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.

I'll be playing this list at my local hobby shop this Tuesday. I want it to be as close to an all-comers list as possible. Here's what I came up with:

HQ:
Shas'el
-Plasma Rifle
-Missile Pod
-Targeting Array
-HW Multi-Tracker


Elites:
2 Shas'ui Crisis Suits (to be joined by HQ)
-Plasma Rifle
-Missile Pod
-Multi-Tracker

3 Shas'ui Crisis Suits
-TL Missile Pod
-Flamer
-Team Leader (Bonding Knife)


Troops:
9 FWs
-Pulse Rifles
-Devilfish (SMS, Burst Cannon, Disruption Pod, Multi-Tracker, Targeting Array)

9 FWs
-Pulse Rifles
-Devilfish (SMS, Burst Cannon, Disruption Pod, Multi-Tracker, Targeting Array)

10 Kroot
-3 Kroot Hounds


Heavy Support:
2 Broadsides
-TL Railguns
-SMS
-Advanced Stabilization System
-Team Leader (HW Target Lock, HW Drone Controller, Bonding Knife)
-2 Shield Drones
Hammerhead - Railgun, Burst Cannons, Multi-Tracker, Disruption Pod


Total: 1250


Typical Tau tactica: Broadsides and railhead pop tanks, crisis suits pop light armor vehicles and mop up infantry, and FWs score and mop up what the suits can't get.

C&C are always welcome as always!
Thanks in advance!

i would make smaller fw squads, if you play them like i guess: to make warfish scoring. And i dont know about your burst cannon and mp suits i would change to fireknifes.

Okay,

I say this to almost every Tau player, but the biggest thing that I usually ever critique is the Battlesuits.

There are three rules to battlesuits, 1, you almost always should get 2 weapons and a multi-tracker. 2, the two weapon should go well together to maximize effectiveness of the unit. 3, never get upgrade happy.

The deathrain suits are the one exception I can think of to rule 1.

The only layout I really have a problem with is your commander and your BC/MP suits.

Burst Cannons don't really go with missile pods. Likewise, AFP doesn't really go with missile pods either.

I would either make your commander AFP and CIB, or MP/PR, or PR/FB. I would change your crisis suit unit to have MP/PR, or BC/Flamer.

Burst Cannons and Missile pods don't go incredibly well together, they work, just not really well. You could keep your BC/MP suits the same, I wouldn't advise it, unless you know exactly your opponent.

I think your troops are fine, I wouldn't make them any smaller than they are.

Your broadsides look fine.

Bottom line, change commander, and I would suggest changing the BC/MP suits.

Good list beyond that

The reason I took the Missile Pods on my HQ and the two suits was because I figured they could help pop light armor as well as pick at infantry squads while closing the gap.

I'm really worried I won't have enough anti-MEQ, though. I had the 2 suits as fireknives originally, but I figured with the HQ joining them and his weapon layout I should switch their purpose around a bit. Plus the points I saved helped me buy a 3rd Broadside. I haven't tried the suits out yet, though. I should be playing this weekend and I'll let you know how they do. If they die in a horrible fiery accident from assaulting/shooting/being dumb, I'll probably switch them around to fireknives again.

Or if I'm forced to give up that 3rd broadside, what do you guys think of making them Helios?

This is 1250, will armor really be that great a difficulty?

Looking at the local meta, I would even suggest a Railhead in there. I started thinking about the majority of the lists, and I don't think there is really more than 2 or 3 vehicles on average.

You could probably gain a lot from having that Large Blast in there for infantry when needed. Just a thought.

As for everything else, I know nothing about Suit layouts...

The Bringer wrote:The only layout I really have a problem with is your commander and your BC/MP suits.
Burst Cannons don't really go with missile pods. Likewise, AFP doesn't really go with missile pods either.
Bottom line, change commander, and I would suggest changing the BC/MP suits.
Good list beyond that

I disagree, The Bringer. FireStorms and the AfP are all anti-Infantry fun. Having two FSs join an AfP/MP suit is keeping an anti-I focus.

However, firemind, I'd switch things around as T.B. has a point about the HQ and his high BS.

Make one elite unit all FS and then have your HQ be a FireKnife and be joined by a pair of FKs. The HQ's better BS is better utilized with the more focused PR/MP combo. Given the AfP is a template, high BS is kinda wasted on it.

Brothererekose wrote:I disagree, The Bringer. FireStorms and the AfP are all anti-Infantry fun. Having two FSs join an AfP/MP suit is keeping an anti-I focus.

However, firemind, I'd switch things around as T.B. has a point about the HQ and his high BS.

Make one elite unit all FS and then have your HQ be a FireKnife and be joined by a pair of FKs. The HQ's better BS is better utilized with the more focused PR/MP combo. Given the AfP is a template, high BS is kinda wasted on it.

I feel like firestorms are such a waste of potential. If you want anti-infantry, why not just get flamers and burst cannons (granted you have to get close with both...), and if you want to kill heavy infantry, why not MP/PR or PR/FB?

@Bad_Sheep - Thanks for the heads up, hahaha. That definitely makes a HH seem more appealing, now I just have to figure out where to get the points.

@Brothererekose - I've been unsure whether BS counts with the AFP or not. I read the rules on Barrage weapons and this is what it said in the 4th bullet:

"Barrage weapons can fire at a target they cannot see, but if they do this, the BS of the firer makes no difference and the blast marker scatters a full 2D6" if an arrow is rolled on the scatter dice" (32).

This sounds like as long as I can see the target, I can still deduct my BS. Maybe I missed something somewhere. If I can still use my BS, though, should I keep the AFP or should I still switch to a Fireknife?

I believe Brother Erekose is saying it is more worth it to use the higher BS with non-template weapons.

The Bringer wrote:I believe Brother Erekose is saying it is more worth it to use the higher BS with non-template weapons.

Correct, T.B.

"Barrage weapons can fire at a target they cannot see, but if they do this, the BS of the firer makes no difference and the blast marker scatters a full 2D6" if an arrow is rolled on the scatter dice" (32).

firemind wrote:This sounds like as long as I can see the target, I can still deduct my BS. Maybe I missed something somewhere. If I can still use my BS, though, should I keep the AFP or should I still switch to a Fireknife?

I think you've got it right ... RB is in the garage ATM. But, The Bringer has my point; high BS is better utilized on a 'to hit' roll, not a scatter die, LoS or not.

That makes sense. I went ahead and rearranged some stuff:

HQ: Swapped out AFP for PR
Elites: Made 2-man squad Fireknives and made Fireknife squad Firestorms with 'vre that has the AFP.

This puts me at 1250 exactly. Is this good for all-comers now? I'm still worried I won't have enough MEQ. Should I convert the HQ unit to Helios or leave them be? Or should I take out more FWs to turn the Deathrains into Helios?

Mustn't be too bad...hopefully...

I'll be playing this list tomorrow/today, so hopefully it's good...

Updated again.

I played the list at the top tonight against Chaos Space Marines and tied. 1 more turn and I would have won, 2 objectives to 1. I think the Hammerhead was an awesome investment and the 3rd unit of troops, also the fact that they're Kroot, really help.

Any thoughts or suggestions now?

The only problem that i have with tau is that they have no close combat (kroot don't count). I think there are three armies you will have problems with, the first is guard and the second is nids and the third is orks. from previous experience running armies like this is the fact that once you get cought out in the open you are screwed. I would dump maybe one devil fish and fire warrior squad and take pathfinders with no rail rifles (unless you want them) there maker lights make for good support weapons. just make sure your battle suits tie up the enemy untill they get there.

firemind wrote:Updated again.

I played the list at the top tonight against Chaos Space Marines and tied. 1 more turn and I would have won, 2 objectives to 1. I think the Hammerhead was an awesome investment and the 3rd unit of troops, also the fact that they're Kroot, really help.

Any thoughts or suggestions now?

You could save a Team Leader and BK upgrade by splitting up the Deathrains into a pair and a Monat. Those dozen or less points could be:

a kroot
flechettes
almost a FW ...

Firemind, based on what you saw being played, do you think a Ionhead could have preformed better than the hammerhead? If so, that could free you up 30 points to put into kroot or firewarriors.

On another note, I see you live in PA, where exactly in PA do you live?

@Tech Guard - I tried running Pathfinders in this list before, but they only landed 1 markerlight before they got wiped. Granted, I was playing Orks, and there were nob bikerz to boot, but I figured at this point level there are other things I need to field. I may reconsider, though, and take a squad of 4, but I feel like that would be too inefficient. I tried them in a 1500 point list and they worked a LOT better there.

@Brothererekose - Do you think it would be worth the extra KP to split them? As long as they're far enough apart to not be multi-assaulted I guess I'd be alright, I just don't know about putting another KP on the table in case of annihilation. Although I guess I did that with the Kroot, so I dunno, hahaha.

The Bringer - Well, with the match up last night an Ionhead would have helped TONS. I don't know what the other lists are running except the ork one (and we won't go there, hahaha), but I do have an idea of what I'd be playing: Ultramarines, IG, Dark Eldar, Tyranids, Chaos Daemons, Necrons, and BA. Do you think 2 railguns would be sufficient against all of the above? Also, I PMed you.

Those railguns with the combination of your dethrains may be able to take out all the armor.
Also, Ionheads have the ability to take out light armor when needed...

Would your LGS allow you to take to lists and change it depending on the opponent? My gaming group usually doesn't mind unless we are doing a tournament, in which case, you obviously won't be able to change your list.

I don't think that would be a problem. I'll have to ask around. I'm good friends with the guy that runs it and he plays orks, and I know he'll be okay with me changing my list around. I'll have to check and see if the other players are okay with that.

Do you think if they let me change it I should switch between the railgun and ion cannon or should I go back to 3 broadsides and another unit of crisis suits? I'd be giving up the Kroot in that case.

In that case, against orks, railheads are gold, as orks get three saves, 2+, 4+, and 6+.

That 4+ category will be devastated by railheads, and the 2+ category can usually be taken care of by Plasma Rifles and Fusion Blasters. The 6+ category, by pulse rifles, burst cannons, and flamers.

Against orks, I would suggest to keep the railhead, but I think an ionhead would benefit you greatly against all marines and crons. I have 0 experience against DA btw, so I can't tell you anything in that field.