Cadre Fireblade

A Cadre Fireblade is the most grizzled and seasoned Tau Fire Warrior of their Hunter Cadre, whose skill at the Fire Warrior's art of battle leads them to eschew Tau Battlesuit technology. Cadre Fireblades are excellent field leaders and their long experience has taught them exactly where to place shots to maximise damage, and fire with pinpoint accuracy. It is on the firing line that a Cadre Fireblade really comes into his own. There, they radiate a steadying calm, directing their Fire Warriors to maintain accurate fire no matter the circumstances, instilling each trooper with the precision and efficiency that is the hallmark of thousands of years of martial teachings.

Whether breaking the impetus of an advancing horde of Ork greenskins or seeking to bring down the heavily armoured Space Marines of the Imperium, no one knows a Fire Warrior's strength better than a Cadre Fireblade. A Cadre Fireblade will extol what they believe to be the Tau's strength - overwhelming infantry firepower! Theirs is the ability to drive and direct Fire Warriors as they pour volley after volley of merciless pulse fire onto the target.

Experts in the standard Fire caste doctrine, and as laid down in the Code of Fire, a Cadre Fireblade will also instruct all warriors nearby to fight closely together, with each member of a team doing his utmost to protect not just his comrades, but also nearby teams in his cadre. Using overlapping fields of fire, all teams then provide mutual support on the battlefield in the case of assaulting enemies, helping to annihilate them with supporting firepower.

Rank Progression
Cadre Fireblades were once Fire Warrior troopers like any other in the Cadre, and as they gained experience, they rose to become Shas'ui - veterans and squad leaders. Whereas most of these seasoned leaders eventually choose the great honour of donning a Battlesuit, there are a few who instead prefer to remain with the Fire Warriors. For some, this is a practical realisation that the tactical versatility required by Crisis or Stealth teams eludes them; for others, it is simply a preference to remain squarely situated with the heart of any Tau gunline.

The military path that takes a soldier to become a Cadre Fireblade can never rise as high as the rank of Shas'o – they are limited to a level just beneath that of Shas'el. Nor does the title carry with it the élan associated with those who pilot a Battlesuit. Nonetheless, a Cadre Fireblade, or Shas'nel in the Tau Lexicon, is a highly respected role - not least because of their willingness to forgo prestige. The constant drilling and workman-like efficiency of a Cadre Fire blade is, to the Tau, a willing embrace of their most beloved concept, the Tau'va - the Greater Good.

Armament
Cadre Fireblades are most commonly found armed with a Pulse Rifle as their primary weapon, along with an attached Marker Light designator. Cadre Fireblades carry Photon Grenades as standard to help them in repelling assaulting enemies, and they are armoured in elaborately designed Fire Warrior Combat Armour. Cadre Fireblades will also often be found holding a Bonding Knife, symbolising the ritual of Ta’lissera they undergone to bond with their Fire Warriors. Up to two Tau Drones, that can be either Gun Drones, Shield Drones, or Marker Drones, sometimes are found accompanying Cadre Fireblades.