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Its been a long time since I actively played 40k now Ive decided to pick it back up again im a bit overwhelmed with my new Tau stuff. I got so used to single option models in other tabletop games now Ive got battlesuits that can take pages of addons and equipment and things. I need some basic advice

My main starting questions would be:

What do I put on my battle suits I know different options for different things but I could use a general direction to point in.

Are there any essentials I should be taking to be effective?

and any general advice to help me is appreciated as well, anything from optimal drone choices to loadouts/hq choices of choice.
Any pointers or rules I should take not of, anything I might miss. Pitfall choices I should avoid and so on.

If you're not sure what you're going to be facing, missiles are rarely a bad choice.

Buffmander (commander with Irridium, C&CN, MSSS and PENchip) is usually a winner, handing out ignores cover, twin linked and tank/monster hunter to any unit he joins (usually a crisis team).

Mark'O with 2x missile pods, target lock and drone controller and cram him in a unit of marker drones is the other default commander, because 4+ BS5 markerlights is handy as hell.

The fliers are generally avoided (though I like the formation from Mont'Ka that hands out d3 markerlights), as are vespid. Almost everything else has a use, though generally if it's a suit, you're good.

I'd suggest 1 source of markerlights per 500 points as a general rule of thumb, and be aware that anyone who has faced tau before will generally target them first.

Skyrays are the answer to FMC's, HYMP broadsides are the answer to everything else that's not AV14.

Riptides with IA and EWO are fantastic value and negate deep striking/drop podding units very well.

Best thing would be to let us know which models you like and unless it's vespid, the folks around here (after a bit of bickering) can probably get you a decent list. A points limit that you're commonly going to be playing at would also be handy so we know what to build for.

With any newcomer I fully recommend starting at 500pts. Play some games. Move up to 750 points. Play some games. And so forth.

The new "Start Collecting!" boxes with indie retailer discount is a real great place to start too.

The above will let you get a feel and find out what you enjoy playing. Which can - as is the way - vary on pure internet meta/mathhammer.

Other posters will have more in-depth opinion on your direct loadout questions.

 Drasius wrote:

Best thing would be to let us know which models you like and unless it's vespid, the folks around here (after a bit of bickering) can probably get you a decent list. A points limit that you're commonly going to be playing at would also be handy so we know what to build for.

Well generally we're aiming to start playing 1000pts as for models I'm really open to any although I would like to make use out of Aun'Va and a sniper drone team. What I actually have at the moment is just the new starting set so a squad of 3 battlesuits, one firewarrior or breacher squad and an ethereal and I'll probably be facing a lot of space marines, necrons types.

Best advice i can give you:

Magnetize everything.

Make your drones Marker Drones