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Ok i've been playing 40k for a bit with tau as my army, and as you can guess i'm wanting to have my tau enter honourble melee combat. Also we need to give those mechs some sweet as looking swords.
so what i propose is a homebrewed crisis suit unit for 8th edition.
I've decided to call them Farsight FireBlades because melee crisis suits would only really be in the Farsight Enclaves. the reasoning for this is that the farsight enclaves are the only tau faction that have had fusion blades in lore, and it isn't that far fetched to have a unit within the farsight enclaves to dedicate themselves to hand to hand combat, also the tau are known to adapt their tactics to help them gain an advantage in battle and abandoning tactics that are less effective. as the tau have expanded i'm pretty sure they have come to realize that a lot of the other factions like to engage in honourable melee combat so they might adapt to do the same. also mechs withs laser swords 'nuf said.

The stats that could work for a melee focused tau unit

Farsight FireBlades
M|WS|BS|S|T|W|A|LD|SV
Shas'ui Farsight FireBlade 8"|4+ |5+ |5|5| 3 |2 | 7|3+
Shas'vre Farsight FireBlade 8"|4+ |5+ |5|5| 3 |3 | 7 |3+

This unit contains 3 shas'ui Farsight FireBlade. It can include up to 3 additional shas'ui Farsight FireBlade or up to 6 additional Shaas'ui Farsight FireBlade. A Shas'vre Farsight Blade can Take the place of one Shas'ui Farsight FireBlade. Each Farsight Fireblade is equipped with a Fusion Blaster, and may be accompanied by up to two tactical drones.

Weapon Range | Type | S | AP | D | Abilities
Fusion Blade Melee |Melee| 8 | -4 |D6| user is only allowed to attack once with this weapon

Wargear optioins
- Any Shas'ui or Shas'vre Farsight FireBlade may replace their Fusion Blade with up to three items from the FireBlade weapons and support systems lists

Abilities
- for the geater good
- Bonding knife ritual
- Manta strike

faction keywords: t'au empire, farsight enclaves
Keywords: battlesuit, Jet pack, fly, XV8 Farsight FireBlade

FireBlade waepons and support systems list
Fusion Blade Range | Type | S | AP | D | Abilities
Melee |Melee| 8 | -4 |D6| user is only allowed to attack once with this weapon
Onager Guantlet Melee |Melee| +5| 0 | 1 | -
Assult Cannon 18" |Assult 2| 5 | 0 | 1 | -
A lesser Burst cannon
Missle Pod* 30" |Assult 2| 7 | 0 |D3 | -

Modified sheild Generator
- only the model gets a 3+ invulnerable save.
Velocity Thrusters
- This model may add 8" to its advance move instead of 1D6
Stimulant Injector
- roll a dice each time a model with a stimulant injector suffers a wound or mortal wound. on a roll of 6, ignore it.

points costs
XV 8 Farsighht FireBlade 3-9 models per unit | 45 points per model
onager guantlet | 11 points per weapon
Fusion Blade | 21
Missle pod |24

modified Sheild genertator | 10 points per system
velocity Thrusters | 10 points per system
stimulant injector | 5

Why is the Onager Gauntlet damage 1? Seems... Odd.

the reason is that i didn't think too much on the Onager Gauntlet, i don't think it should do as much damage as the Fusion Blade but you do have a point. Maybe D3 damage?

Looks strictly weaker than a typical xv8. Part of the crisis suit's appeal is being able to stack on weapons, without the ability to take more as many weapons/systems it seems flat. I wouldn't consider a Farsight FireBlade that can do 1d6+1 wounds for 66pts in CC when a standard crisis suit can do that and then also charge for two hits at 5+ 5/0/1 for 3 fewer points. And I'd much rather take a standard with 3 FB for 105pts and do up to 3d6.

Perhaps allow the Firesight FireBlade to come standard with the shield (might make it the same as one of the forgeworld shields that do 4++, 3++ at <12" and allow it to swap its blade for 2 items. You could also raise the cost of the blade and remove the 1 per round limit. That would even things out.

Also your post says it comes with fusion blaster, I assume you meant blade.

Maybe allowing multiple attacks with the blades is a good idea, but would the Farsight FireBlades be too hard to kill if they had their shield generators as standard loadout?

I honestly figure Tau would be the kinda species that would focus on shooting even while in CC.

would be cool if they had duel purpose energy weapon like the bolstorm gauntlet.

a shooting mode and a beam sword mode.

something silly cross between a plasma pistol and a power sword.

 BloodLusted Shas'ui wrote:
Maybe allowing multiple attacks with the blades is a good idea, but would the Farsight FireBlades be too hard to kill if they had their shield generators as standard loadout?

