Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Entering a local 2v2 tournament, 1k each and looking for some opinions on the Tau side of the list.

Farsight 1k

Commander (Done Controller, Target Lock, 2x Missile Pods, 2x Marker Drones) -152

Riptide (Ion Accelerator, TL Fusion Blaster, EWO) - 190
Riptide (Ion Accelerator, TL Fusion Blaster, EWO) - 190

3x Crisis Suits (6x Plasma Rifles, 1x Advances targeting, Bonding) -198
3x Crisis Suits (4x Fusion Blasters, 2x Flamers, 2x Target Lock, Bonding) -185

6x Marker Drones - 84

Total - 999

I don't know the exact points listings and wargear for the chaos side yet but its roughly the below:

Chaos Lord - Steed, Burning Brand, MoS, Lighting Claws/Powerfist(Perhaps some other wargear too, I don't know the chaos codex too well)

5x5 Noise Marine Squads with 2 Blast Masters each
10x Cultists with flamer

Hell Drake with Bale Flamer

Total - ~1000


This list it likely to change and there might be an extra uni or two.

Any opinions on how they could work together, tactics and any ideas for changes are greatly welcomed.

-Messy

Since you're taking farsight, you might want to consider the earth caste pilot array on one of those riptides.

seems cool though

Not sure what i could cut to include the ECPA. Any recommendations. Any opinions on the army combination?

I think you defo need a riptide with hbc, ecpa, vt and ewo. That will kick most flyers arse as you have no aa bar the heldrakes vector strike. To get the points for this you could probs drop the flamer suit from the fusion suicide squad tbh. Also you can only have 1 blastmaster until he takes 10 models. Then you can take the 2nd so his noise marines are illegal

That's a really good idea SpankingApe. I hadn't thought of that.

List re-write:

Commander (Done Controller, Target Lock, 2x Missile Pods, 2x Marker Drones) -152

Riptide (Ion Accelerator, TL Fusion Blaster, EWO) - 190
Riptide (HBC, TL Fusion Blaster, EWO, VT, ECPA) - 235

3x Crisis Suits (6x Plasma Rifles, 1x Advances targeting, Bonding, 3x Shield Drones) -198
1x Crisis Suit (Flamer, 2x Fusion Blaster, 1x Shield Drone) -70
1x Crisis Suit (Flamer, 2x Fusion Blaster, 1x Shield Drone) -70

6x Marker Drones - 84

Total - 999

Not really sure if the shield drone is now worth it. Both Fusion suits will basically become suicide suits that will deepstrike, melt a tank then flame some infantry if they survive. Improvement?

I would put smart missles on the ion riptide, I think you have enough anti av14 with the hbc and fusion and fusion suicides. Firing your ion plus ripple firing the smart missles is awesome against hordes. I would defo drop the shield drones. I would probs also change the shield drones on the plasma squad to gun drones for extra dakka. They are only ablative wounds anyway so the extra shots with help. I'm not sure what you would do with the 25 points left over though. Best bet would be iridium armour for your commander so he can tank some wounds for the marker lights.

I'm going to resist attacking the CSM part of this post, it might be tough though.

In a tournament like this you REALLY need to decide what each partner is going to do. You both can't slam MC's as you won't have any dedicated scoring units, and of course the opposite is true aswell. There are tons of poor combinations.

Assuming you're going to take the role of midfield control utilizing above average range and ap coupled with high mobility (what Tau do best) I'd suggest taking a buffmander coupled with 3x BCx2 suits one with a TL if possible.

Plasma is really redundant on your suits with 2 Riptides using Ion's, I'd switch one to the heavy burst cannon OR both and just grab fusion suits to replace the good ap shots you'd be losing out.

Always take the extra armor on the commander, it's such a good upgrade.

Buffmander also opens up slots for firewarriors as you already have the ability to ignore cover available.

I'd switch to SMS on the tides aswell, it's just such a better option. Longer range, against everything other than TEQ it's going to be better.

If you are bent on a list very very similar to yours and plan ignore the majority of my advice take this: diversify your firepower.

Tau excel at low ap like no other, but don't overdo it. Diversify what you bring to the table and you'll be able to handle a much broader pool of armies.

He already has changed to one hbc riptide if you read his revised list in his comment. And tbh burst cannon suits are one of the least powerful suit configurations unless your against horde. A buff mander in this list isn't really worth it as there's not one really powerful unit which would benefit from it enough to warrant it. He's much better off with his mark'o.

Its a Farsight Enclave list, so no buff commanders and there's no allies allowed in the tournament. Each player can only pick 1 detachment from a single codex so while iridium armor would have been my first choice too i cant take it in this list as its Tau Empire Wargear.

I have always liked using shield drones as ablative wounds as they can really save you from a lucky Ion interceptor shot when deepstriking a cheeky battlecannon shot. Unless you take the drone controller which is an extra investment (and even then) im not sure 6 TL S5 shots are really worth it compared to the 50/50 chance you have of not taking a wound.Probaly just my personal preference.

That being said gundrones could b a answer to the extra 25 points making the Plasma squad a lot more versatile and shooty. Any other suggestions?

You make a good point about the drones. And I forgot it was enclaves my bad. You could switch one of the plasma suits to tl missle with a drone controller, spend 24pts for 2 marker drones, by switching the 2 from the commander would you have enough points to make 2 x 5 man marker drones squads so you could target 2 different units with your lights?