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Hi everyone,

I Wanted to design a Tau list around units that are generally underused for their quality (as opposed to just not used for being a bad unit...krootox anyone?). Therefore, I will be using Skyrays, at least one Stealth Suit team, at least one Gun Drone Squadron, and no Kroot. However, I'm going to be staying realistic and not using them exclusively. The list:

HQ: Relay'El: 93
Shas'El, Twin-Linked Missile Pod, Positional Relay, Gun Drone

Elites: Stealth Suit Team: 145
Team Leader, Bonding Knife, 1 x Gun Drone
Shas'Ui, 2 x Gun Drone
Shas'Ui, 1 x Gun Drone

Elites: Aurora Team: 131
Team Leader, Plasma Rifle, Burst Cannon, Multi-Tracker, Bonding Knife, 2 x Gun Drone
Shas'Ui, Plasma Rifle, Burst Cannon, Multi-Tracker

Elites: Crisis Team: 78
Shas'Ui, Burst Cannon, Twin-Linked Flamer
Shas'Ui, Burst Cannon, Twin-Linked Flamer

Fast Attack: Gun Drone Squadron: 84
7 x Gun Drone

Fast Attack: Pathfinder Team: 75
Team Leader, Bonding Knife
4 x Pathfinder Shas'La

Warfish: 120
Devilfish, S.M.S., Targeting Array, Disruption Pods, Multi-Tracker

Fast Attack: Pathfinder Team: 75
Team Leader, Bonding Knife
4 x Pathfinder Shas'La

Warfish: 120
Devilfish, S.M.S., Targeting Array, Disruption Pods, Multi-Tracker

Troops: 145
6 x Fire Warriors, Team Leader, Bonded
Devilfish, Disruption Pods

Troops: 145
6 x Fire Warriors, Team Leader, Bonded
Devilfish, Disruption Pods

Heavy Support: Skyray: 145
Target Lock, Targeting array, Burst Cannons, Disruption Pods

Heavy Support: Skyray: 145
Target Lock, Targeting array, Burst Cannons, Disruption Pods
1338
Heavy Support: Broadsides: 250
Team Leader, Bonding Knife, 2 x Shield Drone
Shas'Ui
Shas'UI

The plan: Use the Relay'El to keep the troops off the board. Deploy the HQ, Aurora Team, One Pathfinder Team & Warfish, and all the Heavy Support, usually one Skyray on either side of the Board, and 'Sides in the best firing position. 2nd turn the other Pathfinder squad outflanks and disembarks, aiming for some back armour shots if possible. The next turn, the Stealth Team outflanks, and then finally the Flamer team Deepstrikes, before finally the FireWarriors arrive to take some objectives!

There is a bit of a lack of plasma in this list, and I would love probably a flamer suit for Targeting Arrays or A.S.S. on the Broadsides. I could also put a couple of Seekers on the Outflankfish and do a back-armour busting Seeker Pincer move with a Skyray.

Constructive criticism?
Thanks.

Well, I don't really like the Plasma-Burst Cannon suits. Both those weapons fill out completely different rolls, one for heavy troops, and the other for light infantry. They are flexible, but not as focused as I would make my suits. This is more a matter of preference, as they both have there uses.

Though I don't like Skrays, I think that this list could work and make a good use of their potential.

I would definately put some seeker missiles on the Devilfish. This would make this list a lot better.

You have a small amount of troops, and that could end really badly. You have 12 fire warriars in all, and the devilfish, though helping to keep them alive, are fairly weak. I would change that somehow.

My last thought is that I think at least one Hammerhead is a must. It has the ability to get tanks, and slaughter medium troops.

The mixed AP of the Burst/Plasma is a bit conflicting - but not very. They are both anti-infantry, both capable of wounding toughness 6/7 targets, and both fill an anti-infantry role. The amount of wounds generated means theres a chance of cracking a squad leader, and against non-power armored enemies it makes even less difference. I would consider making them Helios though - there is already enough 5ap5 to go around. Its worth noting that against MEQs the fusion blaster has a roughly 10% higher kill rate than the burst cannon - less if they are in cover. I think maybe this list would be quite a lot better at 2000 points, allowing for that extra troops choice and upgrades. The main idea is to take out the anti-tank before the troops arrive. Hammerhead wise, I generally rn a pair of Ionheads having had consistently poor luck with the Submuition, and I just wanted to avoid Fireknives/Firestorms/Railheads as they are the most atypical choices.

Thanks for the post!

I find the submunition really nice. A large blast template that is AP 4 is good against many armies. I play orcs and nids mainly, and it can shred the great parts of either army.

Please, tell me how the list runs. It is rather different from anything I have tried before, and it looks like it could either do really well, or just go down the tubes.

Ah - not a lot of Nid and Ork armies at my club - that could be a bit of a factor. I think the same - it'll either be a success or an epic failure. Playing a game or two tuesday so we'll see!

I play against tau a lot and from my experience a well played stealth suit team can be a real
pain especially if they have fusion guns and marker lights the gun drones however are nothing more than a speed bump
consider swapping them out for more troops (which you really need) as for the rest of the list it sounds good and
would be a challenge for most armies it faces (as long as you get some more fire warriors in there).

