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Hey,
I'm just starting to collect a tau army, I'm not aiming for it to be super competitive, I just want to use models I like in a way which won't suck. I want everything to be 100% wysiwyg and have some purchased already to work around.

I'll spend most I my time playing against Space Marines, lists are generally light on flyers (most have none at all).

Here's what I've bought:
Fire storm support cadre (6 broadsides and a riptide)
Commander
Ethereal with two equalisers
Crisis team
Commander
2 boxes of 10 pathfinders

Some of it has been assembled with the following:
Crisis team and commander have missile pods and plasma rifles
3 broadsides with rail rifles
10 pathfinders all with basic gun/marker light
Riptide with ion cannon and tl-fusion gun
8 gun drones

So I can't change any of that, but everything else is undecided so far.

This was my 1st draft. Any suggestions would be really helpful, I've not played with tau before and not even played against them since 6th ed started.

- Commander - (187)
Iridium Battlesuit, missile pod, plasma rifle, drone controller, Puretide chip, 2 gun drones

- Ethereal - (60)
Two equalisers

- Fire Warrior Team - (108)
12 models

- Fire Warrior Team - (108)
12 models

- Fire Warrior Team - (108)
12 models

- Crisis Team - (228)
3 models, 3 missile pods, 3 plasma rifles, 6 gun drones

- Riptide Battlesuit - (220)
Ion accelerator, stimulant injector, twin-linked fusion blaster

- Riptide Battlesuit - (220)
Ion accelerator, stimulant injector, twin-linked fusion blaster

- Pathfinder Team - (88)
8 models

- Pathfinder Team - (88)
8 models

- Broadside Team - (267)
3 models, twin-linked rail rifles, 6 marker drones

- Broadside Team - (267)
3 models, twin-linked high yield missile pods, 6 missile drones

- Aegis Defence Line - (50)

Sorry for any typo's, posted from a mobile :p

Looks alright except I would keep the ethreal basic

And there's no anti armour for av14 from what I can see

Yeah, the only reason I went for the weapon on the ethereal is that I had 10 points left at the end and I like the model!

There's the fusion guns on the riptides and the Puretide chip can boost the anti-tank power on the crisis squad or rail broadsides (assuming I've read those rules right).

But now you mention it, it does seem to be a little light on anti AV14, any suggestions on something I could try?

Most people won't care, or know the difference between a stock ethereal and one with equalizers. Those could just be his fancy office symbols or something. I have run ethereals modeled with honor blades stock and to this day nobody has noticed or complained. If you drop the equalizers, you can get early warning overrides on your riptides, giving you some nasty interceptor blasts against drop pods, outflankers etc.

The puretide chip means you can re roll your armor pen roll through tank hunters, but it won't make your missiles stronger. S7 can never touch Av14 with a single dice, and S8 can only glance. Since your meta is marines and your playing 2k, multiple land raiders are a very real threat. Melta also helps against other hard armor or anything you really need dead. Since you melta carrying slots are mostly full and built, you could go with some suicide piranhas. Cheap dirty AT and screening unit.

Some other AT options for tau are assault, and like the spanish inquisition, nobody expects it. Remember your riptides are MC's, so they have hammer of wrath and smash. If the ion and fusion fail, charge the tank. Smash gives you S10 and a re roll to pin, giving you a decent chance to crack a land raider, so long as you hit.

Another AT niche is the commander. For a few points, you can take an onager gauntlet and get a stealth S10 shot. It also helps you win challenges, god forbid you find yourself in one. Since you have the spare support slot, vector thrusters would also be a good buy. So long as you have a drone, I4 gives a decent chance to escape, well worth the points and support slot. Always take a neuroweb jammer if you have the points as well.

The railsides probably don't want or need 6 marker drones. Those markers are going to light up the target on the receiving end of rail fire, so if it is even left, what shoots at it next? Lone marker drones are OK, or better in a commander+marker drone party, but you could run the 3 railsides as is. Dropping the drones gives you points for upgrades and units I have suggested.

