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.

Just getting back into 40k after a couple of years out of the game. I sold my Marines back then, so I'm starting totally fresh, and Tau seemed like they'd be fun. So, without further ado, here's my tentative list for y'all to tear apart and put back together, hopefully improving upon it somewhere in between:

XV8 Commander
Shas'o 125 Plasma Rifle, TL Missile Pod, HW Multi-Tracker, HW Drone Controller, Bonding Knife
2x Shield Drone 30

XV8 Commander
Shas'o 125 Plasma Rifle, TL Missile Pod, HW Multi-Tracker, HW Drone Controller, Bonding Knife
2x Shield Drone 30

XV8 Crisis - CONFIG A ONLY
Shas'ui Leader 80 Plasma Rifle, TL Missile Pod, HW Multi-Tracker, HW Drone Controller, Bonding Knife
2x Shield Drone 30

XV8 Crisis - CONFIG A ONLY
Shas'ui Leader 80 Plasma Rifle, TL Missile Pod, HW Multi-Tracker, HW Drone Controller, Bonding Knife
2x Shield Drone 30

XV88 Broadside - CONFIG B ONLY
Shas'ui Leader 95 TL Railgun, SMS, Targeting Array, HW Multi-Tracker, HW Drone Controller, Bonding Knife
2x Shield Drone 30

XV88 Broadside - CONFIG B ONLY
Shas'ui Leader 95 TL Railgun, SMS, Targeting Array, HW Multi-Tracker, HW Drone Controller, Bonding Knife
2x Shield Drone 30

Fire Warriors
Shas'ui 25 Pulse Rifle, Bonding Knife
11x Shas'la 110 Pulse Rifle
Devilfish 85 Burst Cannon, Drones, Disruption Pod

Fire Warriors
Shas'ui 25 Pulse Rifle, Bonding Knife
11x Shas'la 110 Pulse Rifle
Devilfish 85 Burst Cannon, Drones, Disruption Pod

Config A Total: 970 Points
Config B Total: 1000 Points

The list is, obviously, battlesuit-heavy. Went with Monats to make them harder to target, and Shield Drones for ablative wounds.

Configuration A is for most games, while B swaps out 2 Crisis suits for 2 Broadside suits, to deal with any armor the Missile Pods can't. (i.e. Land Raider, Russ)

I'm somewhat confused about your Crisis suit configurations. Are they meant to have three weapons or are you still pondering between FB and Missile pod? Generally, three-weapon suits are no-no since you can only fire two weapons at the time (and that requires Multi-tracker, which you don't have). Burst-Fusion is a very poor combo anyway which does nothing well. Burst-Missile or Missile-Fusion are acceptable.

SMS is great, especially if you're allergic to kill points (which Drones sadly provide). However, it is bit pricey addition. Thing with SMS is, if you take it, you want to take Targeting array as well as it is so cheap upgrade to boost your firepower. And if you take those, you want to take Multi-tracker as well since you want to be able to move & shoot. And Disruption Pod is another must-have. So you see, adding all that up drives Devilfish cost to 120 points. Some people don't want to pay from all that wargear and keep their 'Fishes plain with mere Disruption pod, sometimes with Targeting array too, 90pts max.

Good point on the SMS, I'm going to axe them, go with 85-point fish, D-Pods only.

The primary config for the suits will be Burst-Missile, but I'm planning on mounting the Missiles magnetically, so that I can swap them out for Fusion pre-game if I see heavy armor coming (i.e. Land Raider), and not change the points cost.

Actually, scratch that. I'm gonna make them all permanently Burst-Missile, 'cause 5 Monats can flank anything that's not a Land Raider or a Russ, and also pick up some Broadsides to swap in pre-game if I see either of those coming.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Okay, I need to make up 30 points on both configurations, preferably on the FW/Devilfish squads or on the Commander Crises, so as to make swapping neater. Any ideas?

