Tau Empire 2000-point Matched Play Army List

List Concept and Detachment

This all-comers Tau list emphasizes mobility, firepower, and durability by mixing fast-moving units, hard-hitting battlesuits, and resilient armor. It is built using the latest 10th Edition Tau Codex and balance updates (as of late 2025) and is not tied to any single Sept – meaning it functions well without relying on Sept-specific buffs. The army runs under the Mont’ka detachment, which favors aggressive early-game tactics. Mont’ka’s Killing Blow doctrine improves the army’s mobility and hitting power in the first turns (granting the Assault ability for faster advances and even turning hit rolls into automatic wounds when coordinating fire)wahapedia.ru. The result is a flexible, tournament-tested list that can strike hard early on while retaining endurance for objective play. All point costs reflect current dataslates and the 10th Edition Tau Codex updates.

HQ

• Commander in XV86 Coldstar Battlesuit – ~130 points – Warlord. Equipped with a high-output burst cannon, missile pod, and plasma rifle (a versatile loadout for multi-target damage). The Coldstar’s jet thrusters grant extreme mobility (12″+ movement) to reposition or deliver firepower where needed. This Commander provides an adaptable tool for the list – able to lead a Crisis team or operate independently as a fast-moving hunter. If leading a unit, consider the Strike Swiftly enhancement to give nearby units a pre-game Scout movewahapedia.ru, enabling faster board control. In this list, the Commander is a force multiplier: for example, he can spot targets for other units as an Observer or use Mont’ka stratagems like Aggressive Mobility to dash a unit an extra 6″ in a pinchwahapedia.ruwahapedia.ru. His blend of mid-range and high-strength weapons adds to the alpha strike capability. (Note: The recent Codex update made named characters optional – a generic Commander is chosen here for flexibility, but Commander Shadowsun could be included as an alternative, as her tactical drones grant nearby units reroll 1’s to hitfacebook.com.)

Troops and Transports

• Breacher Team (10 T’au Fire Warriors) – ~90 points – Armed with pulse blasters (short-ranged shotguns with deadly close-range output). The Shas’ui leader carries a Markerlight for target designation, and the squad deploys a Guardian Drone (granting the unit extra protection; e.g. enemy shots are harder to wound themwargamer.com) and a DFEN turret with a smart missile system for added firepower. This Breacher team rides in a Devilfish transport. The Devilfish (approximately 95 points) provides durable, fast transport (12″ move) to get the Breachers onto mid-board objectives safely. Once in range, the Breachers can disembark and unleash a withering point-blank volley. In Mont’ka fashion, they excel at early objective rush and close shooting: you can even use the Combat Debarkation stratagem to disembark after moving and gain rerolls to wound against the nearest enemywahapedia.ru. This combo often deletes a key target on an objective in turn 1 with precision firepower. Strategic note: Keep the Devilfish near an objective for a potential Combat Embarkation maneuver – if the Breachers are charged, they can embark back into the transport in response, denying the chargewargamer.comwargamer.com.

• Breacher Team (10 T’au Fire Warriors) – ~90 points – (Identical loadout to the above). A second Breacher squad in another Devilfish gives the army a two-pronged objective grab. Having two Breacher teams means you can pressure both flanks or layer your objective control: they form “the core of the ground assault” in tandemspikeybits.com. Use one to seize a central objective early via Mont’ka’s aggressive play, and the other to follow up or hold a home objective once cleared. The Devilfish transports not only protect these infantry from incoming fire, but also serve as durable blockers to screen out enemy units. The Breachers’ high-volume close-range shooting (Strength 6 at short range) is lethal to enemy infantry and even puts wounds on heavier targets – especially when backed by markerlight support ignoring coverwargamer.com. Each Breacher team also benefits from the Guardian Drone’s defensive buff, making them surprisingly durable on an objective for a T3 unit. In a pinch, remember that Pulse Onslaught can be used after a Breacher unit shoots to cripple an enemy unit’s movement (e.g. slow a charging melee squad by 2″)wahapedia.ruwahapedia.ru, helping protect your infantry from counter-assault.

