Warhammer 40K Tabletop X: "Everybody Expects The Inquisition!"

[crazedloon]

Paying 700+ points to kill just over 6 models a turn (and if they have cover this number is reduced by half) and not being able to move while doing so doesn't seem appealing though.

It does when that is 6 vehicles, 6 thunder wolves, 6 terminators.... and the list goes on of the things broadsides kill more effectively than fireknives.

-Terrain only kills you if you jump into it and then it's only a 1/6 chance per model. You're free to walk through difficult terrain or jump over it with no problems.

very little terrain is small enough to jump over, that which you can tends to only be corners or the like.
You always have to take the test even if you walk through terrain, it is in the wording of the rules that no matter what jump infantry do in terrain they must take the test.

-Filling required slots in the army is irrelevant when you're looking at a larger army.

... not quite sure what you mean here but if you are making minimum units to fill slots and than focusing on other units you are wasting points on those slot fillers.

-Fire Warriors will take a Morale test after losing a maximum of 3 models. It's much easier to force a Morale check onto a squad of Fire Warriors than a squad of Crisis suits with standard anti-infantry weapons.

The problem is less the standard anti infantry weapons as it is the normal anti tank weapons (str 8) which need but 1 hit and wound to kill a model which forces a check. If you are not in terrain you are loosing a model outright to a missile hit, no save and that is a check while conversely warriors will loose only 1 model or be hit with much weaker shots.

-Not being scoring is irrelevant. Certainly being scoring would be nice (bring on the new Tau Codex!), but it's certainly not a major factor in my mind when I build an army list. I don't discount powerful units because of their ability to hold objectives.

this is very much true but the discussion started out comparing FW vs Fireknives where the suits loose out in this regard

Speaking of which, because you advocate a Tau army which eschews Devilfish and Crisis suits for more static units which, like Fire Warriors and Broadsides, expect to remain still, how do you move out to capture or contest objectives and win games?

Ideally with the devilfish of the few pathfinder squads I would run. Just because I have made a theory list (and sort of want to build it since tau are my guilty pleasure army)

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shas'el [115]
shield generator, TL burst cannon, Stimulant injector, Iridium armour, Hardwired black sun filter

Fire warrior [140]
12x
shas'ui, markerlight, target lock

Fire warrior [140]
12x
shas'ui, markerlight, target lock

Fire warrior [140]
12x
shas'ui, markerlight, target lock

Fire warrior [140]
12x
shas'ui, markerlight, target lock

Fire warrior [140]
12x
shas'ui, markerlight, target lock

Fire warrior [140]
12x
shas'ui, markerlight, target lock

pathfinders [155]
5x
team leader, target lock
devilfish

pathfinders [155]
5x
team leader, target lock
devilfish

Broadsides [245]
3x
1x target lock 5
2x targeting array 20
team leader, hard wired target lock 10

Broadsides [245]
3x
1x target lock 5
2x targeting array 20
team leader, hard wired target lock 10

Broadsides [245]
3x
1x target lock 5
2x targeting array 20
team leader, hard wired target lock 10

[2000pts]

Mobility wins games. Besides, you're ignoring several other disadvantages of Fire Warriors compared to Fireknives, such as:
-Less Toughness
-Less Leadership
-Inability to deal with any target but light infantry efficiently

-less toughness but more models
-same leadership with a shas'ui

-can deal with heavy infantry (what do you consider heavy?)
-3+ armor has been what the number up till now have represented
-2+ armor tends to have less models so though they may deal less wounds it still will be enough to take them out
-str 5 can effect AV 10-11
-Str 5 wounds T 5 (grotesques and Thunderwolves) on 4 which deals with them just fine

Markerlights on Fire Warriors are expensive. A total 20 points per marker (providing you're not buying the 'ui anyway) for a 50% chance to get +1 BS/-1 cover is really not worth it. You can get markerlights in other places for less points.

this is true, a single pathfinder is cheaper than the upgrade on the shas'ui; however the flexibility of hitting more targets (as opposed to the pathfinders all in 1 unit) is what you are paying for. That 50% chance also translates to 2 more hits if you use 1 marker light on a 12 man unit or 4 more if you use 2 lights which means more models dead.

One of your reasons for taking Fire Warriors over Fireknives is that you get more bodies and that you're more effective against infantry. In a point-for-point comparison, Kroot outshoot Fire Warriors against Marines. Kroot also have more flexible deployment options and are better in close combat.

(10 Kroot cause 2.5 wounds at long range while 7 Fire Warriors cause 2.3).

This is true however
-they also are far easier to kill once you negate their cover save (via flamers or barrage)
-their more flexible deployment just means they will be closer to the enemy as you can already deploy far away from them
-you should not be in close combat with tau if so you have screwed up somewhere