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@nealhunt:  Let's see here... (checks archive of E:A Tau lists) Crisis don't have MW FF in 4.4.3, or 4.4.2.  They have it in 4.4.1.
I yelled about it then (release of 4.4.2), nobody listened.  Now here we are, asking what we can do to give each infantry unit a distinct role.
Hena:  The problem is that we've screwed up the range and to-hit #s on the Missile pods since roughly v3 (when I started contributing to the list).  One missile pod (in 40k) has the same number of shots and strength as an autocannon, but only 36" range.  36" range in 40k = 30cm in E:A.  A single autocannon has AP5+/AT6+ stats in E:A, and a Twin-linked autocannon then has AP4+/AT5+.  Ergo, a twin-linked Missile Pod should have the following statline:  30cm AP4+/AT5+ (which is CORRECTLY given on the Tigershark, but wrong on the Crisis suits, Scorpionfish, Orca and Manta).  Note:  posting this comment over in the Tech-edit thread.
Yep, I'm arguing for reducing the range and AT capabilities of a lot of units in the Tau list.  I'm arguing for the correct, consistent representation of a weapon system across all the different units that carry it.  I'd like to go back to the 4.4.1 Crisis suits, where they had a 15cm MW4+ and FF5+MW.
Crisis stats I think we can all live with:
Infantry, 20cm, 3+sv, 6+cc, 5+ff
Twin-linked Missile Pods:  30cm AP4+/AT5+ (same stats as on Tigershark)
Twin-linked Plasma Rifles: 30cm AP4+
Twinlinked Fusion Blasters:  15cm MW4+ and
...........................................(15cm) Small Arms Macro-Weapon
Notes:  Tau Jet Packs
The problem with this statline is the Plasma Rifles and Fusion Blasters.  Plasma Rifles are only 24" range in 40k, which is usually represented as 15cm in E:A, and Fusion Blasters are only 12" range, which is FF-only in E:A.  However, no-one seems to want to go for a direct conversion from 40k to E:A, so 2x 30cm attacks backed up with a MW at 15cm and FF.
This does shorten the reach of Crisis suits a bit, but does more narrowly define them.  Crisis suits operate close to the enemy, either lending AT and MW support to Tau infantry or lending AP and the occasional MW support to Tau vehicles (MW mostly to get rid of terminators!).
Give each infantry unit a defined role, and you don't have issues with "there's no reason to take [unit X]" discussions.  For example, there's no doubt about the role that Broadsides, Pathfinders, and Crisis suits play in the list.  Even Kroot and Vespid have defined roles in the list (to make up for the lack of FF/CC capabilities in the basic Tau list).  Even Human Aux have a defined role:  camping on objectives to HOLD them.  Fire Warriors don't have that definition, and quite obviously are terrible when not used correctly (like any other unit).  Since they don't have an obvious role in the Tau Army, people don't see how to use them correctly, and then ask "what's the point of Fire Warriors?"
I think we all agree that Fire Warriors are best used aggressively.  To that end, they must have transportation (either Orca or Devilfish).  So, we're looking at a unit of 8FW+4DF for 300 points (8+4FW+Orca or 12FW+6Dfish for 450).  Right now, using v5 stats, the small DFish unit has 16x30cm AP5+ and 4x15cm AP4+, or 8xFF5+ and 4xFF6+.  Is that actually worth 300 points (ie, will 3 of those units remove a comparable IG unit in cover, either through shooting or assault)? The Orca-borne assault has 24x30cmAP5+, 30cmAP4+/AT5+, and 15cm AP4+, or 12xFF5+ and 2xFF6+.  Will 3x Orcas deliver enough firepower to remove 450 points of dug-in IG?
A comparison:  Steel Legion Infantry Company (250 points) dug-in, Tau send 2x Firewarrior Cadres (300 each) to remove them to allow other operations.  13 IG units in woods, Tau do a basic Retain to blast them out.  Let's assume that all the Dfish get close enough to shoot.  32xAP5+ and 8xAP4+ should yield 14.67 hits total, IG get 5+ cover save, so ~10 dead IG and a very broken company that MUST fall back... except that I didn't include cover in the initial to-hit.  Make that 32xAP6+ and 8x AP5+, for 5.33+2.67=8 hits total, 5+ cover save means 5.33 dead guard.  Not quite enough BMs to break the 7.67 survivors (you should break the IG one time in 3), and that's 600 on 250, outpointing 2.4 to 1 (which should be just enough to chase the IG out of the woods).  Consolidating the Pulse Rifles to 1xAP4+ per stand would change the attack to 24xAP5+, for 8 hits, 5+ cover save means 5.33 dead guard.  No change.  However, adding Pulse Carbines 15cm AP5+ Disrupt would change that attack to: 16xAP5+ and 16xAP6+Disrupt, plus 8xAP5+, changing the results of that attack to 8+2.67Disrupt hits, IG 5+ save for 7.11 dead.  7 BMs from casualties, 2 from coming under fire twice, and 2.67 Disrupt BMs WILL break a Steel Legion Infantry Company (7 Survivors with 11.78BMs).  There'd better not be any other IG within 30cm of those woods, though, because 2 FW formations are within 15cm of the position!  Hello, intermingled assault on the next IG activation, but neither FW formation is broken (or has any BMs at all).
