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Fought Tau+Eldar last night with Nids as my ally (2v2)

Wanted a bit more mobility, so I took Draigo + friends in a LRR, also Interceptors and a jumppack DK. 1500 apiece.

DK managed to roast about every bit of troops they had on his first shunt before he got taken out by being shot in the leg from across the board (literally the only part of him visible from behind cover to the rest of their forces).

The LRR got Draigo and friends into a fortification where one of the objectives was and they pretty much didn't get shot at for the entire rest of the game.

I was kind of amazed the LRR managed to last as long as it did, shrugging off ridiculous amounts of damage from the Tau, it finally gave up when the Tau player deep-strike no-scatter'd right next to it and melted it with 3 fusion blasters; but hey, he had to do that otherwise the LRR would be in his back-line right next to his broadsides.

Held back the interceptors since the board basically had no cover, they were well within 30" for the shunt move to grab multiple objectives on the final turn, but we called it when the store was about to close up. We had 4 objectives, first blood, and they had 0 objectives, heh.

Stealing the initiative is so silly!

I like the ideas of adding in Eldar for added mobility. Draigo footslogging with buddies is very slow.

I clobbered together this list. I've played it three times with minor changes to what it is now, first against Ravenwing, Chaos (2x Flying DP & triple Heldrakes), and then Flying Circus Nids. Close draw, major win, close win (1VP on The Scouring).

"Firebase" consisting of:
Coteaz (3 Divination powers)
2 Crusaders, 2 Jokaero, 2 Plascannon Servitors, 4 Bolter Acolytes

"Deathstar" consisting of:
Librarian (Quicksilver, Sanctuary, Warp Rift)
Techmarine (Powersword, Psychotroke Grenades, Rad Grenades, 3x Servoskulls)
5x Terminators (Psycannon, 3 Halberd, 2 Hammers)

Nemesis Dreadknight (Heavy Psycannon, Greatsword, Teleporter)
Nemesis Dreadknight (Heavy Psycannon, Greatsword, Teleporter)

Tau Allies of:
Cadre Fireblade
6x Firewarriors

8x Pathfinders

3x Stealth Suits (1 of which has Fusion Blaster and Target Lock)

Riptide (Ion Accelerator, Early Warning Override)

2x Broadsides (Both with Velocity Tracker, HYMP and SMS) + 1 Shield Drone

Total: 1998 points


I've effectively been hiding in ruins that my Techmarine bolsters with Coteaz's firebase, the Broadsides, and the Pathfinders. My Stealth Suits go tank-hunting, and my 3 MCs either "bubblewrap" around my firebase (if I go first) or are in optimal firing positions (if I go second). The "Deathstar" acts as my quick response force to take out critical threats (e.g. 9x Hive Guard). Fire Warriors and Fireblade walk on when needed to claim home objectives or rapid fire nearby threats to pieces.

The thing I've found is that my Stealth Suits have proven to be miserably bad in the two games I fielded them, barely scratching whatever they shoot at (BS3 suckkks :(). Tactically, I know I don't use the Dreadknights' 30" jump enough (I've only ever used it once in 3 games) and twice they've died to other MCs (Trygon Prime, CSM Daemon Prince).

As a result I feel like removing my Stealth Suits (100pts exactly). I could beef the Pathfinders and Broadsides with the points, or give another PC Servitor to Coteaz's squad. Or I could add a Strike Squad. Thoughts?

I'd say if you are intending to use the cadre fireblade, buff his squad of fire warriors with those points. a 6 man squad isn't gonna do much at all.

Coteaz is only a lv 2 psyker so you can't get 3 powers.

How is your deathstar getting around? 7 terminators on foot isn't really much of a threat I'm thinking.

I'm still of the opinion that the heavy incinerator is the best gear for DK's but I'm curious how your heavy psycannon has been working for you.

Oh yeah, I completely forgot that Coteaz can't replace one power (He can replace Hammerhand, but only 2 powers can be replaced).

My "Deathstar" is deepstriking onto the table. I've used them for backfield harassment, objective claiming, and intercepting swarms. It's a throwback to how I used to play my Draigostar.

With regards to the Heavy Psycannon, my FLGS is MEQ-heavy, and most of the good players know how to position themselves to get minimal Flamer-template hits. Especially since it's not a Torrent weapon, it's too situational on positioning. Large Blast has worked out significantly well for me, allowing turn 1 potshots to snipe off entire GEQ groups. As a Jump MC, it has a threat range of 24"+12" jump. I've used it to snipe an entire 'gaunt brood on turn 1 and another time to kill a Cultist bubblewrap. With a good strength value, it's still a threat to other MCs and can potentially hurt light vehicle squadrons (War Walkers, Sentinels, the small Ork walkers) quite well. It can also instagib GEQ multi-wound characters at range with it's strength.

Now, it may be that I'm playing it differently from how you would, which I guess might be to instantly teleport it into backfields. However, the rest of my army composition is a little squishy and relies on the DKs and the Riptide holding the home fort for a turn or two before moving into their backfield. This has the added advantage of then causing them to have an army stretched out (typically heavy fire support units in the back, troops and assault elements at the midfield). Thus, when my DK goes behind and wrecks stuff, they are either forced to turn their attention to the DKs or my own deployment.

Simply put, the Heavy Psycannon offers me more utility for my play style and environment/local meta.

Played two games a couple of days ago, with a 1500 GK/Eldar List.

The List was:
Grey Knight Grand Master w/ ALL THE GRENADES (keeping sword)
Xenos Inquisitor w/ ALL THE GRENADES, Psyker, various xeno inquisitor swag.
Spiritseer

5 Wraithguard w/ Cannons in Wave Serpent (Scatter/Cannon/Holo)
2 x 10 GKSS w/ various stuff (Psycannons, psybolt, some weapons)
Dreadknight w/ Sword, Flamer, Teleporter


First was against a Daemons list, with Bloodthister, 2 Khorne Princes, unit of bloodcrushers, bloodletters, and plaguebearers. He got unlucky with his Thirster and fluffed his attacks twice against my Dreadknight, which eventually got a wound through and killed him. He then charged everything into one Strike squad, I barely held with the Psychotroke and Blind Grenades, and then I charged my other Strike squad into the combat the next round. Psychotroke, Blind, Rad, and Psyk-Out grenades two rounds in a row really does a number on CC units, and he conceded after I managed to kill his two daemon princes. We were playing the Relic, which didn't come into play at all.

I made some tactical mistakes, prescience on the wrong unit, redundant Grand Mastery (I forgot that GK have PE against Daemons) instead of Counterattack, but the impact of all these grenades can't be underestimated. We're playing on 4x4 boards, so the CC ability of GKSS comes into play a lot more than it usually would.


Next was against a Ravenwing Player, with Sammael, Command Squad w/ Bolter Banner, Bunch of bikes, Darkshroud, Devastators (2 LC, 2 ML), Whirlwind, Sniper Scouts, Techmarine. I got first turn. My WS killed the Darkshroud first turn. Then his bikes came and deleted one squad of GK, leaving only the inquisitor. I then did a bunch of shooting that killed a whole bike squad, and Sammael, and my Inquisitor luckily got into combat with a whole other bike squad, and didn't die in a challenge, tying up his firepower. He also failed his Hit and Run roll to get away. Later I blew up his Whirlwind and his command squad, and most of his remaining bikes. It eventually came down to the fact that I only had one strike squad left (he'd killed my Wraithguard as well), and he had one objective with his scouts, and his last bike unit managed to contest the objective my guys were holding turn 5, and the game ended. I didn't space my guys out quite correctly, I think if I had I would have won. Oh well, lesson learned.

The main problem with the Strikes that I've encountered is one that's been pointed out before -- they're 20 points or more, but are only as survivable as a normal marine. However, I don't think there's many squads that can take the whole firepower of a bolter banner list.

