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I've played a few really, really small games to get the basic mechanics of the game down, and I'm knee-deep in painting my first army. Our 40K league is typically 1,500 pts., so that's my target starting force and this is the list I'm working toward. What do you all think? Anything that seems glaringly wrong, or huge weaknesses that stand out?

HQ

XV8 Crisis Team (401)
Commander: Shas'o [fusion blaster, plasma rifle, shield generator, bonding knife, hard-wired drone controller with two shield drones, hard-wired multi-tracker]
2x Bodyguard [fusion blaster, plasma rifle, targeting array, hard-wired drone controller with two shield drones, hard-wired multi-tracker, hard-wired target lock]

ELITE

XV25 Stealthsuit Team (359)
Team Leader: Shas'vre [fusion blaster, targeting array, bonding knife, hard-wired drone controller with two marker drones, hard-wired target lock]
Stealthsuit [fusion blaster, target lock]
4x Stealthsuit [burst cannon, drone controller with two gun drones]

TROOPS

Fire Warrior Team (255)
Team Leader: Shas'ui [pulse rifle, bonding knife, hard-wired drone controller with two marker drones]
9x Warrior [pulse rifle]
Devilfish [burst cannon, two gun drones]

Fire Warrior Team (255)
Team Leader: Shas'ui [pulse carbine, bonding knife, hard-wired drone controller with two marker drones]
9x Warrior [pulse carbine]
Devilfish [burst cannon, two gun drones]

Kroot Carnivore Squad (70)
10x Carnivore [kroot rifle]

HEAVY SUPPORT

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit (80) [twin-linked railgun, smart missile system, targeting array]

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit (80) [twin-linked railgun, smart missile system, targeting array]

I'd love some suggestions! Thanks in advance!

yes..... the stealthsuits. drop them and add a hammerhead w/ railgun and like 2 more crisis suits.

I definitely see people suggesting to lose the Stealthsuits pretty often, but I have to admit I'm reluctant just because I love the models so much. Are they really that bad? Or is it just that they're not as good as the alternative? What makes them bad? It seems like being able to sneak in and rain fire on my opponent at the beginning of the game to lessen the chance of many of their guys getting too close to the rest of my force could be really good. The marker drones should make hitting easier, and the gun drones can take a lot of shots, not to mention the two with fusion blasters have target locks so they can work on tanks while the rest take out troops. I don't know. I guess I'd just like to understand why they're not worth the points.

not that they are bad, but 359 pts??? you can do soooo much better for 359 pts. a hammer head with a railgun seriously improves youre anti horde, and crisis suits are just good. It's not that the stealth suits are bad, but they are overpriced and underpowered. 4 burst cannons and 2 fusions for 359 points is kind of ridiculous. if you love the models, say screw it, i'm going to play them anyway. I am just telling you that you can have much more competitive options. like a railhead, and crisis suits.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
also, the stealth fields or whatever are pointsless, because when you have range 18" and 12", they can pretty much see you no matter what. since they are only toughness 3, they are essentially a superexpensive free killpoint.

redcapscorner wrote: Our 40K league is typically 1,500 pts., Commander: Shas'o [fusion blaster, plasma rifle, shield generator, bonding knife, hard-wired drone controller with two shield drones, hard-wired multi-tracker]

Do the league games have secondary objectives, like gaining points for HQs surviving? IF so, then keep your boy as is, but if *not*, then it might be worth trimming him down to Shas'el, Target Array for the same BS.

redcapscorner wrote:XV25 Stealthsuit Team (359)
Team Leader: Shas'vre [fusion blaster, targeting array, bonding knife, hard-wired drone controller with two marker drones, hard-wired target lock]
Stealthsuit [fusion blaster, target lock]
4x Stealthsuit [burst cannon, drone controller with two gun drones]

Here's why Stealths aren't good (not quite pointed out by the first two posters ); 2 Fusion Blasters pop a tank and 4 BCs twiddle thumbs. Or, 4 BCs hose down lotsa troops and 2 FBs nail 2. Either way, there's a lot of inefficiency in the set up. If you're in love with the models, then arguably the best use of Stealths is all BCs, dedicated to anti-Infantry, even with the GDs. And Bond them. I used to have the 2 FBs on mine, but once I read enough AdvancedTauTactica.com, I ripped them off, went all BCs (no drones, BK) and noted a decidedly better performance.

