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Since I can see that many people are still very interested in the Tau codex especially after reading my BatReps, I thought I shall post a number of Tau Lists here to help out the newbies abit. To make things simple, everything shall be based on 1750 points.

List 1 - Hybrid, The Most Typical/Common Tau List - 2 * / 3
Shas EL - (Missile + Plasma + M.Tracker) -87

3x Fireknife with Trackers, Leader, 2x GunDrones - 211
3x Deathrain with T.Arrays, Leader, 2x GunDrones - 184
3x Deathrain with T.Arrays, Leader, 2x GunDrones - 184

6x FireWarriors - 60
10 Kroots, 3 Hounds - 88
10 Kroots, 6 Hounds - 106

5 PathFinders with Devilfish - Disrupt. Pod - 145
1x Pirahna with fusion, T.Array - 70

1 RailHead with Tracker, Burst Cannon, Dis.Pod - 165
1 RailHead with Tracker, Burst Cannon, Dis.Pod - 165
3 Broadsides with T.Array, Leader, Target Lock, 2xShield Drones - 280

List 2 - Maximum Attrition - 3 * / 3

Shas El (Missile, Plasma, BSF, HW.M.T.) - 90

3 Crisis Suits (3xMissile, 3xPlasma, 3xM.T.) - 186
3 Crisis Suits (3xMissile, 3xPlasma, 3xM.T.) - 186
3 Crisis Suits (3xMissile, 3xMissile, 3xBSF) - 138

6 Fire Warriors, Devilfish w Pod - 145
10 Kroots, 7 Hounds - 112
10 Kroots, 3 Hounds - 88

1 Piranha (fusion, T.A.) - 70
1 Piranha (fusion, T.A.) - 70
1 Piranha (T.A.) - 65

2 Broadsides (2xT.A.) - 160
2 Broadsides (2xT.A.) - 160
3 Broadsides (3xT.A., Leader, Target Lock, 2 Shield Drones) - 280

List 3 - Mech Heavy - 3 * / 3
Shas EL (Missilex2, BSF) - 71

3 Suits (Missilex2x3, BSFx3) - 138
3 Suits (Missilex2x3, BSFx3) - 138
3 Suits (Missilex2x3, BSFx3) - 138

6 Firewarriors, Devilfish, Disrup. Pod - 145
6 Firewarriors, Devilfish, Disrup. Pod - 145
6 Firewarriors, Devilfish, Disrup. Pod - 145
6 Firewarriors, Devilfish, Disrup. Pod - 145
10 Kroots, 3 Hounds - 88
10 Kroots, 3 Hounds - 88

1 Piranhna (fusion, T.Array) - 70

2 Broads. (BSFx2) - 146
2 Broads. (BSFx2) - 146
2 Broads. (BSFx2) - 146

I like the first one the best by far.

In the other two, the Broadsides leave you really open to outflankers. Additionally, once the enemy is de-meched from all those Railguns and Missile Pods, the Broadsides don't have much to do.

I'd say in any list, at least give one Heavy Support slot to a Railhead for the submunition later.

Here's a link to my list: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/421421.page

It's pretty light on troops, but I like Crisis suits too much to take any of mine out.

I don't have the money for Broadsides yet, but I'll probably add a squad in when I go up to 2000pts.

Mar'tacus wrote:In the other two, the Broadsides leave you really open to outflankers. Additionally, once the enemy is de-meched from all those Railguns and Missile Pods, the Broadsides don't have much to do.

Broadsides have SMS.

Mar'tacus wrote:In the other two, the Broadsides leave you really open to outflankers.

Don't mind sharing with me what is it about list 2 and 3 that makes it more vulnerable to outflankers than list 1? Elaborate with situation?

Isseyfaran wrote:

Mar'tacus wrote:In the other two, the Broadsides leave you really open to outflankers.

Don't mind sharing with me what is it about list 2 and 3 that makes it more vulnerable to outflankers than list 1? Elaborate with situation?

Ummm...the other lists have Broadsides in every Heavy Support slot?

The Railheads have the mobility to avoid outflankers and deep-strikers while the Broadsides don't.

As for a situation, let's say that an Ork opponent outflanks one squad with Kommandos + Snikrot, and then deep-strikes Zagstruk + Stormies on another. They can't really get away that easy. At that point, you have to trust that you deployed well to hold onto the third unit.

Mar'tacus wrote:

Isseyfaran wrote:

Mar'tacus wrote:In the other two, the Broadsides leave you really open to outflankers.

Don't mind sharing with me what is it about list 2 and 3 that makes it more vulnerable to outflankers than list 1? Elaborate with situation?

Ummm...the other lists have Broadsides in every Heavy Support slot?

The first list has a single Broadside squad too. How is 3 squad of broads more vulnerable to outflankers than 1 squad of broads, unless you voluntarily deploy SO THAT you are vulnerable?

Mar'tacus wrote:The Railheads have the mobility to avoid outflankers and deep-strikers while the Broadsides don't.

Yup, agreed that the railhead of course has better mobility than the broads. But I m choosing more firepower over mobility - a matter of preference.
As for deepstriles and outflanker, I practised bubble wrapping, so it's ok.

Mar'tacus wrote:As for a situation, let's say that an Ork opponent outflanks one squad with Kommandos + Snikrot, and then deep-strikes Zagstruk + Stormies on another. They can't really get away that easy. At that point, you have to trust that you deployed well to hold onto the third unit.

Bubble wrapping is your friend. Watch out for my ork vss Tau BatRep. :-)

I'm not talking about the vulnerability of the Broadside units individually, but rather that of your Heavy Support as a whole. If they're all Broadsides, they're more vulnerable than if you mix things up with a Railhead or two in addition to some Broadsides.

I play a pretty mobile list though, so that could explain why my preferences differ from yours so much.

Mar'tacus wrote:I'm not talking about the vulnerability of the Broadside units individually, but rather that of your Heavy Support as a whole. If they're all Broadsides, they're more vulnerable than if you mix things up with a Railhead or two in addition to some Broadsides.

Sorry, maybe I m abit slow, but MORE vulnerable? Like how?

1 squad of Broadsides + 2 HHs - Broads + HHs can deploy away from edge.
3 squad of Broadsides - All broads can deploy away from edge.

No?

They can't move away from threats very easily. That was the point I was trying to make.

Personally l like the 2nd one the most, but its not fully optimized imo. At 2000 3 * 2 Broadsides is usually enough so it should be plenty for 1750. Drop 1 Broadside from the 3 man unit and you have a few options to either squeeze in another troop, change around some Crisis suit options or possibly even fit another unit in there.

Tau deal with Outflankers the same way they deal with basically everything, bubblewrap and good deployment. You should never let people get to anything important without going through at least 1 layer, and no Outstanding unit should be able to take the close range volley the following turn.

Powerguy wrote:Personally l like the 2nd one the most, but its not fully optimized imo. At 2000 3 * 2 Broadsides is usually enough so it should be plenty for 1750. Drop 1 Broadside from the 3 man unit and you have a few options to either squeeze in another troop, change around some Crisis suit options or possibly even fit another unit in there.

Tau deal with Outflankers the same way they deal with basically everything, bubblewrap and good deployment. You should never let people get to anything important without going through at least 1 layer, and no Outstanding unit should be able to take the close range volley the following turn.

I actually like the last list. MSU goodness LOL