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Hello all, new comer to the game (been playing a little over a month and a half) and I'm going to take my Tau Army to a local 1750 point tournament in a few weeks. The Army is still a work in progress and I'm planning on buying the remaining pieces this weekend. With that being said anything that has a pound side before it is a model that I still need to purchase. Your feed back is greatly appreciated, and I will try to include the intended role and thoughts behind each unit(s).

HQ:

# - XV8 Commander (122 POINTS) ( I have been using a proxy standard suit) Command and Control Node, Mult- Spectrum Sensor Suite, Neuroweb System Jammer ROLE - force multiplier for both his body guard and the second team of crisis suits that he'll attach to, his two signature systems act as quasi marker lights as the units he's part of and attached too get to re roll failed hits as well as ignores cover.

BODY GUARD (124 points) 2EA Crisis Bodyguard with 2x plasma rifle (not twin linked) ROLE - using the S6 AP2 to shoot anything big that gets close to the boss, as well as using the 24" range to support attacks at advancing heavier forces.


DARK STRIDER (100 points) - Will attach to Pathfinder kill team, see pathfinder kill team for more information

ELITES -

Stealth Team (96 points) - 3 suits all with Burst Cannons, two with Advanced Targeting System ROLE - infiltrate, sit in cover getting +2 cover saves thanks to stealth and shrouded and harass infantry in the open, later on in the game they can also guard objectives or be used as a line breaker type unit. The ATS allows them to choose which models to allocate wounds which comes in hand with SM or other units with mixed weapons squads.

Crisis Team (165 points) - 3 suits all with 2x Missile pods (non twin linked) and Advanced Targeting System. ROLE - These will be joined by the CDR allowing them to put out 12, S7 36" shots that ignore cover and can reroll misses every turn. once again the ATS allows them to choose targerts to allocate wounds too. They also can attempt to glance vehicles up to AV 13.

#Riptide (260 points) - Ion accelerator, Early warning override, twin linked plasma velocity tracker. 2x shielded missile pods ROLE - he will serve as a tool to take out reserves coming onto the table as with his 72" range they will die as well as fliers as he will shoot them with his normal BS. Additionally he will serve as another sources of big fire power and can go NOVA and activate his tempate profile. a secondary option for the CDR to join. As he will reroll any gets hot rolls.

TROOPS -

(100 points) 10 fire warriors with bonding knife ritual ROLE- hold back line and shoot at 30" range or if needed take objectives

(100 points) 10 fire warriors with bonding knife ritual - see above

FAST ATTACK -

pathfinder maker team (120 points) 10 x path finders with bonding knife ritual ROLE sit back and MARK targets

#pathfinder Kill Team (256 points) 7 x path finders, 2 x path finders with rail rifle, 1 path finder with Ion rife, Pulse accelerator drone, + Dark Strider, ROLE - camp shoot and kill from 30" which is greatly increased due to the drone, Dark Strider also gives their target -1 T so it makes this a very dangerous unit on the field. This team could even shoot with its bigger guns and mark with the reset this could work against lighter vehicles allowing initial hits and then letting the Riptide and or Hammerhead to clean up later in the shooting phase.

TRANSPORT - Devil Fish (81 points) black sun filter ROLE - get the kill team or marker team in place then screen them for protection.

HEAVY SUPPORT

Hammerhead with Longstrike (175 points), rail gun with sub-munitions, twin smart missile system. ROLE pop tanks and transports so that my shooters can kill whats inside if need be it can switch to the sub munition for infantry, he really doesn't need marker support as he hits on a 2 and then can re-roll to wound against vehicles thanks to Tank Killer.

Hammerhead (131 points) Rail gun with sub munitions, twin missile system, black sun filter ROLE same as above... Was thinking about the ION cannon in place for main weapons system... thoughts???



well that is 1749 worth of Tau, once again your feedback is encouraged. My concerns are that i'm light on troops, should i get rid of some of the systems and get some Kroot? also not sure to run a railhead or ionhead as my second heavy support!


DOC

Ok ill assume you dont want super competitve advice being as you havent been playing for to long heres my 2 cents.