Yah, umm, if you're against nids a lot, I think all your seekers are going to waste. No armor whatsoever in the nid list. It would be more worth it investing in battlesuits and a hammerhead.

I have to say that's an interesting list. I'd give it a try. Have to try things out and see what works. The same cookie cutter list gets boring at times. If the list doesn't work. Tweak and tweak till your happy. That is why there are different units to take and how you use them is the difference.

The Bringer wrote:Yah, umm, if you're against nids a lot, I think all your seekers are going to waste. No armor whatsoever in the nid list. It would be more worth it investing in battlesuits and a hammerhead.

Ahem, how about ID on Tyranid Warriors, Zoanthropes, DoM etc? Also, I've found out that Carnifexes, Tervigons, Mawlocs, Trygons and Tyrants are all fine Seeker Missile bait. 2+ to hit, 2+ to wound, no save. I think you're going to have a ton of fun with seekers against nidz .

Oh and I like the list. I would also, however consider to swap the gun drones for some more Fire Warriors or Kroot.

Warboss Tufgrim wrote:

The Bringer wrote:Yah, umm, if you're against nids a lot, I think all your seekers are going to waste. No armor whatsoever in the nid list. It would be more worth it investing in battlesuits and a hammerhead.

Ahem, how about ID on Tyranid Warriors, Zoanthropes, DoM etc? Also, I've found out that Carnifexes, Tervigons, Mawlocs, Trygons and Tyrants are all fine Seeker Missile bait. 2+ to hit, 2+ to wound, no save. I think you're going to have a ton of fun with seekers against nidz .

Except for, oh you know......, synapse and all... It only takes away all usefulness high strength guns have against nids.

But, on a side note, as you apparently are one of the lucky people not having to face them as much, this list will probably do really well.

And, really, it is a waste to take them down wound by wound with the seekers. It is better to invest in plasma rifles.

Stealth Marker Team. Take a team lead with a markerlight and give him two marker drones. Stay at 36" and you can JSJ markerlights without having to stand still like pathfinders.

The Bringer wrote:

Warboss Tufgrim wrote:

The Bringer wrote:Yah, umm, if you're against nids a lot, I think all your seekers are going to waste. No armor whatsoever in the nid list. It would be more worth it investing in battlesuits and a hammerhead.

Ahem, how about ID on Tyranid Warriors, Zoanthropes, DoM etc? Also, I've found out that Carnifexes, Tervigons, Mawlocs, Trygons and Tyrants are all fine Seeker Missile bait. 2+ to hit, 2+ to wound, no save. I think you're going to have a ton of fun with seekers against nidz .

Except for, oh you know......, synapse and all... It only takes away all usefulness high strength guns have against nids.

But, on a side note, as you apparently are one of the lucky people not having to face them as much, this list will probably do really well.

And, really, it is a waste to take them down wound by wound with the seekers. It is better to invest in plasma rifles.

Except for.. oh you know, synapse does NOT make them immune to ID any more. The new codex changed that. And I see it as perfectly viable to aim an abundance of markelights at a MC and firing off enough seekers to kill it in one round. Much easier, much more reliable and you don't have to get within 12" to do it.

But oh well, we have wandered quite a bit off topic. I'll just leave it there .

Are you sure about that? My brother who plays nids said that synapse didn't change in respect to instant death...

That will really help if that is true.

Yeah it is a stroke of luck not facing a ton of Nids, except my I introduced a friend to warhammer and he's sold on their new codex. Anything in or out of synapse can be instant-death'd now. More troops goes without saying, don't know how I missed that. Looks like I might have to lose a squad of pathfinders and a Warfish for some more troops. And more plasma would be lovely - I just don't see how I could fit more in, unless I maybe swapped burst cannons for twin-linked plasma on the suits and dropped a twin-linked flamer suit, but would make the flame guys pretty inefficient - 1 kill point and a twin linked flamer = unit takes some damage and promtly shoots/assaults/both the single suit. With 2 the points go a lot further. Maybe a plasma or helios HQ, except that would make it a bit risky for keeping the relay around.

Any thoughts from Burning Eye or Helios lovers on where to find them?

With regards to the Stealth Marker Team I appreciate its use, I just find it too expensive for too little return. And yeah - seekers are more convenient than plasma, but plasma is more fun, if expensive, and its best taken on at least 2 suits. I find it quite easy to guess that crucial 6.1" 11.9" range.

Thanks for all the comments guys - I'm loving that its all good, quality points.

Small numbers of pathfinders + skyray = not good. Currently you have 8, basically 4 markers at any given time. Thats all good and dandy, but when your opponent sees a skyray, the first thing they will go after are pathfinders, they are squish and fun to shoot at.
If you plan on taking more out then you might as well scrap the skyray in all. Using less popular units is a novelty, but theres obviously a reason most people use them and its hard to deny some things, the need for markerlights with a skyray is one of those.
I personally find no problem with skyrays, I just find that they are only really useful in large points battles, large like to the point of apoc where you will end up with good numbers of pathfinders and the need for non-los armour poppers are needed.

Hope it all works out, either way it should be fun.

Best of luck,
Blind