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I'm testing out a list for Tau based solely on suits and drones only. Any gear advice, or other optional suits is greatly welcomed!

HQ - Commander - Drone Controller, Target Lock, Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Markerlight Drone x2 (152 pts)
HQ - Commander - Drone Controller, Target Lock, Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Markerlight Drone x1 (140 pts)

EL - Riptide - Ion Accelerator, TL SMS, Early Warning Override, Stimulant Injector (225 pts)


TR - XV8 Crisis Team (3 suits) - 6x Marker Drones, Missile Pod (each), Plasma Rifle x2 Fusion Blaster x1, Target Lock (each), Bonding Ritual (each) (246 pts)
TR - XV8 Crisis Team (3 suits) - 6x Marker Drones, Missile Pod (each), Plasma Rifle x2 Fusion Blaster x1, Target Lock (each), Bonding Ritual (each) (246 pts)

Firebase Support Cadre (805 pts)

Riptide - Heavy Burst Cannon, TL SMS, Early Warning Override, Velocity Tracker, Earth Caste Pilot Array
XV88 Broadside Team (3 suits) - 6x Missile Drones, TL HYMP x2, TL Heavy Rail Rifle x1, TL Plasma Rifle (each), Target Lock (each), Bonding Knife Ritual (each)
XV88 Broadside Team (3 suits) - 6x Missile Drones, TL HYMP x2, TL Heavy Rail Rifle x1, TL Plasma Rifle (each), Target Lock (each), Bonding Knife Ritual (each)


Edit: Updated with suggestions!
Edit 2: Updated with more suggestions!
Edit 3: Updated with even more suggestions!
Edit 4: Updated with really even more suggestions!!

I could be misreading my codex but the Drone Controller doesnt seem to be a pre-requisite for your commander to field drones, it merely lets them use his BS. Since your drones arent shooting both those Drone Controllers are just point sinks. In addition you have really under gunned your commanders. they can fire 2 guns a turn so give them 2 to fire. Edit: Even in the missile drone squad its alot of points for a small increase.

Riptides are... well riptides, I might put earth caste pillot array on one to make nova charging easier and rerolling those gets hot, possibly at the expense of the Stims.

Again on your crisis suits, 2 guns. One twinlinked is such a waste of multi-trackers. Stims on all your crisis just looks like a big points sink.

And broadsides... stims again, you have so many points tied up in FNP that could be used elsewhere. I have a 1500 point list in similar themes that potentially outguns you severely.

People will krak missile your crisis, at which point the stim is useless.

Edit Again:

If you are intent on your commanders sitting in broadside teams then I'd strip them right back to:

Commander, Missile Pod, Missile Pod, Drone Controller.

That way they are contributing an additional 4 BS5 missile a turn.

I thought with the Drone Controller the Commander couldn't fire in order to give drones his BS?

Shield drones on the Commanders are for the saves, since he will be sitting in a missile drone field. But you're right, I could change the drone types with the commanders.

There is only one Stim in each unit, not three.

From what I can see in the Drone Controller entry the only pre-requisite is that the user be in the unit, nothing about giving up their own shooting attacks in order to benefit. Its a handy perk especially when the commander is packing a decent BS himself.

The Stims just look like alot of points, ironically I'd actually suggest changing those to Drone Controllers in those units since you will be gaining BS3 on those marker drones. Likely getting a much better payback for your points than the single stimmed suit. Currently 130 points of your list is tied up on 5+ FNP saves.

Also as farsight enclave you have to buy bonding knives on... well everything.

Bonding on everything with the option to but it. Which is the Crisis and Broadside suits, and are already factored into the cost.

Ah, nice. Didnt see it so assumed it wasnt there.

i only clock your list to be 1590 currently, did you have other suits coming in to bump it up to your limits?

Drop the velocity trackers on your plasma suits. Drop all stim injectors except on riptides or commanders, crisis suit stim are a waste.

If you are going Farsight enclave I would definately find room for an earth caste pilot array on one of the riptides.

Updated the list.