I tried out a killy pathfinder squad with darkstrider and pathfinders while super fun to play they obliterate somthing then get killed In return their 5+ saves are just to weak your spending over 400points for that squad

Never take drones with riptides all they do is die and make your riptide take a ld test of which he is only ld9 and prob wilo run off the board they are to expensive and just suck. Also I wouldnt take skyfire on an ion riptide on average 3 str 7 bs4 shots isnt even going to kill a dakka jet reliably let alone any of the armor 12 ones. Just take ewo and keep it cheap.

As for the crisis suits im not sure if im correct in thinking that you beleave your commander can join the bodyguard and the crisis team at the same time and buff them both, which he cant the only time you take bodyguard units is when your running a farsight bomb if you want another unit just take another standard crisis team.

The comander should probably take the puretide chip tank hunter or monster hunter is nice to have. Also a nice way to get some more marker lights is take a drone controler on him add some marker drones to the crisis squad and you get some bs5 markerlights you would need to swap target lock for the ats on ur crisis suits though.

Hammerheads are ok not a fan on longstike to expensive for what he does imho but then I tend to fill my heavy support with as many skyrays as I can.

The stealth team is ok they tend to be quite a nuisance.

I would like to second what the above poster has said, A pathfinder team equipped for killing has quite a significant punch, but will quickly dissolve under any kind of return fire.

You also have a distinct lack of troops. I would be very tempted to include a couple of units of kroot, their ability to outflank, combined with acute senses from the hounds means they will turn up pretty much where you want most of the time, and you can guarantee it by having a recon drone in a pathfinder team. You can also use them as a nice and cheap screen should you face a drop pod army

For AA nothing beats a Skyray, they can shoot down pretty much anything, and if the enemy has no fliers, combined with marker lights the seeker missiles have a pretty nasty punch against MEQs and the Skyray can then provide ML support from then on.

I would consider finding some points for a few fusion blasters, having a crisis team able to deepstrike and pop armour is a great idea, especially because long strike, while great, is still only buffing 1 shot a turn. Piranhas are a great buy as well for tank hunting, and stealth teams have the surviveability to get fairly close but they aren't an optimal choice.

Overall I think you have a solid list given you haven't been playing very long. But it could certainly use some tweaking. Exactly what needs tweaking I'm sure you will find out in the tournament, good luck!

Thank you both for the input and advice, if you don't mind a few follow up questions and comments based on your responses.

(1) pertaining to the Pathfinder Kill Team, even with a DF with its AV 12 front screening for them, as my plan was to move the fish out of the way during movement phase and then moving all out in its shooting phase to replace itself in front of the pathfinders giving the DF a 4+ cover save (3+ if i put distribution pods on it) as well covering the Darkstrider kill team, do you still feel that this is a poor allocation of points, this was an idea i had but you both have brought to light the very real problem of the pathfinders longevity or lack there of.

(2) Thanks for the advice on the riptide drones that is something I didn't factor into my decision process, defintley going to free up those 50 points and but them towards something else, say more troops like a kroot squad (60 points)

(3) I checked the rules and my apologies if the CDR is currently joined with the body guard team he CANNOT join another unit, the 2 person basic body guard team doesn't seem to to do much other than confer sworn protector and allow 2 non FOC crisis suits on the field that have access to signature systems. I think that I can get the same plasma power else where so that saves more points to allocate towards troops and other upgrades so once again thank you for the catch also this frees up points for my aforementioned lack of troops.

(4) The drone'o commander is something that i've run in the past and had success i just didn't have the points so perhaps i'll retool the list to add this back into it

(5) Concerns about the skyray is that for 8 points I can add a seeker missile to any vehicle in my army with the sheer number of marker lights i only need 1 to hit a seeker would that not suffice, and my other concern is that once the skyray has shot off its 6 missiles it seems a bit pricey for a twin linked missile system...

(6) for the Fusion Blaster would you recommend a Piranha or a stealth team?

(7) any thoughts on giving the stealth team markerlights / marker drones


going to retool this list based on your suggestions and send it back to ya in a bit... thanks again!!!

