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Hey guys! how are you ! Just got back into War hammer 40k after 4 years and started playing Tau! I need some assistance with my army list as I have no idea what i'm doing anymore haha! Here is my current list with the models I have purchased and made! Any advice or criticism is more then welcome!

Tau 1500 Point Army

HQ – 120pts

1 Cadre Fireblade - 60pts

1 Cadre Fireblade - 60pts

Troops – 216pts

12 Fire warriors – 108pts

12 Fire Warriors – 108pts

Elites – 621pts

1 XV104 Riptide (180pts) – 220pts
Ion Accelerator
Stimulant Injector

1 XV104 Riptide (180pts) – 220pts
Ion Accelerator
Stimulant Injector

3 XV8 Crisis Battlesuit – 184pts

Shas’vre (32pts) – 68pts
Twin-Linked Fusion Blaster
Missile Pod
Bonding Knife

Shas’ui (22pts) – 63pts
Twin-Linked Plasma Rifle
Missile Pod
Target lock
Bonding Knife

Shas’ui (22pts) – 63pts
Twin-Linked Plasma Rifle
Missile Pod
Target Lock
Bonding Knife




Fast Attack – 110pts

5 Pathfinders – 55pts

5 Pathfinders – 55pts

Heavy Attack – 429pts

1 Hammerhead (125pts) – 211pts
Submunition Rounds
Sensor Spines
Disruption Pod
Longstrike
2 Seeker Missiles

1 XV88 Broadsides (65pts)
2 Shield Drones
Velocity Tracker

1 XV88 Broadsides (65pts)
2 Shield Drones
Velocity Tracker

Thanks guys!

Welcome back to 40k.

Starting with your HQ, the ethereal is all around better than a fireblade. I suggest one ethereal one fireblade, or two ethereals, or an ethereal and maybe a commander.

At 1500, you really need a 3rd troop choice. Some kroot with a hound would be nice for outflanking and getting a forward objective. You could also grab sniper rounds to hunt MC's. More fire warriors are ok if you want a shooty wall.

Stims on the riptide are generally not worth it unless your going with a HBC. Perhaps make one riptide a HBC+velocity tracker, and keep one Ion+early warning override. I assume your going dual fusion?

The crisis team does not need bonding knives, as they will never fall below 25% unless they are dead. Target locks are not needed on all 3 suits. TL weapons are OK, but I would probably just go dual of any weapon of your choice.

Make sure longstrike has smart missiles on the hammerhead. For your broadsides, you always want more suits over drones. With your current loadout, a single drone can die and then the squad could break and run. Velocity trackers are usually not worth it consider how much TL fire you can throw. Early warning override is sufficent unless you expect a TON of fliers. Squad the broadsides together, and if you do take drones take missile drones- in cover they are effectively the same(bullet sponges) but they can dakka back. A 'vre is nice for the leadership boost, but you can also hide an ethereal in the broadside team(protects the ethereal, anchors the sides)

Hey bud! Thanks for the help
- I can easily drop the Fireblades,
- I was just wondering are kroot really necessary? I wanted to play a Tau army based of fire warriors and suits (not a big fan of the look of kroot),
- I take SM on the hammerhead also
- What weapons would you suggest taking on the XV8's? and would you deepstrike them or not?
- Also I'm taking missiles on the riptide, is that bad?

Thank you once again for all your help! ^_^

Kroot are by no means required, so another unit of fire warriors works fine.

XV8 weapons are all pretty good, just depends on what you want the unit to do. Avoid burst cannons-you get good S5 dakka elsewhere, but everything else has a place. I like dual missile, dual plasma, dual fusion, missile/fusion, plasma/fusion, missile/plasma. Flamers are OK as a second weapon. Deepstrike is an option you choose before battle, rarely before listbuilding. Dual melta almost always deepstrikes, but with the other loadouts it all depends. Deepstrike is like having windshield wipers on a car; they are there if you need, but you don't use them all the time.

Smart missiles and the ion accellerator can result in role confusion, so plasma or fusionare uiually better choices. Missiles work very well with the heavy burst cannon, however.

Awesome ! I made up a new list and here's what I came up with !

HQ

1 Cadre Fireblade

1 Cadre Fireblade

Troops

12 Fire warriors
Pulse Rifles

12 Fire Warriors
Pulse Rifles
Elites

1 XV104 Riptide
Ion Accelerator
Stimulant Injector
Twin-Linked Plasma Rifle

1 XV104 Riptide
Ion Accelerator
Stimulant Injector
Twin-Linked Plasma Rifle

3 XV8 Crisis Battlesuit

Shas’vre
Twin-Linked Plasma Rifle
Missile Pod
2 Shield Drones

Shas’ui (22pts)
Twin-Linked Plasma Rifle
Missile Pod

Shas’ui (22pts)
Twin-Linked Plasma Rifle
Missile Pod

Fast Attack

5 Pathfinders –
Pulse Carbines

5 Pathfinders
Pulse Carbines
Heavy Support

1 Hammerhead
Submunition Rounds
Disruption Pod
Twin-Linked Smart Missile System


1 Hammerhead
Submunition Rounds
Disruption Pod
Twin-Linked Smart Missile System


2 XV88 Broadsides
Twin-Linked Smart Missile System
High-Yield Missile Pods

I kept the cadre's for now, i'm not a fan of the etheral and I have no idea how to gear a commander haha, so yea. Thank you for all your feedback btw!

Help meeee c:

Dr Sterling made some good points. I've got one respectful disagreement.

SMS are far and away the best secondary system for tides. Reason being? Ripple fire. You have better ways of bringing plasma and fusion to bear (crisis). BUT especially with new nids and then IG and Orks right behind them, horde control is a serious concern. Not to mention Eldar and other Tau players are not going anywhere.

Another riptide point. EWO is absolutely essential. Never in 40k has 5 points been so potentially game changing. This is especially true for IA tides. "Oh, you have a drop pod army? Not anymore." All Riptides and Broadsides should have EWO, it is simply too cheap and too powerful not to take.