Sample Hunter Cadre order of battle
A cadre, or kau'ui as it is known in the T'au Lexicon, is the basic organisational unit of the Fire Caste, the ground military forces of the T'au Empire, similar in size to an Astra Militarum company. Cadres are in turn made up of a variable number of units similar in size to squads known among the T'au as a "team" or la'rua.
There are many types of T'au cadre, but by far the most common one is the versatile Hunter Cadre. It is a combined arms group, fielding Fire Warrior infantry, auxiliary alien infantry, battlesuits and anti-grav gunships together under the leadership of a T'au Commander. Most cadres are standing formations, although their exact structure includes some variation depending upon the strategic or tactical needs of their commander.
There are many alternative kinds of cadre within the Fire Caste, with several more specialist formations optimised for specific battlefield roles. The Retaliation Cadre, for example, groups teams of battlesuits, particularly stealthsuits, into a single force ideal for rapid insertion drops and counter-assault. Meanwhile, the Infiltration Cadre is utilised for reconnaissance in force, its Pathfinders, Sniper Drone Teams and Piranhas engaging the foe with guerrilla tactics while calling down strikes on key strategic targets.
A "contingent", or tio've, is a grouping of cadres, normally three to six in number and assembled to prosecute a specific battle or achieve a particular objective. Such large forces will always include at least one Ethereal, who is there to observe proceedings and offer guidance to the commander. The Ethereal's role is vital, for contingents represent the marshalled military might of the T'au Empire and must be wielded with care -- only the vast, star system-conquering units known as "coalitions" are larger and more powerful.
Hunter Cadres are a standing formation, although their exact structure is variable, subject to change due to the tactical situation on the ground, the quarry they are hunting, the available reinforcements or a commander's favoured mode of attack. The core of most Hunter Cadres is its Fire Warriors and other auxiliary infantry such as Kroot Carnivores or Vespid Stingwings, but these can be supported in a number of ways. Pathfinders scout ahead and mark prospective targets, elite battlesuits provide hard-hitting strike teams, Sniper Drone Teams pick off the foe's greatest threats and Hammerhead gunships use their deadly armaments to blast enemy armour or break up massed infantry attacks.
The doctrine of T'au battle tactics is all about the efficient coordination of different groups -- from the infantry to the battlesuits, the gunships to the aircraft, all must work as one to defeat the foe. A Hunter Cadre is fully integrated at the tactical level, so that all of its teams are considered to be part of the same fighting unit.
There are a number of different cadres in addition to the hunter variety, although they tend to be smaller in size and more optimised for individual roles. There are Rapid Insertion Forces made exclusively of fast striking battlesuit teams, Infiltration Cadres of Pathfinders and Stealth Teams and Auxiliary Reserve Cadres, battle groups made entirely of allied alien warriors like the Kroot, Vespids and Gue'vesa.
A particularly formidable group is the Armoured Interdiction Cadre, a force composed entirely of Hammerhead and Sky Ray gunships. Its heavy firepower is used to counter enemy tanks and is capable of toppling even the mightiest targets. During the Hive Fleet Gorgon invasion, Armoured Interdiction Cadres blunted the Tyranid Bio-Titan spearhead -- pitting "shoals" or squadrons of Hammerheads against towering Hierophants flanked by the tank-sized Hierodules.
Types of Cadres[]
Below is an example of a T'au Fire Caste Hunter Contigent which is a combined arms contingent making use of many different types of cadres. It is an exceelent example of the sheer tactical flexibility granted to the T'au by the Fire Caste's cadre system.
| Hunter Contingent
The Hunter Contingent is designed to be the most versatile template by which large Fire Caste forces can be assembled. Such a formation exhibits the strategic balance to face any threat. | ||
| Command | Hunter Cadre | |
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Large forces, such as units of contingent size or larger, will always include at least one Ethereal who acts as the overall, strategic force commander. |
A Hunter Cadre is a combined arms group, fielding infantry, battlesuits and gunships together under a T'au Commander. | |
| Cadre Types
A contingent -- or tio've -- is a grouping of cadres, normally three to six in number and assembled to prosecute a specific battle or achieve a particular objective. Such large forces will always include at least one Ethereal, who is there to observe proceedings and offer guidance to the T'au Commander.
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| Optimised Stealth Cadre | Fire Support Cadre | Allied Auxiliaries | |||||
| Infiltration Cadre | Heavy Retribution Cadre | Air Caste Support Wing |
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Utilised for reconnaissance in force, this Cadre's Pathfinders, Sniper Drone Teams and Piranha engage the foe with guerrilla tactics while calling down strikes on key strategic targets. |
Used to annihilate the most stalwart of enemies. |
| Other Cadre Types |
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Sources[]
- Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), pp. 34-35
- Codex: Tau Empire (6th Edition), pp. 8-12, 22-24
- Codex: Tau Empire (7th Edition), pp. 15-16