DOC

To respond to various points

1) moving the devilfish flat out to cover the pathfinders is a good strategy, and I would certainly use gun drones rather than smart missiles on the fish in this case. The problem is that the devilfish can only be a LOS blocker from one direction, and to benefit from it the pathfinders will have to be pretty much in base to base contact. Making them particularly vulnerable to barrage and template weapons

5) what a Skyray provides is a surviveable platform for marker lights. Pathfinders are squishy, and usually a priority target. Skyrays, particularly after they have shot their missiles and downed a flier are just an AV13 marker light platform. That means if given a choice between shooting at say, a riptide or a Skyray, 99% will shoot the riptide. This of course means your marker lights will survive longer than if they were pathfinders.

6) given a choice between them, I would pick the piranhas, that is because there will be no mixed weapons in the piranha squadron like there will be in the stealth team. However, if given a choice between piranhas and a crisis team with fusion blasters, I would go for the crisis team. You get twice the number of fusion blasters per model, and you can twinlink them if you prefer. And best of all, they deepstrike and don't compete in the FA slot with pathfinders or marker drones.

7) I would avoid putting marker lights in a stealth team. The main reason being that it doesn't really match the rest of the unit, they will have to mark the same unit as the stealth team, and that only benefits follow on shooting. You could give the shas'vre a target lock, but that wouldn't affect the drones, and quickly makes the unit more expensive than it should be. There are cheaper options, and more flexible ones too.

Generally, building marker lights into a list is easy, since there are many ways to do it. The ones that are most commonly used in my experience are:
Small (4-5) pathfinder teams, despite the risk of conceding first blood, they are cheap and do the job

Mark'O and marker drones. The commander can be a death rain with a target lock and drone controller, meaning he is recently armed and your marker drones are BS5, plus the ability to move shoot move means they are far more surviveable than pathfinders

Skyrays, as above are probably the toughest marker light platform in the book.

It's also important to note, that every point you spend on marker lights and other force multipliers is a point not spent on the force being multiplied. This is why a lot of lists seek to minimise the points spent on markeights as far as possible.

More troops, less ATS. ATS is too unreliable as it requires you to be shooting at a unit that it will be effective against, roll a 6, wound, not get look out sir'd, and not save.

Based on your suggestions (as well as models I already have) I have modified the list accordingly.

HQ -

Commander (169 PTS) - Command and Control Node, Multi Spectrum Suite, Neuroweb Systems Jammer, Puretide Engram Neurochip, Drone Controller, 2x marker lights

(ROLE) - force multiplier will join either the Missile Suit or Plasma suit teams based on opponent and situation, he will also serve as a source for marker lights as well as allowing his unit to ignore cover, re-roll misses and re-roll failed wounds on Monsters or tanks.

NO CATEGORY (124 PTS) - 2 Crisis Suits body guards, 2 x plasma (non twin linked)

(ROLE) will NOT be with the CDR at first but will provide intermediate killing power, will benefit from marker lights.

ELITES -

Stealth Team (207 PTS) - bonding knife, 4 x burst cannon suits, 2 x Fusion Blaster with Target Lock Suits

(ROLE) this team will either infiltrate OR deep strike and use their melta weapons as additional Armor killing, the Burst Cannons will provide anti infantry fire and support. IF they can get to cover (forest) then their 2+ cover save will greatly enhance their survival rate. They can deny objectives as well as harass

Crisis Suit Team (246 PTS) - bonding knife, 3 suits, 2 x missile pods, target lock on all. 6 x marker drones. This team will be joined by the CDR at first and will mark targets for other units as well as unleash 12 S7 AP4 shots that ignore cover and reroll misses.

(ROLE) - anti infantry can also go after fliers if need be as well as attempting to glance to death AV 13 vehicles and above.

Riptide (210 PTS) - Ion Accelterator, Twin linked plasma, VT, EWO

(ROLE) - anti air (its weak but it will have to suffice), anti reserves, as well as intermediate to heavy fire support.

TROOPS -

Fire warrior team (110 PTS) - bonding knife, 9 x Shas'la, 1 x Shas'ui

Fire warrior team (110 PTS) - bonding knife, 9 x Shas'la, 1 x Shas'ui

(ROLE) - sit back in gun line until its time to move on objectives

Kroot - (77 PTS) 11 Kroot with sniper rounds

(ROLE) - infiltrate and hold objectives


FAST ATTACK -

pathfinder team (98 PTS) - bonding knife, 8 x pathfinders

pathfinder team (98 PTS)- bonding knife, 8 x pathfinders

(ROLE) - MARKER LIGHTS that is all


HEAVY SUPPORT

Hammerhead with Longstrike (175 PTS), rail gun with sub-munitions, twin smart missile system.

