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Cheaper and less painful as an exchange unit. Thats why Crisis Suits over the FD + WS.

FD + WS must actually get to the target. Having one means it will be a magnet for fire. Crisis suits can deepstrike, fire, and jump away.

Can someone clarify for me where it allows a Crisis suit to take two single versions of one weapon system? Two separate Plasma rifles for instance. As far as I can tell It only allows for one weapon to be purchased, or for two as a twin linked version.

Tau April FAQ, questions and answer section

It doesnt directly say that anymore. All it says is that the second cost is for a twinlinked version which counts as 2 weapon slots. In the previous dex it added in afterwords you cannot take the same gun multiple times except to twinlink it.

Also the FAQ so people stopped insisting old rules still exist. Biggest thing i hate about this game is when a new rule conflicts with an old (and mind you no longer existing) rule and people go WTF!?

Cheers for the replies

Dual Plas commander on deck...

Okay, I am confused now. I plan to run White Scars (bikes, speeders and gravcents) with buffmander and three bsides.

Buffmander would have 2 marker drones, the usual buffs (ignore cover, drone controller, re-roll misses) and no guns. 2 broadsides would have missiles/sms and 1 with rail rifle and target lock. 3 missile drones would be attached to them (1 to each?).

1) Must I shoot at the unit I markerlight with the drones?
2) Can the missile drones choose a separate target, or only the one attached to the railside?
3) Must that missile drone fire at the same target as the railside?
4) Can I run them like this or do they all need the target lock?
5) If they all had target lock, could I shoot the missdrones and HYMPs at one (or three) target and the SMS at another target?
6) Will they benefit from the reroll, ie. should they miss inspite of TL, they were able to reroll once?

I have some assumptions on these questions, but would like verification.

 Vineheart01 wrote:
It doesnt directly say that anymore. All it says is that the second cost is for a twinlinked version which counts as 2 weapon slots. In the previous dex it added in afterwords you cannot take the same gun multiple times except to twinlink it.

Also the FAQ so people stopped insisting old rules still exist. Biggest thing i hate about this game is when a new rule conflicts with an old (and mind you no longer existing) rule and people go WTF!?

For clarity here is the FAQ wording. I don't think I'm violating any Dakka rules.

Q: Can I take three of the same (not Twin-linked) weapons on my
Crisis suit? (p100)
A: Yes. Remember though that a Crisis battlesuit can still only
fire a maximum of two weapon systems per Shooting phase.
For example: A Crisis battlesuit could be equipped with three
(non Twin-linked) burst cannons, or one Twin-linked burst
cannon and one (non Twin-linked) burst cannon, so long as
you pay the appropriate cost in each instance. In either case,
make sure your opponent is aware how you have chosen to
equip such models at the beginning of the game.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Naw wrote:
Okay, I am confused now. I plan to run White Scars (bikes, speeders and gravcents) with buffmander and three bsides.

Buffmander would have 2 marker drones, the usual buffs (ignore cover, drone controller, re-roll misses) and no guns. 2 broadsides would have missiles/sms and 1 with rail rifle and target lock. 3 missile drones would be attached to them (1 to each?).

1) Must I shoot at the unit I markerlight with the drones?
2) Can the missile drones choose a separate target, or only the one attached to the railside?
3) Must that missile drone fire at the same target as the railside?
4) Can I run them like this or do they all need the target lock?
5) If they all had target lock, could I shoot the missdrones and HYMPs at one (or three) target and the SMS at another target?
6) Will they benefit from the reroll, ie. should they miss inspite of TL, they were able to reroll once?

I have some assumptions on these questions, but would like verification.

1) Commmander and all drones would fire at 1 unit. Broadsides at their choosing.
2) see above
3) No, see above
4) only suits carry target lock. Usless to put it on the Commander since he wont be firing.
5) each model with target lock could declare to fire at one single unit.
6) using a buff for missleside is a waste. You cannot roll a re-roll.

Thanks for responses. I will not give buffmander the reroll functionality then. I am also happy to be shooting all missiles at one target and the rail rifle at another. On the other hand I am not sure what that S8 brings now that would be superior to the missiles. I have the grav weapons to take care of heavy armor.

2 marker drones firing at BS5 should almost always give me 2 hits, meaning the broadsides would then shoot ignore cover shots at BS5, twinlinked.

