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Thanks, I'll keep it in mind, it's a big step to jump from Imperial Guard to the flimsy Tau.

If you say so. I give all my Stealths Targeting Arrays and leave them with burst cannon. If I'm going tank hunting, I'll do it with Crisis Suits, Broadsides or Hammerheads. I leave my Stealths to tear up infantry and the occasional Landspeeder. I prefer being the extra 6" back, as it can make all the difference with night fight checks.


Meh. I'm not that impressed by Markerlights in the new edition. I actually preferred the old style of markerlight, as it did more for my army with the few that I took. In the new edition, you need to many of them to accomplish what I need, so I don't take any, and use the points to throw more dakka at the problem.


I see we are of opposite opinions here. I've had many games where my tanks are the last things on the table, having survived all 6 turns of fire. Far more games than I've had where my Hammerheads were downed in the middle of the game. Not only that, but you ignore the most crucial of Tau upgrades to the tanks. Almost every Tau player takes Decoy Launchers, Target Lock, Multi Tracker on thier tank. Perhaps the reason your tank dies so much is that you don't take advantage of the Multi Tracker to get the protection of Skimmers Moving Fast?

You don't need to tack on more than 50 points of upgrades, but the Decoy Launcher and Multi Tracker are MUSTS. With those you can make the Hammerhead or Skyray near invulnerable using Skimmers Moving Fast. My Hammerheads are almost always my most durable units after the first turn.

Fictional perspective
Tau Empire

Form of Government Federation/Caste
Official Language Tau
Capital T'au
Head of State Aun'Va - Master of the Undying Spirit
Governing Body Council of the Highest
Military Forces Fire caste (Shas)
Hunter Cadres
Air caste (Kor)

The Kor'vattra (Tau navy)
Allies

Kroot Mercenaries
Nicassar Fleet Scouts
Vespid Stingwings
Gue'vesa Militias
Establishment approx. 38,000 A.D.
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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.

Every Tau is humanoid in shape, with two arms, two cloven feet, four-digit hands (three fingers and one thumb), and a single head. 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, as their receptive visual spectrum extends slightly into the ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, although the advantages of this are countered by the lack of a dilation capability of the pupil, which in turn results in poorer depth perception and a slower focusing reflex. The olfactory organs are located inside the mouth. On average, Tau are slightly smaller than humans in stature, and are slender in build, although this varies between castes.

However, the only female Tau ever illustrated, Commander Shadowsun, can be seen to have a very much more human-like face, being smoother, sleeker, with larger eyes, a nose-like facial feature, and a "Y" shaped facial slit instead of the "I" shaped one previously seen. However, it is uncertain if Shadowsun is a standard example for all female Tau.

There are, at this point, no psykers amongst the Tau. As a result, the Tau have little information on the Immaterium beyond its existence, and are unaware of the perils of the Immaterium. This is why the Tau are researching the Warp on Medusa V.

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History
The first contact the Imperium of Man had with the Tau occurred late in the 35th millennium, when an Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleet came across an inhabited star system in the Damocles Gulf. Studies of the life-supporting planet of this system, which would later come to be known as T'au, revealed an arid world with abundant xenodiversity. One species of savannah-dwellers had mastered the use of tools and fire, but the Adeptus Mechanicus teams decided that there was no worth in their continued existence, and T'au was marked for cleansing and colonisation. A colonisation fleet was dispatched, but freak warp storms destroyed the starships, and isolated the system for some time.

While the Age of Apostasy troubled the Imperium, the primitive tool users that would one day become the Tau began to spread out from the plains as hunting grounds grew scarce. Each tribe of proto-Tau adapted to their new environments with significant speed; while those that migrated to the river deltas developed their metalworking and agricultural skills, the groups that remained on the plains became skilful and aggressive hunters.

Along with the rapid adaptation came an equally rapid level of technological development. The Tau quickly came to use black powder weapons and stone fortifications. Soon, the tribes that inhabited the plains and the mountains fell into conflict with the groups dedicated to agriculture and trade. Vast intertribal wars were fought across the main continent, lasting for years at a time. Thousands died on each side of the conflict, while squalid conditions and lack of access to fresh food and water created a plague that killed more Tau than were dying in the wars.

