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Hey guys, I'm looking into getting a new tau force. i love the models and i really like the aspect of them being tactically challenging. Any advice would be really helpful. Thanks guys.

Commander (shas-el) –twin linked plasma, Airbursting Fragmentation projector, HWDC, HWMT, 2 shield drones

Crisis x3 deathrains: Team Leader-Targettign Array, HW Target Lock, HWDC-1 Marker Drone
- TL Missile Pod, Targetting Array
-TL Missile Pod, Targetting Array

Crisis x3 fire knife: Team Leader- Missile Pod, Plasma rifle, Targeting Array, HWMT, HWDC, shield Drone
-Missile Pod, Plasma rifle, Multi tracker
-Missile Pod, Plasma rifle, Multi tracker

6 Fire Warriors

6 Fire Warriors
Devilfish with disruption pod

Pathfinders 6-bonding knife-Deviflish with disruption pod

3 XV-88 Broadside Battlesuits
- [Team Leader, Target Array, Plasma Rifles, HWMT, HWTL, HWDC + 2 SDs, Bonding]
- [Multi Tracker, Plasma Rifles]
- [Multi Tracker, Plasma Rifles]

3 XV-88 Broadside Battlesuits
- [Team Leader, Target Array, Smart Missile System, HWMT, HWTL, HWDC + 2 SDs, Bonding]
- [Multi Tracker, Smart Missile System]
- [Multi Tracker, Smart Missile System]

The pathfinder devilfish goes with the other fire warrior squad. The only thing I'm really worried about here, (besides the weapons load-out on the suits) is whether i have enough firewarriors to capture any objective. if even one dies I'm screwed against an army with even a couple troop choices.

Thanks

id recommend getting rid of the crisis suit leaders, you dont gain from their upgrade. the drones, especially the marker drone are not worth while points

Okay, i see what you are saying about the crisis suits so i dropped the team leaders. With a little bit of playing around i got this new list. The main change i made besides shuffling around the broadsides into 3 separate units and dropping the plasma, was i dropped a deathrain in exchange for my kroot squad. Now is this worth it or did i hurt my list?

Commander (shas el) –twin linked plasma, airbursting, HWDC, HWMT, 2 shield drones

Crisis x2 deathrains:
- TL Missile Pod, Targeting Array
-TL Missile Pod, Targeting Array

Crisis x3 fire knife:
-Missile Pod, Plasma rifle, Multi tracker
-Missile Pod, Plasma rifle, Multi tracker
-Missile Pod, Plasma rifle, Multi tracker

Standard Static Team: 6 Fire Warriors

Standard Static Team: 6 Fire Warriors
Devilfish with disruption pod

Kroot Warriors x13 + 2 hounds

Pathfinders 5-Deviflish with disruption pod

2 XV-88 Broadside Battlesuits
- [Team Leader, Target Array, Smart Missile System, HWMT, HWTL, HWDC + 2 SDs, Bonding]
- [Multi Tracker, Smart Missile System]

2 XV-88 Broadside Battlesuits
- [Team Leader, Target Array, Smart Missile System, HWMT, HWTL, HWDC + 2 SDs, Bonding]
- [Multi Tracker, Smart Missile System]

2 XV-88 Broadside Battlesuits
- [Team Leader, Target Array, Smart Missile System, HWMT, HWTL, HWDC + 2 SDs, Bonding]
- [Multi Tracker, Smart Missile System]

List looks fine. Although you probably could get away with two teams of two broadsides, and some more XV8's. (Another FK squad?)

Cottonjaw wrote:List looks fine. Although you probably could get away with two teams of two broadsides, and some more XV8's. (Another FK squad?)

+1


Your list is fairly good all around. I would suggest never using marker drones. 3x as expensive as pathfinders? No thank you very much.

Hmmmm, well i love the broadside models, so i wanted to use a lot of them, but they might be overkill after a couple turns, i dunno. I usually play nids, sm, gk, and dark eldar, if that's any help. also, how do you guys deal with having dark eldar speed/dark lances insta killing your suits?

The key to avoiding getting lanced to death is definitely proper utilization of JSJ. On top of that, your priority targets should be DE vehicles, and Deathrains are GREAT at nuking them. If you play against a lot of nids + DE, I might suggest your third elite slot being another Deathrain squad with flamers. They can pew pew the transports, and then torch what's inside later.

For your GK woes, I find Helios configuration suits to be the most effective. Also, make sure you are looking at your terrain, and predicting where he might deepstrike his terminators. A lot of this goes into knowing your opponent (willing to take the dangerous terrain test or not?).

If you like, PM me with an email address, and I'll send you this sweet PDF that I found online a while back with lots of suit configuration ideas/names.

If you’re dealing with insta killing suits, you might have to take shield drones with team leaders. They are the oddly effective way of taking the hits with out the suits popping and with the invon safes they could be used multiple times. You will have lots of trouble against mc with so many broadsides. Take a hammerhead. It costs the about the same as two broadsides and if you take an ion head they are strangely effective against the big guys.