So, adding the Pulse Carbines will allow FW to chase IG out of a position while the FW are on the low end of the outnumbering needed for success (optimum is 3:1 outnumbering, after all).
Ok, let's change that engagement up a little:  we're going to have one FW formation come up and shoot, then a second FW formation is going to assault with the first formation in FF support (acting more like another force).  v5 stats, one FW+Dfish formation shooting at the same Steel Legion Infantry Company in cover:  16xAP6+ and 4xAP5+ =2.67+1.33=5 hits, 5+cover save for 3.33 dead IG, 4.33 BMs.  Then the second FW+DFish formation assaults:  8xFF5+ and 4xFF6+, plus 8xFF5+ and 4xFF6+ in supporting fire, for 5.33+1.33=6.67 hits, 5+Cover Save for 4.45 dead IG.  There were 9.67 IG before the assault went in, so they get 3.22 hits on FW, 5+ armor save for 2 dead.  There are 5.22 IG left.  Assault Resolution is FW7, IG 2; 1/216 chance of fighting a second round of assault (IG needs 1 six, Tau need 2 ones).  You'll average 7 more hits during resolution (I think, the math is ugly), and you've completely annihilated one IG company for the cost of 2 dead FW *and a broken formation*.  With the lack of leaders in FW formations, it's going to be tough to get that formation moving again.  What the heck, they're behind a forest, and just punched a hole in your opponent's lines for the rest of your force to exploit.
Just changing Fire Warriors to FF4+, that assault plays out with little difference:  v5 stats, one FW+Dfish formation shooting at the same Steel Legion Infantry Company in cover:  16xAP6+ and 4xAP5+ =2.67+1.33=5 hits, 5+cover save for 3.33 dead IG, 4.33 BMs.  Then the second FW+Dfish formation assaults:  16xFF4+ and 8xFF6+ is 8+1.33=9.33 hits, 5+ cover save for 6.22 dead IG.  9.67 IG shooting at the FW, so they get 3.22 hits on FW, 5+ armor save for 2 dead FW.  There are 3.45 IG left.  Assault Resolution is FW8, IG2, for an absolute win to the Tau.  Average 8 hits due to resolution, and you've still wiped out an unsupported foot IG company for the same cost to the Tau, but it makes FW more able to clear supported companies (gotta deal with those attached Ogryn and Fire Support platoons somehow).
How often do you see an SL Infantry Company+Fire Support Platoon+Ogryns combo?  Granted, it's 400 points, and should be a little more challenging to get rid of than simply sending 600 points of Fire Warriors at it, but that's what I'd consider for an objective-holding force if I played Steel Legion.
I'm really surprised that you don't even want to TRY firewarriors with FF4+, Hena.  The point of an experimental list is to make something that works well, and yet behaves differently than other forces on the table (otherwise, it's just another Guard/Eldar/Marine army), right?  How can we say that FF4+ is broken without playing it and finding out?  Put your game where your opinion is, and back it up.  TRC had some issues that no-one else believed at the time, dropped several playtest games to prove his point, and that lead to increasing the points cost for AX10s, and their deployment as single-DC aircraft instead of WEs.
If we assume that both FF and CC have been dropped one pip (math looks about right in comparison to other units), then Fire Warriors should be FF4+ in actuality.  If Dark Reapers, with their 10-12xS5AP3 shots per man, or  Devastator Marines with their 6xS5AP4 shots and 6xS4AP5 shots (assuming Heavy Bolters) per 5 man stand have FF3+, then Fire Warriors with their 12xS5AP5 shots per stand should also have FF3+ (assuming the effect of ONE markerlight hit to get the FW to BS4, which is what we've done across the board for their ranged attacks).  Artificially lowering that one pip to FF4+ would still make FW the go-to guys for general position-clearing.
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"For the Lion and the Emperor!"
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