| Revision as of 15:20, 18 September 2008 editDataSnake (talk | contribs)40 edits fixed markerlight internal link← Previous edit | Revision as of 15:37, 18 September 2008 edit undoThumperward (talk | contribs)Administrators122,814 edits revert. this mass of fancruft is under AfD for a reason; if it were worth merging a non-trivial portion of it, there would be consensus to do so on the AfDNext edit → | ||
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| The Tau homeworld and the sept T'olku are both regarded to have the wisest ethereals. | The Tau homeworld and the sept T'olku are both regarded to have the wisest ethereals. | ||
| =====Human (''Gue'vesa'')===== | |||
| '''Gue'vesa''' ("Human Helper") is the name the ] give to the humans who have joined their empire. After the Damocles Gulf Crusade, many ] were stranded in Tau-controlled regions of space after being abandoned by the Imperium. ] helped them by giving these humans the option of joining the Tau Empire, an offer that most accepted. | |||
| In a Ciaphas Cain novel, there are a large number of people who can be considered Gue'vesa, as they support the Tau Empire over the Imperium, even though the world in question is still under the jurisdiction of the Imperium. | |||
| ======Special Rules====== | |||
| The descendants of the humans that joined the Tau Empire now maintain colonies on the edges of Tau space, and are often recruited as auxiliaries in the Tau army. The Gue'vesa are capable of producing copies of the Imperial lasgun to defend themselves, and in times of war may be armed with more advanced Tau weaponry such as pulse rifles, pulse carbines, and ]. These small units of humans are reviled and viewed as traitors by most members of the ]. As a result, in game terms, any Imperial units attacking Gue'vesa gain a bonus in close combat. | |||
| ======Conquered Human Worlds====== | |||
| Tau continuously establish new colonies and if new world already populated with humans, they do not exterminate them, unlike any other galaxy race, including humans. That proves that they really believe in unity and peace(the Greater Good). Tau think that you can believe in whatever you want, but must be loyal to concept of Greater Good. | |||
| ====Tau Language==== | ====Tau Language==== | ||
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| On a strategic level, the Tau tactics are best described as cautious and patient. They prefer to avoid wars of attrition, and will concentrate their efforts elsewhere if an enemy seems determined to hold a specific position. | On a strategic level, the Tau tactics are best described as cautious and patient. They prefer to avoid wars of attrition, and will concentrate their efforts elsewhere if an enemy seems determined to hold a specific position. | ||
| ====Fire Caste Markings==== | =====Fire Caste Markings===== | ||
| The use of Sept colours harks back to the warpaint of old and is used to distinguish teams of the same type. Displayed using stripes, these markings will be found in the same place (e.g. helmet and/or weapon) for all members of the same team. | The use of Sept colours harks back to the warpaint of old and is used to distinguish teams of the same type. Displayed using stripes, these markings will be found in the same place (e.g. helmet and/or weapon) for all members of the same team. | ||
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| *T'au - Skull White. | *T'au - Skull White. | ||
| *Vior'la - Their famous hot-blooded nature is reflected in the red rank marking. | *Vior'la - Their famous hot-blooded nature is reflected in the red rank marking. | ||
| ===Infantry=== | |||
| Most of the infantry in a Tau army is the Fire Warriors. The models are packaged with pulse rifles, and enough pulse carbines to equip about a quarter of them. However, the rules of the table-top game allow for an entire squad to be equipped with carbines. Kroot rifles are equipped to Kroot mercenaries allied with the Tau. A Shaper (the leader of a Kroot team) may be assembled with a pulse weapon by a player. Infantry are never equipped with heavy weapons, and only a soldier wearing a battlesuit is likely to be able to destroy a vehicle. A line-trooper must use a ] to call in a missile strike. | |||
| ====Standard Weapons==== | |||
| Standard equipment for line-troopers is intended to allow for a single team of Fire Warriors to lay down a powerful salvo at long range, and to blanket the enemy with fire at closer ranges. When Fire Warriors are deployed in large numbers, they are able to fire on almost any infantry unit with good effect. | |||
| =====Pulse Weapons===== | |||
| Tau equip their Shas’la, the general infantry of the ], almost exclusively with either a pulse rifle or pulse carbine. The weapon propels a particle with an induction field, and the particle breaks down into a plasma pulse by the time it has left the barrel. <ref>Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Tau Empire. Hoare, Andy. 2005, Games Workshop, Nottingham. ISBN 1-84154-712-3</ref> Both rifles and carbines are notable for their exceptional strength as standard weapons, and rifles also have a longer range than most basic weapons. Pulse carbines trade range for greater mobility and a ] launcher. <ref>Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Tau Empire. Hoare, Andy. 2005, Games Workshop, Nottingham. ISBN 1-84154-712-3</ref> | |||
| ====Special equipment==== | |||
| The Tau employ two kinds of grenades. One style, EMP grenades, is used in an anti-vehicle role similar to that of other armies, and is usually the only anti-armor weapon available to troops. The other kind of grenade is used in a manner opposite that of other armies’ anti-personnel grenades. Photon grenades are meant to slow a charging enemy, rather than force enemies down when charging. Photon grenades may be thrown by hand or fired from the launcher on a pulse carbine. | |||
| Tau infantry do not carry as much equipment as other infantry in Warhammer 40,000. Normally, only a team leader will carry extra equipment, including a bonding knife or drones. | |||
| The leader of a Fire Warrior team may be a Shas’ui, one rank higher than the others, and will have access to more options. These include hard-wired systems normally available only to warriors in battlesuits, such as a drone controller to allow the leader to command robotic allies, as well as items that allow more versatility in shooting. | |||
| A well-known piece of special equipment is a bonding knife. A bonding knife is not meant for combat, and is purely ceremonial. It is used when a team performs a ritual after serving with each other for some time. The ritual, called the Ta’lissera, is akin to marriage in that it is a sacred union of Fire Warriors who have been brought together by battle. | |||
| Any Tau with a ] may use robotic drones. They are not particularly powerful, but they can block weapons fire. When grouped together, they may operate independently for long periods. Drones are available in many forms, the most common being Gun Drones and Shield Drones, though Sniper Drones and Marker Drones are not a rare sight. | |||
| ====Other Infantry Weapons==== | |||
| A few infantry in the Tau forces may be equipped with special weapons, usually to fit a particular battlefield role, or simply because the character is entitled to a weapon based on rank. | |||
| A pulse pistol is a pulse weapon issued to personnel for desperate situations. It is just as powerful as the pulse rifle or carbine, but it has less than half the range. | |||
| Ethereals, the Tau leaders, may carry an honour blade. Honour blades consist of a lightweight metal shaft with a broad blade fixed to each end. While they are normally used in bloodless, stylized duels, the honour blade is used in sweeping movements that make the edge nearly invisible, making it a deadly weapon. An Ethereal using an honour blade can fight as though he had much greater strength. | |||
| Rail rifles are a new asset in the ]. They utilize the same technology as the railguns on Broadside battlesuits and Hammerhead tanks. Rail rifles are used only by Pathfinders and Sniper Drones, and Pathfinders may not use markerlights if they have rail rifles. | |||
| =====Markerlights===== | |||
| Markerlights are simple lasers used to guide other weapons. They are most often carried by pathfinders or marker drones. A squad cannot take advantage of a markerlight fired from their own squad, unless it is a networked markerlight, which is larger, found on marker drones, Skyray missile boats, and with sniper team spotters. Markerlights may be used to make another unit more accurate, fire at a target that is not visible during the night, reduce the effect of cover, or suppress a unit more effectively. A markerlight may also be used to direct a ], a capable anti-armor weapon. This is the only anti-armor option for most infantry, as they are not allowed to carry heavy weapons<ref>Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Tau Empire. Hoare, Andy. 2005, Games Workshop, Nottingham. ISBN 1-84154-712-3</ref>. | |||
| =====Allied Weapons===== | |||
| ======Kroot Rifle====== | |||
| Kroot Carnivores carry Kroot rifles, simple slug throwers modified by the Tau. They have blades fitted to the muzzle and stock, so that the Kroot may use them as two weapons in close combat, which is their primary role. | |||
| A larger caliber than the Kroot rifle, a Kroot gun must be mounted on a Krootox, a beast of burden. The Kroot gun is effective against some vehicles. | |||
