The Tau Maelstrom In Its Frightening Glory

Okay so I have been in (not so) silent meditation on this list I constructed, and thought about what I have learned from how it plays in actual fact vs.how it played in my mind or on paper.  It is 9-0 now and it is time to make positive changes.

Here is the newest version of my list. I feel it is going to be slightly more versatile. By versatile I mean it will have more choices available to it, namely in the places I can put my markers, the confidence I can have in placing units in harms way, and also in the value to the enemy of focusing on the Markerlights now that the Command suit need no longer be the Warlord.

This version offers me my favorite of the Tau Warlord Traits as standard for the list (Exemplar of the Selfless Cause) which allows me to lift units who went to ground back onto their feet once per game!  This is such a cool ability bcause it means the Tau can make the last desperate push at the end, then go to ground and yet, still be able to move and run again! 

It also leaves Riptides, who are potent (albeit expensive) safer from morale checks. MUCH safer, because now they will have a re-rollable morale check and will not have to roll for losing just one drone.  I have preached for a long time that morale is the best thing to attack if the enemy force is vulnerable to it. That colors my own perception of the value of defending it. The Kroot in particular are going to be big beneficiaries, as they are in harms way constantly and their morale is likely to break without some help. This re-rollable morale/Pinning/Regroup etc...  ability will especially improve them in all phases.

None of the units are weakened meaningfully by the changes which was a goal since the list has performed so well in the first place.  In fact the only real downside to all these positive changes is that I now will have 4 less missiles to fire and a few more sniper shots; and as the Shielded Missile Drones are often fired at BS 6 with Markerlight help, that is indeed a loss to First Blood opportunities...  But I'm getting so much in return.

Without further ado ('cause that was a lot of ado), here are the newest improvements to force composition for the 3rd Sphere Expansion, as commanded by the Undying Spirit himself:

84pts 3 FireSight Marksman + 3 Sniper Drones

150pts 10 Kroot +3 Hounds+3 Krootox
150pts 10 Kroot +3 Hounds+3 Krootox

90pts 10 FireWarriors
90pts 10 FireWarriors

181pts 6 Pathfinders (3 x Rail rifles, Recon, Grav and Pulse Drones, EMP)
95pts Devilfish (Disruption Pod)

181pts 6 Pathfinders (3 x Rail rifles, Recon, Grav and Pulse Drones, EMP)
95pts Devilfish (Disruption Pod)

98pts 7 Marker Drones

125pts Commander (Flamer, Vectored Retro Thrusters, Drone Controller, Command and Control Node, Neuroweb System Jammer, Onager Gauntlet)

100pts Aun'Va

210pts Riptide battlesuit (Ion Accelerator, Velocity Tracker, Early Warning Override)

210pts Riptide battlesuit (Ion Accelerator, Velocity Tracker, Early Warning Override)

139pts 3 Crisis Suits (TL Fusion Blaster, Flamer)

1998pts
Models: 98
Kill Points: 15