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.

Hey Dakka, I've recently become interested in putting my Space Marines aside to play a Tau Army. I have not bought any models yet as I do not yet have the money. Before I invest I'd like y'all to critique my list!


**EDITED WITH The BRINGER'S & ASSASSIN'S SUGGESTIONS**


HQ
Shas'el Battlesuit
Plasma Rifle
Missile Pod
Hard Wired Multi-tracker
Shield Generator
Targeting Array
Vectored Retro-Thrusters }



TROOPS
Fire Warrior Team (12)
Team leader


Fire Warrior Team (12)
Team leader



TRANSPORT
Devilfish
multi tracker
Disruption pod
Smart missile system
Targeting Array




FAST ATTACK
Pathfinders
Team leader




HEAVY SUPPORT
Broadside Battlesuit Team (3)
Shas'vre
Hard Wired Multi-tracker
Targeting Array
Air Stabilizing System


Hammerhead Gunship
Rail Gun
Burst Cannon
Multi-Tracker
Disruption Pod
Target Lock





I may have gotten a little carried away with the heavy support, but like most Spesh Muhrines I have a fetish for things that go boom!! I took advantage of the Tau's Targeting array because I need all the help to hit I can get, I have bad dice rolls. I think I may attach the Devilfish to the Pathfinders because they'll need the support more than the Fire Warriors will. I put the Plasma Rifles on the Broadsides because the Smart missiles are heavy weapons and if they need to move they need to still be able to shoot.

If I buy this from Waylandgames.co.uk it'll cost me about $200. Not too bad for a 1000 point army.

So please tell me what you think, be constructive too!

Hi I think you overequipped your comander and also what the hell do you want with a multi tracker if you only have 1 weapon???
Anyway twinlinked burstcanon is bad I normally play my shash'el with PM MP TA and a HW-Multi tracker that is 97 points for a more efficient crisis comander that can take on more infantry than yours and is cappable to deal with heavy infantry and light vehicles.
On the other hand if you equip your devilfish pls give him the full kit to be good.
I also don't think you need plasma on the broadsides it's so expensive and they die easy. if you want them to move and shoot in 1 turn give them a ASS you cant roll that bad that you won't hit with a twinlinked railgun. Also if you plan to field them in a 3 man unit make one a 'vre and give him a hardwired multitracker and HW drone controler + 2 shield drones.
Firewarriors will need the fish more than scouts because they are the ones that can claim the objective and can still shoot after getting out of the tank. With the path finders you want to give markerlightt support anyway.
Also I would suggest you add atleast 2 or 3 Crisis suits equipped with PR MP MT they are good (I think they are called fireknifes not sure :S)

well thats what I would do cut the fire warrior squads a bit down or drop a broadside. Don't know just try it out.

Okay, first thing I'd like to say:

"GET RID OF THOSE PHOTON GRENADES!!!!!"

Okay, Tau die in CC. Period. There is no exception, your fire warriors will die one way or another. What do you hope to accomplish? If anything, your fire warriors (or pathfinders) will last to your turn, and die on your turn, and deny your ability to shoot at the unit that assaulted. To say the least, photon grenades are one of the worst things imaginable for Tau. As you're new, its fine, there's a lot of little stuff like that can happen.

For the Broadsides:

If you go for the TL Plasma Rifles (which I wouldn't suggest), at least get a multi-tracker so you can fire them and the railguns? I wouldn't suggest getting them in the first place as broadsides are supposed to be anti-tank. You will be firing at tanks way across the board out of the range of your plasma rifles, and the broadsides abilities are usually wasted on heavy infantry, though there are exceptions.

I would make your broadsides only have A.S.S., and then a team leader with 2 Shield Drones and a target lock.

Your commander could use some shaving down. You don't need a Multi-Tracker to fire a TL weapon. I would just get rid of all his equipment at give him a Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, and Multi-Tracker.

Often new-er players of Tau see all this shiny equipment, and they just want all of it. As in your case, you loaded out your commander with a bunch of fancy things, but he doesn't really need all of them. For all his equipment, he only had a TL burst cannon. The BC has the strength and AP of your Pulse Rifles, Pulse Carbines, and SMS, and so you don't really need it.

You don't really need a positional relay either. I would go with either iridium armor or a shield generator, preferably the shield generator. Vectored Retro Thrusters are practically pointless for him. You could keep the TA though.


Moving on, Hammerhead looks fine. That's how I always field them.

I would give your devilfish a MT, and also D-pods. I would also give your firewarriors bonding knives.

Isn't that what I said ??? anyway right about thje greanades they are rubbish

assassin wrote:Isn't that what I said ??? anyway right about thje greanades they are rubbish

you ninja'd me.

any time sir

I was gonna use both the Shield Generator and Iridium Armor because it lowers my needed armor roll, and the generator gives me an invulnerable encase of monstrous creatures and such.

There were SOOO many options that I skipped over some good ones like the A.S.S., which is a shame because I am an ass-man... (*crickets chirping*) *Ahem* anyways I definitely appreciate the input. I edited the list.

I'm a naturally paranoid person and so I think of every worst case possible, so at the same time of being aggressive I also want to be able to defend myself. With my Commander I gave him Retro Thrusters so if I'm playing a melee-heavy army and some guy wants to wail on my battlesuit, he can back out of the assault and shoot the attacker from a distance.

