14 DAY TRIAL // The Blood Angels are a tough tactical nut to crack. They have pushed their capable heroes to the front, disrupting the T’au lines and negating much of their long-range firepower. Some of my battlesuits have already jumped away to get into the right weapon range, delivering some accurate salvos.
But my limited supply of drones and my Fire Warrior breachers are in trouble and it might be impossible to save them. I could push the Ethereal forward in a risky move and use the Hammerhead to hit from a distance. But it might be time to think about which units will be sacrificed for the greater good, as the rest of the T’au force falls back to an easier-to-defend position.
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector - T'au is developed by Black Lab Games and published by Slitherine Ltd, the same companies as with the core game. As with previous downloadable content packs for the tactics title, gamers get access to a new faction, including heroes and units.
The T’au are one of the more unique factions in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. They tend to focus on ranged engagements that they can directly control and are often seen as more tech-focused than forces from the Imperium of Man or those driven by Chaos. The units they bring to Battlesector reflect that.
Their only truly expendable assets are the drones, best used to scout and draw fire. Fire warriors, specked for close-quarter or ranged assaults, provide numbers and can paint targets. A variety of battlesuits add extra firepower and anti-vehicle capabilities, enhanced with superior mobility and even stealth. The XV88 Broadside might be my favorite unit in the DLC.
The Piranha and the Hammerhead are the two heavy vehicles of the faction. T’au heroes include the Cadre Fireblade, a commander in an Enforcer Battlesuit, and the Ethereal, a powerful melee leader from the Fifth Caste. Building a cohesive and balanced army within the point limit is half the battle in Battlesector. Once that’s done, players use movement and action points to direct their force during their turn. It’s important to evaluate player capabilities, focus fire when possible, and accept that losses are inevitable.
The faction also gets an extensive upgrade tree when played in the planetary conquest campaign mode. It’s tempting to spread points around, but I found it is better to focus and give a set of units as many tactical options as possible.
The T’au tend to be vulnerable to forces that can tank ranged damage and then strike hard when up close. I had enough trouble with the Sisters of Battle and the Space Marines but my chosen setup dealt easily with Necrons and Chaos.
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector – T'au delivers good-looking units for the new faction but does not tweak the look of the battlefields or the campaign map. The game’s interface is well-designed, delivering squad and weapon details to help players best use their forces. The T’au voice lines sound a little too close to those of the classic human factions. The music is decent but could use more variety.
Conclusion
New factions are a good way to expand the experience, but I continue to believe the game needs expanded mechanics for planetary conquest or another campaign mode. Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector is a good game that’s in danger of becoming a little stale.
Review key provided by the publisher.
