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Getting into Tau finally and threw together a list that uses models I've owned for some time (Ghostkeels) plus a bunch that I'm building (basically everything else). My plan for the list is to generally play To the Last and ATR for guaranteed secondaries (at least until CA ruins that by removing TTL).

I want to play the Ghostkeels close/mid range with Crisis Suits as backup but kind of filling the 'distraction carnifex' classic trope. Obvious plays w/ breachers in devilfish and backfield strike team for objective maneuvering. Fireblade could be with the breachers depending on match-up.

I'm curious if people think that the invocation "Storm of Fire" is actually worth taking. an interesting train of thought I had was to use it to much more efficiently score ATR with units like the big Crisis blobs or even the Coldstar before dropping him into better position w/ his jump. Just a random thought though, mostly I'm hoping people have some advice on the construction of the list for a player that's new to Tau. Drone distribution/number, thought-process on loadouts, sept choice, etc. I'm open to all comments!

Thanks!


++ Patrol Detachment 0CP (T'au Empire) [77 PL, 1,318pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Detachment Command Cost

Sept Choice: Bork'an Sept

+ HQ +

Cadre Fireblade [3 PL, 50pts]

Commander in Enforcer Battlesuit [10 PL, 190pts]: 1. Precision of the Hunter, Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Plasma Rifle, T'au Flamer, The Be'gel Hunter's Plate, Thermoneutronic Projector, Warlord
. 2x Marker Drone: 2x Markerlight

+ Troops +

Breacher Team [5 PL, 85pts]
. 9x Breacher Fire Warrior: 9x Pulse Blaster, 9x Pulse Pistol

Breacher Team [5 PL, 85pts]
. 9x Breacher Fire Warrior: 9x Pulse Blaster, 9x Pulse Pistol

+ Elites +

Crisis Battlesuits [21 PL, 359pts]
. Crisis Shas'ui: Cyclic Ion Blaster, Iridium battlesuit, Plasma Rifle, Plasma Rifle, Shield Generator
. Crisis Shas'ui: Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Plasma Rifle, Shield Generator
. Crisis Shas'ui: Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Plasma Rifle, Shield Generator
. Crisis Shas'ui: Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Plasma Rifle, Shield Generator
. Crisis Shas'vre: Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Plasma Rifle, Shield Generator
. 3x Marker Drone: 3x Markerlight
. 2x Shield Drone: 2x Shield Generator

Crisis Battlesuits [21 PL, 359pts]
. Crisis Shas'ui: Cyclic Ion Blaster, Iridium battlesuit, Plasma Rifle, Plasma Rifle, Shield Generator
. Crisis Shas'ui: Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Plasma Rifle, Shield Generator
. Crisis Shas'ui: Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Plasma Rifle, Shield Generator
. Crisis Shas'ui: Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Plasma Rifle, Shield Generator
. Crisis Shas'vre: Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Plasma Rifle, Shield Generator
. 3x Marker Drone: 3x Markerlight
. 2x Shield Drone: 2x Shield Generator

+ Dedicated Transport +

Devilfish [6 PL, 95pts]
. 2x Gun Drones
. . 2x Gun Drone: 4x Pulse Carbine

Devilfish [6 PL, 95pts]
. 2x Gun Drones
. . 2x Gun Drone: 4x Pulse Carbine

++ Patrol Detachment -2CP (T'au Empire) [36 PL, 7CP, 680pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Battle Size [12CP]: 3. Strike Force (101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points)

Detachment Command Cost [-2CP]

Gametype: Matched

Sept Choice: Bork'an Sept

+ Stratagems +

Stratagem: Emergency Dispensation [-2CP]: 2x Additional Relics

+ HQ +

Commander in Coldstar Battlesuit [9 PL, -1CP, 175pts]: (Bork'an): Seeker of Perfection, Burst Cannon, DW-02 Advanced Burst Cannon, High-output Burst Cannon, Solid-image Projection Unit, Stratagem: Promising Pupil, T'au Flamer, T'au Flamer
. 2x Marker Drone: 2x Markerlight

Ethereal [5 PL, 85pts]: 2. Sense of Stone, 6. Wisdom of the Guides, Hover Drone, The Humble Stave
. 2x Marker Drone: 2x Markerlight

