1850 Tau, comments and suggestions always!

[chicop76]

This is my 10th rehash. I been building and playing and this is what I have come up with.

HQ

Ethereal is nuff said, works on kroot too.

Commander is my other force multiplier.

Both will be with riptides or broadsides.

Troops

I have a 20 man squad so I can benefit more from marker lights. The other squads are sized for 10-12 for ease of fitting in terrain. I am deabting on adding krootox. The reasoning is I can swap out shielded missle drones for one of these guys easy, so 4 is possible and I own 5. The better bs, higher combat strength, multi wounds makes them a bit more attactive for my kroot squads. Not too sure I want to lose my riptides drones yet.

Elites:

Interceptor is good enough to deal with deep strikers and flyers.

Heavy:

I really hate deep strikes aka rune priest bombs. For now I am sticking with rail guns, simply due to not spending 150 or trying to build high yield missiles from scratch.

Fast :

I did 2 squads of 8 to get better marker satuation.




Here is my list.

HQ
Ethereal
Warlord Commander: Command, Mulit Suite, hit and run, and Riptide( puretide chip not riptide lol)

Note: yes my warlord suit has no weapons. Also the hit and run allows riptides and broadsides to be able to leave combat.

Troops:

12 fire warriors
12 fire warriors
10 kroot: sniper
10 kroot: sniper
20 kroot: sniper

Elites:

Riptide: early warning, plasma, 2 drones
Riptide: early warning, plasma, 2 drones

Fast:

8 pathfinders
8 pathfinders

Heavy:
HammerHead: Ion, Smart
Skyray
3 Broadsides: 3x rail guns, 3x early warning, 6 missile drones

Another note is I need 1 point to get blacksun on the hammerhead.

I really would love to get constructive comments on my list. This is like the 10th change due to other comments and play testing. I use to have 3 sides, 6 maker drones, w/ 3 target lock. Not saying the old sides and the 6 markers wasn't bad. Just at least half my games I am getting deep striking with melta or something in my zone and wanted more anti deep striking.

[DrLove42]

In an 1850 list, you have nothing that can realistically kill AV14. And you have nothing with AA

Hammerhead needs a Railgun. You could afford to cut a kroot or a pathfinder here and there for the points, adding in BlackSun. And Longstrike, that guy is nearly a must take

Consider a Puretide Chip in with the Commander. That way he can give Tanks Hunters etc to the thing hes with

[chicop76]

In an 1850 list, you have nothing that can realistically kill AV14. And you have nothing with AA

Hammerhead needs a Railgun. You could afford to cut a kroot or a pathfinder here and there for the points, adding in BlackSun. And Longstrike, that guy is nearly a must take

Consider a Puretide Chip in with the Commander. That way he can give Tanks Hunters etc to the thing hes with

1. ??? I have 6 stength 10 hits that says otherwise vs armour 14, which 3 can be tank hunter. Also I can fire asterngth 9 that rolls 2 dice, and with tank hunter I can re roll, so with one shot I have 4 chances to get a pen. I dealt with amour 14 and it's really not a problem. If you kill my riptides than al I can do is glance death armour 14. I havn't had trouble with 14 as of yet. That is why I went to plasma instead of fusion.

Skyray has skyfire. Which joined with 8 pathfinder can get me easily 7 marker hit to turn what ever unit I want into skyfire able. The interceptor shots are more for deep striking than for flyers. However on my shooting turn I can easily take out flyers. I am debating on running 2 skyrays I just don't know yet.

2. I went as far as longstrike with railgun. I got rid of it for a reason basically you are spending 50 points with the hope armour 14 hit the board. Ironically I was taking out the raiders with my riptides anyway. Made the railgun useless if I am using the submuntion instead of the strength 10. If I am going to drop pie plates might as well be a strength 10 one.

I played longstrike a few games the extra bs and armour pen is nice, but seemed to be a waste of points.

3. My commander had a purtide. I had a typo and said riptide lol. Thanks I went back and edited.

Going back to flyers and armour 14. I realise I can easily gear to be more anti flyer or armour 14. The problem with doing so is I take hits everywhere else. Most players take 2 flyers with others taking none. Allthough you do get guard and necron flyer spam. I am surprised I don't see more than two with marines. As of yet I haven't dealt with flyers in such a way that I need more anti-flyer. Like I said I just went back to a hammerhead and my drop in to pick up another skyray. With 2 skyrays I feel pretty confident that I can tackle flyers.

With armour 14 unless you are playing mech guard it's not a major issue. I do put my riptides in a dangerous situation to be assaulted by the squad that was inside the raider I just smashed. Overwatch and hit and run with +3 invulnerable saves has been good to me. I may go back to the fusion guns if I need to. I am debating on taking a stealth team with two fusion guns or a few crisis suits with melta. If I go with the suits I am looking at this set up.

Suit A: 2 missile pods, early warning or velocity
Suit B: 2 fusion, target
Suit C: 2 plasma, target

I might get marker drones. If I do so the plasma suit will take a controller.

So far however this list has been really strong against what ever I went up against. The problem is finding local victims to tweet my list. I defeated 2 necron playes so far, but haven't fought the Necron Airforce with a ton of flyers. 2 flyers was all too easy to kill.

