Competative Farsight list

[fedratsailor]

HQ
Commander - 2x Burst Cannon/DC/TL/Arthas Moloch/Warlord 2 Marker Drones
Commander - 2x Fusion Blaster
Elite
Riptide - Ion
Troop
Crisis Team - 3 suits/2x Burst Cannon/BKR/TL 6 Marker Drones
Crisis Team - 3 suits/2x Fusion Blaster/BKR/
Crisis Team - 3 suits/2x Plasma Rifle/BKR/Shas'vre
Crisis Team - 3 suits/2x Missile Pods/BKR/Shas'vre
Crisis Team - 3 suits/2x Flamer/BKR/Shas'vre
Fast Attack
Razorshark - Missile Pod
Heavy
Broadside Team - 3 suits/Rail/EWO/BKR/Shas'vre
Broadside Team - 3 suits/HYMP/BKR/Shas'vre
Hammerhead - Submuntions/TL-SMS

Warlord joins the burst/marker team, giving me 8 markerlight at BS5 allowing for the marker drones to light up a target while the team/commander deal with infantry targets. I know some ppl will say this isn't enough markerlights for the army. I personally don't mind the BS3.

The Fusion/Flamer teams deepstrike in to pound appropriate targets with the 2nd commander helping the Fusion team. The missile team targets transports while the Plasma team deals with MEQ/TEQ.

I know the razorshark as my only AA is somewhat lacking but i figure the Missile sides can provide backup even if they still need 6's to hit. The rail sides and Hammerhead target tanks with the Railsides intercepting incoming targets if need be. The riptide provides a huge target and pie plates to appropriate targets.

I have the following drones painted for use in farsight.
7 gun drones
4 shield drones
6 missile drones
2 shielded missile drones for the riptide
4 marker drones

Also i painted the parts from the hammerhead kit (ion cannon and the skyray launcher) and I can swap the razorshark missile pod for the burst cannon.

I also have the following models/drones painted to be used as normal tau, not farsight units.
Support Commander
12 firewarriors
6 stealth suits with burst cannons
2 remora drones
2 marker drones for the commander


Let me know what you think.

[Learn2Eel]

The problem with your list is less the amount of Markerlights - statistically you will get 7 Markerlight tokens in each shooting phase, which is about the average you will see when using three teams of Pathfinders - but more that they are all in the same unit. Marker Drones have no means to split fire from each other and thus each shooting phase you will have 8 or less tokens on just the one unit. While that guarantees destruction with your list, it is inefficient as for some units - such as your three HYMP Broadsides - only 3 or 4 tokens are needed to annihilate almost any unit they can see. The more ideal scenario so as to not waste either tokens or firepower is to attach bare-bones Commanders with Drone Controllers to Marker Drone squads, that is, if you want to keep your current Heavy Support slots. The reality is, Skyrays provide all the Markerlights a Farsight list needs.

On to the units....

Burst Cannon suits are cool and all, but strictly speaking you are better off taking dual missile pod suits in almost every scenario. Half the shots, but +2 Strength and +1 AP, as well as +18" range. You take Crisis Teams to provide heavy firepower, not be less efficient than your basic Troops (with Ethereal support). Having twin-fusion suits is good as at least one or two teams are mandatory to really guarantee taking out AV14, though the fusion Commander is unnecessary. Just an FYI, Farsight himself might be better than the twin-fusion Commander just for the no-scatter deep-strike. 9" melta is quite good, but you really don't want to risk falling out of range or getting a mishap.

Flamer Suits? Unless you are deep-striking them, I would avoid them. The reason for this is that Tau are one of the armies that don't really need Ignores Cover Templates simply because Markerlights and Smart Missiles already fill up that role. The other issue is, Crisis Teams are fragile and easy targets. They really should be switched either to missiles or plasma, or perhaps even fusion just so you have more than one AV14-hunter for reliability.

Shas'vre upgrades really aren't necessary. You are spending about 50 points on Shas'vres that could be much better spent getting more Markerlights in the list.
The Tau fliers might be better than the Dark Angel fliers, but they just aren't that survivable and still too expensive to really be useful. Besides, the roles they try to fill are much better filled by Skyrays, Broadsides and Riptides. If you are doing a competitive list, drop the flier. Another Crisis Team for similar/less points would help you so much more.
If you have Remoras and want to use fliers, use the Remora Drones. If they are the cheap as chips mini-flyers with Shrouded and so on, they are a keeper. Both they and Barracudas outclass the codex fliers by a mile.

Give the Riptide the Earth Caste thing. Re-rolling that Nova Charge roll is so....so....so good. And besides, doesn't it give him twin-linking? It is always worth the points.
Switch the Heavy Rail Rifle Broadsides to High Yield Missile Pods. Heavy Rail Rifles are in a bad situation in which they don't even perform a separate role from the HYMP, they are just flat out inferior at everything they want to do compared to the HYMP. You will save yourself a lot of future hassle by doing that, as the extra pip in Strength won't matter when you have Riptides and Fusion suits.
No plasma rifles on the Broadsides I see, which is good. Like the whole HYMP/HRR thing, plasma rifles are outclassed by Smart Missile Systems for Broadsides overall.

I'm a fan of Hammerheads but they aren't everyone's cup of tea. Hammerheads are generally better off with an Ion Cannon, just because it is another "mini-Riptide" gun. If you have the money and the patience though, a third Broadside team would be better. However, a much cheaper and completely legal alternative would be the Forge World R'Varna. If you drop the flier, the Shas'vre upgrades, the Hammerhead, the fusion Commander, and make the changes I suggested, you could easily fit in an R'Varna. That thing alone would take your army up a big notch competitively.

