Tau Fire Caste

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The Fire Caste (Shas) is the standing army of the Tau Empire, supplemented by various auxiliaries from across the Empire. The forces of the Tau Fire Caste are bred and trained from childhood to serve as soldiers for the "greater good".

Equipment and Tactics

The Fire Caste's equipment is far more advanced than most of that of the Imperium of Man. The standard Tau Firewarrior is equipped with a pulse rifle, a plasma-based weapon with far greater range and firepower than the standard Imperial Guard lasgun while being equipped with superior armor and helmet mounted targeting systems. Elite Fire Caste soldiers wear power armor, including combat battle-suits (XV-8 Crisis and XV-22 Command), artillery battle-suits (XV-88 Broadside) and cloaked battle-suits (VX-15 and VX-25). Tau Armored Fighting Vehicles are anti-gravity based and are armed with advanced missile systems and railguns. This already formidable technological arsenal is constantly being improved, expanded and refined by the Tau Earth Caste.

Fire Caste tactics are based around mobility and long-range firepower, making heavy use of such equipment as Armored Personnel Carriers, jetpacks and laser-guided missiles. Tau rarely fortify positions on the field -- save for immovable assets such as cities -- or hold terrain, preferring to move to favorable locations to best deliver superior firepower against enemy forces and falling back if the enemy gets to close. Fire Caste Forces are notable for being rather deficient in hand to hand combat, a factor that they mitigate using Kroot and Vespid auxiliaries, as well as being supplemented by various combat robots and human Gue'vesa forces.

Ranks

Listed below is the Main Tau Ranking System, specialized subranks exist within this system for specialized roles and between sects.

• La - The basic rank, equivalent to private
• Ui - Equivalent to an NCO
• Vre - Equivalent to a low ranking officer, minimal rank for those who operate Battlesuits
• El - Equivalent to a medium ranking officer
• O - Equivalent to a general