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Greetings, I'm a bit new to Tau and 100% new to this new-fangled detachment system, so I'm looking to make sure I understand the rules properly and this is a legal list as well as some PEACH'ing for the composition

I understand to run the Dawn Blade Contingent I'll need to be FSE, which means I have to take bonding knife on all units, non-Riptides have a different set of wargear options and I roll on a different list of Warlord Traits.

I can't seem to find the points to make the Commander worth much, unless I dump the Markerlight Drones, I'm just worried with how shooty the army ends up and I'll need more Markerlights. I'm used to running Buffmander, so I don't know what to do without the standard Tau Sig Systems, tbh.

Core:
----Retaliation Cadre: (1307)

Commander -119
2x Markerlight Drones
Burst Cannon
Advanced Targeting System

XV104 Riptides x3 -558
3x Bonding Knife
Heavy Burst Cannon
Twin Linked Smart Missile System
Counterfire Defense System

XV8 Crisis Suit x3 - 159
3x Bonding Knife
2x Fusion Blaster

XV8 Crisis Suit x2 -114
2x Bonding Knife
2x Flamer

XV8 Crisis Suit x3 - 159
3x Bonding Knife
2x Airbursting Fragmentation Projector

XV88 Broadside Suit x3 - 198
3x Bonding Knife
TL Heavy Rail Rifle
TL Smart Missile System

----Ranged Support Cadre: (540)

Pathfinder Team - 48
4x Bonding Knife
4x Pulse Carbine w/Markerlight

Pathfinder Team - 48
4x Bonding Knife
4x Pulse Carbine w/Markerlight

Pathfinder Team - 48
4x Bonding Knife
4x Pulse Carbine w/Markerlight

XV88 Broadside Suit x2 - 132
2x Bonding Knife
TL Heavy Rail Rifle
TL Smart Missile System

XV88 Broadside Suit x2 - 132
2x Bonding Knife
TL Heavy Rail Rifle
TL Smart Missile System

XV88 Broadside Suit x2 - 132
2x Bonding Knife
TL Heavy Rail Rifle
TL Smart Missile System

Basically the Ranged Support Cadre is untouched, just due to lack of points. I've got the Crisis Suits are grouped for their job role:
Anti-Tank - Fusion Blasters
Horde Control - Flamers / Airbursting Fragmentation
I feel like the 9 Broadsides are enough for anti-tank options and between the Airburst and Flamers, standard troops should be okay. Ideally, I'd strap some Jump-Shoot-Jump on the flamers to keep them well out of the way of assaults and return fire, but I just plain can't afford it, points-wise. The Riptides should have enough firepower to handle MEQs and TEQs with volume of fire. I'd really like another couple of Markerlight Drones, but, again, can't seem to find the points. These damn bonding knife costs add up.

Is it required to take 3x3/2 crisis suit units? I would take one unit in each, This should free up a few hundred pts. Keep the R-tide wing and take a drone network. Your commander with DC will make great use of this.

So a bunch of things...

Firstly, if you're going to take 3 riptides you should take them in the riptide wing formation. Let's you re roll nova and get better bs. This is a really strong formation and depends on how competitive you want to be. This and the drone net formation are the foundation of most tau tournament lists.

Second is your broadside loadout, you have all 9 with heavy rail rifles. These weapons just aren't good enough to justify. Switch all nine to missle sides with smart missles. This will take care of anti inf and anti horde freeing up your other units to do stuff they're better at.

Your commander can still buff, although arguably a better way to go is signiture systems on shas'vre since that is a thing now. Really tasters choice, for me bs3 drones are good enough from the formation with all their extra rules.

So your commander needs 2 guns to take advantage of you bs5, I say all plasma and with that ignores cover or twin linked on a shas'vre. Then your other two squads can be single suits with 2 fusions each. Those along with your single riptide in the formation(I'm thinking heavy burst and fusion) should deal with av14 threats, everything else should be eating too many strength 7 shots and that should give you enough glances to neutralize them.

So just make sure your commander and his unit melt whatever enemy deathstar exists and pressure with everything else. My $0.02

I really appreciate the feedback.

Soulgrinder, I totally misread the rules of the Detachment. I thought fielding them in sets of 3 gave the Fireteam Bonus to all units, not just the Riptides. I'm currently cutting back the Crisis Suits, as you recommended.

Epartalis, the Riptides are required for the detachment and if I field them as a unit with 3 Riptides, they all get +1BS, otherwise I'd have to bring 4 Riptides to get the detachment reqs + Riptide Formation.

I'm really concerned about dumping all the rail rifles on the Broadsides because then I'll be lacking in ranged anti-armor. I could see bringing a few with Missiles, especially for the Ranged Support Cadre to provide Overwatch for the Pathfinders, but if I go with single suits with a pair of Fusions and a Single Crisis, am I really going to have enough power to deal with high AVs?



Also, I keep seeing the Drone Network Detachment being recommended and after reading it I guess I don't understand what it's so good, drones get +1 BS, which is nice, but should really only be taken if I bring hordes of drones, right? What am I missing?

If you're not wanting to find the points from for a total of 4 riptide, all of which can all re roll nova(the one in your retaliation cadre should take earth cast pilot array) then I would just drop them in the retaliation cadre down to 1. There's no good synergy for the other two.

The thing you are missing on the drone network is all the special rules they get. The two crucial ones in my opinion are interceptor and jink. Interceptor gives them the ability to critically support your riptides which should be slaughtering enemies as they try to drop in on you. Or if you aren't running riptides then your broadsides. Retaliation cadre broadsides can maybe take plasma since they are deep striking. The rest should just stay all heavy missles. Jink lends a little more survivability to a unit with only a 4+ armor save in case of ap4 just jink. Lastly it allows you to spread out your markers more than the old mark'o build let you do. Even CAD lists using tetras have that problem of sometimes marker overkill.

Lastly, strength 8, even at ap 1 is not a good anti tank weapon with only 1 shot and no tank hunter or anything. They need a 6 to glance AV 14 and only pen on a 6 with av13. Now s7 needs a 6 to glance av13 but you have 4 shots, further your crisis with fusions should make short work of any really high av threats. There also aren't many scary lists that take significant heavy armor. Even if there were the optimized stealth cadre and massed fusion is still the taus best answer to armor. Not single shot rail guns. I know they look amazing but their performance has always been subpar. I know you want to blow up vehicles with that ap1 but what you need for that is fusion, even if they are suicide squads. They are 52 points, they can easily kill a tank a turn with marker support.

Also minimum Path finder squads, once you lose one you are taking a morale test, which is bad for these small groups. Once they move you lose shrouding.

I have ran a Retaliation cadre with drone net and Riptide wing... it works well at 1850 just have to keep ALL the buffs in mind, there is a lot to keep track of.

Heavy Burst cannons on Riptides can take care of armor. Just keep spacing correct to keep your bonus's. Also really use your Riptides with Early warning over ride. Keeps those pesky deep strike armies at bay.