Combat Armour

Combat Armour is a form of Tau standard-issue armour worn by all Fire Warriors in battle, and is constructed in two layers. The outer face is a hard, ultra-dense nano-crystalline metal veneer bonded to an inner layer of high performance, thermo-set, molecular polyethene. The outer layer material is known as Fio’tak in the Tau Lexicon, and is commonly used as a form of armour across nearly all Tau units due to its lightweight nature and impact resistant structure. The inner layer of Combat Armour acts as an energy-absorbent padding for energy dispersal, and helps prevent blunt trauma effects from high velocity impacts. The highly advanced materials used in its construction are very resilient to penetration and lightweight compared to more conventional Imperial materials such as plasteel. The construction techniques are unknown to the Imperium as the Adeptus Mechanicus is forbidden from investigating dangerous alien technology by the Ordo Xenos.

Standard Fire Warrior Combat Armour usually also features an elongated and thickened left shoulder pad, which acts as an additional protective shield; especially when the Fire Warrior is kneeling with the weapon at his shoulder and so covering that side of the warrior’s body with extra armour.