+ Troops +

Strike Team [4 PL, 80pts]
. Fire Warrior Shas'ui: Pulse Rifle
. 9x Fire Warrior w/ Pulse Rifle: 9x Pulse Pistol, 9x Pulse Rifle

+ Elites +

Ghostkeel Battlesuit [9 PL, 170pts]: 2x Fusion Blaster, Early Warning Override, Fusion Collider

Ghostkeel Battlesuit [9 PL, 170pts]: 2x Fusion Blaster, Early Warning Override, Fusion Collider

++ Total: [113 PL, 7CP, 1,998pts] ++

Created with BattleScribe

I like the list, it's similar enough to mine that I feel confident talking about it, but different enough that I find it interesting.

First off, I highly recommend investing 20pts into Guardian Drones for the Breachers. 4++ and Mini Transhuman makes them incredibly survivable against most armies. It doesn't help much against things like guard with high volume low str/ap, but against most armies, you'll easily make those points back in models saved.

Unless you're going Kauyon, I don't see the twin Devilfish doing all that much. With advance and shoot, you're already getting up the board very quickly. I'd take another squad of breachers with the guardian drone at 95pts over a Devilfish any day. (I know lots of people really like them, they've just never seemed worth it to me.)

Storm of Fire is not bad, but I've just found that Sense of Stone / Zephyr's Grace are just so much better. I guess it's fine as a third since you have the Humble Stave, but I don't see it coming up that often for casting. As a random utility ability, I'd rather Wisdom of the Guides just incase you REALLY need an extra CP for something (or later in the game when you're out of CP and you have less models to cast on.)

I really like running 1 Early Warning Override in each of my Crisis Teams, it gives you a 0CP overwatch that hits of 5+. It really disincentives charges against them. Depending on how fast you blow through your CP, Counterfire Defense System can be really good too. For 1CP it changes any damage value to 1, but has to be allocated on the model with the system (which thus can't have a shield gen and must then take future wounds before the others). It's more situational, but changing an ignore invul insta kill into a single damage (once your drones are gone) can give the unit a little more survivability (especially if you use that near the end of their shooting phase and can then use it again later). I've found that 3 shield gens are usually enough, and that saves you 10 points per unit. (Which could go into those Guardian Drones now that I think about it.) I'm not super sold on Iriduim in Septs other than Dal'Yth unless you're going to find yourself in cover a lot. It can certainly help in a few situations, but often the big guns will shoot at your suits and in that case you're just taking it on the invul anyway.

Drone distribution looks good. I might move 1 marker from each of the crisis teams to the Breachers just to spread them out a bit more, but that's just personal preference, having the extra hit on the crisis team is also a good option.

As for Septs, Bork'an is quite good, the extra range really helps the breachers and it gives your suits some good survivability. The stratagems WT and Sig System also compliment your build quite well.

I hope that helps, best of luck out there.

I really appreciate the long detailed reply and kind words! I'll have to think about guardian drones as well as how I plan on using devilfish and if they're worth it. Might require some test games to really know how i feel about it though.

Side note, if I take a single ewo, does the whole unit get overwatch on 5+ or just the one model that has it?

Thanks again!

 Parsalian wrote:
I really appreciate the long detailed reply and kind words! I'll have to think about guardian drones as well as how I plan on using devilfish and if they're worth it. Might require some test games to really know how i feel about it though.

Side note, if I take a single ewo, does the whole unit get overwatch on 5+ or just the one model that has it?

Thanks again!

Oh, that was a good catch, I didn't even notice that. The overwatch is free for the whole unit, but only the model with EWO hits on 5's.

 Tawnis wrote:

 Parsalian wrote:
I really appreciate the long detailed reply and kind words! I'll have to think about guardian drones as well as how I plan on using devilfish and if they're worth it. Might require some test games to really know how i feel about it though.

Side note, if I take a single ewo, does the whole unit get overwatch on 5+ or just the one model that has it?

Thanks again!

Oh, that was a good catch, I didn't even notice that. The overwatch is free for the whole unit, but only the model with EWO hits on 5's.

haha all good! I just wanted to make sure I was reading the rules correctly. Much appreciated! I'm excited to get to try out the list, although I suspect it'll be a month before I even have the chance to play again :(