The Eldar allies helped out a lot in the second game -- the Wave Serpent is not to be underestimated. It's just so much firepower in such a survivable package, and I really love the wraithguard + spiritseer combo.

 Thariinye wrote:
The Eldar allies helped out a lot in the second game -- the Wave Serpent is not to be underestimated. It's just so much firepower in such a survivable package, and I really love the wraithguard + spiritseer combo.

Yeah, the wave serpent has some really potent shooting.

Played against an eldar list with only 1 serpent. That serpent ended up killing my 325pt Warlord Daemon Prince and a heldrake and it survived the game with 1 HP remaining. They can be really good.

Especially since it's not a Torrent weapon, it's too situational on positioning.

it is a torrent weapon...

also if you are spreading out for flamer templates, I'm guessing the psycannon will hit about the same number of guys though I guess the rending will help

I'm just into GK & am using GK + allied BA list.

Recently I played against a Chaos Daemons player. When I cast Dark Excommunication from my Dreadknight which was in cc with a DP, he told me that the spell has no effect since Chaos Daemons do not use Daemonic Gifts anymore.

Is this true? I looked at the GK FAQ, but nothing is mentioned there. Has that spell become obsolete?

 sudojoe wrote:

Especially since it's not a Torrent weapon, it's too situational on positioning.

it is a torrent weapon...

also if you are spreading out for flamer templates, I'm guessing the psycannon will hit about the same number of guys though I guess the rending will help

...I completely forgot that it has the equivalent of a Torrent special rule. XD But yeah, Psycannons have done more for me than Heavy Incinerators. I played a game today against Ravenwing with the same list having two DKs, one with a Heavy Incinerator instead this time. The Heavy Incinerator didn't really account for much damage. The Heavy Psycannon did a heck lot more, and Rending really helped.

 MarshallDin wrote:
I'm just into GK & am using GK + allied BA list.

Recently I played against a Chaos Daemons player. When I cast Dark Excommunication from my Dreadknight which was in cc with a DP, he told me that the spell has no effect since Chaos Daemons do not use Daemonic Gifts anymore.

Is this true? I looked at the GK FAQ, but nothing is mentioned there. Has that spell become obsolete?

Ask him to see his daemons codex, page 61, very top first paragraph right above where it says "Ranged weapons" It's in very large print which makes it seem like it's just decoration at times and many have missed it.

Spell working as intended.

...I completely forgot that it has the equivalent of a Torrent special rule. XD But yeah, Psycannons have done more for me than Heavy Incinerators. I played a game today against Ravenwing with the same list having two DKs, one with a Heavy Incinerator instead this time. The Heavy Incinerator didn't really account for much damage. The Heavy Psycannon did a heck lot more, and Rending really helped.

The ravenwing would get their armor save I'll grant that but would so against both weapons though the str 7 will still wound on 2's for T5 while the incinerator would wound on 3's. They still get a jink save vs the rending though.

I just find that the incinerator denying saves and cover from a lot of cheap troops/pathfinders/guardsmen/a lot of eldar units or even necron warriors have paid off for me more often since I don't scatter at all with the thing. I'll leave the ravenwing generally to plasma guns or if I get lucky, perfect timing plasma cannon servitors.

 sudojoe wrote:

...I completely forgot that it has the equivalent of a Torrent special rule. XD But yeah, Psycannons have done more for me than Heavy Incinerators. I played a game today against Ravenwing with the same list having two DKs, one with a Heavy Incinerator instead this time. The Heavy Incinerator didn't really account for much damage. The Heavy Psycannon did a heck lot more, and Rending really helped.

The ravenwing would get their armor save I'll grant that but would so against both weapons though the str 7 will still wound on 2's for T5 while the incinerator would wound on 3's. They still get a jink save vs the rending though.

