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Hey all,

Working on my third army, decided to round off with some Tau. Here's a basic list I hammered out, need some C&C before I buy some models(though I might wait on the minis if the Tau Codex rumors are pervasive...this last years rumors seemed pretty accurate!)

HQ
Commander Shadowsun

Elites
3x Crisis w/ 3x Missile Pods, 3x Multi Trackers, 2x Burst Cannons, 1x Cyclic Ion Blaster
3x Crisis w/ 3x Missile Pods, 3x Multi Trackers, 2x Burst Cannons, 1x Airbursting Fragmentation Launcher

Troops
10x Fire Warriors w/ Bonding Knife, 2x Gundrones, Markerlight, Transport: Devilfish w/ 2x Missiles & SMS
10x Fire Warriors w/ Bonding Knife, 2x Gundrones, Markerlight, Transport: Devilfish w/ 2x Missiles & SMS

Fast Attack
5x Pathfinders, Transport: Devilfish w/ 2x Missiles, Multi Tracker, SMS

Heavy Support
1x Broadside
1x Broadside
1x Broadside

Idea is to scream forward with APCs and take control of the center of the map, hopefully taking control of at least 2 objectives. The Broadsides, each being their own unit, can fan out over a large area, hopefully cutting down lanes of approach. The Crisis can be deep-striked, if needbe.

Thoughts/comments/flames?

Ok, this might sound a bit harsh, and you have a good overall concept, but you are fielding units wrong for the job you want them to do, this sounds like alot but in fact its mostly wargear choices and setup, using mostly the same models.
you are mixing things that do not blend well, and leaving out things that are pretty much a requirement, but the unit choices themselves are solid.

A mechamical issue is that the CiB and AFL can only be taken by suits with allowance to use special-issue gear, not normal suits. (pretty much shas'vre and above)

On to the troops-a firewarrior team is either a gunliner with 12 man and markerlight, or an agrro-transport (either 12 man or 10 man 2 drone, personal flavor), having both is wasteful.
Bounding knifes are not needed in 6th edition any more.

Your devilfish are set up wrong, first is that missile are a waste, too weak for cost. second is that a disruption pod is a MUST, its just too strong to give up. third is that if a devilfish has a SMS, you TAKE a targeting array and a multi-tracker on it, as it will turn it into a real gunship.

Shadowsun in ineffective if unsupported by other close-combat suits or used in the "suicide ethereal" list, consider switching to a regular HQ, they can be much cheaper and verstile enough to fill out any holes in your army. r'alay is also great if you got forgeworld.

On to the broadsides, take them in a team of 3, give 2 of them target locks and the third a drone controler and shield drones and part them somewhere high that they got a clear line of fire to as much as possible, its just safer that way, and makes better use of markerlights when you want to focus down heavy armor.

Now for general list issue-you lack anti-marine and anti-terminator weapons, and in 1500 you will see ALOT of both.
You also dont have much troops, just 24 firewarrios in 1500 points will have a hard time holding objectives.

Personally I DONT like pathfinders, but they are good in some people's vision. personal taste more then actual mathammer (nigh-impossible to math markerlight effectiveness), however if you can get forgeworld then a squad of 2 tetras would be cheaper and much more effective. the tetra is the unquetionable queen of markerlights with the new FAQ. (new disruption pod rules make them silly hard to gun down, and being fast skimmer its very hard to chatch them for melee)

I am using an alternate computer ATM, so I cant calculate you the point cost, but a more well-rounded version of your list will be something like:

HQ
Shas'el w/ Fusion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Targeting Array, Hard-wired Multi-Tracker
2x Crisis Bodyguard w/ 2x Fusion Blaster, 2x Targeting Array, 2x Plasma Rifle, 2x Hard-wired Multi-tracker.

Elites
3x Crisis w/ 3x Missile Pods, 3x Multi Trackers, 3x Burst Cannons


Troops
10x Fire Warriors (one 'ui), 2x Gundrones, Transport: Devilfish w/ DP, TA, MT, SMS
10x Fire Warriors (one 'ui), 2x Gundrones, Transport: Devilfish w/ DP, TA, MT, SMS

Fast Attack
2x Tetra /w 2x TA, x1 TL (the DP is built-in)

Heavy Support
3x Broadside w/ 2x target lock, 1x drone controller, 2x shield drone.

This might be slightly over 1500, but I dont have a codex on me so I can't check prices. but it should be around right, probably even a bit lower then 1500 so you can shove in a bit more units.
Still light on troops, but packs much more anti-marine and anti-terminator power, the command squad liturally decimated them (from experiance)
The reason you take a 'ui for your FW teams is more for the LD bonus then anything else, the LD bonus is a gamechanger at times, as the squishy guys need every point of LD they can get.