XV8 Crisis Battlesuit

The XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is the mainstay general combat Tau Battlesuit utilised by the warriors of the Fire Caste of the Tau Empire. It mounts a vast array of fearsome ranged weaponry as well as a complement of technologically advanced support systems on a comparatively small and agile frame that offers the Tau pilot within exceptional protection. Of all the weapons systems employed by the Tau, the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is easily the most distinctive and recognisable due to its reputation as an efficient and lethal weapon of war. XV8 Crisis Battlesuits are worn only by those Fire Warriors who have proven themselves in battle and passed their "Trial by Fire" to bear the rank of Shas’ui or higher. XV8 Crisis Battlesuits are versatile and formidable weapons that the enemies of the Tau Empire have learned to respect.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuits have been utilised almost since the start of Tau expansion into the space surrounding their homeworld and the nearby star systems in the Ultima Segmentum. Since then, the XV8 has been fielded in almost every single engagement of the Fire Caste against those who would oppose the Greater Good. From large scale conflicts such as the Damocles Gulf Crusade, to smaller scale skirmishes like the Kappa Mortis Incident, the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is a prevalent sight in the military forces of the Tau Empire.

Tactical Role
The XV8 Crisis Battlesuit’s greatest strength lies in mobility and ranged firepower -- it is the XV8's role to get to the right place, at the right time and eliminate the right targets. XV8s are extremely versatile in that they can be equipped with a wide selection of weapons and combat support systems. This allows this Battlesuit to effectively engage almost any type of enemy it encounters, whether it be heavy or light, infantry or vehicle; the XV8 is capable of tackling any enemy units that the normal Fire Warrior Shas'la Teams cannot handle. The XV8 is also capable of operating in almost any tactical environment, including extreme low-light conditions where their advanced sensor arrays can be combined with a Blacksun Filter to allow for the accurate identification and targeting of enemies. With the small modification of replacing the standard Tau Jetpack with marine impellers, the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is even capable of operating underwater effectively.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuits will often be found in combat where the fighting is thickest and will take the brunt of any enemy attack so that the rest of the Tau Hunter Cadre can advance or retreat. XV8s are usually deployed from Tau transport aircraft such as the Orca and Manta, where their Jetpacks allow them descend from high altitudes safely. Their incorporated Jetpacks also allow these Battlesuits to pounce out of cover towards the enemy and strafe them before retreating out of range once again. This makes the XV8 hard to counter and very difficult for the enemy to engage.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuits commonly operate in teams of three, called Ta'ro'cha in the Tau Lexicon ("three minds as one"), and can be equipped for a variety of different battlefield roles. Many Fire Warrior Septs have developed their own Battlesuit tactics and preferred weapon fits. These techniques are taught in each Sept's military academies, where respected Shas'vre pass on their knowledge. Some examples of these tactical formations include the Vior'la Death Rain, Sun Forge and Burning Eye configurations, or the T'au Fireknife and Blinding Spear patterns. However, there are those XV8 pilots who have lost their team members and operate alone. These embittered Monat pilots often choose to undertake dangerous missions where the risks are extremely high, and will often be deployed to undertake tactically vital missions which they are not likely to survive; such sacrifices are sometimes necessary in pursuit of the Greater Good.

Known Formations

 * Farstrike Battlesuit Force - The Tau way of war is, in many aspects, very different from that of the Imperium of Man. The starkest difference can be found in the Tau Fire Caste's willingness to make strategic withdrawals, giving ground to the enemy when holding it will prove too costly. Despite this propensity, the Fire Caste acknowledges that sacrifices must be made for the Greater Good. A Farstrike Battlesuit force, also known to the Tau as a Mission Denial Force, is a group of Battlesuit pilots that have volunteered for a mission that they may have little hope of surviving. On the eve of the battle, the warriors go before an Ethereal and make a solemn promise that they will not withdraw until ordered to do so. This simple ceremony seals the pilots into a warrior brotherhood where all are of equal status and rank, unbreakable even unto death. The operations that a Farstrike Battlesuit Force may be dispatched on commonly involve the capturing of a key enemy position prior to the main force of the Tau army breaking through enemy lines. The Tau do not hold ground simply for the sake of it, so the objective will be one of vital importance to their strategic aims. Often the target will be one the Tau need to keep intact. Perhaps the Tau wish to capture an important individual to force the capitulation of a recalcitrant alien race to the Greater Good. Or perhaps they wish to leave a world's infrastructure intact and prevent the enemy from demolishing key sites as they retreat. The deployment of a Mission Denial Force ensures the Tau have the element of surprise. Even though it may cost the Fire Caste the lives of the Farstrike Battlesuit Force's members, the means are justified in the furtherance of the end that is the Greater Good.
 * Rapid Insertion Force - It is not the Tau way of war to fight protracted, static battles. Aggressive use of mobility and firepower are key to the success of Fire Warriors. A large part of this success is dependent upon the activities of a cadre's Stealth Teams -- their role is to find the enemy, create diversions and launch surprise attacks, while acting as rear guards should things go poorly. A Rapid Insertion Force is a specialised formation that strikes suddenly against key enemy units or establishes a perimeter to hold ground until other Fire Caste units arrive. In this force, a single Stealth Team leads the way for a more heavily armed force of several Crisis Battlesuit teams. The entire force trains together before a battle, so that they can deliver a swift and effective attack that stuns the enemy, allowing further Tau forces to move forward unmolested. A Rapid Insertion Force will often await deployment in a sub-orbital Manta, whilst the Stealthsuit Team moves in. Once they are in position, the Battlesuits of the Rapid Insertion Force will make a pinpoint landing at the designated area, and then work together using the element of surprise to pin the enemy down and secure the zone.