| Vespid Stingwings carry a hybrid of Tau and Vespid technology, the neutron blaster. They are a Tau neutron projector mounted with a crystal from planet Vespid. Only a Vespid can use the weapon, as the ultrasonic tone from their wings helps to stabilize the crystal. | |||
| ===Battlesuits=== | |||
| Battlesuits are ] built to mount a wide array of weapons and support gear. Battlesuits are considered infantry rather than walkers, a type of vehicle, despite their size and appearance. The reason for the distinction is that a soldier wears a battlesuit, rather than piloting it. Battlesuits can be found in several varieties. | |||
| ====Crisis Suits==== | |||
| The XV8 Crisis suit is a versatile and very powerful weapons platform. The suits are worn by teams of Shas’ui troopers who have moved up from the Shas’la rank, sometimes led by a Shas’vre, one rank above Shas’ui, or a Shas’ui who is designated as the team leader. An XV8 is equipped with a jet pack, which allows Crisis suits to use a tactic unique to the Tau: Crisis suits will use their jet packs to dash out of cover, fire their weapons, and then move back before they can be fired upon. | |||
| =====Model===== | |||
| A Crisis suit is sold as a plastic model, usually in boxes of a single suit. The model is sold with weapons and support systems, which must be glued onto the shoulders or arms. It is roughly twice the size of a Tau Fire Warrior, the standard infantryman. | |||
| =====Crisis Suit Weapons===== | |||
| Battlesuits are always equipped with three weapons or support systems. They may be taken in almost any combination, allowing battlesuits to take on nearly any role in the battle field, and when equipped properly, more than one. | |||
| ======Anti-infantry====== | |||
| *An '''airbursting fragmentation projector''' weapon fires bomblets over a wide area, which fragment upon detonation. Because of the fragmentation, the weapon negates the benefits of cover. This weapon is currently available through special issue, as it is going through field testing. | |||
| *A '''burst cannon''' uses the same technology as a pulse weapon. It is a four-barreled weapon mounted on battlesuits and vehicles, with a much higher rate of fire but only the range of the carbine. | |||
| *Similar in nature to the ion cannon mounted on Hammerhead tanks, a '''cyclic ion blaster''' is meant to eliminate large counts of weak infantry. It generates a stream of ion radiator, which is released through the four barrels. The unstable nature of the ion radiation means that some shots will be far more powerful than others, capable of penetrating vehicle armor. | |||
| *Using the same unstable plasma technology as other races, a '''plasma rifle''' is a slightly less powerful form that has the benefit of user safety. Still, the plasma rifle remains a potent weapon for combating heavy infantry, including the thickly armoured ]. It is usable against some vehicles, but only the lightest of skimmers, unless a Crisis suit can maneuver to the rear of a vehicle to hit the thinner armour. | |||
| *Akin to a conventional flamethrower, a '''flamer''' is very useful in close-quarters combat. It is capable of hitting large numbers of troops, but it is effective only against light infantry, being much weaker than other Tau weapons. | |||
| ======Anti-armor====== | |||
| *One of the most powerful weapons available to the Tau, a '''fusion blaster''' is limited by its short range. Primarily designed as an anti-tank weapon, a Crisis suit that gets close enough is almost guaranteed to penetrate even the thickest hull. | |||
| *A simple missile launcher, a '''missile pod''' is capable of taking down light vehicles, and occasionally medium tanks. It is also effective against medium-armored infantry. | |||
| =====Support Systems===== | |||
| Battlesuits gain a large part of their ability from the support systems they carry. They can enhance many aspects of a battlesuit. Some systems are available in a hard-wired form, as cybernetic implants or jewelry, but only to higher ranking soldiers or team leaders. | |||
| *Essentially a set of gyroscopes and sensors, a battlesuit with an '''advanced stabilization system''' can remain somewhat mobile even while firing heavy weapons. This system is useful only to Broadside battlesuits in most cases, as Crisis suits do not carry heavy weapons and can compensate for light recoil. | |||
| *A '''blacksun filter''' is simply a set of night vision equipment, and is available in hard-wired form. | |||
| *An advanced communication suite, a '''command and control node''' helps a leader direct nearby troops. | |||
| *A '''drone controller''' allows the user to direct Gun, Marker, or Shield drones. It is available as a hard-wired system. | |||
| *A '''multi-tracker''' is a firing controller that lets a battlesuit fire two weapons at once. It can be hard-wired. | |||
| *A '''positional relay''' helps to move reserve units into combat more reliably, but more slowly. | |||
| *A '''shield generator''' projects a protective field around the battlesuit. | |||
| *A '''target lock''' allows a warrior to fire at a target different from the rest of the squad. | |||
| *A '''targeting array''' is an advanced suite of equipment that aids the user’s aim. | |||
| *A set of additional maneuvering thrusters, '''vectored retro-thrusters''' allow a battlesuit to escape close combat. | |||
| =====Battlesuit Wargear===== | |||
| Battlesuits that are worn by team leaders will often have access to wargear, which includes hard-wired support systems and upgrades to the battlesuit. | |||
| ====XV88 Broadside Battlesuit==== | |||
| A Broadside is a Crisis ] fitted with much heavier weapons and armor, in exchange for the jet pack. They are equipped with a twin-linked railgun, which is capable of penetrating any armor, and a smart missile system. Both weapons are normally found only on the Tau ], the ]. The smart missile system may be replaced with a twin-linked plasma rifle. | |||
| =====Model===== | |||
| A Broadside looks just like a Crisis suit, except that the arms are replaced with missile racks, it has very large, rectangular ]s on its shoulders, and the thrusters of the jet pack are covered with ] for the ]s. | |||
| ====Stealth Suits==== | |||
| A stealth suit is designed to move rapidly toward the enemy undetected. The original XV15 suit was used in an anti-infantry role, armed with a ]. The newer XV25 suit is significantly larger, and looks more like a vehicle than the XV15, which was a close-fitting suit of armor, but is still much smaller than a Crisis suit. The XV25 is capable of mounting a ] to take on an anti-vehicle role. | |||
| =====Model===== | |||
| An XV15 is roughly the size of a standard infantryman, with a little extra height and bulk added by the armor. One of the arms is replaced by the burst cannon. An XV25 is noticeably larger and bulkier, with a somewhat less form-fitting appearance, and the burst cannon or fusion blaster is slung under the arm, rather than in its place. | |||
| ===Armoured fighting vehicles=== | |||
| ====Devilfish==== | |||
| ] and Fire warrior]] | |||
| Devilfish are the basic vehicle of the Tau Empire. Tough and durable, they are used as APCs, with room for 12 passengers. The Devilfish also carries a burst cannon and a pair of gun drones, and has three entrance doors. The drones may be replaced by a single Smart Missile System to provide heavier fire support. | |||
| The Devilfish is a central part of the tactic many Tau players have called the "Fish of Fury". In this maneuver, a Devilfish loaded with Fire warriors comes close to an enemy squad, disembarking its passengers just within the 12" needed for the Fire warriors to use the "Rapid Fire" rule, with the Devilfish providing extra assistance. With the Devilfish between the Fire warriors and the enemy squad, it is nearly impossible for most surviving units of the target squad to get within assault range of the Fire Warriors, and the next turn, the Tau player can try to finish the enemy off, or withdraw the squad to a safer location. | |||
| Other Tau vehicles are modeled on the Devilfish's chassis. Many box sets for the other vehicles will in fact have all the sprues needed to build a Devilfish, along with the separate special sprues for the other vehicle's major parts. Many players take advantage of this and do not glue the specific parts for each vehicle on, allowing them to switch out a Hammerhead or Skyray for a Devilfish should the need arise. | |||
| In '']'' the Devilfish uses stealth field technology similar to that used by Stealth Battlesuits; however, this is not supported by any ] literature. | |||
| ====Hammerhead==== | |||
| ] | |||
| The Hammerhead is the Tau Empire's main battle tank. Based on the Devilfish chassis, it has considerably reinforced armour and mounts either an ion cannon or a railgun on its turret. It also carries either a pair of burst cannons or a smart missile system in its drone bays. | |||
| Based on the hull design of the Devilfish, the '''Hammerhead Gunship''' is the main battle tank of the Tau Empire. The troop carrying ability of the Devilfish is removed, as the space is needed for the complex generators and capacitors required to power the Hammerhead's turret weapon. Early models of the Hammerhead were armed with twin-linked weapons similar to those used by Crisis Suits, but scaled up in size, range, and power. Advances in weapons technology replaced these weapons with a single ] or ]. These alternate armaments are available as conversion kits by ]. | |||
| ====Piranha==== | |||
