Tau List Critique with wonky comp restrictions!

Hi Kirby

First of I would like to say that i really enjoy reading yours and the others writers posts on 3++, and some of the articles have really change my view on the game, and especially, on how to play Tau. That being said I have an upcoming  2000 points tournament  and was wondering if you would take a look on my list. Now when I said a "different" tournament, it is because in Denmark, where I am from, we usually have some restrictions to how you can build you army, mainly to prevent spamming 3 of the same unit.

The restrictions are as follows.

- No double or triple choices outside of Troops.
- Max 3 identical Troops choices.
- Max 4 vehicles which have Transport capacity.
- You have the following Force Organisation Chart to make your army from:
1 HQ, 0-2 Elites, 2-6 Troops, 0-2 Fast Attack, 0-2 HeavySupport.


Now these restriction can be broken in the following ways, costing 1 point each, and Tau have a total of 4 points to use.


- 1 extra choice in HQ, 1 extra choice in Elites, 1 extra choice in Fast attack, 1 extra choice in Heavy support( 1 point for each extra choice)

- 1 double choice.
So here is my list, I've noticed that it is a bit like your hybrid tau list, with some more mobility and the cost of high strength firepower(S 10)

HQ
Shas'el w/Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-tracker
Bodyguard x 2 w/Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-tracker
Ethereal w/2 x shield drones
Crisis x 3 w/Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-tracker
Crisis x 3 w/TW flamer, Missile Pod

Troop
FW x 6
Devilfish w/SMS, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pods, Targeting Array
Kroot x 12
Kroot x 10
hound x 6

Elite


Fast Attack
Pathfinders x8
Devilfish w/SMS, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pods, Targeting Array
Piranhas x3 w/Fusion Blasters, Targeting Array, 2 Disruption Pod


Heavy Support
Broadsides x3 w/Advanced Stablisation System, Team Leader w/hard-wired Drone controller, 2 shield drones & hard-wired TL
Hammerhead w/Ion cannon, Burst cannons, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pod, Flechette discharger
Hammerhead w/Ion cannon, Burst cannons, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pod, Flechette discharger


so the current list breaks the following:
2 crisis squads
2 hammerheads
3 Heavy choices


The main ideas with the list is, that the ethereal join to broadsides to give fearless and 2 extra shield drones, since I have one more time seen them lose 2 drones and break, and since the usualy stand close the table edge you do the math. The hammerheads are to save points and still have some heavy tanks, primeraly to block things without meltaguns. The flamer suits gives the oppertunity to DS on an objektive and fluse the enemy out. The 12 man kroot squad can if needed, take empty devilfish to stay alive to claim objectives late game.


2 HQ choices
 One final note the missions for the tournament is not the like the standard missions from the rulebook, meaning that in most cases 1 objective is not enough
to get full mission points. And that half of the tournament score comes from kill points.


Like I said earlier i really enjoy reading 3++ and hope you will give some comments on the list.


Thanks in advance
Morten


Hey Morten, thanks for the email. Sure looks like homebrew 40k you have there, and I'll do my best to work within the restrictions. I'm assuming no double/triple choices is anti spam, and thats okay, we can work with that, and hopefully get some nice pew pew going at the same time.

First thing is first, HQ choices. Ethereals are bad bad bad. No amount of cajoling or bribery will ever make me say they are good. Especially in a broadside unit. You know those shield drones have the same save and toughness as the ethereal right? that means any anti-infantry fire is probably wounding you on 2's, and most of your stuff has a 4+ save. Epic failure. You will lose your Ethereal eventually, and then not only will your broadsides run, but most of your army.

So to start with, HQ choices. Lets be a bit more aggressive, considering the comp you have to work within. If you don't want your army to run, lets take a Shas'o, with Stims, Iridium Armour, Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, and Multi Tracker. Stick this guy with the broadsides, and put light arms fire onto him, which he will eat up with FNP and 2+ save. Give him a target lock as well, so he can missile pod light armour while the broadsides do their stuff.

