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HQ
Shas'el, plasma rifle, missle pods, targeting array, HW multi-tracker


ELITES
2 crisis suits.
twin-linked missle pods, targeting array
twin-linked missle pods, targeting array, HW blacksun filter

2 crisis suits.
plasma rifle, missle pods, targeting array, HW multi-tracker
plasma rifle, missle pods, targeting array, HW multi-tracker, blacksun filter


TROOPS
12 fire warriors, shas'ui, bonding knife.
devilfish, SMS, targeting aray, multi-tracker, disruption pods.

12 fire warriors, shas'ui, bonding knife.
devilfish, SMS, targeting aray, multi-tracker, disruption pods.

6 fire warriors
devilfish, disruption pods.

6 fire warriors

FAST ATTACK
6 pathfinders
devilfish, Disruption pods.


HEAVY SUPPORT
3 broadsides, all with targeting array

hammerhead, multi-tracker, disruption pod.
2 burst cannons

hammerhead, multi-tracker, disruption pod.
2 burst cannons

Im a little curious as to why you have the blacksun filter, are you and your friends doing a night campaign?

Crisis suits can't have hardwired options unless they are team leaders.

Crisis teams are illegal only team leaders can take hardwired systems.

You don't need that many fire warrior teams. 2 is enough.

Get more pathfinders and make the 2 warfish theirs saving you 290 points (minus whatever you spend on extra pathfiners, personally I'd get 4 more so you have 2 teams of 5, which would still leave 242 more points for extra fire power).

Heavy support is good but I'd tweak it. I'd consider target locks and/or flechettes on the Hammerheads. I'd go for ASS on the Broadsides just encase. It also really helps in DoW.

Then shove the rest of the points into more Crisis suits. I'd consider even dropping the 2 firewarrior squads down to min 6 man squads to hide in the fish. That gives you another 150 points for more yet Crisis suits.

+1 to Flingitnow.

I don't have anything to add or change from what he says.

For crisis suit configurations, check out the link in my sig. It has some very interesting results I'd suggest all Tau players to read.

taking in some suggestions, I redid the list.


HQ
shas'el
plasma rifle, missle pods, HW multi-tracker, targeting array, HW drone controller
2 shield drones.

ELITES
3 crisis suits
team leader: plasma rifle, missle pods, HW multi-tracker, targeting array
plasma rifle, missle pods, multi-tracker
plasma rifle, missle pods, multi-tracker

3 crisis suits.
all with twin linked missle pods and targeting arrays.

3 crisis suits.
plasma rifle, burst cannon, multi tracker on all.


TROOPS
12 fire warriors, shas'ui with bonding knife.

12 fire warriors, shas'ui with bonding knife.


FAST ATTACK

5 path finders
devil fish wth SMS, targeting array, multi-tracker, disruption pods.

5 path finders
devil fish wth SMS, targeting array, multi-tracker, disruption pods.


HEAVY SUPPORT
3 broadsides, ASS.

hammerhead, railgun, 2 burst cannons, D pods, target lock, multi tacker.

hammerhead, railgun, 2 burst cannons, D pods, target lock, multi tacker.

I love the second list. Good stuff. And thanks for giving my thread some props The Bringer!

Thanks, how do you think this list would do in a competitive environment?

woodbok wrote:Thanks, how do you think this list would do in a competitive environment?

You have too few troops for the RTT scene I've been in for a while, even Bonded, in Warfish. At 1750, 3 to 4 units of troops would be good for the various objective based missions that come up. Sometimes the tertiary objectives are like "kill all enemy troop units for a bonus" and you're thin there.. And lacking piranha, you don't have eldar/DE/Land Speeder speed to contest objectives at the last minute. Gonna be hard to win those missions.

The last time I knew that a tau list won, was with only 4 guys for the whole day. Tau out-shot the IG player, pantsed the nOOb who walked into the store and borrowed an army from a red-shirt, and he beat me, too. Popped my rhinos and my K'Sarrao Khan/Outflank in a LRC with Termies tactic didn't One-Trick-Pony like it was supposed to (this was early in 5e).

Be sure to deploy on the back edge versus DE & BA StormRaven/Dread armies, for their alpha-strike reach is long. Alpha-Striking/Scout Move Deff Koptas are unavoidable, unless you Reserve your HHs and FWs (because one DK can eat a dozen disembarked FWs Turn 1). Without a 'Kroot-loop' / bubble-wrap for the broadsides, they could be neutered Turn 1 as well.

So, last list suggestion, a unit of 'kroot-loops' for bubble-wrap protection.

It is a good tau list, but not hardy enough, for what I've been experiencing. Even, though we're 8 time zones away from each other, and it's the same game, the meta may be quite different than the Los Angeles scene. Where's your local tourney, that is, a GW store? Independent LGS? 10 guys show up? 20? Have you attended and observed the local meta, in Norfolk?

