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I wanted to combine all the units I like about tau into an 1850. Heres what I came up with. How do you think it will do?

CAD
Cadre Fireblade
Strike Team 12x Smart missile turret
Strike Team 12x Smart missile turret
Riptide Ion TL fusion/ EWO / Stim Injector
Riptide Ion TL fusion/ EWO / Stim Injector

Ranged Support Cadre
10 Pathfinders
10 Pathfinders
5 Pathfinders
2 Broadsides HYMP/ Smart missiles 3x missile drones
1x Broadside HYMP/Smart missiles 2x missile drone
1x Broadside HYMP/Smart missiles 2x missile drone

Optimized Stealth Cadre
2x Ghostkeel Ionraker/ TL Fussion - 2x EWO/ 1x target lock.
3x Stealth suits 1x Fusion Blaster
3x Stealth suits 1x Fusion Blaster

I'm sure many people won't agree that 2 Riptides and a OSC is Balanced, but as long as you and your opponent are having fun, go for it.

I didn't mean balanced as in fair. I meant balanced as in many types of units.

I'm a tourney guy, so I look at whether the list will kick butt, or at least hold its own. Since no real comp criteria exists in 40k (I'd love for someone to point one out ), I will just help optimize the models you've posted.

 Xenomancers wrote:
CAD
Cadre Fireblade
Strike Team 12x Smart missile turret
Strike Team 12x Smart missile turret

Since this is a CAD, you could go much stronger.
Take a XV8 Cmdr - Irid Armor, two guns (PRs or MPs), Stims, PEN chip. With eldar breeding like rabbits on the tables (and I'm guilty of that, Scatbikes and Spiders), there's a lot of STR6 guns out there that'll Instant Death your Fireblade and scores Warlord for your opponent ... Where to get those points?** You could shave the FWs teams down to 9s. Their fire power is not going to be missed so much as being smaller Objective Grabbers in the missions.

Here's where your personal meta kicks in:
a. Are your tables heavily terrained? If so, then smaller FW units can hide easier.
b. More open space? Then you'll need a bigger set of guys to survive get shot up.

 Xenomancers wrote:
Riptide Ion TL fusion/ EWO / Stim Injector
Riptide Ion TL fusion/ EWO / Stim Injector

Yummy good. Is another Riptide purchase in your future? Riptide Wing.

 Xenomancers wrote:
Ranged Support Cadre
10 Pathfinders
10 Pathfinders
5 Pathfinders
2 Broadsides HYMP/ Smart missiles 3x missile drones
1x Broadside HYMP/Smart missiles 2x missile drone
1x Broadside HYMP/Smart missiles 2x missile drone

I'd redistribute your teams from 10, 10, 5 to 9, 9, 9, the last unit taking two Marker drones. See, when you lose 25% of the unit, you take a Morale Check. We know this. '9' is one of the optimum number sizes because it takes 3 casualties to generate the Morale Check. It's minor tweak, but it helps. ** These could also simply be pared down to smaller units. With each hit being doubled, you'll have more than enough Markers to go around.

 Xenomancers wrote:
Optimized Stealth Cadre

I don't own Ghosts, but I know I don't like to face them.

The Ranged Support Cadre seems like overkill in the Marker Dept. But maybe I should shut up about it, play it and then have a better informed opinion about it.

Also, An Aegis Defense Line as an upgrade option called the Ammo Dump. I use it for a Riptide base. You might consider it for approx $0.75 in points.