Thanks for the info Hena, much obliged mate.
I just wanted to make sure that Heavy Drones weren't going to cause the same complaints as Turrets.

Soren - In some of my previous posts I am advocating change (cost and availabilty) - NOT REMOVAL (of units or abilities). If someone were actually read ALL that I have written here, they might understand my point of view a bit better.
I have read every single word in this thread (and the LOS Thread).
As usual, it goes both ways...

Everyone is I.

*Edited to try and be less blunt (sorry if any take offence to my direct words).

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That and standard MRB rules if you lose an engagement and can't withdraw with enemy within 15cm. The situation was a bit ludicrous. That's why they were adjusted to be single units

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So would majority consensus be that they would be better if only deployed in the controlling player's half?

People do realise that without turrets close to enemy deployment Tau cannot possibly make attacks into the player's deployment like other armies' artillery without risking a formation? Other armies don't have this restriction as they get long range indirect fire. Even the turrets are at risk.

What do people feel is appropriate costing then for a +1 to hit given Indirect firing units get a +1 to hit targets without LOS for free?

People do realise that without turrets close to enemy deployment Tau cannot possibly make attacks into the player's deployment like other armies' artillery without risking a formation? Other armies don't have this restriction as they get long range indirect fire. Even the turrets are at risk.

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I have no problem with denying the TAU Artillery. This is not their way to fight. The thing mist near to ari are the nevertheless powerful support craft which can strike every unit within range regardless of intervening terrain (And they can do this even if they fail an activation, which artillery cannot). This, at least should dampen a bit the loss of markerlights in the opposing half of the table.

Am I wrong but I alway saw TAU as rapid and mobile maneuver warfare troops, not as stand off and barrage army like the average guard. But with the present list you simply obliterate any formation within 75cm nand maneuver a bit to grap objectives. This will be not so easy without the brainless turrets (if they are setup min your half of the table you can obliterate them if they are foolish enough to enter your territory). Now you have to light up with some units including some maneuvering and thinking, not that bad thing on the first view....

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There's no comparison between an Orca assault and a Thunderhawk one or with teleporting Terminators for that matter.

A formation of Leman Russ' that fail an activation can still smash a Moray (just one example - See Fire Prisms, Vultures, Shadowswords, anything with a Battle Cannon etc).
Most complaints that go against the Tau can just as easily be seen from a different point of view. Basilisks can still shot 120cm's (with LOS) on Hold...

I can really say that all this anti-Tau banter here is actually turning me off Epic and thats something I'd never have thought possible...

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After 10 hours working in front of the computer yesterday, I needed a break and did a 2000 Points battle Tau vs LatD to get a better feel for Support Craft and Markerlights.

Lists:

Moray
Moray

FW Cadre
BattlesuitCadre +Shas´el
Armoured Cadre

Scorpionfish + SupremeCommander
Markerlight Turrets
Markerlight Turrets

vs.

Coven (all Cultist + AspiringChamp)
Coven (all Cultist + AspiringChamp)
Coven (all Cultist + AspiringChamp)
Coven (all Cultist + AspiringChamp)

Leman Russ (6)
Basilisks
Basilisks
Hellfire Cannons

Tau won 3-2 after the 4th Turn, getting BTS,T+H and Blitz vs LatD holding the enemy Blitz and achieving BTS.

The battle:

The Morays spend most of the game duelling with the Basilisks and the Hellfires, and won out in the end despite one being destroyed and the other suffering 2 DC. It could have gone either way though.

Most of the action revolved around 3 garrisoning Covens trying to fight off the FWs and Hammerheads with the Scorpionfish in support. The Scorpfish rolled awfully with the Seekers for 3 Turns before at last inflicting crippling losses on a steadfast coven, securing T+H. Hammerheads were caught by an audacious coven leaving cover and getting really lucky, destroying 4.

The mechanized FW did really well, pouring fire into the enemy defence line, and with the help of the Scorpfish, succeeded in shifting 2 overwatching, 12-strong Coven out of 5+ cover for the loss of 3 Devilfish and a single FW stand.

Markerlights were left alone by the LatD, they had their hands full with the Morays and advancing FW and just couldn´t spare the effort.

The battlesuits were just awesome, penetrating to the enemy rear in turn 2, wiping out the Leman Russ which hadn´t retreated far enough, then decimating and finally breaking the Blitz-guarding Coven that was trying to keep them from going after the artillery.


Observations:

More annoying then being markerlit was the fact that you can place speedbumps where you damn please, the Hellfires are slow and had double while being forced into a suboptimal firing position in T1.

Support Craft maneuvering was, of course, pointless as once in range there are no other consideration to take into account. They barely won against the Baslisks, though these are of course almost optimal for targetting them. It would probably make for a better game to treat them as APU-skimmers.

I´ll try and fight a 3000 points battle over the weekend, spamming Piranhas or another Scorpfish, more Towers and adding more Suits or FWs against perhaps a Plague Tower, T-Bolts and 2 more Coven.

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I am with hena here. My first order for TAU FW and hammerheads is on the route, but if I sense problems with the rules, they have to be fixed. (I really like the way they should be played, but I do not enjoy the way they are played now) All I sense here was a complete unwillingness to change anything in the list (I hesitaded to critisze anything in the list a further time, cause I really knew the result, so we (and as I read here) some other gaming groups went their way and used modified lists to compensate).

Even the Marine lists moved more the last year than the experimental TAU. And wouldn´t you say something is wrong with this?

No offence given or taken.

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@Soren: Seconded!

I would not want to start a new army, trash everyone soundly because of balance issues and then live through endless griping again.

(Already had that with Ulthwé)  

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How would Tau do with 2 Barracudas, someone used them?

Thanks for the report Irondeath.

Onyx, don't give up, we all have our opinions and by discussing them here CS can make his choice knowing what players think and upset everyone  

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Well said Dobbsy (and I point I have made several times during this thread).

Yeah, would everyone complaining be happy to give the Tau +1 to hit and scrap Markerlights?

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Incidentally why should they be immune to fire? They are all networked, if I opened up in a server room and shot a few of them, I doubt the network would be happy (note drones should surely be the same as turrets?). Plus they probably run Windows Tau.

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General Plumer, 191x