So my revised list is actually cheaper and at 1850 I can include 1 more missile drone

Naw wrote:
Thanks for responses. I will not give buffmander the reroll functionality then. I am also happy to be shooting all missiles at one target and the rail rifle at another. On the other hand I am not sure what that S8 brings now that would be superior to the missiles. I have the grav weapons to take care of heavy armor.

2 marker drones firing at BS5 should almost always give me 2 hits, meaning the broadsides would then shoot ignore cover shots at BS5, twinlinked.

So my revised list is actually cheaper and at 1850 I can include 1 more missile drone

Markerdrones are not network markerlights so the unit firing them can not benefit from them. The command and control node, which twin links your shots, is actually very good because it twin links the missile drones who have very poor bs. Twin linked bs2 is nearly twice as effective as normal bs2 shots. Taking the C&C node will give you more bang for your buck than adding another missile drone in its place. More over 2 bs5 shots only both hit about 70% of the time, 2 bs5 tl shots both hit about 95% of the time.

Wasnt that the supposed reason for markerdrones in the old dex costing 30pts a pop? i seem to remember networked markerlights being on more than 1 unit (my old dex is with my BRB in the mail...geting that tomorrow finally YAY).

At any rate, i found it odd the only way to get networked markerlights was on a body that literally only cares about it once lol. Skyray just boosts itself to BS5 and fires all its missiles, now its a floating BS4 markerlight platform lol

So marker drones for that setup are useless and the points will be saved for something else. I need to get my hands on the codex before asking obvious questions. My assumptions are from playing one Tau opponent, who still seems to be playing them incorrectly :(

Really appreciate all the Tau vets pouring your experiences and tactics into this thread. I'm a pretty competitive player and I'm really glad I started this thread and got the responses that were given. Extremely helpful!

I had a tournament yesterday (2v2, but basically my Tau/Eldar list) and I know it's nothing as competitive as a 1v1 1500 or 1750/1850 tournament but it really helped me understand what my units are capable of against different armies.

My partner and I won all 3 games we played but only got 3rd as 1st and 2nd got a bit more points in tie-breaker stats.

One thing I tried out was:
Tau Commander: MSSS, Puretide Chip, Iridium Suit, Drone Controller
Broadside unit of 3 + 6 Marker Drones: All missile drones with Targetlock

That squad was a beast at destroying whatever they shot at. Target locking 2x Rhinos and popping them both, destroying entire squads behind aegis, reliably marking up targets for my other units to shoot with BS5 TL Markerdrones, Commander absorbing tons of shots from non-AP2 weaponry and even basically wiping out max DE jetbike squads that thought they were safe from 2x Broadsides .

One thing though, when they focused fired him (due to my bad positioning really and his insanely lucky roles) with a orbital bombardment which hit direct and a thunderfire cannon which racked up TONS of wounds to take on my commander the units power level drastically dropped. Commander can only take so many saves when its AP2 forcing me to take the 4+ cover save from the Orbital, then after he died my drones and broadsides were pretty much almost wiped from all the TFC wounds. We barely got the win on that game.

RipTide felt like it didn't do as much destruction as the broadsides but it survived all game, as expected though. (So did my broadsides though the last game put the squad down to 2 broadsides and 1 markerdrone left). The RipTide even miraculously won combat vs a GK dreadknight and killed it! My opp was so mad.

Outflanking Kroot + Hound squads was amazing. And the Skyrays were allstars taking out flyers and marking/SMS'ing things after their payload was done. Good stuff!

Anyways, was a great game and I'm thinking though next time I'm going to add some Fusion blaster Crisis Suits for a more all-comers type list. It was near impossible to take out AV14.

RipTide felt like it didn't do as much destruction as the broadsides but it survived all game, as expected though

Thats what they do. Shot per point theyre pretty crappy in the codex, its just those few shots are strong enough to still do something and its on a body that does...not....fething....DIE lol

 Vineheart01 wrote:

RipTide felt like it didn't do as much destruction as the broadsides but it survived all game, as expected though

Thats what they do. Shot per point theyre pretty crappy in the codex, its just those few shots are strong enough to still do something and its on a body that does...not....fething....DIE lol

indeed...

Not to mention the fact that many opponents hate it when you shoot them and then jump off out of range/los etc...

