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So I'm expanding my Tau army to field more apocalypse based games, but I am still primarily playing regular tournament style games.I could use some help with dividing my apocalypse formation into Cadre's (similar to a SM company style system) and model each cadre with it's own markings and color identifiers, but I don't want to collect more than I can use in a dual-FOC game yet. My idea is to take the max options (i.e. 12 FW squads, 6 hammerheads, etc.) and divide them up into a lore friendly breakdown, but there isn't much in the way of examples online, and the ones that exist are largely incomplete.

Some examples of troubles I'm having:
Should piranhas be in an armored cadre with hammerheads, or in a scout cadre with pathfinders?
Should sniper drone teams be with a stealth cadre, or should there be a support/sniper cadre w/ pathfinder snipers (rail and ion guns)?
Should crisis suits have their own cadre, or should there be a suit cadre with them, riptides, and broadsides?
Is the air caste structured similar to the fire cast, or would all flyers be one mass group?
Should each hunter cadre have its own manta to bring it to the planet's surface, or should that be reserved to a more case by fluffy case?

There's an insane amount of questions and issues I am having making a lore-friendly breakdown, but I'm not giving up the idea yet lol. Any suggestions you might have on unit placements or cadre layouts would be a huge help.

Neat idea.

However, in reality you could just do it however you want - its easy to justify almost anything - the tau are quite dynamic in their battles.

Remember, even farsight and shadowsun fought together in one big battle.

Here are some examples:
Should piranhas be in an armored cadre with hammerheads, or in a scout cadre with pathfinders?

Piranhas with Hammer heads -
This formation was build on the battle of ryloth where hammerheads needed extra support against enemy infantry units in ambush positions along the high ridge lines.
Due to the need of mobility, tau ground troops were not committed to the battle, so units of piranhas were sent in to react to enemy infantry and light vehicle units while the hammerheads focused their long range weapons on the enemy armor formations in the valley.

Scout Cadre -
In the battle of Anchorhead, forward pathfinder teams identified enemy supply vehicles and other slow moving targets - supporting teams of piranhas moved in on the marker lit vehicles and ripped them to shreds before the enemy escorts could even catch the fast moving skimmers.

Should sniper drone teams be with a stealth cadre, or should there be a support/sniper cadre w/ pathfinder snipers (rail and ion guns)?

Stealth Cadre in the battle of Balsavis -
The orks of belsavis were taken out with a pincer attack - the hidden sniper units in the ruins took a toll on the confused orks, who were then attacked from the rear by stealth teams popping up behind them.
With their range and stealth - the teams were able to sow confusion in the greenskins and halt their advance for days.

The Snipers of Shangra'la -
The overconfident imperial forces of Shangra'la marched in the open, confident in their emperor and banners to protect them.
A harsh education was handed out rail rifle and sniper drone, as combined tau forces picked off officers and troops alike with deadly precision and tau weapons.

Etc.

Make what you think would be fun to play.

OR, look in the imperial armor 3 book, I think there is a tau "force" list in there, for what was at the battle of Taros.

regardless, have fun - I love using my tau in big apoc games.

Awesome examples, thank you. I'll probably make multiple mixed cadre's based on the input you gave (then lay waste to the SM boring chapter system lol).