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Been doing a bit of proxy testing with my Tau I posted a bit back as I'm building it and have made a few adjustments. First I will remind people the formatting of Army Builder is a tad off to some, and it lists squad upgrades (shas'ui) on a separate line as an addition to what squad count is listed at the beginning of the unit.

Knocked down my Fire Warrior count by a good bit, pretty much in half. I then added in a third Devilfish (note all three get used by fire warriors, not the pathfinders who have to buy them) and then up gunned them.

This one may be controversial, but I gave ALL my Fire Warriors Pulse Carbines. I tended to find if they ever made use of the 12" Rapid Fire, then they tended to get charged and killed. The 18" Assault carbines let them keep moving away while shooting to stay out of assaults for longer.

The two Shas'Ui with Blacksun Filters are my two Troop choices who start out on the board during Dawn of War. The one stealth Team Leader who has one is just because I had 3 extra points I didn't know what else to do with, and he's the only other guy who could actually make use of one.

1750 Pts - Tau Empire Roster

1 Commander Shadowsun @ 175 Pts
Two Fusion Blasters; Multi-Tracker; Advanced Target Lock; Bonding Knife; Drone Controller
1 Command-link Drone @ [0] Pts
2 Shield Drones @ [0] Pts
Shield Generator (x2)

5 Stealthsuits @ 230 Pts
Add Team Leader; Burst Cannon (x5)
1 Team Leader @ [80] Pts
Bonding Knife; Fusion Blaster; Hard-wired Blacksun Filter; Hard-wired Drone Controller; Hard-wired Target Lock; Markerlight; Gun Drone; Gun Drone
1 Gun Drone @ [10] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines
1 Gun Drone @ [10] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines

5 Stealthsuits @ 227 Pts
Add Team Leader; Burst Cannon (x5)
1 Team Leader @ [77] Pts
Bonding Knife; Fusion Blaster; Hard-wired Drone Controller; Hard-wired Target Lock; Markerlight; Gun Drone; Gun Drone
1 Gun Drone @ [10] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines
1 Gun Drone @ [10] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines

5 Fire Warrior @ 240 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Pulse Carbine (x5)
1 Devilfish @ [150] Pts
Burst Cannon; Seeker Missle (x2); Smart Missile System; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker; Sensor Spines; Targeting Array
1 Shas'ui @ [40] Pts
Markerlight; Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Target Lock; Pulse Carbine

5 Fire Warrior @ 93 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Pulse Carbine (x5)
1 Shas'ui @ [43] Pts
Markerlight; Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Blacksun Filter; Hard-wired Target Lock; Pulse Carbine

5 Fire Warrior @ 93 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Pulse Carbine (x5)
1 Shas'ui @ [43] Pts
Markerlight; Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Blacksun Filter; Hard-wired Target Lock; Pulse Carbine

5 Pathfinder @ 242 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Markerlight (x5); Pulse Carbine (x5)
1 Devilfish @ [150] Pts
Burst Cannon; Seeker Missle (x2); Smart Missile System; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Marker Beacon; Multi-Tracker; Sensor Spines; Targeting Array
1 Shas'ui @ [32] Pts
Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Target Lock; Markerlight; Pulse Carbine

5 Pathfinder @ 242 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Markerlight (x5); Pulse Carbine (x5)
1 Devilfish @ [150] Pts
Burst Cannon; Seeker Missle (x2); Smart Missile System; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Marker Beacon; Multi-Tracker; Sensor Spines; Targeting Array
1 Shas'ui @ [32] Pts
Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Target Lock; Markerlight; Pulse Carbine

1 Broadside Battlesuit @ 208 Pts
Team Leader; Twin linked Railgun; Broadside Battlesuit; Smart Missile System; Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Blacksun Filter; Hard-wired Drone Controller; Hard-wired Target Lock; Shield Drone; Shield Drone; Advanced Stabilisation System
1 Broadside Battlesuit @ [80] Pts
Twin linked Railgun; Smart Missile System; Advanced Stabilisation System
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator

Total Roster Cost: 1750

Created with Army Builder
Copyright (c) 1997-2006 Lone Wolf Development, Inc. All rights reserved.

