So... 1500 points? If you want to optimise the list, then Id recommend playing at 1000 or 1250 points instead of filling up on upgrades. How much exactly are you willing to splash out if you want to optimise a 1500 point force? A battleforce is entirely usable, as I see you noticed, and from The WarStore, based in America, you can get 20% off, and an extra 5% early next month. If youre in the UK, then theres a good discount store based there, but I dont know the name...
Also, got any spare models?
Shas'o...
Fireknife composition...
Shasel with a target array is just as good, and 10 points cheaper.
10 Fire Warriors...
Shas'ui...
Bonded...
Markerlight...
EMP Grenades...
Rifles, I presume. EMP wont help much as you have to get into melee, and that goes with odds with having rapid fire weapons. It also costs a fair bit for once in a while equipment. Chuck in a hard-wired target lock for some targeting versatility for the Ui with the markerlight.
Transport: Devilfish 80pts
If you want a mech squad, loose the markerlight. If you want a static force, then the Devilfish does moot. Chuck in decoy launchers, it helps immensely when you get skimmer moving fast status (SMF). Next up get multi-trackers so that you can use the gun on the move, particularly once you get SMF.
Now, if you want the squad to be static, then you can turn this into a gunship (Warfish). You should have ~14 Gun Drones from all the purchases, those can go to fast attack. To make this into a Warfish, swap the free Gun Drones for smart missile system (SMS), giving you a total of 7 shots, 4 of which are longer ranged and can shoot out of LoS. Next, throw in a target array, with 7 shots the Fish can put the BS increase to good use. The only thing you lose out on is if you use this as a suicidal unit, or if you want those free Gun Drones, since they dont give your opponent VPs when killed.
Having some Gun Drone squads in fast attack will eat up points and give you 2-3 useful squads. Theyre good shooters in their own right, dont be fooled by the BS2, with twin-linking they hit slightly more often than Fire Warriors and give you small, mobile cheap squads to take objectives, or act as speed bumps to fast units charging at you. ~170 or so points right there, and 2-3 more squads for you to play around with.
12 Fire Warriors...
Shas'ui...
Bonded...
Marker Drone...
Giving the Ui a markerlight and hard-wired target lock gets a markerlight cheaper, and can mark separately to the team.
12 Kroot Carnivores...
Shaper...
6 Kroot hounds...
Armour...
Total Points = 159
Armour is useless, drop. Just stick to cover, almost everything negates a pathetic 6+. As for the Shaper, usually its simply better to get more Kroot, hes quite an expensive addition considering he costs all up 4 Kroot, who bring more shooting and melee power, as well as slightly more survivability. As for Hounds, I consider them only useful if youre dead set on melee, otherwise spending a single point more gets you something just as good in melee, bar the I, and a good gun. Plus ideally they should be taking the charge in terrain, for the first round of combat they would be striking first or simultaneously anyways.
6 XV25 Battle Suits...
Shas'vre...
Bonded...
Target Arrays...
Total Points: 255
Downgrade the Vre to team leader. Theres no point to having a Vre, he only boosts melee and thats not where these guys should be.
3 XV15 Battle Suits...
Shas'vre...
Bonded...
Target Arrays...
Total Points: 135pts
Dump the Vre, dump bonding and move a guy to the 3rd elite slot. Now they dont need it. Also, you have no weapons... filling the hard points is mandatory, you know... Hammerhead Gunship...
Burst Cannons...
Multi Tracker...
Fletchets...
Total Points: 120pts.
... No main weapon?! O_o Take the railgun... eats up points and is dead killy... Its also mandatory to have a main weapon, plus gets you more anti-tank. You got the right idea by adding the multi-tracker, now get the other useful upgrades. Target locks make sure you dont waste either the main or secondary weapons, and decoys as above. You can lose the flechettes.
XV88 Broadside Battle Suit I
Shas'ui...
Multi Tracker...
Shield Drone...
Total Points: 90pts
Shasui cant take that much, upgrade him to team leader and hard-wire the drone controller. Multi-trackers dont have much point on a standard Broadside, the weapons are for completely different targets and act very differently. Getting advanced stabilisation system (ASS) would help you out much more by giving the
some movement.
Well, getting everything legal, and getting Gun Drone squads should boost you up to 1500 points after all...