However i always find my crisis suits seem to be blessed, in some cases i could happily do away with my 2 riptides and stick in more suits to cause even more hell.

my humble 3 man team packs 3 TL plasma rifles & 3 missile pods, and some shield drones. They are usually assisted by my irridium commander, they have zapped all sorts marines, guard as well as orks... add in 3 markerlights to ensure BS 4 and no cover usually means bye bye the target- to much whining on the opposite side Oh and do not forget they bugger off aftwerwards- the cheek of it

Its partly why i seem to enjoy playing Tau so much, they offer such flexibility and good firepower that actually requires far more thought than many seem to think. I may have lost the 2v2 game on friday, partly the bad luck of my marine ally (facing marines), but i made them pay, being 8-1 down on kill points and drawing it by the next turn was rather a nasty shock, excellent application of firepower indeed... we lost by 4 points in the end (2k per player btw...), better co-operation was needed on my side


Still i get abuse hurled at me for playing Tau, however the culprits don't mind having my Tau on their side when it come to giving a harsh beating

It's awesome to see the the Tau community come in and help each other out like this. As mentioned, all the vet players are providing great info of Tau strategies and tactics, and it's really great to read this tweak with your list.

I am trying to build a 1500 point list for a tournament in a week or two, any tips from all you guys?

Here's my list I am currently thinking of, I am using a Farsight Enclaves list
Commander - 2xMP, VT, DC
Riptide - IA, TL FB, EWO, Stims
Riptide - IA, TL FB, EWO, Stims
12xFire Warriors - Shas'Ui
12xFire Warriors - Shas'Ui
3xCrisis Suits - 6xMP, 3xVT, 4xMarker Drones
6xPathfinders
6xPathfinders
Hammerhead - RG, Sub Rounds, Longstrike, SMS, DP, Sensor Spines, Auto Repair
1499

Commander and Crisis Teams rule the skies with the Skyfire missiles, and when flyers dealt with throw out BS5 ML and missiles
Fire Warrior team deal with infantry ( mainly hordes )
Riptides throw Pi Plate at units with 3+ and 2+ saves, Fusion Blasters incase of high AV spam.
Pathfinder throw out ML from cover
Longstrike opens up tanks like soup cans with his S 10 TH shot and ML support to remove cover.

Reckon I will stand a chance?
P.S. Never played in a tournament before so no experience with meta.

Tbh the longstrike is a little overpriced for what he does. If he was preferred enemy against everyone it would be valid but its only IG so wth. Its still a single shot that isnt twinlinked, tankhunter helps with the pen on av14 but you still gotta hit them. And you have a small amount of markerlights, i'd be surprised if you do more than strip cover. (As ive said in other threads i believe preferred enemy should never be on a specific race because it favors list tailorings, which should never be a thing catered to. So i hate that rule lol)

Stims on Riptides are also a but pointless imo. Some people swear by them but they might be in a meta that people actually try to kill the riptides - in mine noone pays attention to them unless an assaulty team can pincer them. Thats 70pts you could dump into more markerlights to make the Longstrike a little more worth it and reliable. Either a third pathfinder or bigger pathfinders.

Remember that Markerlights do not help the unit they are attached to. The only markerlight that does that anymore is the Skyray's markerlights. Those 4 markerdrones in your crisis team will not do anything unless the crisis team fails to kill a flier, and they actually snapfired the flier (remember the VT is model-by-model, drones do not get it). Theyre just ablative wounds at this point, and since they cost the same now i'd just switch them to sheld drones. I would be surprised if those drones survived long enough for fliers to be dead so the unit can shoot-then-support-the-next-unit on the ground.


Reason for me intervening and trying to help the tau community is im tired of people labeling tau as the "no skill no fun" army because of 3-4 riptide lists. We have far better combos out there, but they arent "I put models here i win" so noone sees them. Yes i still use 2 riptides but thats because a single riptide doesnt do squat and no riptides usually means i have to table you because Crisis suits always always get pasted for me once the drones are out of the way - or run off the board lol

I think the Stim Injector is actually a better upgrade than many folks realize. Consider the average price of a Ion Riptide is likely to be 190, if not more depending on Velocity Trackers. 35 Pts ends up being a relatively low cost for an increase of about 33% in durability. It also helps a lot vs Grav, which is exceedingly effective vs Riptides (especially if the Scars go first on certain deployments). I also think the FNP helps you to win the war of attrition vs opposing Tau. Unfortunately in the current meta, as a Tau player you need to be looking to gain an advantage over the other Tau folks you are likely to run into. I think Stim/Skyshield can provide that extra durability to swing the match.