I just find that the incinerator denying saves and cover from a lot of cheap troops/pathfinders/guardsmen/a lot of eldar units or even necron warriors have paid off for me more often since I don't scatter at all with the thing. I'll leave the ravenwing generally to plasma guns or if I get lucky, perfect timing plasma cannon servitors.

True, but as I said before, this list was geared towards my MEQ-heavy FLGS meta. I'm thinking of equipping one with a Heavy Incinerator and one with a Heavy Psycannon. The jink save vs. rending is still a worse save compared to their armour save, and it reflected in their tally. Although, I have to say, this is my second Ravenwing game, and the second time I lose a Dreadknight to a force axe...

After much reading out the newest forge world offerings... I'm seriously wondering if we'll soon be at the end of our DK superiority as well...

possibly with the next marine or IG codex - we're looking at quite a ton of fleshbane weapons and equipment some of which you are already seeing in the new eldar codex but needing 6's to instant death but totally doable with like a pack of wraithguard with distort cannons and or heavy str 10 distort weapons on the wraithknight at 36' range out

The necrons for example in the newest forgeworld offering IA12 have an IC with an AP 2 instant death melee weapon. There is also the heavy artillery pylons of 120' str 9 ap2 heavy 2 interceptor/skyfire/gauss..ya good game storm ravens lol (and I thought saber defense platforms were bad)
The IG have Beast hunter shells for Vanquishers at 72' range str 8, ap 2 and has instant death (and easy to get preferred enemy on it as well)
New marines are kind of the same which doesn't bode well for us either (I do like the automated turrets though too bad it's heavy support) The suicide drop pod assault cannon run or deathwind pod is kind of funny though and I do approve of it. Too bad Gk doesn't have those :/

 sudojoe wrote:
After much reading out the newest forge world offerings... I'm seriously wondering if we'll soon be at the end of our DK superiority as well...

possibly with the next marine or IG codex - we're looking at quite a ton of fleshbane weapons and equipment some of which you are already seeing in the new eldar codex but needing 6's to instant death but totally doable with like a pack of wraithguard with distort cannons and or heavy str 10 distort weapons on the wraithknight at 36' range out

The necrons for example in the newest forgeworld offering IA12 have an IC with an AP 2 instant death melee weapon. There is also the heavy artillery pylons of 120' str 9 ap2 heavy 2 interceptor/skyfire/gauss..ya good game storm ravens lol (and I thought saber defense platforms were bad)
The IG have Beast hunter shells for Vanquishers at 72' range str 8, ap 2 and has instant death (and easy to get preferred enemy on it as well)
New marines are kind of the same which doesn't bode well for us either (I do like the automated turrets though too bad it's heavy support) The suicide drop pod assault cannon run or deathwind pod is kind of funny though and I do approve of it. Too bad Gk doesn't have those :/

It's almost like FW tries to balance the current meta. Flyers annoying? Here's a few option to blank them. MC's too tough? Here's a few options to make thier high toughness irrelavent.

It's almost like FW tries to balance the current meta. Flyers annoying? Here's a few option to blank them. MC's too tough? Here's a few options to make thier high toughness irrelavent.

I feel like that's a good step for a game company. Makes for much more challenging and interesting games and less spammy. However, it seems like the marines aren't really getting any of the love. The minotaurs for example really don't have nearly as much crazy stuff as necrons. The fliers remain overcosted to a fair degree while their tanks are essentially stuck with lascannons and the odd flamestorm cannon.

Only the contemptor dreads/ automated turrets / special drop pods really catch my eye. None of which are really GK available. Heck some of the turrets for the new pred plasma destroyer may have been useful but we don't get those either. Marine bodies with bolters are still the main line and there's a lot of anti-marine builds at this point. (rending shirukens and AP2 spam or AP3/2 torrent flamers I'm looking at you) And they didn't even change the basic points listings. Are Marines that good already?

