Weapons and equipment of the Tau Empire (Warhammer 40,000)

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The Tau are a race from the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, first discovered by the Imperium of Man in the late 35th millennium. They were at a hunter-gatherer stage of development at this time, and were earmarked for cleansing. The combination of warp storms and the outbreak of the Age of Apostasy within the Imperium prevented this from occurring, and during the next six millennia of isolation the Tau were able to evolve, unite, and develop an extremely advanced level of technology. Also during this time, the Tau have incorporated numerous alien species into their fledgling Empire, the most significant of these being the Kroot and the Vespid.^[1]

This list will describe the various weapon types, common equipment, and vehicles used by the Tau military, along with their allies.

Contents 1 Weapons 1.1 Pulse weapons 1.1.1 Burst cannon 1.1.2 Kroot weaponry 1.2 Plasma rifle 1.3 Railgun 1.4 Ion Cannon 1.5 Missile 1.6 Fusion blaster 1.7 Neutron blaster 1.8 Airbursting fragmentation launcher 1.9 Cyclic Ion Blaster 2 Equipment 2.1 Markerlight 2.2 Drones 2.3 Battlesuits 2.3.1 Stealthsuits 2.3.1.1 XV-22 2.3.2 Crisis suit 2.3.3 XV-88 Broadside 3 Vehicles 4 Bibliography 5 References

[edit] Weapons

[edit] Pulse weapons

The standard infantry weapon of Tau Fire Warriors, pulse weapons use electromagnetic induction fields to convert particles to a plasma state and propel them out the barrel of the weapon. There are several different types of pulse weapon:

• The pulse rifle carried by Fire Warrior teams is superior to the boltguns used by the Space Marines. The effective range and hitting power of a pulse rifle is one of the greatest of any standard-issue weapon used by any force in the galaxy, and often outranges the heavy weapons of other races.
• Pulse carbines are used by Pathfinder teams and are fitted to gun drones. They are also used occasionally by Fire Warrior teams, although most players prefer not to make use of this option due to the short range. Although as powerful as pulse rifles, carbines are smaller, trading range and rate of fire for portability and an underslung photon grenade launcher, which can dazzle and disorientate targets. In the tabletop game, the pulse carbine's grenade launcher can potentially pin an enemy squad, thus making them useless for the following turn. (In the Fire Warrior game, the launcher can also be used to gain increased range on a high-explosive grenade.) Pathfinders often use a pulse carbine with an integrated markerlight above the barrel. Gun drones are armed with twin-linked pulse carbines.
• Pulse pistols are small hold-out weapons issued to battlesuit pilots and the controllers of sniper drones. They have an extremely short range, but are slightly more powerful than an Imperial bolt pistol. They are a rare weapon not available on any model sprue, and thus only seen on custom models.

[edit] Burst cannon

A multi-barrel weapon capable of sustaining high rates of fire, burst cannons are an offshoot of Tau pulse weapon technology. They are usually mounted on battlesuits and vehicles, providing heavy anti-infantry support. They are similar to modern day miniguns and are able to maintain a high rate of fire without overheating. They usually have 4 barrels.

Burst Cannons are short-ranged, just like Pulse Carbines, but this is usually offset by the maneuverability of the models commonly armed with them. Even so, most players will, if possible, choose to upgrade a burst cannon to a more powerful gun.In the Dawn of War Expansion pack(Dark Crusade), Shas O'Kais is equipped with an commander burst cannon.

[edit] Kroot weaponry

Originally designed to use chemical propellant and solid ammunition, when the Kroot were absorbed into the Tau Empire, their weapons were upgraded to utilise the charged pulse rounds favoured by the Tau. Standard 'Kroot Rifles' are also fitted with blades near the barrel and stock, a throwback to fighting staves used by primitive Kroot.

The Kroot have adapted Tau pulse technology to produce a large calibre weapon. This heavy weapon is equivalent in range and firepower to the autocannon used by the Imperial Guard, and is primarily used to engage light vehicles. This 'Kroot Gun' is significantly heavier than the rifle, and must be mounted on the back of the apish and oxen-like Krootox.

[edit] Plasma rifle

In addition to their skill with pulse weapons, the Tau have developed plasma rifles that do not suffer from the fatal overheating problems of plasma-based weaponry used by other races (save for the Eldar Starcannon). The only drawback is reduced weapon power level. Gameplay is not significantly affected, though, as the ability of the plasma weapon to penetrate armor is not diminished (when firing on troops or units governed under "Armour Save" rules) and the power rating is still as devastating against most troop types, making Plasma Rifles popular weapons among Tau players.

[edit] Railgun

Railguns are very good linear accelerator cannons. These weapons fire a single, solid projectile at hypervelocity through the force generated in an electric circuit, although the vehicle-mounted version can also fire a sophisticated bundle of submunitions.

