1850 New Tau (Semi Competitive)

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**GoDz BuZzSaW**

Hey guys, as a old school Tau Player, I've been waiting for a long time for a new book and I have to say I am pleased with it, I won't be using much of the new Stuff and I'm not looking for the most competitve force, as I want to use models I like, I can understand that the book is new and therefore there isn't a known best build or what works well. Anyway here is my list, how do you guys think it looks?

HQ:

Crisis Battlesuit Commander 182
Plasma Rifle, Cyclic Ion Blaster, Shield Generator, Iridium Armour, Puretide Engram Neurochip, Neuroweb System Jammer

Troops:

12 Fire Warriors 118
Pulse Rifles, Shas'ui

12 Fire Warriors 118
Pulse Rifles, Shas'ui

12 Fire Warriors 208
Pulse Carbines, Shas'ui, Devilfish, TL SMS

Elites:

3 Crisis Battlesuits 171
Plasma Rifles, TL Fusion Blasters

3 Crisis Battlesuits 171
Plasma Rifles, TL Missile Pods

3 Crisis Battlesuits 171
Plasma Rifles, TL Missile Pods

Fast Attack:

7 Pathfinders 87
Shas'ui

7 Pathfinders 87
Shas'ui

2 Piranhas 112
Fusion Blasters, Sensor Spines, Blacksun Filters

Heavy Support:

Hammerhead 170
Railgun with Submunition, TL SMS, Commander Longstrike

Hammerhead 126
Ion Cannon, TL SMS, Blacksun Filter

Hammerhead 126
Ion Cannon, TL SMS, Blacksun Filter

1850/1850

Cheers

**Desubot**

Check FAQ, no missile drones for not broadsides.

**GoDz BuZzSaW**

Desubot wrote:
Check FAQ, no missile drones for not broadsides.

Cheers for that, that helps to free up some points for other things!

**Desubot**

Yeah its a bummer, but i think that could strip enough points for at least one broadside with skyfire, otherwise an ADL with quad could fill in your AA for a bit.

**GoDz BuZzSaW**

Yeah I think that could work, what would you think about shaking things up a bit and dropping a FW Squad and taking A couple of Broadsides with Skyfire and some Piranhas?

Cheers

**Desubot**

Not looking shabby. I too am a little torn on missilesides vs railsides for anti air as missile has WoF but at a much shorter range, while the Rail can reach out and touch someone but at the cost of number of shots. since you already have enough long range st10 with Hammerheads, maybe go with missilesides and sit in the mid field to threaten a good deal of the board.

Otherwise your commander may do better with a pure tide chip instead of a jammer which is a bit more defensive. and your suit load outs could be a bit more varying, maybe some plasma fusion of some sort to have some redundancy encase your hammerheads fail. (god if i had a nickle for every time that has happened)

**GoDz BuZzSaW**

Thanks for the tips, and yeah you're right on the hammerheads! They seemed to miss more than hit on the old dex even when I gave them a targetting array! Let's hope the new dex brings a change of fortune as we'll need to rely on them a bit more now with the Broadside Rail Rifle only S8.

List updated.

**Coyote81**

I think you should leave the broadsides with railguns for skyfiring and change one of your hammerheads to ion cannon, you could really use the Ap3 blast templates for anti-marine firepower. And you broadsides can backup you hammerhead for antitank duties. Save you 5 pts as well for your puretide chip.

**Desubot**

Potentially he could also stick a longstrike in on the rail head which will generally pen and kill a av14 little under 50% of the time

Also scene space is available, you can split the pathfinder sup into two squads, one being the special weapons, the other for marking duties. that way you can spread out and target different things forcing some target priority on your opponents. but it depends on your play style

**GoDz BuZzSaW**

In fact, I would quite like the idea of having both Hammerheads with Ion Cannons, as that would be a lot of Anti Marine firepower and they are also decent at AV 11 AT on their own, And I can use Broadsides/FB Crisis for high S, I could also swap the Quad gun out for an Icarius Lascannon if i needed more High Str AT? so if I swapped the Broadsides to HRR and then took Ion Cannons what would you think?

**Coyote81**

Having played with the new ion cannon and getting disgusting looks from the marine player, I think they are well worth htey're points, and if you do take longstrike, he can overwatch with ion cannons as well. I take the Lascannon on the ADL as well, mostly because I found the quadgun to be mostly worthless against helldrakes and the lascannon fairly reliable when shot by BS5+.

