Tau: Getting more markerlights on the field

[Panxer]

Since the swap in the FW content with Tetras, getting MRKR LT's on the field (w a decent chance of hitting) has been somewhat perplexing strategically. This is what I have now:

Sniper Drone Marksmen BS5, 3/unit (sucks because it takes up a heavy slot, however adding a cadre fireblade adds an extra shot for the sniper drones,, another MRKR LT shot, and he can take 2 more marker drones if you have the points)

Tetras, nerfed to BS3, Heavy 2 TL, and w/ armor 10 and 2 HP, but upgradable w/ dis pods is still pretty cool for what it does (even though the Heavy 4 has been taken down to 2)

XV8 Commander w/ drone controller and 2 MRKR LT drones. I know you want to Onager fist, engram chip, and the stuff that makes his unit TL and ignore cover, but maybe throw this on the top for added BS5 MRKR shots?

Skyray? Nuff said. BS4 TL (Though I don't remember if it was heavy 2 or not *I don't have my book in front of me)

Drone Squadron. Sure plenty of MRKR drones there, but expensive and at BS2, makes me kind of wonder why (unless you deploy them w/ a XV Commander with the kit that makes your team TL, as a support choice)

Drone fighter has a MRKR LT that's TL, but again, one shot at BS2 (but can fire its own seeker missiles)

I don't count fighters because in my opinion the tau don't have flyers except for the FW drone fighters.

Firewarrior squads can take x2 MRKR drones, and the Shas'Ui can take a MRKR LT (Kinda meh here)

Pathfinders (I know, obvious right?) I don't like using these guys unless I'm fielding a minimum unit Darkstrider and rail rifles. Sure, you can take a maxed out squad w MRKR LT's, but honestly, they're kind of static and have a crap armor sv, even in cover. Give me a squadron of tetras over this any day.

Anyone else out there having similar problems, or have come up with a way to supplement?

[Houghten]

Skyray? Nuff said. BS4 TL (Though I don't remember if it was heavy 2 or not *I don't have my book in front of me)

I think your beloved Tetras have overwritten the Sky Ray portion of your memory. Its markerlights aren't twin-linked or heavy 2 - it just has two of them.

Anyway. A Commander with Command and Control Node, Multi-Spectrum Sensor Suite, Drone Controller and a pair of Marker Drones is a very expensive proposition for a couple of extra markerlight counters. But when you join them to a unit of twelve Marker Drones... whatever you point that at is going to die.

Not immediately, of course. Once the rest of your army gets round to shooting at it.

The difficult part is protecting it. Drones aren't quite as squishy as Pathfinders but they're close.

[Panxer]

I think your beloved Tetras have overwritten the Sky Ray portion of your memory. Its markerlights aren't twin-linked or heavy 2 - it just has two of them.

Anyway. A Commander with Command and Control Node, Multi-Spectrum Sensor Suite, Drone Controller and a pair of Marker Drones is a very expensive proposition for a couple of extra markerlight counters. But when you join them to a unit of twelve Marker Drones... whatever you point that at is going to die.

Not immediately, of course. Once the rest of your army gets round to shooting at it.

The difficult part is protecting it. Drones aren't quite as squishy as Pathfinders but they're close.

Agreed, the commander with drones is expensive with all the other kit most players like to outfit them with.

MRKR Drone squadrons would be a high priority target, but I think a couple riptides would be an apt distraction, at least for a couple turns.

Probably best option is just overlapping Sniper drone marksmen and tetras and hope for the best. 5th ed, MRKR LT's were EVERYWHERE and did EVERYTHING... now they do 3 things and you're lucky if you can get 6 of them on the field and have them survive past turn 3

[Sly]

"MRKR Drone squadrons would be a high priority target, but I think a couple riptides would be an apt distraction, at least for a couple turns."

Riptides with their 2+ save won't really draw attention from Drones. Drones will get shot by anti-infantry fire (Bolters, Heavy Bolters, etc), while the Riptides are only going to get shot by AP1-2 firepower, or ignored until they get assaulted. A Riptide with enough ML support is about twice as good as a Riptide on its own, and the ML support is usually easier to remove, so the Drones will be the first target.

[chicop76]

Surprised you failed to mention stealthsuits for marker lights, well the team lead can take one.

In my opinion only a few models are actually worth taking marker lights on.

Drones in general is not worth it unless the have a drone controller, however my problem with this unit you get a lot of marker satuation. If the unit could split fire it would be worth it to me. Since it can't split fire I don't see the point. For example 5 with a commander can hit around 200 points opposing to taking like 18 pathfinders which I can take 3 squads of 6. The drones can insurd I have a lot of marker lights on one target while the other 3 squads can mark 3 different targets denying saves to three targets and boosting bs by 1 to 3 different units. Hince I favor finders over drones.

