions. This Boarding Patrol focuses on landing a swift hammer-blow into the enemy force while the Breacher Team splits up to secure objectives. The Farsight Enclaves can do without dedicated markerlight units at close range, so spend the points you’ll save on a shoal of Tactical Drones to clog up a corridor.**
As they’ll be doing the lion’s share of the damage – against many different kinds of troops – our Crisis Battlesuits have a diverse selection of weapons at their disposal, from infantry-shredding burst cannons to elite-melting fusion blasters. We’ll also prize Early Warning Overrides for their bonuses to Overwatch – extremely potent in Boarding Action games.
Naturally if you have the benefit of foresight,* you’ll want to maximise the weapons that perform best against your enemy.
Enclave Interdiction Wing
All Crisis Battlesuit pilots are proficient at deadly combat drops from low-flying Mantas, but the Farsight Enclaves raise this way of waging war to an art form. This thematic 1,000-point list simulates a team of Pathfinders marking a priority target, with Farsight administering death from above for the Greater Good. Did you know Farsight isn’t the only melee specialist amongst the T’au? Any sept can use the infamous Onager Gauntlet to transform a Coldstar Commander into a bonafide knockout champion, slugging so-called ‘duelists’ into the dirt. Make it a one-two combo using the prototype Thermoneutronic Projector for even more close combat fun.
The Eightfold Ways Hunter Cadre
The Eight are the elite war council of the Farsight Enclaves – including O’Shovah himself, of course. They may not be a deployable force on the battlefield at present, but we can certainly build a 2,000-point army around them. A mixture of elite Crisis, Broadside, and Riptide battlesuit teams is very on-brand for the Farsight Enclaves, after all.
Each team was given equipment to match one of the Eight, resulting in a diverse and flexible force. Like these legendary warriors themselves, this army can take on almost anything – and it’s a great candidate for elaborate conversion projects.
Arks of Omen: Farsight is up for pre-order this weekend alongside Boarding Patrol: T’au Empire, where you’ll have your first chance to add Commander Farsight’s new model to your army.
* Not just Farsight, ho ho ho.
** You can’t take attached DRONES in Boarding Actions, but the Mustering Rules allow for a single independent squad.