Lastly, never take multi trackers on broadsides. It may look like it but they do nothing. The rulings allow you to use two weapon systems but the twin-linked railguns count as two weapon systems making them useless. I also like the plasma on my suits but that’s personal preference since they tend to get lashed a lot.

+1 what cottonjaw says. alos good stuff

Ledabot wrote:If you’re dealing with insta killing suits, you might have to take shield drones with team leaders. They are the oddly effective way of taking the hits with out the suits popping and with the invon safes they could be used multiple times. You will have lots of trouble against mc with so many broadsides. Take a hammerhead. It costs the about the same as two broadsides and if you take an ion head they are strangely effective against the big guys.

Too points heavy, IMO. I only take Shield Drones on my Commander + Broadside Team Leaders, the most vital/expensive parts of the army. Dumping tons of points into shield drones and elite slot team leader upgrades takes away guns/bodies you could field elsewhere.

i don't see how a rail head would be more effective against mc, its one less railgun that will hit less, i am tempted for the submuntion rounds but that's a different story. unless you mean an ionhead but even then ill be lucky to put two wounds on a mc from it, which is about what im getting form the broadsides. Am i wrong here? i just dont see it, and an armor 13 tank is probably weaker too right?

Lastly, never take multi trackers on broadsides. It may look like it but they do nothing. The rulings allow you to use two weapon systems but the twin-linked railguns count as two weapon systems making them useless. I also like the plasma on my suits but that’s personal preference since they tend to get lashed a lot.

wait is this true? so anything twin linked counts as two weapons? that really is frustrating.

I was going to recommend a railhead for the submunition. It'll definitely hurt any nid that isn't a MC. The ionhead would be effective against MCs, too, but I think the railhead would be better. You have the duality of the solid shot and submunition. Another unit of fireknives or helios wouldn't be a bad choice, either, though.

And yes, it is true. TL weapons count as 2 weapons. Plus Broadsides will either be firing at tanks OR infantry (with their SMS), so even if you could shoot both, I wouldn't recommend it. Targeting Arrays or Advanced Stabilization Systems are the way to go.

Also, in your kroot squad, I would drop the kroot down to 10 and replace them with kroot hounds. They're faster and stronger, so they can get a few swings in before most things you'll be assaulting.

I'm not too sure about your HQ choice, either. If he works for you definitely take him, but he seems unfocused. The AFP is good for light infantry (nids/orks) while the Plasma Rifle is better for MEQs and maybe MCs if you're feeling bold. Maybe consider swapping out one of the weapons to make him more focused, but again, use whatever works for you.

bleedge wrote:wait is this true? so anything twin linked counts as two weapons? that really is frustrating.

It's not. dc92 and firemind have it wrong. That said, firemind does have a good point in that the MT is the least usefull wargear item to give b-sides. A.s.s. is best, then Target Array (for a list without MarkerLights) followed by Target Lock, IMHO.

firemind wrote:And yes, it is true. TL weapons count as 2 weapons.

Not quite; see the first line of "Twin-Linked" in the Rule Book. " ... counts as a single weapon of that type." Therefore, a TL-wep on a Crisis Suits counts as firing *one* weapon. Also, you might look at the parantheses at end of line two of that paragraph "counting as a twin-linked weapon of that type". The single, boldfaced article "A" is the clincher there. One TL wep. The info on line 3 is in regards to the number of hardpoints in equipping.

The MT on a broadside *does* allow you to fire the TL-RG (counting as one wep) and then the SMS or whatever. Ask yourself this: Why would GW write the MT in as a wargear option if it wasn't legal? They do leave gaps and sometimes contradictions in rules, but this isn't one of them. I've seen this question come up for 5 years. Fly it on YMDC is you have doubts.

darkcloud92 wrote:id recommend getting rid of the crisis suit leaders, you dont gain from their upgrade. the drones, especially the marker drone are not worth while points

I know darkcould92's post is a ways up, but DC92, I'd disagree. Giving Team Leader, and thus working in a Target Arrray, gets that suit a better Ballistic Skill and allows for a wee bit of Wound Allocation goofery.

@bleedge, I'd go back to this:

bleedge wrote:Crisis x3 fire knife: Team Leader- Missile Pod, Plasma rifle, Targeting Array, HWMT, HWDC, shield Drone
-Missile Pod, Plasma rifle, Multi tracker
-Missile Pod, Plasma rifle, Multi tracker

... only adding a BK since it'd be worth rallying two suits.

Unless you want to stick with the later incarnations your list has evolved to.

I was thinking that the commander could be a jack of all trades trying to hold up anywhere where I am lacking, but in my current list i feel like that would pretty much always be anti-horde. So would you guys think it better if i swapped out that fusion blaster for either a burst cannon or cyclic ion blaster? I know the CIB has somewhat of a bad rap but i think it might work well in conjunction with the AFP.

