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.

hey, i'm new to 40K and i just started platying a month ago, i built a 1000 point Tau army only to realize they are broken as can be so i'm going to keep playing with the tau and trying to improve, but in the mean time i'd like to win some games so i got the following list. i already have all of the units and really i'm just looking for weapon/wargear and general setup tips. if you feel an HQ other than the one i have is superior, please suggest one, as i wouldn't be opposed to that since they are pretty cheap relatively. thanks in advance guys .
HQ:

Librarian in Term. Armor w/SS null zone and avenger 140

Elites:

5 Assualt term. 4 w/TH+SS, 1 w/LC in Land raider redeemer w/multi-melta and 2 HSM 470

1 Dreadnought w/DCCW, Multimelta, and Heavy Flamer in drop pod 150

1 Dreadnought w/2 TL Auto-cannons 125

Troops:

10 Tactical Marines w/melta bombs, flamer, missile launcher in Rhino 210

10 Tactical Marines w/melta bombs, flamer, missile launcher in Rhino 210

5 scouts w/camo cloaks Missile launcher 100
predator (can't decide how to set it up, would like to use it as a mini tank buster, suggestions would be awesome)

no one? ;_;

If my math is right you got 95 pts to gear up the predator which isn't much. I would drop the scouts, allowing you to get some upgrades on your predator and throw some combi-bolters and power weapons/fists in your tactical squads.
At the 1500pts scale you should be ok with 2 troops, specially if you combat-squad one or both of them.
I don't play a lot of 1500pts games but the land raider seems a bit much for that scale, that would free up quite a few points too, your the rest of your army seems pretty good.

1st, nice screen name

2nd, thanks for the reply.

3rd, i worked my list out a bit. so here is how i have my predator set up (i dropped some extraneous stuff from other units.



HQ:

Librarian in Term. Armor w/SS null zone and avenger 140

Elites:

5 Assualt term. 4 w/TH+SS, 1 w/LC in Land raider redeemer w/multi-melta and HSM 460

1 Dreadnought w/DCCW, Multimelta, and Heavy Flamer in drop pod 150

1 Dreadnought w/2 TL Auto-cannon 125

Troops:

10 Tactical Marines w/melta bombs, flamer, missile launcher in Rhino 210

10 Tactical Marines, flamer, missile launcher in Rhino 205

5 scouts w/camo cloaks 90

predator w/Autocannon and Lascannon Sponsons 120

total 1500.

Solid list imho. Not much else to say. Good job

Da grey Knight wrote:Solid list imho. Not much else to say. Good job

I'm sorry but are you referring to the original list or the revised one?

Hey man - welcome to the hobby.

As for your list, lets have a look...

Hmm...after observing your list I have to ask you - do you feel lucky?

1) Landraider + Terminators at 1500 points is not a very good idea. Properly equiped with terminators and HQ - it is over 1/3 of your points and unfortunately sitll can be quite easily neutralized by any solid all-comers list. In your case immobilised and heck even stunned means that your opponent just disabled 1/3 of your army. Landraiders are good at zone control and work like a good distraction for the rest of your army - unfortunately at 1500 points there is not much of an actual army which can benefit from such a distraction. But hey - fine I presume you already invested in it - so we will try to make it work (but I recommend to expand your list to around 1800 points where LRR+terminators starts to be quite viable choice).

I remember when I started with space marines - I picked redeemer too...just to find out after many games - that in most cases regular TL las raider or crusader would be better. Really only solid advantage I see in the redeemer is that it is 10 points cheaper (another advantage should be 12 model capacity - lascanon raider should have just 10 but thx to the typo in the codex it got unintentionaly buffed to 12...). But I still recommend that you find that out for yourself - try to play with it and simply count how often you actually manage to use flamestorm canons to good effect.

Your current setup is lacking extra armour - it is really necessary, if you really intent to risk land raider at this point level you need to maximise it efficiency as much as possible. Multi-melta is good pick and by HSM you mean what? That ATGM missile and storm-bolter? Drop those - they wount really do you any good. To be able to fire defensive weapons you have to move 6 at max and firing hunter killer missile counts like shooting one weapon - and after moving 12 you should be in range with your TL assault canon anyway or you will be popping smoke so its kinda pointless upgrade.