Oh no doubt the FNP is awesome even if it is 35pts, the point im getting at is who the hell is going to shoot at it unless you fail 3-4 novas first? Yes you can take it for novas too but meh.
I take it if i have points left over and i already have enough markerlights to feel safe. Otherwise i leave it at home. Especially for the Ion Accelerator riptides its unneeded because they can sit in the back edge of the table and hit whatever they want. I would wager its useful for an HBC riptide because hes sitting in the middle of the board and if any of your riptides are getting into trouble, its probably him.

Its more of a "Not needed but still awesome" upgrade than anything else. Probably the only one in the entire game far as i know lol

LValx wrote:I think the Stim Injector is actually a better upgrade than many folks realize. Consider the average price of a Ion Riptide is likely to be 190, if not more depending on Velocity Trackers. 35 Pts ends up being a relatively low cost for an increase of about 33% in durability. It also helps a lot vs Grav, which is exceedingly effective vs Riptides (especially if the Scars go first on certain deployments). I also think the FNP helps you to win the war of attrition vs opposing Tau. Unfortunately in the current meta, as a Tau player you need to be looking to gain an advantage over the other Tau folks you are likely to run into. I think Stim/Skyshield can provide that extra durability to swing the match.

Actually, its a 50% increase in Durability. Riptide normally has 5 wounds, it takes on average 7.5 after FNP.

Vineheart01 wrote:Oh no doubt the FNP is awesome even if it is 35pts, the point im getting at is who the hell is going to shoot at it unless you fail 3-4 novas first? Yes you can take it for novas too but meh.
I take it if i have points left over and i already have enough markerlights to feel safe. Otherwise i leave it at home. Especially for the Ion Accelerator riptides its unneeded because they can sit in the back edge of the table and hit whatever they want. I would wager its useful for an HBC riptide because hes sitting in the middle of the board and if any of your riptides are getting into trouble, its probably him.

Its more of a "Not needed but still awesome" upgrade than anything else. Probably the only one in the entire game far as i know lol

I do field Stim Injectors on all of my Farsight Enclave Riptides. I find my opponents do try and kill them, that is partly because I often deploy with little else for the to shoot. On an HBC Riptide which will be attempting to NOVA nearly every turn it is a must to help mitigate the Failed NOVA Reactor wounds.

I look at it this way, for 70pts you can give your two Riptides the wounds of 3 Riptides. They are also great for when you Riptide gets caught in an unfortunate combat or becomes a sacrificial Tarpit. I've seen Stim Injectors save enough wounds to keep Riptides in the fight and avoid being swept especially against other MCs who would normally stop it to death. A good example is a Wraithknight deals 1.4/.7 depending on Nova Shield while a Riptide only Smashes for .8 wounds back. The Stim Injector greatly increases the likelihood the Riptide will survive and even gives it the off chance of winning combat. With Stim Wraithknight deals 1.0/.5 wounds to the Riptides .8.

Similar can be said about Daemon Princes and other MCs, though the Riptide stands a much lower chance of hurting them due to their Invuln, Tarpitting can still be an option in dire circumstances.

Just my 2cents.

 IXLoiero95XI wrote:
It's awesome to see the the Tau community come in and help each other out like this. As mentioned, all the vet players are providing great info of Tau strategies and tactics, and it's really great to read this tweak with your list.

I am trying to build a 1500 point list for a tournament in a week or two, any tips from all you guys?

Here's my list I am currently thinking of, I am using a Farsight Enclaves list
Commander - 2xMP, VT, DC
Riptide - IA, TL FB, EWO, Stims
Riptide - IA, TL FB, EWO, Stims
12xFire Warriors - Shas'Ui
12xFire Warriors - Shas'Ui
3xCrisis Suits - 6xMP, 3xVT, 4xMarker Drones
6xPathfinders
6xPathfinders
Hammerhead - RG, Sub Rounds, Longstrike, SMS, DP, Sensor Spines, Auto Repair
1499

Commander and Crisis Teams rule the skies with the Skyfire missiles, and when flyers dealt with throw out BS5 ML and missiles
Fire Warrior team deal with infantry ( mainly hordes )
Riptides throw Pi Plate at units with 3+ and 2+ saves, Fusion Blasters incase of high AV spam.
Pathfinder throw out ML from cover
Longstrike opens up tanks like soup cans with his S 10 TH shot and ML support to remove cover.

Reckon I will stand a chance?
P.S. Never played in a tournament before so no experience with meta.

