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Sup fellow fish

I have 2 tournaments in the next few months with lots if painting to do.

Restrictions
I have my own rule that stems from one of these tournaments which is NO duplicates (I.e. two squads of XV8s from the elites regardless of wargear), this does grant bonus Tournament points.

HQ
Commander - Iridium armour, Buero Jammer, PEN, 2x Fusion, Target Lock, Shield Gen - 187 Pts
(Mainly attaches to the crisis suits for reliable anti armour/multi wound T4/ High Toughness models/2+ saves)

Ethereal - 50 Pts
(Escorted by 9 fire warriors in DF)

TROOPS
9 Fire Warriors with DF (SMS, Disruption pod) 186 Pts
9 Fire Warriors 81 Pts
9 Fire Warriors 81 Pts
10 Kroot with Sniper rounds 70 Pts
10 Kroot with Sniper Rounds & hound 75 Pts

(Fire warriors hold home objectives with support from ethereal squad who can snatch mid field objective. I love using my FWs to support each other.
Kroot are really flexible, positional relay is on Riptide.)

ELITES
Riptide - Ion Accel, SMS EWO, Positional relay - 195 Pts
(Long range support, anti deep strikers, 2+ saves and support for the kroot for the table edge I want)

3 Crisis Suits - 237 Pts
Support Shas'vre - CNC, MSS, Drone Controller
2x Shas 'ui - 2x Plasma rifle, Target Lock
4x Marker Drones
(Mobile Markerlight support and will hand out the hurt on most units in cover regardless of stats, really flexible unit. Commander attached)

FAST ATTACK
7 Path Finders - 77Pts
(Static Markerlight support)

Piranha School 90 Pts
1 Burst Cannon
1 Fusion Blaster
(Screening Units and emergency Melta support in case of high AV near my back line). Drones detach turn 1)

HEAVY SUPPORT
Railhead - SMS, Submunition rounds, Dpod, BSF - 146 Pts
(High AV and horde support, two finger to you IG)

Skyray -SMS- 115Pts
(Anti air support, markerlight support, seeker missiles via markerlights. Sits on a good vantage point or out of sight)

Broadsides - 160Pts
2 Broadsides - HYMP, SMS, Precision shots
2 Missile Drones
(Drones take any str8+ hits to avoid ID as unit will be visible. Precision shots will be a plenty to help with effecting target units moral checks (Dark Eldar Beastmasters...) and all round fire support)

1750points

Alternatives
Drop a fire warrior squad for a DF
Seekers on broadsides

Good looking list. Personally wouldn't drop a FW unit for another DF as multiple units of Fire Warriors supporting each other is strong. When you say two of them hold home objectives and the third with the Ethereal pushes forwards, will it still be supported by the two in your home area?

That amount of sniper rounds might be pretty good. I would have lost one Kroot unit for a fourth FW unit but I just like the battle line idea. If two FW units are guarding home objectives, is there the possibility of somehow adding a Cadre Fireblade for bumping up the dice?

It's a shame the drone controller couldn't go on the Shas'O to give those marker lights better BS.

Really good looking list though : )

Your commander and crisis team is doing too much. It shoots twin linked plasma that ignores cover at a unit whilst also lighting it up. Which will be wasting those MLs you want to to this type of team give them 2 Missile Pods and target locks each. These have the same range as the MLs allowing you to skirt backfield with the unit popping transports and lighting up other units. Something like this:

Commander: Drone Controller, 2 Missile Pods, Drone Controller, PEN chip, Marker Drone 155 (no need for iridium as you'll float backfield)

3 Crisis suits: 2 Missile pods, TL each, 5 Marker Drones 231

That unit strips over 7 HPs a turn from AV12 (i.e. killing any non-AV14 vehicle you shoot at, they also do 3.67 to an AV11 flyer upping your meagre AA) and puts 5 marker lights on a different unit that something else can then kill. Whilst saving you 38 points. It also means you're not chucking your commander into melta range of Landraiders to die along with about 400 points of your army.

You've too many points spent on troops. I'd get both the Kroot squads hounds if you're planning on outflanking them. Drop the positional relay it just isn't worth it. I would drop the Devilfish entirely unless you're going for a fully mechanised army. Also Broadsides are generally a better home than the Fire Warriors for an Ethereal.