Only need one drone controller per unit regardless of the number of drones or which suit purchased them. Other than that lookin better

Suggestions for the loose 10 points or so Melcavuk?



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Sorry, 36 pts?

Since you are already running the models, peel the Riptide without the Earth Caste array and the two units of Broadsides out of the Farsight Enclave detachment and run them as a Firebase Support Cadre formation. It is exactly the same as you have here, would play exactly like you are playing this, frees up a few points from the Bonding Knives on the Broadsides(unless you still want to keep them), and gives that Riptide and the Broadside units the Tank Hunter rule for free.

Its quite hard to tell, do you have any models not already in the list? I would be hesitant to put on any more upgrades for the squads listed since alot of your points are tied up in relativrly small units (each broadside unit plus commander clocking 426 points for a unit)

Also, drop the drone controllers on the broadsides, the commanders will suffice for that. Put either Early Warning Overrides or Target Locks on them instead. Same with the crisis suits.

Melcavuk - it's a clean slate, I can get any model needed, just prefer suits and drones in the tau list.

Natec - good call!

Oh in that case, youre short on anti tank, specially anti AV 14, i believe there is absolutely nothing in this list that can touch a landraider equivalent if it stands, you have the power to glance 13 downwards to death over successive turns but only your tides can deal a single HP to AV14 either by over or nova charging their IA.

However best source for this would be either in fusion suits, y'vahra or something rail oriented.

Yeah, that might be a problem...let me check out those other suits.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I think it would be fine swapping out a couple of the high yield missile pods for rail rifles on the broadsides.

Okay Couple of suggestions.

Drop the Drone controllers in the Troop crisis units as you can just have your commanders join the unit and give all the marker drones BS5 which you can use to up the BS of the Broadsides units via Marker lights and lets your commanders be more mobile and more useful. Swap with Target locks on the crisis suits.

Break 1 riptide (Sadly I think this will have to be the one without the ECPA) and the 2 Broadside units from the detachment and instead make them a Firebase Support Cadre. (This costs nothing extra) This gives all units in the formation. Preferred Enemy Space Marine and Tank hunter. Very useful.

If you have spare points I would have your Commanders try to take some Markerlight drones of there own.

Updated it again!

Short of av14 spam your new list has you covered, you can glance down most fliers so again you seem fairly well set.

Drone controllers do not increase BS on missile drones, only gun and marker.

For anti air, ECPA and heavy burst cannon on a riptide is the best you're gonna get on just suits.

I would specialize your crisis teams, one double PR and one double missiles, so they can more easily sit in their sweet zone range.

An aegis line technically isn't a suit or drone... but it could add quite a bit to the list by giving your broadsides and other fire base units some cover.

Good point, quick double check says gun, marker and snipers only

Huh how odd. The tau codex actually contradicts itself.

Page 105 just lists Drones with no distinctions gaining the BS of the drone controller. Page 68 however states its limited to Gun, Marker, and Sniper. Given that 68 is the more detailed page I would assume it is the correct one.

Yeah 105 is the brief summary, which sadly tend to abbreviate rules or occasionally are just plain wrong

Okay, so then the Commanders go into the Crisis units, and Marker lights give boosted BS for the missile drones, right?

Looking as the current list.

No reason to have any drone controllers on the broadsides.

With the Drone controllers dropped and your spare points left over. Give 1 commander 1 Marker drone and the other 2. This will put you at about 1849

Thanks!

It is worth noting that your commanders will unfortunately have to shoot the same targets as their respective squads marker drones, since neither have a slot free for a target lock.

Yeah I would drop the TL on the Commanders missile pods for the target lock. I mean they are already BS 5.

Thanks, updated!

2 points that stand out to me.

drone controlers on the Broadsides dont work on Missile Drones (its in the Tau FAQ) so i would remove this.

EWO on the Broadsides usualy serves me better than Target Lock. Get something dead good and then move on.

I would put s Velocity Tracker on your Burst cannon tide instead of Stims. You need some sky fire.