When i start to think in a new army, i always start by making a pair of lists.I have a typical Tau army on my mind, let see if it works on Epic. Please advice on how play this kind of list, i just want to play this kind of list not just change infra formations for "better" formations. Thanks in advance:

Core formations:
Crisis Battlesuit Cadre 250

Crisis Battlesuit Cadre 250

Crisis Battlesuit Cadre 250

Eight Tau Fire Warrior units 225

Six Tau Fire Warrior units and three Devilfish 225

Six Tau Fire Warrior units and three Devilfish 225

Support Formations

Six XV88 Broadside Battlesuits 325

Six XV15 Stealth Battlesuit units 225

One Kroot Master Shaper unit and
nine Kroot Warrior units 175

One Kroot Master Shaper unit and
nine Kroot Warrior units 175

Three Skyray Air Defence Gunships 250

Air Caste Formations

Two Barracuda Fighters 150

One Orca 150

And 125 spare points to add leaders in formations, or drones.

I choose the army mainly by models that i want to paint (and availability for me, that is the reason to not have a formation of piranhas or tetras in the list). I think that i can let out one kroot unit and take on a pathfinder unit, just for more diversity in the army.

What do you think?

Please, excuse my awful english.

There are two armies I'm considering right now. One is a full airdrop army, the other is a more balanced force.


Tau Drop List, 3000 POINTS
Tau Third Phase Expansion (NetEA Army Compendium v20120208)
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CRISIS BATTLESUIT CADRE [450]
6 XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, Shas'o

CRISIS BATTLESUIT CADRE [400]
6 XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, Shas'el

CRISIS BATTLESUIT CADRE [400]
6 XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, Shas'el

CRISIS BATTLESUIT CADRE [350]
6 XV8 Crisis Battlesuit

STEALTH GROUP [250]
6 XV15 Stealth Units

STEALTH GROUP [250]
6 XV15 Stealth Units

ORCA DROPSHIP [150]

ORCA DROPSHIP [150]

ORCA DROPSHIP [150]

ORCA DROPSHIP [150]

BARRACUDA SQUADRON [150]
2 Barracuda Fighters

BARRACUDA SQUADRON [150]
2 Barracuda Fighters


Tau Combined Arms, 3000 POINTS
Tau Third Phase Expansion (NetEA Army Compendium v20120208)
==================================================

CRISIS BATTLESUIT CADRE [450]
6 XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, Shas'o

CRISIS BATTLESUIT CADRE [350]
6 XV8 Crisis Battlesuit

FIRE WARRIOR CADRE [325]
12 Fire Warriors, Bonded Team

FIRE WARRIOR CADRE [325]
12 Fire Warriors, Bonded Team

ARMOUR SUPPORT GROUP [300]
4 Hammerheads, Skyray

ARMOUR SUPPORT GROUP [300]
4 Hammerheads, Skyray

RECON SKIMMER GROUP [175]
2 Tetra, 4 Piranha

RECON SKIMMER GROUP [175]
2 Tetra, 4 Piranha

ORCA DROPSHIP [150]

ORCA DROPSHIP [150]

BARRACUDA SQUADRON [150]
2 Barracuda Fighters

BARRACUDA SQUADRON [150]
2 Barracuda Fighters

The Drop list is easier to assemble right now (all the ground stuff will turn up in Wave 4, and I've got the air stuff en route) and should be interesting to play, though the Combined Arms list is probably better in most cases.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

I see your first miniatures painted, these are just lovely. But, to be true, i think that your lists, although efficient and interesting on their own, are a bit boring to paint. And more important, don´t truly represent what is the empire Tau for me.

I mean, if i want to play my list, any advice in using these units coordinately?Any tip? Any unit in unit out? I know that probably is not the more efficient list in the world , but in my club nobody play toplist or "tournament mode", we collect and paint just for the joy of do it. And i have in mind a air assault grey knigth list, so this playstile niche is already taken.

I planning using them as a defensive and elusive force with the mechanised formations and the orca as a treat for the final turns in their side objectives, using the kroots as meat shields for my crisis and firecastes, Is feasible to do so?

Well, I'm no Tau expert, but here's what I know:

*Markerlights are critical. You always want to be shooting at a lit target, it'll be 25-100% easier to hit when lit.
*Coordinated Fire, like Commander, is a powerful tool that should be used sparingly. You want to have activation parity at a minmum, and CoFire works against that.
*Kroot are the only guys you have that like engagement. Everyone else wants to be shooting whenever possible.
*Everyone has great AP scores, so your primary concern should be bringing the AT rain.
*Air superiority will be important, not least because your only TK weapon is airborne. You also have more vulnerable light dropships than just about anyone else.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

You'd be better off splitting the Skyray's up and attaching the 3 of them to the 3 Fire Warriors (assuming 2 formations of Crisis Suits go in the Orca). The AA and Markerlights are vital to have in multiple units (most Tau armies will take 3-4 formations with Markerlights), at present your 3 strong Skyray formation would be priority target number one and taken out very easily by enemy artillery, teleports or other means.

Your army list is slightly out of date too, the single change in the current version 6.6 put Broadsides up slightly to 350. Ignore this, I was incorrect.

List otherwise generally looks decent.

V6.6 lists broadsides as 325 in both docs. Is this a discussion based change? I seem to remember it might be.

Note to self: update armyforge file when convenient.

_________________
SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

I don't recall any sort of discussion on .. well anything, really in the Tau section.

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Let there be code.

Yup, Broadsides are now 325pts (they were 300pts before).

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Just call me Steve.

NetEA Rules Chair
NetEA FAQ

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The core of your list is actually very good. But at the level of a battle that a game of epic represents Tau really work as a very co-ordinated synergy style force.

You really really really need more markerlights. Either with Pathfinders or Recon formations and your Skyrays probaly need to be spread out into upgrades.

So, out one crisis formation, in pathfinders? Recon is no proxy friendly...

5 Crisis Battlesuit units and Shas'o character - 400

5 Crisis Battlesuit units - 300

Eight Tau Fire Warrior units - 225

Six Tau Fire Warrior units, three Devilfish and one Skyray - 325

Six Tau Fire Warrior units, three Devilfish and one Skyray - 325

Six XV88 Broadside Battlesuits - 325

Six XV15 Stealth Battlesuit units - 225

Four Pathfinders units and two Devilfish - 200

One Kroot Master Shaper unit and nine Kroot Warrior units - 175

One Kroot Master Shaper unit and nine Kroot Warrior units - 175

Two Barracuda Fighters 150

One Orca 150

That leaves 25pts which if you want to garrison your foot slogging eight unit Fire Warrior formation could be spent on a Bonded team upgrade. Alternatively you could add two Gun Drone units to them or a Crisis formation if you intend to air drop them in the Orca.

That gives an ok list that is quite close to your original. I think Tau really need the supreme commander so I have included him.

There are still problems though. Although the list has a good number of activations it is still very light on markerlights and the balance of anti tank to anti infantry might be a little off - depending on how well you can protect the Broadsides and how much work you can get out of the Crisis. Also the inclusion of the almost mandatory Shas'o has left you with the problem of your BTS and supreme commander being in the same formation which is never ideal. You could drop the Shas'o and beef up one of the Fire Warrior formations to be the BTS but that creates its own problems.