Tau

In the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Tau are a benevolent race fighting for what they call the Greater Good. They are actually a peaceful race when possible, asking if others will join their cause instead of fight.

The Tau also make use of mercenaries from other races (primarily the Kroot of Pech). The Tau are a relatively young race, but their technology is extremely advanced, so much so that the Imperium of Man has of late been wondering if the technological advances were all the Tau's doing...



Tau society and physiology
The Tau's physiology is closely tied to their society, with the Tau of each caste almost becoming a subspecies in their own right.

Every Tau is humanoid in shape, with two arms, two cloven feet, and a single head. Their grey-blue skin is leathery and tough, owing to the generally dry conditions of their homeworld. Their faces are flat, wide around the eyes, and their olfactory organs are located inside their mouths. Their eyes can see into the infrared and ultraviolet. The Tau are not very good in close-combat, as they find the whole concept uncivilized.


 * Fire (Shas) -- The Fire Caste are the military of the Tau Empire, and as such are the Tau Most often used in the game. They are tall, and have relatively large muscles. This comes from the fire caste's origin on the plains of T'au, the Tau home world, where they were predators and warriors. Tau from the world of Vior'la tend to have slightly greater muscle mass.
 * Earth (Fio) -- The Earth Caste is composed not only of laborers and technicians, but Artesans, Scientists and Engineers are also members of the Earth Caste. They form the foundations upon which the Empire is built. Earth Caste Tau are short and stout of build.
 * Water (Por) -- The Water Caste is made up of merchants and diplomats. They make the deals with other races that are not handled by the Fire Caste (i.e. at gunpoint). The Water Caste tend to be taller and slender than other Tau.
 * Air (Kor) -- The Air Caste of the Tau function not only as messengers, but are also the Tau Navy. The Tau of the Air Caste are even more tall and slender than the Water Caste, with long, skinny limbs and hollow bones developed due to lives lived mostly in low- and zero-gravity ships and space stations. In the past, before the time of the Mont'au, the Tau that originally became the Air Caste had membranes stretching between their limbs, allowing them to glide on air currents. Tau pilots are superior to human pilots because they have better fighters and depth perception.
 * Ethereal (Aun) -- The Ethereals are the leaders of the Tau. They resemble the Fire and Water Castes, but are marked by a diamond-shaped ridge of raised bone in the center of their foreheads. Their origins are unknown, but most Tau will never refuse a request by an Ethereal (due to some unknown form of chemical reaction). They are sometimes also found on the battlefield, but whether as leaders or observers is unknown.

In addition, Tau are given a rank, normally pertaining to their station and duties in society.


 * La -- The lowest rank. Most Tau start their lives here. A Shas'la would be a Line trooper, while a Fio'la would be a manual laborer, or a Kor'la a crewman on a ship.
 * Ui -- The Second rank among the Tau. A Shas'ui would be the leader of a squad of troopers(Equivalent to a Sergeant), or a battlesuit pilot, while a Por'Ui would be a mid-ranking envoy.
 * Vre -- The Middle Tau rank. A Shas'vre is a Battlesuit team leader, while a Fio'vre would be the foreman at a Tau factory, and a Kor'vre a fighter pilot.
 * El -- The second highest Tau rank, one of true Command. Shas'el are field Commanders, Kor'el captain Tau spacecraft, and a Fio'el would be an engineer.
 * O -- The highest Tau rank. Kor'os are fleet admirals, while Shas'os are of the highest levels of command and fearsome warriors, and an Aun'o is the most high, revered by all Tau.

In times past, the main four castes (fire, earth, water, and air) were constantly at war with each other. Suddenly, the strange, mystical Tau of the Ethereal caste began to appear, and they united the Tau.

The Tau are the most open and tolerant of the races in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, which for Warhammer 40,000, means that they prefer not to destroy all other races on sight. They are appreciative of Humans, Eldar, and other sentient races, but hold their own values as superior above all others.

Their tolerance also extends to themselves, as the Tau recognize even lowly Fio'la workers as being as important to the operation and well-being of the Empire as Shas'vre Battlesuit leaders or even the highest Aun'o.

