Email in: Tau 1500 list

"Hey Kirby, been following you for a couple months after finding you from Natfka. Anyway, I've been playing Tau for about a year to... very limited success. After reading your articles I see some of why. No Pathfinders, no Piranha, even though I have Kroot I rarely use them (just don't like the models), going for Fire Warriors in basic 'Fish instead, using Deathrain or Firestorm suits instead of Fireknife (mostly because the Fire Warriors are such a points hog).

Well, since I want to actually win more than 1 out of 10 games (if that), I'm trying to adapt the list. The following only requires me to purchase 2 Piranha and 6 hounds and I can take it to a 1500 point newcomers tourney at the FLGS.


HQ (214)
Shas'el w/ Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-Tracker, Bonding Knife, Hard-Wired Drone Controller, Shield Drone (107)
Shas'el w/ Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-Tracker, Bonding Knife, Hard-Wired Drone Controller, Shield Drone (107)

Elite (392)
3x Crisis Battlesuit w/ Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-Tracker (186)
3x Crisis Battlesuit w/ Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-Tracker (186)

Troops (236)
6x Fire Warriors (60)
10x Kroot Carnivore and 3x Kroot Hounds (88)
10x Kroot Carnivore and 3x Kroot Hounds (88)

Fast Attack (342)
6x Pathfinder and Devilfish w/ Smart Missile System, Multi-Tracker, Disruption Pod, Targeting Array (192)
2x Piranha w/ Fusion Blaster, Disruption Pod, Targeting Array (150)

Heavy Support (335)
2x Broadside Battlesuit w/ Advanced Stabilization System
Hammerhead w/ Railgun, Smart Missile System, Disruption Pod, Multi-Tracker

Total 1499

I plan on having each Shas'el attached to a crisis squad for the Ld boost. With the single drone in there, I have a chance to shrug off ID hits, and will have to actually lose a suit to take a 25% test. I'm not sure if I should go with one squad of 2 Broadsides or two squads of 1. I can make the Pathfinders out of spare Fire Warriors, just remove the shoulder pad and use carbines. I noticed in the lists you have archived that you go with squads of 2 Piranha with one having a Disruption Pod. Thanks to the FAQ, if you want DPods on Piranha you have to get them on the whole squad.

My local playgroup is almost entirely Space Marines. Aside from me, there's one guy with Orks and Necrons and one of the SM players has a sizeable Ork force too.
Thanks in advance"

List overall looks good though some things to tweak it. The Devilfish doesn't need all the upgrades to Warfish now - whilst it's still nice to have your bare bones 85 point DFish with DPods is fine - the Drones aren't easy KP now. Use these spare points to buff up the Pathfinders to eight to maximise your chances of shooting more than once with them and to buy the Broadside a Team Leader with Target Lock (so they can split fire) and some shield drones (so don't die to every lascannon shot their way).

I'd also recommend running the Crisis Suits as three squads of two - this lets you spread your firepower more and hiding squads of 2 or 3 (with ShasÉl attached) is a lot easier than squads of four.