Tau

The Tau are an arguably benevolent race fighting for what they call the Greater Good. They claim to be a peaceful race when possible, asking if others will join their cause instead of fighting.

The Tau are the central figures of the Tau Empire, which is composed of several species, primarily the Kroot of Pech, the Vespid of Vespid and the nomadic Nicassar, though there are now several human-Tau Septs. The Tau are a relatively young race (3000 years, Imperial Inquisitors first noted of the Tau when they were still experimenting with fire or the wheel), having evolved rapidly over the past few millennium. Not keeping with the trend of young races, the Tau have made remarkably large leaps in technology.

Tau 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 and evolution to suit the environment each group of the proto-Tau species found themselves in, although interbreeding between castes was later forbidden by the Ethereals.

The Tau are humanoid in shape, although they have hoofed 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 slit 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 both weaker and shorter than the average human.

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 effecting 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 can perform "Warp Dives" 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 or latent psychic control over the other castes, but this is mere speculation, and no evidence of this has been found.

Tau Warriors are extremely weak in melee combat(thus being slaughtered by Chaos and Ork, melee oriented races), depending on Kroot Mercenaries to fight in close combat. Though due to sharp eyesight and patience, the Tau have proven themselves extremely accurate sharpshooters.

Tau's believe nearly all other societies (even humans) are barbaric and barely tolerable. They can barely tolerate the Kroot's hunger for flesh and shun the tradition in disgust.

Tau Caste System


The Tau employ a caste-based system that places the good of the many over the good of the few. In Tau society, every person is viewed as an essential part of the whole. Social standing is judged primarily by a beings standing within caste of the Tau, with 'La being the lowest (Shas'la: lineman, Fio'la: worker, Por'la: assistant) and 'O being the highest (Shas'O: General, Fio'O: Plant director, Por'O: Planetary ambassador). The castes are as follows:


 * Fire (Shas) -- The Fire Caste compose the bulk of the military for the Tau Empire, and as such are the Tau most often used in the game. They average as tall as or slightly shorter than an average human, and are generally muscular. This comes from the fire caste's origin on the plains of T'au, the Tau home world, where they survived as hunters 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 also artisans, scientists and engineers. They are usually credited with the significant leaps in technology that the Tau enjoy. The members of the Earth Caste form the foundations upon which the Tau Empire is built. The inhabitants of this caste are generally short and stout of build.


 * Water (Por) -- The Water Caste is primarily composed of merchants and diplomats. They are tasked with seeking and maintaining diplomatic relations with the other species of the Tau Empire, as well as maintaining the ease of communication and cooperation between the other castes. The Water Caste are generally taller and slimmer than other Tau, and favor diplomatic training and social grace over confrontation or combat.


 * Air (Kor) -- The Air Caste of the Tau function not only as messengers, but also as the bulk of the Tau Navy. The Tau of the Air Caste are even taller and more slender than the Water Caste, with long, skinny appendages and hollow bones. These traits are attributed to their lives lived mostly low to zero gravity ships and space stations. This is exacerbated by Air Caste reluctance, if not outright refusal to land on planets, as their skeletons have atrophied to the point where injury and broken bones are commonplace. In the past, before the time of the Mont'au, the Air Caste had membranes stretching between their limbs, which allowed them to glide on air currents. Tau pilots are recognized as superior to human pilots due to their better depth perception and fighter craft, though lack a normal Imperial pilots level of experience.


 * Ethereal (Aun) -- The Ethereals are the leaders of the Tau. They resemble the Fire and Water Castes physically, but are marked by a diamond-shaped ridge of raised bone in the center of their foreheads. Their origins are unknown, and most Tau will never refuse a request by an Ethereal. They are sometimes also found on the battlefield, but whether as leaders or observers remains to be seen.

Ethereal Control
One of the conspiracy theories surrounding the Tau concerns the Ethereals control over other Tau, and how the Ethereals initially managed to unite a fractured, nomadic people constantly at war into a single whole force. The proposed causes of this range from the psychic (As displayed in the Tau novel Fire Warrior) to the biological, that the Ethereals diamond-shaped forehead ridge produces a set of pheromones that make Tau, and to a lesser extent other species open to suggestion. This was introduced after people complained that the initial Tau codex described the Tau in too much of a positive light, and that they were too "good" for the 40k universe. This also led to the Vespid communion helms, which have a much clearer Orwellian feel that the Vespid are being directly manipulated thanks to the helmets that are supposedly for "communication purposes."