Iontide should probably take a fusion. Just gives back up against AV14. Which you are light against (particularly if you make the switch above).

I'd consider dropping the pathfinders down to 6 or maybe even all together. You'd now have 5 ML hits on target priority 1 anyway, plus 2 Bs4 MLs from the Skyray. That's another 77 points.

Piranhas should all have fusion or none. You need something reliable to deal with AV14 in your list that is one 400 point unit you have to suicide to deal with AV14 reliably. I would go all fusion and get a third Piranha.

I would swap the Railhead for an Ionhead. Its blast does more damage and the Railhead sucks against high AV where you'll be tempted to use it and waste its firepower (about 1:9 chance to kill AV14). That's another 5 points.

I would get a third Broadside and they want EWO not ATS. They are your main AA so getting interceptor is vital at taking away a flyers main advantage of guaranteed alphastrike, I would always take maximum missile drones they are too good for their points. You should have the points to do all of my suggestions. It would give you significantly more firepower and the ability to deal with anything.

From a tactical point of view with no LoS! how are you ensuring S8 hits the drones? My advice is use the drones as cheap firepower and keep them behind the broadsides.

I presume it's "no duplicates OUTSIDE the troops section"?

In any case, I disagree on the points you've allocated to troops being too many. Your troops are very easy to kill. I would trade the Devilfish for more Kroot/Firewarriors though. Most tournament missions are objective based. If you're not going for a pure Deathstar/tabling list (which you obviously are not), then you need robust scoring.

I Have had a play test against my son in law (who is also attending both tournaments with his 'nids.
It would have been a tau win if I had remember theres a 2 hour 15 minute time limit. (My mistake was expecting a turn 5, when we only just reached the end if turn 3)

He likes the list and it did do what I wanted it too.

Points-
-Markerlight support was fantastic and was just right.
- Riptide was fantastic. He got my kroot into enemy deployment due to relay, damn near wiped a ravaners squad thanks to EWO, Hurt a Flyrant (with markerlights)
- devilfish squad were protected from the Dom of malan'tai & dished out the pain to his MCs (lots of deep striking MCs)

Anyway... Thanks for the input from you guys. Changes are:

- Dropped the last kroot hound
- Dropped a Missile Drone
- 2nd fusion blaster on piranha

-Bhazakain-

The Ethereal provides a similar ability to the fire blade on a mobile platform. I can also use the Ld 10 bubble to ensure units stay put amongst other useful situational powers which do extend from the devilfish hull. Having 3 squads if FW dealing 27 each with 15 inches if target is amazing as well as over watch.

The Fireblade is only at his best when Static and only effects one unit. I'm a very mobile player.

-Flingitnow-
Looking at all your suggestions I have taken the all fusion aspect of the piranhas. Alot of your suggestions actually form a very different list from my original and I lack substantially more ability to deal with AV13 & 14, 3+.& 2+ saves and MCs.
Also don't forget my plasma suits have the target lock so I can fire separate from the drones. The CNC, MSS allows the team to operate more independently from the rest of the army.

-The Sheike-
I am tempted to play with your suggestion, 4 FW is cool but lack speed but there is more budding up I can perform. It would make me more inclined to drop the ethereal as he would be very vulnerable.

Flingitnow-
Looking at all your suggestions I have taken the all fusion aspect of the piranhas. Alot of your suggestions actually form a very different list from my original and I lack substantially more ability to deal with AV13 & 14, 3+.& 2+ saves and MCs.
Also don't forget my plasma suits have the target lock so I can fire separate from the drones. The CNC, MSS allows the team to operate more independently from the rest of the army.

My suggestions don't hurt you against AV14 and with all the S7 increase (with Tank Hunters on many) you'd be stronger against AV13. Again against 3+ saves you gain another blast and all that S7 spam means that 3+ goes down better with my suggestions. 2+ save MCs is the only thing you'd genuinely be weaker against.

Though I had missed the TLs on the plasmasuits. But my issue with the unit is that it is 400 points that has to operate in a very short range and is your best ML unit. Its too much of your army doing to much of an important being put in too much harms way. Whilst it is your only reliable way of dealing with AV14. Going to 3 Piranhas makes that unit a very credible threat to AV14 particularly with some ML support. Likewise giving the Riptide a fusion allows you to throw him at a Landraider if needs be assaulting it if he doesn't pop it with 2 fusion shots.