I have been thinking about the Tau list (as noted by my increased posting in this area and a desire to build a Tau army).  I have very little experience with the Tau, but have noticed a lot of chatter about them and what people see them being.

As such I thought I would join in (hey everyone else is doing it, so I will look cool if I do as well   ).  My plan is to show what I think the Tau could look like.  The idea isn’t to say this is what Tau should look like, but to give others ideas, that might be developed futher.

Some units have been removed, others replaced with available models.  Some formations have been changed in size to be more in line with pack size.  Others left, because I don’t know if pack sized multiples are a good idea for them.

Cadre
Crisis as per 4.4.2
Upgrades allowed, all but network drones
Fire warrior as per 4.4.2
Upgrades allowed, all but network drones
Mechanised Fire warrior as per 4.4.2
Upgrades allowed, all
Hammerhead 6 ion heads and/or rail heads
Upgrades allowed: fire warriors (devilfish must be purchased) gun drones, hammerheads sky ray, network drone

Support
Hunter pack 3 fusion heads
Upgrades allowed, none
Dispersion pack 3 burst heads
Upgrades allowed, none
Pathfinder support group as per 4.4.2
Upgrades allowed: pathfinders, Piranhas and tetras, sniper
Stealth support group as per 4.4.2
Upgrades allowed: stealth
Broadside support group as per 4.4.2
Upgrades allowed: broadside, drones, heavy drones
Gun drone wing as per 4.4.2
Upgrades allowed: drones, heavy drones
Path finder recon cadre 2 piranhas & 3 tetras
Upgrades allowed, pathfinders, Piranhas and tetras, sniper
Sentry tower system any 4 sentry towers
Upgrades allowed, none

Upgrades
1. commander as per 4.4.2
2. supreme commander add a Shas’o to a crisis  team
3. fire warrior as per 4.4.2
4. crisis as per 4.4.2
5. stealth as per 4.4.2
6. Pathfinders as per 4.4.2
7. Gun drones as per 4.4.2
8. Broadside as per 4.4.2
9. Hammerhead add 3 hammer heads of any type
10. Sky ray as per 4.4.2
11. Piranha add 2 Piranhas
12. Tetra add three tetras
13. Heavy drone add 4 heavy drones
14. Snipers upgrade one pathfinder team to have 30cm AP5+ disrupt sniper
15. Network drones as per 4.4.2

Air caste
Same as 4.4.2

Allies
Have no idea.

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Tyranid air marshal

Support choices should not allowed purchasing upgrades. No list ever does allow this. (at least none official list)

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Attrition is the proof of absence of Strategy

From the 2 rule books there are 6 armies.

3 don't have support choices.  The other 3 have support choices (SL, eldar and  siegers).

SL allow their storm troopers to upgrade, and eldar allow some swapping of troops for their windhosts and Falcon troupes.

I see the current Tau list as being somewhere between the two types.

Personnally I would prefer the support formations to have a very limited upgrade choice.  A few more stands for some of the infantry formations, sniper for pathfinders.  Nothing else.  I would also like to see crisis in the support section.  However I decided to work within the confines of the current lists ethos to produce my ideas.

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Tyranid air marshal

Stormtroopers only add transport option, I do not count this upgrade and Eldar-like you are right but they do not ADD bit swap units, which differs widely to the TAU above, which are allowed to increase support choice unit size greatly.

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Attrition is the proof of absence of Strategy