Tau Fire Caste

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 Tatics

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. Elite Fire Caste soldiers wear power armor, including combat battle-suits (XV-8 Crisis), 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.