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Again, any suggestions or constructive criticism are welcome

++ Patrol Detachment (T'au Empire) [104 PL, 1964] ++

+ HQ +

Commander in XV86 Coldstar Battlesuit [7 PL, 134]: High-output burst cannon, Missile pod

+ Troops +

Breacher Team [5 PL, 100]: DS8 Tactical Support Turret w/ Missile pod, 9x Fire Warrior, Fire Warrior Shas'ui

Breacher Team [5 PL, 100]: DS8 Tactical Support Turret w/ Missile pod, 9x Fire Warrior, Fire Warrior Shas'ui

Strike Team [5 PL, 80]
. Fire Warrior Shas'ui: Pulse rifle
. 9x Fire Warrior w/ Pulse Rifle

+ Elites +

XV104 Riptide Battlesuit [17 PL, 356]: 2x Smart missile system, Ion accelerator

XV8 Crisis Battlesuits [11 PL, 156]
. Crisis Shas'ui: Burst cannon
. Crisis Shas'ui: Burst cannon
. Crisis Shas'ui: Burst cannon

+ Fast Attack +

Pathfinder Team [6 PL, 103]
. 7x Pathfinder: 7x Markerlight
. Pathfinder Shas'ui: Markerlight
. Pathfinder w/ Ion Rifle: Ion rifle
. Pathfinder w/ Rail Rifle: Rail rifle

Tactical Drones [2 PL, 32]: 4x MV1 Gun Drone

+ Heavy Support +

XV88 Broadside Battlesuits [18 PL, 395]
. Broadside Shas'ui: 2x High-yield missile pod, 2x Smart missile system, Seeker missile
. Broadside Shas'vre: 2x Smart missile system, Heavy rail rifle, Seeker missile

+ Dedicated Transport +

TY7 Devilfish [7 PL, 127]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Burst cannon

TY7 Devilfish [7 PL, 127]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Burst cannon

TY7 Devilfish [7 PL, 127]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Burst cannon

TY7 Devilfish [7 PL, 127]: 2x MV1 Gun Drone, Burst cannon

++ Total: [104 PL, 1964] ++

You are going to be hard pressed to win many games vs top armies. Tau just have too many units that are very expensive and not very effective.

I would suggest posting the models you have and then working from there!

I have some concerns for the list.

XV8's: I don't understand why they are included if only equipped with a burst cannon. XV25s have the same output of damage and a different but effective deepstrike and toughness alternative for 66pts fewer.

Devilfishs: I would not use one for the pathfinders as they get to move 7" without counting as having moved prior to the start of the game. Disembarking will hurt their aim in some cases. At worst they act as a screen. Firing one of each weapon choice could also slow your shooting phase slightly.

Similarly strike teams have so much range and aren't penalized for moving I don't think they need a devilfish either. They can act as an 80pt screen instead of spending 127 points trying to keep them alive an extra turn.

Your only high damage weapon is a single heavy rail rifle and the riptide hurting itself with random # of shots that miss half the time. If your opponent has a heavy tank it will survive that and take out the broadside. The missile pods might help but aren't reliable hitting on 4+, wounding on 5+, saving on 4+ if targeting a knight for example.

The simple fix is to throw a few fusion guns into the crisis team. 3 Ion rifles overcharging are ok, rails are too expensive til the codex drops sadly. Another railside could help with consistency and give your opponent more worries about target priority.

I think the basis of the list is there. Lots of mechanised infantry supported by a couple big suits. However, at the moment Riptides are amazingly bad. They are so over coated for what they provide. If you're dead set on having one though, I'd have a heavy burst cannon. Cheaper, and not a half bad heavy infantry killer, with nova charge. Missile pods on breacher teams are a waste of points; they will be constantly moving, so you'll never be able to use it. I would also definitely recommend taking a cadre fireblade or ethereal, to get a battalion for those sweet command points and to buff your infantry. A cadre fireblade is also a good source for starting a marker light chain. Another possibility is a quad fusion commander. Drop the crisis suits to fit him in, and that should give you some much needed semi-reliable anti vehicle. On the whole, the list looks okay, bit worth Tau in such a dire state these days without commander spam, you should probably be optimising when possible. All this could (and probably will) change when the codex drops in March, so I'd hold off on any major decisions.

I'd drop all those devilfishes, keep maybe one for a breacher team to move up but keep the pathfinders out so they can do their scout move before hand.

As Shas'O'Ceris said if you're just taking burst cannons switch to stealth suits. Never under estimate how annoying a -1 to hit is, and they get it even in close combat. Removing the other transports you could have both. Stealth suits with a homing beacon are great for other deepstrikers too allowing you to get closer and maximize the fusion blaster damage, which you kind of need to take on Tau to be able to do anything.

I love Riptides myself, but as the others have said they just aren't great in 8th at the moment and for the price of that Riptide you can get two Ghostkeels who get a -2 to hit when over 12" with their stealth drones. They are the new distraction carnifex

I disagree in the Devilfish. Mechanised Breachers is a perfectly valid way of running Tau. However, I'd drop them for Pathfinders and the Strike Team, and instead invest those points in a solid infantry core of Strike Teams and a Cadre Fireblade. However, I swear by Stealth Suits. They are one of the few units to get better in 8th and they got cheaper! I neglected to mention them in my original reply.