Railguns have been used for some time by battlesuits and vehicles, and the technology has been scaled up to the point where massive railcannon batteries are mounted on Air Caste starships. However, it was only recently that the Tau began to experiment with man-portable weapons based on railgun technology.

Railguns are highly prized by Tau players, due to their long range and excellent armor penetration ability. This makes them feared opponents (and priority targets) for players who favor vehicles in their armies.A model armed with railguns can stay mobile with strength 6, or fire while stationary at strength 10. In the game Dawn of War, battlesuits armed with these weapons have to 'entrench' so that they can stand the recoil effects.

Although weaker than its larger counterparts, the rail rifle is still powerful enough to be an effective anti-tank weapon. To use a rail rifle, the bearer must also be equipped with a hard-wired targeting device. During trials, one of the main flaws of the rail rifle was that the massive energy requirements needed to power the electromagnetic linear accelerator would overload the targeting device, causing feedback in the hard-wire interface, which in turn would kill the rifle's bearer (the current required to accelerate the projectile to a practical speed takes up an enormous amount of power). This flaw has been fixed through constant field-testing, and was authorised for use by frontline Pathfinder teams just prior to the declaration of the 'Third Sphere Expansion'. The rail rifle is now also mounted on drones, which form part of 'sniper teams', along with their tau controller.

[edit] Ion Cannon

An alternate turret-mounted weapon for the Hammerhead Gunship, and also appearing on Tau fightercraft and starships, the Ion Cannon generates a stream of high-energy particles, which are fired by the manipulation of an electromagnetic field. The particles react explosively with the target, as a result of direct energy transmission at the atomic level.

Although the firepower of the Ion Cannon is significantly less than the Railgun, it has a high rate of fire that is very effective against armored infantry (e.g. Space Marines) and lightly-armored vehicles. In theory, a Hammerhead Gunship equipped with an Ion Cannon and twin Burst Cannons carries the potential to destroy 90% of a full space marine squad in one attack.

[edit] Missile

There are three types of Missiles.

Missile Pods are small silos of missiles which are mainly mounted on Crisis suits and act as long range mobile support. The missiles housed in these pods are fired like a bazooka and go in a straight line from firer to target. These missiles can carry enough punch to destroy lightly armoured vehicles, and well-placed shots can even bring down heavier tanks.

Tau Smart Missiles are carried by Broadsides and some Tau vehicles. The target is designated by the firer, and a cluster of small missiles is fired up into the air, eliminating the need of line of sight. Once the missiles have cleared any intervening terrain they will search for the target before shooting down on to the heads of the opposition. These have a much more limited range than its counterpart the Missile Pod, and are slightly weaker, but it is compensated by the amount of shots. The Smart Missiles also lack the power to destroy heavier vehicles but if in an advantageous position i.e behind a light vehicle/transport it is possible to damage or destroy the target , though this is not advised due to the high values needed to penetrate and glance. Typically, it is best used as an anti-infantry weapon.

Seeker Missiles are a means for any Tau infantry squad to gain heavy support. A Fire Warrior veteran (shas'ui), a member of a Pathfinder squad, or a Skyray are armed with Markerlights which are fired at the enemy. The Seeker Missiles use this beam of light and some coordinates to home in on the target (refer to modern laser-guided missiles). This missile is the strongest of the three and has practically unlimited range. They also have the power to destroy some of the heaviest tanks in the game, such as the Land Raider or the Monolith. Seeker missiles are also mounted on the Tau Sky Ray vehicle.

[edit] Fusion blaster

An analog of the Imperial meltagun, the fusion blaster is mounted on battlesuits and vehicles as an anti-tank weapon. A vehicle mounted variant known as the fusion cannon exists, and appears mounted in pairs on hammerhead gunships.

The fusion cannon benefits from a range similar to the multimelta, however the power uprating means that the heat generated by the exited particles is effective over a radius of 2-3 metres.

[edit] Neutron blaster

A weapon unique to the Vespid Stingwings, the neutron blaster is a hybrid of Vespid and Tau technology. Mounted at the barrel of each weapon is a highly energetic and unstable crystal, which has been harvested from the deepest layers of the lighter-than-air stalactite islands the Vespid call home. This is combined with an efficient neutron projection system to produce a weapon capable of bypassing all but the most effective armor. Neutron blasters can only be used by the Vespid, as the constant ultrasonic tone emitted by the Vespid's wings are required to modulate the crystal used in the weapon. Due to their power rating, armor penetration, and relative number of shots, most players have dubbed the Neutron Blaster the "Marine Killer".