Your Commander configurations are illegal, as they have two weapons and four support systems. Of course you can take Target locks and Drone controllers as hardwired, but not Shield generator and Targeting arrays. My suggestion is drop Shield generator altogether. Use extra points to buy either one additional battlesuit or small Troops entry. Footslogging Firewarrior squad or small Kroot mob.

Personally I wouldn't use Burst cannons for my Commanders. It's sort of a waste of BS5.

Ah, those aren't Shas'el with Targeting Arrays any more, they're straight-up Shas'o, forgot to edit. All the systems that can be HW are, so none of the equipment is illegal.

I think I'm going to at least try the list with the burst cannons, but what would you recommend in their place? TL Pods or Plasma Rifle?

I could switch it to:

Shas'el 107 Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Targeting Array, HW Drone Controller, HW Multi-Tracker, Bonding Knife
2x Shield Drone 30

I can't recommend strongly enough that you not put Burst Cannons on your Crisis Suits. Read my thoughts on that here.

Lorek wrote:I can't recommend strongly enough that you not put Burst Cannons on your Crisis Suits. Read my thoughts on that here.

I'm sure I'm just ignorant because I haven't played Tau, but I don't see why this is. By your "thoughts," do you mean the following?

What, you don't have enough S5 AP5 weaponry in the army already? Seriously, this is a HORRIBLE choice for Crisis Suits. Tau grandmothers send their Tau grandkids to school with S5 AP5 weaponry, and homeless Tau throw S5 AP5 weaponry out when they find it because it's so prevalent in Tau society that no one even wants to buy it. Every Burst Cannon that you put on a Crisis Suit is one less Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle or Fusion Blaster that you'll be taking.

That doesn't say much, especially not to a new Tau player like myself.

Yes, there's a lot of S5 weaponry, but I'm not taking Multi Trackers and SMS on my Devilfish, so I've got very little mobile S5. 18" range and a 6" move instead of assaulting gets me 24" away from the infantry I just shot at, likely through cover/difficult terrain and possibly out of sight. How is that a bad thing? I know Plasma/Pod is the popular loadout, but getting within 12" to rapid fire doesn't seem very attractive (leaves me vulnerable to assaults), and one extra shot at 24" seems meh when I could stay another foot away from the threat and have only one less shot.

I'm not trying to correct you - I have very little idea what I'm talking about and I'm aware of it. I'm just looking for some explanation. Could you expand on your recommendation with something a little more substantial than the word "horrible" in all caps?

Equipping Crisis Suits is an art form in itself and Tau players can and do spend countless hours about debating the finest points of Battlesuit wargear selections.

It all depends from what you want from your suits. In large points games, you probably get enough of S5 shots from your vehicles and infantry that you really don't want to waste precious battlesuit slots (which are VERY precious to Tau when you go to 1500 points and up) for even more S5 armament. In small points games, Burst cannons are IMHO perfectly viable choice for Crisis suits and lots of experienced players use them. That said, I wouldn't use Firestorm configuration (Missile+Burst) for Commanders as the opportunity to buy BS5 Melta or Plasma or Airburst is just too tempting.

Backfire wrote:Equipping Crisis Suits is an art form in itself and Tau players can and do spend countless hours about debating the finest points of Battlesuit wargear selections.

It all depends from what you want from your suits. In large points games, you probably get enough of S5 shots from your vehicles and infantry that you really don't want to waste precious battlesuit slots (which are VERY precious to Tau when you go to 1500 points and up) for even more S5 armament. In small points games, Burst cannons are IMHO perfectly viable choice for Crisis suits and lots of experienced players use them. That said, I wouldn't use Firestorm configuration (Missile+Burst) for Commanders as the opportunity to buy BS5 Melta or Plasma or Airburst is just too tempting.

Alright then, the Commanders will be Shas'el Plasma/Missile/Array/Shield drones. The extra Config B Crises will go Burst/Missile/Array/Gun drones to pop transports and deal with massed infantry. Thanks for taking the time to spell it out for a newbie. =)