The Greater Good
The Greater Good is the central philosophy that unites all Tau. It says that everyone one is equal and plays an important part of Tau society. It tells them to put away petty squabbles and unnecessary things to unite for the greater good of the rest of the race. As implied in Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, the Tau have no intention to destroy religion or culture, but merely to enhance it. However, these enhancements are rarely wanted by the other races of the galaxy.

Tau Ranks
The rank of a person in Tau society is second only to the caste they are born into. The Ranks are as follows:
 * 'Saal -- Cadet. This rank is typically given to Tau as soon as they enter service.


 * 'La -- The first and lowest true rank. A Shas'la would be a standard Fire Warrior, while a Fio'la would be a manual laborer, and 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 fire warriors (equivalent to an Imperial Sergeant), or a battlesuit pilot, while a Por'Ui would be a mid-ranking envoy or diplomat.


 * 'Vre -- The third Tau rank. A Shas'vre is a Battlesuit team leader, a Fio'vre would be the foreman of a Tau factory, and a Kor'vre a fighter pilot.


 * 'El -- The fourth and second highest Tau rank, acknowledged as one of high esteem. Shas'el are Commanders, Kor'el command Tau spacecraft, and a Fio'el would be an engineer.


 * 'O -- The highest Tau rank. Kor'o would be the title of a fleet admiral, while Shas'o would be of the highest levels of command and fearsome warriors (usually placed in command of one or more cadre, and an Aun'o is the highest rank of Ethereal, revered by all Tau.

In times past, the main four castes (fire, earth, water, and air) were constantly vying for power with each other. Suddenly, the strange, mystical Tau of the Ethereal caste began to appear, and united the Tau under the "greater good".

The Tau are the most open and tolerant of the races in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. They are the only army that prefers to settle their differences peacefully. They are appreciative of Humans, Eldar, and other sentient races, but hold their own values to be superior to those of 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 tactics 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 ancient 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 coordinating their troops and weapons for the mission at hand. The Tau prefer to fight offensively, concerned more with the quick destruction of the enemy than the taking and holding of ground. If a Tau base is attacked, the Tau will usually evacuate, dismantle all important technology, and return at a later time to retake it.

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 Mont'ka is generally known to utilize more mobilzed support and vehicles, whilst Kauyon relies more on advanced infantry tactics and quick attacks.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Commander
The main and essential commander for every Tau army, the Crisis suit Commander can either be a Shas'o or Shas'el. Shas'o being the higher, it costs more points but has higher stat values. Crisis suit Commanders are the highest of the Fire Caste. The Battlesuit holds only one Tau and can be upgraded with a variety of weapons, wargear, and support systems allowing them to be flexible in any role. The Battlesuit plays an important part of any Tau army for they are not only the commander but they can be very deadly themselves. Some Battlesuit Commanders can be equipped to go tank-hunting or to obliterate infantry or they can do both! The highly customizable suit is also very tough and strong making it one of the best units the Tau have. Crisis suit Commanders can bring two Shas'vre bodyguards, and as many Gun Drones, Shield Drones, or Marker Drones as they want.

The Tau have built experimental Crisis Suits for Tau Commanders some of which are custom made for a specific commander, such as; Commander Shas'o R'myr's.

Variants of Tau Commander Crisis Battlesuits

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Shas'vre Bodyguard
Shas'vre bodyguard are handpicked for the Commander. Normally close friends, the bodyguards wear the same suit as their commander.