[edit] Airbursting fragmentation launcher

This weapon is given to elite fire caste members on the battlefield. It is a logical extrapolation, given the effectiveness of the railgun submunition, which fires many little fragmentation bomblets over a wide area that explode on contact with the ground or an enemy. In game terms, the sheer number of bomblets means that cover has no protective effect. The resultant wide-coverage explosion has the potential to wipe out entire squads of poorly armoured opponents.

[edit] Cyclic Ion Blaster

The Cyclic Ion Blaster is a four-barrelled, battlesuit-mounted weapon with an extreme rate of fire and employing fragile ion technology that can cut through any armor if it scores a critically well-placed hit. This only works on occasion (there is an approximately 1/6 chance of this critical hit) due to the weapon's fragile nature: while the rate of fire is stable, the ionisation effect remains unpredictable.

[edit] Equipment

[edit] Markerlight

A hand-held device used to target enemy soldiers and vehicles, the markerlight is not a weapon, but a unit (similar to a target designator) Attached to the top of Pulse Carbines, they are found in Path Finder Squads. Markerlights can also be found attached to drones. Capable of several functions, including rangefinding, targeting for accuracy, and designating targets for blind weapons systems (such as seeker missiles) to home in on. The Markerlight projects a simple beam of light, which gives Tau units an easier target to hit. This particular piece of equipment earned the nickname "Valkyrie's Mark" from Imperial forces, as those whom it chose were soon among the dead.

[edit] Drones

Independent artificial intelligences, Tau drones are used for a variety of civil and military functions. They normally require regular instructions from a Tau to function, although if four or more drones are networked to operate in unison, they become capable of operating independently of their Tau controllers. Drones that are linked to a control device cease to function if the controlling Tau is killed, or if the drones move more than a set distance from the controller.

Drones are designed to fulfill a set role. The most common drone designs are:

• Gun drones are armed with a pair of pulse carbines and are the most common drone type used by the Tau Fire Caste. They can accompany any Tau possessing a control device, whether he be in a battlesuit or leading an infantry team. In addition, gun drones are often used as weapons systems for the Devilfish APC and Piranha skimmer.
• Shield drones are assigned to protect elite commanders, along with members of the Ethereal caste. They are equipped with powerful energy shields and are programmed to block weapons fire intended for their controller with their shields. If necessary, the drone will physically intercept the incoming fire.
• Marker drones are equipped with an advanced markerlight system, and through the use of the control device can improve the accuracy of the operator and anyone else in the operator's team.
• Sniper drones are a recent development for the Third Sphere Expansion. A single Tau equipped with an advanced control and targeting system can utilise up to three sniper drones to provide accurate anti-personnel fire. The drones themselves are armed with a rail rifle, and project a distortion field that makes the drones and their operator difficult to hit.
• Heavy gun drones are larger, more powerful drones armed with a pair of Burst Cannons. Heavy gun drones also have the option of replacing one of their Burst Cannons with a Markerlight.
• Drone Sentry Turrets are airdroppable turrets often used to hold areas ahead of the main Tau advance. They are armed with a variety of Battlesuit weapons, such as Missile Pods and Plasma Rifles.
• DX-4 technical drones are used as a standard utility drone but are often employed on battlefields as mechanics or medics. Used in cityfights as the combat engineers strategem.
• Remora drone stealth fighters are used to attack vulnerable ground targets, protected by sophisticated stealth and jamming technology.

[edit] Battlesuits

Battlesuits are issued to the more experienced warriors of the Fire Caste. They are exoskeletal suits that give the wearer extra strength, better sensors, and more protection, as well as the ability to carry heavier weapons into battle.

All battlesuits of the same type are given a designation: XV, followed by two digits. The first digit indicates the mass class of the suit: '1' being a complete exoskeletal version of standard Tau body armour, while '8' represents the heaviest available battlesuits. The second digit indicates the role or status of the particular suit design: '2' marking an experimental design, '5' representing stealth capability, and '8' being heavy fire support. Variations of a suit may be given other numbers as well.

From forgeworld releases, it can be surmised that the following role numbers exist:

1 - Special Systems (modified battlesuit to include arms such as the smart missile system)
4 - Spotter armed with markerlight
9 - Heavy armour

[edit] Stealthsuits

The XV15 (up until the start of the Third Sphere Expansion) and the XV25 Stealthsuits are equipped with burst cannons and holographic camouflage, and are capable of equipping a fusion blaster in place of the burst cannon.

Teams of up to six suits operate independently of the main Tau force, and are given broad parameters within which to operate. Most Stealth Teams are not factored into Tau battleplans, and the appearance of a Stealthsuit-equipped team can be a surprise to both forces. Stealth Team members are perceived to be eccentric, and are said to delight in employing new and unpredictable tactics.

[edit] XV-22

A variation of the Stealth suit is the XV-22, which is slightly larger and tougher than the XV-25, and can carry a weapon system on each arm, as well as hardpoints for additional weapons or support systems on the shoulders. XV-22s were originally slated to replace the XV-15, but the loss of components of Stealth Suit technology rushed the development of the upgrade, and the lesser-armed XV-25 was deployed instead.^{[citation needed]}

XV-22s are sometimes specially assigned to a skilled Shas'O, such as the Tau special character Commander Shadowsun.^[1] The XV-22 is used by the Tau Commander in the Dawn of War expansion, Dark Crusade,^[2], as well as in Soulstorm.

It should be noted that "XV-22" is not a unique production name for this variant, as any experimental Tau Battlesuit roughly the same size would also be designated as XV-22(the first "2" designates its size, while the the second "2" designates it as experimental).^[1] Had it been designated as a mass production stealth suit, its designation would be changed to XV-25 ("5" denotes that it is a stealth suit).

[edit] Crisis suit

The mainstay of the Tau's battlesuit forces, the XV8 Crisis battlesuits are worn by Fire Caste commanders and Fire Warriors that have proven themselves in battle. Each Crisis suit is capable of mounting up to three powerful weapons, and can be equipped with a variety of support systems, including drone controllers, fire control and targeting systems, or a shield generator. Some of these support systems are built into the suits, some are attached on the outside.

Variants of the Crisis suit include:

• XV-81, which has a Smart Missile System mounted on its back;
• XV-84, which carries a markerlight;
• XV-89, which comes equipped with heavier armor.

Crisis Suits are typically deployed in either a team of three, called a Ta'ro'cha by the Tau, or a single suit, called a Monat.

As Crisis Suits can be outfitted with a number of different weapons, code names for certain successful configurations have come into use by the Tau (and adopted by Tau players) to quickly describe the configuration of their Crisis teams.

• Vior'la Crisis Suit Configurations

Death Rain - Three Shas'ui all with twin-linked missile pod, drone controller and 2 gun drones.

Sun Forge - Three Shas'ui all with twin-linked fusion blaster and shield generator.

Burning Eye - Shas'vre and two Shas'ui, all with twin-linked plasma rifle and target lock.

Vior'la Monat - Shas'vre, bonded, drone controller and two gun drones, burst cannon, fusion blaster, hard-wired multi-tracker.

Fire Spiker - Three Shas'ui all with a fusion blaster, missile pod and target lock.

• Tau'n Crisis Suit Configurations

Brightwind - Shas'vre with burst cannon, plasma rifle, multi-tracker and hard-wired drone controller with two gun drones. One Shas'ui with target lock, fusion blaster and missile pod, one Shas'ui with missile pod, plasma rifle and multi-tracker.

Darkfall - Shas'vre with twin-linked missile pods, drone controller with two gun drones and hard-wired blacksun filter. One Shas'ui with shield generator, flamer and drone controller with two gun drones, One Shas'ui with flamer, fusion blaster and drone controller with two shield drones.

• T'au Crisis Suit Configurations

Fireknife - Shas'ui (Team Leader) with plasma rifle, multi-tracker, missile pod, hard-wired drone controller with two gun drones, bonded. Two Shas'ui with plasma rifle, multi-tracker, missile pod, bonded.

Blinding Spear - Shas'vre with plasma rifle, burst cannon, multi-tracker, hard-wired drone controller (two gun drones). Two Shas'ui with plasma rifle, burst cannon, multi-tracker.

Soul Cleanse(Monat) - One Shas'ui with flamer, fusion blaster, shield generator, hard-wired drone controller with two gun drones.

One special Crisis suit is used by the renegade Commander Farsight. In addition to the Shield Generator and Plasma Rifle it also sports the fabled Dawn Blade, making Farsight both devastating in range and close quarter combat (in fact, he is almost as devastating in close combat as a Daemon Prince). Farsight's enclave is also known to command more Crisis battlesuits than any other Tau force (although at the cost of a reduced number of Broadsides).

[edit] XV-88 Broadside

The most heavily armed Tau warriors on the battlefield, pilots of the XV88 Broadside battlesuit have access to a twin-linked railgun system mounted on the suit's back,and a smart missile system or twin-linked plasma rifles on the arms.

• A variant of the Broadside, the XV-88-2, has a different weapons mounting, moving the railguns further downward to lower the suit's center of gravity, and mounting the secondary weapons on the suit's upper back, over the shoulders. It also has a different styling of its armor, making it look more distinct than the Crisis Suit. The XV-88-2 is available from Forge World.

[edit] Vehicles

Main article: Vehicles of the Tau Empire (Warhammer 40,000)

[edit] Bibliography

• Hoare, Andy (2006). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Tau Empire. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-712-3. 
• Haines, Pete (September 2003). "Chapter Approved - Tau Rail Rifles". White Dwarf: Australian Edition (285). ISSN 0265-8712. 

[edit] References