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So my local club is having a knock out tournament, roughly 24 participants at 1000 points, so an all comers list is needed and I am looking for some advice on my Tau list.
They are a new army for me after playing Tyranids and Space Wolves extensively.

HQ

Ethereal (50)

Elites

XV104 Riptide (210)
Ion Accelerator
Twin linked fusion blaster
Early warning override
Velocity tracker

Troops

8x Fire Warriors (177)
Devilfish
Disruption Pods
Smart missile systems

8x Fire Warriors (177)
Devilfish
Disruption Pods
Smart Missile systems

8x Fire Warriors (72)

Fast Attack

4x Pathfinders (44)
Puls carbines with Markerlights

4x Pathfinders (44)
Pulse carbines with Markerlights

Heavy Support

3xXV88 Broadsides (205)
Suit 1
Twin linked high yield missile pods
Twin linked smart missile system
Suit 2
Twin linked high yield missile pods
Twin linked smart missile system
Suit 3
Twin linked heavy rail rifle
Twin linked plasma rifle

What do you guys and gals think? This is my first time posting so if its in the wrong place or format I apologise now.

Thanks

the format and whatnot is fine. I really like this list. It presents a lot of targets as well as a lot of firepower. I dont know a whole lot about playing tau but this list would be tough for me to deal with at 1000 points playing with my dark angels

During drop the devilfish, throw in another Riptide, and try to work an out flanking kroot squad with a hound in and you can obliterate your opponent. Keep the list as is though, and I think you will do just fine. Everything looks solid, and the devilfish will really help your Firewarriors survive against Eldar players.

Good luck man, may the greater good be with you.

+ I agree. I would drop the Devilfish and add another Tide with HBC, EWO and VT. I bet someone will add a flyer, DP with wings or Flyrant.
+ I personally would run a Buffmander, but that comes down to personal preference.
+ Definitely add Kroot + Hound.
+ If you want to run your broads that way in 1 sqaud, give the HYMP an EWO each and the Rail a target lock. I personally just run 3 HYMP with EWO. Been very effective even more so if your buffmander joins the unit.
+ Be careful with your paths. Easy fb. I run Tetras in my 1000 point list, given you can take fw units.

A few things, your troops choices are a bit light. You only have two, and their only means of transportation is the devilfish. It's a decent transport platform, but it's also your only. Perhaps drop one fish and bring in some kroot for grabbing a backfield point. I'd also recommend taking off the SMS on the fish as well. I wouldn't put 10pts into them and use them as a shooting platform.

Kroot will help here for backfield objectives as well as giving you flanking options.

Put a target lock on the HRR broadside IMO. That way he can shoot at an AV14 model if it presents itself. An IG player could easily fit one or two russes in. If he does only the Riptide and HRR guy will be able to damage it.

As Oscamus suggests, you could use your other two heavy support slots and just run one broadside in each.

Might also want to have your warriors in squads of 7,9, or 11 for moral if you can manage it.

Keep in mind too, if you are playing normal game rules 4/5 game modes are objective based. Being able to take and hold objects is key. Tau have many tools that make that kind of game rather easy.

Have you considered running Farsight Enclaves?

6/4=1.5, 7/4=1.75 for all intensive purposes 6=7 in the moral game. 10/4=2.5, 11/4=2.75 so 10=11 as well. The only Firewarrior options that make sense if you are considering moral are 6,9, and 12. Absolutely no other options make sense for that reason.

Awesome suggestions! From the look of it, Devilfish are not worth it, much better to sit back and shoot? What options do Tau have to make capturing objectives easy? What am I missing?

I havnt considered farsight enclave, doesnt really excite me tbh.

+ Outflanking the kroot.
+ In higher point games you could ally with eldar to get bikes or enclaves to access scoring suits.
+ with FW you just need to place your objectives strategically.

In games with a point value greater than 1500 I always use devilfish, but in games below that I run troops on foot.

Devilfish have the distinction of being ridiculously hard to kill, a 4+ cover save for moving a millimeter for just a few points and the ability to fire 8 strength 5 AP 5 shots at 18". This thing is incredible. But in lower point value games these things replace your more shooty elements, and those you need. Your enemies will most likely bring the cheapest troops they can backed up by a few monster units. And though Broadsides and Riptides are awesome, they are no monsters. Riptides have trouble killing anything that isn't a Tank, though they do that very well and are next to impossible to kill. And Broadsides they are great at dishing out the hurt, but can't take it back in turn. They die whenever something shoots at them pretty much. It is Tau's ability to take huge numbers of these units that makes them so incredible on the table not the actual beastlyness of the units themselves.

Firewarriors on foot with an Ethereal are a force to be reckoned with. I usually run 3 squads at 1000 points, 2 squads of 9, and one squad of 8. The Ethereal goes with the squad of 8. I move them up too, aggressively. They pack some serious firepower, most units just die in one turn against them. With a Riptide or two running around in front of them, possibly some single man squads of Broadsides providing supporting fire. You have a massive firebase. People will be surprised at what your tiny troops can do.

I usually use one squad of Kroot with a hound between 1000 and 1500 point games, and two squads at over 1500. They catch your opponent off guard and steal objectives, but they kill precisely nothing and die fast, so keep that in mind with how you use them.

 OzTeG8ndPwRfl wrote:
Riptides have trouble killing anything that isn't a Tank

Wat.

You have that the wrong way around.

Riptides are renowned for their squad deletion abilities, not their tank ones.

Well at least mine have never killed anything, but a tank. Accept in melee, there they have a good record.

I run a Triptide list. My tides kill everything and anything. Usually 2x IA and 1 HBC or 2xHBC and 1 IA.

Also, devilfish cannot fire 8 shots. Only 4 twin linked with the sms.

If a devilfish can fire its burst cannon 4 shots and both its drones can fire 2 shots each making 4. With SMS it can fire its burst cannon 4 shots and then its 4 SMS shots. What is your argument. A devilfish can always fire 8 shots at 18" even stock they do that.

I would like to Raise an issue here,

Particularly with your usage of the word "Extensively" next to your Space Wolves

Yes of course. But I wouldnt want to be in range to fire the burst as well. Would put you in too close of range. So the amount of shoot would only be 4 that is if you play with mobility in mind. But I don't know how you would play your devilfish. I tend to not use them at all anymore.

18" means your opponent would need to roll 2 6's for charge distance. Why is 18" to close again? Besides if you want your Firewarriors with their Ethereal to kill anything, and if you field both these units you do, then you plan on getting the devilfish within 18" of the enemy anyway. The reason Devilfish are useful is because they let you pick when your Firewarriors will engage your opponent and where. Otherwise they just kind of stand around the whole game, not ideal for mobility.