Ethereal
The Ethereal Caste brought the other four castes together in the name of the Greater Good. Known to be similar to religious leaders, Ethereals also sometime take part in battle. Their mere presence raises the morale of every Tau unit fighting. But that's not to say they cannot hold their own. Some Ethereals are masters of bladed weapons such as Aun'shi who is famed for his skill with his double-bladed weapon. But having an Ethereal is not without it's downs. If the Ethereal were to die in battle, the entire Tau army would be demoralized. To know that their great leader had fallen can make many of the hardest veterans flee from the battlefield.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuit
Fire Warriors who work hard enough, can be promoted to Shas'ui. As Shas'ui, they can either lead teams of Fire Warriors or choose to become a Battlesuit pilot. A Battlesuit Pilot gains the honor of piloting an XV8 Battlesuit into battle. A Battlesuit is a heavy exoskeleton that can lift heavy loads and protect the pilot from any danger. The suit isable to fire heavy weapons, use a jetpack for mobility(a common 40k tactic known as Jump-Shoot-Jump), and have various systems installed such as a drone controller. They can even be promoted to Shas'vre, not all are bodyguards though, their are also teams of a Shas'vre leader and two Shas'ui. The XV8 Battlesuit Series can be customized and equipped accordingly to threats that the Tau Empire will face this versatility is what makes the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit one of the most useful units in any Tau Army.

XV25 Stealthsuits
XV25 Stealthsuit pilots work alone, independently from the rest of their Cadre. They scout ahead of the rest of the army, taking out key units such as commanders to demoralize the enemy, or ambushing tanks and infantry to cripple them. Stealthsuits use stealth-field generators, which allow them to fight unseen, even when in plain view. Stealthsuits can only take two different weapons, the fusion blaster or Burst Cannon.

XV15 Stealthsuits
Equipped with the XV15 Stealth Armour these troops are the 'lone wolves' of the Tau army, operating independently of other formations. Stealthsuits use stealth-field generators, which allow them to fight unseen, even when in plain view.

Fire Warriors
The backbone to any Tau army, the Fire Warriors are the main troop choice for Tau. With the best infantry guns in the game, it's not too hard to use them. They can also use Pulse Carbines too. Stat-wise, they aren't the best but they make up for it with technology. Fire Warriors are Shas'la sometimes led by a Shas'ui team leader.

Devilfish Transport
The favorite of many Tau armies, the Devilfish is a unique and powerful transport. It is a skimmer, so units can fire through it. (this makes for a very interesting tactic listed below in "Popular Tactics") It also has decent armour which makes it resilient enough to be able to take some hits. It can hold a total of 12 models, though only drones, Fire Warriors or Pathfinders. There are three doors, one on each side and one in the back. This keeps options open and allows the weaker points of the armour to face away from the enemy. The Devilfish has access to the Tau Vehicle Armoury list which includes useful upgrades making the Devilfish a strong and useful transport.

Kroot
The Kroot come from their homeworld of Pech, a jungle world, which has resulted in the Kroot becoming experts in jungle warfare. The Kroot are an interesting race because they seem to evolve by devouring prey or the remains of their enemies. By eating the remains their digestive system absorbs the dna and then they inherit the traits of their enemies. Since the Tau disdain hand to hand combat they employ the Kroot as melee auxiliaries. Using the Kroot as meat shields to hold the enemy at bay while they fire at them from afar.

Pathfinders
Pathfinders are the scouts of the Tau. They spot ahead and "light up" targets with their markerlight for the rest of the army. They are always accompanied by a Devilfish transport, allowing them to swiftly redeploy out of harms way. Pathfinders are armed with Pulse Carbines, but three of them may be exchanged for Rail Rifles so the squad is able to keep a distance from attackers.

Vespid Stingwings
The Vespid are insectile assault troops in the Tau Army. Unlike the mercenary Kroot, the Vespid actually believe in the greater good and have joined the Tau to spread the Greater Good, though it is whispered that the Vespid only joined the Tau after their leaders were presented with crafted communion helms, worn by all Strain Leaders, to "aid in communication." In return, the Tau have made the Vespid their own armour and weapons which are unique to their race. Their main weapon is the neutron blaster, which is created by harvesting crystals that are formed on the Vespid homeworld and mounting them on a neutron containment and projection system, making them not only unique but the most deadly weapon of their kind. The crystals that form the heart of the weapon come from the deepest mines on the largest island on the Vespid homeworld.

Pirahna
The Piranha is a lightly armored vehicle used by the Tau in a range of capacities including rapid response, support of Pathfinder Teams, and even as battlefield transport for high-ranking dignitaries. By upgrading the vehicle to carry a Fusion Blaster or a pair of Seeker Missiles, it becomes an effective tank hunter, particularly when guided to a target by Pathfinder Teams.