By the end of the 37th millennium, the Tau were on the verge of wiping themselves out. At the same time as war and disease reached their most deadly levels, strange events began to occur. Flickering lights in the night sky and half-glimpsed figures seen in the mountains were interpreted as portents, pointing towards the end of their race. On the plateau of Fio'taun, an alliance of mountain Tau and plains Tau laid siege to the greatest fortress-city of the builder Tau. The siege had lasted five seasons, but supplies were running low, disease was running rampant within the city, and the plains Tau would accept no resolution other than victory through conflict.

One night, a Tau of unusual appearance entered the attacker's camp and asked to see the army's commander. Despite being softly spoken, the sentries found themselves unable to resist the stranger, and escorted him to their leader. At the same time, another mysterious Tau presented himself to those guarding the walls of Fio'taun, asking to speak to the castellan. Again, this mysterious individual was obeyed, and within the hour he led the castellan and the other leaders of the fortress-city outside the gates. Outside, the party from the fortress were met by the first mysterious Tau, himself leading a group from the besiegers' camp. Commanding the two groups to sit, the pair of mysterious Tau, calling themselves Ethereals, began to explain how the talents of the different tribes could be harnessed. They spoke of a "Greater Good" that could be achieved through unification of the tribes, and by sunrise, the two forces had declared a truce. Over the next year, more of the Ethereals appeared, preaching the messages of peace and the Greater Good across the planet, and by the end of the year, the wars were over and the Tau began to flourish like never before. Having saved the Tau from extinction, the Ethereals were revered with the utmost devotion by the other Tau, who readily adapted to the new caste system established by the Ethereals.

The Tau Empire quickly developed over the next thousand years, both scientifically and in size. Within a short period of time, the Tau developed rocket technology, and quickly established colonies on the moons of T'au. Access to space allowed them to develop larger vessels, which in turn allowed the Tau to travel to nearby planets. Air caste stellar cartographers discovered that the Tau homeworld resided in a dense cluster of stars, prompting further expansion. The Tau discovered the existence of the Immaterium and warp technology, but as their race had no psykers, they were unable to tap into the full potential of warp travel. They were able to develop limited faster-than-light technology by modifying their gravitic propulsion system to allow a starship to 'dive' towards the Immaterium, the resulting expulsion throwing the starship a significant distance. With this new technology, the Tau began to expand into interstellar space, claiming new systems and discovering alien species. In most cases, these species were incorporated into the Tau Empire, although some (such as the Orks), resisted.

The Tau Empire came into contact with the Imperium in the middle of the 41st millennium. A Tau colony ship entered an Imperial system, and was destroyed by the Imperial Navy. At the same time, Rogue Traders made contact with several outlying Tau sept worlds, and began trade between these worlds and Imperial settlements on the Eastern Fringe. Alarmed by the rapid development of this xenos race and the threat of alien contamination, the Administratum declared war on the Tau, launching the Damocles Gulf Crusade. After months of stalemate, the Imperial commanders accepted the Water caste's offers of peace, and withdrew from Tau space.

In the final quarter of the 41st millennium, the Tau Empire has been assaulted by splinters of Tyranid Hive Fleet Kraken. The weakening of Imperial space by the need to defend the Cadian sector against Abaddon the Despoiler has also made open the way towards a new period of Tau colonial expansion, and the Wars of the Third Sphere are beginning.

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Society
Tau society is centred around the concept of "the Greater Good"; a unifying philosophy similar to Utilitarianism. The castes, although different in role and organisation, work together for the benefit of all Tau: the Earth caste provide and produce, the Water caste communicate and distribute, the Air caste connect the worlds of the Tau Empire, and the Fire caste protect. The external image of the Tau is that they are altruistic and idealistic, believing in the unification of all "for the Greater Good".

The Greater Good also encompasses other races, and any races the Tau come into contact with are invited to integrate themselves into Tau society and place themselves under the guidance of the Ethereals. The races and groups that choose to incorporate themselves earn the benefits of mutual protection, trade, and access to the technology of the Tau. Those that choose not to are faced with the military might of the Fire caste, and may later be incorporated into the Tau Empire as a subjugated state.

Although accepting of other races, the Tau believe that their own way is superior to any other, and harbour extreme confidence in their manifest destiny to unite the stars. They are more likely to peaceably integrate races that show similar qualities to those promoted by the Greater Good.

