Today We just played a quick battle, where I tried to use the sweet XV8s with fusion blasters against armoured targets with no use. Let's see what happened:
My army list:
HQ:
Shas'vre with plasma, MP, MT, HW-DC, PR, 2 Shield drones
2 bodyguards with plasma, MP, TA, HW-MT
Elite:
XV8 team leader, TL-FB, TA, HW-DC 2 shield drones
XV8 TL-FB, TA
2*XV8 TL-MP, TA (favourite type of XV8, the Deathrains)
Troop:
2* 6 Fire warrior in Devilfish with DP (usual troop choice)
Heavy:
HH+BC+RG+MT+DP (my usual HH)
He had a land raider, 2 razorbacks with linked lascannons, 2*5 space marines, 5 terminators, 6 scouts, one with a missile launcher, and a Master of the Forge with his conversion beamer which I really hate.
I guess I should make photos about the battles because this way It's really hard to explain clearly what happened, so I'll just roughly explain what happened.
We played seize ground, with 4 points and rolled spearhead. I deployed only my HQ, Hammerhead and my Deathrains, He deployed his Land raider and one Razorback standing together with his MOF attached to the scouts in a ruin (3+ because of the MOF) controlling a point.
In the first round We did nothing, noone could do nothing, not even a wound or a crew shaken.
In the second round I called in my FB XV8s near the Land Raider, which was a mishap, and he replaced my XV8s to the farest corner from his tanks. He came in with only his terminators, eliminating my Deathrains with a concentrated fire from everything.
3rd round one of my DF came in, sneaking near the side of the table to one of the farer points... Because of the terminators I turned back with my HQ and didn't try to outflank that damn razorback with its lascannon in the 3+ cover, but attacked the terminators.
From here things started to get fast so I don't remember clearly, but my HHs railgun got blown up (not inflicting a single wound or crew shaken) my second devilfish and his second razorback came in, I got my FB squad terminated, my HQ running and controlling 2 points, while he controlled one and contested one with my useless HH. In the 7th round I gave up, when I only had one control point, I've been near another one but standing in a crater with 3 fire warriros who survived the destruction of my DF (of 4 armour saves, I rolled 3 1s...) and that broken HH of mine.
Another loss for the great Tau Empire!
What did I learn? That tau don't have Leadership, and tend to run off the table, that HHs can't be used against tanks and that deep striking is a risky thing. I'm not sure my command squad is the best, I have to rethink that... Just the usual stuff. What do You think?