I'm definitely going to add more hounds, but I'm still not sold on the rail head. I knwo a lot of people use it but someone would have to make a really convincing case for it because the broadsides just seem better. now i have never played tau before so i could be totally wrong but on paper the broadside just seems a better choice for a couple more points.

bleedge wrote:I was thinking that the commander could be a jack of all trades .

I've found a clear focus is best, anti-I, anti-T or the Fireknife, which oddly fits that between nitch of Armor 2/light transport hitting.

Brothererekose wrote:

bleedge wrote:wait is this true? so anything twin linked counts as two weapons? that really is frustrating.

It's not. dc92 and firemind have it wrong. That said, firemind does have a good point in that the MT is the least usefull wargear item to give b-sides. A.s.s. is best, then Target Array (for a list without MarkerLights) followed by Target Lock, IMHO.

firemind wrote:And yes, it is true. TL weapons count as 2 weapons.

Not quite; see the first line of "Twin-Linked" in the Rule Book. " ... counts as a single weapon of that type." Therefore, a TL-wep on a Crisis Suits counts as firing *one* weapon. Also, you might look at the parantheses at end of line two of that paragraph "counting as a twin-linked weapon of that type". The single, boldfaced article "A" is the clincher there. One TL wep. The info on line 3 is in regards to the number of hardpoints in equipping.

This may be true but pg 25 of tau codex states that "a single mounted weapon counts as a single battlesuit weapon system and a twin linked weapon counts as two." The multi-tracker rulings state that "it enables the model to fire two battlesuit weapon systems in the same turn."

It cant get strighter than that. It dont work

Ledabot wrote:

Brothererekose wrote:

bleedge wrote:wait is this true? so anything twin linked counts as two weapons? that really is frustrating.

It's not. dc92 and firemind have it wrong. That said, firemind does have a good point in that the MT is the least usefull wargear item to give b-sides. A.s.s. is best, then Target Array (for a list without MarkerLights) followed by Target Lock, IMHO.

firemind wrote:And yes, it is true. TL weapons count as 2 weapons.

Not quite; see the first line of "Twin-Linked" in the Rule Book. " ... counts as a single weapon of that type." Therefore, a TL-wep on a Crisis Suits counts as firing *one* weapon. Also, you might look at the parantheses at end of line two of that paragraph "counting as a twin-linked weapon of that type". The single, boldfaced article "A" is the clincher there. One TL wep. The info on line 3 is in regards to the number of hardpoints in equipping.

This may be true but pg 25 of tau codex states that "a single mounted weapon counts as a single battlesuit weapon system and a twin linked weapon counts as two."

Which is for purchasing the weapon, not firing.

Ledabot wrote:The multi-tracker rulings state that "it enables the model to fire two battlesuit weapon systems in the same turn." It cant get strighter than that. It dont work

Fly it on YMDC or AdvancedTauTactica.com. Since you've ignored my citing which line we're talking about on page 25 (you didn't), and you skipped the Rule Book's line on firing Twin-Linked weps, I'll post no further argument, as those citations [sic] "cant get strighter than that."

I will, sorry for being grumpy. Ive been sick all weekend missed a school camp and a party.

Brothererekose wrote:

Ledabot wrote:

Brothererekose wrote:

bleedge wrote:wait is this true? so anything twin linked counts as two weapons? that really is frustrating.

It's not. dc92 and firemind have it wrong. That said, firemind does have a good point in that the MT is the least usefull wargear item to give b-sides. A.s.s. is best, then Target Array (for a list without MarkerLights) followed by Target Lock, IMHO.

firemind wrote:And yes, it is true. TL weapons count as 2 weapons.

Not quite; see the first line of "Twin-Linked" in the Rule Book. " ... counts as a single weapon of that type." Therefore, a TL-wep on a Crisis Suits counts as firing *one* weapon. Also, you might look at the parantheses at end of line two of that paragraph "counting as a twin-linked weapon of that type". The single, boldfaced article "A" is the clincher there. One TL wep. The info on line 3 is in regards to the number of hardpoints in equipping.

This may be true but pg 25 of tau codex states that "a single mounted weapon counts as a single battlesuit weapon system and a twin linked weapon counts as two."

Which is for purchasing the weapon, not firing.

Ledabot wrote:The multi-tracker rulings state that "it enables the model to fire two battlesuit weapon systems in the same turn." It cant get strighter than that. It dont work

Fly it on YMDC or AdvancedTauTactica.com. Since you've ignored my citing which line we're talking about on page 25 (you didn't), and you skipped the Rule Book's line on firing Twin-Linked weps, I'll post no further argument, as those citations [sic] "cant get strighter than that."

actually i never mentioned anything about TL weapons, you must have meant the guy with the pokemon avatar. I was the one who dislikes crisis suit team leaders, at least for anything less than 2000 point battles. anyways let us no what your final decision is on a list bleedge, i completely agree with using broadsides over hammerheads. not saying hammerheads are terrible or way worse, i just find that I can make a broadside team last much longer in most of my games