Notes (CyberShadow)
This article details the fleet, rules and weapons of the Tau race. At the time of writing, Games Workshop have not
published rules for the Tau, and this is the effort of Ray, with a little help from the Gothic Mailing List, to place the
race in the game. If you are reading this after the release of the Tau fleet, then you will be able to see just how
close Ray got to the official version of the rules.
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Victory for the Greater Good!
After the Damocles Crusade the Tau Empire realised the great dangers awaiting them, such as the Imperium,
the Orks and the Tyranids. Some of the Ethereal council believed that constant raids against each would
drive them away, others believed that this would provoke them and others just thought that this was a
pointless gesture. The Tau empire agreed to invade the galaxy in a very subtle way; they would colonise
where-ever they could and gradually convince the neighbouring settlements to join the Tau empire for the
greater good. Colonies were established on the Imperial border also known as the Gue'la frontier. Battle
groups of Tau, Kroot and some Demiurg vessels patrol throughout the empire.
But as well as the threat from aliens there was also the threat from the breakaway empire of the Farsight
enclaves. These Tau care only for themselves and will work to enrich their power by trade for their services
such as slaughter and fear. The Tau Empire sees them not only as a threat but also as an insult to what
they believe in. For the Farsight enclaves regime is little different from an extreme militarised dictatorship.
If anyone establishes a colony near the enclaves it will soon fall to raids, then invasion and assimilation
into the Farsight Empire or more commonly pillaged till death.
Tau battle groups patrolling near Dal'yth (attacked by the Imperium during the Damocles Crusade) have to
be on alert for attacks from the Imperium, Orks and Farsight mercenary fleets. On a few occasions the
Farsight fleet has fought alongside both the Imperium and the Orks.
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Defence of the Gue'la Frontier
The Battle group Shi'ka'Tau'va (Victory for the Greater Good) is based around the heavily militarised
world of Sa'cea, patrolling between Sa'cea and Dal'yth. The Tau battle group commonly works with
Kroot and Demiurg to fight off Ork invaders, but recent times have called for the Demiurg vessels to be
recalled to Tau Shipyards as bodyguards since they will not engage the incursive Tyranids. The Tau
fleets have to attack while the Demiurg more commonly defend. The battle group
consists of Kor (air caste) heavy carriers, Mont'ka (Killing blow) Ion cruisers, Tsua'm (middle class) light
cruisers and one Shas (fire) class grand cruiser, the battle group is also accompanied by 3 Kroot War
spheres, 10 capital ships in all.
The Battle group responded to a distress call from one of the new colonies on the Gue'la Frontier. They
could see nothing, no attack, no ships and no colony! Suddenly two huge explosions surrounded the
grand cruiser (the flagship), Nova Cannon blasts!!! The two shots had come from two Tyrant class cruisers
which were waiting for them. Cobras swung round the planet firing a wall of torpedo salvoes, Swords followed
close behind. Dictators and an Emperor class battleship launched a mix of fighters and assault boats
from behind the planet, protecting the fleet and assaulting the enemy. Another squadron of Swords and two
Dauntless light cruisers circled around the other side of the planet attempting to lock-on and fire torpedoes.
The Tau fleet was quick to respond, launching Manta Missile Destroyers, fighters and Torps from the now
braced flagship. The Tau ordered the Kroot to launch their assault boats but only one of the war spheres
launched its' assault craft.
When within range the Shas Grand cruiser fired all its Rail battery shots at one of the Tyrants, taking its
shields down, the Ion cruisers now fired their primary weapons on lock-on burning away the hull of the
Tyrant nearly crippling it. Mantas fired torpedoes into the Imperial salvoes. Kroot destroyed escorts with
their Kroot Gunz and Assault boats, light cruisers duelled in orbit around the planet, cruisers were jousting
with Nova Cannons and Ion cannons, fighters took out Kroot Assault boats, Tau fighters took out the Imperial
counter parts as a flood of torpedoes filled the vacuum of space on both sides.
The Kroot War spheres were bombarded by torpedo salvoes and assault boats; crippling one and damaging
its companions. The Kroot retaliated by destroying 2 Dauntless', one already crippled by the Tau light cruisers.
The Dauntless' exploded among the Kroot nearly destroying the crippled Warsphere. The near dead Kroot
Warsphere was mercilessly destroyed by the remaining escorts.
The Dictators were running out of ordnance and the Emperor was soon to follow, the Tau decided to attack the
Imperial Battleship with everything they had. Mantas launched torpedoes just as the Emperor was
launching its' fighters, too late the Torpedoes had done their damage, the fighters raged on destroying
the remaining Mantas. Rail batteries from the Shas grand cruiser and Gunz from the Kroot took down the
Emperors shields, Ion Cannon blasts satisfactorily crippled the Battleship, Rail batteries from all remaining
ships forced the Emperor to disengage barely alive, leaving the Imperial fleet in utter chaos.
The Day was won, the Imperial Fleet left the system but in their wake a Tau ship with Stealth line Refits
spiked up on the surveyor screens. It fired a huge salvo of vortex torpedoes into the Tau fleet crippling
the flagship. The ship turned back and left the system with the Imperial fleet. It was apparent that the
Imperium was being taught the strengths and weaknesses of the Tau Navy by the traitor fleets of the
Farsight enclaves.
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