I'm very curious what they plan on doing by the IA varks series version 2's for the inquisition forces as currently we just have a very very expensive Thunderhawk for apoc and nothing for regular games. All of the land raider Helios / Helios whirwinds / land speeder tempests / mortis pattern contemptors are for marines and not for GK's. If you play GK's in a forgeworld allowed environment, it's actually quite bad right now if people took the good units. we're way behind in the new development cycles.

Let's face it. GK doesn't have anything good from FW, unless we take allies. In which case we don't get BBs and sacrifice other good allies like Tau and Eldar. I think we do get the Stormeagle, but I don't remember.

I also want to see those two damn Inquisitors become actually half-decent like some of the other FW ICs and not just fluff babies.

 Enigwolf wrote:
Let's face it. GK doesn't have anything good from FW, unless we take allies. In which case we don't get BBs and sacrifice other good allies like Tau and Eldar. I think we do get the Stormeagle, but I don't remember.

I also want to see those two damn Inquisitors become actually half-decent like some of the other FW ICs and not just fluff babies.

Hector Rex isn't too bad, he does have a storm shield. =p I'd use him over Coteaz if he was allowed to swap out for BRB powers. I'm just not too sure how the FW inquisitors are ruled for 6th or if they are even 40k approved.

Well, what are you using Hector Rex for? Close combat shenanigans? Get a GK HQ instead. Coteaz is a far better support Inquisitor.

Of all the forge world updates since 6th edition lanch , this includes aeronitical, ia #1 relaunch, ia #3 relaunch, ia #12 have seen a lot of changes with decent updated units for most factions except gk. In fact, we've been deliberately left out for new options. It just feels strange to me. Rex has no official update to function in 6 th as far as I know.

The storm eagle is only avail to all marines including sw but not gk or ba

 Enigwolf wrote:
Well, what are you using Hector Rex for? Close combat shenanigans? Get a GK HQ instead. Coteaz is a far better support Inquisitor.

I'd use him in tandem with coteaz becuase he's a scoring lvl 2 psyker with a 2+/3++ with an additional wound for only 25 pts more than a libby. But since it doesn't look like he can swap powers I hesitate to pick him up.

How are you guys dealing with MechDar Wave Serpent spam?

I played 3 games today against a list that included a Farseer with Jetbike squad, 5 Wave Serpents (Holofield, Serpent Shield, Shuriken Cannon, TL Scatter Laser), 2 Fire Prisms, 1 Wraithknight. Inside the WSes are 3 Guardians, 1 Fire Dragon and 1 Wraithguard.

If I stand off at range to him, he just whittles me down turn by turn, outranging my shooting with his 72" and 60" weapons (Fire Prisms and Serpent Shield). If I come in close, midrange he just rapes me with all his shooting, and close range he can disembark to get a ton of Bladestorm shots off. I feel like Wave Serpents are terribly imbalanced for what their posts cost can do. 4+ Cover, with 2+ turning pens into glances with front armor 12. Yeah, he can't do that once he drops Serpent Shield, but he only needs to do it for 1 turn, and if I hit anything hard the next turn, he just leaves its Shield on for the following turn.

 Enigwolf wrote:
How are you guys dealing with MechDar Wave Serpent spam?

I played 3 games today against a list that included a Farseer with Jetbike squad, 5 Wave Serpents (Holofield, Serpent Shield, Shuriken Cannon, TL Scatter Laser), 2 Fire Prisms, 1 Wraithknight. Inside the WSes are 3 Guardians, 1 Fire Dragon and 1 Wraithguard.

If I stand off at range to him, he just whittles me down turn by turn, outranging my shooting with his 72" and 60" weapons (Fire Prisms and Serpent Shield). If I come in close, midrange he just rapes me with all his shooting, and close range he can disembark to get a ton of Bladestorm shots off. I feel like Wave Serpents are terribly imbalanced for what their posts cost can do. 4+ Cover, with 2+ turning pens into glances with front armor 12. Yeah, he can't do that once he drops Serpent Shield, but he only needs to do it for 1 turn, and if I hit anything hard the next turn, he just leaves its Shield on for the following turn.

