Hey man,
my Tau are even weaker then his and still balanced. If you get a chance to do WYSIWYG and keep a balanced fleet you must and should follow that path.
IN cruisers have 3 torps slits per side on the prow = 6.
And IN battery module is str6. You know, where the Desolator fires staggered, battery modules fire doubled.
This:
Protector
turns 90*
hits 6
armour 6+/5+ (PD)
turrets 3
shields 2
prow battery str 4 @ 45cm - F
port battery str 2 @ 45cm - F
starboard battery str.2 @45cm - F
port Ion str.1 @ 30cm - LF
starboard Ion str.1. 30cm - RF
1 Keel Launch bay (but to no rewrite crit hit table it is dorsal).
4 prow missiles.*
- Internal tracking systems
* PDD rules has it at str4 missiles on phase III variant, but 5 we'll be good as well.
That is weaker then the draft Protector, and yet at 190 pts balanced (I used it tested it played it).
If you raise gunnery on the ship, LB has to go down, since there is only 1 LB on the ship it makes sense anyway.
So I fully support Nate/flybywire and the HA on the Tau route. It is great!!!
Yes, tweaks needed, but not on the Protector.