(ROLE) pop tanks and transports so that my shooters can kill whats inside if need be it can switch to the sub munition for infantry, he really doesn't need marker support as he hits on a 2 and then can re-roll to wound against vehicles thanks to Tank Killer.

Hammerhead Gunship (126 PTS ) Black Sun Filter, Ion Cannon , twin smart missile system

(ROLE) anti vehicle, anti massed troops will benefit from marker lights to increase chance to hit. I thought that using the Ion Cannon on the 2nd Hammerhead would add versatility to the force.

Well that is 1750 spot on, what do you all think now that I've retooled the list.

This is what I would run keeping loosely to your list and models assuming ur hammerheads can be used as skyrays as the kit comes with pieces to use both.

Tau main detachment

Commander
Multi spec sensor suit, command and crontol node, drone controler

Commander
2x missile pods, drone controler, target lock, nurochip

Riptide
Ewo, ion accelerator

2x crisis suit
2x fusion blasters on both

2x crisis suit
2x fusion blasters on both

11 fire warriors

11 fire warriors

10 kroot 1 kroot hound

10 kroot 1 kroor hound

Skyray
Bsf

Skyray
Bsf

Farsight enclave allies

Etherial

3 crisis suits
All with 2x missile pods, target lock, 5 marker drones

3 crisis suits
All with 2x missile pods, target lock, 5 marker drones

I dont know how familiar you are with allies and the farsight enclave list but it allows the 2 crisis teams to be troops plus it gets and 3rd hq an ethereal will help the fire warriora be more effective.

6 troop choices is good kroot outflank and can re roller sides beacuse of the hound, fires warriors chill with the ethereal close.

2 suicide crisis squads with fusions to deal with armor missiles cant.

Skyrays to deal with any of AA and provide marker support.

Marker drones at bs 5 with the missile crisis teams.

I feel thats a faiely strong without going overboard buy telling you that you need more riptides and such seeing as its only a local tournie and are still learning the ropes

Going on the most recent list:

You're commander is now half Mark'o commander half buff commander. The buff commander is monstrously inefficient and should only be taken in a O'Vesa star list. You need a death star to put him in to make him worth it and you simply don't have one. Neither do you have a marker drone team to make him a fully fledged Mark'o commander, though putting him that squad is a good way to get around that. I would personally go with a Mark'o commander or a Gun drone Commander. As they are the only efficient builds for him. Otherwise you are better off with an Ethereal.

Bodyguards are just overcosted Crisis teams. Thus they should only be taken if you desperately need them to fulfill a specific role and you've no elite slots left. Do you desperately need AP2 that you can't get elsewhere?

Stealth team is expensive and just doesn't do enough. Double burstcannon Crisis are better for S5 spam and double fusion Crisis ate more efficient for tank hunting. Drop them.

Crisis team is decent it doesn't need ignores cover and just getting the Commander 2 Missile Pods would get you more extra hits than the twin linked and allow you to maintain more hits as you take casualties.

Riptide does not benefit from a VT it is very poor against flyers. By using the VT you're giving up that S8 AP2 blast to get 1.5 S7 hits on a flyer. By contrast your Crisis team would get more than double that. Drop the VT it is useless. Also get some AA as you currently have none.

Firewarriors are in too big squads for my liking. But that's personal taste I find the bigger squads are too much of a liability against assault armies (particularly Daemons). Kroot are fine.

I personally wouldn't bother going above 6 for Pathfinders. They're not your main ML support so keep them cheap.

Long strike tends to do more in an Ionhead as it benefits more from Tank Hunters and Support Fire. With the Railhead you rarely need tank hunters against AV10-12 and he's poor against AV13+.

Overall a Tau army without Broadsides isn't going go be hugely competitive. You have no real AA other than 1 Crisis team. You have no real anti-AV14 except 2 fusion blasters on the Stealth team. You need to rectify these issues if you want to do well at the Tournament.