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The Armies of 40k => Tau Empire => Topic started by: Wyddr on June 23, 2017, 11:26:22 AM

Title: Tau Battallion, 1500 points, Initial Attempt
Post by: Wyddr on June 23, 2017, 11:26:22 AM
Thanks to wildly expensive Crisis Suits, I came up with a new list to try out in the 8th Edition rules.

HQ

Commander w/2 x Fusion Blaster, 2 x Flamer, Shield Drone

Cadre Fireblade w/Markerlight

Elites
3 Crisis Bodyguards w/Fusion Blaster, Burst Cannon, Flamer, Shield Drone

Troops
8-man Strike Team w/Turret, Markerlight

10-man Strike Team w/Rifles
--in Devilfish w/Burst Cannon, Drones

10-man Strike Team w/Rifles
--in Devilfish w/Burst Cannon, Drones

Fast Attack
6 Pathfinders w/2 x Rail Rifles, Recon Drone
6 Pathfinders w/2 x Rail Rifles, Recon Drone

Heavy Support
Hammerhead w/Railgun, Burst Cannons
Hammerhead w/Railgun, Burst Cannons

Totals
1500 points (exactly)
CR 80
6 Command Points
10 move Deployment

Some thoughts on strategy:

The Crisis Squad is probably going to die fast, though I'll be using Manta Strike regardless. The instinct was to arm them as Sunforges, but dammit if that is just so cost prohibitive (adds another 33 points to the damned unit). My hope instead is that the Shield drones can take enough hits and the suits are robust enough to resist going down to an initial assault. This seems unlikely.

The other option is, of course, a Deathrain configuration, dropping their Bodyguard status, but then the whole thing jumps in points by about 40. Opt perhaps, then, to take Advanced Targeting systems and save some. I'm just weighing whether missile pods are worth the cost they're charging for them this days. My gut says "no freaking way."

Kroot are awful now save as assault screens, so I ditched them.

Hammerheads seem like a fairly cost-efficient choice compared to Broadsides or (shudder) Riptides, so they stay in.

The good news is that the two Devilfish + Strike Teams + Cadre Fireblade will rain as much punishment as my old D-fish + Strike + Ethereal did, thought at a worse BS thanks to lackluster markerlight abilities. Maybe (maybe) I'll rack enough hits to really make those pulse rifles sing, but I'm doubtful.

Thoughts?
Title: Re: Tau Battallion, 1500 points, Initial Attempt
Post by: The GrimSqueaker on June 24, 2017, 04:31:01 PM
I think the main thing here is to throw it in and see what works or doesn't. On paper it seems solid yet we know there's hidden nasty and nice out there everywhere. The rail rifles are a mixed bag as they can do some terrible things or they may just spend their time plinking.