Ooh, didn't realise that SG forums had found a new home - and the Tau rules wrestled away from those well meaning dullards at Forgeworld! Hurrah! Also good to see some things never change even after 4 years - Blackhorizon still pushing the whole 'sleek models = fast and maneuverable' line
Lessee - comments on the proposed list. You'll forgive me if I use a lot of comparison to the list I helped make (henceforth referred to as the 2006 list), but while it was very much design by committee (and so a bit of a hodgepodge of compromises) I think it did manage to get some interesting concepts in.
Custodian - One of the concepts I really liked in the 2006 list was the command and control element of this ship in the form of it's umbrella of tracking systems - I think it really fit with the model (that big disc-like section just screams fleet-coordination to me), was a very Tau-like concept and elevated the Custodian from being just a big carrier (boring!).
Warden - Ah my favourite little ship! Well needless to say I'm sticking to my guns and going with the 2006 list's ubercool twin ion-cannon on fixed mounts. I would however, include a special rule stating that the Ion cannon require a successful reload ordnance to fire again (ignoring doubles), the intention being that such small craft simply don't have the power to charge the Ion Cannons as swiftly as larger vessels. I think this really fits in well with the Tau military thinking too, with players encouraged to consider where that first powerful full strength ion cannon volley from their Warden sqns will have the most impact, knowing that any follow-up strike next turn will have to do without lock-on at best (not to mention the inevitable casualties!).
Emissary - Great to see the grav-hook option! Limiting Wardens to Custodians in all-FW fleets would be pretty foolish. Definitely a tough ship to get right this one though, when you try to pack in the Tau's typically diverse weapons systems into such a small ship they end up looking individually weak for their points. That plus light cruisers are always tough to justify compared to regular cruisers which are obviously should be better suited to the battle-lines. I think the 2006 list's Emissary was overpowered for its points and a little too tough with the 2nd shield.
The proposed Emissary is getting there although I'd still drop a launch bay to keep points down - vital given its fragility (yeah there's two on the model but they're pretty small!!!). I still say yes to 45° turns - Tau have their multiple fire-arcs so making it too easy to turn takes away some of the challenge in playing Tau. (lols you know there's been too much BFG forum discussion when you still remember the alt-numpad shortcut for the degrees sign 4 years later). Keeping the points down is another reason I think the Custodian Tracking Systems of the 2006 list work so well : it allows you to keep the points in the big Custodians while stripping as much as possible so the fragile Emissaries are better balanced. Plus the Emissaries sticking close to the Custodians while Protectors are assigned a prowling hunter-killer role is a fairly cool image.
Orbital City - Cmon give it grav-hooks! Wardens and Orcas make great little planetary defense ships.
