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Edit: list edited.

HQ:
Commander (145)
-Shas'el w/ PR, MP, MT, HW TL, Iridium Armor, HW BSF, HW DC, 2x SD

Elites:
Crisis Team (211)
-1x Team Leader w/ FB, PR, MT, HW DC, 1x GD
-2x Shas'ui w/ FB, PR, MT
Crisis Team (125)
-1x Team Leader w/ BC, MP, MT, HW DC, 1x GD
-1x Shas'ui w/ BC, MP, MT
Crisis Team (104)
-1x Shas'ui w/ TL MP, DC, 1x SD
-1x Shas'ui w/ TL MP, BSF

Troops:
Firewarrior Team (100)
-10x Firewarriors
Firewarrior Team (100)
-10x Firewarriors
Kroot Carnivore Squad (77)
-11x Kroot Carnivores

Fast Attack:
Tau Pathfinder Team (145)
-5x Pathfinders
-Devilfish with Disruption Pod
Tau Pathfinder Team (145)
-5x Pathfinders
-Devilfish with Disruption Pod

Heavy Support:
Broadside Battlesuit Team (198)
-Team Leader w/ ASS, HW BSF, HW TL HW DC, 2x SD
-Shas'ui w/ ASS
Broadside Battlesuit Team (85)
-Shas'ui w/ DC, 1x SD
Broadside Battlesuit Team (85)
-Shas'ui w/ DC, 1x SD


Thanks to the new Disruption Pod rules, the Devilfish are more along the lines of huge mobile barriers than simply transports. I can shoot my weapons then flat out to block LOS to my units, giving the DFish a 2+ cover save for anyone more than 1' away. It makes the "tax" on pathfinders much more palatable and so I'm willing to take two small teams of 5 rather than a single larger team. The big concern I have with this list is lack of scoring units. I hope that hiding them in a 2+ save DFish or the Shield'El can keep my troops alive should I ever begin to worry about them being taken out. One other thing that concerns me with this list is TEQ. I don't have a whole lot of AP1-2 to deal with them. Ideas?
.

HQ- The TL supposed to be a TA? If you go for an 'El I would deffo go for an array!

Personally I just dont like MPs and BCs together. I have used them. In fact whilst writing this I convinced myself to like them. AT least you always get 2 shots from the MP. I was going to say BC/PR are nice for your anti troop crisis suits choice.
This would also give you your anti TEQ. You wouldnt need a BSF on PR/BC suits either. Might be nice but not need.

For more troops. Get rid of the Kroot. What do you use them for? Infiltrate and harass and meat shielding. In other words a distraction. Which you already have plenty of with Devilfish. I do like one unit of kroot. But I tend to choose between them or Piranhas/Devilfish.

I would also get rid of the Gun drones. JSJ into cover should keep you alive enough. That will give 4 more FWs. Also their 18" range doesnt suit the MPs.

Maybe get rid of one Broadside. That would be another set of troops.

This is my personal Fielding beliefs - 1Troop of FWs per 500 points, then +1 (1500 = 4 FW teams)
One team of two broadsides and a Hammerhead for my Heavy choices.

I then Set up my army around that. Hammer heads are very durable now, and will probably draw more attention. But I do prefer to field More than one vehicle. So 1 Hammerhead and 2 Fish.
Maybe take out A squad of pathfinders and realocate the points to another FW team. Loose some marker lights. But Get your Tp choices up. FWs ruuuuullleeee.

its a nice list to be honest. And I think now all the criticism is alot to do with personal touches.
Which I seem to have alot of haha.

Will your commander be solo or attached?
You could save some points by attaching him to your death rain squad so they can take more gun drones or even flamers.
If you feel comfortable with it and play well with cover you could shave off points with the iridium armor

Personally I don’t like target locks on anything other than broadsides but that’s just my style.

Also (Im trying to get better with it as well) with the pathfinders reroll scatter it might be worth it to take danger close units of deep striking Helios to take care of them pesky 2+ saves or vehicles incase your broadsides fail. Speaking of broadsides why run 2 ,1 ,1 with target locks back you could take a squad of 3 and maybe a hammer head which you could also use as screening mobile fire with dpods (av13 3+ saves? Yes please) and delicious pie plates.

I run 2-1-1 Broadsides because I have the slots and it saves the most points. I will always have at least 1 Shield Drone per broadside, so those squads of 1 are the absolute cheapest they can possibly be. The squad of 2 is also mobile, so it can fire at whatever doesn't waste that second shot.

The target lock (not target array, there are two squads of pathfinders here I don't think I need it) on the Shas'El is because he jumps from unit to unit. He doesn't play a specific offensive role, but rather a defensive one. I would prefer him to have a fireknife configuration as that's the best jack-of-all trades, but I couldn't find the points for it. Firestorms (BC/MP/MT) have really done well for me, but again I haven't faced much MEQ.

Honestly I'm a big fan of kroot now. Infiltrating to a forward position and then going to ground to draw fire is pretty amazing. 70 points for 10 bodies with a 3+ (gone to ground) save that if they don't pay attention to can claim objectives or assault seems worth it to me.

One of the big problems I have with my Suit heavy lists are instant death, which is why I always have drones with my suits. I know Shield Drones make much more sense in the Deathrain squad, but I didn't want to take out another firewarrior to fit them in. The FW squads were originally supposed to be units of 10 with a Team Leader for LD, but I needed the 40 points to fit in something else.


I really do like the idea of dropping in Helios to dear with MEQ/TEQ with the help of the Pathfinder Fish. Honestly I didn't do it because I was told you cannot jet pack move away after deep striking, but now that I know you can I'm definitely going for it. Consider those 2 Fireknives changed to Helios.

Would going down to 3 broadsides at 1500 points really be wise? I don't want to lose out on my Anti-Tank firepower. Plus the ability to ID problem units like Paladins or even HQs really helps.

I changed a few things around. There's 1 suit less in the list, but I think the overall firepower goes up. I basically traded a deathrain suit and a firestorm suit to make my commander a fireknife and to add in another helios and 2 firewarriors. I think it's the right trade.

I like it.

I'm not a fan of Kroot myself - out of the 10 games I've played them, they've helped twice. Both times as cheap objective holders who basically went to ground the whole time. But, that's my experience and it's not universal.

Love your mix of suits. Don't be afraid to Deep Strike with them, especially your Helios and Firestorm teams - opponents hate it when "gunline Tau" are suddenly hammering their vehicles from behind. You've got plenty of fusion, I wouldn't worry about dropping a Broadside if you have to.

You might consider dropping one Broadside and the Kroot, and adding a 3rd FW team. Have that, Broadsides, and Pathfinders camping your deployment zone, potentially with your DRs assisting depending on your opponent. Use the two DF'd FW teams and the rest of your suits to rain mobile havoc on your opponent - using your Fish to flat out and provide mobile cover for your suits can be incredibly frustrating to your opponent.

And yes, you can Thrust Move in the Assault Phase after Deep Striking. Anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong.