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I recently made a post about the markerlights, and how I feel they've been (massively) nerfed to a point where they're near useless, but now I'd like to talk about stuff I actually do like.

The fire warriors. Cheaper than before, and my god, infantry is *survivable* these days. In 7th, a heavy bolter would wound you on a 2+ and ignore your armour altogether. Here, it ignores no armour and wounds on a 3+. All in all, infantry seems a whole lot less susceptible to mid-strength dakka than before, meaning they're actually a lot more durable. Additionally, you get sergeant upgrades for free, meaning that extra leadership point is absolutely worth taking. Not to mention the lack of templates.

That considered, is it now viable to spam fire warriors, for that sweet, sweet rapid fire '30 S5 goodness? Is the age of infantry finally dawning?

(I played a test game for fun yesterday, with a fireblade buffing two units. Even whittle down a little, the rapid fire plus volley fire ability meant each warrior fired three shots a piece for over forty shots. Chewed up a bike squad easily.)

Spamming infantry seems to be pretty favorable this edition, I know that investing in armor doesn't seem that great. You can't go wrong with a couple fire warriors, Even nicer that they can wound anything now.

As for Markerlights, they're as useful as you make them. rerolling ones is pretty helpful you're effectively negating a result on the dice, increasing your chances of hitting by like 30%. Not to mention the bonuses stack and that every tau unit benefits from the light.

Should you need to focus fire on a target, they're going to have a VERY bad time when you light them up (and then light them up again!)

MrPyro wrote:
As for Markerlights, they're as useful as you make them. rerolling ones is pretty helpful you're effectively negating a result on the dice, increasing your chances of hitting by like 30%. Not to mention the bonuses stack and that every tau unit benefits from the light.

16% for BS3(like tau generally) actually.

MrPyro wrote:
As for Markerlights, they're as useful as you make them. rerolling ones is pretty helpful you're effectively negating a result on the dice, increasing your chances of hitting by like 30%. Not to mention the bonuses stack and that every tau unit benefits from the light.

Should you need to focus fire on a target, they're going to have a VERY bad time when you light them up (and then light them up again!)

Would rather not make this discussion about markerlights as I already have a thread about that, but suffice it to say that I think rerolled ones is a miniscule bonus and only results 4-5 seem at all attractive. But, fire warriors.

Fire Warriors are amazing

Every 120 points of Fire Warriors gives you 3 Command Points!
What a deal <3

Firewarriors are great. Although I'd be interested in what people think is the ideal squad size for them to be fielded. I always tend to gravitate towards 10 man squads.

 Hollow wrote:
Firewarriors are great. Although I'd be interested in what people think is the ideal squad size for them to be fielded. I always tend to gravitate towards 10 man squads.

The 12 man squad is back, I think; that's the max cap for your squad sizes. I gravitate toward 10 as well, but depending on how it goes... I mean, it's pretty tempting, the idea of a gun line buffed by a fireblade.

I do like fire warriors, cheap, can hold in cover and take cheap markerlights on the leader. Good for min squads for the battelion detachment. I do find gun drones better though, 4 shots, t4, 8" move for same cost and can protect crisis suits/Yvahras etc. Also they can be brought in by manta strike with hazard/crisis suits.

They do suffer from low leadership and depend on drone controllers, also small squads can be picked out for first blood/kill points.

Its personal preference but i think gun drones are worth more for the points cost.

I notice some good synergy between squads of pathfinders, Fire warriors, and fireblades - pathfinders take the drone that increases your pulse weapons range by 6 inches. Now you don't need to move to hit your targets with 36" and the pathfinders can fire both markers light and their pulse carbine in the same turn(no they can't per marker-light rules apparently it's harder to shoot a marker-light than multiple machine guns at the same time)! With Carbines being 24 inches. This is a pretty solid gun line that can hurt anything.

Marker lights are nerfed in a sense - but the buffs don't remove themselves after 1 unit shoots at it. Get 5 marker lights on it - everything in your army shoots at +1 to hit reroll 1's and ignore cover. I think it's pretty good. 1 marker light now makes a commander twin linked. There is good and there is bad.

