Tau Battlesuit Lists

[sephiroth00055]

I am trying to start a tau army and I have made two lists that I would like to be critiqued. Here is the first:

1750 Tau Battlesuit List

HQ:

(Crisis)
Commander Shas’o, plasma rifle, cyclic ion blaster, multi-tracker, stimulant injector
2x Shas’vre, twin-linked plasma rifle, drone controller, 1x shield drone
=285

(Crisis)
Commander Shas’o, plasma rifle, fusion blaster, multi-tracker,
2x Shas’vre, plasma rifle, fusion blaster, multi-tracker, hardwired drone controller,
1x shield drone
=286

Elite:

(Crisis)
1x Shas’vre, twin-linked plasma rifle, target lock
2x Shas’ui, twin-linked plasma rifle, drone controller, 1x shield drone
=210

(Crisis)
1x Shas’vre, twin-linked plasma rifle, target lock
2x Shas’ui, twin-linked plasma rifle, drone controller, 1x shield drone
=210

(Crisis)
1x Shas’vre, twin-linked plasma rifle, target lock
2x Shas’ui, twin-linked plasma rifle, drone controller, 1x shield drone
=210

HS:

(Broadside)
1x Shas’vre, advanced stabilization system, hardwired drone controller, 1x shield drone
=105

(Broadside)
1x Shas’vre, advanced stabilization system, hardwired drone controller, 1x shield drone
=105

(Broadside)
1x Shas’vre, advanced stabilization system, hardwired drone controller, 1x shield drone
=105

Troops:

(Fire Warrior)
12x Shas’la
=120
(Fire Warrior)
11x Shas’la
=110

Total Points Cost: 1746

And here is the second:
1750 Point Tau Farsight Battlesuit List

HQ:

(Crisis)
O’shovah – Commander Farsight
2x Shas’vre, plasma rifle, missile pod, multi-tracker, hardwired drone controller,
1x shield drone
=344

(Crisis)
Commander Shas’o, plasma rifle, cyclic ion blaster, shield generator, hardwired multi-tracker,
hardwired target lock, stimulant injector
2x Shas’vre, plasma rifle, fusion blaster, multi-tracker, hardwired drone controller,
1x shield drone
=324

Elite:

(Crisis)
1x Shas’vre, plasma rifle, missile pod, target lock, hardwired multi-tracker, hardwired drone controller,
2x shield drone
2x Shas’ui, plasma rifle, missile pod, multi-tracker
=231

(Crisis)
1x Shas’vre, plasma rifle, missile pod, target lock, hardwired multi-tracker, hardwired drone controller,
2x shield drone
2x Shas’ui, plasma rifle, missile pod, multi-tracker
=231

(Crisis)
1x Shas’vre, plasma rifle, missile pod, target lock, hardwired multi-tracker, hardwired drone controller,
2x shield drone
2x Shas’ui, plasma rifle, missile pod, multi-tracker
=231

HS:

(Broadside)
1x Shas’ui, team leader, target lock, hardwired drone controller, 2x shield drone
2x Shas’ui, target lock
=260

Troops:

(Fire Warrior)
6x Shas’la
=60

(Fire Warrior)
6x Shas’la
=60

Total Points Cost: 1746

Thanks to all who reply.

[Agi]

Hmmm

First list is strategic
Second list is blazing guns

hard choice

[Folken]

Okay from what I have read from you two lists I will critiq them seperatly.

List 1
Throw it out of the window. You have far far too few shots for a Tau army. True, anything they get a bead on will probally die but they are still in small numbers. Also take off the target locks you have on your commanders. When shooting you suits you whant to aim at one thing and fire until everything is dead, now ofcourse there is the fusion blaster suits, so they can have the target locks. Second, FireWarriors are the anvil of the Tau army back bone. While the suits are the hammer. One squad of FireWarriors isn't going to be doing much, espically if they are on foot. Which brings up another point, where are the devilfishes and HammerHeads? I think that every Tau player should have at least one HammerHead in his/her list, and I think the hive will agree with me on that. Next off, why no Markerlights? They help immensly(sorry for the spelling)! The ability to fire Seeker missles/ increase your BS/ redude Ld/ etc is amazing! So while the list is...meh okay I suggest you drop it.

