Tau 1000- getting started

[Esseldal]

Hey folks-

Trying to get a handle on the new Tau. I love the fluff for the Tau and have been playing them forever, but I'm REALLY bad at figuring out how to wrap my brain around a new army book, so I'm starting small- 1000 points. Thoughts on how this list is or how I should expand?

HQ
Darkstrider
Ethereal

TROOPS
10 Fire Warriors, led by Darkstrider
10 Fire Warriors, led by Ethereal
10 Fire Warriors w/Shas'ui
10 Fire Warriors w/Shas'ui
10 Kroot, Shaper, Sniper Rounds
10 Kroot, Shaper, Sniper Rounds

FAST ATTACK
5 Pathfinders
5 Pathfinders

HEAVY SUPPORT
2 Broadsides, Rail Rifle/Plasma Rifle, Velocity Trackers

Thoughts?

Thanks!

~Es

[Pater Sin]

Personaly I would drop the Kroot and add a Sunshark or some crisis suits. But I don't like kroot that much even though they are a bit more usefull now.

[ElectricPaladin]

Personaly I would drop the Kroot and add a Sunshark or some crisis suits. But I don't like kroot that much even though they are a bit more usefull now.

I basically agree with the bad father. This list needs a little more of what the Tau are really good at: mobile effective firepower. A sunshark, some crisis suits (with AP 2 weaponry!), stuff like that.

Also, I still maintain that Tau are more effective with transports. Leave footslogging to the armies with 3+ saves or incredible Toughness scores (or both). Tau, with their squishy T3 bodies and cover-hugging 4+ saves, ought to be in transports. I don't think we'll ever see Tau as an entirely mechanized force. For one thing, we don't have transports that can double as tanks (see Space Marine razorbacks and land raiders or Eldar wave serpents and falcons), and for another we have some really tasty options that don't ride in transports (crisis suits), but I maintain that Tau fighting infantry need transports to pop out of and hide behind. The fact that our transports are some of the most durable in the game and can be set up to fully ignore terrain doesn't hurt any.

Even if you want to go with fooTau, you need to spice this list up a little. You have a single source of high Strength shooting - your broadsides. That's it. Everything else is 5/5. While 8/1 is pretty spicy - especially in a 1k game - it can't provide all your anti-MEQ, TEQ, and armor needs. As for what replaces it... you have a lot of options. Poot some krootox in those Kroot Squads ("I'm on the Kroot squad" "You are the Kroot squad"). Especially now that they don't prevent Infiltrating/outflanking. Add another pathfinder squad with some ion/rail weaponry. Do something.

Finally, I don't see much use for plasma rifles on broadsides. The way you're actually going to use broadsides is by camping them in cover somewhere in your backfield. More often than not, they can use their superior firepower to kill anything that gets close. The only thing they really have to be afraid of - other than b^ttfaces who can deep strike and shoot them to death or assault out of reserves - is something that sneaks up on them by creeping around through blocking terrain/ruins/other stuff that gives them a save against heavy rail rifles. Smart missile systems don't worry about any of that. As soon as something gets within 30'' of the broadsides, they will start to come under fire from the sms.

Furthermore, the smart missile system has a better range than the plasma rifle. 4 shots at 30'' versus 1 at 24'' and 2 at 12''. This synergizes better with the broadsides' native weaponry, which hovers in the 36'' to 60'' range. With plasma rifles, you will only ever get to use the second gun defensively. With a smart missile system, you might occasionally get to take additional shots at your primary target. While 5/5 Ignores Cover isn't going to win you many games, additional shots are always good, especially from the rail rifle broadside. The low number of shots at range (one!) means that a duo of broadsides can only ever effectively engage vehicles. Two shots isn't really going to scare anything that comes in squads of five or more. Eight more shots, though... that's a lot tastier.

[Esseldal]

Ok, now thinking this (I don't own a Sunshark and I'm not crazy about Crisis Suits although I could be persuaded):

Darkstrider
Ethereal

10 Fire Warriors
10 Fire Warriors
10 Fire Warriors
10 Fire Warriors

8 Pathfinders
8 Pathfinders

2 Broadsides- HRR, SMS, Early Warning Override (Interceptor)
2 Broadsides- HRR, SMS, Velocity Trackers (Skyfire)

Thoughts?

~Es

[ElectricPaladin]

So, look... you aren't going to win with Tau playing this way. Tau are not the Imperial Guard. You can't throw a metric ton of fire warriors at the problem and expect the problem to go away. Fire warriors are too expensive, their squads are too small, and they can't take teams with autocannons, lascannons, and missile launchers. Both your lists lack firepower. A canny opponent will prioritize taking out your pathfinders, then take out your scoring units one by one. You have no way of stopping them. Strength 5 shooting is all well and good, but power armor will ignore that sh*t two thirds of the time regardless of strength. You need something with good strength and decent AP to draw fire, take the heat off your fire warriors, and provide some credible heat of your own. At the moment, you might beat Orks or Guard, but a foot force with 4+ saves or better is going to walk all over you.

[Esseldal]

Let's try again:

Cadre Fireblade (60)
Ethereal (50)

10 Fire Warriors (90)
10 Fire Warriors (90)
10 Fire Warriors (90)

3 Suit Crisis Team- 2 plasma rifles each (not twin-linked, 2 separate rifles) (156)

7 Pathfinders- 2 Ion Rifles (97)
7 Pathfinders- 2 Ion Rifles (97)

2 Broadsides- Interceptor, Hvy Rail Rifles, SMS (140)
2 Broadsides- Hvy Rail Rifles, SMS (130)

Any better?

Thanks for the help, guys!

~Es

[Tynskel]

I would ditch the ion rifles in the second pathfinder squad.

If you can, I would scrap some points for a bunker/space port/aegis line.