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.

Now that I have my new fancy Tau Codex, I have been wondering what the best build for them. Basically I want the list that Mauleed or Yakface would build for them. I plan on this list to be my showcase army so I want to make sure each unit I paint will be worth the time I spend on them. So any help would be great.

Mauleed's building a list here:

But he although a veteran of 40K, is another newcomer to Tau.

my 1500 tourny list would be:

shas'el, TA, MP, PR, MT - 97 = standard fireknife, bs5. i expect to see loads of these
shas'el, TA, MP, PR, MT - 97

3 fireknifes, 2 shield drones - 221
3 fireknifes, 2 shield drones - 221
4 stealth - 120

6 firewarriors
10 kroot

hammerhead, rail sms, MT TL DL DP - 185
hammerhead, rail sms, MT TL DL DP - 185
hammerhead, rail sms, MT TL DL DP - 185

thats a pretty solid core of 1441. i've been chewing over the last 59 pts, i think its best spent on a deathrain bodyguard for one of the shas'els, with bs4 for 58. also considering moving the elites around, i think units of 2+2 suit and drones are nicer to use but less efficient, meh i dont really have the slots for it unless i want to go heavier on bodyguard.

also, imo crisis have now surpassed stealths. the UK metagame is such that they're currently better anyway imo, and in the new codex they're cheaper and shield drones work. reason there's still the 4-man stealth unit here is for the flexbility, scoring, range, volume of shots, infiltrate, but mainly cos i dont know if i'd be able to fit 5 units of crisis jumping back behind the same bit of terrain... stealths let me put points into units that can operate in different location to crisis so there's not the same pressure on the small bits of protection.

In a no comp enviroment, you should be fine. But around here where comp still matters your min troop will get you sunk.

I'm torn between 3 fireknife suits with 2 drones, and 3 TLPR or TLMP suits with 6 drones. I think he 6 drones would be a whole lot tougher, giving you a really nasty unit full of pain.

2 drones is easy to kill, and with 3 suits you're not gonna be able to hide as easily.

But I think that looks pretty nasty spook

at 1850 i'd have to add troops unfortunatly anyway, which is more comp.

to the 1441 core:
FW squad increase to 10-man (40) and add devilfish (95)
stealth squad increase to 6-man full size (60)

214 pts spare now.
either a pathfinder unit (6 guys, shas'ui, 120pt SMS fish, 12 pts spare) or more kroot (3 units of 10, 4 pts spare)

3 twinlinked suits with 6 shield drones? aieee
at 255 pts for 4.5 or 2.25 plasma hits... its a 9 model "unit of huge"
drones count for going below half, and taking 25% casuality checks, so you still can't duke it out in the open. so i think its a bit unwieldy. 3+2 suffers a bit from this already, 3+6 is not that practical imo.

if you use gundrones instead:

-you cut ur range by 6", as you'd want the carbines to fire
+get an extra 0.74 marine kills and could pin,
+benefit loads from a markerlight to guide,
-(although twinlinked weapons like this whole unit would be, benefit less from markers than single guns do)
+save 30 pts
-dont get the shield drone benefit of them gaining the units toughness and save, so this unit is T3, 4+ armour majority.
-don't have an invulnerable save
-get owned by templates, hellhound, ordnance etc etc

I think shield drones would be ideal of course. And with 3 + 2 you're already screwed for maneuvering. I've tried it and it's extremely difficult.

With 6 drones you can definitely duke it out in the open. I was doing some math and figured it would take 3 falcons firing with all 3 guns around 3 turns to kill just your 6 drones. A heavy bolter devsquad with 4 guns will not even kill two in a turn of firing. It'd take some pretty serious focus firing to even kill the drones in a turn, and when they're JSJing it's much worse.

A quarter casualty test is not the end of the world, and you'll suffer it for 2 drones in your unit anyway, so who cares?

I'd rather play it safe and go all-shields if I was going to bother them, or use smaller squads and no shields. 2 crisis fireknife suits is much, much better than your unit of 3 with shield drones in my book. easier to hide and you've gotta kill them both.