Well I will tell you again...
Get a HW multi tracker for the shash'vre broadside or make him a normal one and drop the photon greanades on the pathfinders.
I'm also not a fan of the Iridium armour and shield generator...wait your suit is illegally equipped!
you field 2 hardpoints for weapons and fill the last with Vectored retro-thrusters a multi-tracker a shieldgenerator and a targetting array...
...However you can make the multi-tracker HW what would leave you choosing between unsing the generator TA or vectored retro-thursters.

In the Codex it said I was allowed to take up to 100 points from the Armory.

I'm confused.

Ah ok I see why you are confused.
It says a model that has acces to the armoury may also choose up to 100 points fromthe BATTLESUIT WARGEAR LIST.
that is the point where you have gone wrong. you took additional things from the Battlesuit support system list.
Hope that helps

I would put a bonding knife with your fire warriors, if you don't want to do that, remove the team leader.

I would remove the team leader from the pathfinders.

How many pathfinders are in that unit? Forgive my ignorance. I do not have a crystal ball with me at the moment, and so I have trouble figuring out those kinds of things.

The Bringer wrote:I would put a bonding knife with your fire warriors, if you don't want to do that, remove the team leader.

I would remove the team leader from the pathfinders.

How many pathfinders are in that unit? Forgive my ignorance. I do not have a crystal ball with me at the moment, and so I have trouble figuring out those kinds of things.

Anywhere from 4-8. However the geniuses at GW decided to only have 3 Pathfinders in a box... What kind of fething logic is that?!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

assassin wrote:Ah ok I see why you are confused.
It says a model that has acces to the armoury may also choose up to 100 points fromthe BATTLESUIT WARGEAR LIST.
that is the point where you have gone wrong. you took additional things from the Battlesuit support system list.
Hope that helps

Yes that helped. Thank you!

Its the logic of profit.

Obviously they don't care about what we think, as long as they get money.

I just buy 6 and then proxy 2 converted Tank pilots for the other two. They have these awesome binoculars, so I pretend they are just targeting something with it.

Should I keep them all with the pulse carbine, or choose the option to give three of them pulse rifles?

I think I might buy them in segments, I'll get 500 points of it so I can test play. First I think I'll buy the Commander, 1 fire warrior, 1 pathfinder (4 man team), and the Hammerhead Gunship. I'll get the rest soon after that.

DickBandit wrote:Should I keep them all with the pulse carbine, or choose the option to give three of them pulse rifles?

Always Pulse Rifles. For range and Rapid Fire. Pinning is not that useful in 5e.

DickBandit wrote:I think I might buy them in segments, I'll get 500 points of it so I can test play. First I think I'll buy the Commander, 1 fire warrior, 1 pathfinder (4 man team), and the Hammerhead Gunship. I'll get the rest soon after that.

Get the B-force box. It is actually a good deal.

DickBandit wrote:Broadside Battlesuit Team (3)
Shas'vre
Hard Wired Multi-tracker
Targeting Array
Air Stabilizing System

This is messed up for many reasons. Too many to explain. Try:

B-sides x3 , all with A.s.s.
- Team Leader (*not*vre), Bonded, hwDC, 2 Shield Drones.

The Bringer and Assassin have largely given you good advice, IMHO.

Lastly, don't buy pathfinders in the blisters. Buy a box of Fire Warriors and equip *those* with carbines. Take a piece of the pulse rifle "barrel" that will be left over, cut 'em to length like the pictures of PFs in the codex, and glue 'em to the top of the carbine and bingo! You've got PFs for a lot cheaper! I got picture somewhere ... I'll provide a link shortly ....

I was actually just looking at ideas to convert FW into PFs.
http://advancedtautactica.com/viewtopic.php?t=8293


Oh, believe I know they have given great advice! I really appreciate all the help y'all have given me.

I don't feel like buying the battleforce because I'm not gonna use the Kroot or stealth teams... well yet.

DickBandit wrote:I was actually just looking at ideas to convert FW into PFs.
http://advancedtautactica.com/viewtopic.php?t=8293Oh, believe I know they have given great advice! I really appreciate all the help y'all have given me.

I don't feel like buying the battleforce because I'm not gonna use the Kroot or stealth teams... well yet.

Kroot are useful right off the bat, for the Outflank at least, if not the 'bubble wrap'. I've read tau advice for 5 years now. A lot of people naysay both FWs and kroot. Generally, smarter players know and use the strengths of both. And AdvancedTT.com will have plenty of advice on both.

As for the box? Nevermind the Stealths. You're getting a suit ($22.50), FWs and a d'fish (each are $35). That's the $90 cost of the box right there.

Plus, the kroot would cost another $35. *Then* the stealths? Dude. Even if you drop the kroot and Stealths, you're saving $2.50!!!!

I buy them from Waylandgames, I already save a ton of money there.

But I'll think about it. So much to think of right now! X_X


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I have a like a 2500 point SM army that I might sell to my friend to help finance my Tau army. Think that's a good idea, or should I just keep em? I like my Spess Muhrines, but...

DILEMMA!!