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Hey I'm new to both 40k and dakkadakka, so please don't judge this list to harshly. All help is appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Hq:

Ethereal (50) with honor blade (5), Hover Drone (5), and recon armor (5). 50+5+5+5= 65 points

Troops:

5 man Fire Warriors Strike Team (45). 45 points

5 man Breacher Team (45). 45 points

Fast Attack:

TX4 Piranha (40) with an automated repair system (5).
40+5= 45 points

10 man Pathfinder team (110) upgrading a pathfinder to a Shas'ui (10) and then he takes a blacksun filter (1).
110+10+1= 121 points

Elites:

XV25 Stealth Battlesuits (90) with a Shas'vre (10)
90+10= 100 points

65+45+45+45+121+100= 421

Some general tips:

Tau sarges upgrade are only worth it on the crisis to make him buff suit, the others are just not worth the points especially since you have the ld of the ethereal.

Ethereal are not my favourite especially with upgrades. Just a waste of points of a berry fragile units which also gives 1 extra vt to the opponent if he dies. Preffer to take a commander or a cadre fireblade.

Don't forget pathfinders are just fw with marker lights and under 1000 points ml are meh imo.

I miss the most assume tau units the suits. Crisis broadside, rupture ghost keel all awesome units all are Ofcourse to expensive but take your favourite and build him in. it will help your list a lot.

I like stealth and have mixed results but thats what you should experience just remember they are short ranged.

Piranhas with the formation are awesome but are just better in groups

Now I think about it:fireblade+suits(riptide(!), ghost keel crisis and broadside)+fw will give you a good feeling with tau can do.

A few ideas, from someone who made her first 500 point Tau list not too long ago:

1. Automated Repair System isn't that useful, especially on a short-lived skimmer with two Hull Points like the Piranha. Generally speaking, your go-to vehicle upgrades are Disruption Pods (jink FTW) and Sensor Spines (ignore terrain FTW).

2. Unless you know you're playing kill points missions, Multiple Small Units (MSU) is usually the way to go with Pathfinders. They're bullet magnets, so spreading them out's for the best. Meanwhile, your other units can use markerlights from however many units put them on the target.

3. What's your strategy for getting the breachers close enough to deliver those 5" range, MEQ-killing shots? Can you put out enough shots to destroy a whole unit of Marines? This is where you might want to run a larger unit of models, and give them a durable transport like a Devilfish. Don't forget, your Ethereal can ride in it with them, and your models still benefit from Invocation of the Elements while the Ethereal's buttoned ... er, safely inside.

4. What's your plan for dealing with high-AV vehicles, or 2+ armour save models? You've got at least two potential sources of Fusion here (the Piranha and the Stealth team), but you haven't bought the upgrade for them.

Another way you could deal with tough models is giving the Pathfinders rail guns. It's an expensive upgrade for fragile models, but when you don't have many choices it's one way to make do. (I've personally sniped Grey Knights this way.) EMP-grenade-equipped Fire Warriors can make short work of Dreadnoughts and tanks, but without a Devilfish to transport them you aren't likely to get close enough for that.

Finally, objective-holding. You don't have any mobile units with ObSec, which is going to hurt in a Maelstrom of War game. Plus, your most mobile units are also the ones that can equip fusion. A Devilfish or a Kroot blob with infiltrate would help here, as would some fusion Crisis suits.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Um, I'm also going to second Arthorn about markerlights in low point value games. They're a force multiplier, but there's not a whole lot of force to multiply at this level. And you pay the same points cost for them whether you're spending those markerlights on a Stormsurge's main gun, or your Fire Warriors' pulse rifles.

You could always proxy your Pathfinders as different types of infantry. c: Or use markerlights to launch seeker missiles from the Piranha. Have fun experimenting with stuff either way!

Your list looks ok but depending on what you are going to use it for it can be improved. Remember that at this points level try to keep everything as cheap as possible while still fulfilling its purpose.

What others have said, Marker lights are good but expensive in 500p games, they take away valuable points that could be used for firepower. So the only realistic use for the ML that you can get in a 500p game would be to buff 1 unit. In my view the only suitable unit would be a Riptide. This is of course a bit on the competitive side of lists so for casual gaming you might not want to do it.

Ethereal is in my view the best HQ for a low point game, with him you will get buffs for your pulse rifles (FW, drones etc) in 12" bubble. I would take the Ethereal with only 2 Marker Drones then buy a Sniper Drone Team and join the Ethereal to that team. This way you have 3 BS5 Markerlights, 3 Pulse Sniper Drones and a unit to hide the ethereal in.

But if you do not have any units that will greatly benefit from Marker Lights then put your Ethereal in a Devilfish and go for FireWarriors and Crisis Suits, This way you protect the Ethereal while maximizing his 12" buff bubble around the devilfish. Get 2-4 FW units to move along and fill out the rest with approriately geared crisis units.

X078 wrote:
I would take the Ethereal with only 2 Marker Drones then buy a Sniper Drone Team and join the Ethereal to that team.

Why did I never realize you could do that o_O

Also yeah an Ethereal is way better than a Buffmander at this points level >_> Especially when like half your list's basic troops with pulse weapons (or at least 20 percent of it).

 Jewelfox wrote:

X078 wrote:
I would take the Ethereal with only 2 Marker Drones then buy a Sniper Drone Team and join the Ethereal to that team.

Why did I never realize you could do that o_O

Also yeah an Ethereal is way better than a Buffmander at this points level >_> Especially when like half your list's basic troops with pulse weapons (or at least 20 percent of it).

Yes, don't forget that (points permitting) you can add more Marksmen (total 3) and Pulse Sniper Drones (total 9) to the Sniper Team for 5 BS5 ML. The drones will be able to fire twice due to the etheral buff and JSJ out of cover, the Marksmen will need LOS though. Also the Ethereal will benefit from the Stealth rule of the unit.

Thank you all for your help! I'll pick up a piranha armed with a fusion blaster nothin more, 45 points, maybe a sniper drone team to go with the ethereal, and maybe a commander if that doesn't work out


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh I forgot to mention, I usually play against orks. Anything about that? Again thanks in advance!

If you know you will be facing Orks alot then go for VoF as much as possible Pulse Rifles and Burst Cannons en masse.
Use your Piranha's with Fusion to go for any tougher targets.
Dont' waste points on upgrades (besides weapons) or the Crisis Commander at this points level.

Ok guys, guess what I screwed up and got a riptide