I am thinking about going to throne of skulls this year, and i cant decide wether to buy tau, or go with my other armies

Honestly I do not think you have to few FW for a competitively list at all. But I will agree that kroot would help. The only thing I would re-arange is the heavy support and elite slots. Also I have honestly lost all faith in pathfinders, they seem situational at best. Why shoot something with a gun that cant hurt it, but only make it susceptible to shooting from another unit. So now all your focus has to be on that one unit that has the markerlight token on it. Idk I can see them working, but I just think two is overkill for markerlight stats. especially when instead you can just make most or your units BS 4 with upgrades, instead of getting pathfinders. But as far as what I said about your heavy troops choice I personally just do not see Hammerheads worth the minim 150 points they cost, when you can get 2 twinlinked rail rifles for cheaper than that, who also can take 2 wounds. Basically what I am saying is that broadsides are more effective, especially for the price. Getting them shield drones and giving them a kroot bubble will make them a deadly force that will out live any tank, especially the hammerhead. Plus the hammerhead will almost never fire anything except for its one railgun for pretty much the entire game, where as a 3 man broadside team fires up to 6 railgun shots, b/c they are twin linked. Well thats just my opinion of how the list could be more competitive, not to say you are by any means going to lose every game with the army you have now.

Honestly I do not think you have to few FW for a competitively list at all. But I will agree that kroot would help. The only thing I would re-arange is the heavy support and elite slots. Also I have honestly lost all faith in pathfinders, they seem situational at best. Why shoot something with a gun that cant hurt it, but only make it susceptible to shooting from another unit. So now all your focus has to be on that one unit that has the markerlight token on it. Idk I can see them working, but I just think two is overkill for markerlight stats. especially when instead you can just make most or your units BS 4 with upgrades, instead of getting pathfinders. But as far as what I said about your heavy troops choice I personally just do not see Hammerheads worth the minim 150 points they cost, when you can get 2 twinlinked rail rifles for cheaper than that, who also can take 2 wounds. Basically what I am saying is that broadsides are more effective, especially for the price. Getting them shield drones and giving them a kroot bubble will make them a deadly force that will out live any tank, especially the hammerhead. Plus the hammerhead will almost never fire anything except for its one railgun for pretty much the entire game, where as a 3 man broadside team fires up to 6 railgun shots, b/c they are twin linked. Well thats just my opinion of how the list could be more competitive, not to say you are by any means going to lose every game with the army you have now.

I agree with almost nothing said here except the first part. You don't need too many troops. Though a Kroot screen is always useful in the first turn assault heavy world of 5th Ed where many armies will be assaulting you in turn 1 if they go first.

However markerlights are vital to an army that relies on quality of fire rather than quantity. You can't make Fireknives Bs4 without limiting yourself to HQ choices and paying a huge points premium for it.

Where as Braodsides are ingeneral far mroe vulnerable than hammerheads due to the lack of mobility and by taking a target lock the HH should be firing both guns most turns. Likewise it helps with horde control something the broadsides don't help with. Something that the new GK codex might see a rise in (footlists). Broadsides are awesome but opnce a unit gets hold of them the battle is over for them. Where as the HH should be able to get away and can keep firing until destroyed (due to it not being locked in combat. Going with all broadsides almost forces you down a static gunline route a route that simply isn't remotely viable in 5th Ed.

I have to agree with Flingitnow

Hammerheads are very good for mobile railgun shots. Plus, I find that people attack those the most - which keeps them away from your Broadsides that do most of the killing. Plus, the submunition is great secondary weapon. HH are also pretty decent, toughness-wise, so they can pain in the rear for your enemy.

I used to never take a HH, but I always have one as my third heavy unit

If you equip your broadsides with ASS than they can move and shoot, picking all broadsides does not mean you need a static gun line. You deploy them in cover or away from the rest of your army so your enemy then has to decide whether to go after the broadsides or the other part of your army, the part thats actually mobile. An i never said all broadsides, but I think two hammerheads is a waste. two squads of broadsides is better than 2 squads of hammerheads. Also broadsides come equip with a secondary weapon that can attack horde units to. An if your hammerhead is firing its burst cannon than its more than likely going to be dead on the enemies next turn. Why else would your hammerhead be only 18 inches away from the enemy? Also if you know how to properly screen your broadsides and know how to deploy them you should not have to worry about them getting charged by the enemy and they can continue to fire out more shots per turn than your hammer head will get all game

woodbok wrote:I am thinking about going to throne of skulls this year, and i cant decide wether to buy tau, or go with my other armies

Go with something else. I'm the only guy to bring tau in the last 6 months to the RTTs. Got stomped by BTs & BAs. Since, I switched to Lash/Oblit spam CSM army for a couple of these RTTs.

Sure, a really good player will do well, with any army, if he's great. There's a top-finish guy who did play tau a couple years ago (4e), but he's moved on to other armies.

Since it is still suffering from old 'dex syndrome, half the effectiveness in the game (h2h armies get twice the chance to work their mojo, shooty armies only once a Turn) and the sheer speed that 5e is now? Go with something else.