Armament
XV8 Crisis Battlesuits go into battle heavily armed with potent weapons systems that are backed up by combat support systems which allow them to fight more effectively. However, no matter the Battlesuit configuration or weapons load-out, all XV8 Crisis Battlesuits share some common features. These include the advanced sensors built into the primary sensor cluster that serves as the Battlesuit’s "head." These sensors, which consist of a number of variable spectrum passive sensors and active scanners, allow the Battlesuit to detect hidden enemy units and their movement; this is information that can then be transmitted back to Tau command units. All XV8 Crisis Battlesuits are also protected by a dense nano-crystalline alloy armour named Fio’tak in the Tau Lexicon. This advanced alloy has a highly impact resistance structure, which makes it extremely resilient in the face of combat damage. The material is also lightweight, which keeps the Battlesuit’s own weight down and reinforces its ground-based manoevrability. This reduced weight also means the XV8 can operate effectively using its Tau Jetpack to provide enhanced mobility and to drop into combat zones from transport aircraft like the Orca and the Manta. The Jetpack, which is another common feature of all XV8 Battlesuits, combines anti-gravitic and aerojet technology to make the Battlesuit extremely agile for its size.

An XV8 Crisis Battlesuit has three hard-points, which means that any combination of three weapons and combat support systems can be mounted on the Battlesuit's chassis. All Tau Battlesuit weapon systems are fully integrated and supplied by continuous, high yield power relays and ammunition hoppers. XV8 Crisis Battlesuits are also designed with advanced recoil absorption technology, meaning that they can fire their weapons at maximum capacity and with maximum accuracy, even when on the move. XV8 Crisis Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas’vre or higher can also take a limited amount of Battlesuit wargear. Combat support systems listed as hard-wired are cybernetic in nature and are either entirely contained within the Battlesuit helmet, or are implanted within the Fire Warrior's body as warrior jewellery and cannot be removed without surgery. Special issue items are experimental or hard to mass produce, and are currently undergoing field-testing prior to becoming widely available. As such, their distribution is usually limited to one per Hunter Cadre.

Available XV8 Battlesuit Weapon Systems
Twin-linked Battlesuit weapons systems can be also wielded by XV8 Crisis Battlesuits. In this case, a twin-linked weapon system takes up two hard-points on the Battlesuit's chassis rather than the usual one. Note that weapons considered special issue cannot be twin-linked.
 * Airbursting Fragmentation Projector (Special Issue)
 * Burst Cannon
 * Cyclic Ion Blaster (Special Issue)
 * Flamer
 * Fusion Blaster 
 * Missile Pod
 * Plasma Rifle 

Available XV8 Battlesuit Combat Support Systems

 * Blacksun Filter - Blacksun Filters are advanced optical filters that allow a Battlesuit to see better in darkness and low light conditions.
 * Command and Control Node (Special Issue) - A Command and Control Node is a sophisticated artifical intelligence-assisted communications system used by a commander to communicate more effectively with other Fire Caste warriors around him and also boost their morale.
 * Drone Controller - A Drone Controller acts as a hub for communications between an operator and a number of Tau Drones. They give the owner the ability to make use of up to two Drones per Drone Controller.
 * Multi-Tracker - A Multi-Tracker is a sophisticated fire control system that is mounted in a sensor node, often on a Battlesuit's shoulder, where it enables the Battlesuit to coordinate its fire with more than one weapon.
 * Positional Relay (Special Issue) - A Positional Relay digitally records detailed battlefield data and relays it in a tight encrypted radio burst to a single Tau unit operating in reserve. Information sent usually includes battlefield terrain and status reports to allow the unit to make a better decision on when to deploy onto the battlefield.
 * Shield Generator - Battlesuit Shield Generators project cohesive energy fields around the Battlesuit that can deflect weapons fire and melee blows that would otherwise outright destroy the Battlesuit.
 * Target Lock - A Target Lock is a specialised target acquisition system that enables the user to engage different targets from the rest of the squad.
 * Targetting Array - The Targetting Array is a relatively new application of the Target Lock technology used in vehicles. It provides assistance to aiming at targets.
 * Vectored Retro-Thrusters (Special Issue) - A Battlesuit with Vectored Retro-Thrusters is equipped with additional thruster nozzles, giving a degree of additional manoeuvrability that is useful when escaping from combat.

