Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Commander: plasma rifle; airbursting fragmentation projector; target lock; gun drone 132
• 2 Crisis Bodyguards: Crisis Bodyguard (burst cannon; plasma rifle; velocity tracker; gun drone) 153

7 Fire Warriors: Fire Warrior Shas'ui 73
7 Fire Warriors: Fire Warrior Shas'ui 73

XV104 Riptide: velocity tracker; early warning override; ion accelerator; twin-linked plasma rifle 210
1 XV8 Crisis Team 47
3 XV8 Crisis Team: Crisis Shas'ui (plasma rifle; twin-linked missile pod; gun drone); Crisis Shas'ui (missile pod; burst cannon; gun drone) 185

5 Pathfinders: Pathfinder Shas'ui 65
5 Pathfinders: Pathfinder Shas'ui 65

1,003 points

I'm trying my luck with making a tau list for my friend here and this is what I came up with. I vaguely know the codex because of my interest of the tau fluff a while back but never actually got into the army itself. This list seems pretty good after reading some 1d4chan and picking up things here and there about the tau. So, the lone crisis suit goes for av 14 and then just goes on an objective plain and simple. I'm hoping that by the time he comes in he won't be at risk of being blown off the table (unless he takes out a landraider and pisses the other guy off). The path finders serve as marker lights obviously and the way i think he should use them is either to put them evenly on both sides of his board, reinforced with all the fire warriors, riptides and crisis suits around them. That or save one squad to keep in reserve and then possibly have my friends opponent over extend and risk a few units to destroy the pathfinders. I don't know any of the good builds or different styles for the crisis suits and kinda went for a bit of everything. If you guys could give me good crisis builds or the different types (anti horde, meq, teq, armour) that would be very helpful. Now onto the riptide. It's the only anti air and just shoots lots of dakka pretty much. Then there's the fire warriors which basically just provide basic shooting and should be able to put some dakka on hordes or blobs. Any help or insight from you tau veterans would be much appreciated!

First rule of Tau is do not mix weapons. Suits need focus. For your commander and his bodyguards, you have a plasma rifle for heavy infantry, and brust cannons/AFP for light infantry. Drop the AFP/burst cannons and pick up a second plasma rifle for each suit. Drop the velocity tracker and target lock to save points. This unit should be targeting infantry, not flyers. Then switch the gun drone to a shield drone, pick up iridium armor, and try for stimms for survivability on the commander.

Your team of 3 crisis suits can drop the gun drones, burst cannon, and plasma rifle. Keeping them as just twin-linked missile pods is effective and cheap. Use maneuverability to keep them alive. I'm assuming the mon'at suit is dual fusion. That is not bad.

Drop the velocity tracker on the riptide too. I like either fusions or smart missiles on him, but if you have points, try getting stimms for him. His best asset is his tanking ability.

Drop the Shas'ui on the fire warriors and potentially bring them down to units of 6 to afford the upgrades. At 1000 points, you should not face too many flyers. Ignore them and play to the objectives and you should be just fine.

You might be better running this as Farsight so you've got Crisis as troops, but if you want to run Tau as Enclaves;

140 - Commander, Iridium, 2x Missile Pods
124 - 2x Bodyguard, 2x Missile Pods (each)

190 - Riptide, Ion Accelerator, T-L Fusion Blaster, EWO
156 - 3x Crisis, 2x Plasma rifles (each)
52 - 1x Crisis, 2x Fusion Blasters

54 - 6x Firewarriors
54 - 6x Firewarriors

55 - 5x Pathfinders
55 - 5x Pathfinders

880

You've now got 120 points to play with. 20 can go onto the riptide for Velocity trackers if you expect to face opposing aircraft a lot.

I'd be very tempted to replace a squd of pathfinders with marker drones on the commander and body guard and give the commander a drone controller and the commander and his unit target locks. That's another 28 points.

Consider the Puretide Engram Neurochip too if you face lots of vehicles or monsterous creatures.

From here, you could grab a Broadside with HYMP and Smart Missile System or fill out the rest of your points with more firewarriors, maybe add a pathfinder or 2 as well.

Commander and his guards have missile pods since he's your warlord, you want him well away from bad guys. Burst cannons/ABFP/CIB/Fusion is too close, and pasma is as well for my tastes, especially when you've got another squad to take that job on.

The reason I'd be tempted by drones on the commander squad is that it's 8 points and a hardpoint you're not using anyway to make them BS5 and they become much more mobile in addition to being a great source of abalative wounds if you don't want to palm off stuff onto your bodyguards.

Wow okay so taking a mishmash of weapons on the suits doesnt work, makes sense. As for the new list it looks actually really good. I've finally got to look through at my tau codex and the list you've given seems very up to par with a Competative list. One thing though, is what should usually be put on the battle suits for support systems? Like I know some can get interceptor or a modified split fire which seems really useful. I'm tempted to take an interceptor or split fire for the plasma suits or something. And what about gun drones for adding in soak models? Anyways, thanks for the tau list help so far.

acidlemon wrote:
Wow okay so taking a mishmash of weapons on the suits doesnt work, makes sense. As for the new list it looks actually really good. I've finally got to look through at my tau codex and the list you've given seems very up to par with a Competative list. One thing though, is what should usually be put on the battle suits for support systems? Like I know some can get interceptor or a modified split fire which seems really useful. I'm tempted to take an interceptor or split fire for the plasma suits or something. And what about gun drones for adding in soak models? Anyways, thanks for the tau list help so far.

The only thing you need to give your suits are weapons and target locks if they're in a unit of more than one suit. Here's an example of a unit I use:

1x suit with two plasmas
2x suits with two fusions and target locks

Seems like a very simple unit, but is extremely effective against a list with a fair amount of armour. Deep strike the team, use the plasma suit to either decimate a transport with 2/4 plasma shots (depending on range) and use the fusion suits to either glance to death av14 by combining their fire, or use their target locks to pop two seperate tanks. Your opponent will cry.

The only time I use drones is if I'm using a commander with a drone controller to give them BS5. In this case I'd have a commander with two missile pods, target lock and 2 marker drones. Then attach him to two other crisis suits with the same loadout (minus the drone controller). This is a great long range/support unit.

I've also used drones in a Farsight bomb list. Playing with that thing is UNBELIEVABLY fun. This is how I kit the bomb out in my 2000pt list:

●Commander with cyclic ion blaster, missile pod, iridium battlesuit, drone controller, vectored retro-thrusters, 2x gun drones 
-177 points (joining Farsight's unit) 
●Farsight 
●3x XV8 bodyguards each with 2x fusion blasters, target locks and 2x gun drones 
●1x XV8 bodyguard with 2x missile pods, 2x gun drones 
●2x XV8 bodyguards each with 2x plasma rifles, target locks and 2x gun drones 
●1x XV8 bodyguard with Puretide engram neurochip, command and control node, multi-spectrum sensor suite, 2x gun drones 

Total - 782 points

This basically gives a perfectly deep-striking, twin-linked, ignores cover unit that can remove themselves from combat if charged and has the ability to take tank hunter etc. And can also fire at a tonne of separate targets. Very very fun unit to play with. Just thought I'd show you that possibility! Could be a fun option for you if you increase your points to 1500 or 2000.

that farsighted bomb looks........looks HNNNNNNNNNNNG-. Lol that looks like something that would destroy things in 2000 point games let alone if you can squeeze it into 1500 point games. That one configuration with the 3 suits with plasma and 2 fusions with target locks looks really cheap and good for taking out tanks and even teq. I have this new list here that goes with more of the streamline tau lists (I think):

Commander: missile pod; airbursting fragmentation projector; early warning override; XV8-02 Crisis 'Iridium' Battlesuit 145
• 2 Crisis Bodyguards: Crisis Bodyguard (missile pod; missile pod) 124

6 Fire Warriors 54
6 Fire Warriors 54

XV104 Riptide: velocity tracker; early warning override; ion accelerator; twin-linked fusion blaster 210
3 XV8 Crisis Team: Crisis Shas'ui (plasma rifle; plasma rifle); Crisis Shas'ui (plasma rifle; plasma rifle) 161
2 XV8 Crisis Team: Crisis Shas'ui (fusion blaster; fusion blaster) 109

