Tau 1500

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**person_5**

hey guys, im fairly new to tau so critisizm will be good

i have been reading around the place and lookin at different strategies so i hav made a basic 1500 list so yeah...i hope its good

HQ - Commander Shas'o
- Fusion Blaster
- Plasma Rifle - Multi-Tracker
- Hard-Wired Drone Controller
- Gun Drone

Elites - Crisis Team x2
- Team Leader - Hard-Wired Drone Controller - Gun drone x2 Gun Drones
- X2 Twin-Linked Burst Cannons
- x2 Blacksun Filter

Troops - Fire Warrior Team x12 - Shas'ui

Fast Attack - Pathfinder Team x6 - Shas'ui - 10 points
- Devilfish Transport - Decoy Launchers

Fast Attack - Drone Team x8

Heavy Support - Broadside Team x2 - Target Lock
- Drone controller - Shield Drone x2

Heavy Support - Hammerhead Gunship - Rail Gun - Burst Cannons - Multi-Tracker - - Decoy Launchers

apparently we cant post points here so ull have to use your imagination but it equals 1500 exactly

this list is basically built around tatics people suggest (which is like) and different things i hav had good luck with testing out.

the commander is basically a character/big model hunter, as long as he finds cover plus a drone for a little survivablility (a shield drone was to expensive)

the crisis battlesuits may seem a little off but they work for sum reason and the same points cost as BS4 stealths except they have the same chance of firing but two more wounds better S T and WS so i think its a good deal, plus the drones again they might survive longer

the three fire warrior teams...obvious, they're awesome and they are great...yay fire warriors, i left out the marker lights this time because i normally have good luck with them but i built this list to try to avoid them i.e, twin linking everything, but the fire warriors normally pull thier weight at BS3

the drones, basically a harrasment unit, if i can deep strike, they team with the broadsides, if not, harass the deadliest unit, e.g. harass terminators (unless thats an exremely bad idea hehe)

the pathfinders, run around, harassment, plus, the markerlights that they have are definately worth the two points, plus maybe team with the drones tp pin units or aid the FW's

the broadsides no. 1 target for tanks, they normally do awesome but if they fail the drones or hammerheads back them up

the hammerheads work together to bring down vulnerable troop units or weaken then before the fire warriors come in for the 'shooting' kill, or if the broadsides had no luck, focus on bringing down enemy heavy tanks, basically everything in the army (S5 weapons) can handle a landspeeder or a raider if they have to

thats my list, i hope it pleases you but i want to know what i hav done wrong, theres always something you legends can help with...cheers

**paidinfull**

definitely drop the drop off the drone from the shas'o. the last thing you need to do is make him a squad so that he can be shot at. Indirect fire from a basilisk and he's instant killed. I would use the points to give your fire warriors bonding knives,(2) Down grade the team leaders as they are giving you WS3 and that's not really worth it as they are still firing at the same unit. Use those points for bonding knife(1) and start with some photon grenades for your fire warriors. Photon grenades are a very useful trick that i have seen very people use. I normally run 3 FW squads, shasui w/ bonding knife and photon grenades, 12 man. The reason behind photon grenades is that if you are assaulted by anything that has base 1/2 attacks in all likelihood you will not have the majority of your squad wiped out. This will allow you to remove models in base to base, fall back, and possibly regroup and rapid fire your assailants. Lastly, i don't twin link my suits because I enjoy firing the two weapons, personal preference, but i suggest adding multi-tracker & plasma rifles makes those guys solid troop killers which is what i think you were going for. I hope you find that helpful. A few little tweaks and i think you will find the list flexible to go up against a variety of armies.

**person_5**

Ohcool, thanks paidinfull, thats a really good idea with the bonding knives, hehe yeah i didnt think the drones were a very good idea but im glad that most of the list was right. ill try mucking around with it a bit and see if i can make it better.

