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Disclaimer:  I do not have the new Tau 'dex, so I am making a few assumptions based on a quick read-through.

 

Does the Skyray have a place in the Tau army?  It's competing for a space vs. the Hammerhead.

 

Pros: 

Up to 6 shots if it stays still.  (Exhausts entire payload) - Splits fire at S8 at +5 points

Armoured move and fire markerlights

Cons:

6 shot payload limit

Expensive.

 

I am toying with the idea of using it as a Hammerhead replacement vehicle - as it is slightly cheaper than a rail-head.  With a pathfinder team, going before it, it can fire off up to its entire payload at that offending enemy tank, with the ability to get flanking side shots.  If it goes next, it can markerlight for something else - such as the mandatory devilfish (x2 seekers?).  I'm not sure why anyone would take gun-drones unless they can detatch and count as a scoring unit (I forget if drones can score).

 

Am I correct in this assessment as to how the tank is to be used?  i.e. As a sneakier version of the Hammerhead - Fire/Forget and then use as a scoring vehicle / LOS blocker (w/ landing gear)?

It competes not with the Railhead but with the Ionhead.

Though the Ionhead wins hands down if there is no pathfinder team working in conjuction with the skyray.

Why would you choose 2 rokkets a turn instead of firing 3 Ion shots? you wouldn't.

Without pathfinders the skyray is weaker, it does have more versatility due to it's 2 markerlights but if it is painting for other targets then it is not firing it's seekers meaning you are paying 130ish points for 2 bs4 markerlights.

Some might say that is enough...your call.

Imo the pathfinders role is to work with a full unit of pathfinders, pathfinders are FA so deploy last, skyray can delpoy out of enemy los.

You can then move the tank on turn 1 (extreme flank seems a good idea if possible) a good 12" forward, pathfinders light for the tank, you could be looking at getting 4 side hits on turn 1!

The enemy tanks can only face the front armour in 1 direction, if you have antitank weapons coming at them from multiple directions they cannot guard against them all (normally) Seekers have unlimited range so this helps.

It can also paint 2 additional targets for itself or other things in the army.

So I think it can work as long as you have atleast 1 full pathfinder unit but skyray loses out to Ionhead for me atleast in armies with no pathfinders. (well loses to both HH varients)

Imo the skyray's function is to expend its own missiles (or most of them) on turns 1-2 additional benefit of taking out enemy armour earlier when comparing to the other tanks, it then moves around painting targets for the rest of the army and firing its burst cannons. (markerlights require los anyway)

I just don't see a mech list using the skyray much.

I agree completely that a Skyray would require a mandatory squad of pathfinders to markerlight for it to get full utility.

One other question - I negelected to check - does the Skyray have Hammerhead armour or does it have Devilfish armour?  With the "shoots as a fast vehicle" upgrade, it could potentially tankshock at 12" after exhausting its payload and still shoot its BS4 markers.  This would keep it fairly resilient as all hits would be made glancing - and AV13 would keep it fairly safe from DoG attacks.

Hammerhead chasis, it is a Heavy tank after all.

You sure you can tank shock and still fire defensive weapons?
Interesting idea if it works.

Give it flechette dischargers and all assaulting units DOG or otherwise are taking wounds on 4+ BEFORE resolving their attacks.......

Could of used that in my last game against nids where my hammerhead was bought down by rending genies.....

Have to say, most of the vehicle upgrades are now much more useful in the new codex....

I'd say it would provide (kinda) an indirect fire ability to the tau. Keep a skyray hidden behind trees, put the hammerheads (whatever version) out in the thick of fighting (also exposing itself to return fire) and the skyray provides fire (directed by pathfinders, of course) at the occasional target of opportunity.