| The Piranha light skimmer is a vehicle originally designed and sold by Forge World, but was fully incorporated into the official Tau army list in the 4th edition Tau Empire Codex, and re-released as a plastic model by Games Workshop. | |||
| The Piranha is a light infantry support vehicle designed to work alongside the hunter cadres, especially on frontier worlds. They can also be used as transports for important figures in the Tau community. The Piranha has room for two fire warriors and two drones. It is armed with either a burst cannon or fusion blaster. | |||
| The '''Piranha Light Skimmer''' is a small, fast, lightly armoured, two-person vehicle used in a number of roles including scouting, support, rapid response, and VIP transport. They are deployed in squads of up to five craft and are armed with a pair of ]s and a ] or a ]. Upgrades to the Piranha give it better protection for the cockpit, and replace the central weapon and drones with a variety of weapons, including rail rifles. | |||
| ====Skyray==== | |||
| The Skyray is the hunter cadre's first line of defence against aircraft. Another Devilfish-based tank, it has the same options as the Hammerhead in its drone bays, but carries six seeker missiles and a networked markerlight designator on its turret. | |||
| A variant of the Hammerhead Gunship, the '''Skyray Missile Defence Gunship''' is armed with a turret mounted array of six ]s that can be launched by the vehicle's crew or by Fire Warrior teams equipped with ]s. Missiles fired from the '''Skyray''' have especially large range and accuracy. It is also armed with either a pair of ]s, ]s, or a ]. | |||
| A rumored variant of the Skyray, known as the '''Stingray''', carries more and heavier missiles, and seems to be primarily deployed only in larger-scale battles. | |||
| Like the Piranha, the Skyray was originally designed by Forge World, then later made official in the 4th Edition of the game. | |||
| ====Tetra==== | |||
| The '''Tetra''' is a light skimmer rarely used by Pathfinders as an alternative to the Devilfish. Like the Piranha, it is a two-tau vehicle, but with lighter armor, and is armed with a pair of mounted pulse rifles and a Markerlight. | |||
| Tetras are only available through Forge World as resin kits. | |||
| ===Aircraft=== | |||
| All Tau Aircraft are only available as resin models from Forge World. | |||
| ====Barracuda Superiority Fighter==== | |||
| The most numerous fighter in the Tau Navy, often used to support the Fire Caste in battle. The Barracuda is typically armed with an Ion cannon mounted off-center on the nose, and a pair of missile pods. Mounted on each wing is a burst cannon independently controlled by an AI similar to those used in Gun Drones. It may also carry seeker missiles for use by ground troops. In one on one engagements the Barracuda is slightly better than its Imperial equivalents the Thunderbolt and Lightning. However the lack of combat experience of Tau pilots usually balances this out, making for a very even match. | |||
| ====Manta Missile Destroyer==== | |||
| The '''Manta Missile Destroyer''' is a versatile ship capable of operating in space or in the air. It is often used in space to support the Tau Fleet as a bomber, or as a landing craft to transport an entire hunter Cadre on to the ground, complete with vehicles, and, if need be, to support them in battle. Armed with massive Railcannons that fire drone-guided rounds, a battery of Ion Cannons, missiles, and burst cannons for defense, a Manta is a formidable opponent to any force on the ground. | |||
| Tau Mantas were deployed towards the end of the Damocles Gulf Crusade to counter Imperial ] on Dal'yth, and managed to stalemate the giant war machines. | |||
| A smaller version of the Manta, called the '''Moray''', is used solely in a support function, and cannot carry troops. | |||
| Normally, a vehicle the size of a Manta would only be usable in large-scale games like ], but Forge World has designed a model of the Manta scaled for use in Warhammer 40,000, the largest single model ever designed by the company. To demonstrate its size, the Manta could easily fit 2 armed hammerhead gunships, 2 devilfishes, along with 8 battlesuits, an Ethereal and 48 Fire Warriors at the same time. | |||
| ====Orca Dropship==== | |||
| The '''Orca''' ] is a large craft used to transport up to 48 fire warriors, 8 gun drones, and an etheral onto the field. It can change 24 of the warriors for fewer, but larger troops, such as crisis suits. It is lightly armed for its size, carrying a twin-linked burst cannon and a missile pod coupled together on an underside-mounted retractable turret, for clearing enemy infantry and light vehicles from the drop zone. | |||
| A vehicle known as the '''Scorpionfish''' has also been seen in mass troop engagements. Based on the Orca's chassis, the Scorpionfish sacrifices its troop carrying capacity, as well as most of its flight capabilities, to carry a massive amount of missiles, including smart missiles and seeker and tracer missiles (a much larger and heavy type of seeker missile for anti-warmachine work). | |||
| The Orca was introduced in '']'', with a resin model being produced later for the Warhammer 40,000 and Epic tabletop games by Forge World. It also appears in ] but only in custscenes and scenery. | |||
| ====Tiger Shark Strike Craft==== | |||
| Essentially a heavier version of the Barracuda, the Tiger Shark is armed with nearly twice the armament of the smaller fighter. In addition, it carries an underside rack containing a large amount of gun drones, which it can drop on enemy positions in its wake. | |||
| A variant of the Tigershark, the ''AX-1-0'', replaces the Ion Cannons and drone storage racks with a pair of heavy Railguns, larger versions of the Hammerhead borne variety. This variant is primarily used by the Tau to assist in attacking large enemy war machines. They were first deployed against Imperial forces in the Taros Campaign, where their attack destroyed a Warhound titan and forced the rest of its battlegroup to retreat. | |||
| Another variant, the ''AX-2-2'', foregos the main weapons entirely to make room for a pair of Remora drone fighters. | |||
| ===Spacecraft=== | |||
| ====Gal'Leath (Explorer) Class Starship==== | |||
| The Explorer Class Starship was the cornerstone of the early Tau navy. It's massive phased warp drive allowed it to move through warp space at only a fifth the pace of its Imperial counterparts, but this speed was fast enough to facilitate the expansion of the Tau Empire in its fledgling steps outside of the core system. The Explorer could boast massive cargo capacity, extensive research facilities and the ability to serve as a mobile dock for semi-independent ships. Its cargo bays were also large enough to carry modular orbital units, waystations and even (more recently)message boats. It was the galleon of the Tau Empire and for nearly a hundred tau'cyr it was the only class of ship continually in production. During this time it moved from mark I to mark XXIII, benefiting from a succession of improvements and special adaptations. Conflict with the Orks was the class' death knell. It was not a specialist warship and its weaponry was incapable of keeping Terrorships and Killkroozers at a distance. Work on the Merchant class was accelerated. When it was complete production of the Explorer dropped 85%. There are, however, still a number in service. The most recently created Gal'Leath class is Dal'yth Gal'Leath Kessan, the first of the mark XXIV designs, and the flagship in an expedition launched by Aun'shi to research the Farsight Enclaves. It is unknown whether any further plans exist for continued support of this design. | |||
| ====Il'Fannor (Merchant) Class Starship==== | |||
| The Merchant class was originally developed to be the new workhorse of the empire. Its reactors were a fraction the size of the much larger Explorer's power plant but were capable of reaching a third of average warp speed, making them significantly faster. This was deemed essential to bind together the emergent Tau Empire. Conflict with the Orks caused significant revision of the design with field modifications that allowed virtually all of the cargo space to be converted to weapons systems if needed. The continued requirements of the fleet ensured that the Merchant class remained predominantly a warship until the Hero class was laid down. | |||
| ====Lar'Shi (Hero) Class Starship==== | |||
| The pinnacle of Tau technology, the Hero class was the product of Tau experience during the Damocles Gulf Crusade. The Tau were determined that they should have a ship that could match the Imperial Lunar class. As it became evident, they failed but they did succeed in producing a credible ship of the line in the Lar'shi. | |||
| ====Kir'Qath (Defender) Starship==== | |||
| Just as the Lar'shi is the Tau response to the Imperial Lunar Class, the Kir'Qath is their answer to the Imperial Sword class. The Kir'Qath is the only true escort in the Tau fleet and is used in squadrons to provide close support for the larger vessels. Its main weakness is the lengthy recharge time for its drives. It can make up to half a dozen warp dives in succession but will then be unable to do any more for at least a rot'aa. This means it is not suitable for scouting as it either travels slowly across interstellar space or risks being unable to retreat when it arrives. This can make it a liability in rapid fleet manoeuvres. Consequently, squadrons are spread through Tau space where heavier units can call upon them for support if required. | |||
| ====Skether'Qan (Messenger) Class Starship==== | |||
