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Mark'O tactic seems like the only way i can ever use my markerlights since drones are relentless (Jetpacks are relentless by default) and can move/fire markerlights. Even without the BS5 from the commander, its still better because they also get to thrust move afterwords to duck into cover. However i dont have THAT many drones, and i do have pathfinders....how do you use them properly?

I just seem to never have any effect with them. Are they even worth bringing, since marker drone groups are only 3pts more per model?
Also theres the side-effect of drones never deny or score, which would suck if i get Scouring since theyre still worth kill points but cannot cap

You could try to run multiple redundant markerlight sources. Park a medium size Pathfinder squad in your deployment in cover while the drones jump around.

I'm certainly not an expert, but I always try to line up my pathfinders at the edge of my deployment zone, then scout move them into some area terrain. The reduced armor really hurts, but at least defensive grenades can give them some good use of area terrain if the enemy gets close.

I take two 6 man pathfinder squads with a pulse accelerator drone, but then again I also have an Ethereal in my list so the pathfinders can unload lots of shots into people when they get too close. I really don't think the drone is worth it, but again with the ethereal it might justify itself.

I think that for me pathfinders might end up turning into a way to outflank heavy weapons. There's no reason to take the weapons in a markerlight squad because if you're lighting something up with pathfinders then you're probably going to put a serious hurting on it that turn anyway.

There's also the option of a missile pod crisis team with 6 marker drones. You can put a drone controller on a suit. I like my C&C node there as well, it's basically BS4.5 markerlights, and you don't have to waste your commander.

If you could equip the whole unit with the special guns, i'd be outflanking with Railrifles every game. But you cant, and like you said its pointless otherwise.
I really dislike having "diversity" in my units. +1 strength or ap is different, but when it doesnt even want the same target anymore....no thanks.

Really wish markerlights werent heavy...which makes NO SENSE whatsoever. Probably just going to head to ebay and find a random blob of gun drones lol.

EDIT: And i thought about that crisis idea but my issue with it is that takes an elite slot. Too priceless to give up for markerlights and a few missile potshots. FA slot is pretty much useless except for markerlights.

I'd disagree about fast attack, but only if you have forgeworld access. The Forgeworld flier is actually pretty good, and it's fast attack. The XV9 suits are fast attack too (inexplicably). The piranhas really aren't that great anymore, and vespids will forever be "that one unit I really want to play but can't justify putting in my list".

I plan on squeezing one of the fliers in my list just because I love the model. At that point my fast attack would probably be 2 marker drone squads (my commander in one) and the flier.

What do you spend your elite slots on if I may ask? I've found that missile crisis suits are much less attractive now that str 7 ap 4 can be had on broadsides in massive overabundance.

For elites I generally run one riptide (just because I'd feel dirty playing more than one) and two individual bladestorm crisis suits with gun drones (plasma/burst cannon and leave the third slot empty since drone controllers and multi trackers are built in now). If you deep strike well and get a little lucky that suit can pay for itself pretty well, and the value of deep striking in the backfield is nice.

If you are going to use Pathfinders for markers, don't Scout them towards the enemy. I see a lot of people suggesting that and it's just silly. Their Markerlights have sufficient range to stay in the relative safety of your own DZ and still flag targets. They are such fragile targets that it makes for an easy First Blood target when they are presented as an opportunity.

That being said, pair a Pathfinder unit up with another unit. If you're running Broadsides, pair them up with the Broadsides so they can mark targets specifically for that squad. Make sure they are close enough to each other that they compliment each other too. It doesn't do any good if you're marking targets that are out of the Missilesides 36" max range.

I've been running squads in units of 6-8 with decent success. Depending on the target, you want 3-4 markers to hit (2 for the 2+ to BS, and 2 to ignore cover) and in my experience I wasn't getting enough hits with minimum squads. Sometimes you're going to hit with 7-8, but sometime you're going to hit with 1-2. The larger the unit, the more consistent your markers will be.

I also keep my squads naked. If I have the points, I'll bond them, but that's it. Pulse drones only help if I'm planning on shooting the carbine (which I almost never do). The only way I would ever take rifles is if I went with minimum squads and gave them all rifles. It would change their role dramatically, which is an interesting idea. I'm toying around with the idea of 2 squads of Pathfinders, one to sync with my Missilesides and one with Rail Rifles to hide somewhere and snipe TEQ. Sounds okay on paper but I haven't tried it yet.

Biophysical wrote:
There's also the option of a missile pod crisis team with 6 marker drones. You can put a drone controller on a suit. I like my C&C node there as well, it's basically BS4.5 markerlights, and you don't have to waste your commander.

I personally use fusion guns with multi-trackers (I like the unit to be a threat that uses its mobility.. + I do missile pods via broadsides.

Crisis Suit Drone Hit Squad (CSDHS..or DHS?)

Call me dumb/ruthless/incompetent...but I see every non-troops choice on the table as just another layer of bubblewrap the enemy has to get through before they get to my scoring units/warlord. It just so happens that some units are very effective bubble wrap.

That's why I put my pathfinders in front.

Considering tau have none of this "May take X as a troop choice" and our troops are utter garbage, i can see why youre protecting them. Its the first thing my CSM opponent goes for with his hellchicken, he completely ignores everything and tries to wipe out my troops with it. Even if it comes in late and i got a plasma suit in his side of the field, he goes for the troops for some reason.

My elites are usually 1 Riptide with Ion Accelerator/TL Fusion/Interceptor (if i have points, skyfire otherwise nothing else) and 2x 3 Crisis teams with plasmas and adv target systems (they never last more than 2 turns IF that, and i like the 12 chances of sniping possibilities).
The elites i have always perform damn well, its my heavy that always suffers because my markerlights just cannot support them when i never hit anything. Tempted to just try 2-3 Riptides and 2 Ionheads since the Ionheads arent as markerlight dependent and my main issue with missilesides is i ALWAYS have this gap on the table they need to cross to be able to hit anything vs lascannon spammers, but cant without being in the open for a turn.