Tetra
The lightest skimmer in the Tau force, Tetras are minimally armed and armoured, and are exclusively scouting vessels, designed to range far ahead of Tau forces and mark targets for long range bombardment.

Sniper Drone Team
A team consisting of a Tau Spotter and three drones armed with rail rifles. The drones are remotely controlled by the spotter using a specially designed interface.

XV88 Broadside Battle Suit
Veteran fire warriors may pilot more heavily armed, but less versatile, Battle Suits. Armed with twin linked Rail guns, its almost guaranteed to hit and destroy any unit. They are also equipped with either twin link smart missiles or twin linked plasma rifles. It can be a very efficient infantry killer as well.

Hammerhead
The anti-gravity tank of the Tau Empire. It can be armed with two burst cannons or seeker missiles on the drone sponsons while carrying a rail gun, ion cannon, or twin-linked weapons on the primary mount. The Hammerhead is used for major firepower and is fast and mobile.

Sky Ray
A variant of the Hammerhead that is armed with air defense missile platforms. The Sky Ray is an ideal artillery piece except that it is unable to operate at full capacity unsupported. Players should use the Sky Ray with a team of Pathfinders for the utmost accuracy and destruction.

Tabletop
In the Warhammer 40,000 game, the Tau are a ranged army. An effective tactic is to engage the enemy at the maximum range Tau weaponry, which typically has longer ranges and greater firepower than the equivalent weapons of other armies. As such, the Tau have weaker Close Combat ability (CC). Thus, many tactics involve staying at a distance, to wipe out the enemy or redeploying swiftly to further engage the 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, such as: providing specialized weapons to deal with any hot spots on the battlefield, providing 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 shield projectors, these drones can be used to protect teams of Fire Warriors and battlesuits and support vehicles.

The basic weapons of the Fire Caste are Pulse weapons, which propel a particle beam that breaks down into a plasma pulse as it is fired from the gun. This is commonly used as a long-range Pulse rifle or a portable Pulse 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 use Ion Cannons and Railguns on 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, Pulse Rifles, and Flamers.

Popular Table Top Tactics
The Fish of Fury (commonly abbreviated to FoF): This tactic involves the use of the Devilfish troop transport and a full team of Fire Warriors. During the movement phase the Tau commander cuts in front of an opposing unit, presenting one side to the enemy. They then disembark their passengers using the exit on the opposite side of the transport. During the shooting phase the fore-mentioned commander fires under the devilfish (possible because skimmers, such as the Devilfish, don't block Line Of Sight ). during the opponent's Shooting phase they are forced to fire at the Devilfish unless they pass a target priority test, thus making the Fire Warriors effectively immune to attack.

The Jump, Shoot, Jump (Commonly abbreviated to JSJ): This tactic involves any Tau unit with "XV" in the name. Using the advanced Jetpack special rules a Tau commander will advance a XV suit out of cover during the movement phase via Jumping, Shoot in the shooting phase, and retreat during the assault phase into cover, once again, via Jumping. This tactic is also known in some circles as the 'Tau Bounce'.

The Devil Hop (Commonly abbreviated to D-Hop): This tactic is a mix of the previous two tactics. This tactic is used mostly on Planet Bowling-Ball, and involves the using of any Devilfish chassis based vehicle as cover for a "XV" designated suit. The suit performs a JSJ (Jump, Shoot, Jump) maneuver as it would with any other cover, except that when it lands behind the Devilfish the enemy has to take a target priority test, which, if failed, will lead them to destroy the Devilfish, making it a permanent terrain feature and allowing a cover save, or Line Of Sight blocking.

Notable characters

 * Shas'O Vior'la Shovah Kaius Mont'yr (aka Commander Farsight)
 * Aun'shi
 * La'Kais (possibly Shas'O Vior'la Kais later on)
 * Aun'Va
 * Shas'O Kais
 * Shas'O Or'es'Ka

Allies

 * Kroot
 * Vespids
 * Demiurg
 * Nicassar
 * Gue'vesa

Computer games

 * Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior - Game Based on The Tau
 * Dawn of War: Dark Crusade - Tau are a playable race.
 * 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.