| The Messenger is the smallest self-sufficient Tau vessel. It mostly comprises a gravitic drive and a hold but it is occasionally used as a fleet scout as it is quite maneuverable and has unmatched data handling and communications facilities. These systems were soon adapted for combat applications. The Messenger's weaponry is purely intended to deter pursuit so in fleet actions it tends to stay close to a capital ship, helping against attack craft in return for protection against true warships. | |||
| ====Kass'L (Orca) Gunship==== | |||
| The Orca was designed to provide the Tau fleet with an Escort. Unable to build a drive light enough to produce a normal escort the Orca is transported within a capital ship's gravitic sheath. Once unleashed, however, it is a powerful gunship able to contend with any Imperial or Ork escort vessel. | |||
| ====Orbitals==== | |||
| The Tau have made extensive use of orbitals since their earliest forays in space. The Air caste had always been at the forefront of the conquest of the upper atmosphere and provided enthusiastic crews for the first orbitals. Many orbitals exist purely to provide homes for the Air Caste. Others are used for manufacturing and Trade. | |||
| Normally individual orbitals are assembled into arrays of up to five individual orbitals which are all linked together. | |||
| Waystations are distributed through the Tau Empire. These mark the main routes between Tau septs and are used to speed communications between outposts, since Tau cannot rely on Astropathic messengers. These waystations typically consist of a core orbital module, and a security module. | |||
| <!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> | |||
| ===Allied Vessels=== | |||
| ====Nicassar Dhows==== | |||
| Nicassar Dhows are small but elegant yachts that are propelled by the minds of the Nicassar themselves, who are powerful Psykers with particular mastery of telekinetic powers. These ships are very maneuverable but lack any practical interstellar capacity and until recently also lacked any notable firepower. Since being incorporated into the Tau Empire however the Weaponry of the Dhows, and all other Nicassar vessels, have been updated to Tau levels. | |||
| ====Kroot Warspheres==== | |||
| Unlike the Tau, the Kroot are capable of true warp travel but the exact method has been kept secret from their employers. | |||
| The famous Kroot Warspheres are self-contained towns wherein is kept the retained knowledge of Kroot technology and the choicest items they have received as payment for their services. As such they do not risk them in battle willingly and try to avoid direct action against warships unless the need is great or they are being exceptionally well rewarded. | |||
| Warspheres have a single drive running through their core from North to South pole and maoeuvering thrusters along their equator. These engines are reliable but very basic making Warspheres very slow. They are powerful enough to allow the Warsphere to land and take-off from a planet although the process is not elegant. When dirtside the manoeuvering thrusters will normally be used to bury the warsphere. | |||
| ====Demiurg 'Stronghold' Commerce Vessels==== | |||
| The Demiurg are an ancient and nomadic race known to have a deep reserve of hatred of the Orks. They work as mercenaries for various armies when seen at all, but seem to have a far closer relationship with the Tau. | |||
| The type classified as 'Stronghold' class is fairly typical of Demiurg vessels, being very large, technologically advanced, and extremely well powered. Strongholds appear to act as factory/processor vessels and bases for a fleet of intersystem asteroid mining pods, haulage flyers, and prospector probes (it is theorized that many of these are automated). Typically, lone strongholds have been encountered in the flare or mercurial zones of uninhabited star systems, hanging motionless and prow-on to the star with a cloud of small craft busily hustling to and fro to exploit local resources. | |||
| In most cases these ships withdraw their craft and disengage if challenged but in some instances have inexplicably turned on their attackers with surprising ferocity. It is worthy of note that every known encounter between Demiurg and Ork vessels has resulted in combat, and that renegade elements have often hired Demiurg vessels to fight as mercenaries in interplanetary and intersystem power struggles. As Warships, Demiurg vessels are slow but well defended, boasting considerable firepower at close ranges and the capacity for launching mining craft reconfigured as attack craft and torpedoes. | |||
| A notable trait of the Stronghold class is its employment of an array of electromagnetic fields around its prow to scoop up interstellar hydrogen. This is accelerated to the rear of the ship to provide motive power in a ram-jet effect but the complex shielding it requires evidently produces numerous other benefits. This process is little understood by the Adeptus Mechanicus and they would dearly like to secure an intact Stronghold for investigation but thus far the opportunity has eluded them. | |||
| ====Demiurg 'Bastion' Commerce Vessels==== | |||
| More common than the larger Stronghold Class, the Bastion is nonetheless only occasionally sighted in the giant vastness of wilderness space along the eastern rim of the galaxy. | |||
| Bastion class vessels appear to be more heavily configured for asteroid mining than the stately Stronghold, which is known to function as a factory/processor. Presumably resources and finished goods are exchanged between these vessels but there are no eye witness reports of such. Scattered reports by Rogue Traders indicate that a Bastion Class vessel is crewed by a 'brotherhood' and that Strongholds are homes to typically two or three brotherhoods, it is possible that Strongholds and Bastions form some extended affiliation but if this is the case each group must be widely scattered in different systems light years apart. The only exception to this is when the Demiurg muster for war, when two or three Bastions gather to protect each Stronghold. | |||
| As warships, Bastions compare to cruisers in most respects, though impressive lance turrets and battery firepower at close ranges make them a thorny prospect. As with the Stronghold class, Bastions have the capacity for launching mining craft and probes reconfigured as attack craft and torpedoes. | |||
| Also, like the Stronghold, the Bastion uses an electromagnetic field to scoop up interstellar hydrogen and accelerate it to the rear of the ship to provide motive power and energy for specialized cutting beams it employs for cracking asteroids or enemy ships. | |||
| ==Development== | ==Development== | ||
| Line 432: | Line 186: | ||
| ===Model design=== | ===Model design=== | ||
| Tau miniatures were designed to display the high-tech science fiction and robotic concepts that had resulted in the choosing of the Tau as the new army-race. The reflection of the Tau's high-technology status was reflected by the lack of cabling and links modeled onto the weapons; instead it was decided that these components were internally integrated. The Tau Infantry models, according to sculptor Jes Goodwin, were designed to have subtle influences taken from Chinese foot soldiers, while the Battlesuits and vehicles drew from anime style ]<ref name="whitedwarf262-1" />. The Tau vehicles are 'skimmers', however, the design brief specified that the Tau Tanks have an impression of being heavier and more solid than the ] ].<ref name="devilfish">{{cite journal|title=Making The ]|first=Graham last=McDeill|coauthors =Adcock, Tim|year=2001|month=October|journal=White Dwarf: Australian Edition|issue=262|id={{ISSN|0265-8712}}}}</ref> | Tau miniatures were designed to display the high-tech science fiction and robotic concepts that had resulted in the choosing of the Tau as the new army-race. The reflection of the Tau's high-technology status was reflected by the lack of cabling and links modeled onto the weapons; instead it was decided that these components were internally integrated. The Tau Infantry models, according to sculptor Jes Goodwin, were designed to have subtle influences taken from Chinese foot soldiers, while the ] and vehicles drew from anime style ]<ref name="whitedwarf262-1" />. The Tau vehicles are 'skimmers', however, the design brief specified that the Tau Tanks have an impression of being heavier and more solid than the ] ].<ref name="devilfish">{{cite journal|title=Making The ]|first=Graham last=McDeill|coauthors =Adcock, Tim|year=2001|month=October|journal=White Dwarf: Australian Edition|issue=262|id={{ISSN|0265-8712}}}}</ref> | ||
| == Notable characters == | == Notable characters == | ||
| Line 450: | Line 204: | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| *Galgs | *Galgs | ||
| * |
*] | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| Line 460: | Line 214: | ||
| *'']'' | *'']'' | ||
| **Tau are a playable race in the second expansion pack, '']'', released October 2006.<ref name="press1"></ref> | **Tau are a playable race in the second expansion pack, '']'', released October 2006.<ref name="press1"></ref> | ||
| ==See also== | |||
| *] | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 15:37, 18 September 2008
In the universe of Games Workshop's table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Tau are an alien race, inhabiting a small but dense region of space on the eastern edge of the Galaxy, roughly 300 light years in diameter. The Tau were first introduced to Warhammer 40,000 in late 2001, the result of Games Workshop's plan to introduce a new race to the game.
