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Hey all! This is my first take on my competitive list since CA , it went down 104 points from chapter approved. Its a double battalion and a vanguard for 14 cps. I have checked out of competitive play for the season (got burnt out) but will be helping a couple buddies practice for when they compete in the LVO. I know that its not a typical competitive tau army, but it gives a good showing and will get them the practice vs a newly stronger army (always thought tau was high tier 2 but now with CA its no question tau will be contenders!)

Ethereal - warlord - through unity/ puretide engram
Shadowsun -command uplink
darkstrider

firewarriors X 9
firewarriors X 9
firewarriors X 9

Shield drones X 4
Shield drones X 4
Shield drones X 4

Coldstar 4 fusion
Fireblade

firewarriors X 9
firewarriors X 9 two shield drones
firewarriors X 9 two sheild drones

Coldstar 4 fusion
Fireblade

Riptide HBC SMS ATS Velocity tracker
Riptide HBC SMS ATS Velocity tracker
Ghostkeel- fusion cascade 2 melta shield generator target lock

Pathfinder X 6 Pulse accelerator drone
Pathfinder X 6 Pulse accelerator drone

The I was able to add in 7 more firewarriors 2 pathfinders and 4 more shield drones (keeping the same number of drops).

Its already been suggested to make this list into a triple battalion and pump it up to 18 cps. I like the idea and haven't play tested it out yet to see if I like the style change, but im thinking that I wont, because of darkstrider buffs and having larger units spread out further allows for more coverage of FGG (I can get most of my army firing overwatch if my opponent charges any of my first layer of screening units)

Now this may be unorganized but im going to go into my overall strategy and then the reasons I took each unit.

I want to win the game through objectives, I have so many drops that I have found that I will almost never score kill more (unless the game is already decided) I put many fire warriors units down first trying to get a sense/bait out my opponent's key drops. ( I can do this bc I have 21 drops 27kp) I interweave my firewarriors, spreading their coherency to the max trying to maintain as much for the greater good (FGG) bubble as I can while screening/board control. I prefer to go second, i think its easiest if trying to win through objectives to contest those objectives at the end of round better. I have enough markerlight support however to stop prepared positions on key targets for a go first alpha. Unless vs a melee specific army I will always montka to the middle of the board controlling at least 3 objectives. I don't like to castle up and shoot, my castle is mobile and says I dare you to charge me. I will have an easier time late game if I can keep my commanders alive. I am also trying to kill more of their infantry than of their vehicles. winning though objectives means having more ob sec than the other guy. not to say I cant take on knights bc this list can, I just need to kill units that threaten my infantry

Ethereal-I take bc of the leadership buff to units within 6in. not having to take morale tests is key to keeping every firewarrior alive. Invocation of elements is a bonus! 6+++ FNP does come into affect throughout the game, and in desperation the re roll 1s of stationary units has been used when I need every pulse weapon shot I can get. Is more fragile than a fireblade but is more protected and not as far up. Puretide for the farming and through unity devastation bc of synergy with focus fire and structural analyzer.

Shadowsun- She is an auto include. An extra kauyon is worth almost no matter the price. I also wont always use Master of war abilities right in a row. I will save my second kauyon for when I run out of markerlight support (turn three or four) letting my fair warriors move the first couple turns into position is key for screening and board control. a third of my games their is a melee element (making tau great) but in more competitive games (units ignore overwatch) smart charges will tie up some of the army (not allowing them to stand still and shoot. On the other hand Tau ballistic skill is crap without markerlight support. having a turn with free rerolls for your castle reduces your need for markerlight support. She plays the roll of buffmander. Giving my riptides CNC buffs.

Darkstrider Falling back(or forward) onto objectives and still be able to shoot is very strong for tau. Its only for infantry but Pulse rifle shots add up. +1 to wound is strong no matter what you are shooting at and when combined with TUD it makes any firewarrior squad that much more effective. markerlight is a bonus

Coldstar-4 fusion is the way to go! the only problem is protecting them. One of the best late game units in the game. have a tendacy of hitting well but then failing to wound and if put in an exposed postition they will die. Have been combining them with focus fire stratagem to allow for other tau to kill tougher units more effiectively. their mobilty and threat potentail make them an auto include

Fireblade- a bargain of a hq. accurate markerlight and allowing for more shots from firewarriors making any unit within rapidfire range a formidable amount of firepower. surprising amount of wounds triple tap strength 5 weapons!

Firewarriors- The secret backbone to any tau army. combining with pulse accelerator drones and fireblades, point for point these chaff units trade well vs other chaff units. They also have threat potentail vs knights if needed (without the majority of their shots being wasted). They screen for more important high dps units and spread out my fgg bubble. Not to mention being obsec. i take a couple of units with shield drones. that allow for commander support or a hiding spot a larger unit of drones couldnt fit in.

