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I need help folks, I did a new DA list it was two on two, each with 1850.  First, I think this list was no good cause I went up against a nasty tau force of doom.  Anyways though, here it is

Belial 130 points

Terminator Assault 5 thunder hammers
+1 apothecary
+1 standard

Terminator Assault 5 thunder hammers

Terminator shooty
1 AC

Terminator Shooty
1AC

Scout squad
+5man
Scout Squad
+5man

Bike Squad
+3 bikes
+2 melta

This list didn't work at all, the terminators just got mowed down by Tau, which made me really sad.  Also the bikes got destroyed on turn one (I got second turn) by a bunch of kroot.  I had to make 9 saves....rolled 7 ones......so that got rid of my first turn terminators coming into the right position.  

After that, I really just got overextended and split in half.  For a 1850 point list for the new DA's whats a good list buildup against tau?

Would this work?
Troops x 6 (1110 points total)
10 man squads each with a lascannon

Two heavy weapon squads each with plasma cannons (4 per squad) (ten man squads)
530 points

HQ plus storm bolter and power weapon 120 points

Whirlwind for 85 points
this is a total of 1845 points but it seems to be much crazier when it comes to fighting shooty armies:
82 models
6 lascannons
8 plasma cannons
30 regular guys to run around the field.
1 HQ that probably isn't going to do much, but gives a nice LD to the rest.

First off, Tau army is a heavy shooty army. Its either going to be a move around and shoot and or a sit somewhat and blast away. 1850 you have very very low model count. If this is because its all you have, then you will have just wait till you get other units. From my understanding thou, you have other units to play with.

Deep striking is tuff, you dont know when you are going to get your units in and that is the key. Putting all of his army vs very little of your army and hoping that you can get what you want in on time. Scouts are going to die fast via shooting from Tau. Bikes are going to take a lot of ranged damage because they are the only other unit on the board. Next you have to roll well to get your termies in. If you do not roll well, you are going to see a unit at a time teley n only to see it die.

I would drop two units of termies, pref hth units and add in four units of tactical marines. Maybe two units of five with two heavy bolter in each unit for dev units. You just need some ranged dps and some bodies on the board. Termies are more less best used when you need them. Having to many could cost you the game because you are waiting for them to tele down. Then again, it does not take much to smoooh down a five man unit of termies.

6x tact units with a lascannon in each unit is a big waste of points. That is going to give you six shoots a turn and the rest of the unit is just going to be a waste of points. 

You need to be moving down the boards and get in to hth with basic tactical marines if you can. I will be reading up on the DA codex so I cant really give you a idea of what you might need. I just know that many termies is a point sink and will die with ap and mass flash light fire.

Plasma cannons are butt against Tau. Missile Launchers and Lascannons are needed to drop the tanks. Mobility is needed to catch and kill the jump-shoot-jump suits. Expensive HtH units are wasteful, because cheap HtH units can do the job if they can just get to the squishy Tau. Getting to the squishy Tau = guns to shoot down the tanks, and mobility to reach and squish the Tau after the tanks go down.

combat squads are your friends.

keep the ten man tactical w/ lascannons, but take a meltagun or plasma gun and spilt the unit into two five man squads.  

heavy bolters in the dev. squads are a better option. 

you can try to outgun the tau or you can outmelee the tau.  beating them in hand to hand is easier.

 

take care,

jsa

Are you looking for a list JUST for Tau, or somethiong that is more an all-commers list.

My general thoughts for the DA would agree with the above posters about the 10-man lascannon squads.  Add some sort of assault weapon, plasma for all-comers, flamer for tau.  Add a rhino so you can get the assault element to the tau lines and leave the heavy weapon element to fire at their tanks.

Also, get Sammael, that hard as nails badarse can get to those jump-shoot-jump squads and take them down.

I thought about it long and hard, for an all comers list that can ALSO destroy the tau, I realized first that terminators are a poor as hell choice for this kind of job. Second that I need something to get up close and personal, so I modified my list to use whirlwinds (to destroy the lesser armored Tau lines like fire warriors) while also bringing in the lascannons with the other five man squad being a more assault element with rhinos and a melta gun.

I'll post it later but I think it does a nice job.