 Xenomancers wrote:
pathfinders can fire both markers light and their pulse carbine in the same turn!

no

 Xenomancers wrote:

Get 5 marker lights on it

That's a lot of Markerlight Shots to reach that goal, and it only helps against extremely tough targets.
Against most average targets, you probably won't bother trying to get more than 1 ML

 Talamare wrote:

 Xenomancers wrote:
pathfinders can fire both markers light and their pulse carbine in the same turn!

no

 Xenomancers wrote:

Get 5 marker lights on it

That's a lot of Markerlight Shots to reach that goal, and it only helps against extremely tough targets.
Against most average targets, you probably won't bother trying to get more than 1 ML

Why can't they fire both? "Reads markerlight ruling at begining of the index" ahhhhh. Seems pretty stupid to me - it's a shooting weapon - everyone else can fire multiple weapons. Cast orders - psychic spells and shoot. This is basically the tau psychic ability. Needs to be rewritten as it has no justification.


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 Talamare wrote:

 Xenomancers wrote:
pathfinders can fire both markers light and their pulse carbine in the same turn!

no

 Xenomancers wrote:

Get 5 marker lights on it

That's a lot of Markerlight Shots to reach that goal, and it only helps against extremely tough targets.
Against most average targets, you probably won't bother trying to get more than 1 ML

1 marker on a lot of targets does seems to be the best use of them. However - big things need to get to the 5 number to really shine.

50 points for 10 Pathfinders. I'm pretty sure most 2k lists can find 100 points for a couple squads.

 Hollow wrote:
50 points for 10 Pathfinders. I'm pretty sure most 2k lists can find 100 points for a couple squads.

8 points for the pulse drone if you are taking fire warriors it's probably going to be worth it.

 Hollow wrote:
50 points for 10 Pathfinders. I'm pretty sure most 2k lists can find 100 points for a couple squads.

They're 8 points though aren't they?

They have to take markerlights, and markerlights cost 3 points each

only played a few games so far, but a few observations;

- low leadership wrecks FW squads. If a 3x10 squad gunline is the idea, i think an ethereal with its leadership buff is an absolute must.
- Guardian drone for 8pts is quite useful. i know its only a 5+ invun, but for 8pts you can afford 1 to protect multiple units.
- The missile turret option is too expensive and limits movement too much.
- Dont think the ML option for each squad leader is a bad call for what it costs- always a longshot especially when moving but if it gets you that re-roll 1's then its worth the shot.
- Darkstrider, must be the best HQ tau have for the pts for one simple rule; fighting retreat, its come in really handy, the structural analyser isnt as valuable but pair it with some breachers close range and you have quite the marine killer unit.
- Dont forget your photon grenades- because that -1 to hit carries into the fight phase.

So lets say you have your 30 man gunline, they now have ld9 (eth buff), reroll 1's (provided you hit with darkstriders ML), a 5+ invun, 6+ fnp (using eth's buff again), they effectively have the FLY keyword with regards to falling back out of combat, one of the units can fire at a unit with -1 toughness, and theres a very good chance that any unit charging them will have -1 to hit.

Not too bad really?

BTW fire-warriors were always worth taking.

 SevenSeasOfRhye wrote:

MrPyro wrote:
As for Markerlights, they're as useful as you make them. rerolling ones is pretty helpful you're effectively negating a result on the dice, increasing your chances of hitting by like 30%. Not to mention the bonuses stack and that every tau unit benefits from the light.

Should you need to focus fire on a target, they're going to have a VERY bad time when you light them up (and then light them up again!)

Would rather not make this discussion about markerlights as I already have a thread about that, but suffice it to say that I think rerolled ones is a miniscule bonus and only results 4-5 seem at all attractive. But, fire warriors.

Actually, the first markerlight can be plenty valuable if you have a lot of Ion weapons in your list as it allows you to reroll all the 1's that would cause you to take mortal wounds.


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 Hollow wrote:
Firewarriors are great. Although I'd be interested in what people think is the ideal squad size for them to be fielded. I always tend to gravitate towards 10 man squads.

The guardian shield drones are amazing, so "as big as possible" is my personal answer.

Just don't skimp on the drones. They're not characters and so they can be freely targeted even if they're behind another unit.


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 obsidianaura wrote:

 Hollow wrote:
50 points for 10 Pathfinders. I'm pretty sure most 2k lists can find 100 points for a couple squads.

They're 8 points though aren't they?

They have to take markerlights, and markerlights cost 3 points each

Yes.

Also, don't forget the grav drone. That thing is amazing.

Guardian drone gives only a 6++ to Strike teams. Breachers get the 5++