The Tau have advanced rapidly since their first encounter with the Imperium of Man in the 35th millennium, rising from a hunter-gatherer level of technology to a starfaring race in less than six thousand years. Tau society has also advanced rapidly, from warring tribes to a unified caste system working towards common goals, known by the Tau as Tau'va, The Greater Good.
As well as the five castes of the Tau, multiple alien species are incorporated into the Tau Empire; the most significant of these being the Kroot and Vespid although many other races, including the space faring Nicassar and the mercenary Tarellian Dog Soldiers are members. In addition, human auxiliaries (Gue'vesa in the Tau language) are sometimes seen to be aiding the Tau as well.
The Tau were the fourth army to receive a Codex updated for Fourth Edition rules (Codex: Tau Empire - Hoare, 2006). Additional rules for the Tau appear in a Forge World Imperial Armour rules supplement (Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign - Kinrade, 2005).
Fictional perspective
Physiology
The Tau's physiology is closely tied to their society, with the Tau of each caste effectively being a subspecies of the Tau race. This was initially a result of adaptation to suit the environment each group of the sub-Tau species found themselves in, although interbreeding between castes was later forbidden by the Ethereals.
The Tau are humanoid in shape, although they have hooved feet and four-digit hands (three fingers and one thumb). Their skin is grey-blue (although this can vary in pigmentation between worlds), rough in texture, leathery, and exudes almost no moisture. Their faces are flat, wide around the eyes, with an "I"-shaped indentation running from the centre of the forehead to where a human's nose would be. Tau vision is considered slightly superior to humans - their visual spectrum extends a little more into the ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths. However their pupils do not dilate giving poorer depth perception and slower focusing reflexes than Humans. The olfactory organs are inside the mouth. Physical strength and size varies between castes, with the Fire Caste being among the largest of the Tau.
Only two female Tau have ever been illustrated. The first, Commander Shadowsun, appeared to have a more human face than male Tau; being smoother and sleeker with larger eyes, a nose-like facial feature and a "Y" shaped facial slit. It is not known, however, whether Shadowsun is representative of all female Tau. The second, the subject of an imperial dissection, had the facial characteristics of a male Tau.
The Tau do not possess psykers (indeed, their minds barely register in the warp at all) and as a result have little knowledge of the Immaterium beyond its existence. This gives them some level of resistance to warp-based powers affecting the mind, but it offers little, if any, protection against physically-manifested offensive powers. They are largely unaware of the perils of the Immaterium and for this reason the Tau have conducted research into the Warp on Medusa V, however, the conclusion was reached that further research was unfeasible, and that "the Warp is no place for the Greater Good and is best left to those foolhardy races who cannot pull back from that terrible realm." Also with no other knowledge of the warp none of their starships are fitted with true "Warp Drives" meaning that all worlds the Tau have colonized are relatively close to one another.
Ethereal Caste members also have a diamond shaped bony ridge on their head. It is believed by Imperial scholars that they exert a pheromone-based control over the other castes, a theory supported by Ordo Xenos examinations of dead Tau Ethereals in the Games Workshop book Xenology.
History
The first contact the Imperium of Man had with the Tau occurred late in the 35th millennium, when an Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleet came across an inhabited star system in the Damocles Gulf. Studies of the life-supporting planet of this system, which would later come to be known as T'au, revealed an arid world with abundant xenodiversity. One species of savannah-dwellers had mastered the use of tools and fire, but the Adeptus Mechanicus teams decided that there was no worth in their continued existence, and T'au was marked for cleansing and colonisation. A colonisation fleet was dispatched, but freak warp storms destroyed the starships, and isolated the system for some time.
While the Age of Apostasy troubled the Imperium and its army, the primitive tool users that would one day become the Tau began to spread out from the plains as hunting grounds grew scarce. Each tribe adapted to their new environments with significant speed; while those that migrated to the river deltas developed their metalworking and agricultural skills, the groups that remained on the plains became skillful and aggressive hunters.
Along with the rapid adaptation came an equally rapid level of technological development. The Tau quickly came to use black powder weapons and stone fortifications. Soon, the tribes that inhabited the plains and the mountains fell into conflict with the groups dedicated to agriculture and trade. Vast inter-tribal wars were fought across the main continent, lasting for years at a time. Thousands died on each side of the conflict, while squalid conditions and lack of access to fresh food and water created a plague that killed more Tau than were dying in the wars.
By the end of the 37th millennium, the Tau were on the verge of wiping themselves out. At the same time as war and disease reached their most deadly levels, strange events began to occur. Flickering lights in the night sky and half-glimpsed figures seen in the mountains were interpreted as portents, pointing towards the end of their race. On the plateau of Fio'taun, an alliance of mountain Tau and plains Tau laid siege to the greatest fortress-city of the builder Tau. The siege had lasted five seasons, but supplies had began to run low, disease ran rampant within the city, and the plains Tau would accept no other resolution than victory through conflict.
One night, a Tau of unusual appearance entered the attacker's camp and asked to see the army's commander. Despite being softly spoken, the sentries found themselves unable to resist the stranger, and escorted him to their leader. At the same time, another mysterious Tau presented himself to those guarding the walls of Fio'taun, asking to speak to the castellan. Again, this mysterious individual was obeyed, and within the hour he led the castellan and the other leaders of the fortress-city outside the gates. Outside, the party from the fortress were met by the first mysterious Tau, himself leading a group from the besiegers' camp. Commanding the two groups to sit, the pair of mysterious Tau, calling themselves Ethereals, began to explain how the talents of the different tribes could be harnessed. They spoke of a "Greater Good" that could be achieved through unification of the tribes, and by sunrise, the two forces had declared a truce. Over the next year, more of the Ethereals appeared, preaching the messages of peace and the Greater Good across the planet, and by the end of the year, the wars were over and the Tau began to flourish like never before. Having saved their race from extinction, the Ethereals were revered with the utmost devotion by the other Tau, who readily adapted to the new caste system established by the Ethereals.
