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.

Hq-248
:Sha'el -TL MP,MT,1x Plasma Rifle,Shield Drone
2x Bodyguard - TL MP,1x Flamer,1xAirbusting Fragm Sistem ,2x MT


Elites

3x Deathrain -141(TL MP,flamer)
Leader,Shield Drone-20

3x Deathrain -141(TL MP,flamer)
Leader,Shield Drone-20

3x Deathrain -141(TL MP,flamer)
Leader,Shield Drone-20


Troops

6x Fire warrior-60

6x Fire warrior-60
Devilfish -Distrupiton pod(4+cover),Multi-tracker(Fast)-95

6x Fire warrior-60
Devilfish -Distrupiton pod(4+cover),Multi-tracker(Fast)-95


Fast Attack

6x Patfinder-72
Devilfish -Distrupiton pod(4+cover),Multi-tracker(Fast)-95

Heavy Support

Hammerhead-railgun,2xburs cannon,-Distrupiton pod(4+cover),Multi-tracker(Fast)-165

3x Broodside-250
Leader,gun drone,1xtarget lock
3xAdvanced Stabilization sistem

2xBroodside-155
gun drone
1xtarget lock

One thing, why are you taking a TL MP and a flamer on your battlesuites? They can only shoot one or the other without the multi-tracker (I think) upgrade.
I would replace the two broadsides with another hammerhead, just adds another tank to the board really.

I've tried 2 brood with a hammer head---doesn't work..2 broodsides are better-2 railguns
also the death rain are the cheapest way to get you MP...and you need them

I agree, two squads Broadsides are waaay more killy. I find that a Hammerhead is a distraction at best (especially against MEQs).

One thing I would recommend, try working some Bladestorms (Plasma/Burst Cannon/Multi) or Fireknives(Plasma/MP/Multi) in the mix. I find that Tau never have enough Plasma

And I would take the Gun Drones off the Broadsides - when are enemy troops going to get close enough to use them?

Fireknives are from 4th. It takes away from the specific role that crisis suits play. I enjoy helios especially with grey knights. Death ratings with a flamer give you a back up weapon for cheap in case hordes great close.

2 hammerheads with 3 broadsides is my preference for the heavy slots. Add some piranhas for movement blocking and alpha strikes with seeker missiles helps against mechanized forces. Drop the devil fish from the fire warrior squads. Split the pathfinders into two squads of 4 or 5. Use the fish for fire warriors. Kroot die easy but are good bubble wrap for tanks and anti Deepstrike deployment.

Lose the body guard. They are way too costly and take away from the rest of the list.

This is a subject close to my heart. I've been refining my Tau list over a few months now. So my thoughts

You need blocking (Kroot and piranhas). If you don't have something to stop the incoming assaults, your broadsides are dead turn 2. "but I have loads of guns to shoot them down before they get there". Yea, but you only have missile pods - you need plasma to down the terminators and the FNP assault troops.

I agree with taking the gun drones off the broadsides. Swap them for shield drones because they take the 2+ armour save from the broadsides for taking the instant death krak missiles.

Best place for plasma - now there's a question. I've settled on fire knives, but to work they need to be BS4. BS3 fire knives are frustrating, mine always miss. You've invested a lot of points in the fire knife and IMHO its worth a little more to make sure they hit stuff. So I run Els with body guards and targeting arrays, and team leaders with targeting arrays (all fire knives). Expensive, but they hit, and hit hard.

The other options are bladestorms (plasma and burst cannon), or plasma on the broadsides. Mathhammer tells us that bladestorms are better at putting down MEQ and TEQ, but you lose the duality of the MP. Not tried plasma on the broadsides. I suspect the difficulty would be that if you shoot the plasma at the assault marines, you can't shoot the rail guns at the vehicles/dreads.

I agree with the 3 broadsides and 2 Railheads. The Raiheads are usually for the large blast templates, rather than the solid slugs, but they are also excellent at surviving until the end of the game and contesting objectives.

IMHO, seeker missiles are not the way to go. You have to hit twice, and you "waste" a marker light hit, that could make your fire knives hit on 2+, or strip cover saves from vehicles being targeted by your railguns.

Also multitrackers on the 'fish - are they really worth it so you can fire 3 St5, BS3 shots after moving 12inches? If they had SMS, then maybe.

For your Deathrain Crisis teams, you could save yourself 27 points by dropping the Team Leader upgrade and Flamer and making the Drone Controller a hard point.

T-L MP, DC, Shield Drone
T-L MP, Flamer
T-L MP, Flamer

It's not a big change but for Tau every point counts.

This is essentially my list except i play 2k
i hate pathfinders so i run fusion piranhas
i run 7-9 broadsides tho

You need something that can kill all the angry marines that will be coming at you once your slag all their wheels. Otherwise you'll just get overrun by stragglers.