Shoot the cutties, cut the shooties, stay at best range until hiding in CC is the better option. Pretty none of those adages still works versus Mechdar.

SJ

 jeffersonian000 wrote:

 Enigwolf wrote:
How are you guys dealing with MechDar Wave Serpent spam?

I played 3 games today against a list that included a Farseer with Jetbike squad, 5 Wave Serpents (Holofield, Serpent Shield, Shuriken Cannon, TL Scatter Laser), 2 Fire Prisms, 1 Wraithknight. Inside the WSes are 3 Guardians, 1 Fire Dragon and 1 Wraithguard.

If I stand off at range to him, he just whittles me down turn by turn, outranging my shooting with his 72" and 60" weapons (Fire Prisms and Serpent Shield). If I come in close, midrange he just rapes me with all his shooting, and close range he can disembark to get a ton of Bladestorm shots off. I feel like Wave Serpents are terribly imbalanced for what their posts cost can do. 4+ Cover, with 2+ turning pens into glances with front armor 12. Yeah, he can't do that once he drops Serpent Shield, but he only needs to do it for 1 turn, and if I hit anything hard the next turn, he just leaves its Shield on for the following turn.

Shoot the cutties, cut the shooties, stay at best range until hiding in CC is the better option. Pretty none of those adages still works versus Mechdar.

SJ

And what do you do about 5 Wave Serpents, 2 Fire Prisms, and 1 Wraithknight that just obliterates anything that tries to get close to cut them?

 Enigwolf wrote:

 jeffersonian000 wrote:

 Enigwolf wrote:
How are you guys dealing with MechDar Wave Serpent spam?

I played 3 games today against a list that included a Farseer with Jetbike squad, 5 Wave Serpents (Holofield, Serpent Shield, Shuriken Cannon, TL Scatter Laser), 2 Fire Prisms, 1 Wraithknight. Inside the WSes are 3 Guardians, 1 Fire Dragon and 1 Wraithguard.

If I stand off at range to him, he just whittles me down turn by turn, outranging my shooting with his 72" and 60" weapons (Fire Prisms and Serpent Shield). If I come in close, midrange he just rapes me with all his shooting, and close range he can disembark to get a ton of Bladestorm shots off. I feel like Wave Serpents are terribly imbalanced for what their posts cost can do. 4+ Cover, with 2+ turning pens into glances with front armor 12. Yeah, he can't do that once he drops Serpent Shield, but he only needs to do it for 1 turn, and if I hit anything hard the next turn, he just leaves its Shield on for the following turn.

Shoot the cutties, cut the shooties, stay at best range until hiding in CC is the better option. Pretty none of those adages still works versus Mechdar.

SJ

And what do you do about 5 Wave Serpents, 2 Fire Prisms, and 1 Wraithknight that just obliterates anything that tries to get close to cut them?

I'll telling you, it's the return of the psyfleman.

All the new codices coming out, the psyfleman is extremely useful.

Necrons & Chaos Space Marines - take out the awesome flyers. You can even take out the annihilation barges and double-out the wraiths.

Chaos Daemons - soooo many units you can insta-gib. Works well against the FMC's as well, at least more so than the psycannons.

Tau - insta-kill the suits and broadsides.

Eldar - your best solution to serpents. They've got the range and strength to really hurt those serpents. Can also take down the wraithknight on a good day.

More importantly, you get awesome psychic defense in a meta where the trend is shifting towards psychic-heavy armies.


Time to seriously consider bringing back those psyflemans.

..But, but, but... Dreadknights. :( (Those Wave Serpents can still put out a horrendous amount of Str 6 shots though. It's enough to glance one Psyfleman to death per turn at least)

DreadKnights are good versus vehicles and monsters. Stormravens are good versus most things. Psyfles for dakka. We have answers to most army lists.

SJ

I'm still waiting for someone to show me a TAC list that will do well against the MechDar Wave Serpent spam...