Normally they'd get two attacks and a shield or three attacks at range. Getting two attacks in CC (3 on the 'vre) and a conditionally better shield isn't really harder to kill if the shield is 2-4 pts more than standard. Like if its 45+12+35=92 *3= 276pts to get 7 reliable hits of d6 and a 3/4++ opposed to the same cost for 6d6 shots at 18" and 4++. Also remember that typical fusion blasters do better damage within 9" so without something to boost your defense or offense you're still at disadvantage for being in closer range than that justifying the improved shield or fewer pts for the blade than I mention.

Thoughts on the gauntlet: Change +5 to x2 and d3 damage. Allow Ghostkeel to swap its electronic warfare suite for a gauntlet. It just seems so badass. Possibly allow riptide to exchange its primary weapon for the gauntlet and add an extra secondary weapon on the other shoulder.

Also Desubot has a point. Something like shining spear's lances?

Ok allow for multiple attacks with the Fusion Blade, and give the Farsight FireBlades the 3++ shield as standard load out. Then maybe allow the the Fusion Blade's attacks be 2D6 and take the higher of the two rolls.

The Onager Gauntlet's S can be x2 and D3 damage. but i'll get around to the Ghostkeel and Riptide. but i don't see why it we can't allow them to take the Gauntlet.

The shining spear lances sound awesome! possibly a 4" melee weapon that can overwatch?

Seems fair enough, if an opponent suggests that's too powerful maybe reduce the S to user like other swords, but having 1 extra attack and conditional survivability feels right to me for the risk and difficulty of being in melee.

Last night I looked at these fireblades and compared to shining spears and thought the spears are way better for cheaper but now I can really see why you'd spend double the points for 2 of 4d6 instead of flat 4dmg, an extra wound and toughness at the loss of hit chance, speed, and some ranged attacks.

Maybe allow flamers in the optional non-blade wargear?

Yes Flamers should actually be part of the wargear, i agree and i also forgot to add the assult cannon's points, i was thinking 7 points because they are worse burst cannons, but i don't want them to be free.

Ok so i have had a chance to play test the Farsight FireBlades against some space marines using power rather than points, and i have come to relies a couple of flaws; the first is that the 4+ to hit isn't good enough for a melee centered unit. it could be a result of my dice not liking me, but even on the off chance they do show mercy the amount of hits landing are still too few. This became obvious when i had three of these FireBlades charge a single space marine and still fail to kill it, with 6 attacks, wounding on 2+ and a -4 AP should get at least kill one space marine in combat, right? even if the dice are being a little fickle. i would also like to point out that i lost that game as a result of the failure to kill that one space marine who laughed as he kill my ethereal, who was the objective, (the mission was rescue)
The second thing i noticed was that the 3+ invulnerable save shield generator pair with a stimulant injector make these suits nearly impossible to kill, even forcing a 5 man squad of ultramarines to back off, and fail to even wound in their round of shooting, then even pair that with four shield drones, these guys were running across the field laughing as the space marines failed to kill them. so as you don't gain an extra attack from having a second Fusion Blaster i don't see why anyone would go without that shield generator.
The third thing i noticed, which is just a little niggle that came up,is that this unit has a similar name to the Cadre FireBlade, which makes stating which unit you're using a little confusing. so I m changing the name to Crisis Blade as that sounds best and suits.
As a result of these problems i have chosen to redesign the stats for the newly christened XV8 Farsight CrisisBlades

XV8 Farsight CrisisBlades------(12 Power)

--------------M | WS | BS | S | T | W | A | Ld | SV
Shas'ui----8" | 3+ | 5+ | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3+
Shas'vre--8" | 3+ | 5+ | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3+

This unit contians 3 Shas'ui CrisisBlades. It can include up to 3 additional shas'ui CrisisBlades (Power rating +12) or up to 6 additional Shas'ui CrisisBlades (Power rating +24). A Shas'vre CrisisBlade can take the place of one Shas'ui CrisisBlade. Each CrisisBlade Battlesuit is equipped with a Fusion Blade and a Modified Shield Generator, and may be accompanied by up to 2 Tactical Drones (power rating +1)

Weapon-------------------Range|Type|S|AP|D|Abilities
Fusion Blade-------------Melee|Melee|+2|-4|D6| -
Modified Shield Generator
-A model with a Modified Shield Generator has a 3+ invulnerable save

Wargear options
- Any CrisisBlade Shas'ui or Shas'vre may replace their Fusion Blade and Modified Shield Generator with up to three items from the weapons and support systems list

Abilities
-For the Greater Good
-Bonding knife ritual
-Manta strike

Faction Key words: T'au empire, Farsight Enclaves
Keywords: Battlesuit, Jet Pack, Fly, XV8 Farsight CrisisBlades

