It's always a tough call (particularly for my Tau army I'm finding) in getting the right balance between direct firepower units and support units. By support units I mean units that (for their points cost) don't add that much to the armies firepower but are essential in allowing the main firepower units to deal the most damage.
Support units for the Tau are split into two main types, ones which delay the enemy from getting to the Tau firepower units (such as Kroot bubble wraps, and piranha vehicle blocking), and units which make the Tau firepower even deadlier (mainly markerlights).
A third type of support is defensive wargear (such as drones, iridium armour, stims etc.). All three types of support must be balanced with the amount of firepower in the Tau army. To much support and it takes too much away from the army's firepower and you can't delay the enemy for ever and they either reach you or the army are shot down because it couldn't weaken the enemy force enough. Too little support and the enemy can get to the firepower units quickly and (particularly with too little defensive wargear) enemy firepower will start to kill the Tau firepower much too quickly.
One area I'm concerned about in my Tau army is the fast attack choices. Up till recently I've been using 2 units of 6 pathfinders. Recently I've been trying out piranhas (by dropping one unit of pathfinders and upping the remaining one to 8 models). When I tried to come up with a list containing two units of pathfinders and a squadron of two piranhas it really seemed like it took too much firepower away from the rest of the list. Yesterday thought I'd draft a list using one of unit of pathfinders (no piranhas) and the amount of firepower in the list looked down right scary.
So I'll open it up to you, how much markerlight and piranhas are too much (for a 1750 pt army) ?
Must get back to my painting, my new crisis suit unit is almost done :)
Rathstar
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