[Black Katalyst]

Your list doesn't have any S10 shooting. Broadsides no longer have railguns, they have heavy rail rilfes.

Longstrike is pure money with a railgun hammerhead. BS5 rerolling armor penetration is just brutal.

The skyray and hammerhead should always take disruption pods and blacksun filters. I'd drop a few kroot for the points.

I would change the broadsides to high yeild missile pods if you're going to use them to drop flyers. 12x shots at one lower strength is a lot better than 3x shots. You'll average 3-4 hits compared to 1.

[Tynskel]

Your list doesn't have any S10 shooting. Broadsides no longer have railguns, they have heavy rail rilfes.

Longstrike is pure money with a railgun hammerhead. BS5 rerolling armor penetration is just brutal.

The skyray and hammerhead should always take disruption pods and blacksun filters. I'd drop a few kroot for the points.

I would change the broadsides to high yeild missile pods if you're going to use them to drop flyers. 12x shots at one lower strength is a lot better than 3x shots. You'll average 3-4 hits compared to 1.

early warning system is not for shooting flyers. It is for shooting reserves, which could be flyers, but you won't hit them.

[Black Katalyst]

I know what the early warning system does. I was telling him that he has a better chance to hit flyers with TL high yeild missiles.

12x TL shots at S7, even with needing 6's, will get hits and has a good chance to do something to the flyer if not just removing hull points. Average 3 hits, 4+ to glance with a reroll from the purtide chip, cover saves, should remove a hull point or two with a decent chance to pen.

[chicop76]

I agree with black. However if I wait for my shooting phase I will have a greater chance of dowing a flyer. Most flyers are quite easy to ignore, those vendettas are annoying. Anyway the high yield does give me the option to possibly take out a flyer that enters the board. I can't ignore cover, but can re roll on armour pen.

If you shoot enough early warning overide can be used against flyers.

I know railrifles on the broadsides is 8 and not 10. However I have old broadsides and have to convert to high yield. Until I convert it's strength 8 ap 1. Keeping this conversion in mind I probably take a while to do it. I been playing with both and it's just as good and better in some cases.

Why do a skyray need a blacksun filter??? I agree the hammerhead does, but the skyray does not. Please explain why.

I had 2 strength 10 hammerheads. I droped them due to the non armour 14 I see. Out of like 20 games I seen armour 14 3 times. Also my riptides on smash mode has killed more armour 14 vehicles than my hammer head. Longshot is rather expensive and using him in many games I feel like I am paying 50 points for a +1 in bs. Even worst when I find myself using the sub round more than the strength 10 round. That is why I switched to my current hammerhead configuration.

I am ordering more Skyray parts and thinking of droping the hammerhead for another skyray anyway. The skyray is cheaper, will give me 12 seeker missles. Plus 4 more anti-air marker lights.

I dropped the disruption pods due to riptide and broadside fire magnent aura helps my tanks not to get shot at. I think it's the deny cover saving strength 8 ap 2 pie plate of doom, or the broadsides unloading a ton of fire power on a target.

[Black Katalyst]

I like the way you have your list set up, its very close to what I run. There's only a few things that I would change but that's me.

-I would drop 10 kroot and make 2x squads of 15.

-Use those pionts to give all your vehicles diaruption pods and black sun filters.

-Give your commander at least a missle pod and a velocity tracker. If he can't shoot on your turn let him shoot deepstrikers/flanking models on your opponent's turn

-Keep your heavies the way they are. Railhead, skyray, broadsides seems like the most tactical setup

[chicop76]

I am playing with the thought on using fortifications. I thought it was only in your deployment zone and now realize they are half way across the table. Which means I can infiltrate a unit or two on top. I'm thinking on the skyshield for the +4 invulnerable.

Also I was thinking of the aegis defense line. If my commander is on the turret he can use the lascannon or the defense gun. However I want to read the other fortifications to decide on what I want to do.

If I got skysheild I don't need disuption pods.

Blacksun filter is useless on skyray.
1. Markerlight =36" and negatives on nightfight is over 36"I can't shoot. Meaning everything is in range.
2. Seekers ignore cover, no nightfight saves
3. Smartmissiles ignore cover, ditto
4.no saves on markerlight hits

So why I need filters on my Skyray.

[Black Katalyst]

A sky shield is pretty good with tau. I never got to use one personally but I really want to. A commander on a quad gun is awesome but it also limits his mobility.

A skyray can fire 2x seeker missiles without the use of a marker light. A blacksun filter isn't needed but its only 1 point and it gives you options.

[chicop76]

After thinking for awhile I think 2 skyrays should be best. The extra pie plate and strength 7 shots are not really needed. The double skyray would give me decent anti air.

I also decided on the skyshield. I can place it half in my depolyment zone and half out. I can infiltrate my kroot on top giving them +4 invulnerable saves. With my broadsides I can move up and snap fire on turn one. Also the platform would give my ethereal a +4 invulnerable.

If I can fit two skyrays on top I can give them +4 invulnerable saves and save on spending 30 points on giving them a cover save.