
In the 9th Edition Tau Codex it is written, that you can equip the XV8 Crisis Battlesuits with 3 items from the weapon and supporting system lists. I don’t know the answer to that question, but I like that we have it ask it now. Adjusting the points of one of the only good options, doesnt make the others good, it just lets you take less of the good stuff.Shield Drones were the core of the Tau Army for the same reasons 9 Flyers were the core of Craftworld armies or 15 Maelific Lords were the core of Chaos armies.It’s precisely the reason they needed to go up even more, or better yet, get a fundamental rules-re-write like Ynnari.Only if the rest of the army go down in point by quite a bit.You forget a fundamental problem in your comparison : unlike your examples, Tau don’t have serious other options. It shouldn’t be at all surprising, then, that some of these points changes look at least somewhat arbitrary. If you want some strong, accurate shooting and your bored of the Riptide, the Tiger Shark could be worth a look.Let’s take a brief look at a couple of the weapons I mentioned above. Grots, Kabalites, Neophytes, Kabalites, and Cultists were rarely the core of their respective armies, and most of them went up less (either in relative or absolute points) than Shield Drones did.That said, it’s not a hard job to replace them with Gun or Marker Drones instead, but it does mean a certain amount of retooling- especially as Tau simply cannot play as they once did, focusing on kills while ceding the board in the early game.I strongly doubt people are going to optimize Commanders to try and maximize one objective, because that means giving up a lot of other potential options for shooting- most of them, in fact. In 9th, the Tiger Shark will rule the skies with impunity.Unlike the Ghostkeel, the Tiger Shark doesn’t give T’au players new, interesting options to play the mission.

I have a feeling it simply won’t be enough to give Tau any kind of decent board presence, but it is at least some kind of starting point.I wonder if Stealth Suits are poised for a comeback. Maybe can be usefull properly supported for Riptides and CommandersStealth Suits can’t shoot in combat, which differentiates them from the Ghostkeel being on the objectives immediately isn’t of much value if you can’t actually defend them, since at that point you’re just giving the enemy easy charge targets and ways to lock themselves into combat.They are reasonably durable, but if people are bringing guns to kill Primaris, they get caught in the crossfire and they are _significantly_ more expensive than an Intercessor or the like.You are right, but I will give them a try together with Ghostkeel.
