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In the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Tau are a benevolent race fighting for what they call the Greater Good. They are actually a peaceful race when possible, asking if others will join their cause instead of fight.
The Tau also make use of mercenaries from other races (primarily the Kroot of Pech). The Tau are a relatively young race, but their technology is extremely advanced, so much so that the Imperium of Man has of late been wondering if the technological advances were all the Tau's doing...
Tau Society and Physiology
The Tau's physiology is closely tied to their society, with the Tau of each caste almost becoming a subspecies in their own right.
Every Tau is humanoid in shape, with two arms, two hooved feet, and a single head. Their grey-blue skin is leathery and tough, owing to the generally dry conditions of their homeworld. Their faces are flat, wide around the eyes, and their olfactory organs are located inside their mouths. Their eyes can see into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums, but due to a lack of silatory pupils, their depth perception suffers compared to Humans.
- Fire(Shas) -- The Fire Caste are the military of the Tau Empire, and as such are the Tau Most often used in the game. They are short, but slender. 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 Artesans, Scientists and Engineers are also members of the Earth Caste. They form the foundations upon which the Empire is built. Earth Caste Tau are short and stout of build.
- Water (Por) -- The Water Caste is made up of merchants and diplomats. They make the deals with other races that aren't handled by the Fire Caste(i.e. at gunpoint). The Water Caste tend to be taller and slender than other Tau.
- Air (Kor) -- The Air Caste of the Tau function not only as messengers, but are also the Tau Navy. The Tau of the Air Caste are even more tall and slender than the Water Caste, with long, skinny limbs and hollow bones developed due to lives lived mostly in low- and zero-gravity ships and space stations. In the past, before the time of the Mont'au, the Tau that originally became the Air Caste had membranes stretching between their limbs, allowing them to glide on air currents.
- Ethereal (Aun) -- The Ethereals are the leaders of the Tau. They resemble the Fire and Water Castes, but are marked by a diamond-shaped ridge of raised bone in the center of their foreheads. Their origins are unknown, but most Tau will never refuse a request by an Ethereal (due to some unknown form of chemical reaction). They are sometimes also found on the battlefield, but whether as leaders or observers is unknown.
In addition, Tau are given a rank, normally pertaining to their station and duties in society.
- La -- The lowest rank. Most Tau start their lives here. A Shas'la would be a Line trooper, while a Fio'la would be a manual laborer, or 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 troopers(Equivalent to a Sergeant), or a battlesuit pilot, while a Por'Ui would be a mid-ranking envoy.
- Vre -- The Middle Tau rank. A Shas'vre is a Battlesuit team leader, while a Fio'vre would be the foreman at a Tau factory, and a Kor'vre a fighter pilot.
- El -- The second highest Tau rank, one of true Command. Shas'el are field Commanders, Kor'el captain Tau spacecraft, and a Fio'el would be an engineer.
- O -- The highest Tau rank. Kor'os are fleet admirals, while Shas'os are of the highest levels of command and fearsome warriors, and an Aun'o is the most high, revered by all Tau.
In times past, the main four castes (fire, earth, water, and air) were constantly at war with each other. Suddenly, the strange, mystical tau of the Ethereal caste began to appear, and they united the Tau.
The Tau are the most open and tolerant of the races in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, which for Warhammer 40,000, means that they prefer not to destroy all other races on sight. They are appreciative of Humans, Eldar, and other sentient races, but hold their own values as superior above all 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:
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...
...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")
Tau Weapons 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 age-ole 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 carefully coordinating their troops and weapons for the mission at hand. The Tau prefer to fight offensively, concerned more with the destruction of the enemy than the taking and holding of ground/territory. Rather than hold territory from the enemy, they would prefer to simply kill the enemy first. Territory is much easier to hold when the enemy are all dead. Instead of trying to defend a base or city, the Tau will rather evacuate, dismantle all the important technology, and come back and kill the occupying force at a later time.
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 Tau also make use of Auxillary units, most often the Kroot, but lately have also made use of Human Auxillaries as well.
In the Warhammer 40,000 game, the Tau are a shooting-oriented army. Their best tactic is to engage the enemy at the maximum range of their weapons, which typically have a longer range and greater firepower than the equivalent weapons in the other armies. Tau players usually try to take out the strongest weapons of the enemy, and keep them from reaching the Tau lines, as most Tau units are weak in Assault.
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 laser designators. The Tau also delpoy battlesuits in support roles, providing specialized weapons to deal with any hot sports on the battlefield, provide 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 forcefields. Drones can be used to protect teams of Fire Warriors and Battlesuits, support their tanks, or grouped into independent squadrons.
The basic weapons of the Fire Caste are Pulse weapons, which propel a particle that breaks down into a plasma pulse as it is fired from the gun. This is commonly used as a long-range rifle or a portable 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 used Ion Cannons and Railguns in 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, Plasma Rifles, and Flamers.
