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Hey there peeps! My first serious 40k list, any improvements that can be made?


HQ: Shas'o Commander
Equipment: Airbursting Frag Projector, Cyclic Ion Blaster, hard-wired multi-tracker, shield generator, stimulant injector, flamer

TOTAL HQ: 144 PTS

TROOPS:

11X FW: including shas'ui with 3 Gun Drones

11X FW: including shas'ui with 3 Gun Drones

TOTAL TROOP: 300 points


ELITES:

XV8 CB team (3X units)
Shas'ui 1 equip: Twin-linked Burst Cannon, Missle Pod, multi-tracker

Shas'ui 2 equip: Burst cannon, twin-linked flamer, multi-tracker

Shas'vre equip: Plasma Rifle, Fusion Blaster, 4 gun drones, hard-wired multi-tracker, targetting array


TOTAL ELITES: 220 Points


HEAVY SUPPORT:

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit
Equipment: Advanced Stabilization System

XV88 Broadside Battlesuit
Equipment: Twin-linked plasma rifles


Hammerhead Gunship
Equipment: Railgun, 2X Burst Cannons, Disruption Pod, Flechette Discharger


TOTAL HEAVY SUPPORT: 335 points




OVERALL: 999 POINTS!!



Please note that my local players like to take tanks, in particular, in my Chaos player vindicators and a lash sorcerer. as well as a mobby/mekky ork player that is all n.n

Oohh first list, eh? Always exciting! Let's see what we have.

First things first, tip that's always given to new Tau list builders. Shas'el instead of a Shas'O, particularly at lower points levels. In this case your Shas'O is over-equipped anyway, so this should have even more of an impact. For the AFP/CIB, pick either one or the other and go with that personally I have barrels of fun with the AFP, but it's all up to you. You want to cut down his cost by removing the flamer, stim injector, and the shield generator is pretty much useless anyway. To specify why, it's more expensive than a shield drone but is less effective. A shield drone will absorb the hit for you even if you fail the save, particularly useful against ID/AP weapons like the lascannon, whereas if you fail that save with your shield generator you're dead anyway... best to take a shield drone if you want an invulnerable.

Fire warriors... fire warriors are pretty bad, really, and imo gun drones are a lot worse XD most people take them down to minimal squads (6 FW) and dump them in a devilfish... you don't have to, but it makes them a lot more likely to survive and they're actually more useful like that. As it stands, at the very least drop the gun drones. Oh and, get some kroot, kroot are excellent troops to absorb an enemy charge, get slaughtered and leave the opponent open for obliteration next turn

Your elites... your elites are very weirdly equipped not going to be particularly effective, really. For starters I don't think you're allowed twin-linked, a weapon AND a multi-tracker, that would take up 4 slots and you only have 3. If your opponents are tank-heavy you generally want to take missile pods galore to deal with the light transports and such, leaving the heavier tank busters free to target the more dangerous vehicles. So, as it is, you'll want either fireknives (Plasma/missile/multi-tracker - seen as the best all-comers suit) or deathrains (TL missile pod, either TA or flamer - best light vehicle killer) in there. Possibly both. Also viable at lower points, imo, is the bladestorm approach... burst cannon/missile pod/multi-tracker. Pretty cheap suit with decent anti-horde potential and can do light anti-vehicle...

Your Hammerhead and first Broadside look fine, but your second one with the plasma rifle upgrade? I think you'd be better off keeping it as a standard suit with an A.S.S. as well and you still haven't filled the mandatory support system slot on him with that setup.


Not a bad first effort, certainly better than my first list just some of the usual beginner mistakes, really, like over-equipping the HQ.

HQ - I agree with

Beregond

I would take the Shas'el because you can save the points unless you really want the BS 5 for the ABF. I would swap the CIB for a plasma rifle. Also you only allowed 3 of either Weapons or Support Systems and I count 4. I would drop the flamer because you will get to close to the enemy with out doing enough to harm them. Also I would pick up a 2 drones with a hard-wired DC which allows you up to 2 drones so you can easily shave one off the fire warrior squads who illegally have more than 2 drones per controller. The Drones allow you to allocate strength 8 or higher weapons protecting your commander from instant death.

Troops - Only suggestion split into 6 man teams make four slots. Lose one Gun drone on each squad to have a legal unit. As i said the DC only allows 2 drones to each controller.