**Desubot**

I think the problem will come when there is nothing for him to shoot the lascanon with, except maybe bs 3 firewarriors in the back. a fire cadre hq would be nice to sit back behind an ADL but that may change his list a bit more.

**GoDz BuZzSaW**

I have to say I am liking the look of this list as it is, although I will make changes as I playtest and see where it is weak, I do agree on the LC tho, although at the same time I don't think the quad gun will have a massive impact either, I guess if I'm really needing to hit something then I can mark a tank for the Lascannon bearer or Broadsides to take down.

**Coyote81**

Desubot wrote:
I think the problem will come when there is nothing for him to shoot the lascanon with, except maybe bs 3 firewarriors in the back. a fire cadre hq would be nice to sit back behind an ADL but that may change his list a bit more.

Thats what the commander with the puretide chip in the broadside squad is for. He even has space for a Target Lock.

**GoDz BuZzSaW**

My commander is meant for more of a close range threat though, although it might be worth having a BS5 shot with Tank Hunters in the first turn of the game and then thrusting forward. Other than that, do you think the list looks solid?

**Coyote81**

I'm pretty much sold on the list, but I feel you might be a little troop light for 1850pts, but then again most Tau play troop light. I feel you could use a 75pt kroot unit(add in one krrot hound for acute senses for accurate outflanking) for outflanking and getting to far objectives.

**Desubot**

I concur, seems about right, now its time for some play testing. let us know how it goes.

**GoDz BuZzSaW**

A quick question for you guys, as this just popped up, i don't really think my broadsides will do that well, so what would you think about having a big unit of sniper drones? 3 Marksmen and 9 Drones, this could allow me a BS5 man for the Lascannon as well as 2 additional BS5 markerlights (heck, it's pretty stupid but even one of the Sniper Drones could fire it at BS5!) I could then drop the Pathfinders and take either some Crisis Bodyguard for the Shas'o, and give the Shas'o 2 marker drones and a drone controller, or I could take some Piranhas to replace the AT value I lost from the broadsides. What are your thoughts?

Cheers

**GoDz BuZzSaW**

Updated list, feel free to review it:

I'm torn between 2 Ion, 1 Rail (Longstrike) Or 2 Rail, 1 Ion and then taking a few marker drones with my 'O commander, what are your thoughts on this?

**Brothererekose**

GoDz BuZzSaW wrote:
Crisis Battlesuit Commander 182
Plasma Rifle, Cyclic Ion Blaster, Shield Generator, Iridium Armour, Puretide Engram Neurochip, Neuroweb System Jammer

The usual comment regarding Shield Gens vs. Shield Ds. SDs are cheaper and better for risking ID from STR8+ wounds.

GoDz BuZzSaW wrote:

12 Fire Warriors 118
Pulse Rifles, Shas'ui

12 Fire Warriors 118
Pulse Rifles, Shas'ui

12 Fire Warriors 208
Pulse Carbines, Shas'ui, Devilfish, TL SMS

The d'fish still blows, GBS.

GoDz BuZzSaW wrote:
Elites:

3 Crisis Battlesuits 171
Plasma Rifles, TL Fusion Blasters

3 Crisis Battlesuits 171
Plasma Rifles, TL Missile Pods

3 Crisis Battlesuits 171
Plasma Rifles, TL Missile Pods

Given more footies in the 6e meta, I'd rather TL the Plasma, unless your meta still has armor.

GoDz BuZzSaW wrote:
Fast Attack:

8 Pathfinders 118
Shas'ui, 2 Ion Rifles

8 Pathfinders 118
Shas'ui, 2 Ion Rifles

I'd split 'em into sets of 5, 5 & 6. Unlike the last book, small sets of PFs actually work.

3 Ionheads look scary.

Consider the C&Cn + MultiSpec combo for XV8s and a Cmd. Crisis Suit, giving the signature toys to a 'Ui.

**LordRogalDorn**

I really like the look of this list. Its simple and seems to have the tools needed to get the job done. I think I would only want to get the Riptide because there are a lot of terminator and paladins around where I play. Let me know how it plays!

**GoDz BuZzSaW**

Had a small tester and couldn't help but make a final tweak to the list

will be using this list for the rest of my playtesting, your thoughts?

LordRogalDorn wrote:
I really like the look of this list. Its simple and seems to have the tools needed to get the job done. I think I would only want to get the Riptide because there are a lot of terminator and paladins around where I play. Let me know how it plays!

I know what you mean! In the previous 'Dex we had trouble with TEQ's despite still having Plasma, this time round though I think I have enough AP2/1 Without a Riptide to get the job done! :Thumbsup: