Tau strikes first

I like this - a very tight build that's nicely focused.  I've had trouble keeping focuses with my builds and they tend to have a wider range of card selection. 

Thanks, I haven't had a lot of chance to play since making this deck, but the few games I've gotten in have gone rather well.  Superiority is starting to grow on me, it feels more flexible than promotion, though it only works for one turn.  I typically have the opposite problem of you when I'm making a deck.  I get an idea and I tend to exclude too many cards that don't fit into that idea.

I really like the deck mate

I'm new to the game and making decks for the first time is daunting for me. Have you played much more with the deck and if so did you make much further tweaking?

Thanks!

I've been playing with this deck a lot.  So far it's been doing extremely well.  I think I actually did extremely well with this deck, the only card I'm even considering switching out still is Superiority, but I have had some great plays with that card so I haven't removed it yet.  The main reason I'm considering removing superiority is because I tend to dominate the command phase already with this deck so I really only use it to deny my opponent command struggles.  It very rarely helps me win one that i'm not winning.  I think I could definitely remove the experimental tag from this deck at this point.

hello there
i saw your deck and i liked it very much i was wondering if you could remove superiorit. what card you would replace it?
 

PS
keep up the good work

When in doubt, Deception. 2 shields 2 good.

That's the big question, what would I put in if I removed superiority.  The main reason I haven't removed it yet is I can't think of what I would put in the deck for it.

I have considered a few things:

+1 banshee power sword, +1 No Mercy.

This setup would help improve the consistency of the deck and would keep me from losing shields by removing superiority.  However, I like the feel of 2 copies of these cards at the moment since I mainly use them for either making sure a key unit dies or as shields.

+2 Frontline launch Bay

I would lose my shield icons, but the safe resources this provides would be worth it.  That being said, I normally don't have a lot of issues with resources and command struggles.

+2 Fire Warrior Strike Team

These guys actually fit extremely well with my strategy, but I just felt there were better options and ended up cutting them.  If it wasn't for losing some shield icons I would switch superiority for these guys in a heartbeat.

+2 Deception

I would actually gain 2 shields with this trade, the ability is pretty decent too.

There is my list of cards that I am considering, though the more I play with Superiority the more I like it.  It has a lot of utility and flexibility, the only reason I'm considering removing it is that I never use it to help me win a command struggle, just to deny an opponent.  So, it loses some of it's flexibility when one of it's uses is rarely if ever used with this deck.

PS

Thank you, It's actually a bit surprising how well this deck has done for me as a Version 1.  I'm used to going through several revisions before it feels this good.

Just an opinion.  I like the idea of using Superiority to deny your opponents winning the Command Struggle but whether paying 1 Resource to do this and occupying a card slot is worthy to have this card in.  It can be useful to prevent your opponent from receiving Card rewards especially Barlus and Elouith or where they have Void Pirates and their own Eldar Survivalist.  But then I can see some build upon the idea of having more units in deck to deny the opponent winning the struggles like using Vaish'ya Trailblazer in which he can later be moved to another planet during the beginning of the Combat Phase.

As suggested Majeestat, Deception is a good card to have for its 2 shield.  This was what happened in my previous game with me playing Mono-Tau and my friend mono-Ork.  I have a Fire Warrior Elite equipped with Repulsor Canon in the presence of Fireblade Kais'Vre.  My friend has to target at the Fire Warrior Elite and in return receive 2 damage for each other.  With the 2 Shields on Deception (and also other shield cards I have), I prolong my opponent's agony to help maintain Fire Warrior Elite on the board and win my final planet.

With regards to Front Launch Bay, do you require to have 2 of them since it is a unique card?

Doom is a good card to have especially when dealing with spamming faction like Dark Eldar but I think experience players know how to work around the card and is careful not to over-commit on the first planet. T However, with Gun Drone you have in your deck that can provide Area Effect (2) and Ambush Platform, I believe this combo can help you deal with the pesky Khymera (as long the cards are not at the bottom of the deck).

Just curious, how does your decks fare against DE control decks?  The reason I asked because majority of the players in my meta-group are inclined to play this faction and I feel boring if I join the herd.

I can't have two copies of Front Launch Bay, but having two in the deck increases the chances of me drawing one early.  Though it is pretty low on my list of things to switch Superiority with since I don't have a lot of issues with resources.  As you mentioned, Gun Drones are how I deal with spam decks.  I try and get them onto ranged units so I even have the chance to attack first (kind of the point of the deck).  It's the main reason I haven't felt the need to include Doom in my deck.  I think I'm going to try switching Superiority for Deception or Fire Warrior Strike team and test it out both ways.

So far I have done quite well against DE and Eldar control decks.  These are the situations where I find Superiority the most useful since they are some of the only factions that can compete with me during the Command phase.  It's these match ups that make me consider to keeping Superiority.

I see you've removed Even the Odds (despite your praise for it in the deck description still, LOL!) Did you find it wasn't working out well? Do you miss it now? Since you're so much about digging for attachments, what about Swordwind Farseer as a sort of extra Earth Caste Technician? I like the idea overall, though!