Onto the elites. First things first, -1 from HQ means +1 in points to elites, and since the XV8 personifies the Tau army, we want 3 of them. No spamming, right?



Unit 1: Team Leader, with Plasma, Missile Pod, Targeting Array, HW Multitracker.
           2 x XV8's, Plasma/Missile/Multitracker
Unit 2: Team Leader, Plasma/Missile Pod, Targeting Array, HW Multi Tracker
           1 x XV8 with TL Missile Pod, and Targetting Array
           1 x XV8 with Plasma/Missile/HW multitracker

Unit 3: Team Leader, Plasma/Missile Pod, Targeting Array, HW Multi Tracker
          1 x XV8, Missile Pod/Fusion Blaster/Multitracker
          1 x XV8, Plasma/Missile Pod/ Multi Tracker


3 Different units. All with wound allocation shennanigans, except the Fireknife squad (unit 1), all with at least 2 plasma rifles, all with missile pods. All different. According to your scoring system, perfectly legal, and far more effective than 2 lots of suits, one with flamers. People, TL flamers on XV8's are NOT a good idea. They are PASSABLE if all your suits are TL missile pod/flamer, only because they are the CHEAPEST weapon option possible. Flamers on XV8's are BAD. If you are close enough to flame, you are probably dead anyways. :)

To the Troops!
10 Firewarriors
10 Kroot, 3 Hounds
15 Kroot, 6 Hounds

All different, no fail. We might come back here, depending on points.

Fast Attack
8 Pathfinders, Warfish (SMS, Burst, TA, Multitracker, D/Pod)
2 x 2 Pirahnas with Fusion, TA's, Fletchette Dischargers
2 x 2 Pirahnas with Fusion, TA's, Target Locks

Again, different unit make ups. Different, legal, and effective.

Heavy Support
3 x XV88's, Targetting Arrays - Reasoning is simple. Set these guys up with a commanding field of fire, and smash the living hell out of 1 vehicle per turn. This is what broadsides do. Yes, BASS is handy, to move around, and dodge cover, etc etc etc. Good initial deployment ( Especially with 2 x Railheads) means you can snipe 2/3rds of the board, and kill something every turn. Also a good place to put extra plasma, so we might do that. 2 x Railheads rounds us out, 1 with Burst Cannons, 1 with SMS, both have D/Pods, Multi Trackers, and the SMS tank has a Target Lock, the Burst Cannon tank has a BSF. Ionheads have no place in 5th edition, you get PLENTIFUL mid Str anti tank from your XV8's.


Whole list looks like this. 

Shas'O, Stims, Iridium Armour, Plasma/Missile Pod, Multi Tracker, Hard Wired Target Lock

Fireknife Squad, Team leader with TA and HW Multi tracker
Diversified FK Squad, with Team leader with TA/HW Multitracker,  1 x Fireknife, 1 x TL MP/TA suit
Diversified FK Squad, with Team leader with TA/HW Multitracker, 1 x Fireknife, 1 x Fusion/Missilepod/Multitracker Suit

6 Fire Warriors.
10 Kroot, 3 Hounds
11 Kroot, 6 Hounds

8 Pathfinders, Warfish, 
2 x 2 Pirahnas, Fusion, TA (these could be run seperately, you have the spare comp points)

3 x Broadsides, TA, TL Plasma Rifles (so you can move and fire if neccassary, or to WASTE that squad of Deepstriking Blood Angels Assault marines on your doorstep)
Railhead, D/Pod, Multi Tracker, BSF, Smart Missile System
Railhead, D/Pod, Multi Tracker, Target Locks, Burst Cannons

20 Points left over. This list is a little far away from your original, but I really cant justify things like Ionheads in 5th edition, its railheads or no tanks as far as I am concerned. I've written this within your rules as specified, and imagine that it will thoroughly outshoot anything you can come up against. If you keep the Pirahnas as 1 unit, you have only spent 2 of your possible 4 comp point thingys, which I imagine would do well for your soft scores. 

Good list, or too nasty? You decide! Voting closes on our toll free number at 7 Rotaa Tau Standard Time!