Upgrading fire warriors with lights is crazy. You spend like 30 points to do that when you can almost have 3 pathfinders. The only real advantage is split marker lights which one light at 50 percent is not as good as having 3.

Sniper teams can be a light source. My issue is you have to take the sniper drones or at least on finder. As a sniping team they are good, but as a marker team they are good as well, but at this point you are using one of the better sniper units in the game as extra wounds for marker lights. Adding a fireblade is a good ideal to split the lights from the rifles, but the unit suffers due to paying a decent amout of points to split fire the drones. If thr sniper rifles was pulse rifles it would be a good combo, but since they.are not I think it is silly to do.

Fireblade is worth it. Only thing I wish he had was a drone controller where I could add them with firewarriors with 4 marker drones. However no controller makes taking gun drones a better option for 12 extra shots. Speaking of the Fireblade he wouldn't be bad to add with the above which would allow for split marker lights, but would be the same as using him for split marker lights for 3 guys, drones snipe better jsj with the controller hidding behind a wall.

The stealthsuit upgrade isn't bad. You can possibly split fire or have skyfire with marker lights. I do it if I have extra points and it gives options since you can marker and fire melta or 4 burst shots.

Skyray is simply awesome.

The flyers I haven't really used much.

Pathfinders I think is probably your better of your marker sources.

Outside of pathfinders you only really have Fireblades, Sniper Drones, and Skyrays.

Another option is to take marker drones in squads which is cheaper. The drone controller is almost the extra cost of running them in a squad. I have thought about running a stealth team with a commander with 4 marker drones with each suit with target locks. I can have 5 marker lights with my team lead. Also the commander can buff the squad providing the squad with twin linked shooting which would help with 24 bs 3 strength 5 shooting. I am debating on running another commander with my broadsides with the puretide chip and ignore cover, or run two commanders with 6 marker drones with all have split fire and the 2nd commander decked out with weapons for 4 fusion shots.

[Panxer]

I didn't forget the stealth team... I don't use them. They're expensive, you're limited on their capabilities, and although they have the 4+ cover out in the open, I can do better and more damage with XV8's

Yeah, Twin linking with a commander in a drone squadron is a waste as I can see it.

I'm still coming up with a mix of tetras, marksmen (+ fireblade), and skyrays being best bang for your points buck, otherwise it's just a points sink. Plus, I can't honestly justify spending the money to make three more squads of them though. I currently have 3 marksmen and 9 sniper drones (all bitz built), and for as much as I play (which is very seldom), I really don't want to spend the money. I've got another riptide in a box I haven't even put together yet. But that's the best way I can see for upping the MKLT saturation on the board, but I want to leave room for my skyrays to shoot down anyone daring to come on the board with a flyer.

[Orange]

I have found the best way to get Markerlight tokens is just taking straight Marker Drones and plopping them in units of XV8's. By the time you have your Commander with Drone Controller in there you are usually putting 4-6 BS5 tokens hitting coupled with any additional Markers, not that you need more than that with a Riptide, especially in lower point games. If you include the Remora drones, you will have a ton of fun, BS 3 drones, followed by 36" BC and two Seeker Missiles.

[chicop76]

I admit I don't use my stealth suits too much in 6th, but I wouldn't call them expensive. What other unit can dish out 24 strength 5 shots for only 180 points staring turn one. Only unit that comes close is 3 crisis suits with burst cannons. The only difference is one have two plus cover saves really easy and the other does not. Against Tau the crisis suits are better, but since the stealth suits can infiltrate, outflank, and deepstrike it kinda justify taking them. If it wasn't for riptides and putting 2 of the same weapon on crisis suits I would be using the stealth suits a lot.

The way I look at it is you are basically paying 15 points for stealth, shrouding, infiltrate, deep strike, jump pack, outflank, and for a 4 shot strength 5 weapon. You can add O'Shova to the squad and you have a serious threat uprange. However I rather a commander with meltas. Honestly stealth suits are somewhat better although they can't take 12 drones with them anymore..

Didn't say twin link drone squads. Was saying twin link crisis suits or stealth teams with a bunch of marker drones that can fire seperate from the suits.

[The Shrike]

Tetras got adjusted because they were too good; that doesn't make them derp fests now. They're still awesome.

Skyrays and a couple tetras work great for my enclaves, but I benefit from the pseudo teleport homers; you may not.

I don't like spending points on markerlight dedicated units like pathfinders or Mark'os with drones etc. I take tetras because they're dual use, Skyrays because they're dual use. I also sometimes throw in 2 marker drones to important crisis units since they function as ablative wounds as well. Again, dual use.

When you start to dedicate hundreds of points to marker units, you're trading real firepower for theoretical firepower.