New to 40k-first try Tau

[raceygaming]

Hey I'm a long time fantasy player and have just gotten into 40k. I thought i would try out Tau for my first army. These is a take on all comers 2,000 point list that Ive been building towards and was hoping to get some feed back.

HQ

Shas’O (leads the 3 Fireknifes)
Wargear: Plasma rifle, missile pods, HW multi tracker, HW Black sun filter, HW drone controller, 2x shield drones

Shas’El (leads the 3 Soulfire)
Wargear: Plasma rifle, Fusion Blaster, targeting array, HW multi tracker, HW Black sun filter, HW drone controller, 2x shield drones, HW target lock

Troops

10 Fire Warriors
10 Fire Warriors
10 Fire Warriors
10 Kroot

Elites
3 Crisis suits (fireknife)
Wargear: plasma rifle, missile pods, multi-tracker, leader, HW drone controller, x2 shield drone

3 Crisis suits (Soulfire)
Wargear: plasma rifle, Fusion Blaster, multi-tracker, leader, HW drone controller, x2 shield drone

3 Crisis suits (Deathrain)
Wargear: twin linked missile pods, leader, HW Black sun filter, HW drone controller, x2 shield drone

Fast Attack

1 Tetra
1 Tetra
1 Tetra
(All with) Wargear: Targeting array, disruption pods, twin linked pulse rifle, heavy marker light.

Heavy Support
2 broadside XV-88
Wargear: Twin linked Rail guns, smart missile system, leader, Targeting array, HW target lock, HW Black sun filter, HW drone controller, x2 shield drones

2 broadside XV-88
Wargear: Twin linked Rail guns, smart missile system, leader, Targeting array, HW target lock, HW Black sun filter, HW drone controller, x2 shield drones

1 Hammer head
Wargear: Rail gun, x2 burst cannon, disruption pods, Black sun filter, Multi-tracker

The Final total on this list is 2,000 points with 2 HQ, 4 Troop, 3 Elite, 3 Fast Attack, 3 Heavy Support.

The general idea was to use what the tau are good at which is shooting: plasma, rail guns, and fire warriors. A lot of Shield drones to try to help vs S8 spam and 4 scoring units to help get some objectives.
I am unsure as to how people feel about the Forge World rules for the tetra but they are by far the best way to bring marker lights (at BS4).

Any and all comments would be very helpful. thanks

[LizardTau]

Nice to see some more tau coming out of the wood works. I have been doing great with my tau lately. So just a couple things first off, taking drones on your commanders does make them a unit so they can't join other units. if you take off the drones they can join the units.

Tetras sound awesome i was thinking about taking them my self but i take pathfinders for the cheap devilfish (we will get to more on that later) armour i think 10 makes them easy to pen, but disruption pods make them have up to a 3+ cover save which is awesome but with only three and were bolters can glance them im not sure how well they are going to do. I would sujest proxing or trying them out before you buy them as forge world is expensive.

broad sides, auto include in my mind and you run them the same way i do which i think is the best way to run them. you actually run the same number as i do also.

Suits, suits are awesome you have different types and each are good at different things, which can be good. You will have to try them out to see how you like to use them and such.

Hammer head, nice i do like the burst cannons on the hammer head, but you really dont want it to get close to stuff, with av 13 and a 3+ cover save the hammer head is one of the hardest to get rid of vehicles in the game. I fine the rail gun a little over priced, the tenplate can be good against hordes but other then that one shot that is not twin linked your broadsides are better, so i have been using the ion cannon lately which i have liked.

So troops, i really love fire warriors (oviously there are 48 in my list lol ). I dont like kroot as much but they can be useful, and some people love them. The thing with your troops is that they arent very fast or durable. in my list i have three devil fish with my 3 small path finders units so if need be my fire warriors can get in an move towards objectives. 6th is a lot of objective missions. but you do have the fire power to take out a lot of the other sides troop choises.

deffinatly a good start give it some play tests and see what you want to tweak

[raceygaming]

I was just wondering about your comment about commanders and drones. on page 32 of the current tau codex it says "Unless accompanied by a bodyguard, he is a Independent Character(I.C) and follows the I.C rules in the 40k rulesbook. If accompanied by drones, he MAY still join other units as an I.C" Is this still correct or has it been FAQ'd out?
Other than that, thank you very much for the help, it has really given me somethings to think over. I do feel like i need at least 1 devilfish to help move around the table but i dont know what to cut out.

[Frosty the Pirate]

Not sure about commanders, but Jason will know for sure.

Tetras are pretty good, but Pathfinders bringing along a "free" devilfish is pretty awesome. Devilfish are one of the most durable transports in the game currently, and being able to protect your Fire Warriors and move them into midfield or to claim objectives is very important in 6th edition. If you find yourself having trouble advancing onto objectives, I'd very much look at bringing some Devilfish, or some Pathfinders to get a "free" one.

Otherwise, your looking at a pretty solid list. One of the big things to feel out as Tau is your weapon combinations on suits, and the placement of drones to protect them. So once you get a few games under your belt, I'm sure you'll start to get a feel for what you want from your suit teams.

Good luck, and welcome.

[LizardTau]

Ill check the faq i know someone told me a long time ago that they couldnt. lol tells you how often i look at my tau codex now lol.


EDIT:

Your right, i don't see anything. new eyes always find stuff i know when i first started i found that you could take an emp grenade on the fire warrior sargent and no one knew that (now thats kind of useles as i dont even take sargents in my fire warrior squads lol)

as for the "free" devil fish ya its not free but you pay a little more then the devil fish its self and get the pathfinders, but yes tetras are a cheaper and better bs option for marker lights but i still thik devil fish are indespensable in objective games, but as i know too well its hard to drop things you want in the list to pick up devil fish

[Hizack]

It's the same price as a normal devilfish, though if you bring pathfinders, you -have- to buy the devilfish. You can't just bring pathfinders with you. It sucks. ):

[LizardTau]

yes that is true, but if you want a devil fish anyway and you would like some marker lights in your army then pathfinders are the way to do it, other then spending more on tetras and devilfish

[voodoo]

If you happen to be serious about starting Tau I have a sizeable force for sale...