Notable Characters
Shas'O Vior'la Shovah Kaius Mont'yr
"Learn to shorten your reach! If your foe can come close enough to negate your striking power, all strategam is lost and when all strategam is lost, the battle is lost"
Also known simply as O'shovah, or Commander Farsight. O'shovah was a great Tau commander who fought to reclaim several worlds lost to the Imperium of Man after the Damocles Crusade. During his expedition, the Ethereals accompanying him were killed, and O'shovah came into the possession of the Dawn Blade, a large sword found on the dead world of Arthas-Moloch. Instead of returning home, O'shovah led his expedition beyond the Damocles Gulf, and established a fortified cluster of colonies separate from the Tau Empire.
Despite his apparent desertion, O'shovah is still thought of as a great leader by the Fire Caste, and still held in the highest regards in his home sept of Vior'la, a fact that troubles some Ethereals.
Aun'shi
"I have taken great pains not to laugh at the actions of aliens, nor to weep at them or to hate them, but to understand them."
Aun'shi is a member of the Ethereal Caste. In what was supposed to be his final assignment before retirement, he was sent to the planet of Kel'tyr, to oversee a mining colony dealing with feral Ork tribes.
During the inspection of the town of Fio'vash, the town came under attack by one such tribe of Orks, intent upon capturing the mine workings there. When the Shas'vre in charge of the Fire Warrior garrison was killed, Aunshi dispatched a messenger and Stealth Suit team to the capital for help and led the defense himself, slaughtering Orks by the dozen armed with only his Honor Blade.
As dusk fell, Aun'shi and less than fifty Fire Warriors remained to protect the town. The Tau fell back to a barricaded shrine in the center of town, where they prepared to make their final stand. Aun'shi stood at the door to the shrine and stood his ground, never moving even when the doors themselves were ripped from their frames. Suddenly, the Orks were thrown into disarray as Tau reinforcements attacked, Devilfish troop carriers, Hammerhead tanks, and Broadside battlesuits quickly devastating the Ork mobs and scattering the survivors. Aunshi still stood at the shrine's door, his honor blade slick with greenskin blood. The Ethereal shrine still stood, and the mines of Fio'vash remained in Tau hands.
His defense of Fio'vash was considered a great victory, despite the horrendous casualties suffered by the Tau. When word reached the Ethereals on T'au, it was decreed that Aun'shi would continue to serve the Greater Good, and expand the Tau Empire.
Aun'shi is considered to be a hero by the Fire Caste, and a huge marble bust of him was erected in the battledomes of Vior'la.
La'Kais (or Shas'O Vior'la Kais later on)
Late in the 41st millennium, the Ethereal El'Ko'vash was kidnapped by Space Marines under the orders of Imperial Governor Severus. The Tau response was swift. Fire Warriors descended upon the world of Dolumar IV with a vengeance, intent of getting their Ethereal back.
One of these Fire Warriors was a young Shas'la by the name of Kais. While only on his first battle, his "Trial by Fire," Kais proved instrumental not only in the initial rescue, but also in the resulting battle against the forces of Chaos, who had orchestrated the entire incident in an attempt to release the Daemon Tarkh'ax from a dimensional prison. Guided only by his commander El'Lusha, and later Captain Ardias of the Ultramarines, Kais fought through a hell of blood and fire before finally facing down Tarkh'ax himself.
Reports on the incident are varied, and often contradictory. Some claim that Kais was able to defeat the Daemon singlehandedly, while others state that he was helped by both Captain Ardias and a Crisis Suit team led by El'Lusha.
In the end, Ko'Vash was unfortunately killed, and Dolumar IV was cleansed by the Imperial Navy. Kais' fate afterwards is also unknown, and the subject of controversy. Some claimed he returned to his duties and finally become a Fire Warrior Commander(as referred in Codex:Tau), while other reports place him in a hospital on T'au, recovering from severe physical, mental, and possibly spiritual trauma.
Kais's story is found in the video game and novel Fire Warrior.
The Kroot
The Kroot are the main mercenary force in the galaxy. They sell their forces to almost anyone who'll buy, as long as the price is right. The Tau have befriended the Kroot, and the Kroot have agreed to submit Tithed Forces to the Tau. But not all Kroot like this way of thinking.
Kroot are tall aliens (a good half-meter taller than most humans), their avian ancestry gives them a bird-like beak, and long quills protrude from the back of their heads. They evolve by selecting traits from the D.N.A. of their prey, and thus the many Kroot warbands across the galaxy often look radically different.They are led by Shapers (Kroot leaders) who decide what they eat. For instance a shaper who wants his kroots to be big and muscley will take on a lot of campaigns against orks to acquire the right DNA.
The Kroot believe that when a warrior of any race dies, his warrior spirit should be kept. They do this by orally consuming the bodies of their enemies and their comrades. Many other races consider this a repulsive habit, but it is completely normal to the Kroot.
The Kroot prefer to fight in melee, thus making a great contrast to the Tau. In fact, the main kroot gun, the kroot rifle, is fitted with multiple blades for this purpose. The Kroot's fearsome appearance and excellent stealth capabilities strike fear into the hearts of many with a mere thought.
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