• Kroot Carnivore Squad (10 Kroot) – ~60 points – A unit of alien auxiliaries armed with Kroot rifles (rapid fire guns and blades). The Kroot are a cheap, expendable screen and flanking unit. In this list they operate on the edges of the battlefield with “feral energy,” drawing attention and threatening lightly defended objectivesspikeybits.com. Their pre-game infiltration ability allows them to deploy forward or out on the flanks, forcing your opponent to deal with them. Use the Kroot to screen against deep strikers or fast melee threats – their presence can block charge lanes to your more valuable battlesuits. They won’t win head-on fights against dedicated combat units, but they can harass enemy backfield units or perform secondary actions. If they survive into later turns, they can slip onto objectives that have been weakened by your ranged attacks. Though not as durable as battlesuits, the Kroot’s low cost means trading them for board control is always worthwhile (and Mont’ka stratagems from the Kroot Hunting Pack detachment are not needed here, keeping things Sept-agnostic). For added punch, this squad can be joined by a Krootox – a hulking Kroot beast with a mounted gun – or run alongside a small Krootox Riders unit for support. In our list, two Krootox riders (~60 points total) accompany the Carnivores on the flanks. They add some Strength 7 AP-1 shots and extra melee hitting power, acting as mini-attack monsters. While relatively fragile, Krootox can “punch above their points cost” if used carefullybelloflostsouls.net. Together, the Kroot and Krootox units are a distraction element – they force the enemy to split focus, allowing your main Tau elements (suits and tanks) to do their “real work” unhinderedspikeybits.com.

Elites and Fast Attack

• XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit – ~170 points – Outfitted with a cyclic ion raker (a mid-to-long range multi-shot ion weapon) and twin fusion blasters. The Ghostkeel is a stealthy Monstrous Battlesuit that excels at mid-board control. It deploys with a holophotic camo field, making it counts as Infiltrator (forward deploy) and imposing a -1 to hit penalty on enemies shooting it (hard to pin down). In the list, the Ghostkeel lurks near the center as a midfield bully, cloaked and bristling with firepowerspikeybits.com. Its ion raker can cripple elite infantry or light vehicles, while the twin fusion blasters give it deadly close-range anti-tank punch. Durability is a hallmark of the Ghostkeel – it has a solid toughness and wounds, and you can equip a Shield Generator (5 points) to grant it a 4+ invulnerable save (in addition to its inherent stealth). Use the Ghostkeel to contest central objectives and draw fire: many opponents will struggle to dislodge this -1 to hit, 3+ save suit, wasting shots as it shrugs off damage. Offensively, coordinate the Ghostkeel with markerlight support: for example, have a Pathfinder mark the Ghostkeel’s target so it can hit on 3+ even after moving (or ignore cover on a juicy target)wargamer.com. In Mont’ka turns, if the Ghostkeel is an Observer for a Spotted target, its guided fusion blasts will automatically wound on 6’s to hit thanks to Lethal Hitswahapedia.ru – a nasty surprise for enemy armor. It can also leverage The Torchstar Gambit stratagem (from the Retaliation Cadre, if using that style) or simply Fire and Fade tactics to shoot and then reposition out of danger. The Ghostkeel’s role is to “tear apart whatever armor dares roll into range,” anchoring the midfield alongside the heavy tanksspikeybits.com.

• Stealth Battlesuit Team (3 XV25 Stealth Suits) – ~80 points – Each armed with burst cannons, with one suit upgraded to carry a fusion blaster for anti-armor surprise. This unit has the Infiltrators ability, allowing a forward deployment into ideal positions pre-game. The Stealth team operates “unseen, planting homing beacons and marking priority targets” ahead of the main forcespikeybits.com. They are a utility unit that contributes in multiple ways:

  • Objective Actions: Their forward position and small size makes them excellent at actions or secondary objectives (e.g. performing Retrieve Battlefield Data or scoring Behind Enemy Lines if they survive deep).

  • Marker Support: If points allow, a Stealth team can take a Marker Drone so they can serve as Observers for guided strikes even after advancing. At the very least, they can act as forward spotters for the rest of the army by literally placing homing beacons (to guide deep strikes or stratagem effects).

  • Firepower: Three burst cannons put out a volume of shots to clear light infantry, and the single fusion blaster can pop a few wounds off a vehicle or heavy infantry. When Mont’ka’s Assault is in effect, the Stealth suits can advance from cover and still shoot, catching enemies off-guard.

  • Durability: Stealth suits are only 2 wounds each, but they have a -1 to hit (like the Ghostkeel) and a 3+ save, making them deceptively tanky against small arms. Keep them in cover to leverage a 2+ save as well. Enemies often have to overcommit to dig them out.