Aduro wrote:Been doing a bit of proxy testing with my Tau I posted a bit back as I'm building it and have made a few adjustments. First I will remind people the formatting of Army Builder is a tad off to some, and it lists squad upgrades (shas'ui) on a separate line as an addition to what squad count is listed at the beginning of the unit.

Knocked down my Fire Warrior count by a good bit, pretty much in half. I then added in a third Devilfish (note all three get used by fire warriors, not the pathfinders who have to buy them) and then up gunned them.

This one may be controversial, but I gave ALL my Fire Warriors Pulse Carbines. I tended to find if they ever made use of the 12" Rapid Fire, then they tended to get charged and killed. The 18" Assault carbines let them keep moving away while shooting to stay out of assaults for longer.

The two Shas'Ui with Blacksun Filters are my two Troop choices who start out on the board during Dawn of War. The one stealth Team Leader who has one is just because I had 3 extra points I didn't know what else to do with, and he's the only other guy who could actually make use of one.

1750 Pts - Tau Empire Roster

1 Commander Shadowsun @ 175 Pts
Two Fusion Blasters; Multi-Tracker; Advanced Target Lock; Bonding Knife; Drone Controller
1 Command-link Drone @ [0] Pts
2 Shield Drones @ [0] Pts
Shield Generator (x2)

5 Stealthsuits @ 230 Pts
Add Team Leader; Burst Cannon (x5)
1 Team Leader @ [80] Pts
Bonding Knife; Fusion Blaster; Hard-wired Blacksun Filter; Hard-wired Drone Controller; Hard-wired Target Lock; Markerlight; Gun Drone; Gun Drone
1 Gun Drone @ [10] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines
1 Gun Drone @ [10] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines

5 Stealthsuits @ 227 Pts
Add Team Leader; Burst Cannon (x5)
1 Team Leader @ [77] Pts
Bonding Knife; Fusion Blaster; Hard-wired Drone Controller; Hard-wired Target Lock; Markerlight; Gun Drone; Gun Drone
1 Gun Drone @ [10] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines
1 Gun Drone @ [10] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines

5 Fire Warrior @ 240 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Pulse Carbine (x5)
1 Devilfish @ [150] Pts
Burst Cannon; Seeker Missle (x2); Smart Missile System; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker; Sensor Spines; Targeting Array
1 Shas'ui @ [40] Pts
Markerlight; Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Target Lock; Pulse Carbine

5 Fire Warrior @ 93 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Pulse Carbine (x5)
1 Shas'ui @ [43] Pts
Markerlight; Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Blacksun Filter; Hard-wired Target Lock; Pulse Carbine

5 Fire Warrior @ 93 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Pulse Carbine (x5)
1 Shas'ui @ [43] Pts
Markerlight; Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Blacksun Filter; Hard-wired Target Lock; Pulse Carbine

5 Pathfinder @ 242 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Markerlight (x5); Pulse Carbine (x5)
1 Devilfish @ [150] Pts
Burst Cannon; Seeker Missle (x2); Smart Missile System; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Marker Beacon; Multi-Tracker; Sensor Spines; Targeting Array
1 Shas'ui @ [32] Pts
Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Target Lock; Markerlight; Pulse Carbine

5 Pathfinder @ 242 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Markerlight (x5); Pulse Carbine (x5)
1 Devilfish @ [150] Pts
Burst Cannon; Seeker Missle (x2); Smart Missile System; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Marker Beacon; Multi-Tracker; Sensor Spines; Targeting Array
1 Shas'ui @ [32] Pts
Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Target Lock; Markerlight; Pulse Carbine

1 Broadside Battlesuit @ 208 Pts
Team Leader; Twin linked Railgun; Broadside Battlesuit; Smart Missile System; Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Blacksun Filter; Hard-wired Drone Controller; Hard-wired Target Lock; Shield Drone; Shield Drone; Advanced Stabilisation System
1 Broadside Battlesuit @ [80] Pts
Twin linked Railgun; Smart Missile System; Advanced Stabilisation System
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator

Total Roster Cost: 1750

Created with Army Builder
Copyright (c) 1997-2006 Lone Wolf Development, Inc. All rights reserved.