Tau names are tied closely with their lives within the Empire. A Tau's full name always starts with their caste and their rank, followed by the Sept (Planetary system) of their birth, followed by their personal name, which is often determined/extended by their notable actions or achievements in life. Thus, the Tau named Shas'O Vior'la Shovah Kaius Mont'yr (see below) would be broken down as follows:

...And has a personal name translated as being far-sighted (Shovah), Skilled (Kauis, possible variation of Kais), and having seen many battles (Mont'yr, meaning "blooded").
 * Shas -- The individual is a member of the Fire Caste...
 * O -- ...Who is a high-ranking Commander and hero...
 * Vior'la -- ...Who comes from the Sept of Vior'la...

Tau weapons and warfare
Tau warfare is carried out almost exclusively by the Fire Caste, with support from the Air Caste in the form of transport and air support. The Tau draw their tactics from their age-old methods of hunting. Each force is usually drawn from the same Sept, and is called a Hunter Cadre.

The Tau prefer to carefully plan their assaults, and tend to fight only after carefully coordinating their troops and weapons for the mission at hand. The Tau prefer to fight offensively, concerned more with the destruction of the enemy than the taking and holding of ground/territory. Rather than hold territory from the enemy, they would prefer to kill the enemy first. Territory is much easier to hold when the enemies are all dead. Instead of trying to defend a base or city, the Tau will rather evacuate, dismantle all the important technology, and come back and kill the occupying force at a later time.

The two primary Tau Tactics are the Mont'ka (Killing Blow) and Kauyon (Patient Hunter). The Mont'ka is a carefully planned attack designed to wipe out critical enemy defenses or units in a single well-placed strike. Once the strongest points of enemy resistance are crushed, the remainder of the force can generally be finished off easily. The Kauyon is essentially an ambush, where the enemy is drawn by use of a "lure" into a carefully prepared killing zone.

The Tau also make use of auxiliary units, most often the Kroot, but lately have also made use of Human auxiliaries as well.

In the Warhammer 40,000 game, the Tau are a shooting-oriented army. A common tactic is to engage the enemy at the maximum range of their weapons, which typically have a longer range and greater firepower than the equivalent weapons in the other armies. Tau players usually try to take out the strongest weapons of the enemy, and keep them from reaching the Tau lines, as most Tau units are weak in Assault. This tactic is a common one amongst new players of the Tau, who quickly realize that such an act leaves them exposed and completely incapable of fighting off a well-timed assault by his opponent.

A more prevalent tactic amongst Tau veterans is the 'Mecha-Tau' approach, which utilizes the inherent mobility and speed of Tau vehicles and battlesuits to confuse and overwhelm the enemy by engaging them at all levels of the battlefield.

The Tau army is highly specialized, with each element normally having a specific task carried out in the support of the rest of the force. Fire Warriors make up the Line troops, while forward scouts known as Pathfinders scout enemy positions, and provide fire support with rail rifles and marker light target designators. The Tau also deploy battlesuits in support roles, providing specialized weapons to deal with any hot sports on the battlefield, provide heavy anti-tank fire, or as stealth warriors operating independently of the main force.

The Tau also make extensive use of small AI-controlled Drones, typically equipped with guns or forcefields. Drones can be used to protect teams of Fire Warriors and battlesuits, support their tanks, or grouped into independent squadrons.

The basic weapons of the Fire Caste are Pulse weapons, which propel a particle that breaks down into a plasma pulse as it is fired from the gun. This is commonly used as a long-range rifle or a portable carbine. A rapid-fire variation of the carbine is also used on vehicles and battlesuits, and is known as the Burst Cannon.

The Tau are known to used Ion Cannons and Railguns in their ships and vehicles, as well as various guided and unguided missiles. They also arm their battlesuits with a variety of weapons, ranging from Burst Cannons and missile pods, to Fusion Blasters, Plasma Rifles, and Flamers.

Notable characters

 * Shas'O Vior'la Shovah Kaius Mont'yr
 * Aun'shi
 * La'Kais (possibly Shas'O Vior'la Kais later on)

Allies

 * Demiurg
 * Nicassar
 * Kroot

Computer games

 * Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior - Game Based on The Tau
 * Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Tau Mod - Tau Mod/Campaign made for Dawn of War (In Progress, see site for status).
 * WH40K : Rival Species - Rival Species Site - Tau Skins/Models will eventually be added as a playable race.