Well the pathfinders are far more squishy than the markerdrones are. Might want to bloat the FW's slightly less, add the drone controller and two Markerdrones onto the commanders suit. That way if he peels off, he can take two drones with him and still Marker things, instead of putting that task solely on the crisis team. Also gives you more target variety should you need it.

Just a thought.

 Zagman wrote:

LValx wrote:I think the Stim Injector is actually a better upgrade than many folks realize. Consider the average price of a Ion Riptide is likely to be 190, if not more depending on Velocity Trackers. 35 Pts ends up being a relatively low cost for an increase of about 33% in durability. It also helps a lot vs Grav, which is exceedingly effective vs Riptides (especially if the Scars go first on certain deployments). I also think the FNP helps you to win the war of attrition vs opposing Tau. Unfortunately in the current meta, as a Tau player you need to be looking to gain an advantage over the other Tau folks you are likely to run into. I think Stim/Skyshield can provide that extra durability to swing the match.

Actually, its a 50% increase in Durability. Riptide normally has 5 wounds, it takes on average 7.5 after FNP.

Vineheart01 wrote:Oh no doubt the FNP is awesome even if it is 35pts, the point im getting at is who the hell is going to shoot at it unless you fail 3-4 novas first? Yes you can take it for novas too but meh.
I take it if i have points left over and i already have enough markerlights to feel safe. Otherwise i leave it at home. Especially for the Ion Accelerator riptides its unneeded because they can sit in the back edge of the table and hit whatever they want. I would wager its useful for an HBC riptide because hes sitting in the middle of the board and if any of your riptides are getting into trouble, its probably him.

Its more of a "Not needed but still awesome" upgrade than anything else. Probably the only one in the entire game far as i know lol

I do field Stim Injectors on all of my Farsight Enclave Riptides. I find my opponents do try and kill them, that is partly because I often deploy with little else for the to shoot. On an HBC Riptide which will be attempting to NOVA nearly every turn it is a must to help mitigate the Failed NOVA Reactor wounds.

I look at it this way, for 70pts you can give your two Riptides the wounds of 3 Riptides. They are also great for when you Riptide gets caught in an unfortunate combat or becomes a sacrificial Tarpit. I've seen Stim Injectors save enough wounds to keep Riptides in the fight and avoid being swept especially against other MCs who would normally stop it to death. A good example is a Wraithknight deals 1.4/.7 depending on Nova Shield while a Riptide only Smashes for .8 wounds back. The Stim Injector greatly increases the likelihood the Riptide will survive and even gives it the off chance of winning combat. With Stim Wraithknight deals 1.0/.5 wounds to the Riptides .8.

Similar can be said about Daemon Princes and other MCs, though the Riptide stands a much lower chance of hurting them due to their Invuln, Tarpitting can still be an option in dire circumstances.

Just my 2cents.

Yeah, I didnt bother to run full math or anything. But its obvious that it is a point efficient upgrade that bestows a considerable upgrade at a relatively cheap cost.

Also, while good players will often ignore Riptides as much as possible (generally inefficient to shoot), there are some units that can put them down with relative ease. The O'vesa star or the Buff Commander with any Ap2 unit will put down a Riptide fairly quickly. Grav weapons on fast profiles also scare them, Scars can get a bunch of alpha striking Grav shots if they go first and the Riptide is too big to hide out of LOS usually). Stim gives you a second dice roll to save wounds, which is huge and as Zagman pointed out it makes it less painful to use your NOVA reactor.

There is a distinct advantage to be gained by presenting only exceedingly durable units to your opponent. A lot of Tau lists I've seen generally have very durable shooting platforms, Skyrays with their AV13, Riptides, Suits with Buff Commander. They usually support this with small troop squads that are kept in reserve. I think this strategy works well because it denies your opponent the ability to simply focus down troops while ignoring your durable shooting units.

Lastly, in objective missions it isn't always wise to ignore a Riptide, especially if Tau go second. Riptides are amazing at contesting objectives and really excel at hunting troops with their SMS. It isn't overly difficult to force opponents to shoot them and FNP makes it a much tougher pill to swallow.

 Vineheart01 wrote:
Those 4 markerdrones in your crisis team will not do anything unless the crisis team fails to kill a flier, and they actually snapfired the flier (remember the VT is model-by-model, drones do not get it).

Hang on a second, if the drone controller on the Commander allows the drone use his ballistic skill when firing, then they would also be BS 5 against flier because he shoots at fliers with BS 5because he has skyfire.

Right?

Thats a loophole im waiting for a FAQ before i try. Technically yes though, but its a bit of a play on words to get it.