redcapscorner wrote:
Fire Warrior Team (255)
Team Leader: Shas'ui [pulse rifle, bonding knife, hard-wired drone controller with two marker drones]
9x Warrior [pulse rifle]
Devilfish [burst cannon, two gun drones]

DisPod for the d'fish. Lose the MDs for the FWs. If they do any hopping in or out of the 'fish, then the MDs are going to have to wait to shoot, being Heavy Weps.

redcapscorner wrote:Fire Warrior Team 9x Warrior [pulse carbine]
Devilfish [burst cannon, two gun drones]

Read the other tau army list and see my reasons for skipping carbines.

redcapscorner wrote:XV88 Broadside Battlesuit (80) [twin-linked railgun, smart missile system, targeting array]

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit (80) [twin-linked railgun, smart missile system, targeting array]

I'd love some suggestions! Thanks in advance!

Spend points on Shield Drones. Combine these two XV88s, giving the Team Leader a Target Lock & BK. This will eliminate a Kill Point and still retain your ability to shoot at different things. Shield Drones really make b-sides complete.

Brothererekose wrote:Here's why Stealths aren't good (not quite pointed out by the first two posters ); 2 Fusion Blasters pop a tank and 4 BCs twiddle thumbs. Or, 4 BCs hose down lotsa troops and 2 FBs nail 2. Either way, there's a lot of inefficiency in the set up. If you're in love with the models, then arguably the best use of Stealths is all BCs, dedicated to anti-Infantry, even with the GDs. And Bond them. I used to have the 2 FBs on mine, but once I read enough AdvancedTauTactica.com, I ripped them off, went all BCs (no drones, BK) and noted a decidedly better performance.

I totally appreciate that, but since I have target locks on my two fusion blaster dudes, shouldn't I be able to simultaneously have two fusion blasters pop a tank and four burst cannons (not to mention eight gun drones) hose down lots of troops? I do have these guys bonded already too, by the way. Again, I'm obviously not an expert, so maybe I'm reading things wrong, but the idea behind this unit was to have a small team that just went in at the beginning of the game and lit up as much as possible in the first round to make sure that fewer dudes got through to the rest of my team before I could pick them off at range. Does that not work? Thanks again for your help!

stompydakka wrote:
also, the stealth fields or whatever are pointsless, because when you have range 18" and 12", they can pretty much see you no matter what. since they are only toughness 3, they are essentially a superexpensive free killpoint.

If you drop the stealthsuits in the middle of your enemy lines, then yes they will die pretty quickly and the stealth fields won't count for much. However if you actually take the benefit of Infitrate (especially outflanking) then you bring them on into a soft side of the enemy lines. A stealthsuit squad can put out a hell of a lot of firepower and if supported well can make nearby units (i.e. those within about 15") combat ineffective. Units further away, especially heavy weapons, will not easily be able to engage to support the damaged units because of the stealth fields. If they redeploy to gang up on the stealths, then it leaves the rest of your force free to engage on your terms. Also the stealth fields help even the score if nearby damaged units try to rock into CC.

Having said all that (and loving to field Stealthsuits myself) I do think that 360 points is an awful lot for a single unit, especially Tau units which are always rather fragile. I would be inclined to strip out the gun drones and field them as a separate unit. Or aöternatively try to save up for a Hammerhead or another unit of Crisis suits.

+1 for brother Erekose

Your Commander and Bodyguards need some serious trimming. They are way too expensive.

This is what I would do:

HQ

Commander: Shas'el
Fusion Blaster
Plasma Rifle
Shield Generator
HW MT
Two Shield Drones
Bonding Knife

Elites

XV8 unit w/2 (NOT bodyguards)
Fusion blaster
Plasma Rifles
Multi-Trackers

Points - 266 (for all together)

That saves you 140 points right there! And the unit is almost the same. There is no way the extra stuff you got is worth 140 imho.