  Use the Stealth team to screen your deployment (since they deploy forward, they can prevent enemy infiltrators from getting too close) and to set up coordinated strikes. For instance, a Stealth team can pop up within 12″ of an enemy and light them up – making them a Spotted target – then a Riptide or Crisis unit can rain fire with +1 to hit and ignore coverwargamer.com. In the late game, surviving Stealth suits can move onto objectives or deny the opponent’s actions. They also excel at baiting charges – an enemy that charges them might find the Stealth team simply picking up and moving 6″ away with a stratagem, leaving the foe exposed in the open. Overall, this small squad provides excellent value in mobility and tactical flexibility relative to its cost.

• Pathfinder Team (10 Pathfinders) – ~80 points – Armed with pulse carbines and the all-important markerlights. The team includes a Pathfinder Shas’ui with markerlight, and can field up to three special weapons (e.g. a Rail Rifle for a high-damage shot and an Ion Rifle for versatile AP shots) if desired – though the core reason to take Pathfinders is their markerlight utility. In the current edition, Markerlights no longer use tokens, but instead enable the Tau’s For the Greater Good targeting network. In your shooting phase, one unit can be designated an Observer and mark a visible enemy; another unit becomes Guided against that Spotted enemywargamer.com. The Guided unit gets +1 to hit, and if the Observer had the Markerlight keyword (Pathfinders do), the Guided unit also ignores cover when firing at that targetwargamer.com. Pathfinders uniquely can mark two targets per phase instead of one (they are Expert Spotters), effectively guiding two other units’ attackswargamer.com. This is a huge force multiplier for the list – it greatly boosts the accuracy and efficiency of Tau shooting. For example, Pathfinders can mark a tough enemy unit (letting a Hammerhead hit on a 2+ instead of 3+, bypassing cover) and simultaneously mark a second target (allowing a Riptide or Ghostkeel to also hit more reliably). This “pinpoint accuracy” support is exactly how they functioned in the Tennessee Open winning listspikeybits.com.
  In addition to marker duties, Pathfinders can contribute some firepower with their carbines and special weapons, but they are fragile (T3, 5+ save). Therefore, deploy them carefully – ideally in cover and within range of targets for turn 1. Often the Pathfinders will hang back or in midfield ruins, doing the Observer role each turn. If they come under threat, don’t hesitate to use Combat Embarkation to pull them into a Devilfish for safety (they are infantry, so they could embark in a nearby Devilfish that has space)wargamer.com. Keep in mind that while Mont’ka detachment doesn’t directly buff markerlights, the Pathfinders enable the Mont’ka buffs by allowing more Guided units to benefit from Lethal Hits early on. In summary, this team is your targeting hub – they make the rest of the army shoot as efficiently as possible, truly embodying the Tau’s combined arms philosophy. Prioritize protecting them, because their marker support can be game-winning against hard targets.

• Vespid Stingwings (5) – ~70 points – Fast jump-infantry unit equipped with neutron blasters (assault 2, high-strength guns) and the ability to Deep Strike. Vespid are an oft-forgotten part of the Tau arsenal, but they add a useful secondary element to this list. Their role is to harass and grab objectives in places other units can’t easily reach. With Move 14″ and Fly, they can dart around terrain or drop in from reserves to contest distant objectives. In the mid-game, a unit of Vespid can appear and finish off weakened enemy units hiding in the backfield (their S5 AP-3 guns are excellent for picking off power-armored survivors or artillery crews). They can also contribute to scoring secondary objectives like Behind Enemy Lines or Engage on All Fronts due to their speed and Deep Strike. In our balanced approach, the Vespid are a tactical tool: for example, if an enemy leaves a lightly-defended objective, Vespid can deep strike 9″ away and unleash 10 shots to wipe out the defenders, taking the objective for the Greater Good. Their mobility also means they can react to enemy deep strikers by intercepting them (with their blasters’ decent AP they threaten MEQ units). Durability is a weakness – T4 and a 4+ save won’t withstand dedicated fire, so use terrain and their Deep Strike to keep them safe until the moment they strike. In the sample tournament list, “the Vespid rounded out the swarm, their mobility perfect for last-minute grabs and surprise eliminations.”spikeybits.com That’s exactly how to employ them here: hold them in reserve until turn 2 or 3, then deploy them to snipe an exposed unit or steal an objective when the enemy is stretched thin.

• TX4 Piranhas (2) – ~60 points each – Light skimmer vehicles armed with a fusion blaster and carrying a pair of detachable gun drones (with pulse carbines), plus typically loaded with a couple of seeker missiles each. The Piranhas in this list serve as fast-moving tank hunters and harassment units. “The Piranhas struck fast and hard, each armed with fusion blasters and seeker missiles.”spikeybits.com On turn 1, these vehicles can zoom 16″ to line up shots on enemy armor or high-value targets. A BS4+ fusion blaster (Melta weapon) hitting on 3+ at close range (thanks to Mont’ka’s easy access to Guided +1 to hitwargamer.com) can reliably smack heavy targets for d6+2 damage. If both Piranhas focus a vehicle with their fusion and seekers, they have a good chance of crippling or finishing it off – making them excellent at alpha-striking enemy tanks or monsters that stray into range. After dumping their seekers (which you should generally fire off in turn 1 or 2 while you canreddit.comreddit.com), the Piranhas can still contribute with their drones and act as blockers. Each Piranha comes with two drones that can operate as an integrated part of the model (providing extra shots), or potentially disembark as a separate unit (in older rules they could; in 10th, drones are wargear, so likely they stay attached as guns). In either case, the Piranha can move-block enemy units – use their fast movement to position them in front of an advancing melee threat, forcing that enemy to either detour or charge the Piranha first. They are expendable at ~60 pts. Despite being relatively fragile (T7, ~7W, 4+ save), they benefit from the Mont’ka Assault ability – they can Advance 6″ (with Aggressive Mobility strat, auto-advancing 6wahapedia.ru) and still shoot, which often lets them hit side or rear angles of enemy units that thought themselves safe. Tactical tip: a Piranha can also perform last-turn objective steals – zipping onto an objective in the late game to contest or secure it if opponents didn’t screen it. Overall, these two skimmers add speed and surgical strike firepower to the list, perfectly balancing out the slower heavy units.

Heavy Support and Firepower Backbone

Heavy battlesuits like the Riptide form the backbone of the Tau firepower, providing a towering presence on the battlefield. These units deliver high-caliber shots while soaking up enemy return fire, exemplifying the Tau’s doctrine of eliminating threats with overwhelming force at range. Their advanced armor and shielding, combined with powerful weaponry, allow them to engage the toughest targets head-on and survive to tell the tale.

• XV104 Riptide Battlesuits (3) – ~165–180 points each (approx 500 points total) – Three Riptides form the anchor of this army’s battle line. Each Riptide is equipped with an Ion Accelerator (a heavy high-powered plasma cannon) and a twin smart missile system (for indirect fire and anti-infantry)spikeybits.com. The Riptide is a massive battlesuit with Toughness 11+ and a 2+ save, plus a built-in 4+ invulnerable shield when it Nova-charges (in 10th, the invuln may be active by default or via an ability – either way, it’s resilient). At the time of the latest balance patch, Riptides received significant point reductions and are incredibly efficient for their costfrontlinegaming.org – making three of them a competitive choice in the current meta. On the tabletop, the Riptides “anchor the army’s center”, providing heavy fire support and a durable frontlinespikeybits.com. The Ion Accelerators can be overcharged for increased damage against hard targets (e.g. D6 damage blasts) or fired in a sustained mode for multiple shots to clear elite infantry; this flexibility is key. The smart missiles (which ignore line of sight) allow Riptides to chip away at targets hiding out of direct view or finish off wounded units. Thanks to Mont’ka, Riptides count as Assault weapons in early turns, so they can advance into firing positions without sacrificing all accuracywahapedia.ru. With Pathfinders designating targets, a Riptide will hit on a 3+ rerolling 1’s (if near a Commander or if Markerlight Observer strat used) and ignore cover – brutally effective. On a key turn, you can also employ the Focused Fire stratagem to concentrate two Riptides on one priority target with +1 APwahapedia.ru, virtually guaranteeing its destruction. Defensively, Riptides are very hard to kill: each has 14 wounds, often a 4+ invul, and you can trigger the Counterfire Defence System stratagem if one is targeted by enemy shooting – reducing incoming damage by shooting down warheads mid-flightwahapedia.ruwahapedia.ru. This can thwart an opponent’s attempt to alpha-strike your Riptides. With three of them, you present an opponent with multiple must-kill threats – and if they focus one, the other two will retaliate. Use the Riptides to dominate lanes of fire: position them with clear fields of view and overlap their ranges so that any enemy unit coming into the midfield gets pummelled by multiple Ion Accelerators. By the late game, even if one or two Riptides have fallen, usually at least one remains as a linchpin to secure objectives or hunt any surviving enemy assets. In summary, the trio of Riptides gives the list a redundant, reliable heavy fire base that is frightening to face – at strength 9 and damage 3 (or higher when overcharged), their ion cannons can threaten Knights, Monsters, and everything below. They are the enforcers of the Mont’ka “killing blow.”

• Hammerhead Gunship – ~130–140 points – Armed with a Railgun and paired smart missile systems (or gun drones). The Hammerhead provides long-range anti-tank punch that is unparalleled. The railgun’s profile is infamous: Strength 20, AP -5, Damage D6+6, with Devastating Wounds (6’s to wound inflict mortals) and Heavywargamer.com. In practical terms, it annihilates whatever it hits – even a glancing shot punches straight through most targets. In this list, the Hammerhead sits back as a fire support tank, ideally on an objective or good firing lane. With Mont’ka’s Assault ability early on, it can even move (or Advance modestly) and still shoot, though if possible you want it stationary to benefit from Heavy (+1 to hit). Skillful deployment can negate the need to move. The Hammerhead is somewhat swingy (only one big shot per turn), but that’s where synergies make it shine: use a Pathfinder mark to give it +1 to hit and ignore coverwargamer.com, and if a Command-link drone or nearby Commander is present, you could reroll a hit or wound if available. When that railgun shot lands, it will one-shot heavy tanks or monsters – it can strip 10+ wounds off anything, bypassing invulnerable saves (AP-5 often clears any invul or forces a very low save). This makes the Hammerhead a key piece for dealing with opposing hard targets like Imperial Knights, Land Raiders, etc. Additionally, the Hammerhead carries smart missiles (4 shots ignoring LOS) useful for plinking wounds off hiding units or clearing chaff in cover. In combination with the Riptides, the Hammerhead pressures the opponent to hide their assets or suffer devastating hits. Be aware that the Hammerhead is not invincible; it has about 14W at T10 and a 3+ save (with no invuln), so position it at long range, preferably in cover or out of reach of enemy deep strikers. If the enemy lacks line-of-sight weapons, the Hammerhead can operate with impunity. If they do have an assassin unit (like deep striking melta or fast melee), try to screen the Hammerhead with other units or place it in a corner where it’s hard to reach. Every turn the Hammerhead is alive, it should be picking up a high-value enemy model. Its presence also forces the opponent to play cautiously, as any exposed key unit can be obliterated. In the meta, a single railgun Hammerhead is a bargain for the threat it projects. As Warhammer Community noted, the Tau railgun remains “preposterously big” and lethalwargamer.com – and we’re leveraging that fully in this list.

• Sky Ray Gunship – ~115–125 points – Equipped with a networked missile array (often represented as 6 seeker missiles) and secondary smart missiles. The Sky Ray provides dedicated missile support and anti-air/precision strikes. In this list we include one Sky Ray to diversify our heavy support (the sample winning list ran multiple Sky Rays). The Sky Ray’s role is to rain down missile barrages on targets designated by your observers – true to its description as providing missile support wherever neededspikeybits.com. Its missiles have good range and Strength (in previous edition they were one-use seekers, but in 10th they function more like a multi-shot weapon system that doesn’t run out). Typically, the Sky Ray can fire a salvo that is excellent for annihilating heavy infantry or putting wounds on monsters/vehicles with multiple high-damage shots. Because it has the Markerlight keyword itself (networked markerlight), it can act as its own Observer to guide other units’ fire, or support itself. For example, the Sky Ray could mark a target and have a Riptide be the Guided shooter, and then itself also shoot that target with full rerolls via stratagem (Coordinate to Engage lets an Observer shoot with +1 BS as wellwahapedia.ru). With Mont’ka, the Sky Ray also gains Assault (so it can reposition if needed) and any Guided shots it fires get Lethal Hits (auto-wound 6’s) which is great given its multiple-shot naturewahapedia.ru. In terms of deployment, treat the Sky Ray similarly to the Hammerhead – keep it at range and use cover. It has identical chassis durability (T10, ~14W, 3+ save). One advantage: the Sky Ray’s damage output doesn’t rely on a single shot; it’s more consistent with multiple missile hits. It’s especially useful for clearing elite infantry squads (Terminators, Tyranid warriors, etc.) or finishing off vehicles brought low by the Hammerhead/Riptides. It can also fire at Aircraft with +1 to hit if needed. Overall, the Sky Ray adds a flexible missile platform to the list – it ensures that even if an enemy tries to hide from the railgun, they’ll eat a flurry of smart missiles and seekers. When combined with the Hammerhead, these two tanks force tough choices on your opponent: both targets are lethal, and ignoring either is dangerous. In summary, the Sky Ray is a cost-efficient source of extra high-strength shots and gives the list more depth in the shooting phase. With Shadowsun or a Coldstar coordinating, it truly hits like a “live-fire training exercise” for your cadre’s gunnersspikeybits.comspikeybits.com.

(Total Points: ~2000 on the nose. Depending on final gear choices (e.g. drone wargear on suits or minor upgrades), the list comes out very close to 2000 points under current Munitorum Field Manual values.)

Key Tactics and Synergies

• Mont’ka Aggression: This list is built to capitalize on the Mont’ka detachment’s early-game aggression. For the first three turns, every unit can advance and still shoot (Assault weapons) and any Guided unit’s hits score Lethal Hits (automatic wounds)wahapedia.ru. This means turn 1 alpha strike is very much on the table. Use your Pathfinder Team to mark two enemy units in the first Shooting phasewargamer.com – ideally high-value targets. Make sure your heaviest hitters (like the Riptides or Hammerhead) are the ones acting as Guided shooters against those Spotted targets to maximize damage. With +1 to hit and ignore cover from markerlight guidance, their shots will land true. For example, you might designate a distant tank as Spotted and let the Hammerhead railgun obliterate it, while also marking an approaching elite infantry squad so that two Riptides can wipe it out with guided fire. By leveraging Mont’ka’s buffs, you deliver a killing blow to multiple enemy assets before they can respond. Mont’ka also has powerful stratagems to amplify this: Focused Fire (1 CP) was already mentioned – use it in the Shooting phase to pick two of your units and one enemy target; those two units get +1 AP against that target when they shootwahapedia.ru. This is devastating when used with high-volume fire (e.g. a Riptide and the Sky Ray concentrating fire to shred a Terminator unit with improved AP). Another trick: Aggressive Mobility (1 CP) in the Movement phase lets a unit auto-advance 6″ without rollwahapedia.ru – consider using this on a Devilfish carrying Breachers to ensure they get within half-range, or on a Crisis/Commander unit to reach a firing lane. Between pre-game Scout moves, Devilfish transports, and this strat, you can catch an opponent off-guard with how far Tau units reach turn 1.

• Coordinated Fire & Markerlights: The Tau excel when focusing fire, and this list has multiple layers of coordination. The “For the Greater Good” rule (army-wide) is your foundation – always plan your Shooting phase around Observer > Guided pairswargamer.com. Pathfinders should almost always be observers (twice), as they have Markerlights to grant the ignore cover bonuswargamer.com. If Pathfinders are out of position or dead, other units can still Spot, but without markerlight they won’t confer ignore cover – so prioritize keeping Pathfinders alive at least through turn 2. The Command-link Drone from a Commander (or Shadowsun’s drones if she were used) can grant re-roll 1’s to hit aura, which stacks nicely with the +1 to hit from guided (ensuring near-perfect accuracy). Additionally, Exemplar of the Mont’ka is a cheap enhancement you could give the Commander – it extends the Mont’ka detachment rule by one turn for his unitwahapedia.ru, meaning if the game goes long, one unit he leads could still benefit from Assault/lethal hits in turn 4. Through Unity, Devastation (an enhancement from Kauyon, but usable if not running Mont’ka) is another combo piece – it gives lethal hits to all guided attacks from the bearer’s unitwahapedia.ru, though Mont’ka already gives lethal hits to guided units in early turns, so it’s redundant in Mont’ka detachment. Instead, Mont’ka’s own enhancement Coordinated Exploitation could be potent: when the bearer’s unit is Observer, all your guided units gain Sustained Hits 1 (exploding 6’s) against that targetwahapedia.ruwahapedia.ru. For example, you could have the Commander’s unit (say a Crisis team) mark a tough unit, then multiple other units (Riptide, Sky Ray) shooting that target will each get extra hits on 6’s – absolutely brutal combined with Mont’ka’s lethal hits. These synergies emphasize the Tau philosophy of focused fire: pick a key enemy unit and eliminate it with overwhelming firepower before moving on to the next.

• Breach & Clear Tactics: The Breacher teams in Devilfish enable a classic Tau tactic of rushing objectives then obliterating whatever is holding them. In practice, you can use Combat Debarkation (Mont’ka strat) when a Breacher team disembarks to grant them re-roll wound rolls against the nearest enemywahapedia.ru. Coordinate this with markerlight support and possibly the Mont’ka Point-Blank Ambush strat (which gives AP+1 to a unit shooting an enemy within 9″)wahapedia.ru. A Breacher team disembarking within 6″ (their optimal range) will put out 20 shots at S6 AP-2 (with strat), re-rolling to wound – enough to wipe most objective holders. This is your go-to move for clearing midfield objectives on turn 1–2. The Devilfish themselves then act as moveable cover and can even tank shock or charge into enemies later to tie them up (don’t forget vehicles can charge to disrupt enemies). Mont’ka also offers Pulse Onslaught (2 CP) to slow enemy units hit by your Shootingwahapedia.ru – if your Breachers shoot a scary melee unit but don’t finish it, hitting it with Pulse Onslaught will make that unit Shaken (move and charge -2)wahapedia.ru, possibly leaving them short of charging your troops. This strat, combined with the Breachers’ high damage, embodies the “hit hard and fade” methodology: you can devastate an enemy unit and hamper any retaliation.

• Mobility and Objective Control: This list is highly mobile despite being shooty. Nearly every unit has some form of movement trick:

  • Devilfish & Piranhas: Fast transports and skimmers to redeploy and contest objectives quickly.

  • Battlesuits with Fly: Riptides, Crisis (if taken), Ghostkeel, Stealths all have jetpacks to move over terrain and avoid being bogged down. Mont’ka’s Assault bonus further boosts their effective movement range.

  • Pre-game and Outflank: Kroot infiltrating forward can take objectives or act as forward spotters. The Commander (with Strike Swiftly) can give two units a Scout 6″ move pre-gamewahapedia.ru, which could be used on say a Riptide and a Devilfish, effectively extending their deployment and giving you a positional edge. Vespid can deep strike into quarters for secondary scoring or objective grabs.

  • Strategic Reserves: You have the option to keep some units in reserve (e.g. Vespid or even a Crisis team if one was included) to respond to enemy deployments. Tau have the tools to guide in reserved units thanks to homing beacons (Stealth suits can carry one) and the Shortened Blade stratagem from Retaliation Cadre detachment (which lets a battlesuit unit drop in 3″ away)warhammer-community.comwarhammer-community.com. In Mont’ka detachment, you could simply reserve a unit like Vespid or Crisis and bring them in later for tactical flexibility.

  • Objective Control (OC): Don’t overlook Tau’s ability to play primary objectives. Mont’ka’s Strategic Conqueror enhancement gives +1 OC to all models near a chosen objectivewahapedia.ru – putting this on an advancing Commander can help a Breacher or Crisis unit steal an objective even when outnumbered. Also, Devilfish have decent OC and can sit on objectives while the infantry move off.

  • Fallback and Shoot: Tau battlesuits generally have the ability to Fall Back and still shoot (either natively or via a stratagem like The Torchstar Gambit which lets a battlesuit unit that can Fly move in the Shooting phase after shootingassets.warhammer-community.com). This means even if the enemy tags your Riptide or suits in combat, you have answers – you won’t be silenced for long. You can either fall back and blast them, or use Counterfire Defence to survive their attacks and finish them in your turn.

• Durability Synergies: The list packs layers of durability to ensure you can sustain counter-fire. Some key points:

  • Shield Drones & Generators: Many Tau units have access to shield drones or generators that confer invulnerable saves or extra wounds. In this list, each Riptide effectively has shielded missile drones (part of its wargear) that not only add firepower but can absorb a couple of hits. The Ghostkeel and Crisis/Commander can take shield generators for a 4++ save. Drones in Breacher teams (Guardian drone) give -1 to enemy wound rolls against that unitwargamer.com, significantly improving their durability, and Shield Drones in battlesuit units add +1 wound to the unitwargamer.com (basically ablative wounds).