Sorry if I am coming off as harsh. If this is supposed to be a competitive list, it will need quite a few changes IMO, though you do have the core of the list set out well. And plus, I am so, so happy not to be seeing a Farsight Enclaves list with Riptide spam. I do recommend replacing the Hammerhead with an R'Varna though. The reason for this is that though most know Hammerheads aren't *that* scary, it will still be a "odd unit out" in your list as the only vehicle in your army, making it an easy target for Vanquishers and melta-drops, etc.

EDIT: On the Broadsides, give them all HYMPs, Smart Missiles, and if you can fit it, Early Warning Overrides. +15 points to give the entire team Interceptor is worth its weight in gold, especially when each Broadside shoots out 8 twin-linked missiles! Two or three teams of that sitting in your deployment zone will make a fortress of "nope" across most of a regular game board, basically, where any kind of Reserves unit - even fliers - will die a horrible death.

I hope all that helps!

[chicop76]

In say drop the hammerhead and add in a Sunday. The skyray will give you anti-air and marker support. Play against flying circus enough you will start swearing theses guys are your anti-flying mc hunters.

I used hammer rail heads and I just don't anymore. Ion heads have me ask myself why not run another riptide instead.

I like the variety of rail sides/ missile sides. I have lost games going all missile sides and the rail sides have won me games. That being said missile sides within 36" are typically better than rail sides. I have been joking a commander to my sides and it's super awesome. It gives me the ability to take out tanks easier and ease up on my marker dependence. I also have missile drones which get twin linked shooting which is nice and really helps with anti air as well.

Also i give my sides the ability to split fire on all the suits which is nice. With the drones I can fire at 4 different targets. I have played with the thought of doing marker drones in a similar fashion. However I been able to take out 3 units with one unit is really good. Although my poor sides do get shot at a lot.

I would still use pathfinders. I personally use 12 pathfinders and either use them as 2 units of 6 or 3 units of 4. The problem with marker drones is you can really split fire unless they are attached to a fireplace. However the pathfinders wind up being more cost effective and can saturate 3 squads instead of one. With two hits per squad I can deny cover saves. I find denying cover saves to be more important than increasing b.s. The benefit of taking 6 is that you can possibly get that 6 for shooting at air units, means another missile for the skyray to use.

Oh that being said my most effective anti-flyer defense so far has been the 6 missile drones from my sides with twin shooting. My skyray has been my most effective anti-flying MC killer.

Oh and early warning missile sides are very nice. I like plasma on them for options, since the high yield missiles make great anti infantry anyway and the plasma deals with tougher customers and gives you the ability to move and shoot as well, marker lights and twin shooting give them a move and shoot option as well, or gtg which I do use a lot, another reason for me to get that shield landing pad.

If you are ds. It would be bad to have beacons. Besides Ethereal and Pathfinders I have to double check if they are the only ones that have them.

[fedratsailor]

I totally didn't think of missile drones and a support commander. that's a good idea. ive been thinking of doing pathfinder, but those would have to wait ill I fix my car. and I willing to drop the shas'vre's, I just have never liked leaving troops with the lowest leadership they have. think im going to go back and put in a support commander. would 6 or 12 firewarriors on foot be the better option and should I pay for the shas'ui?.

[fedratsailor]

HQ
Commander - 2x Burst Cannon/DC/TL/Arthas Moloch/Warlord 2 Marker Drones
Elite
Riptide - Ion/EWO
Troop
Crisis Team - 3 suits/2x Burst Cannon/BKR/TL 3 Marker Drones
Crisis Team - 3 suits/2x Fusion Blaster/BKR
Crisis Team - 3 suits/2x Plasma Rifle/BKR
Crisis Team - 3 suits/2x Missile Pods/BKR
Fast Attack
Razorshark - Missile Pod
Pathfinders (5)/BKR
Heavy
Broadside Team - 3 suits/Rail/EWO/BKR
Broadside Team - 3 suits/HYMP/BKR/TL 6 missile drones

Allies
Commander - MSSS/CNC/PEN/Iridium
Firewarriors (12)/Shas'ui

Its not a lot of changes but it does address issue's noted. still leaves me with 5 troops choice's, which from all my time reading army lists here on BOLS is a good number for 2000pt lists. Plus this list also helps on the model count, which my previous list was lacking in.

[chicop76]

Cool.

I usually pay the 10 points for the extra leadership unless I am playing with more than 3 squads than I use an Ethereal instead. That leadership of 8 has helped a few times, 7 is average die rollingrolling.

I don't know what really to say about troops vs suits. I haven't done a suit heavy list at all. My gripe is they didn't make stealth suits score which I would be all over that. Anyway I see pros and cons to each. However I think having some regular troops isn't a bad ideal. With just one squad though a devilfish wouldn't be a bad ideal. I have debated on taking a squad of 10 fire warriors with 2 drones, and the squad would be equipped with carbine. I see the pros doing it with pathfinders, just not sure with fire warriors.

I think my biggest wish would be to the Ethereal, Fireblade, and/ or Darkstrider was equipped with drone controllers. Actually if the fireblade had one I would use him a lot more. You could add him to any squad for split fire. Also with firewarriors and Pathfinders you can have 4 marker drones easy. I have debated on taking one for my tau snipers which would allow my marker hits to go one place and my sniper hits at another. Also I could take marker drones which I can have 6 marker lights and 9 rail hits, or I could go fireblade with 2 marker drones, one drone sighted, and 9 sniper drones.

Also do you have to take BKR. I don't remember if you do or don't. I can see for squads over 4. Actually a waste of points with over 4 or more.