The Tau Empire rapidly developed over the next thousand years, both scientifically and in size. Within a short period of time, the Tau developed rocket technology and quickly established colonies on the moons of T'au. Access to space allowed them to develop larger vessels, which in turn allowed the Tau to travel to nearby planets. Air caste stellar cartographers discovered that the Tau homeworld resided in a dense cluster of stars, and a supernova could wipe out their entire race, prompting further expansion. The Tau discovered the existence of the Immaterium and warp technology from an alien space vessel found on one of the moons of T'au, but as their race had no psykers, they were unable to tap into the full potential of warp travel. They were able to develop limited faster-than-light technology by modifying their gravitic propulsion system to allow a starship to 'dive' towards the Immaterium, the resulting expulsion throwing the starship a significant distance. With this new technology, the Tau began to expand into interstellar space, claiming new systems and discovering alien species. In most cases, these species were incorporated into the Tau Empire, although some, such as the Orks, resisted.
The Tau Empire came into contact with the Imperium in the middle of the 41st millennium. A Tau colony ship entered an Imperial system, and was promptly destroyed by the Imperial Navy. When the bodies from the Tau ship were analyzed, it was discovered they were the same species the Explorator fleet had encountered 6000 years before. At the same time, Rogue Traders made contact with several outlying Tau sept worlds, and began trade between these worlds and Imperial settlements on the Eastern Fringe. It was at this stage that the Tau began to realise the enormous size of the Imperium of Man. Rather than be daunted by the presence of such a huge and powerful stellar neighbour, however, the Ethereals instead sent Water caste envoys to several outlying Imperial worlds where they managed to insert themselves into the Imperial commander's group of advisors. Such is the Water caste's diplomatic skill that multiple outlying Imperial worlds openly committed themselves to the Tau Empire and their quest for the Greater Good simultaneously. Alarmed by the rapid development of this xenos race and the threat of alien contamination, the Administratum declared war on the Tau, launching the Damocles Gulf Crusade. The Crusade advanced quickly, crushing any and all opposition. The Tau were subjected to horrific losses among their perimeter outposts due to the presence of Imperial Titans and Space Marines of the Iron Hands and White Scars chapters. This continued until the Imperial forces reached the Sept world of Dal'yth, where the Crusade ground to a stalemate that lasted for several months. With any hope of reinforcement cut off by pressure from the Tyranid Hive Fleet Behemoth's advance on Ultramar, the Imperial commanders accepted the Water caste's offers of peace, and were allowed to withdraw from Tau space.
In the final quarter of the 41st millennium, the Tau Empire has been assaulted by the remnants of Hive Fleet Kraken. The weakening of Imperial space by the need to defend the Cadian sector against Abaddon the Despoiler has also made open the way towards a new period of Tau colonial expansion. The Third Expansion has resulted in the establishment of several new colony worlds with minimal encroachment upon Imperial space.
Society
Tau society is centred around the concept of "the Greater Good"; a unifying philosophy similar to utilitarianism, where individual Tau sacrifice personal gain in favour of benefiting the Tau race as a whole. It is from this philosophy that the Tau's all-purpose motto, "For the Greater Good!", is derived. The castes, although different in role and organisation, work together for the benefit of all Tau: the Earth caste provide and produce, the Water caste communicate and distribute, the Air caste connect the worlds of the Tau Empire, and the Fire caste protect. The external image of the Tau is that they are altruistic and idealistic, believing in the unification of all "for the Greater Good".
The Greater Good also encompasses other races, and any races the Tau come into contact with are invited to integrate themselves into Tau society and place themselves under the guidance of the Ethereals. The races and groups that choose to incorporate themselves earn the benefits of mutual protection, trade, and access to the technology of the Tau.
Although accepting of other races, the Tau believe that their own way is superior to any other, and harbour extreme confidence in their manifest destiny to unite the stars. They are more likely to peaceably integrate races that show similar qualities to those promoted by the Greater Good. At the same time, the Tau are imperialists. Those that will not join the Tau Empire or Embrace the Tau'va (the greater good), are forced to do so via economic, political, or military means. The Tau believe the Tau'va is for the good of all, even those who do not recognize it.
Several of the novels published by the Black Library division of Games Workshop have provided more information and detail about the Tau psyche. The novel Kill Team (Thorpe, 2001) reveals that their number of digits has led them to use a base-8 number system and that their food is similar to that of humans, although varying in taste and colour. The protagonist of the novel, Kage, notices their intricate artwork, which is so subtle that it almost goes unnoticed by humans. Their architecture are also described as masterpieces in their own right, but no one tried to outdo another in splendor, in perfect harmony. The Tau characters in the novel also contrast with the brutish, militant humans with their calm, patient and quiet personalities. More important yet, as the protagonists of the book discovers, the Tau society and ideology is far more fragile than it appears at a first glance, with Tau officials going to great lengths to keep up the illusion of stability.
Caste system
Fire (Shas)
The Fire Caste are the soldiers of the Tau Empire. It is their duty to protect the other castes, and as such are the Tau most often used in the tabletop game. They have relatively larger muscles when compared to those of other castes, but most with strength less than that of an average human. They do not train for close combat, due to the fact that they see it as barbaric. When hand-to-hand combat is unavoidable, it is generally entrusted to Kroot and Vespid Auxiliaries. The Tau fire caste do, however, have more agility, stamina and endurance than the other castes.
The worlds of Vior'la and Sa'cea are predominantly made up of the fire caste.
Earth (Fio)
The Earth Caste is primarily made up of farmers, labourers, and technicians; responsible for building the machines, cultivating the food, and erecting the dwellings that allow the Tau to survive. The Earth caste also includes artisans, scientists, and engineers. Members of the Earth caste are stout of build, and tend to have calloused hands and a pragmatic outlook on life.
Bork'an is well known for the number of its Earth caste.
Water (Por)
The Water Caste is made up of merchants, diplomats, and administrators. They are responsible for maintaining effective interaction between the castes, as well as communicating with and supervising the integration of alien species into the Tau Empire or dealing with alien species. Members of the water caste range from around 5 to 6 feet which is relatively the same height as the earth caste and ethereals.
Dal'yth is a sept made up mostly of Water caste.
Air (Kor)
The Air Caste of the Tau traditionally functioned as messengers, but now fill the ranks of the Tau Navy (Kor'vattra), working as pilots and starship crews. The Air caste lives almost entirely off-world, and as such have developed long, slender limbs, with a skeletal and muscular structure of reduced strength. Prior to the unification of the Tau castes, the Air caste were said to possess membranous wings, allowing them to glide on warm air currents. While it is doubtful that any modern Air Caste members ever soar under their own power, they still retain a vestigial flap of skin between their arms and torso, indicating that they once had wings. They are quite tall, around 7 feet, but very thin and slender.
Tau'n and Vash'ya are the more Air-caste oriented septs.
Ethereal (Aun)
Aun is translated as either Ethereal or Celestial, and describes the mysterious Tau subspecies that ended the inter-tribal warfare of the Tau and established the doctrine of the Greater Good. The Ethereals are the leaders of the Tau, and appear to combine the roles of priesthood and royalty in Tau society. Ethereals resemble the Fire Caste in build, but are marked by a diamond-shaped ridge of raised bone in the centre of their foreheads. Ethereals are obeyed without question by the other castes, and the Imperium suspects that this control is the result of a latent pheromone-based power.
It is not unknown or even uncommon for Ethereals to become adopted into a caste, dedicating themselves as leading that group in particular. This has often been met with approval by the senior Aun who believe it allows more in-depth leadership of the infrastructure.
