Third sphere? Might wanna have that checked out.

So here's my first go at a seemingly decent, mixed-bag tau 1850 list. No new toys besides the high yielders, but it's all new to me, so, yay me.

Shadowsun - command drone

Ethereal - blacksun filter, homing beacon

3 Crisis Suits - plasma rifles + fusion guns, 1 with vectored retrothrusters

3 Crisis Suits - twin-linked flamers + burst cannons, bonding knife ritual

10 Fire Warriors - Devilfish with twin-linked smart missile systems

10 Fire Warriors - Devilfish with twin-linked smart missile systems

10 Fire Warriors

10 Fire Warriors

20 Kroot - shaper, sniper rifle rounds

10 Pathfinders - Shas'ui

2 Sky Rays - twin-linked smart missile systems

3 Broadsides - high yield missile pods, 6 missile drones, bonding knife ritual

The ethereal hangs out with the broadsides to let them ignore night-fighting if needed, or hides in one of the devilfish and just extends his aura from a central location. Shadowsun rolls with the plasma/fusion suits, gives them infiltrate, stealth, shrouding, and 3d6 jump pack moves, plus granting a unit within 12" (such as themselves) re-rolling ones to hit in shooting. They give her hit and run. They can either infiltrate for an early strike and retreat, or deep strike near the ethereal (or elsewhere) as needed. Flamer/burst crisis suits also deepstrike or counter-attack as needed. Pathfinders and sky rays mark the hell out of everything on the ground or in the air, the kroot hide in cover throwing out sniper rounds at marked units, and the fire warriors and broadsides shoot anything that moves (especially if its marked), staying together to provide supporting fire. The devilfish I imagine hanging around screening/directing assaults, hanging around for late game maneuvers (if they last that long). I tried to only give bonding knives to the units that would have any real use hanging around to the last man. For 2000 I can throw in 5 stealth suits for some dakka from cover. I have about 80% of these models, so not a real stretch of the imagination, or the wallet.

Can I recommend the Forge the Narrative Podcast BOLS has got going on now? I think I can, BOLS took me off their blogroll years ago so there's no real conflict of interest anymore. It's pretty "legit," as they are so fond of saying. Finally some guys who know what they are talking about... hardcore competitive guys that manage to sound condescending only 30% of the time, and even then it's utterly without all that false humility, so you know they really mean it. But seriously, only 3 episodes in and I have enjoyed it far more than any other 40k podcast out there - no inside jokes, grabass, or gigglings that go on and on, just straight talk from some dudes that play a lot of games and have been to a lot of big tournaments, but more importantly, have all played this game for a long time.