Battlesuit Wargear

 * Bonding Knife - A Bonding Knife is a ceremonial Tau knife that is not intended for combat, but is carried by the leader of Tau Fire Warrior teams who have performed the Ta'lissera ritual and bonded as a group. Battlesuit pilots may not actually carry a Bonding Knife but instead have a similar knife design painted onto their armour.
 * Ejection System (Special Issue) - An Ejection System provides the pilot of a Battlesuit a chance to escape catastrophic damage by ranged fire to his Battlesuit by ejecting the pilot at the last second. The pilot then has to fend for himself on foot.
 * Failsafe Detonator - Failsafe Detonators are intended to be the ultimate expression of the doctrine of the Greater Good, as is used only in the most dire of circumstances. The Failsafe Detonator is a powerful explosive that can be detonated by a Battlesuit pilot in order to allow his squad members to escape from close combat, although the pilot himself is killed -- another sacrifice to the Greater Good.
 * Drones - Gun Drones, Shield Drones and Marker Light Drones can accompany Battlesuit squads providing that at least one Battlesuit possesses a Drone Controller.
 * Iridium Armour - Battlesuits can be fitted with additional armour protection in the form of Iridium Amour plates across the surface of the Battlesuit. However, the extra weight of the armour greatly reduces the range of the Battlesuit's Jetpack.
 * Hard-Wired Blacksun Filter - A hard-wired version of a Blacksun Filter.
 * Hard-wired Drone Controller - A hard-wired version of a Drone Controller.
 * Hard-Wired Multi Tracker - A hard-wired version of a Multi Tracker.
 * Hard-Wired Target Lock - A hard-wired version of a Target Lock sensor system.
 * Stimulant Ejector (Special Issue) - A Battlesuit with Stimulant Ejectors is fitted with advanced life support systems that are able to flood the Battlesuit pilot's body with painkillers and other stimulants should he become badly wounded in combat.

Battlesuit Pilot Progression
Being allowed to pilot an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is considered a high honour by the Tau Fire Caste, and is only granted to those Fire Warriors who have earned the rank and privilege required to be granted this responsibility. Such a privilege can only be attained after several standard years of progressing through the ranks of the Fire Caste as a Fire Warrior. A Fire Warrior will normally follow a standard rate of progression and advancement in the Tau military that is based around an evaluation of their skills called a "Trial by Fire." It is only once a Fire Warrior has proven himself in battle and completed his first Trial by Fire to earn the Fire Caste rank of Shas’ui that he is then given the honour of piloting an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit and becoming a member of the Fire Caste’s elite.

Becoming an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit pilot is one of the first steps to becoming a Tau officer, and those who take that step are experienced warriors who have fought the deadliest of foes and triumphed. Once a Fire Warrior has proven himself ready for more responsibility in a second Trial by Fire, he will then be promoted to the rank of Shas’vre and lead his own XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Team. If he succeeds at that demanding role, he will go on to be assigned to a Tau Commander's Battlesuit Bodyguard Team, and eventually will become a Tau Commander himself once he attains the rank of Shas'el. Further service and success in this role will then lead to a promotion to the highest Fire Caste rank of Shas'o. Most Fire Warriors who progress through these higher ranks will utilise an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit in battle, although some may choose to use other variants, such as the experimental XV9 Hazard Battlesuit and the XV22 Stealthsuit. Teams of Crisis Battlesuit warriors will have fought together for many years and, in many cases, will have performed the Ta'lissera ritual where the warriors swear oaths of communion and loyalty to one another, placing the welfare of the team ahead of their own personal desires -- and, if necessary, survival.

Battlesuit Operation
An XV8 Crisis Battlesuit pilot sits in a foetal position within the central torso section of the Battlesuit, and pilots the Battlesuit through a neural link that connects the Fire Warrior’s brain to the Battlesuit's control interface through a monofilament needle inserted through the back of the head. This disrupts the nervous system of the pilot and temporarily disconnects the body from the pilot's brain from the neck down. The Battlesuit control system then interprets movement signals from the pilot’s brain as the movements of the Battlesuit’s body, effectively making the Battlesuit the pilot’s new ‘body’.

In theory, damage to the Battlesuit unit, whether it be through the lopping off of limbs, the firing of bullets into the chassis, electrocution, burning or the "beheading" of the primary optic sensor, will not cause pain or discomfort to the pilot inside. However, veteran Battlesuit pilots have been known to develop ho’or-ata-t’chel, which are sympathetic ghost pains and phantom reactions to external damage. This condition is also known as Battlesuit Neurosis, and can cause serious problems in the lives of Battlesuit pilots outside their Battlesuit. Fire Warriors have been known to be so traumatised at losing their Battlesuit's sensor cluster "head" that they have spent months in a psychosomatic coma. Some Battlesuit veterans at the end of their careers may also develop quirks such as trying to fly without their Battlesuit, or not being able to understand why they walk or move properly when their Battlesuit was damaged.

T'au Sept

 * Blinding Spear - 1 Shas'vre armed with a Plasma Rifle, Burst Cannon, a hard-wired Drone Controller with 2 Gun Drones and a Multi-Tracker support system; 2 Shas'ui armed with Plasma Rifles, Burst Cannons and Multi-Tracker support systems
 * Fireknife - 1 Shas'ui bonded in the Ta'lissera ritual, armed with a Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-Tracker support system and Drone Controller with 2 Gun Drones; and 2 Shas'ui bonded in the Ta'lissera ritual, armed with Plasma Rifles, Missile Pods and Multi-Tracker support systems
 * Monat - 1 Shas'ui armed with a Flamer, a Fusion Blaster, a Shield Generator and a hard-wired Drone Controller

Vior'la Sept

 * Burning Eye - A Shas'vre and 2 Shas'ui armed with Twin-linked Plasma Rifles and Target Lock sensor support system
 * Death Rain - 3 Shas'ui armed with Twin-linked Missile Pods, Drone Controllers and 2 Gun Drones
 * Sun Forge - 3 Shas'ui armed with Twin-linked Fusion Blasters and Shield Generators
 * Monat - 1 Shas'vre bonded in the Ta'lissera ritual, armed with a Burst Cannon, a Fusion Blaster and a hard-wired Multi-Tracker support system

Sa'cea Sept

 * Ke'lshan'tsua'm'padroch'ul'syn - 1 Shas'vre armed with Twin-linked Plasma Rifles, a Target Lock sensor support system, a hard-wired Drone Controller and 2 Shield Drones; 1 Shas'ui armed with a Flamer, Fusion Blaster and Burst Cannon;  1 Shas'ui armed with Twin-linked Fusion Blasters and a Target Lock sensor support system

Tau'n Sept

 * Brightwind - 1 Shas'vre armed with a Burst Cannon, Plasma Rifle, Multi-Tracker support system and har-wired Drone Controller with 2 Gun Drones; 1 Shas'ui armed with a Fusion Blaster, Missile Pod and a Target Lock sensor support system; 1 Shas'ui armed with a Missile Pod, a Plasma Rifle and a Multi-Tracker support system
 * Darkfall - 1 Shas'vre armed with Twin-linked Missile Pods, a hard-wired Blacksun Filter and a Drone Controller with 2 Gun Drones; 1 Shas'ui armed with a Shield Generator, a Flamer, and a Drone Controller with 2 Gun Drones; 1 Shas'ui armed with a Flamer, Fusion Blaster and a Drone Controller with 2 Shield Drones
 * Monat - Monat configurations for the Tau'n Sept are determined by the tactical preference of the Tau operating the Battlesuit

Known XV8 Battlesuit Variants
On Taros during the Taros Campaign, several variants of the standard XV8 Battlesuit were identified. One of these, the XV88 Broadside Battlesuit, was already well known from the Damocles Gulf Crusade. Others seemed to be personalised Battlesuits used by Tau Commanders in battle. These were coded as the XV81, the XV84 and XV89, and all incorporate non-standard systems in addition to the standard systems. The Tau, being a young and dynamic race and faced with growing threats to the borders of their Empire on the Eastern Fringe, were obviously seeking to improve the performance of their battlefield technology. As yet, only the most honoured commanders had access to this latest weaponry and technical developments.

XV81 Crisis Battlesuit
The XV81 Crisis Battlesuit has a Smart Missile System mounted on its back and is intended to be used as a long-range fire support platform. Note that the Smart Missile System doesn't fill up a Battlesuit hard-point.

XV84 Crisis Battlesuit
The XV84 Crisis Battlesuit is equipped with a spine-mounted Marker Light and Target Lock sensor support system to enhance its target acquisition capabilities in combat against multiple foes. Note that together, these additions fill up one Battlesuit hard-point.

XV89 Crisis Battlesuit
The XV89 Crisis Battlesuit is intended for assaults against heavily-fortifed enemy positions and thus is outfitted with heavier Iridium Armour for enhanced protection compared to the standard XV8 Crisis Battlesuit.

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