List 2:
Much much better than the last list. The plasma rifle/missle pod combo is just about the best combo you can put on your crisis suits. But I fear for you firewarriors, 6 men squads that aren't bounded die/run very easily. But you putting you broadsides all in one squad isn't a bad idea either, that way anything your shooting at will most likly bite it...and bite it hard. Also with having Farsight when playing Orks you get the Preferrd enemy rule which really is the only time Tau will do meh in CC. And the Dawn Blade is a force of nature when used correctly. You may whant to swap out a couple missle pods/plasma rifles for other weapons like fusion blaster/flamers/burst cannons so you can get more shots out there. All in all this list looks much better than the first one.

Mmmmkay, more advice. Save up you money and buy one of the battle forces that are out there. Both of them give you lots of options and you really need more FireWarriors, plus you can get some Kroot too. I bought both the large set and the smaller one and built up my army from there. The DevilFishes/HammerHead you get from them are really nice. Then ofcourse you get everything else ;D

[sephiroth00055]

So how would you change the list to make it better? I am using farsights rules but am in the process of making up fluff for a different commander. The focus of the list is the battlesuits but that can be changed. I appreciate the help. I have not come up with a name for my commander yet, but I have some fluff.

[zangetsu]

folken said:

Okay from what I have read from you two lists I will critiq them seperatly.

List 1
Throw it out of the window. You have far far too few shots for a Tau army. True, anything they get a bead on will probally die but they are still in small numbers. Also take off the target locks you have on your commanders. When shooting you suits you whant to aim at one thing and fire until everything is dead, now ofcourse there is the fusion blaster suits, so they can have the target locks. Second, FireWarriors are the anvil of the Tau army back bone. While the suits are the hammer. One squad of FireWarriors isn't going to be doing much, espically if they are on foot. Which brings up another point, where are the devilfishes and HammerHeads? I think that every Tau player should have at least one HammerHead in his/her list, and I think the hive will agree with me on that. Next off, why no Markerlights? They help immensly(sorry for the spelling)! The ability to fire Seeker missles/ increase your BS/ redude Ld/ etc is amazing! So while the list is...meh okay I suggest you drop it.

List 2:
Much much better than the last list. The plasma rifle/missle pod combo is just about the best combo you can put on your crisis suits. But I fear for you firewarriors, 6 men squads that aren't bounded die/run very easily. But you putting you broadsides all in one squad isn't a bad idea either, that way anything your shooting at will most likly bite it...and bite it hard. Also with having Farsight when playing Orks you get the Preferrd enemy rule which really is the only time Tau will do meh in CC. And the Dawn Blade is a force of nature when used correctly. You may whant to swap out a couple missle pods/plasma rifles for other weapons like fusion blaster/flamers/burst cannons so you can get more shots out there. All in all this list looks much better than the first one.

Mmmmkay, more advice. Save up you money and buy one of the battle forces that are out there. Both of them give you lots of options and you really need more FireWarriors, plus you can get some Kroot too. I bought both the large set and the smaller one and built up my army from there. The DevilFishes/HammerHead you get from them are really nice. Then ofcourse you get everything else ;D

A couple of things.

1) Farsight gives everyone with access to the armory a Bonding knife.
2)Because he runs Farsight he can't run Etherials, Vespid, or Kroot.
3)He has 0-1 Limits on Stealth Suits, Pathfinders, Hammerhead, Broadsides, Sky Rays, and Pharanias.

[Folken]

zangetsu said:

A couple of things.

1) Farsight gives everyone with access to the armory a Bonding knife.
2)Because he runs Farsight he can't run Etherials, Vespid, or Kroot.
3)He has 0-1 Limits on Stealth Suits, Pathfinders, Hammerhead, Broadsides, Sky Rays, and Pharanias.

Mmmmmmkay. I'll admit it I forgot about your first point. But I was told by a GW staff member that you could run Kroot next to Farsight if they where Mercs. Thus the reason my recomending the buying of the box sets. Futher more even if he did buy both box set he couls still use everthing inside both of them minus the Kroot if he can't run them as Mercs. To continue I would strongly recomend against a Ehteral because for all of thier fluff they suck ass. Every time I use a Etheral I lose the game because everyone and thier mother knows that if you kill him you can make the entire army fall back, and possible off the board. Sure you get you little bouns's but I don't think its worth it.