**person_5**

Well i re-did the list but took out basically every drone, it works out that i can have the three bonding knives or a shield drone
for my commander + plasmasuit combo but ehh...so yeah here it is

HQ - Commander Shas'o
- Fusion Blaster
- Plasma Rifle
- Multi-Tracker
- Hard-Wired Target Lock

Elites - Crisis Team x3
- x3 Twin-Linked Burst Cannons
- x3 Blacksun Filters

Elites - Crisis Team x2
- x2 Twin-Linked Burst Cannons
- x2 Blacksun Filters

Elites - Crisis Team x2
- x2 Twin-Linked Plasma Rifles
- x2 Blacksun Filters

Troops - Fire Warrior Team x12
- Shas'ui
- Bonding Knife

Fast Attack - Pathfinder Team x6
- Devilfish Transport
- Decoy Launchers

Heavy Support - Broadside Team x2
- Target Lock
- Drone controller
- Shield Drone x2

Heavy Support - Hammerhead Gunship
- Rail Gun
- Burst Cannons
- Multi-Tracker
- Decoy Launchers

1500 points

basically the same strategy with this army, except i got rid of the drones, added another shooty battlesuit (i love em!) and
two super shooty ones (plasma rifles) to maybe team with the leader and pick off terminators or carnifexes, tanks, etc.
The way the points worked out, i twin-linked everything, because more chance of hitting plus the models look way cooler,
other wise everything stayed the same, i added to bonding knives but didnt have the points for all those EMP grenades, but i think
that a shas'ui with a bonding knife might help more than just the grenades but if its the other way around let me know. Other than
that stuff, the basic strategy stays the same so yeah, i hope its awesome!

thanks for the help by the way, i hope this list is better.

**WarsmithDave**

The last time I played Tau were when the old dex was out and my small force has been in mothballs since. But having played them b4 and owning several other armies a few thing occur to me. 1. Limited mobility and 2. no close combat component. Now I understand the shooty mentality, but the combo of 1 and 2 can spell disaster is you run into 1 or 2 assault units.

Your only mobility is in your pathfinders and hammerhead. An argument could be made for the crisis suits, but this mobility is really only useful in avoiding enemy return fire on largely terrain covered boards. The majority of your force is restricted to one firing line and unless you have some mobility for them to avoid impending danger; or a small assault unit to keep your firbase from being smashed utterly you may have some serious trouble against some armies. Of course this is sort of a worst case viewpoint. However I play IW and you can't just always expect your firepower to kill everything that can harm you in cc since most tau are little better than grots in cc.

I'm thinking largely of jump pack units being a BA and BT player as well. EMP grenades are useful at slowing the carnage, but not stopping it. And even the crisis suits won't be too helpful in a large melee. A small unit of vespid or medium unit of kroot with hounds would be my suggestion. Perhaps you've not encountered any of the problems I mention, but it is exactly the sort of tactics I would use to take an army such as yours. Hope its of some help.

**Aztralwolf**

I have to agree with Warsmith. I would add some vespid to this list, great for short range obliteration of MEQ, so when those jump troops get close hop the vespids up and blast away, lock in CC as needed. Also the bonding knives I feel are a must, not being able to regroup below 50% can really hurt you, above all else I hate a squad going off the table. It is also a matter of opinion but before I sold my tau I found plasma/ missle pod combo to be the best bang for my buck on the crisis suits. Don't really need the fusion blaster due to the short range, and the fact that if you have to get your suits that close to a tank to double pen then you are prolly screwed anyway. Also the grenades are a real must IMHO, nothing says yummy like taking away charge bonus, doesn't mean the squad will survive, just means you can opefully keep your foe tied up for an extra round of CC. This gives you the time to best position your troops for later, or get lucky enough to fall back and possibly survive to, as mentioned above, rapid fire into the offending enemy.
Aztralwolf

**person_5**

ok, cool

i might try muck around with the army and see what i can get

thanks