Mark challenged me to report on our win-loss ratio with Mantas. Does it really need a buff, . . . ?
Facing a mobile pill-box with with Crisis Suits jumping in and out is slightly special rule aggravating.
Anyway, Tau with Mantas win 8 out of 10 encounters.
Four of them with an illegally over upgraded non-Manta BTS.
So I'm personally happy to go back to 650 points with Coordinated Fire,
upgrades of Ethereal (+25 points, effectively for Leader) OR Shas'o (+75 points, Leader and Re-roll)
Ideally with the split main railgun, 2 x MW3+, TK(3D). Does that require a points increase?
Given the fluff you could argue for Self-Planetfall - they are a warp capable ship - More points?
The higher points totals above mean that (one of) the Manta(s) is probably the BTS, so that adds vulnerability.
Although Viorla Fire Warrior Cadre [225], FW upgrade [125], Broadsides [150], Shas'o [75], Skyray [100], max size 675 points is possible, just.
Third Phase Tau, Fire Warrior Cadre [225], FW upgrade [125], Broadsides [150], Skyray [100], max size 600 points is not possible as BTS.
Epic 4K: Steel Legion vs Vior'la Tau, Tau win (3-0), 2 Mantas [650], 6 upgrades on Tau infantry BTS (Hmm),
Baneblade test so Imperials with one hand tied behind back
Epic 4K: Steel Legion vs Vior'la Tau Game 2, Tau win (2-1), 1 Manta [650], still 6 upgrades on Tau infantry BTS
(took 4 years to notice the issue), still testing Baneblades, so Imperial straight jacket remains
Black Templar 4.2 vs Tau 6.6 (approved), Tau win (2-0) vs GlynG, 1 Manta [675], critical on first hit, spent game hiding
Epic 4K: Steel Legion vs Vior'la Tau, Tau win () vs GlynG, 1 Manta [650], 2 overpowered Moray with Tau. Manta suffered 5 DC, 7 BP before first Tau activation
Epic 4K: Gargant Big Mob vs Vior'la Tau, Tau loss, very heavy casualties, 1 Manta [625]. 3 Riptides, smashed by Titans
Epic 5K: Gargants vs Vior'la Tau, Tau points win (0-1, BTS to Orks on objectives), 2 Mantas [625], 7 upgrades on Tau BTS (again 'illegal')
Epic 4K: Defence of Orkville, Tau loss (0-2), 2 Mantas [625 and 675 pts with Shas'o Cmd Bridge]
Epic 4K: Gargant Big Mob vs Vior'la Tau, close Tau win (2-1), 1 Manta+Shas'o [675] with Riptides, Stompa heavy test for Orks
Epic 4K: Sautekh Necron vs Orbital Strike Tau, 'lucky' Tau win, 3 Mantas [625 and 675], trial drop list
Epic 4K: World eaters vs Vior'la Tau, Tau win, 2 Mantas [575], split rail guns, 2 x MW3+, TK(3D), bad match up for Chaos
By and large the Manta are largely unscratched or destroyed, based on whether the opposing army has the tools to take them on or not. Think this makes the point that they are pretty vulnerable to TK (despite the Deflector Shield), due to hard to hide and no cover bonus, or they are largely ignored. This makes it hard to be accurate/objective about points value. You will notice that I've only really been taking them where they are lower points costs with the standard weapons load.