army list need some input

[Ides]

ok, so I'm trying to put together a decent 1000 points list to take on mechanised tau and prosper in varying missions (usually cleanse, but my opponent has since discovered rules of engagement). And since I suck at the whole army list thing, I figured I'd bug you guys about it for a change. Here's what I have so far.

HQ
Sorceror - 140pts
Familiar
Warptime
Doombolt (I'm open to getting rid of this and the familiar if it proves unneccessary)

Troops
Noise marines x6 - 235pts
noise champion
sonic blaster x5
blastmaster
rhino

Thousand sons x8 - 289pts
aspiring sorceror
doombolt
rhino

Chaos Space marines x10 - 185pts
aspiring champion
lascannon

Fast attack
Chaos Raptors x6 - 160pts
Raptor champion
meltagun x2
meltabombs

Heavy Support
Obliterators x2 - 150pts

total 999pts

help?

[Dravenguild]

I may not be an expert at these sort of things, but if his entire army is a battlesuit army I'd imagine that its fairly flexible and versatile to lightning strikes.

If it includes heavy tanks and skimmers like piranhas, The most logical choices in my opinion would be to take a beefed up squad of Havocs, perhaps some more raptors with the mark of slaanesh or nurgle so they'll be harder to wound or strike faster.

Obliterators i think are to fragile in this matter but it depends on how you use them.

To tie up those crisis suits maybe full squads of berzerkers or plague marines to soak up most of the heavy resistance.

But the best way is probably more rubric marines, their AP3 will shred anything except tanks and broadsides, even if they get charged they strike simultaneous with crappy tau. Not to mention the sorceror and his force weapon will rip through those expensive suits.

top it off with a 4+ invul and they will keep on a rockin in midgar.

So take your pick, shooty or teeth gnashy.

The best HQ to hopskotch those pesky broadsides and tanks would be a bike lord with mark of nurgle, melta bombs, power or daemon weapon (I'm not sure if a bike can take daemon weapons) and anything else useful.
and a Lord with wings melta bombs and

[Dravenguild]

Omit that last portion.

So I think you should take out the normal marines for another squad of Rubrics or possibly more Khorne.

Switch the lord to a biker and either keep the Tzeentch mark or the nurgle mark. (Both are good)

Get Havocs, with autocannons and missiles and lascannons, you'd find the best setup through experience.

The fickle thing with this is, all tau are really dakka so shooting contests are more in their favor for range. (But still worth it)

But the time it takes you to get into CC with those space smurfs you might have relatively thinner numbers, still worth it though as even 5 Khorneys will shred their suits.

So take those two approaches into consideration, because there is no middle ground. (I think at least, played enough tau to work my own strategies)

Not sure about running termies, you can certainly get input from someone better here.

[Ides]

His usual list is tank heavy with two squads of fire-warriors mounted in devilfish, a hammerhead or two, at least one pirhanna and 2-3 battlesuits. I'm hoping to put the hammerheads out of commission fairly quickly, but I also want to be able to secure objectives and hold table quarters if need be.

The familiar means he can take the extra power for the fraction of the cost of the tzeentch mark, but I'd rather keep that sorceror back so I can take advantage of warptime (and since one of the possible rules of engagement scenarios is assassinate leader, its a nice idea to have him behind a wall of troops to defend against deepstrikers).

I could replace the regular marines with a squad of chosen infiltrating with a lascannon, or else I could go for Khorne. If I take out the regular CSM I have 186 pts to spare...that's a rhino and six berserkers, champ and meltabombs, but they'd need to cross the table fast, and since theirs is the only rhino that wouldn't be able to fire on the move, they'd be vulnerable.

Do you reckon the berserkers are the way to go?

[Dragoon King]

For Chosen, check this link:
Warhammer 40,000 - Chaos Space Marines
I really like the setup of the Melt Everything squad, and I'm building one soon to try out.

[Ides]

Hmmmm...6 chosen and chosen champ, 2 meltas and a lascannon is doable, with a few twin bolters/thrown in for good measure, but I'll be hard pressed to get them into range fast enough. Its a very nice idea though.