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Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere - can someone suggest to me the accepted best choice for SM HQ?
I'm going with Imperial Fists and my list is (very roughly)

2 tac squads - rhinos
2 vet melta squads in drop pods
terminator assault squad in stormraven
devastator centurions

possibly some fortifications (for fluff! I mean... it's Imperial Fists!)

I've heard the chapter master on bike is good, but am considering either Lysander or a Captain or master in terminator armour to join the terminator assault squad.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

If you want to add to the Termies, either Lysander or a CM in TDA with suitable relics would fit the bill.

Alternatively, a cheap Librarian to buff the Cents might be very useful.

Just my 2 cents

HQ that I use is a CM with Eternal Shield, Thunder Hammer and Artificer Armour.
This allows you to take Honour Guard...which are basically cheap Assault Terminators without the 5+ invl save.
They come with Artificer Armour and and Power Wepon as standard.

If you want to buff the Centurions then Inquisition Ally is invaluable. Take Inquisitor Coteaz. He will help a lot especially with the "We've been expecting you rule"


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Another good choice to add to your list is to use a Ironclad Dread in a DP
They can casue all sorts of confusion in the enemy lines and they are hard to kill especially in CC

If you invest in the Sentinels of Terra supplement I would advise a lvl 2 Libby in TDA with Storm shield and the Bones of Ozrak (+1 warp charge and reroll failed psychic tests) relic. Have him join the termies or centurions and shoot for invisibility or any Biomancy powers. All that for under 150pts. Oh, and now your bolters, heavy bolters and storm bolters are straight up twin-linked at half range.

Can anyone suggest squad compositions/loadouts and good units against a tau mechanised list?
It's likely to be crisis suits+buffmander, fire warriors in devilfish, hammerheads, a riptide and broadsides