Pathfinders-besides the ghostkeel, i think this is the only other questionable include, but hear me out. If going first (turn 1) i want number of markerlight shots (6/2) over accurate shots to eliminate cover on as many targets as i can. It gives access to the pusle accelerator drone, where let me tell you the range increase is noticable. And they act as a targetable distraction carnifex. Firesightmarksmen are characters, i was running into late game situations where my marksmen would be alive but i didnt have enough units to maximize their support. I want my opponent to have something to shoot at! that means that more firewarriors are alive or that more shield drones made it. I have mentioned that with shadowsun you do not need as much markerlight support. Let you Opponent think by killing your markerlights he is crippling you.

Shield drones- i take two units of 4 and i attach two units of two onto firewarriors. smaller the drone unit the better in my opinion. Need to be able to hide them. These are an auto include, make your opponent jump through hoops and hurdles to kill your key targets.

Riptides- HBC SMS ATS and velocity tracker. i dont plan on moving my riptides much, veloctiy tracker helps vs flyers and most -1 to hit armies. HBC is statistically the better choice and when paired with the CNC its fire power is very strong. vs knights i will fire with the CNC riptide first the use Focus FIre allowing the other riptide to wound on 4s the coldstars on 3s firewarriors wounding knights on 4s is very fun. i tend to use branched nova charge on the riptide that cant have hidden drone support. supporting every unit in my castle with FGG makes every opponent think twice before charging.will almost always every turn use the 3++ invul very durable.

Ghostkeel- This unit is always my last drop i always counter deploy with this suit. It maps out my board control and my threat range/potentail. This is another distraction carnifex unit, very durable, hard to hit with drone support. Is always a surprise when it actually does something, but i use it as a sceen for my commanders, and to hold an objective normally out of reach.

anyone have any cool tau strats that they like to run? what do you think of my playstyle/reasoning vanguard sacea marksmen is a good strat that i just learned that is worth consideration i just am like pathfinders more. i also saw a heavy hitting list with broadsides and 27 shield drones.

I am thinking about a new style change (devolving back) to castle up and shoot tau, im looking forward to trying out broadsides (missile) and pairing them up with command and control node (24/24 rerolling/rerolling) seems strong! I still don't like crisis suits even with the points drop they fall short compared to missilesides and riptides. a huge downside to broadsides is the need of more shield drones.

Anyone try out a taunar?!!?

Thanks for your time/comments

Like the list, maybe instead of adding 7firewwariors and 2 path, you may consider a pair of F. marksmans for about the same point cost to have more reliable markers

I have tried running 2/3 marksmen, don't like them. they are the last unit to die (being protected by the character rule is good) but they cant win me the game. Its a question of quality over quantity. I am taking quality markerlights (and im sure most people do too) in fireblades and darkstrider. they are characters (making headhunter even better) that would bump my count up to 9 . . . and I try my best not to rely on maxing out to 5 on markerlights. I aim for ignoring cover on 2-3 targets but I really want is rerolling 1s. I also want people to have to choose at shooting at my pathfinders or my firewarriors/shield drones. let them think they are doing good my eliminating my markerlight support only to be hit by an army wide kauyon the next turn

I'd give one of your Cadre Fireblades the chip, at least he can make use of the free re-roll.

The list is easy to pick kill points from, which gives an element of control to your opponent, and you lack a bit of mobility so you may struggle with board control.

But its definitely got some fire power.

The next list for tau I'm tempted by is many fire warriors squads in devilfish, with a couple of riptides with ATS and counter fire. the basic premise is to move into the centre of the board and try to get your opponent to charge the moving castle, so you can overwatch (5+ re-rolling to hit on the tides). then fall back and shoot them some more!

Current list is sniper drones and pathfinders with rail rifles. its ok, but strugles against mech lists.

Good idea with the chip! But it works for any sept unit within 6 (most of my army). I usually do end up using the chip reroll on a markerlight that missed (bc I would rather save my cp reroll for melta)

I do have alot of drops, and losing like 6 a turn can hurt morale. I just committed to the idea, of there is strength is smaller units making the opponent waste firepower overkilling a unit.

Tau are suprisingly fast! turn 1 with the advance i will have 2 units capping the center obj. Moving castle is very fun and i think even more viable with shadowsun point drop

I think the devilfish tax is too high. never even tried it, would rather have the 17 fire warriors (or whatever) instead of a devilfish and anything without savior protocols, but I hope it works for you! moktka turn usually gets me to where I need to go

Im liking the idea of an ethereal with the warlord trait inspiring leader, so that way i can take larger firewarrior squads