Well i really like that Tau are brutal in FF but crumble in CC as in Chromas list Thats how i imagine Tau to be.

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Ah, good to hear fellas!
And another one got his questions and pondering addressed now to!

Three is the way to go. I think.
Gotto get my 40k copy out and have a think and feel.

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Played one game against Chroma's variant list and it didn't go well for the tau. I agree that the FF feel wasn't that bad and I prefered the markerlight rules in this version.

Ah, reading up on the Heavy Railcannon showed that it has two firing "modes", one being a "single shot" hard-hitting round and the other being a "sub-munitions" shot that strikes an area, so I felt both options should be available.

A 750 point valued Manta would probably be a good thing to aim for.

Well, the point is that the Tau would rarely field just the "base" formation, but would constantly add support units to make customized Cadres for the task at hand... this isn't forced by the list, but it's subtly encouraged by the frailty of just taking "three units" for popcorn... most of them are going to get popped!  *laugh*

I've already realized that I need to tweak the point values between base units cost and upgrade costs, and that will happen in an updated version.

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Ok - My thoughts...

I'm not a fan of Hit and Run for Tau. I prefer the extra 10cm movement after firing option. I don't think Tau should be proxy Eldar. The extra movement gives more flexibilty without standing on Eldar toes.

I accept the move for ML to light a target for GM's BUT I am not in favour of needing this for AA fire at all (if you want this to be a viable option you MUST allow Sentry Towers into the list and make them standard units that can Garrison and have Scout and Fearless). Air power in 40K is rare and that is why it is harder to kill planes. In Epic, planes are a dime a dozen and AA must be allowed to defend effectively.

Formations made up solely of Drones should take Blast Markers (not a problem for this list as there doesn't seem to be Drone only formations - should there be?). I like the Drone rules otherwise.

I like the Deflector Shield modification.

I'm not in favour of the Ethereal death/BM to all units in LOS thing. If I wanted to play Eldar, I'd play Eldar. The abilities of an Avatar make up for the BM to everyone in LOS. The Ethereal isn't powerful enough to justify the BM's to everyone in LOS). Everything else for the Ethereal is cool.

My views on Support Hammerheads is going to be biased by my own Tau army collection (sorry - but this sort of thing needs to be taken into account sometomtimes). I have 12 Stingray models (the twin Missile models). I have no intention of using them as Twin Linked Missile pod HH's. I see no need for the Twin linked Missile pod versions in this list.
The 30cmMW version is not going to be practical for Tau. Any Tau tank that is forced to get that close is on a one way trip (Leman Russ' could possibly make it but not Tau).

I prefer TRC's air list for Tau (as long as the Tigershark/AX-1-0 are not WE). This list has so many weapons that it's just about got to be the most powerful Airforce in the game.
I like the idea of the Orca Missile Carrier but I'm not sure about game balance. 6 Air based MW attacks seems like a very powerful air unit.

The Manta could lose it's Twin Linked Missile Pods and cost 750pts? It should also have Markerlight (and possibly Supreme commander as an option - interesting BTS/SC dilema).

I'm not sure on the FF abilities of this list. I understand that higher FF reflects the abilities of the Tau military but not their combat doctrine. Exposing themseleves to enemy fire is just not how Tau fight. I think that I agree with the reduced FF values of the present 4.4.3 list. It makes the player play the Tau in a fluffy manner (similar to how Ork play is shaped by Power of the Waaagh!).

I'm not a fan of formations of 3 but at least this list allows for them to be increased.

Generally, I prefer the 4.4.3 list to this one and I have no problem with using so called "made up" units. Just like some of the Dark Eldar and Chaos units that are widely accepted. Being "made up" is not a good enough reason to exclude a unit from the list.

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Just to explain my "changes" to the Ethereal: they are copied directly from Forge World's Imperial Armour 3 - The Taros Campaign; everything, including the Blast markers to Tau units with LOS to the killed Ethereal, is from that, it's got nothing to do with the Eldar Avatar.

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I like this set of rules for the Ethereal, BM use and all.  It seems appropriate given the effects for the Ethereal in 40k.  Onyx does have a point re: it not being powerful enough for that kind of drawback.  Perhaps if it cost less, that would make it worth having that particular drawback.

Well, it does make an *entire* formation fearless, I'd say that's a pretty good ability... but it ought to be playtested a bit to see how often it comes up.

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I'm surprised that you didn't give the Guided Missiles a longer range.  I mean, GW used 120cm for the Hellstrikes on Vultures, which I think everyone agrees is too much for AT2+, but might not be unreasonable for AT5+, especially when something needs to be within 30cm to enable that to fire.

What adding Guided Missile to the AA missiles does is give every Tau formation with MLs a 30cm AA bubble, *IF* they're within 60cm of a Skyray.  It also means that a Skyray only has a 30cm effective range if there aren't supplemental ML units around.  That gets awfully fiddly, and I think I prefer the 4.4.3 AA missiles (without playing the change).  This might be easier to deal with if Guided Missiles had a 90cm+ range, including the AA missiles.

I certainly prefer a riskier approach to the FW.  My 40k forces always dance close to the fire and occasionally get burned, but a squad of 12 FW will remove 10 Guardsmen on average dice at 40k "firefight ranges" (12 inches).  That's without markerlight support raising the hit %.

Crisis suits operate in groups of 3, and the weapons assume 3 different suits on the stand.  However, you usually see 4 squads of Crisis (if the player is going Crisis-heavy).  That's 12 total suits.  *If* you model 3 per base, then the FW pack isn't enough (you need 3 packs to not have leftover suits if you base 3 per).  I think 2-per-base looks better, so one FW pack makes a 4-stand Crisis formation.

Re:  Manta.
* Both shooting modes of the Rails should have the same range (105cm, not 90), as a submunition shell travels to the target then "pops" to spread a lot of relatively small explosive charges, fragments, or other individually-guided baby missiles over an area.
* The Ion Cannons should be 90cm range (they're 90" range in 40k, not 60" like a Hammerhead's).
* The Manta could probably lose the Missile Pods, but I'd like to see a roughly 650-point Manta, not 750 or 850.

I've got a copy of Aeronautica Imperialis, lemme take another look at the planes.

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In looking a bit more at the the Ion Cannon, I am not sure that the upgrade to AP3+ is entirely warranted.  Yes, the Ion cannon is death to Marines in 40k, but so is a Battle Cannon, which has higher strength and a nice big template to work with, yet it is only AP4+.  They seem equivalent enough at infantry killing to have the same AP score.

Also, while it is nice to improve the firepower of the Ion HH, that is only one of the vehicles that the Ion is mounted on.  The others are all aircraft, which everyone seems to agree need to be toned down some.  An upgrade to their main weapon won't help that cause.

In my Weapon Conversion Table the Ion Cannon is 60cm (90cm for the Longbarelled Manta version) AP4+/AT6+.
The Railgun ist 75cm AP5+/AT5+ with Lancefor the AT-shot.
The Heavy Railgun ist (solid shot)105cm MW3+ TK(D3) and (submunition) 105cm 2 x AP4+/AT5+ Disrupt.

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I really like this list, seems pretty good. The only thing I would change is the fire warriors. IMO they should have AP4+. Also, they should have access (and other types of formations) to a leader.

Good job.

Thanks!

Fire Warriors *do* have access to a "leader", you just have to add a Crisis Suit and Shas'El to lead them!  *laugh*

So, what are your thoughts, CS?

My Tau are soon to arrive...

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