 Enigwolf wrote:
I'm still waiting for someone to show me a TAC list that will do well against the MechDar Wave Serpent spam...

we've been working on one. So far it's been drop pod allies (like SW with melta and a rune priest to JAWS other MC's in the backfield - also if you allow forge world, a deathstorm drop pod with assault cannons can be very fun to drop behind them) + Interceptors as a shunt list. Deep striking suicide strike squads can sorta work too. 5 man with psycannon to the rear with psybolts as combat squad from a 10man.
Alternatively Tau allies or main with broadsides and your own Eldar allies with wave serpents backing up a shunt type list.
Mech IG main with GK counter assault assets also sorta work. Armored company if you allow forgeworld is fairly able to brutalize the wraithknight with Beast Hunter Shells and exterminators and weight of fire can take down the lance serpents. Most Eldar take more scatter lasers and mix match only in some lances.

Telekinesis and hope for puppetmaster also works very well. See my anti-wave serpent thread:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/534199.page

I do like psyflemen dreads but I find it hard to always take 2 or 3 when I have gotten to like the DK's. I'll have to give 2 of them a try again and just go 1 DK (might give him a sword or something - and possibly take a wraith knight with default warp cannon thing as an ally wmahahahaha)

 Enigwolf wrote:
..But, but, but... Dreadknights. :( (Those Wave Serpents can still put out a horrendous amount of Str 6 shots though. It's enough to glance one Psyfleman to death per turn at least)

Dreadknights can be torrent to death also, especially with the amount of rending guns eldar can bring. Besides, chasing the serpents is a horribly inefficient way to kill them.

 Enigwolf wrote:
I'm still waiting for someone to show me a TAC list that will do well against the MechDar Wave Serpent spam...

The best way to take them down is to shoot them. I think a shooty GK+Tau build can do the job.

At 2K, if I were to go shooty, I'd go something like this (pts will be a little off since I don't have my Tau codex with me right now):


Coteaz

Tau Commander - CCNode, MSS, 2+/T5, Drone Controller - maybe 170-pts? Don't have my Tau codex

5x Purifiers - 2x Psycannons, 2x Halberds, 1x Hammer, Rhino - 189
5x Purifiers - 2x Psycannons, 2x Halberds, 1x Hammer, Rhino - 189

Riptide - Skyfire, Interceptor, HBC - 205

3x Henchmen - Melta, Psyback - 72
3x Henchmen - Melta, Psyback - 72
3x Henchmen - Melta, Psyback - 72
3x Henchmen - Plasma, Psyback - 62
3x Henchmen - Plasma, Psyback - 62

15x Kroots - 1x Hound - 95 (mobile scoring unit)

Psyfleman Dread - Searchlights - 136
Psyfleman Dread - Searchlights - 136
Psyfleman Dread - Searchlights - 136

3x Broadsides - HYMP, SMS, 2x Missile Drones each - 280+ pts (Tau commander here)

why the drone controller? It doesn't work on missile drones in this scenario. Get some interceptor or puretide chip instead. I do like the overall build. Lots O-tanks.

I'm almost wondering if it'd better to use a chimera wall instead of the psybakcs given how I envision this thing playing out. replace the purifiers in rhinos with v.dred psyflemen!

Good catch. Yeah, drop the DC for the Puretide. MSU still works and is still competitive IMO. It's just not top-tier anymore.

Chimeras can work as well, though psybacks are better shooters, especially against flyers. If you want, you can sub out some of the psybacks for chimeras, though I would recommend any more than 3.

You need the purifiers. They are your main source of counter-assault and can deal with hordes with Cleansing Flame. Sure, they won't survive if your opponent focuses on them, but then again neither will the dreads. However, if they wreck the rhino, at least you have a bunker to hide behind that may preserve some of those purifiers. Moreover, you are not that strong against land raider builds. At least psycannons have a chance to kill them.

Taking 5 dreads actually unbalances this list. Purifiers are there to make it more balanced, with counter-assault, good shooting and some anti-horde.