500 Point list for critique

[Tazgrent]

Hello there, 40k section of TWC. I'm sorry if there is a ban on posting lists, so if that's the case let me know and I'll take it down. Otherwise, here it is. Long time fan of the fluff, I'm looking to get into it with my second favorite faction fluff and aesthetic wise, the Tau (I'm not doing Marines because apparently every new player does Marines). I've been refining this list for a few weeks by doing "proxy" 500 point battles against my friend's Eldar using his spare models, and I've enjoyed some success with it. Still, I'd like to show it to you folks and maybe hope you spot something I don't.


Tau Army List Total points: 497

++++ [HQ] ++++
Points: 97
Unit cost: 97 XV8 Shas'el --- [Plasma rifle, Missile pod, Targeting array, HW Multi-tracker]
++++ [Elites] ++++
Points: 168
Unit cost: 68 XV8 Shas'ui --- [TL Flamer, BS Filter] XV8 Shas'ui --- [TL Flamer, BS Filter]
Unit cost: 100 XV8 Shas'ui --- [Burst cannon, Missile pod, Multi-tracker] XV8 Shas'ui --- [Burst cannon, Missile pod, Multi-tracker]
++++ [Troops] ++++
Points: 232
Unit cost: 81 Fire Warrior 'ui --- [Pulse carbine, Bonding knife, Photon Grenade] 5x Fire Warrior 'la --- [Pulse rifle, Photon Grenade]
Unit cost: 81 Fire Warrior 'ui --- [Pulse carbine, Bonding knife, Photon Grenade] 5x Fire Warrior 'la --- [Pulse rifle, Photon Grenade]
Unit cost: 70 10x Kroot --- [Kroot rifle]

----------------------- Total model count: 27 -----------------------

[Plant]

You'll be better off posting a list in dedicated forums, since most of us don't actually play the game.
You haven't described why you are making an army? What is the purpose of the army? Who are you facing? How do you want to play? What are your gaming sessions like? Friendly or competitive?

500pts is tricky, because a lot of it comes down to personal preference, and that having essentially 2/3 slots open in pts designed for an army 3-4 time bigger means that some armies can simply be invincible to others.

Personally I recommend to simply get more crisis suits and less troop choices. You don't need 4 troop choices in a 1500pts army, never mind a 500pts army. You never really want to spend more than half your army on troops choices, (certain codexes and lists excepting), though if you are planning to expand your army, this is fine. I don't think it is worth 15 pts for the Shas'ui and bonding knife, as now you can regroup at 25%, you'll be better off buying another body, though I do suppose that GW sells firewarriors in bunches of 12. Also, by my head, your squad costs 81 pts not 83pts.

You'll be better off wiping out one of the fire warrior squad and kroot squad, and spend your sare points on more crisis suits. Missle Pod and Plasma Rifle are good picks for longer ranged, anti infantry I feel, since you'll be less likely to be charged immediately after using the flamers, but I suppose that would be personal preference. By comparison, a new list would have 7 twin linked crisis suits by removing the fire warrior and kroots, or 3 MP/PR crisis suits.

[Tazgrent]

I'm simply starting with 500 points so I can get my foot in the hobby without drowning in the cost. You're right about the 83/81 points; I had forgotten to adjust the cost of the photon grenades when I dropped my squad size from 8 to 6. More crisis suits would be nice, but with the increased focus on objectives I thought it prudent to bring more troops. However, you got me thinking about practicality, and I think I might drop a Fire Warrior sqaud. The Kroot I'm going to keep, however, as I've found they're handy in a variety of situations I simply can't cope with otherwise, like handling a surprise infiltration by a melee unit or assaulting an objective held by troops I can't approach safely with my FW's. This is also what I use my Heatwave config XV-8's for (it's always nice to have them Deep Strike behind an objective holding unit in cover, risky as it is). When I drop the FW's, I'll likely replace them with a team of two (which I think is all I'll be able to afford) Firestorm or Fireknife suits.

[Derpy Hooves]

Why the hell did you choose the Mary Sues?
BTW, I play Eldar and Imperial Guard, 1500 points and 2000+ points respectively.

[Tazgrent]

I'm playing Tau, not Ultramarines .

In all seriousness, I'm not really sure what you're getting it. I don't really see how one of the most under-represented factions in the lore (aside from Dark Eldar) can be characterized as a Mary Sue. If you refer to their reputation as "the good guys", a closer inspection of the lore reveals them to be a rigid caste based fascist state with a pheromone laden upper class that were probably created by eldar machinations. Certainly not "good".

