I always scratched my head that people are dumping on warriors calling them fragile while then taking zoans instead. So I did a little math and here's what I found out
Bolters
vs Zoans
4 wounds inflicted is 12 wounds dealt is 24 hits which is 36 shots
vs Warriors
9 wounds inflicted is 18 wounds dealt is 36 hits which is 54 shots
Warriors hold up a lot better when it comes to small arms fire, having more then double the wounds actually makes them more durable, imagine that!
Krak Missiles
vs Zoans
2 wounds inflicted is 6 wounds dealt which is 7.2 hits is 10.8 shots
vs Warriors (4+ cover)
3 wounds inflicted is 6 wounds dealt which is 7.2 hits is 10.8 shots
vs Warriors (5+ cover)
3 wounds inflicted is 4.5 wounds dealt which is 5.4 hits is 8.1 shots
Yes, the dreaded krak missile! So warriors take the exact same amount of shots to take down when in ruins. Huh.... So who doesn't play a game of 40k with a single piece of ruins in their deployment zone? Seriously, anybody?
!!!Nova Charged Heavy Burst Cannon that ignores cover and hits on a 2+!!!
vs Zoans
4 wounds inflicted is 12 wounds dealt is 14.4 hits which is 17.28 shots
vs Warriors
9 wounds inflicted is 9 wounds dealt is 10.8 hits which is 12.96 shots
So here's a big evil gun and yes, the Zoans hold up better. Yes, Tau is able to use 300+ points to decimate 100 points. Still, unless the riptide rolls above average it still has to use its secondary to finish off the brood.
Now against this, and evening the points a bit, this is where I suggest taking a Broodlord to pin those pathfinders and remove markerlights from play. So let's roll that again
Nova Charged Heavy Burst Cannon
vs Zoans
4 wounds inflicted is 12 wounds dealt is 14.4 hits which is 28.8 shots
vs Warriors (4+ cover)
9 wounds inflicted is 18 wounds dealt is 21.6 hits which is 43.2 shots
Well look at that.... Warriors are still more durable.
But, I'll be humble, my 40k knowledge isn't what it used to be, but I can't come up with a gun in my head that makes 4 wounds better then 9.
Also, warriors have a 36" gun which means that can actually do something from your table edge. And are scoring. And are better in assault should it come to that.