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So, whenever I build any list for my tau, I always go into certain ideas, including a buffmander, broadsides and riptides. I have somehow convinced myself I dont need Crisis Suits.
This is causing me problems with list building and breaking the mold. Even when I Try to make a fun list I have this problems with this, even when I know Im going against sub-par players.
Does anyone else have this problem?

Just give yourself strict limits. No riptides, not broadsides, etc.

Then play a bunch of games. Eventually you'll be able to trust that it's possible to play tau some other way. Without that sense of trust and confidence, of course you're going to fall back into comfortable patterns, even if you don't want to.

I do all the time. I guess once you get into a mindset of: "I want to bring good units, even when its a fun game", its hard to get out of it.

Lucarikx

I think the problem specific to Tau are the 'auto-include' nature of some units.
Some Tau units are, in my opinion, unbalanced with each other.
For example the riptide is head and shoulders (pardon the pun) above the other elites because of its utility.
Whereas missile sides are litterally one of the best shooting units in the game, 220 points for 12 TL S7 and 12 TL S5 shots which can intercept is mental.
I think the problem isn't necessarily Tau themselves but possibly the game has 'outgrown' itself.
The power of the game has just been going up and up and therefore those choices are just better.
I have the same problem with Tau and list creation.

There are several things you can try to make it distinct from the standard while also being a decent build.

Try running a Crisis suit bomb led by a commander.
Commander with dual plasma rifles, target lock, and advanced targeting system. Attach him to a unit of three crisis suits with dual burst cannons and let them deepstrike in.
250 points for 24 S5 shots and 2-4 S6 ap2 shots that have a 1/3 chance of picking out a special weapon or sarge.

There is also the Commander with Drone controller, dual burst cannons and VRT. Get a squadron of 5 piranha and throw the commander in the disembarked drones.

I like playing with 2-3 squads of infiltrating Kroot, fun and fragile unit with a lot of uses.
Skyrays are an amazing unit for how cheap they are. They let you get an alpha strike in on a flyer or MC and do a bit of support after.
Drone commanders are also fun. Gives a really juicy target though, but with the commander it's easy to hide.

Want tot try something super fun? Run a Farsight Enclaves battlesuit army; nothing but crisis suits. It's amazing, until your opponent has a single LRBT and your army dies

Try fluffed based. I have an army that was a rapid response cadre and has 15 pirahnas and it does quite well.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
So, whenever I build any list for my tau, I always go into certain ideas, including a buffmander, broadsides and riptides. I have somehow convinced myself I dont need Crisis Suits.
This is causing me problems with list building and breaking the mold. Even when I Try to make a fun list I have this problems with this, even when I know Im going against sub-par players.
Does anyone else have this problem?

Easily solved by play strict with yourself. Next time you build a list tell yourself no broadsides or riptides at all and stick to it. Use different units to fill those needs in the game and then play that army a few times to get a feel for it. We all get used to a certain style of play as we go along. I have the opposite problem of you as I dislike using the same units in back to back games, other than basic troops. I have so many units and armies I want to get maximum variety into my play rotation.

One option you can try is to scare up a copy of the old Tau codex and only include units and options that were available then. So no riptides, not broadsides with missile pods, but broadsides with railrifles would be OK and so on. Of course you will use the rules and points values from the current codex, but just use the old one to limit what is "available".

Of course the real question here is, do you enjoy playing your army the way you play it? If so then keep playing it that way. Nothing says you HAVE to use crisis suits in your army if you don't want to do so.

Skriker

You could always try using some shenanigans heavy lists.
Two units of Stealth suits with the positional relay and several units of outflanking Kroot and maybe some Darkstrider with Pathfinders with rail rifles all walking in on the back table edge.

Play a friendly game, just do what you want, no pressure to bring bug guns n try n break mould by just having a laugh with a mate or 2?

Iv had the same problem.

But a fun thing to try is to make a list with NO Signature or relic type items.

makes you build a little different.

Or play at sub 750 where points are super tight and can be played may different ways.

I'm entering a 500 point iron man tournament next week. I'm going with Farsight enclaves, because deepstriking fusion suits is fun but making them a scoring unit is amazing.

It's not even really that bad. At that point value I had 3 suits with twin linked missile pods, a commander with twin missile pods, two double fusion suits, a dual flamer suit, and a skyray.
4 scoring units, one anti air/fmc and support tank, one squad of versatile S7 shooting, and 2 anti-tank units.

At that low of a point game, people tend to bring very durable units. I see Mephiston a lot, Iron Hands bike Chapter masters as well, and even a Riptide or Wraithknight.
Going against a Riptide in 500 points was actually rather sad. First turn got hot, failed his nova second turn, got hot again and failed to save. He already put 2 wounds on himself and did no damage out.