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So I've had Tau for a while, but dropped them for Chaos Space Marines for a while. I've recently begun to look at them again, and I made a 1500 point list and I'm looking for constructive criticism on it. Any help would be appreciated. I made this based on having to fight Eldar and Space Marines a good amount.

EDITED LIST:
HQ:
x1 Shas'el, Fusion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Multitracker, H/W Target Lock, Stim. Injector, H/W Drone Controller, x2 Shield Drones-132

Elites: 
x 3 Shas'ui Crisis Suits, Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multitracker-186
x 3 Shas'ui Crisis Suits, Missile Pod, Fusion Blaster, Target Lock- 162

Troops:
x2 Shas'ui, Bonding Knife, H/W Drone Controller, x1 Shield Drone-80
x 20 Shas'la-200
x3 Devilfish, Disruption Pods-255

Fast Attack:
x1 Shas'la Pathfinder-12
x3 Shas'la Pathfinder, Rail Rifle-66

Heavy Support:
x2 Shas'vre Broadsides, Advanced Stabilization Systems,  H/W Target Lock, H/W Drone Controller, Shield Drone- 210
x1 Hammerhead, Ion cannon, Disruption Pods-110

Grand Total: 1413

So I've go 87 points left, what would be good to plug that into?

Let's just start with the list violations...

1. Unless I'm missing something, your Broadsides should cost 110 points each, and be two units (1 B'side and 1 Shield drone). Or they are one unit, with one 'vre (the other being an 'ui). Only the 'vre can bring HW systems and drones. This would put the unit at 190.

2. Crisis suits must fill all three hardpoints. No more, no less. Your Crisis HQ and his bodyguards have only two hardpoints occupied. Just make the MT a hardpoint, not hardwired.

3. Your Elite slot Crisis units should cost a total of 186 points.

4. Unless I did my math wrong, your Skyray loadout is 170 pts. (vehicle Multi-trackers are more expensive than the battlesuit version)


Some general advice:

1. Stay away from Ethereals. The Price of Failure is really too great for what he brings to the table. Similarly, while the extra BS of the Honor Guard are nice, they are just really expensive.

2. At 1500 points, max out your Elite slots with suits before you bring Bodyguards. Paying extra for each bodyguard is not worth it, especially if you are only bringing a Target Lock.

3. Shield drones are nice, but on Crisis suits it should be easy enough to get a cover save from any high S or low AP weapon. Save points by bringing Gun Drones instead -- the 4+ cover save will be equivalent to the Shield Drone's 4++ for the purposes of shooting. I'd suggest the same for your Firewarriors, if you really want extra wounds. Firewarriors are too fragile to position outside of cover.

4. Flechette Dischargers are expensive, and against Marines they usually won't take many (if at all) down. I'd skip these.

5. Skyrays just aren't worth the points (or the heavy slot). For the same cost, you can bring a Hammerhead with a Railgun.

6. Keep the Broadsides separate units, each with a Shield Drone. Drop the Target Locks. Demote them to 'ui or a Team Leader. The extra WS is not worth the cost. If you get assaulted, you usually want to get swept in that turn, as you are then free to turn around and fire at the assaulting unit.

I partially agree with above, with a few extras/changes

1. Devilfish are not a troop choice in and of themselves...they're a dedicated transport. In this listing, unless you're separating your FW into two groups, you can only take one for them, and your Pathfinders MUST take the other one.

2.I do disagree with the shield drone argument...I always take one with my XV8s, since it gives an extra wound to the squad as well as having that 4+ invuln. Gun drones are not really worth the points, IMHO.

3. Skyray just leaves too many chances to miss, as you have to first hit with a markerlight, then roll a 2+ to hit with the seeker missile, THEN roll to wound/penetrate. Additionally, seeker missiles are really only useful against armor, as they have no blast profile for groups of infantry. Go with a HH with an Ion Cannon, since you're rolling with Broadsides to pop armor. The HH railgun blast is great, but you always have that chance of missing by a mile.

4. If you are taking pathfinders against SM, give the group 3 rail rifles (AP3 weapons are always good against SM). Yeah, they're Heavy 1 weapons, but with a 36" range, you can keep them back and have your other Pathfinders hit other units with markerlights (since the Rail Rifles come with a target lock).

Edit: I'm at work, so I don't have point values here...but gimme some time, and I'll give you something concrete.

Thanks for those fixes on the violations and points. I did imagine the Boradsides as seperate units, and the firewarriors would be 2 squads of 11 with a shield drone, and one of the devilfish was meant for the pathfinders.

spectreoneone wrote:
1. Devilfish are not a troop choice in and of themselves...they're a dedicated transport. In this listing, unless you're separating your FW into two groups, you can only take one for them, and your Pathfinders MUST take the other one.

At first I thought there was a mistake as well, but it's just written down a little oddly. There are three units bringing a DF: the 1+ FW unit, the Honor Guard, and the Pathfinders.

spectreoneone wrote:2.I do disagree with the shield drone argument...I always take one with my XV8s, since it gives an extra wound to the squad as well as having that 4+ invuln. Gun drones are not really worth the points, IMHO.

Unless you are leaving your XV8s in the open, the only difference between a Gun Drone and a Shield Drone (against shooting) is that the Shield Drone has a 3+ armor save. On the other hand, the Gun Drone is cheaper and adds (a little) firepower. If you use JSJ to get your suits behind some kind of cover then there's no reason to bring a Shield Drone over a Gun Drone.

If you are running some kind of suicide suits, or planning and hanging around assault range, then by all means spend the extra points on a Shield Drone.

Just my opinion, though I certainly wouldn't fault anyone for bringing Shield Drones!

spectreoneone wrote:4. If you are taking pathfinders against SM, give the group 3 rail rifles (AP3 weapons are always good against SM). Yeah, they're Heavy 1 weapons, but with a 36" range, you can keep them back and have your other Pathfinders hit other units with markerlights (since the Rail Rifles come with a target lock).

I've tried bringing Rail Rifles and I don't think it's ever netted me an MEQ kill. I know people have different opinions on these, though. Personally, I prefer to save points and use him as a markerlight carrier.