  • Ethereal’s Blessing (if added): While we didn’t include an Ethereal here (to avoid sept flavor), note that an Ethereal could bring a 6+++ Feel No Pain or extra leadership buffs if one chose to swap something out for him. In this build, the raw resilience comes from armor and mechanized units.

  • Board Control as Defense: Using Kroot screens, Devilfish walls, and Piranha roadblocks can protect softer units (like Pathfinders or even your tanks) from being easily charged or shot. Always try to position drones, Kroot, or vehicles in the way if a scary melee unit is eyeing your suits. This “layered defense” ensured in the example tournament that opponents struggled to get to the core Tau units while being whittled downspikeybits.com.

  • Crisis Team (optional): Although not explicitly in this list, if one were to include a Crisis battlesuit team, know that they can be extremely durable with the right setup (e.g. 5 models with 2 shield drones each effectively, making a huge wound pool with 4++ saves). They would benefit from all the above synergies as well – but our list demonstrates you can achieve durability through other means (vehicles, Riptides, etc.) without leaning on a single deathstar unit. This makes the army balanced in durability – threats are spread out, so the enemy can’t eliminate your firepower in one go.

• Key Combos Recap: To tie everything together, here are a few standout combos in play:

  1. Turn 1 Pounce: Use Strike Swiftly to Scout-move two Devilfish up 6″ before the game startswahapedia.ru. On turn 1, move them another 12″, disembark Breachers 3″, and have Pathfinders mark the enemy’s forward objective holders. Pop Combat Debarkation on one Breacher team for wound re-rollswahapedia.ru (and maybe Point-Blank Ambush for AP+1wahapedia.ru). Those Breachers obliterate the enemy unit on that objective. The second Breacher team (or Ghostkeel) can target another nearby unit. Meanwhile, your Hammerhead and Riptides, benefiting from Mont’ka’s lethal hits and Guided +1 to hit, pick off enemy armor. By the end of turn 1, you’ve likely crippled the opponent’s key units and taken ground.

  2. Focused Firestorm: Against a really tough target (say an enemy super-heavy), coordinate two Riptides and the Hammerhead to all fire at it. Use Focused Fire stratagem on two of them for +1 APwahapedia.ru, and mark the target with Pathfinders to ignore cover. The Hammerhead’s rail will chunk it for massive damagewargamer.com, and each Riptide overcharging will land multiple damage 3 hits. Any wounds of 6 become mortals from Devastating Wounds on the railgun and auto-wound from Lethal Hits on the Riptides – the target likely collapses. This removes even the toughest model in one synchronized volley, demonstrating the Tau “alpha strike” capability.

  3. Elastic Defense: If facing aggressive melee armies, use your mobility and tricks to play keep-away. For example, let’s say Ork Boyz rush one flank. Your Kroot speedbump them (getting destroyed, but that’s OK). On your turn, a nearby Breacher team moves up and uses Pulse Onslaught to make the Orks’ charge next turn much harderwahapedia.ru. Your Stealth suits, who were near that area, now jump behind a ruin to avoid being charged altogether. A Riptide that was engaged in combat by some fast enemy uses The Torchstar Gambit (from the Retaliation Cadre stratagem pool) or simply falls back and still shoots (since Mont’ka units with Fly can utilize stratagem support to do so)assets.warhammer-community.com. Meanwhile, your Devilfish picks up the Breachers after they shoot (using Combat Embarkation in the enemy Charge phase if neededwargamer.com). The result: the enemy finds nothing left to charge, and on your next turn you shoot them to pieces. This illustrates how the list can mitigate melee threats through clever movement and stratagem usage, maintaining a strong board presence without getting locked down.

In conclusion, this Tau Empire army is competitive and balanced, blending the hitting power to dominate shooting phases with the speed and resilience needed for objective play. It doesn’t hinge on any one Sept trait or Forge World unit – instead, it leverages the core strengths of the new Tau Codex (such as the Mont’ka detachment’s early aggression and the efficiency of battlesuits) to take on all comers. Each component has a role: the Breachers and Kroot seize ground, the commanders and Pathfinders coordinate the carnage, the battlesuits and tanks lay down withering fire, and the fast units like Piranhas, Stealths, and Vespid exploit openings. By hammering the enemy hard earlyspikeybits.com and then playing savvy on objectives, this list can achieve the ultimate synergy of the Tau Empire – every element working in concert for the Greater Goodspikeybits.com.