5 Pathfinders: Pathfinder Shas'ui 65
5 Pathfinders: Pathfinder Shas'ui 65

987 points

This list has some room to breath too as it's not quite 1k points. The commander and his buddies stay back and try to work through any cannon fodder or hordes (debating if the interceptor is needed or switching out for more frag launcher pieplates and a missile pod combo instead of straight pods). Now the 3 plasma suits go for teq or even meq. The odd light vehicle can be included in there as well and Im debating on if 2 should have target locks just in case but I think maybe one can't hurt. Spreading out my shots doesn't seem to be overly good. The fusion suits DS or just slog to armour. I could get the tele homer for the path finders for them so that any armour bearing down on the pathfinders can have fusions just pop out of nowhere or for a more reliable DS. The pathfinders still clip things with marker lights but idk if I should just scout one up and have the other in reserve or just scout both or keep both back. I could even scout one up and have one stay back. The riptide.......shoots tons of high S ap2 fun everywhere! I don't want to be overcharging him too much cause I probably need the wounds and I already have a large blast ap2. The fire warriors camp objectives still :/ or can put some dakka on advancing infantry even. What do you guys think about my revise?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh and before I forget, the interceptor for the commander and the frag cannon can be used for anti nid drop pods and nurgle campers. My tyranid club members have been getting a good handful of those guys lately......and Im still debating if giving the whole squad half frag launchers and half missile pods. Tau problems.

acidlemon wrote:
that farsighted bomb looks........looks HNNNNNNNNNNNG-. Lol that looks like something that would destroy things in 2000 point games let alone if you can squeeze it into 1500 point games. That one configuration with the 3 suits with plasma and 2 fusions with target locks looks really cheap and good for taking out tanks and even teq.

In a 2000 point game it's one of the deadliest things I've ever fielded, although it's probably best to have an aegis line with a comms relay to help with getting this on the table ASAP. In 1500 point games it's a slight risk due to it being over half your points for one unit.
But in a 2000 point game, that's a potential of SO MUCH high str/low AP firepower, along with all that str5 drone firepower in one go and can literally just wipe out massive chunks of your opponent's army each turn lol

The plasma with two fusions with target locks basically ensures the unit has everything it needs to pop armour and also enough shots to go after infantry/heavy infantry once they've dealt with armour


Automatically Appended Next Post:

acidlemon wrote:
Commander: missile pod; airbursting fragmentation projector; early warning override; XV8-02 Crisis 'Iridium' Battlesuit 145
• 2 Crisis Bodyguards: Crisis Bodyguard (missile pod; missile pod) 124

AFP really isn't all that great. Yes it's the only barrage weapon the tau have, but it has the same strength as a flamer, only a flamer is 10 points less and is a great charge deterrent that also ignores cover if used offensively. You're always better off sticking higher strength weapons on your commander to take full advantage of that BS5, such as missile pods or the cyclic ion blaster (that str8 blast is so nasty)

Also, I think you should consider losing those bodyguards. You don't have enough elite slots to fit those suits in so bodyguards are the only way you can take more, but you're paying an extra 10 points per suit which isn't great. You do however have heavy support slots free and you're in desperate need of some broadsides. You could get two single units of HYMP/SMS broadsides for only 6 points more than those two suits, but let's compare: one suit gives you 4 str7 shots, but one broadside gives you 4 twin-linked str7 shots AND 4 twin-linked str5 ignores cover shots - far, far better value


Automatically Appended Next Post:

acidlemon wrote:
Now the 3 plasma suits go for teq or even meq. The odd light vehicle can be included in there as well and Im debating on if 2 should have target locks just in case but I think maybe one can't hurt.

Fusion suits DS or just slog to armour. I could get the tele homer for the path finders for them so that any armour bearing down on the pathfinders can have fusions just pop out of nowhere or for a more reliable DS. The pathfinders still clip things with marker lights but idk if I should just scout one up and have the other in reserve or just scout both or keep both back. I could even scout one up and have one stay back.

....and Im still debating if giving the whole squad half frag launchers and half missile pods. Tau problems.

Your suits definitely need target locks. If they're in rapid fire range of 1 lone terminator and 2 vehicles showing their rear armour of 10, what will you do if they all have to fire at the same unit? Give two of them target locks so that's 4 shots at the termie and 4 shots at each vehicle - should solve your problem and you have the points for it.