The Tau homeworld and the sept T'olku are both regarded to have the wisest ethereals.
Tau Language
The language of the Tau is a complex, highly advanced form of communication. In sound it is deeply lyrical and soft, with many words and meanings dependent on intonation, glottal emphasis and even posture. Its multiple arrangements of polysyllabic word groups make it difficult in the extreme for human vocal cords to pronounce. Only a skilled linguist would have any hope of speaking even the most basic Tau phrases and words. This difficulty is somewhat mitigated because all Tau absorb didactic learning modules during their youth which impart the knowledge of many languages used by other species, including Imperial Gothic used by the Imperium of Man. However, while all Tau have this basic knowledge, that does not necessarily translate into skillful understanding and use of a language. Only the Water and Ethereal Castes demonstrate mastery over these other languages, which is probably born from a lifetime of practice. All other Tau castes seem to defer to Water Caste members for translation when members of the Water Caste are present, and tend to use clipped, heavily-accented speech if they are forced to communicate with other species when no Water Caste diplomat is available.
The Tau have many ways of addressing each other. To the Tau, the most important part of their name is the caste that they are born into and this forms the first portion of their identity. With the caste of a Tau established, the second portion of the name refers to their rank within society; there is no stigma attached to any rank or profession - each Tau has his or her place in society, and enjoys the respect of their peers no matter how menial the tasks that they perform. Each role is recognized as being part of the greater whole and a furtherance of the common good. With the exception of the 'Saal rank given to Tau children, there are five major levels of Tau rank, each of which has a subtly different meaning dependent on the caste to which it is suffixed. In ascending order of seniority, these ranks are as follows:
| Rank | Fire Caste | Air Caste | Water Caste | Earth Caste | Ethereal Caste |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *'Saal | Cadet | ||||
| *'La | Warrior | Messenger | Bureaucrat | Worker | Prince |
| *'Ui | Veteran | Carrier | Envoy | Senior | Prelate |
| *'Vre | Hero | Pilot | Magister | Overseer | King |
| *'El | Knight | Captain | Diplomat | Engineer | Holy |
| *'O | Commander | Admiral | Ambassador | Planner | Highest |
Following the Tau's caste and rank is his planet of birth, and then his given name(s). So, for example, the famous Tau general Commander Farsight's full name is properly rendered thus: Shas'O Vior'la Shovah Kais Mont'yr (Fire Caste commander from planet Vior'la with the given names 'Farsight Skilled Blooded'), although it is frequently shortened to simply O'Shovah ("Commander Farsight"). There are also similar name constructions for certain buildings, such as Aun'bork'an'retha (an Ethereal Caste shrine/university on Bork'an) and run'al (a static observation post).
Tau Empire
The Tau Empire, like many large governments, is divided into sub-regions. The first 'tier' of regions below the all-encompassing Empire are the Expansion Spheres. These regions represent the territories claimed during each of the three periods of expansion the Tau Empire has experienced since its establishment, and are referred to as the First through Third Sphere Colonies (although the term Sphere is interchangeable with Phase). In turn, each Expansion Sphere is divided into multiple septs, which are small regions of space focused around a fully established Tau colony-world. Each sept governs the minor Tau colonies and the worlds of other races found within its region of space.
The Tau of each sept are characterised by a number of influences, including the relative strength of the castes that inhabit the worlds of that sept, the location of the sept in proximity to the homeworld of T'au, climate of the inhabited worlds, and exposure to other races' cultures. These influences combine to affect the culture and attitudes of the Tau from that Sept. For example, the First Sphere sept of Dal'yth is characterised as a cosmopolitan society welcoming to non-Tau, based on the sept's location near several alien worlds and the large proportion of Water caste Tau in the population. In contrast, the attitude of stoicism and tenacious refusal to accept defeat that characterise the Third Sphere sept of Fi'rios is a result of the bloody battles required to take these worlds from the Orks.
Tau continuously establish new colonies and if a new world is already populated with humans, they do not exterminate them, unlike other galactic races, including humans as part of their belief in unity and peace (the Greater Good). The Tau believe in letting others believe what they want (including the worship of the Emperor of Mankind), but must be loyal to concept of Greater Good.
Warfare
Tau ground warfare is carried out almost exclusively by the Fire caste, while the Air caste is responsible for aerial and space combat, and providing transport between systems. Fire caste military forces are known as Hunter Cadres, are similar in size and role to an Imperial Guard company, and are primarily made up of Tau from the same sept. Auxiliary forces are drawn from the alien races within the Tau Empire, and Hunter Cadres can include Kroot warriors, Vespid Stingwings, and Gue'vesa, among other forces.
Fire caste tactics are based on the concept of the "hunter". The two main schools of warfare are Mont'ka (killing blow), and Kauyon (patient hunter). Mont'ka focuses on the hunter running the prey to the ground; identifying a target of opportunity and attacking it swiftly at the right moment. A Hunter Cadre will often stand at readiness for days, waiting for the right opportunity to strike in a well coordinated and rehearsed plan of battle. Kauyon is the opposite; the hunter lures the prey into a trap through the use of bait (often a high ranking squad of Battlesuit-equipped warriors, or even the commander himself). The bait is exposed to the enemy, who, while moving to destroy the bait, are drawn into a position where they can be eliminated by the rest of the Cadre. The Tau prefer not to attack until all troops have been coordinated and the attack carefully planned.
The Tau prefer not to hold positions against enemy assault, and only construct bunkers to act as emergency shelters, or to use as a hidden observation post, or Run'al. If the enemy launches attacks against Tau installations and cities, the Tau will prefer to evacuate the installation, dismantle all important technology and come back later to destroy the enemy. If a city is too vital to lose it is protected primarily by the efforts of a Hunter Cadre to draw the enemy away. If this fails, the Cadre will perform attacks intended to stall the enemy while the location is evacuated, then fall back to the deserted city and use an urban warfare variant of Kauyon to defeat the enemy. In extreme circumstances, Mont'ka and Kauyon can be adapted to defend a vital location, but this type of warfare is heavily discouraged. Similarly, the Tau rarely fight in sieges or in close combat to force enemy from a territory, believing that it is preferable to simply kill the enemy at range, and then occupy the location with minimal losses. Against hardened fortifications, the Tau prefer to simply bombard the target, or, if it must be taken intact, isolate the area and cut off the defenders from any support. If a siege is forced, the Tau will conduct carefully-planned hit and run attacks designed to take out important defensive elements, such as leaders, communications, and heavy weapon emplacements, that reduce the overall strength of the defenders.
As the Tau Empire integrate more and more alien races, they use them more and more in their tactics. Often small alien squads will be used as bait in the Kauyon.
The Tau prefer long ranged combat over close combat. The Tau Fire Warrior's primary weapon is the Pulse Rifle, which is used alongside the Pulse Carbine. The Pulse Rifle fires molten plasma which is projected as a "beam" of plasma. The Pulse Carbine, also carried by Fire Warrior teams, sacrifices range for portability, but also carries an underslung Photon Grenade Launcher. Squads hit by the Pulse Carbine also risk being disabled by Photon Grenades. It should be noted that the Pulse weaponry used by the Fire caste is less effective against Space Marines. Indeed, the Tau have always had difficulty in combating Space Marines, especially in close combat as a Space Marines' strength far exceeds that of the Kroot.
When the Tau become engaged in close combat, they call on their mercenary allies, the Kroot. The Kroot are expert jungle fighters who appear deceptively slender, but have wiry physiques which are effectively stronger than the average human or low-level Ork boy. Many an enemy has fallen because they underestimated the Kroot. One common tactic of a Tau player is to use the Kroot as counterassault units. While the Tau are firing away at the enemy, the Kroot hide behind the lines of the Tau. When the enemy gets into charging range, the Kroot advance and charge the enemy position, buying the Tau extra time to continue firing, or withdraw to a safer position. It has also been known for Kroot to spearhead city fights, harassing enemy forces, and to clear jungles and forests, as well as clearing vital positions.