Weapons List

Fusion Blade ----Range|Type|S|AP|D|Abilities
----------------------Melee|Melee|+2|-4|D6| -
Onager Gauntle---Range|Type|S|AP|D|Abilities
------------------------Melee|Melee|x2|-1|D3| -
Shining Spear----Range|Type|S|AP|D|Abilities
-----------------------4" |Melee|User|-1|1|This weapon can perform overwatch if the unit is within Range or if the attacking unit succeeds its charge
Flamer------------Range|Type|S|AP|D|Abilities
---------------------8"|Assult D6|4|0|1| This weapon automatically hits its target
Burst Cannon---Range|Type|S|AP|D|Abilities
---------------------18"|Assult 2|4| 0 | 1 | -
Missle Pod------Range|Type|S|AP|D|Abilites
--------------------36"|Assult 2 |7|-1|D3| -

Support Systems

Modified Shield Generator
- A model a Modified Shield Generator has a 3+ invulnerable save

Stimulant Injector
- Roll a dice each time a model with a stimulant injector suffers a wound or mortal wound. on a roll of 6+, ignore it

Velocity Thruster
-When this model advances, add 8" to its move characteristic for that movement phases instead of rolling a D

Shield generator
-A model with a shield Generator has a 4+ invulnerable save

Points Costs
-----------------------------------------------|Models Per Unit|Points Per Model or item
XV8 Farsight CrisisBlade--------------| 3-9 | 45
XV8 Farsight CrisisBlade Veteran---| 3-9 | 55
WEAPONS/SUPPORT SYSTEMS-----------------------|
Fusion Blade---------------------------------------------------| 21
Shining Spear--------------------------------------------------| 11
Onager Gauntlet----------------------------------------------| 20
Flamer-----------------------------------------------------------| 9
Burst Cannon--------------------------------------------------| 10
Missle Pod------------------------------------------------------| 24
Shield Generator----------------------------------------------| 5
Modified Shield Generator----------------------------------| 10
Stimulant Injector----------------------------------------------| 5
Velocity Injectors-----------------------------------------------| 8

i also added a better version for reasons

XV8 Farsight CrisisBlade Veterans--------------(13 Power)

M|WS|BS|S|T|W|A|Ld|SV
8"|2+|5+| 5 |5| 3 |3| 8 |3+

This unit contains 3 Farsight CrisisBlade Veterans. It can include up to 3 additional CrisisBlade Veterans (Power Rating +13) or up to 6 additional CrisisBlade Veterans (Power Rating +26). Each CrisisBlade Veteran is Equipped with a Fusion Blade and may be accompanied by up to 2 Tactical Drones (Power Rating +1)

Weapons - Fusion Blade

Wargear options
- any CrisisBlade Veteran may replace their Fusion Blade with up to three items from the weapon and support systems lists

Abilities
- For the Greater Good
- Bonding Knife Ritual
- Manta Strike
- Dual Wield: If this model has two of any of the melee type weapons, add 1 to is attack characteristic

Faction Keywords: T'au empire, Farsight Enclaves
Keywords: Battlesuit, Jet Pack, Fly XV8 Farsight CrisisBlade Veteran

I don't like WS3+ on standard Tau. I think WS4+ with 3A could work (they trained for HtH combat, so they could have +1A compared to standard suits).
Something that could work for melee Tau is pistols, since they can now be used in melee. You could have the fusion blade have two profiles: one is pistol with a very short range (like 4-6", but in any case no more than 8" so you can't manta strike and shoot), and a melee profile. So on the turn the suits charge they have some real impact (shoot + melee). And on the future turns they'll want to stay in combat to shoot then hit in melee (better than fallback shoot, unless you want to target something else), which would be unlike every other Tau unit.

To make them less tanky I'd have the shield be 4+ if >12". 3+ is tempting for hit but that is always true, 7 attacks should land a hit or two. Fresus is onto something with the pistol, maybe a flechette pod type of thing like pistol6 3" s4 ap0 d1. Not likely to do anything but could possibly help out. Or even use the blade as a fusion pistol so you really feel the weight of 5+ bs.

I understand the sentiment about tau hitting on a 3+ but I tried 4+ and that didn't really work, now I know I have bad luck with rolls but struggling to kill one space marine with six attacks hitting on 4+ wounding on 2+ and practically denying saves is ridiculous even failing to kill one time. And as for hitting on 3+, I think that makes more sense lore wise than having more attacks than a space marine in a single round.

And as for the 3+ shield generator, terminators have a 3+ invulmlnerable save and it is cheaper. Although that tanky nature will give it the upper hand in melee against a tactical squad but that should be expected. I'm yet to face them off against terminators. Which I will find out soon hopefully.

The pistol is a good point bit that is the shining spear, but maybe I could have given them a longer range