Several of the novels published by the Black Library division of Games Workshop have provided more information and detail about the Tau psyche. The novel Kill Team (Thorpe, 2001) reveals that their number of digits has led them to use a base-8 number system and that their food is similar to that of humans, although varying in taste and colour. The protagonist of the novel, Kage, notices their intricate artwork, which is so subtle that it almost goes unnoticed by humans. The Tau characters in the novel also contrast with the brutish, militant humans with their calm, patient and quiet personalities which expose philosophies similar to the real-world religion that is a homonym of their name: Taoism.

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Caste system
Fire (Shas) -- The Fire caste are the military of the Tau Empire. It is their duty to defend the other castes, and as such are the Tau most often used in the tabletop game. They are slightly shorter than, but as broad as, a human. They have relatively large muscles compared with the rest of the castes, an evolved trait from their time as hunters on the Tau homeworld. Fire caste Tau are motivated by a code of honour, and prefer to use their advanced weaponry to defeat opponents, as opposed to brute force.
Earth (Fio) -- The Earth caste is primarily made up of farmers, labourers, and technicians; responsible for building the machines, cultivating the food, and erecting the dwellings that allow the Tau to survive. The Earth caste also includes artisans, scientists, and engineers. Members of the Earth caste are stout of build, and tend to have calloused hands and a pragmatic outlook on life.
Water (Por) -- The Water caste is made up of merchants, diplomats, and administrators. They are responsible for maintaining effective interaction between the castes, as well as communicating with and supervising the integration of alien species into the Tau Empire. Members of the Water Caste tend to be taller and more slender than other Tau, and their features are softer and more expressive. Water caste Tau will frequently adopt mannerisms and cultural habits of the races they deal with, although this is often done to promote communication with other races.
Air (Kor) -- The Air caste of the Tau traditionally functioned as messengers, but now fill the ranks of the Tau Navy (Kor'vattra), working as pilots and starship crews. The Air caste lives almost entirely off-world, and as such have developed long, slender limbs, but possess a skeletal and muscular structure of reduced strength. Prior to the unification of the Tau castes, the Air caste were said to possess membranous wings, allowing them to glide.
Ethereal (Aun) -- Aun is translated as either Ethereal or Celestial, and describes the mysterious Tau subspecies that ended the intertribal warfare of the Tau and established the doctrine of the Greater Good. The Ethereals are the leaders of the Tau, and appear to combine the roles of priesthood and royalty in Tau society. Ethereals resemble the Fire and Water Castes in build, but are marked by a diamond-shaped ridge of raised bone in the centre of their foreheads. Ethereals are obeyed without question by the other castes, and the Imperium suspects that this control is the result of a latent psychic or pheromone-based power.
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Tau Empire
The Tau Empire, like many large governments, is divided into sub-regions. The first 'tier' of regions below the all-encompassing Empire are the Expansion Spheres. These regions represent the territories claimed during each of the three periods of expansion the Tau Empire has experienced since its establishment, and are referred to as the First through Third Sphere Colonies (although the term Sphere is interchangeable with Phase). In turn, each Expansion Sphere is divided into multiple septs, which are small regions of space focused around a fully established Tau colony-world. Each sept governs the minor Tau colonies and the worlds of other races found within its region of space.

The Tau of each sept are characterised by a number of influences, including but not limited to the relative strength of the castes that inhabit the worlds of that sept, the location of the sept in proximity to the homeworld of T'au, climate of the inhabited worlds, and exposure to other races cultures. These influences combine to affect the culture and attitudes of the Tau from that Sept. For example, the First Sphere sept of Dal'yth is characterised as a cosmopolitan society welcoming to non-Tau, based on the sept’s location near several alien worlds and the large proportion of Water caste Tau in the population. In contrast, the attitude of stoicism and tenacious refusal to accept defeat that characterise the Third Sphere sept of Fi'rios is a result of the bloody battles required to take these worlds from the Orks.

domokun domokun domokun domokun domokun domokun domokun domokun

I bet you feel mighty proud now, just wait till that NightPredator guy barges in and tells you that you will be sued for theft.

Congrats. Keep refining your strategy and you should see many more wins.

Ah, you've discovered a truth of Tau. Tau are excellent for small points games. Our complusory choices are small and easy to take, so we can cram in Stealth and Crisis suits in games of 500 points. It's easy to attack with Tau, the problem is you need to learn to hit one or two units as hard as you can rather than diffusing your fire, and you need to learn when it's too risky to press the attack, and when it's a better idea to back off.