On a strategic level, the Tau tactics are best described as cautious and patient. They prefer to avoid wars of attrition, and will concentrate their efforts elsewhere if an enemy seems determined to hold a specific position.
Fire Caste Markings
The use of Sept colours harks back to the warpaint of old and is used to distinguish teams of the same type. Displayed using stripes, these markings will be found in the same place (e.g. helmet and/or weapon) for all members of the same team.
- Au'taal - The vivid green used by this colony is a literal reminder of their verdant world.
- Bork'an - This sept uses a jade green, which symbolises practicality.
- D'yanoi - Ice Blue.
- Ke'lshan - Golden Yellow.
- Sa'cea - Shadow Grey.
- T'au - Skull White.
- Vior'la - Their famous hot-blooded nature is reflected in the red rank marking.
Development
The Tau are a relatively new race to the Warhammer 40,000 game, having been first released in October 2001. Unlike most of the races in Warhammer 40,000, which were developed from a comparable race in Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the Tau, along with the Tyranids, are the only playable races that do not possess an analogue in the Fantasy fictional universe, although most of the combat doctrines are based on the Wood Elves. The Tau ideology focuses on ranged combat, generally perceiving close-range, physical combat as crude and unnecessary. However they are definitely a force to be feared, since they have some of the strongest guns in the galaxy, including the dreaded railgun, arguably one of the best guns in the game.
History and development
The Warhammer 40,000 Design Team selected the Tau as one of three new race ideas from hundreds of possible concepts. The Kroot were one of the others, and these two were eventually combined into the one fictional organisation; the Kroot were later given their own army list in Chapter Approved.
According to Andy Chambers, the chief designer at the time, the Tau were intended "to be altruistic and idealistic, believing heartily in unification as the way forward." Graham McNeill was responsible for much of the background material produced for the Tau, developing what Andy Chambers described as "...their proud, quiet but determined character to the point where they actually became a rather likeable, if slightly naive addition to the cosmos." The Tau were updated in early 2006 with the release of a new Codex.
Influence of the Eye of Terror campaign
Codex: Tau Empire (Hoare, 2006) displayed one of the first major impacts the Eye of Terror Worldwide Campaign had on the fictional universe. As the Tau Empire background material states that they have a limited faster-than-light capability, and the Eye of Terror was located on the far side of the galaxy to the Tau Empire, a separate 'mini campaign' was held specifically for Tau players. In the new background material published with the Codex, it is explained that the weakened state of Imperium worlds on the frontier of Tau space (as these forces were reassigned to the Cadian sector to defend against Abaddon's Thirteenth Black Crusade) prompted the Tau Empire to declare a crusade of their own; the Third Sphere Expansion.
The Tau mini campaign counted all results involving Tau as one of the armies participating in a registered game as contributing to the expansion or contraction of Tau-controlled space. Over eight weeks of gaming, the Tau Empire expanded to almost 133% of its original size.
Medusa V
The Tau Empire was 6th overall (tied with the Orks) in the conclusion of the 2006 Medusa V Campaign.
The Tau expedition's goal, to gather information about the warp, was largely successful; however, analysis of the gathered data, and the fates of those Tau who chose to remain behind, caused Earth caste scientists to believe that further research would be unfeasible. The Fourth Expansion of the Tau Empire was thus delayed in order to further consolidate the recent Third Expansion. As well as attaining the warp data, many human refugees joined the Tau Empire, new technologies were acquired, and Tau warriors gained valuable combat experience, though with great losses, personified with the loss of Commander Shadowsun's sibling, Shas’el Ty’res.
Model design
Tau miniatures were designed to display the high-tech science fiction and robotic concepts that had resulted in the choosing of the Tau as the new army-race. The reflection of the Tau's high-technology status was reflected by the lack of cabling and links modeled onto the weapons; instead it was decided that these components were internally integrated. The Tau Infantry models, according to sculptor Jes Goodwin, were designed to have subtle influences taken from Chinese foot soldiers, while the Battlesuits and vehicles drew from anime style exo-suits. The Tau vehicles are 'skimmers', however, the design brief specified that the Tau Tanks have an impression of being heavier and more solid than the Eldar Grav-tanks.
Notable characters
- Shas'O Vior'la Shovah Kais Mont'yr or Commander Farsight - a renegade Fire Caste commander.
- Aun'shi - A notable Ethereal with close links to the Fire Caste.
- Aun'O T'au Acaya'Va'Denta (or simply Aun'Va) — Master of the Undying Spirit, the oldest and wisest of the Ethereal caste, and supreme leader of the Tau Empire.
- O'Shaserra or Commander Shadowsun - Protégé of Aun'Va, Fire Caste commander and military leader of the Third Sphere Expansion. Rival to Commander Farsight. The only known female Tau Commander.
- Shas'la T'au Kais - Main character of the Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior video game and protagonist in the novel "Fire Warrior"
- Shas'O T'au Kais - The supreme commander of Tau forces on Kronus during the events of the "Dark Crusade".
- Shas'O Fal'shia Or'es'Ka: The supreme commander of Tau forces on Kaurava in the expansion pack to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, Soulstorm.
- Aun'el Shi'ores - The Ethereal advisor to Shas'O Kais and Tau governor of Kronus during the events of the "Dark Crusade".
- Shas'O R'myr or Commander Longknife — The supreme commander of the T'au Sept Coalition on Taros. Shas'O R'myr is a Forge World character and his rules can be found in Imperial Armour Volume 3 - The Taros Campaign (Kinrade, 2005).
- Commander Puretide - considered the greatest Fire Warrior commander during the Second Sphere Expansion. He was grievously wounded towards the end of his life and became a hermit. He developed a balance style of warfare and 2 battle doctrines evolved based on Puretide's work: Mont'ka and Kau'yon. Many Fire Warriors studied under his tutelage which include Shas'O Kais, O'Shovah, O'Shaserra. He invented the Tau Objective Oriented Rapid Redeployment Detachment Force in the Damocles Gulf Crusade.
Allies
Computer games
- Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior - a first-person shooter played from the perspective of a Tau Fire Warrior, there is also a book based on the game.
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
- Tau are a playable race in the second expansion pack, Dark Crusade, released October 2006.
See also
References
- ^ Chambers, Andy (2001). "Chapter Approved - Tau Designers Notes". White Dwarf: Australian Edition (262). ISSN 0265-8712.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Spurrier, Simon, Tiernan Trevallion, Karl Kopinski, and Karl Richardson, Xenology (Warhammer 40,000) (Nottingham: Games Workshop, 2006), ISBN 9781844162826
- # Chambers, Andy; Haines, Pete, and McNeill, Graham (2001). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Tau. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-098-6.
- Chambers, Andy (2003). "Death By A Thousand Cuts". White Dwarf: Australian Edition (287). ISSN 0265-8712.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - "Making The Devilfish". White Dwarf: Australian Edition (262). 2001. ISSN 0265-8712.
{{cite journal}}:|first=missing|last=(help); Missing pipe in:|first=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - THQ press release (Jan 30, 2006)
Bibliography
- Chambers, Andy (2001). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Tau. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-098-6.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Hoare, Andy (2006). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Tau Empire. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-712-3.
- Mitchell, Sandy (2003). For The Emperor: A Ciaphas Cain Novel. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84416-050-5.
- Spurrier, Simon (2003). Fire Warrior. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84416-010-6.
- Thorpe, Gav (2001). Kill Team. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 0-7434-1175-7.
- Imperial Armour – Volume III: The Taros Campaign. Nottingham: Games Workshop. 2005. ISBN 1-84154-708-5.
- "Various articles from". White Dwarf: Australian Edition (262). 2001. ISSN 0265-8712.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Xenology. BL Publishing. 2005. ISBN 1-84416-282-6.