Lol, nice catch on Even the Odds.  I must have missed that comment when I was updating the description.  I do still like the card, but it just didn't quite make the cut.  Tau have a lot of great cards, so choosing what stays in and what goes is very difficult.  I do miss Even the Odds though, I had a lot of great plays with it.  I've just found that I have had more success with Deception.  I would love Swordwind Farseer in the deck, but unfortunately it is a loyal card so I cannot add it to my Tau deck.

Cool deck, still think it's rather heavy on the heavy drops. Nontheless seems good to me, has the potential to dominate heavy in the mid to lategame if your not running behind to much on Resources and Cards.

Still is a great deck.

I suppose the Survivalists will make way for the Bork'an Recruits.

I have been busy working on my Ku'gath deck so I haven't had a chance to revisit this one.  The biggest issue I've run into so far is having difficulty affording both Prelate and Stingwing Swarm.  I've had a lot of good plays with Prelate, but the idea of this deck is ranged so they may have to go.  From the newest pack I like the look of Bork'an Recruits and probably a wolf or two so those will be the first cards I start messing around with in here.

Good to hear you included the Bork'an Recruits over the Prelate. I fully understand this might not be the card you want for this deck and also feel it has a better place in the Aggro Aun'Shi that will be here soon enough. As for the Wolves, my best guess would be to cut a single card for 1, because of the inclusion of the Ranged cards I don't feel you would need it as much. As to me the Wolf seems to be an anti-Ranged card (in a way, not truly limited to that function only mind you).

I'm going to start experimenting around with the wolves this week.  My biggest concern is what to cut for them.  This deck has gone through a lot of revisions and refinement and I feel that every card has a solid role.  With the amount of Ranged I have I'm not even convinced that I will get a lot of benefit from Wolf since it doesn't really fill any holes in the deck.

Im also not confinced it will add much, as stated. Personally for a tournament I would keep it this way but for casual play you could consider dropping RIF. However I still feel that the Wolf only has a real use for SM, who lack Ranged units. If you got Ranged units like the above the added effect is minimal.

- Fire Warrior Elite, + Void Pirates, and this is basically the Tau deck I play.

- Fire Warrior Elite, + Void Pirates, and this is basically the Tau deck I play.

Also a solid option. Altough I do have to say, that Tau, in special vs Orks should not commit to heavy onto X/1 bodies.

An initial Dakka Dakka Dakka! can wreck Tau more as a midgame Dakka Dakka Dakka! vs Dark Eldar.

How are the most recent revisions working for you? Specifically I'm most interested in your thought on Eldritch Corsair. 

Oops, I must have missed your comment @MadMagician sorry about that.  Eldritch Corsair is been working very well for me.  It helps add a bit more firepower without necessarily needing attachments.

So how are those XV88's working out?

So far I've been really liking them.  It's definitely a late game card, but it has secured some victories for me.  It's definitely worth the 6 resources.  I haven't decided yet if it's worth keeping 2 copies of though or just reducing it to 1.  I'm definitely removing Tense Negotiations though.  It doesn't work well at all with this deck.  I'll try and get it updated soon.

I can definitely say this, Shadowsun is much more difficult to pilot than Ragnar (or SM in general) so it will probably take a bit of practice.  The biggest problem I had with 2 XV88, is that it's an expensive card that I want to only see late game.  It also doesn't focus on the gunline build that I built this deck around (lots of ranged).  I can see running 2 of them though, the difficult decision would be what I would cut.  I would not recommend cutting Stingwing Swarm, it's a very strong card in this deck archetype and you want as much ranged as possible.  Switching Corsairs for Warlocks though isn't a bad idea.  I'll be honest, the main reason I chose Corsairs over Warlock Destructors is because the destructors are in my Dark Eldar deck.  However, Corsairs aren't as costly to keep around so are better targets for attachments than destructors, so there is a bit more reasoning than just unavailability.

As for Carnivore Packs, they're not too bad of a card, but there is no way I'm cutting anything that is currently in my deck for them,  Their stats are only decent and they have no command icons at all.  The only bonus they have is they are "free" since I get the resources back when they die.  In a lot of ways this is anti-synergetic with Shadowsun's attachment focus since you won't want to put attachments on them since you want them to die.  However, it just gives your opponents even more reason not to attack them and focus your units that have attachments.

Another thing that is important with a gunline build is you have to plan out your deployments carefully.  You're not shooting to take every planet, just snipe the ones needed to win.  In order to take advantage of the ranged keyword you need to have your ranged units ready at the planet for the beginning of the battle.  This means that when you are trying to bring units for HQ to a planet, it will rarely be to the first planet.  On a final note, Gunline builds have become a bit more dangerous in the face of Warlord hunting decks.  Where you are committing your warlord is normally much more obvious than in other decks, leaving your vulnerable to Warlords like Ragnar.  It's still possible to beat Ragnar with the deck, I have done it, but it is definitely a bad match up.