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.

Hello,
I'm starting my next project and that is - Tau "reverse engineered" by Adeptus Mechanicus. Don't worry, I don't intend on taking filthy aliens as my allies but rather "stealing" all the cool looking guns and poses and basically "humanizing" them to look like something that came out of a forge world. It's my first big project and hope it will turn out ok (will probably start my project log next week).

It is a semi-competetive, fluffy list to accompany my Knight Crusader later on.

Skitarii Maniple

Warlord:
Vanguard (10)
3 Plasma Calivers

Troops:
Vanguard (10)
2 Arc Rifles

Vanguard (10)
2 Arc Rifles

Elites:
Infiltrators (5)
The Omniscient Mask

Heavy Support:
Onager Dunecrawler (2)
Eradication Beamer

Ironstrider Ballistarii (3)
Autocannons


I will make my Ballistarii work darn it! Same goes for Eradication Beamer - one of the most "fun" weapon in the game.
I thought about changing my Infiltrators for additional Arc Rifles and Ruststalkers or getting one more Ironstrider and forsaking my cc support for rangers with 2 Arquebuses.

What do you thinks? Can this work?

What is this? A Skitarii Maniple? What's the strategy aside from shooting until one side is dead?

Ups you are right I forgot to mention that it is a Skitarii Maniple.

The strategy is to use Infiltrators and Onagers to play mindgames with opponent (creating a no-go fields around the board) while covering them with my Vanguards (plasma for TEQ and lighter vehicles, Arc Rifles for heavy vehicles). Onagers either shoot the light and squishy infantry or MEQ or vehicles depending on the optimal range. Ironstriders kill transports as to not waste my every Vanguard turn shooting at them with Arc Rifles.

From what I have seen of the ITC circuit, the only winning strategies seem to be WarCon (like 90% of the lists), Dunewalker spam with GrandCon, and shooty relic spam with Cawl. So from what you're describing, it sounds like you might be best off with a GrandCon:

Grand Convocation (1000)

Tech-Priest Dominus - The Scryerskull Perspicatus (Warlord)
Tech-Priest Enginseer

10x Skitarii Vanguard
10x Skitarii Vanguard
5x Skitarii Vanguard - 2x Arc Rifle
5x Skitarii Vanguard - 2x Arc Rifle

2x Sydonian Dragoon

3x Onager Dunecrawler - 2x Neutron Laser and Cognis Heavy Stubber, 1x Icarus Array, 3x Cognis Heavy Stubber

--

Outside of WarCon, never take more than 1 Plasma Caliver, and only in a Skitarii Maniple in the Warlord squad. This is because against most targets, three more Vanguard make a much bigger difference; they can handle infantry, MEQs, Monstrous Creatures... pretty much anything with Toughness. And Arc Rifles handle the rest. Attach a Dominus to tank if necessary.

Dunecrawlers are way more valuable that Ballistarii, especially in GrandCon. This is thanks to Power of the Machine Spirit, which allow each member of a squadron of Dunecrawlers to shoot one of their weapons at any target aside from the squadron's target (obviously, you shoot your main gun). This means you get to split fire as if you were individual units, but also get that 4++ invulnerable save for staying within 4" of one another. The list above does the popular 2-to-1 Neutron/Icarus split; this creates a 52" anti-tank, anti-air bubble that can be easily repaired by the Tech-Priests.

If you do take Ironstriders though, you should also take a squadron of Dragoons for CC.

At higher point counts, you can comfortably fit Cawl in to gain access to Memento, as well as Destroyers and Breachers.