Skyray Marker Drones... Yaaaayy!

I've tried 6 marker drones on 3 suits, spending a further 23pt premium to get target locks and a drone controller. Mobile BS3 T4 4+sv markerlights are fairly useful I have found. Also provide a good buffer to the 3 suits, complements my static markers nicely!

LValx wrote:

There is a distinct advantage to be gained by presenting only exceedingly durable units to your opponent. A lot of Tau lists I've seen generally have very durable shooting platforms, Skyrays with their AV13, Riptides, Suits with Buff Commander. They usually support this with small troop squads that are kept in reserve. I think this strategy works well because it denies your opponent the ability to simply focus down troops while ignoring your durable shooting units.

Lastly, in objective missions it isn't always wise to ignore a Riptide, especially if Tau go second. Riptides are amazing at contesting objectives and really excel at hunting troops with their SMS. It isn't overly difficult to force opponents to shoot them and FNP makes it a much tougher pill to swallow.

You just described my list and play style almost perfectly.

I don't field SMS, I like having the TL Fusion Blaster running around, especially with fliers like the Helldrake running around and Tau's relative difficulty with AV13/14. TLFBs on my Riptides and and a pair of DSing Dual Fusion Suits is usually my anti High AV.

IXLoiero95XI wrote:

 Vineheart01 wrote:
Those 4 markerdrones in your crisis team will not do anything unless the crisis team fails to kill a flier, and they actually snapfired the flier (remember the VT is model-by-model, drones do not get it).

Hang on a second, if the drone controller on the Commander allows the drone use his ballistic skill when firing, then they would also be BS 5 against flier because he shoots at fliers with BS 5because he has skyfire.

Right?

Vineheart01 wrote:Thats a loophole im waiting for a FAQ before i try. Technically yes though, but its a bit of a play on words to get it.

A VT Commander with a DC does not confer that ability to drones, no FAQ required. Skyfire states that the model or weapon possessing the special rule can use their normal ballistic still when firing at Flyers and FMCs. A Drone Controller simply allows the Drones to use the Commanders BS, it in no way shape or form confers the Skyfire Special rule. Therefore the drones are making their BS5 Snap Shots as BS1 just like everyone else. Even a BS5 model is BS1 vs Flyers unless it or its weapon possesses the Skyfire special rule.

This one is pretty cut and dry and doesn't pose any rules conflict. Any potential FAQ to the contrary will be a strict FAQ rule change.

Your right it is pretty clear cut when you explain it like that, I just had heard it can be played like that.

A note on my list, I moved two marker drones from the crisis team to my commander but am still unsure if I should keep them at all or get more pathfinders.

I'm all about SMS on Riptides, I think it works well with the range of the other weapons. I also like the SMS more than any other particular weapon in the game. It is incredible for destroying all sorts of troops, ignore cover and LOS is crazy good. Since it is TL it also doesnt need markerlight buffs and it means your Riptide can stay pretty far away from some of the weaponry that threatens him (MEQ AP1/2 weapons, Shuriken, etc) as well as keeping out of assault range. With the uptick in Xenos armies the SMS really shines. It eats up Eldar/Tau/Daemon troops and those are, IMO, the three best armies.

But I dont think the Fusion is a bad choice, I just don't particularly fear AV13/14 and so far haven't had an issue with it. When I do I may be more tempted to switch to it.

i'll never understand why people hold the SMS's LOS ignoring rule so high.

You cant split fire your own guns anymore, and except a Skyray that took it over gun drones and already used its missiles, you have a better nastier gun already.
Ive never ever used my SMS on either riptides or broadsides unless you were in range and weak enough for me to try and get lucky. My IA riptides always have Fusions because that has been a boon for me more than i can count novacharging it to fire twice. HBC takes the SMS because if he fails his nova hes shooting troops anyway.

Theres a guy at my FLGS that will not shut up about it being so strong lol. Oddly enough all the games ive witnessed him play against tau, SMS never came into play anyway.

If you could take them on Crisis suits, even at 20pts a pop, ok that would be badass. 8 S5 AP5 LOS ignoring and ignores cover shots on a mobile platform...that'd be awesome.

They'd also be interesting on a piranha and they definitely are handy on the Devilfish.

But overall, they aren't much use on the Riptide, Hammerhead and Skyray. They just usually don't match the target profile they are attacking (vehicles and infantry with good saves). Broadsides are pretty situational too.