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So, I'm getting back into 40k after a break in the wild lands of the Horus Heresy. I cleared out all my old 40k stuff, so I'm planning on buying into it afresh, going back to Tau, who were my first ever army. My previous lists have always just been a mishmash of models I've bought purely because I liked them, with very little use for competitive play. However, this time I want to buy in and make a list that I like that is also competitive. Hence I've picked a Tau Battlesuit list. Here is my current list, although I feel like it currently lacks markerlight support. I've not bothered to write in any anti-air at this point as nobody really fields fliers in my area.

HQ

Tau Commander 172
Shield drone
Cyclic Ion Blaster
T/L Plasma Rifle
XV8-02 'Iridium' Armour
Stim Injector

XV 8 Crisis Bodyguard Team 162
Bonding Knife Ritual
2 Shield Drones
2 T/L Plasma Rifles
2 Missile Pods
2 Advanced Targeting Systems

Troops

12 Fire Warriors 154
Shas'ui
2 Gun Drones
Bonding Knife Ritual

12 Fire Warriors 154
Shas'ui
2 Gun Drones
Bonding Knife Ritual

12 Fire Warriors 154
Shas'ui
2 Gun Drones
Bonding Knife Ritual

Elites

3 XV8 Crisis Suits 199
3 T/L Plasma Rifles
3 Missile Pods
Shas'vre
3 Vectored Retrothrusters
Bonding Knife Ritual

3 XV8 Crisis Suits 194
3 T/L Fusion Blasters
2 Missile Pods
Shas'vre
3 Vectored Retrothrusters
Repulsor Impact Field
Bonding Knife Ritual

3 XV8 Crisis Suits 184
3 T/L Burst Cannons
3 Plasma Rifles
Shas'vre
3 Vectored Retrothrusters
Bonding Knife Ritual

Heavy Support

Hammerhead Gunship 195
Longstrike
Subminitions
T/L Burst Cannons
Disruption Pod
Automated Repair System

3 XV 88 Broadside Suits 195
None

Fast Attack

5 Pathfinders 82
Shas'ui
Bonding Knife
Marker Drone

Total: 1845

So, how does this list look, and what would you do to improve it?

Mixed suits aren't good anymore, dual weapon suits are much better now. I would suggest dropping the three weapons on the suits for 2 fusion blasters each, its much cheaper, give them all Advanced targeting systems as well. Dual fusion blaster suits are deadly at close range to anything armored/heavy infantry. The fire warriors either need transports or they need an ethereal that will buff their gunline. You should also stock up on shield drones if you want a survivable crisis commander deep striking in. Also what do the broadsides have for weapons? HYMP is the better choice if you have access to fusion blasters and other high AP weapons such as railguns. Also 5 pathfinders won't last very long, either get another squad of 5 or make a larger force of 10 or so.

Well firstly welcome back. Without trying to sound too critical there is a significant amount of optimization you could do to be more competitive. That being said rumors are there is a new codex set to come out this fall so I wouldn't go buying everything just yet.

Lack of markerlights. Yes this will be a problem for you as your pathfinders won't live much past turn 1 against good opponents. I recommend tetras, followed by a mark o commander followed by skyrays.

Holy bonding knives and points ineffeciencies batman! In all seriousness though I thought you wanted a battlesuits list yet you have 3 squads of firewarriors with all kinds of upgrades not doing you any good. There are two ways to go here.

1) put all your firewarriors in devilfish with disruption pods, drop one squad down to 11 men, drop all the upgrades from the squads and add an ethereal, again no upgrades. I know many people don't like investing anything in these guys, just keeping them 6 man squads or taking kroot, but I think they need some mobility and a suprising amount of firepower is a nice come away. Why the ethereal? Well 35 firewarriors x 3 shots(assuming rapid fire and ethereal power) is 105 s5 shots plus the shots from the devilfish. Pretty good cheap dakka, if you start to get shot or threatened by assualt hop in your survivable transports and run away.

2) go kroot, possibly sniper, possibly 1 hound, and just wait and hope you can thin out the enemy enough where they won't get toasted when the come in.

3) go Farsight enclaves and go all suits. It requires bonding knives but to get suits as troops is kinda worth it depending on what you want to run.

Get a firebase support cadre in there, at least one. The formation is a data sheet from gw and it is fantastic. Don't see tau being competitive without this. Also, could be a good idea to get an ageis or skysheild so you have a save for the broadsides. Speaking of, go high yeild missles on these for now.

As stated above do not mix weapons on suits or pay for a twin linked weapon for your bs 5 commander.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Never pay for the twin link, if you do the math double weapons give you more damage for the same points.

Hammerheads are just plain sub par, even with longstrike. Drop it and go for the better options in heavy support. Sniper drones and skyrays are acceptable.

I agree with the above posters.

1) you need markerlights. The most efficient way in my eyes is either FW Tetras or Marker drones via Crisis suit squads with a DC or Commander with a DC.

2) If you want an all suit list go for farsight enclave. Ally this with TE to get the best of both books. I.E Buffcommander and a squad of Sniper Kroot from TE, An all Suit list from FE and the Fire Base Support cadre for Broadsides and Riptides

3) + More Riptides 2-3 minimum.

Heck if you're allowed take a good look at the yhvarha, or however the hell you spell it. It's a forgeworld riptide class battlesuit and its baddass, both looks wise and rules.

You loose some durability over a standard riptide but gain so much offensive punch, particularly from the haywire that it's pretty great. Also can be a flying monstrous creature, which for tau is nice as our flyers suck something awful.

I agree with Messy O but be aware you can't take an Allied Detachment of Tau Empire with Far sight Enclaves, if you want to mix both boos you need two CADs.

 FlingitNow wrote:
I agree with Messy O but be aware you can't take an Allied Detachment of Tau Empire with Far sight Enclaves, if you want to mix both boos you need two CADs.

So ad one more squad of kroot to your TE CAD and your golden.

 Messy0 wrote:

 FlingitNow wrote:
I agree with Messy O but be aware you can't take an Allied Detachment of Tau Empire with Far sight Enclaves, if you want to mix both boos you need two CADs.

So ad one more squad of kroot to your TE CAD and your golden.

Exactly just making him aware he'd need 2 units of troops to field a Buffmander with FE.

I've had great success with a farsight pure suit list. looks something along these lines.

farsight
3 tl fusion suits w 2xflamer target lock
3 tl burst cannon suits w flamers
2 tl missle pod suits
3 tl plasma suits
1 riptide with ewo and velo tracker
2 broadsides with ewo

comes in around 1000 pts
higher point list I like to ally in a buffmander to throw with a squad of drones and some kroot to infiltrate or outflank.
and then fill with suits as you please.

The amount of twin link in the army I feel counters the lack of marker lights in my experience. Though if you weaved a few in it could be much more effective.

Why twin linked on the suits over just taking 2 of the same gun?