2) HQ - termi armour + ss may seem like a good upgrade for librarian to keep it alive - unfortunately he still does have just two wounds so that 40 point investment is questionable - also at 1500 points you really have to drop any non-critical upgrade you can if you want to field raider+assault terminators. Drop him to regular, unupgrader librarian and simply cast null-zone from land raider and disembark only if you can get good avenger shot. You can disembark just with your terminators and keep librarian inside - and by remaining in land raider range of your nullzone and psychic hood are considerably increased.

3) Terminators - I recommend going for 5 TH/SS. One LC terminator wont make you anti-horde and for wound allocation he would still be bad pick because of just 5+ invunerable save.

4) Dreadnoughts - autocanon dread is a good pick - even if youre a bit more expensive that in other codexes or dont have a psybolt ammo.

MM+HF dread in pod...well...it can do damage - but you pretty much have just one shot - do you think you will hit? This setup isnt bad - but is usually played with vulkan - so your few shots should be statisticaly more stable. I recommend to switch for another 2xTL autocanon setup or you can also go for TL lascanon + missile launcher - its not very good point wise but its still Str9 and ap2 shot at long range - marines dont have so many of those...

5) Scouts - well they are pretty meh but they can hold objectives decently and sometimes they can manage lucky hit. I imagine that your setup is missile launcher + 4 sniper rifles.

6) Tactical squads - propably biggest weakness of the space marine codex - but unfortunately unless you go for bikes you need them...Okay I guess that you have rhinos from battleforce so you cant switch them for razorbacks. You already have one stable objective holder so at least one tactical squad could be propably played without combat squading -which makes it decent tarpit unit which can ocassionaly benefit from powerfist. Also switching for some melta weapons is recommended.

Okay so one squad is designated as tarpit - second tactical squad should be customised to combat squad in multiple-objective missions - so it shold have long-range heavy weapon and since it is weaker, it should be cheap as possible - standart flamer/missile launcher combination is not a bad choice but if you have points you can without regrets switch it for melta/lascanon.

Also meltabombs are not good - even for point filters - instead of both meltabombs you would do better to take a combi-weapon on a sarge.

7) Predator - 2 setups are viewed ac "competitive". Either Autocanon/2xlascanon or Autocanon/2xHB. IMHO those heavy bolters fares poorly even against light infantry which is most of the time in a cover and since you need to remain stationary to fire everything - 36 range might be a problem sometimes. I personally prefer first variant as more flexible and also it brings few lascanon shots which can be very usefull for dealing with suits/terminators/obliterators/monstrous creatures etc. at long range.


So for inspiration here is one possible list with units that are avaiable to you:

HQ : 100 pts
Librarian - Nullzone, avenger

Troops : 565 pts
Scouts, five dudes - Missile launcher, 4x sniper rifles, camo cloaks

Tactical squad, ten dudes - Powef fist, Combi-melta, Meltagun, Multi-melta, Rhino

Tactical squad, ten dudes - Meltagun, Lascanon, Rhino (Razorback would fit here better - if possible)

Elites : 450 pts
Assault terminators, 5 dudes - 5x TH/SS

Dreadnought - 2x TL Autocanon

Dreadnought - 2x TL Autocanon

Heavy support : 385 pts
Land raider redeemer - Multi-melta, Extra armour

Predator - 2x Lascanon + Autocanon

1500 pts total

thanks for that comprehensive response, i appreciate it.

ok let me address some stuff that i didn't make clear.

1) i know i noobish, but i really want to use terminators, and i just think they're cool as hell so i decided that i wold stick them in a LRR. I haven't built the kit yet and i plan on using magnets so i could use it as a crusader too it that's more viable. i will try to work some extra armor in the re some how, maybe dropping the hunter seeker missile and the meltas

2)i will drop the storm shield to give another vehicle extra armor and keep the libby in the LR like you suggest.

3)DAMN SUPER GLUE~!!! lol

4)i have one of the AOBR dreads so unless someone lets me proxy i'm kind of stuck

5)i have them all with snipers at the moment :/ super glue again...but i'm willing to proxy if people don't mind.

6)my rhinos were in fact boxed razorbacks so i can adjust them in any way i didn't glue this time lol. i didn't get the battle force as i didn't want assault marines and there are no weapon options with the scouts in that box. would you go TL Las on rhino? it looks awfully tempting.

7)i posted a revised list and i actually set it up exactly as you suggest since i didn't have much anti vehicle. success.


thank for the comprehensive reply again.