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HQ:
170
Commander Farsight

291
3 Bodyguards
- Plasma Rifles
- Fusion Blasters
- Targeting Arrays
- HW Multi-Trackers
- 3 Gun Drones

Elites:
189
3 Crisis Suits
- Team Leader
- 2 Gun Drones
- TL Missile Pods
- Targeting Arrays

Troops:
3x
190
6 Fire Warriors
Team Leader
Devilfish, Targeting Array, Multi-Tracker, Disruption Pod, SMS

Fast Attack:
180
5 Pathfinders
Devilfish, Targeting Array, Multi-Tracker, Disruption Pod, SMS

Heavy Support:
165
Hammerhead
Railgun, Burst Cannons, Multi-Tracker, Disruption Pod

155
Skyray
Burst Cannons, Burst Cannons, Targeting Array, Multi-Tracker, Disruption Pod

150
2 Broadsides
Targeting Array

Interesting list...I think it has a lot of problems, but we'll shy away from composition because its personal preference. In other notes...

1. Why not make a second elite unit, then attach Farsight? You'll save an automatic 30 points, because bodyguards come in at +10 points for +1 WS. What a waste.

2. Targeting arrays on twin-linked weaponry is sort of redundant. Plasma/Fusion or Plasma/Missile deserves a targeting array, but dumping an extra 10 points per suit when you're already twin-linked is excessive.

3. You have three 6 man firewarriors squads, and one devilfish? Nuff said.

4. Believe it or not, you're missing decent anti-tank. A Hammerhead makes a decent anti-infantry weapon, but a single shot per turn at a vehicle at 165 points is pretty useless. You've got short range anti-tank, but if you're dropping Farsight into enemy rear lines to Fusion their tanks, you're going to have issues. Missile pods are fun for killing transports, but aren't reliable for killing anything heavier. Skyray seeker missiles are great for killing light vehicles as well, but you have one single shot in your entire army that can contest a land raider, a battlewagon's front armor, or reasonably handle AV12-13. I'd say you need broadsides, or another hammerhead.

1.) Elites squads can't take wargear, which means I have to choose between multi-tracker and targeting array. And, believe it or not, I actually want this squad to get into CC against some enemies.
Also: Farsight + bodyguard = 1 KP, farsight + elites = 2 KPs

2.) TL BS3 = 75% to hit, TL BS4 = 90% chance to hit, if my math is good (which it isn't), I need those extra hits, but I'll consider this one.

3.) I have 3 devilfish, 1 per squad.

4.) Hammerhead gets the benefit of markerlights, but if I drop the TAs on the deathrain suits, I'll exchange 1 skyray for a hammerhead.

Thanks much for the advice. Farsight's squad is actually for anti-terminator duties in addition to it's anti-armor.

The skyrays are an interesting choice, have they worked well in any of the games oyu've played with this list?

It's been a while since I sold off my original Tau army, but if I recall Farsight's unit restrictions correctly, you can't take two Skyrays or two Hammerheads in the same list. Additionally, you don't have any markerlights listed other than on your Skyray(s), which means that you're actually committing approx 320 points to that one S10 shot. Not at all worth it. Get some broadsides or another crisis team with fusion by spending the points recovered from that second Skyray.

Malecus wrote:It's been a while since I sold off my original Tau army, but if I recall Farsight's unit restrictions correctly, you can't take two Skyrays or two Hammerheads in the same list. Additionally, you don't have any markerlights listed other than on your Skyray(s), which means that you're actually committing approx 320 points to that one S10 shot. Not at all worth it. Get some broadsides or another crisis team with fusion by spending the points recovered from that second Skyray.

I also have 5 pathfinders.
You're right about the skyrays though. whoops

The skyrays are an interesting choice, have they worked well in any of the games oyu've played with this list?

I only own 1250 points, which includes one skyray. They work well for hard-to-kill markerlight support, as well as a little more anti-infantry.

See the note about me not having Tau anymore. I forgot about the pathfinders' markerlights, seeing as that's the one unit I never used. Even still, on a point by point basis, broadsides do more on their own than a hammerhead with a couple markerlights against high AV.

I would get rid of your skyrays and go with one of two options. One is a piranha squadron as you can add seeker missles to them have them burn behind enemy lines and fire off the seekers with your pathfinder units. Plus the piranha's with their fusion blasters make great tank hunters (especialy going after those indirect tanks that the IG like). Seekers can be fired even after moving full out which is 24".

The other option is broad sides. They will hit tanks much harder than your hammerheads or skyrays plus they have the TL SMS so a unit of 2 will have 8 shots. You can also give them Shield drones to give them more wounds.

I live for broadsides. I have six, and in bigger games, I take two units of three.

Even if you only take two of them, you're spending about the same number of points as with a hammerhead, giving yourself two twin-linked shots at STR10 AP1, and if you take a 5 point target lock, you can potentially kill two vehicles per turn with your unit.

Broadsides are one of the most feared units in 40k. Last year, tau didn't do well in 'Ard Boyz...this year, 'Ard Boyz is shaping up to pretty much be mechanized armies. Tau will have a heyday if they bring the anti-tank that they should. IG players are going to be fielding 10-12 tanks in their lists...a single hammerhead poking out a single shot per turn that comprises your ENTIRE serious anti-tank complement isn't going to get you far, and its probably going to die by turn 2. When I play a mechanized list, the anti-tank is the enemy army is the first thing to die. =p

Updated List posted in the first post:
Changes:
Removed 1 Skyray.
Added 2 broadsides
Added 2 gun drones to the deathrain squad
Changed 2 Shield Drones to gun drones in the HQ squad (they're just ablative wounds anyway)