The only thing you may want to be aware of is that the Blacksun filter on your commanding models does not confer this ability to the whole unit. Therefore, in Night Fighting Rules, it may be that only the command model may be able to fire.

I like the idea of using 5/6 man Fire Warrior squads, but have found (as you have posted) that without a Bonding Knife, using smaller units is nigh impossible. The Pulse Carbine idea seems interesting, especially if you are playing a totally mobile Tau force...pinning the enemy is VERY useful for keeping those assaults away.

I thought no one was going to reply this time around!

The Blacksun Filters on the Fire Warriors isn't to allow their units to shoot, it's to let them markerlight something so a unit (broadside) coming onto the board can shoot it.

Something I was wondering today is if I should keep the pair of Broadsides or switch to a Hammerhead since I've been moving more mechanized heavy. They'd come out about equal on points with the loadout I'd give the tank.

Hmm, I personally like having the broads, but a hammerhead moving 12 inches every turn, makin very difficult to kill it, and the possibility of the large blast is nice... the only problem is that with 2 broads, you get 2 rails, instead of one, overall better armor killing ability and you neeed NEED that armor killing ability. So no, stick with the broads, keep em mobile, and blow the hell out of everything in sight!

gameandwatch wrote:Hmm, I personally like having the broads, but a hammerhead moving 12 inches every turn, makin very difficult to kill it, and the possibility of the large blast is nice... the only problem is that with 2 broads, you get 2 rails, instead of one, overall better armor killing ability and you neeed NEED that armor killing ability. So no, stick with the broads, keep em mobile, and blow the hell out of everything in sight!

QFT. Try getting a unit of Broadsides with the Advanced Stabilization System. They'll be at least a d6 more mobile than without it.

Oh, It was implied that they would have it, never leave home without it!

Definitely not enough railguns to take down tanks, or the always present monstrous creatures.

I think the small units of firewarriors give up too many easy killpoints. While you have tons (i mean TONS) of markerlights, there are only 2 broadsides and your commander that really benefit from it.

Just my two cents.

punkisntdeadyet wrote:While you have tons (i mean TONS) of markerlights, there are only 2 broadsides and your commander that really benefit from it.

Well, other Fire Warrior squads can benefit from Markerlight hits.
Squad A shoots at Target A, but by giving upgrades allowing the Shas'ui to shoot at different targets (sorry, forget the upgrade name), he shoots at Target B.
Squad B shoots at Target B, with a +1 upgrade to their BS, their Shas'ui lights a different target up.

And so on.
Or, if a crucial Target unit needs to be taken out, two squads can use their Markerlights on the Target, and allow a third squad to shoot at BS 5.

I believe this army lacks anti-vehicle for a 1750 points list. Two Broadsides and a suicide Commander isn't going to cut it. The army doesn't have very impressive anti-infantry fire either. It seems to me like you are just cramming in as much Markerlights as you can, while you don't have any units that really benefit from them.

Also, Burst Cannon range is too short to be able to avoid close combat. Stealthsuits just aren't good enough in 5th Edition.

I've got two Railguns and three Fusion Blasters, all of which are capable of going after a separate target, though granted two of them have to be pretty close together. In addition there's the six Seeker Missiles on the Devilfish.

If Stealth Suits arn't able to avoid close combat, nothing is. 18" range followed by a 6" jump backwards during the assault phase? Not much is able to catch up with that.

Another thing so many Markerlights will help with is Pinning stuff.