The fusion suits need to DS or they'll likely be shot down before they reach the armour. Also armour will not bear down on pathfinders, that's very poor target priority from your opponent if he does. The pathfinders should be hiding in cover at the back of the board, markerlighting as many things as they can before your opponent is forced to deal with them. Never have them in the open or too far up and always have them starting on the board so you can make full use of them.

You don't have to debate anymore - only one frag launcher can be taken per detachment. Having said this, they shouldn't really be taken at all because anything else is a better choice

Here is my take on a 1k Farsight enclave list. But It may be too light on models. Being 2 Riptides, 1 Broadside, 7 Crisis Suits and 6 Drones. That's 16 models but 34 wounds.

HQ 1: 336
Commander
2 Missile Pod
Targetlock
Drone Controller
2 Marker Drones
2 Bodyguards
4 Missile Pods
2 Target Locks
4 Marker Drones
2 Bonding Knife

Elite 1: 190
Riptide
Ion Accelerator
Early Warning Overide:
T-L Fusion blaster

Elite 2: 190
Riptide
Ion Accelerator
Early Warning Overide
T-L Fusion blaster

Troop 1: 163
3 Crisis Suits
2 Target Locks
2 Plasma Rifle
4 Fusion Blaster
Bonding Knife

Troop 2: 53
Crisis Suit
Missile pod
Bonding Knife

Heavy 1: 66
Broad Side
HYMP
Bonding Knife

A decent tau list which is also very fun to play with is this:

Commander with irridium battlesuit, burst cannon, fusion blaster, missile pod

Two crisis bodyguards, one with plasma rifle burst cannon and missile pod, one with two fusion blasters and missile pod

Two fire warrior teams, both with 11 shas la, and both with shas ui.

One drone squad, 9 gun drones, 1 shield drone.
Razorshark strike fighter (no upgrades)

Hammerhead gunship with submunitions

I've won against mechanized and non mechanized lists with this, so it should get you a win


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And by the way, the hammerhead has longstrike and flechette discharger

Da Stormlord wrote:
A decent tau list which is also very fun to play with is this:

Commander with irridium battlesuit, burst cannon, fusion blaster, missile pod

Two crisis bodyguards, one with plasma rifle burst cannon and missile pod, one with two fusion blasters and missile pod

Two fire warrior teams, both with 11 shas la, and both with shas ui.

One drone squad, 9 gun drones, 1 shield drone.
Razorshark strike fighter (no upgrades)

Hammerhead gunship with submunitions

I've won against mechanized and non mechanized lists with this, so it should get you a win


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And by the way, the hammerhead has longstrike and flechette discharger

I suspect your wins were more due to the strength of the Tau codex rather than a good list. Why on earth would you take so many disparate weapons systems? Not to mention the flyer (well, at all really) without the basic upgrades like the missile pod and the chaff launcher? The complete lack of markerlight support also does you no favours.

Da Stormlord wrote:
A decent tau list which is also very fun to play with is this:

Commander with irridium battlesuit, burst cannon, fusion blaster, missile pod

Two crisis bodyguards, one with plasma rifle burst cannon and missile pod, one with two fusion blasters and missile pod

Two fire warrior teams, both with 11 shas la, and both with shas ui.

One drone squad, 9 gun drones, 1 shield drone.
Razorshark strike fighter (no upgrades)

Hammerhead gunship with submunitions

I've won against mechanized and non mechanized lists with this, so it should get you a win


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And by the way, the hammerhead has longstrike and flechette discharger

This is probably one of the most confused Tau lists I've seen on here, you must have got very lucky with your match ups in this list's case?

You have a random squad of drones with no drone controller anywhere to boost BS. Your commander shouldn't really be that close to the enemy at all, but even less so with such a random array of weaponry. Why take bodyguards when you can get a normal crisis team for cheaper? You've also given yourself too many weapon systems and can't use them all - wasted points. Shas'uis are a bit of a waste, just add an extra gun. You have no markerlights. Or broadsides?? Flyer isn't worth it, especially the way you've taken it...

@acidlemon, don't do anything from this list lol