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This is assuming Runes of Warding gets horribly nerfed in the Eldar codex release, thus reducing the need for Eldar psychic defence. Tau/Daemons might be quite a strong combination though, I think.
My current monobuild:

HQ
Commander, Drone Controller, Puretide, Vectored, Target Lock, 2 Missile Pods 2 Marker Drones 172
2 Bodyguards, 2 Missile Pods each, 1 with Neurosystems Web Jammer, Vectored 4 Gun Drones 179
Shadowsun 135

Elites
Riptide, Ion, Early Warning, Plasma 190
Riptide, Ion, Early Warning, Plasma 190
Riptide, Burst Cannon, Early Warning, Velocity Tracker, Fusion 205

Troops
10 Kroot 60 pts
10 Kroot
10 Kroot
10 Kroot
10 Kroot

FS
4-man Pathfinder Team 44
4-man Pathfinder Team 44
4-man Pathfinder Team 44

Heavy Support
Skyray, Blacksun 116
Skyray, Blacksun 116
Skyray 115

If I get first turn, everything infiltrates for the Alpha-Strike. If not, I hang back and marker/ion with the Riptides and then outflank the Kroot.

WHY YOU NO TAKE FIREWARRIORS? thats first off the list. you should give bsf to each of your skyrays not just 2, should be taking fusion blasters on riptides not plasmas. Other than that, your list looks pretty strong.

The only reason I can think of doing that much kroot is to win via the congaline. infiltrate, stretch kroot all the way across the board, enemy cannot deploy, has no units, you therefore win.

I disagree with the above poster. The kroot are just fine. But they really should all have sniper ammo so that they are a useful weapon against other armies. With just the pulse rounds, they are a littel substandard. Drop one unit of kroot, give them all sniper ammo and 1 kroot hound each for accurate outflanking.

I think you should drop the EWO from the HBC riptide and give him a stimulate inejctor. you may need to drop a pathfinder squad, but I think you can afford to. It would also give you the points you need for the 3rd BSF on skyrays.

Looking at your HQ unit, you should probably give the bodyguards marker drones since they're using mpods, they're going to want to stay aat range anyways, and give them targetlocks, same with the commander, that way the unit can shoot at different targets then the marker drones, but it gives you some really good marker lights. This would probably free you up to drop another unit of pathfinders (They really aren't that good) and use those points to bring more kroot. Don't forget your sniper ammo.

Last comment, I like the list, but I can often see you using Shadowsun for suicide missions, so she should probably never been your warlord.

IMO, it isn't quite as strong as an Ethereal/Fire Warrior build, but it's still a very strong Tau build that can win tournaments. While it lacks the raw firepower of a Fire Warrior list, it has much better mobility with nothing to tie down your units. The only problem you are going to have is against LR-spam (land raiders) or AV13-spam (Necron triple-barges, Daemons soulgrinders, BA MSU AV13-spam). Otherwise, you can handle almost any army out there.

Honestly, Ion Accelerators on Nova Charge deal with AV13 just fine. I can see the landraider issue. But having Fusion blaster on all 6 riptides should take care of that problem. oh and S7 mpods with tankhunter actually put quite a few glancing hits on AV13 as well.

your commander has 1 support/weapon system too many

Gyrtop wrote:WHY YOU NO TAKE FIREWARRIORS? thats first off the list. you should give bsf to each of your skyrays not just 2, should be taking fusion blasters on riptides not plasmas. Other than that, your list looks pretty strong.

The only reason I can think of doing that much kroot is to win via the congaline. infiltrate, stretch kroot all the way across the board, enemy cannot deploy, has no units, you therefore win.

I think Kroot are far more versatile because you can infiltrate and outflank, so if you go first you can alpha-strike with 50 rapid-fire guns or out-flank if second. Probably could points-juggle to get the one.

Why Fusion Blasters on the Riptides? you can overcharge to get 8 Plasma shots on the Rips instead of four Fusion. The HBC Rip can fill in for armour hunting if needed, while the Iontides go to town on MEQs.

Err, you infiltrate only after the opponent has deployed, so you can't do that

Coyote81 wrote:I disagree with the above poster. The kroot are just fine. But they really should all have sniper ammo so that they are a useful weapon against other armies. With just the pulse rounds, they are a littel substandard. Drop one unit of kroot, give them all sniper ammo and 1 kroot hound each for accurate outflanking.

I think you should drop the EWO from the HBC riptide and give him a stimulate inejctor. you may need to drop a pathfinder squad, but I think you can afford to. It would also give you the points you need for the 3rd BSF on skyrays.

Looking at your HQ unit, you should probably give the bodyguards marker drones since they're using mpods, they're going to want to stay aat range anyways, and give them targetlocks, same with the commander, that way the unit can shoot at different targets then the marker drones, but it gives you some really good marker lights. This would probably free you up to drop another unit of pathfinders (They really aren't that good) and use those points to bring more kroot. Don't forget your sniper ammo.

Last comment, I like the list, but I can often see you using Shadowsun for suicide missions, so she should probably never been your warlord.

I agree about the Kroot Hound bit but Sniper Rounds? What's their utility? Most GEQ or MEQ will be getting wounded on 3s or better and for MC hunting I have the Skyrays and Riptides. The Kroot are there just to provide cheap troops. Good call with the Markerdrones on the Bodyguard, I was thinking two were enough but you can never have enough markerlights. Three units of pathfinders is de rigeur, because two isn't going to last very long. Also useful for Scouring.

