Warhammer 40k - Tau

• The Tau are a new, fast-rising, hi-tech civilisation.
• Tau society contains five casts: Earth caste (builders, farmers, engineers), Air caste (messengers, pilots, space ship crews), Fire caste (warriors), Water caste (merchants, diplomats). It is ruled by a fifth caste, the Ethereal.
• The Tau empire is located on the east side of the Imperium.
• The Tau were nearly defeated by the humans during the Damocles Crusade.
• The Tau are united and driven by the tau'va ("the Greater Good"), they are full of hope and optimism.
• The Kroot home-world is Pech inside the Tau empire.
• Weapons - Units - Space Ships - Organization

Weapons

• Close Combat - Burst Cannon.
• Close Combat - Kroot Rifle - long rifle, equipped with lethal close combat blades.
• Close Combat - Kroot Gun - heavier version of the Kroot Rifle.
• Long Range - Pulse Carbines - cut-down Pulse Rifle which underslung grenade launcher.
• Long Range - Pulse Rifle.
• Space - Cutting Beam - short ranged ionization beam.

Units

• HQ - Tau Ethereal caste member - leader, to inspire the Fire warriors.
  
  
• HQ - Tau Commander, a Fire warrior in XV8 'Crisis' battle suit.
  
  
• HQ - Bodyguard, Fire warriors in Crisis battle suits.
• Elite - XV8 'Crisis' battle suit, veteran Fire warrior with battle suit, the suit is 3 to 4 meters high.
  
• Elite - XV15 Stealth team leader, team leader.
  
• Elite - XV15 Stealth battle suit, with holographic disruption fields to infiltrate, armed with Burst Cannon. A squad consists of between 3 and 6 Tau.
  
• Elite - XV25 Stealth battle suit, slightly larger than XV15 suit.
  
• Troop - Fire Warrior, basic trooper with carapace body armour, armed with Pulse Rifle or Carbines. A squad consists of between 6 and 12 units and may include Gun Drones.
  
• Troop/Transport - Devilfish, armoured carrier for Pathfinders/Fire Warriors, armed with Burst Cannon and seeker missiles. Carries up to 12 units.
  
• Fast Attack - Gun drone, armed with twin-linked Pulse Carbines.
  
• Fast Attack - Pathfinder Shas'ui, team leader.
  
• Fast Attack - Pathfinder, scout, armed with light Pulse Carbines and Rail Rifles and marker lights for designating targets. A squad consists of between 4 and 8 units.
  
  
• Fast Attack - Piranha, light skimmer, may carry Fusion Blaster or a pair of Seeker Missiles for tank hunting.
  
• Heavy Support - XV88 Broadside battle suit, veterans armed with Hammerhead weapon systems. A squad consists of between 1 and 3 units.
  
• Heavy Support - Hammerhead, anti-gravity tank, armed with Rail-gun or Ioncannon.
  
• Heavy Support - Sniper Drone team, consists of a single Tau Spotter and three Drones armed with Rail Rifles.
  
• Heavy Support - Sky Ray, variant of Hammerhead, armed with air defence missile platform.
  

Kroot Mercenaries

• Troop - Shaper, leader of Carnivore squad, equipped with better weapon then the standard Kroot rifle.
  
• Troop - Carnivore, close combat warrior, armed with Kroot rifle. A squad consists of between 10 and 20 Kroot.
  
• Fast Attack - Kroot Hound, vicious predator, supplemental to Kroot squads.
  
• Fast Attack - Knarloc Rider, Kroot riding a riding beast.
• Heavy Support- Great Knarloc, larger sub species of the Knarloc, carries various weapons such as Bolt Thrower.
• Heavy Support- Krootox, carries the powerful Kroot gun, supplemental to Kroot squads.
  

Vespid Allies

• Fast Attack - Vespid Stingwing, insects, armed with neutron projection weapons of their own.
  

Gue'vesa (Human Helpers)

• Troop - Gue'vesa'ui, Gue'vesa'ui team leader.
• Troop - Gue'vesa'la, armed with Lasgun, 6-12 units in squad.

Space Ships

• Drop - Orca Drop Ship, ship for landing an entire squad from space.
  
• Escort - Messenger Starship, small scout.
• Escort - Orca Class Starship.
• Escort - Defender Class Starship, as Imperial Sword Class Frigate.
• Cruiser - Explorer Class Starship, galleon of the Tau Fleet.
• Cruiser - Hero Class Starship, as Imperial Lunar Class Cruiser.
• Cruiser - Mechant Class Starship.
• Battle - Kroot 'War-Sphere', crude combination of Kroot ships.
• Battle - Demiurg Stronghold Class Commerce Vessel, large automated factory vessel, armed with Lances, fighters, bombers and a Cutting Beam.

Organization

• The groups of units are called squads.
• The Kroot are organized in kindred/families.