[Okuto]

I would put this on Warseer....you'd get more responses.....only two people(including myself) on this section play tau....

But from what I see.....

The suits.....change them all to plasma rifle/missiles.....alot more flexible, flamers are terrible for tau...you never want to get that close

You don't need shas'uis nor do they need bonding knives....you're taking them at bare min so they don't need toys.....

10 kroot are not enough.......just a little wiff of bolter fire will cripple it.....toss out as many firewarriors as you can......


Also another tip......don't play tau....terrible time for us....just stock up and wait for the new book

[Elyrioth]

I play, IG mainly now.
First, Tau are Nancy boys, pick a real army :p
I would do more plasma rifles as I play almost solely small points battles at the moment; they are very versatile at this point’s value. Close enough to flame close enough to get squashed.
I agree with Okuto, 10 kroot not enough, I would shoot the out of them quite easy. Get another unit of Fire warriors.

[Okuto]

fire warriors suck......get more kroot....keep firewarriors at bare min.....or just one squad with no shas'ui

[Ulysses S. Grant]

Fire Warriors don't suck. Not anymore. 15" rapid fire is no joke. My 1500pts with 84 of them leaves most armies in the dirt. Even Tyranids die horrible now as they can't charge after outflanking anymore. That and Rhino heavy armies (Rhinos are usually the most common tank to fight against) just die now as tanks are much easier to destroy with Pulse Rifles. Glancing them to death nowadays is actually possible.

[Okuto]

tanks die to anything nowadays......genestealers are insanely good armor killers now.....fire warriors are still a bit overpriced compared to their counterparts so I still sorta see them as suckage.....though I've not yet run tau in 6th yet(only my IG so far) to change my opinion

[Ulysses S. Grant]

Tau Gun lines can decimate even Guard these days. With the reduction of most cover saves to 5+ stuff actually dies to their guns. Overwatch can sometimes turn the tide if an enemy gets too close, but even then you now get 2 rounds of rapid fire shooting on average before they can charge you (Compared with the 1 they got before). I run 2 marker drones in each squad anyways so on average my guys hit on 3's (Sometimes 2's). And with more than 60 shots a turn not much survives. And I do have a bunch of Broadsides to deal with heavy armour.

[Derpy Hooves]

Tau Gun lines can decimate even Guard these days. With the reduction of most cover saves to 5+ stuff actually dies to their guns. Overwatch can sometimes turn the tide if an enemy gets too close, but even then you now get 2 rounds of rapid fire shooting on average before they can charge you (Compared with the 1 they got before). I run 2 marker drones in each squad anyways so on average my guys hit on 3's (Sometimes 2's). And with more than 60 shots a turn not much survives. And I do have a bunch of Broadsides to deal with heavy armour.

Are you telling me that my Imperial Guard will not receive a 4+ cover save from buildings?
If so, then I demand not only a new IG codex but a new Eldar codex as well.

Seems to me that GW just wants to me over.
WARNING LANGUAGE

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[God-Emperor of Mankind]

Are you telling me that my Imperial Guard will not receive a 4+ cover save from buildings?
If so, then I demand not only a new IG codex but a new Eldar codex as well.

You still get +4 cover save from ruins.
However only +5 from forests.

[Derpy Hooves]

You still get +4 cover save from ruins.
However only +5 from forests.

I thought forests were always 5+. Well I guess I'll reserve my IG for city fights. What about the 4+ save you get from the squad in front of you?

[Okuto]

The IG dex was very gracious.....so you really shouldn't demand anything.....

[Ulysses S. Grant]

I thought forests were always 5+. Well I guess I'll reserve my IG for city fights. What about the 4+ save you get from the squad in front of you?

Its a 5+ save from intervening units now.


Here is the current cover chart:

Razor wire: 6+

Forests and area terrain: 5+

Ruins, ruined fortifications and trenches: 4+

Fortifications: 3+

[Tazgrent]

Well, after some thought I've decided that even though I greatly enjoy Tau in fluff, aesthetics, and play style, they're not really suited to a new player. I'm thinking CSM, with the new codex coming out.

[Okuto]

When their new book is out of course.....that'd be September

[Elyrioth]

Thats a codex I am looking forward to. There are rumours of jetpack equipped beserkers
Once my guard are done I think I will finally get a death guard army

[Plant]

There is no Mary Sue army, all armies are whatever you choose, within the rules for them.
Choose whatever army you like, however you like it.

As for an army suited to a new player, all armies are suited to a new player. Most of the hobby when you start out is reading the backgrounds, and learning to assemble and paint models, and learning to play the rules to eventually play the game. There isn't any army which prevents you from doing any of that.