Another concern for both broadside teams is leadership. I take it your ethereal is going to bubble them in? If he goes, broadsides are very easy to break or pin. A 'vre and/or bonding are great if you can afford. Dropping the marker drones from the rifles decreases the chances of failing a check or even taking one. Missile drones are worth keeping due to the insane volume of fire you can get.

Deffinatly keep the ethreal basic

I would recommend plasma rifles and fusion blasters for the suits this will allow them to both tank hunt and kill space marines easily

I would drop the rail rifle broadsides altogether tbh they just arnt worth it, and on the remaining squad have a shas'ui and replace the marker drones for missile drones (you should have enough marker support from the pathfinders)

With the remain in points from dropping the railsides I would take
1) EWO for the riptides. This propper destroys deep striking stuff ( I killed 9 sternguard and the pod they were in with this)
2) sky fire for the remaining broadsides just in case
3) a hammer head with longstrike


I would build your army to take all comers. One time I beat my friend into submission and he went to GW the next day and brought loads of flyers and whooped my ass the next game

I would second EWO on the Riptides; for 5 points it's a no brainer and can be absolutely devastating to many lists. It can also really save your bum from drop pod alpha strike lists, Draigowings and the like.

I cannot second skyfire on broadsides. It's too expensive and with twin linked, they're good enough already. I DO second a Vre upgrade. Statistically, leadership 9 is HUGE over 8.

Hammerheads are meh. Skyrays are better. But if you're going to take one, definitely take Longstrike.

As for original ideas, think about taking the new Tau formation if you already have 6 Broadsides and a Riptide. You get Tank Hunter and preferred enemy: Space Marines (all marine dexes, not just vanilla) for free. It's a little nuts; so check with your gaming group to see if you're going to be collectively allowing these data slate things.

I presume your commander will run with the Crisis team and gun drones? That's nice. Since you didn't give him a Command and Control Node+Multi-spectrum Suite though, consider dumping the Ethereal and taking a second buff commander. The CCN+MSS combo is just devastating. Although, put me on the record for recommending you just dump the weapons on your current buff guy as to not waste them and just give him the extra buff stuff.

I'm also not a huge fan of mixing weaponry on single suits like Plasma Rifle+Missile Pod. Sure, you get to give them cool names like Fireknife and Deathrain, but your efficiency falls. I like teams that have all the same weaponry OR at least have each suit carry the same weapon. For example, a team with x2 Flamer+x2 Flamer+x2 Fusion (Target Lock) would be perfectly acceptable (and an excellent skirmisher unit I might add).

Good luck man.

Thanks for the advice guys, here's an updated list.

Commander - 189 points
Iridium Battlesuit, Fusion Gun, Plasma Rifle, Drone Controler, Puretide Chip, Neuroweb Jammer, 2x Gun drones

Ethereal - 50 points

Fire Warriors - 108 points
12 Models

Fire Warriors - 108 points
12 Models

Fire Warriors - 108 points
12 Models

Crisis Team - 228 points
3 Models, 3 Fusion Guns, 3 Plasma Rifles, 6 Gun Drones

Riptide - 225 points
Ion Accelerator, Stimulant Injector, Twin-Linked Fusion Blaster, Early Warning Override

Riptide - 225 points
Ion Accelerator, Stimulant Injector, Twin-Linked Fusion Blaster, Early Warning Override

Pathfinders - 88 points
8 Models

Pathfinders - 88 points
8 Models

Broadsides - 253
3 Models, Shas'vre, Twin-linked rail rifles, 4x Shield Drones

Broadsides - 280
3 Models, Shas'vre, Twin-Linked High yield missile pods, bonding knife ritual, 6x Missile Drones

Aegis Defence Line - 50

I'll try and swap the missile pods out on the crisis team and the commander to get some more anti AV13/14 in. Popped EWO on the riptides and neuroweb jammer on the commander. gave a shas'vre to both broadside teams and bonding knife ritual to the missile team.

I'd like to keep the railsides because I've already made and really like the models. I subbed the marker drones with a few shield drones, to give them a couple more ablative wounds. I was planning on keeping the Ethereal with the fire warriors to boost their fire power and make sure they hang around, because 3 troops doesn't really seem like a lot to me.

Is this better? Any more suggestions?

Thanks in advance!