[MikeH]

This one is simple: Why doesn't anyone use the Sky Ray?

[Olannon]

Because to use it effectively you need to have more markerlights in the army. If you don't it will simply fire a S8 missile or 2 every turn until it is empty. In that case, and Ionhead does a better job.

And relying on markerlights require pathfinders or Stealth Suits. As if that's not enough, markerlights synergize well with big squads - not popular (exception being Stealth Suits and FoF). And if that isn't even all, markerlight dedicated Stealth Suits take up precious elite slots.

Sky Ray competes with a decent amount of competent units - broadsides, hammerheads and sniper drones. Frankly, I don't see how I can drop either in favour of the SkyRay.

It also has some weird synergy. For example; markerlights are designed to help whatever units need them, however taking a Sky Ray forces the markerlights to help it. I don't see what the Sky Ray does that no other unit can.

~Olannon

[Silverwing]

It just isn't worth it, since the skyray runs out of missles, and then its nothing more than a moving markerlight. I'd rather have an ion head that blasts away the entire game.

[khanaris]

Most people think about the Skyray the wrong way. It isn't a platform for Seekers that just happens to have two Markerlights. The Markerlights are its main weapon. The Skyray has the best-protected and most accurate set of Markerlights in the Tau list aside from the non-scoring sniper team spotters. And they are the only Markerlights that can move and fire. The Skyray also has the secondary weapon system to make it a threat. But the Seeker Missiles are just garnish. In a Mech list, you could easily fit those six on your Hammerheads and Devilfish. They are not the reason why you take a Skyray. It is a support tank. Its Markerlights should be supporting your Hammerheads when they are hunting targets that your other Markerlights can not see. If you have spare Markerlight hits, you might also consider using the Seekers. Most people get hung up on the fact that the Skyray can run out of ammunition, and don't take it for that reason. But like all Tau units, the Skyray needs to work with other units in the army in order to be effective.

[Gramlin]

I've been considering getting a skyray for a while, as it is the synergistic quality of the Tau that makes them interesting to play.

You have convinced me, with this post, Khanaris.

There are so many cases where markerlights prove useful. While I was immediately wowed by the big guns of the Tau when I started playing, as my experience has grown I have put greater and greater stock in armies with a lot of basic weapons, i.e. firewarriors. Where firewarriors fail, most often, is not their poor initiative or even low leadership, it is their average BS. Finding as many ways as possible to compensate for that is my current mission. Once firewarriors start hitting regularly their strength 5 weapons begin to seem exceedingly worthy. Until then they are disappointing.

So I will certainly be getting a skyray now, and your comments above have helped me to decide.

Very best,
Gram

[khanaris]

Originally Posted by Gramlin

So I will certainly be getting a skyray now, and your comments above have helped me to decide.

As a sidenote, you should always buy the Skyray instead of a Hammerhead boxed set. They are the same price, but the Skyray box actually contains the Hammerhead sprue as well as its own sprue! Which means if you decide you don't like the Skyray after you have tried it out, you can just turn the skimmer into another Hammerhead, and have a bunch of useful bitz for your trouble.

[Gramlin]

Indeed.

I've also turned one of my other hammerheads into an optional Warfish with targetting array, so this is part of the appeal of getting another tank chassis too, then I can play around with a second squad of pathfinders as well. Not bad for £25, three tanks in one.

Thanks for the tip.

Best,
Gram

[Olannon]

I strongly disagree.

Khanaris, if you're only after the markerlights it is a very very expensive way to get them.

You lose a heavy support slot. I never see any 1.5k armies that haven't used all of these. And no, they're NOT the only lights that can move and fire. Stealthsuits with drones. You just move the turn before firing. It's more or less the same.

Again- what does that SkyRay give you that you can't get elsewhere? Mobile markerlights? Disagree; stealthsuits. AV13 with anti-infantry weaponry? Disagree; Ionhead is better.

I would very very much like to see a list that IN PRACTICE is better off with a Sky Ray than an Ionhead. If you want markerlights go stealthsuits, if you want seekers spread them out.

[GeekyGator]

So the Skyray box comes with the Hamemrhead Railgun? sweet!


Yes, if you think about it, the skyray gets teh same number of shots as a railhead- 6- and, if nesecary, it can fire all at once!

[khanaris]

Originally Posted by Olannon

Again- what does that SkyRay give you that you can't get elsewhere? Mobile markerlights? Disagree; stealthsuits. AV13 with anti-infantry weaponry? Disagree; Ionhead is better.

Stealthsuits are not mobile Markerlights. Even if you use a ruling that says they can jump after they fire, they can never move in order to engage a hidden target and they can only take one Markerlight. The Skyray has two and can move 12" and still fire them, making it all but impossible to hide from it. The Skyray should not be thought of as a seperate Tank from the Hammerhead, really, since it has the same armor and secondary equipment. It is just a different kind of main turret. So we are really comparing an Ion Cannon to two Markerlights and six Seeker Missiles.

We all know how important the first two turns can be for Tau. If you can take out the heavy armor and transports within the first two turns, you can bottle up many types of opponents in their deployment zone. Guiding two Railheads or some Broadsides with a Skyray can make that a lot easier. All an Ionhead can do is maybe pop a light vehicle or a few MeQ troops. Not that the Ionhead isn't a great choice, too, but it is not always better than a Skyray.