Stimulant injector is kind of overpriced, and I need to have some interceptor/skyfire in the list to threaten Drakes before they burninate. If they can at least scare them off into a sub-optimal heading it's worth the 5 points.

jy2 wrote:IMO, it isn't quite as strong as an Ethereal/Fire Warrior build, but it's still a very strong Tau build that can win tournaments. While it lacks the raw firepower of a Fire Warrior list, it has much better mobility with nothing to tie down your units. The only problem you are going to have is against LR-spam (land raiders) or AV13-spam (Necron triple-barges, Daemons soulgrinders, BA MSU AV13-spam). Otherwise, you can handle almost any army out there.

Etherwarriors is kind of static and boring, I like to go on the offensive from turn one. Maybe I could drop Shadowsun for more dakka with the Ethereal (who does buff Kroot), but the two vps he gives up is too much to bear, and I'm sure the list handles massed infantry quite well. If I were to take FW it would solely be to get more Markerlights into the list- Maybe I should make a list where every single unit has independent Markerlights Against AV-13 spam, I'm just going to salvo off my 18 Krak missiles and hope for the best. The list has the potential to table common Wraithwing builds if I get first turn.

Coyote81 wrote:Honestly, Ion Accelerators on Nova Charge deal with AV13 just fine. I can see the landraider issue. But having Fusion blaster on all 6 riptides should take care of that problem. oh and S7 mpods with tankhunter actually put quite a few glancing hits on AV13 as well.

I'm still not sold on Fusion Blasters on Riptides. Explain?

Theridan wrote:your commander has 1 support/weapon system too many

He has Puretide, Neuroweb (2 Sig) Vector, Target Lock, Drone Controller (3 of 4.) You can take as many Signature systems and four support systems.

Asmodai Asmodean wrote:

jy2 wrote:IMO, it isn't quite as strong as an Ethereal/Fire Warrior build, but it's still a very strong Tau build that can win tournaments. While it lacks the raw firepower of a Fire Warrior list, it has much better mobility with nothing to tie down your units. The only problem you are going to have is against LR-spam (land raiders) or AV13-spam (Necron triple-barges, Daemons soulgrinders, BA MSU AV13-spam). Otherwise, you can handle almost any army out there.

Etherwarriors is kind of static and boring, I like to go on the offensive from turn one. Maybe I could drop Shadowsun for more dakka with the Ethereal (who does buff Kroot), but the two vps he gives up is too much to bear, and I'm sure the list handles massed infantry quite well. If I were to take FW it would solely be to get more Markerlights into the list- Maybe I should make a list where every single unit has independent Markerlights Against AV-13 spam, I'm just going to salvo off my 18 Krak missiles and hope for the best. The list has the potential to table common Wraithwing builds if I get first turn.

For your type of list, the Ethereal isn't really a good fit. You have a mobile army where kroots can infiltrate or outflank. If you're taking a static unit like the Ethereal, might as well go with the "boring" fire warriors. If you want to swap out Shadowsun, I'd actually drop Shadowsun, 1 skyray and perhaps even another 1 unit of kroots. Instead, I'd get a 2nd Commander + 2 bodyguards so now you have another unit of jumping beans (and go with perhaps fusion+MP on the 2nd unit).

I'm not talking Signature systems, but Weapon and Support

Commander, Drone Controller(1), Puretide, Vectored (2), Target Lock(3), 2 Missile Pods(4 and 5) 2 Marker Drones 172

Theridan wrote:
I'm not talking Signature systems, but Weapon and Support

Commander, Drone Controller(1), Puretide, Vectored (2), Target Lock(3), 2 Missile Pods(4 and 5) 2 Marker Drones 172

Ah good catch.

The fusion blasters on all the riptides gives you a jetpack movement unit that can threaten Landraiders and other AV13 units. With 6 in your army, your bound to be able to deal with an AV14 that comes your way. You only lose one plasma shot. But gain a valuable AP1 weapon. And you HBC riptide with skyfire can totally scare off a flyier with an 18" AP1 gun as well. I think for that purpose alone, fusion is probably worth it over plasma. that HBC with ewo and skyfire isn't going to scare helldrakes. And since it has a huge range anyways, where are they going to hide? yea, they're just going to fly to the right spot, because no matter what you are going to get shots, but you have BS3, need 6's to pen (if you managed to nova charge the turn before), and don't have any pen bonuses (since it's AP4). Honestly your safer with just having stim and velocity tracker.

Coyote81 wrote:
The fusion blasters on all the riptides gives you a jetpack movement unit that can threaten Landraiders and other AV13 units. With 6 in your army, your bound to be able to deal with an AV14 that comes your way. You only lose one plasma shot. But gain a valuable AP1 weapon. And you HBC riptide with skyfire can totally scare off a flyier with an 18" AP1 gun as well. I think for that purpose alone, fusion is probably worth it over plasma. that HBC with ewo and skyfire isn't going to scare helldrakes. And since it has a huge range anyways, where are they going to hide? yea, they're just going to fly to the right spot, because no matter what you are going to get shots, but you have BS3, need 6's to pen (if you managed to nova charge the turn before), and don't have any pen bonuses (since it's AP4). Honestly your safer with just having stim and velocity tracker.

There's already melta on Shadowsun and the Cannontide. You lose a potential 8 shots since you can overcharge the Plasma to shoot twice. Helldrakes aren't going to last too long with my 18 skyfire Str 8 missiles.