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So I got a tau lot in a trade and was trying to make an army with what I got. I don't think it's possible and I was looking for some help. I would prefer an TAC list
Here is a list of what i have.

Tau Crisis Suit Commander x2
Broadside x5
Kroot x 76
Krootox x1
Gun Drones x21 NOS
Sniper Drone x9
Crisis Suits x6
Kroot Hounds x14
Tau Etherial x2
Kroot Shaper x3

Seems doable but it’s hard to give advice without know what weapon systems you have access to. I would go for something along these lines.

Broadside squad 1
x3 railgun battlesuits, one as a team leader, rip two guns off two drones and use them as x2 shield drones. Give the team leader, target lock, drones, plasma and mutitracker if you have the model, if not leave smart missiles fitted. Fit them with ASS sytems.

Broadside squad 2
x2 battlesuits. As above give team leader option with shield drones. Fit them with ASS sytems.

x3 Sniper teams I love this unit. Spread the 3 teams around.

Commander squad 1 with x2 bodyguards target arrays and muti trackers if you fit 2 weapon systems. Rip of more guns from drones so you have x2 shield drones

Commander squad 2 with x2 bodyguards bodyguards target arrays and muti trackers. Rip of more guns from drones so you have x2 shield drones

Fire warriors squad 6 models mandatory minimum a Tau army has to take.

Kroot x9 with x1 Shaper for a 10unit strong squard. Then Stick in Krootox and x2 hounds for 13 in the unit.

Kroot x9 with x1 Shaper, x12 hounds.

not to sound dumb or anything but was is the ASS system?
I have access to all the gun options so that is not really a problem.

So should i be outflanking my kroot? or just infiltrate them?

That’s a tricky one and personal preference about outflanking or infiltrate. The Kroot with the Krootox cannot outflank or infiltrate so have the basic Kroot bubble warp the broadside to protect them with the Krootox to the side providing extra fire support. The large hound squad is most likely best infiltrating into woods or if no woods outflanking.

Battlesuits bodyguards I take plasma, missile pod, target array, multi tracker then if you want to play around with wound allocation 1 blacksunfilter. My 1st commander takes Airbursting frag projector, Cyclic Ion blaster, Fusion blaster, Iridium armor, Stim injector, target lock, muti tracker, x2 shield drones which due to Iridium armor get 2+ save for the drones, bonding knife pretty expensive but I find it very effective. Can only fire 2 weapons per turn but can swaps weapon based on target. 2nd commander for me would normalyl be Plasma, Missile pod, blacksunfilter, bonding knife and x2 shield drones.

ASS = Advanced stabilisation system page 25 which I find very useful.

I don't own the codex yet and army builder is being silly atm.
as of right now and pouring over threads and looking crazy on the interwebs i would like to either run missile pods and a burst cannon on one commander, the second option being burst cannon with plasma and the third like you said missile pod and plasma



Automatically Appended Next Post:
So with the help of army builder i thought i would make a list with what i have i am shooting for the all mighty 500 points.

Hq
shas el 131
burst cannon, plasma rifle, hw black sun filter, hw drone controller, hw multi-tracker, hw target lock, targeting array

elites

crisis suit 105
missile pod, plasma rifle drone controller, shield drone

troop
fire warriors x 6 60

Kroot x10 118
kroot hounds x8

Heavy
Sniper drone team 80

Instead of paying 10pt for +1BS why not use Shas'o which for 25pts give +1bs, +1ws, +1wound, +1att, +1LD. It’s only 15points more than a target array.

Pottsey wrote:Instead of paying 10pt for +1BS why not use Shas'o which for 25pts give +1bs, +1ws, +1wound, +1att, +1LD. It’s only 15points more than a target array.

Although this is debatable, if you have the points you should absolutely go for it. In your 500 pt list, I see no reason not to as you have the points.

Also, move the shield drone to the commander from the crisis suit. Drop the commander's target lock and give the lone suit a multi tracker.

Otherwise, looks pretty good.

Dr. Serling wrote:

Pottsey wrote:Instead of paying 10pt for +1BS why not use Shas'o which for 25pts give +1bs, +1ws, +1wound, +1att, +1LD. It’s only 15points more than a target array.

Although this is debatable, if you have the points you should absolutely go for it. In your 500 pt list, I see no reason not to as you have the points.

Also, move the shield drone to the commander from the crisis suit. Drop the commander's target lock and give the lone suit a multi tracker.

Otherwise, looks pretty good.

why is this debatable?

This is the first tau list I have ever put together and I don't have the codex as of yet and I am just running off of army builder so if things seem sketchy I do apologize.

so my next big questions are is the vectored retro thrusters or the command node any good?

so list at 500 right now:

shas o 146
burst cannon, plasma rifle, hw black sun filter, hw drone controller, hw multi-tracker, hw target lock, targeting array shield drone x2

elites

crisis suit 87
missile pod, plasma rifle drone controller
shield drone
troop
fire warriors x 6 60

Kroot x10 124
kroot hounds x9

Heavy
Sniper drone team 80

and at higher point games are the sniper drones any good? lets say at 1,000

alabamaheretic wrote:

Dr. Serling wrote:

Pottsey wrote:Instead of paying 10pt for +1BS why not use Shas'o which for 25pts give +1bs, +1ws, +1wound, +1att, +1LD. It’s only 15points more than a target array.

Although this is debatable, if you have the points you should absolutely go for it. In your 500 pt list, I see no reason not to as you have the points.

Also, move the shield drone to the commander from the crisis suit. Drop the commander's target lock and give the lone suit a multi tracker.

Otherwise, looks pretty good.

why is this debatable?

This is the first tau list I have ever put together and I don't have the codex as of yet and I am just running off of army builder so if things seem sketchy I do apologize.

so my next big questions are is the vectored retro thrusters or the command node any good?

so list at 500 right now:

shas o 146
burst cannon, plasma rifle, hw black sun filter, hw drone controller, hw multi-tracker, hw target lock, targeting array shield drone x2

elites

crisis suit 87
missile pod, plasma rifle drone controller
shield drone
troop
fire warriors x 6 60

Kroot x10 124
kroot hounds x9

Heavy
Sniper drone team 80

and at higher point games are the sniper drones any good? lets say at 1,000

An 'el with an array gets the BS5, which is the best part about the 'O. Both are still T4 with a 3+ save, meaning they get instakilled by T8 anything. The extra WS and Attack is meh, as he still sucks in CC. LD is nice if he has drones, or is in a squad, but not critical. The 15 points is usually better spent elsewhere in larger games, but it is by no means a bad choice if you have 15 to spare. Start with an 'el+array, and if you find your list 15 points or so short, upgrade him to the 'O.

Vector jets are bad, and th C&C node is absolutely worthless in this edition, as target priority does not exist. You still don't need a target lock on your 'O, as he is the only member of the squad that can shoot, unless your planning on having him join the crisis suit. Also drop the blacksun filter to get another kroot hound.

The crisis should still have a multi tracker so he can fire both guns, and he does not need a shield drone. Or just run TL missile pods.

Sniper drones are OK, but at larger point levels they have trouble with all the armor you will see. BS3 anti MEQ weapons just don't cut it against most armies. Their best attribute is the BS4 spotter with a markerlight.

ok, nodes suck and vector engines are a fancy crap gimmick.

i was going to have him join my other crisis suit at this point level so they can jsj around.

so if i do run a full squad of sniper drones it is for the marker light and that's it?

so re-configuring the list to maybe squeeze some more juice out of it.


shas el 111
burst cannon, plasma rifle, hw black sun filter, hw drone controller, hw multi-tracker, targeting array shield drone

elites

crisis suit 62
missile pod, plasma rifle,multi-tracker

crisis suit 42
flamer, burst cannon, multi-tracker

troop
fire warriors x 7 70

Kroot x10 130
kroot hounds x10

Heavy
Sniper drone team 80

added another suit to the mix

alabamaheretic wrote:so if i do run a full squad of sniper drones it is for the marker light and that's it?

Many people do not seem to like snipers but I find them one of my most effective units. Often I use the spotter to boost broadside railguns. At stg6 ap3 they should wound most troops on 2+ with no armor save at least for most targets. If no troops they can sort of pop light tanks. Very little can hurt them from long range. The pining part of snipers pretty much never does anything. Pop the transport tank with the railgun then the sniper rails hit the troops that come out at least thats how I like to use them.

so they work ok in theroy and in your situationt hey have worked well also. so this would be a play test squad to see how they preform over all?

so since the 500 point list is pretty solid unless i did some math wrong.

should i increase to 1,000? or do the next 250 points.

this is also to help map out what i buy or trade for next.