Move and Shoot Tau Force

26 May 2018

My current thought is a list that can move-and-shoot, staying just a little mobile with most and very mobile with the rest of its forces. Markerlights and other shooting synergies I believe are key.

Range and power

Starting with a spearhead detachment. Lots of markerlight drones because they can move and shoot their markerlights, in small units for the sept reroll bonus. A single crisis unit with a drone controller to accompany them, the rest of the weapons set for long-range engagement. Mix those in with three separate singe-model Railside units and see rerolls for days, with a necessity for enough markerlights to ensure move-and-shoot capabilities on the Heavy Rail Rifles and hopefully enough to get that sweet +1BS.

Round the detachment out with my Coldstar commander running “screw-you” level assault firepower at -1AP, advancing 40 and shooting freely, with an Onager because punching tanks sounds fun.

Guns galore (and more rail rifles!)

Two pathfinder units with 3 rail rifles each, six strike teams, and a fireblade provide 11 markerlights to this detachment. Pulse accellerators and sept tenet give fantastic range to the strike teams. The necessary fireblade and ethereal buffs play nicely. Just enough markerlight usage to make the situation dangerous, and enough shots to make enemies think twice about charging in.

A second commander, just because the plasma sounds like fun, especially with the extended range. Gives this detachment just a little bit more ranged -AP goodness.

Construction

I have two XV-88 Broadsides currently, so I will need to get one more to complete this list. Otherwise, it’s based on models I already have. This is for local game night, so it’s not using the Ar’sho special rules at the moment. Many of these models I plan to use for narrative games later.

I do have a few points to fill out for a 2k list. I might try for another pathfinder squad and a couple more strike teams. I may also try to add in a Paranah unit for swift strikes, shake things up with a breacher squad or two in a devilfish, or invest in some stealth suits for flavor.

The List

Battalion Detachment +5CP [35 PL, 729pts]

Emergency Dispensation (1 Relic)

T’au Empire Sept Choice: Bork’an Sept

HQ [13 PL, 235pts]

Cadre Fireblade

Ethereal: Equalizers, Hover drone

Commander in XV8 Crisis Battlesuit: 2x MV4 Shield Drone, Plasma accelerator rifle (replaces 1 plasma rifle), 3x Plasma rifle, Velocity tracker, XV8-02 Crisis Iridium battlesuit

Troops [12 PL, 258pts]

Strike Team X6
. Fire Warrior Shas’ui: Markerlight, Pulse pistol , Pulse rifle . 4x Fire Warrior w/ Pulse Pistol + Pulse Rifle: 4x Pulse pistol

Fast Attack [10 PL, 236pts]

Pathfinder Team X2
. MV31 Pulse Accelerator Drone, MV33 Grav-inhibitor Drone, 2x MV4 Shield Drone . Pathfinder . Pathfinder Shas’ui . 3x Pathfinder w/ Rail Rifle

Spearhead Detachment +1CP [50 PL, 1008pts]

T’au Empire Sept Choice: Sa’cea Sept

HQ [8 PL, 170pts]

Commander in XV86 Coldstar Battlesuit: Exemplar of the Mont’ka, Advanced targeting system, High-output burst cannon, 2x Missile pod, Onager gauntlet, Warlord

Elites [14 PL, 326pts]

XV8 Crisis Battlesuits: . 2x MV4 Shield Drone, 2x MV7 Marker Drone . Crisis Shas’ui: Missile pod, 2x Plasma rifle . Crisis Shas’ui: Drone controller, 2x Missile pod . Crisis Shas’vre: Missile pod, 2x Plasma rifle, XV8-02 Crisis Iridium battlesuit

Fast Attack [4 PL, 80pts]

Tactical Drones X2: 2x MV4 Shield Drone, 2x MV7 Marker Drone

Heavy Support [24 PL, 432pts]

XV88 Broadside Battlesuits X3: . MV4 Shield Drone, MV7 Marker Drone . Broadside Shas’vre: 2x Plasma rifle, Heavy rail rifle, Seeker missile, Velocity tracker

Total: [85 PL, 1737pts]

tags: Battle-plan