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The Bringer wrote:

Never just "fill up points"

If you got extra points, put them into more battlesuits.

Quote for truth. You probably can "fill up points" in other armies. Not Tau's. In such a tech-intensive force every point counts. And 13 Kroots? Not really.

@ tokugawa: Big FW squads are not necessarily fail all the time. Depend on what army you are up against. Small ones fail too, if to understand in your logic. IMO Kroots only work in "SWARM". See the other multi-page Tau list post to find out.
You are in Beijing, from what I see in location. I am a Chinese exchange student to America this year, from Nanjing. Great to know there're my countrymen out there playing Tau, too.

Jokorey wrote:I would drop a few fire warriors from your squads and take 6 PF (using their devilfish as the DF you already have for your FW).

Since that eats up one of your FA slots, I'd drop at least the one Piranha, and probably the stealth suits to grab a unit of 2 more FK's. Your mobile MEQ killing is awful skimpy as is.

Agreed!

Why are Pathfinders so good? I don't really understand the Scout rule.

The scout rule is of little to no use to pathfinders. They all have markerlights and I advise you look up what markerlights do. Imagine if your battlesuits could fire at BS5 and ignore cover?

I have another question that is completely unrelated to the topic... why is the title under my name "Disbeliever of the Greater Good?"

Also, Pathfinders: Pulse Carbines or Rail Rifles?

For pathfinder always stick to the carbines so they keep their marker lights they should never be firing anything except their markerlights.

Cohocat wrote:I have another question that is completely unrelated to the topic... why is the title under my name "Disbeliever of the Greater Good?"

It is because you have a low post count.

When you get more posts, you'll get something different.

FlingitNow wrote:For pathfinder always stick to the carbines so they keep their marker lights they should never be firing anything except their markerlights.

QFT.
Tau is markerlights markerlights is Tau!

Here's my 1500 list.

HQ: Shas'el Commander Fireknife combo. w/ Targeting Array, HW Multi-Tracker, HW Drone-Controller + 2x Gun Drones. 2x Shas'vre Bodyguards 1 with TL BC, Targeting Array, and 1 with TL FB Targeting Array = all for 237 points.

Troops: 12x Firewarriors, Pulse Rifles w/ Devilfish with Disruption Pods = 205
Troops: 12x Firewarriors, Pulse Rifles = 120
Troops: 12x Firewarriors, Pulse Rifles = 120
Troops: 13x Kroot 2x Kroot Hounds = 103

Fast Attack: 2x Piranha w/ Targeting Array, Disruption Pods, Flechettes = 170

Heavy Support: Hammerhead w/ Railgun, BC, Multi-Tracker, Disruption Pods = 165
Hammerhead w/ Railgun, BC, Multi-Tracker, Disruption Pods = 165

Heavy Support: 3x Broadsides = 215

TOTAL: 1500!

HQ: Shas'el Commander Fireknife combo. w/ Targeting Array, HW Multi-Tracker, HW Drone-Controller + 2x Gun Drones. 2x Shas'vre Bodyguards 1 with TL BC, Targeting Array, and 1 with TL FB Targeting Array = all for 237 points.

What is the point of this unit? It does lityerally nothing well.

Fast Attack: 2x Piranha w/ Targeting Array, Disruption Pods, Flechettes = 170

Add fusion always add fusion.

At this point level drop one of the FW squads and invest in a Crisis squad.

If your running the FW w/o transports you need Bonding knives. You can also drop the squads to 9 each for more points.

Drop your Railheads to Ionheads.

Put some shield drones on the Broadsides.

Use the points to give your army more Anti-Tank.

With the Changes I've suggested you should be able to run two crisis teams of 2 and transport the other FW squad. If no transport then give then grenades. I love the EMP's when facing Monoliths

P.S.-Markerlights are nice but not mandatory if you use Targeting arrays. I buy Pathfinders more for the Devilfish's ability to help my deepstrikers.

Edit for sentence order

You're telling me to drop my railheads to ionheads...and then telling me to give my army more anti-tank?

Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying. I know it sounds contridictory but this is a points shifting trick I picked up. It goes like this:

For 7 pts more than the cost of one of your hammerheads you can field 2 deep striking crisis teams equipped with fusion& tl flamer. Why Fusion and Flamer? Because they pretty much do the same job as the hammer head.

People bring up the range difference and survivability at this point and I counter with the question,"What are your opponents first tarqets?".
My opponents go right to work on the Hammerheads with one usually recieving at least a shaken/stunned result early in the game.

Also, throw fusions on the piranha.

What I was suggesting gives you 3 fast or deepstrike units with fusion blasters + 2 anti-meq/anti-light vehicle Ionheads in addition to your broadsides.

You could even tweek the list for a PF squad or a third crisis team just by optimizing your command squad down to 2 suits with the same weapons.

If you want, I could propose/post a modified version of you list.

Hope this is of help.

Here's the 1500 list I used yesterday, worked quite well, but I lost just barely. Nids...

HQ: Shas'el MP, PR, TA, HWTL, Stim Injector, HWMT...(oh yes I di-id.)
Bodyguard: Shas'vre MP, PR, TA, HWMT
Bodyguard: Shas'vre Flamer, BC, TA, HWMT, HWTL

Elites: 3x Stealth Suits, 1 with FB, all with TA's

Troops: 12x Firewarriors, Devilfish with BC, GD's, DP, MT, FD + 2 Seeker Missiles
12x Firewarriors
10x Firewarriors
13x Kroot + 2x Kroot Hounds

Fast Attack: 8x Gun Drones
4x Pathfinders with Carbines + 1 Marker Drone
Piranha with BC, DP, FD (used the BC because the Tervigon was crapping gaunts like there was no tomorrow)

Heavy Support: 2x Broadsides with TA's
Railhead with SMS, DP, FD, MT + 2 Seeker Missiles

There. I know I overgeared most of my army, but that's because I had to get up there to 1500 points!

Tell me whatcha think.

Drop the stealth's when you can, or at least get the FB off of them - close range weapon + long range stealth field = bad. At least BCs are medium range.

Why do you have a Marker Drone in a Pathfinder squad?

Ask yourself, what do you feel that a BC Piranha does better than a BC crisis to justify the increase in cost and kill points? Sure, it closes with the enemy fast, but I'm not sure that is worth the cost.

You pretty much either have to get some more pathfinders in this list or drop some seekers. You only have those 5 markerlights standing between you and wasting those points, and the MLs will be high priority targets for a lot of opponents.

Ask yourself, what do you feel that a BC Piranha does better than a BC crisis to justify the increase in cost and kill points? Sure, it closes with the enemy fast, but I'm not sure that is worth the cost.

Okay, first of all, I stated before WHY I put the BC on the Piranha. Second, I'm 13 and on a tight, tight budget so I can't afford any more XV8s.

Whats wrong with putting a marker drone in with pathfinders?

A marker drone in a pathfinder squad is different from a pathfinder in three ways:

It's got a better initiative

It has a networked markerlight that does nothing for a PF squad unless you aren't using their markerlights.

It costs more than 2x what a Pathfinder does.

Touche'

It costs more than 2x what a Pathfinder does.

Actually 2.5 times the cost!