GT List 1850pts

I’ve been thinking long and hard about the list I want to take to the GT in 2 weeks time. To recap, Forge World is allowed, and it’s at 1850pts. I want to take Tau with Ork allies

The List I’m thinking about is

HQ

Shasel XV81 – Smart Missile System, Plasma Rifle, Fusion Gun, HW Multitracker, HW Drone Controller, 2 Shield Drones

Shasel XV81 – Smart Missile System, Plasma Rifle, Fusion Gun, HW Multitracker, HW Drone Controller, 2 Shield Drones

Troops

12 Fire Warriors, Devil Fish with Dpod

12 Fire Warriors, Devil Fish with Dpod

Fortification

Aegis Defence Line

Fast Attack

Tetra with Targeting Array

Tetra with Targeting Array

Heavy

Broadside team leader, with TL plasma rifle, Multi tracker, HW Target Lock, HW Black Sun Filter, HW Drone Controler, 2 Shield Drones

2x Broadsides with TL plasma rifle and Multi Trackers

Hammerhead, TL Plasma Cannons (R48, S7, AP3 Heavy 4), Dpod, Mult tracker, Black Sun Filter

Hammerhead, TL Plasma Cannons (R48, S7, AP3 Heavy 4), Dpod, Mult tracker, Black Sun Filter

Allies

Big Mek with KFF

28 Shoots Boyz

28 Shoota Boyz

Tactics are pretty simple. First Turn Broadsides with attached XV81s sit behind the Aegis Defence Line. FW’s in their ‘fish. Boyz spread out to protect the gunline. All vehicles in cover for a 3+ cover save (2+ if there are in ruins). The Tetras can get a 2+ cover save behind the Aegis. Boyz run forward to create a threat that really can’t be ignored. Broadsides target heavy armour, or stuff that’s killing the boyz, and might threaten my F’warriors, Hammer heads target light armour or medium infantry (i.e. anything with a 3+ save or worse). Turn 2, if a suitable target presents itself (i.e. anything that’s not in a vehicle), FW’s get out and, supported by the Tetras, torrent it away. Mid game, providing all threats to the gunline are dispatched, the boyz head for objectives, and the F’warriors get back in their fish and do the same.

It’s designed with survivability in mind, and to an extent sacrifices killing power to achieve that. Twenty eight fearless, T4 models with a 5+ cover save take a lot of getting rid of. All vehicles should have at least a 3+ save, however, with luck the Hammerheads can find some ruins for a 2+, and, after turn one, the D’fish can simply move flat out for a 2+. The Broadsides are their usual robust selves, but boosted by a 4+ cover save from the Aegis, and if necessary leadership 9 and 4 additional Shield Drones from the XV81s. The F’warriors are in their fish until a target presents itself. The plan then is that they empty out (hopefully) behind the Aegis, and attach themselves to one of the VX81s (which has detached from the Broadsides), for leadership 9 and a couple of Shield Drones. The XV81’s load out is designed to support the Fire Warriors with SMS and plasma at 24”, and Fusion and Plasma under 12”.

While it is pretty static at the outset, it can remobilise if it needs to (providing the FW’s survive).

Ironically for a Tau list, it’s weakness is anti armour only having  3 railguns. But I’m not seeing vehicles spam like I used to. The alternative would be to swap out the 2 Hammerheads for 3 more Broadsides, running 2 squads of 3.

I’ve played this list once so far, last week at the non-club against a footslogging Grey Knights list. Three strike squads, Mordrak with some ghost knights, a Librarian and 5 paladins with an apothecary. First turn he deep struck the Ghost Knights behind the gunline (didn’t know they came in first turn automatically or I would have deployed to stop that happening). The FW’s jumped out and, with marker lights support, blew the ghost knights off the table, really without breaking sweat. Rolls weren’t spectacular, pretty average in fact, but 24 rapid firing BS5 pulse rifles put something like 30 wounds on the squad. Combined with the plasma and Fusion guns on the XV81s, and the squad plus Mordrak and the Libby died. And I still had around 50 Shoota shots to fire and a charge from the boyz lined up, if necessary. Which of course left the Broadsides and the Hammerheads to seriously deplete one of the strike squads. When the Paladins came in, they were also blown away, not so much by the Fire Warriors, but by the Broadsides.

A reasonably easy win, but it was a good match up for me. Thinking through the various “meta” lists, I suspect it will do reasonably well against most lists that want to get close. However, it might struggle a bit against more shooty lists. Guard with Manticores and Vendettas for example, or long fang spam. If the grey knight list had swapped out the ghost knights for Psyfilmen dreadnaughts it might have been harder.

What to people think – where are the weaknesses?