Elites - Note*-Twin Linked count as 2 systems and I have noticed you are using 4 instead of the legal 3 systems, unless they are hard-wired (Which is only available to team leaders and shas'vre suits.) So you can put them as team leads in 3 separate elite slots. I normally run fire-knifes which are missile pod, plasma rifle, multi-tracker. gives you high strength weapons with good range. Also run twin-linked fusion blaster suits for kamikaze tank killers. Here is a good article on the crisis suits. http://www.advancedtautactica.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=14720

Heavy Support - Suggestion you could save points with your broadsides by not using plasma rifles the need to be ranged, but if you do take a multi-tracker so you can throw 3 shots at a unit getting ready to assault you. The Flechette Discharge is not going to do to much for you against assaulting units. I suggest a multi-tracker that allows you to move 12" and fire your railgun. That way you can only be hit on a 6 in close combat. Also target lock can help mow down hordes with your burst cannons while your railgun obliterates larger targets.

Daemonhound63 wrote:As i said the DC only allows 2 drones to each controller.

I didn't see that one, what he said.

Oh, I missed the flechette as well, not really useful on a highly mobile hammerhead anyway but then, they can come in handy.

Ahshran wrote:HQ: Shas'o Commander Airbursting Frag Projector, Cyclic Ion Blaster, hard-wired multi-tracker, shield generator, stimulant injector, flamer

I'd follow Beregond's advice, but also, you don't understand the whole '3' points thing. Equip your suits with 2 guns and the Multi-tracker. Or, for HQs and Team Leaders, 2 guns, Target Array and then a 'hard-wired'MT.

Shield Gen? Take the chance on a Shield Drone instead. Weapons that the Invuln will save against will be STR8 or better, MLs, Meltas, LAsCans, Pfist. All of which Instant Death your XV8. If you find you're spending more than 110 points on the HQ, you've over spent.

Ahshran wrote: 11X FW: including shas'ui with 3 Gun Drones

11X FW: including shas'ui with 3 Gun Drones

Only two drones per Controler. And, just don't take anyway. Bond instead.

Ahshran wrote: XV8 CB team (3X units)
Shas'ui 1 equip: Twin-linked Burst Cannon, Missle Pod, multi-tracker[
Shas'ui 2 equip: Burst cannon, twin-linked flamer, multi-tracker

H2h is bad for your suits, so any gun, flamer or FB that puts 'em in assault range is bad. Go to Advancedtautactica.com for popular and useful load-outs.

And those 'Ui, are they Team Leaders? If not, then they're illegal, having 3 guns and unable to get the hwMT.

Ahshran wrote:Shas'vre equip: Plasma Rifle, Fusion Blaster, 4 gun drones, hard-wired multi-tracker, targetting array

Re-read the codex's drone section on pages 26 thru 29, someplace. Only 2 drones per suit, per Drone Controler. Also, you ought not to ever upgrade to a 'vre. Team Leader is better. 'Vre has no gain for the points, so why pay extra?

Ahshran wrote: XV88 Broadside Battlesuit Advanced Stabilization System
XV88 Broadside Battlesuit Twin-linked plasma rifles

B-sides really need Shield Drones to live for two rounds of shooting. Go with Team Leader, A.s.s., hwDroneControler, 2 SDs, Bonded.

Ahshran wrote: Railgun, 2X Burst Cannons, Disruption Pod, Flechette Discharger

Add MT and toss the Flechettes as 1k games won't have enough enemy troops to assault the tank.

Ahshran wrote:Please note that my local players like to take tanks, in particular, in my Chaos player vindicators and a lash sorcerer. as well as a mobby/mekky ork player that is all n.n

Given this, you need to buy transports for your FWs, otherwise, they get lashed into a fire zone.

Thanks all, i didn't see that 2 drones per controller thing -_- silly mistake on my part. tha second BS has a A.S.S. as well, just 4got it copying it off paper XD

In all seriousness my hammerhead NEEDS the flechette dis. as my local ork player likes to rock up in trukks and powerklaw vehicles into oblivion :L

@brothererekose didnt think of that ._. silly me, especially as LIAM takes khorne beserkers. I'll tidy it up tomorrow and post it again n.n