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ElectricPaladin
04-09-2013, 01:52 PM
This is my first attempt at a "balanced" Tau list. Basically, this is the kind of list I would have played once upon a time with the old codex, only with stuff that actually works as designed. I have ideas for lists that are super sneaky, super "big guns," Darkstrider and pathfinders, stealth blobs, and all sorts of stuff... but for now, a balanced sort of TAC list. What do you think?

HQ
• XV8 Commander (2 Shield Drones) w/Iridium Battlesuit, Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle

Troops
• 10 Fire Warriors w/Bonding Knife Ritual, Pulse Rifles (Shas'ui)
° Devilfish w/Disruption Pod, Gun Drones, Sensor Spines
• 10 Fire Warriors w/Bonding Knife Ritual, Pulse Rifles (Shas'ui)
° Devilfish w/Disruption Pod, Gun Drones, Sensor Spines
• 10 Kroot Carnivores w/Sniper Rounds, Shaper, 3 Krootox

Elites
• Riptide w/Ion Accelerator, Twin-Linked Plasma Rifles, Early Warning Override, Velocity Tracker, 2 Shielded Missile Drones
• 3 Crisis Suits w/Fusion Blaster, Plasma Rifle (Shas'vre)

Fast Attack
• 10 Pathfinders w/Bonding Knife Ritual (Shas'ui)
• 5 Pathfinders (Recon Drone) (4 w/Ion Rifles) (Shas'ui)
° Devilfish w/Disruption Pod, Gun Drones, Sensor Spines

Heavy Support
• Hammerhead w/Disruption Pod, Railgun (+ Submunitions)
• 3 Broadsides w/Heavy Rail Rifles, Smart Missile Systems, Target Lock (Shas'vre w/High Yield Missile Pod, Velocity Tracker)

Let's see... the hammerhead scoots back and forth to generate cover and shoots at things. The broadsides camp some cover and shoot things. The unmounted pathfinders deploy centrally, then use their Scout redeploy to react to my opponent's deployment, then markerlight stuff. The mounted pathfinders are all about board control. Their job is to use their recon drone to help me control where outflanking kroot arrive or keep my deep striking crisis suits (riptide, even?) from deviating. They're armed with ion rifles so they can contribute to the trouble shooting by... shooting at trouble.

Of course, the riptide and crisis suits are the real troubleshooters.

What do you think?
Uncle Nutsy
04-09-2013, 09:08 PM
Remove one firewarrior and replace him with Darkstrider.

You love him, we love him. Never leave home without him. You can ID anything with toughness 3 if you have him with a firewarrior squad, or you could put him with that team of XV8's to ID anything toughness 5 or less.
DrLove42
04-10-2013, 03:39 AM
I think you could find 45 points somewhere and use it to add Longstrike to that Hammerhead. The guy is IMO too good to not take. BS5 means he doesn't need markerlight support short of ignoring cover (and hes basically twinlinked against guard). Then Tank Hunters lets you reroll that armour pen, giving you 75% of damaging AV14, let alone lower armours.

Also can the pathfinders take 4 guys with Ion Rifles? I thought it was up to 3...
ElectricPaladin
04-10-2013, 07:42 AM
Also can the pathfinders take 4 guys with Ion Rifles? I thought it was up to 3...

I think you're right about that and I just typed it wrong :-/.
Blusox69
04-10-2013, 08:24 AM
only using 3 of the commanders 4 slots? I'd bin the iridium armour and put vectored retro thrusters and the onager gauntlet on him, them have him challenge the opposing tough guys with a S10 AP1 hit and run attack. I playe 2 games at the weekend and it looks like its going to take time for non Tau players to get used to having a good hit and run close combat unit available to us

Otherwise a nice list :-)
rpricew
04-10-2013, 08:48 AM
Remove one firewarrior and replace him with Darkstrider.

You love him, we love him. Never leave home without him. You can ID anything with toughness 3 if you have him with a firewarrior squad, or you could put him with that team of XV8's to ID anything toughness 5 or less.

Darkstrider can only join units of Fire Warriors or Pathfinders. No joining to XV-8s... :(
I would however look to add Longstrike to the mix.
Uncle Nutsy
04-10-2013, 08:27 PM
oh right, dur. got a little excited about our new awesome HQ. :)

But still, making T4 units suddenly become T3, or T3 (like eldar) become T2 is just so goooood.
ElectricPaladin
04-11-2013, 07:33 AM
When fighting Tyranids, Darkstrider mans the quad gun.

7/4, 48'' range, four shots, twin-linked, and all those monstrous creatures are -1 T.