Tau (Warhammer 40,000)

See also: Tau (homonymy)

The Taus or the Empire Tau constitute one of the factions of the Univers of fiction of Warhammer 40,000.

This race is old hardly 6000 years and saw on a baptized planet You with, from where the name which they give each other. The Taus developed a technology sometimes higher than that of the other races, and show adaptability out of the commun run. At the beginning of their history, the Taus were divided into wandering tribes which fought unceasingly. The tribes of the plains controlled hunting and the combat. Those which lived in the high peaks developed fine membranous wings enabling them to plane. The other tribes learned how to manufacture tools. But the war tore planet and the tribes did not cease being combined and being betrayed. In the history of the Tau, this period is called the Terreur . A vessel of exploration of Imperium, the Land' S Vision , discovered the world but after having class You with like cleaning of routine and colonization , it was took in a storm warp and disappeared. This providential absence protected You to attention from Imperium during a certain time. Whereas the epidemics and the lack of food due to the war on You to did as many deaths as the war it even, of the mysterious Taus, wiser, emerged from one does not know where, spoke to the chiefs from the tribes about the Supreme Bien and rejoined the tribes with their cause. Since, the Taus form a sociable race working for the Supreme Good. The Tau company was articulated around 5 castes taking again specializations of the original tribes.

The Taus have an life expectancy of a little more than forty years. In combat, they do not show have any aptitude for the body for body and prefer the remote combat. They have an arsenal of weapons impressing, but also allies, in particular Kroots and the Frelons Vespides. For the Taus, each caste, as each race agglomerated with the Tau empire is important. The workmen of the Caste of the Earth are as useful for the eyes of the Supreme Good as the dignitaries. Vespides and Kroots are them as considered with the same regards as the Tau, for little which they work with the Supreme Good.

Vespides : Vespides are creatures insectoïdes called Frelons because of their aptitude to fly. They are armed with Blaster with Neutrons (improved by the Tau) that they only can handle because only the ultrasonic vibrations of their élytres make it possible to modulate the intensity of the energies contained in the crystal in the middle of the weapon. They are less independent than Kroots and more appreciated by the Tau because of their reliability.

Castes

Directed by the Etherés, the Tau company was divided into four castes, based on the four elements. The Tau are born and die in the same caste and the Exogamie between the castes is prohibited by Etherés. Thanks to this system the Tau achieve a natural form of genetic conservation but reinforce also the belief which each individual fills a specific role and which the efforts of each one find a direction.

Here four castes:

  • the caste of Fire: warriors. (Shas in the language Tau)
  • the caste of the Earth: engineers, craftsmen… (Fio in the language Tau)
  • the caste of Water: merchants, diplomats… (Por in the language Tau)
  • the caste of the Air: they were messengers but with technological advances, they became the explorers, the pilots… (Kor in the Tau language)
  • the caste of Etherés, who direct the Tau people. (Aun in the language Tau)

The empire Tau

The empire Tau, although compact, includes/understands a dozen worlds principal, called septs (major or minor) and hundreds of colonies.

The Taus are a sociable race, which prefers to rejoin its enemies to destroy them. The best example is the race of Kroots. Originating in Pech, they are primitive carnivores, controlling fire and the powder. They were never the enemies of the Taus. In spite of their instinct to devour their adversaries after a battle. However the Taus think that their wild instincts will disappear with the contact prolonged with Tau civilization.

Heroes in the empire:

  • the Commander Farsight (O' Shovah) was the large hero of the second phase of expansion of the Empire Tau, but this one made secession with the Empire Tau. He criticized the tactical choices of the Caste of Éthérés, particularly with regard to the Ork threat. He is from now on with the head of a dissenting Empire at the borders of the third sphere of the Empire Tau known under the name of the Farsight Enclaves.
  • the Commander Shadowsun (O' Shaserra)…
  • Aun' Goes (main of the eternal spirit)…
  • Aun' shi (large Éthéré celebrates)

Nomination

The name of a Tau is not acquired with the birth, it is created starting from the row, and of the aptitudes which a Tau acquires with the wire of its life. example: Shas' O Dal' Yth Kais Mont' ka

  • Shas = the caste of the individual, here, a member of the caste of fire.

  • 'O = its row, here, a commander
  • Dal' Yth = its Seven native (one seven is one of the " premiers" who was colonized in the oldest wave of expansion of the empire tau)
  • Kais = particular aptitude, here, " doué"
  • Mont' ka = idem, here " blow mortel" (Mont' ka is often a name of tactic of Tau attack)

Shas' it = warlike; Shas' ui = veteran; Shas' vre = hero; Shas' el = noble; Shas' O = commander;

Arsenal Tau

Thanks to their technology, the Tau created powerful and effective weapons to ensure their protection and to extend the supreme good. The Tau armament is based on 2 principal technologies:

  • weapons with Impulse (projectiles sent by an explosion of plasma):

    • rifle with impulse: arms principal with the warriors of fire which gives them a good firepower and a considerable range.
    • rifle with impulse: this weapon is the modified version of rifle with impulse. The range was reduced to obtain more handiness and the possibility of mounting a photonic lance-grenade under the gun.
    • gun with impulse: version many tubed of the rifle with impulses. This weapon is able to reach great rates of fire but does not have a grenade thrower.

  • weapons based on the technology of the Rail (electromagnetic Guns using of the rails to accelerate a projectile by the Force of Laplace, to expel it at an incredible speed (cf Railgun)):

    • Canon Rail (solid ammunition or with fragmentation)
    • Railrifle or Rifle Rail

Like several secondary technologies:

  • ionic Weapons :

    • the ion Gun
    • cyclic Ioniseur (prototype)

  • Weapons with technology of the missile :

    • Missile launcher (known as of assault)
    • Missile launcher with homing device (known as heavy)
    • Missile with laser guidance

  • Weapons with fusion :

    • Fuseur Tau

  • Weapons with plasma :

    • Rifle with plasma

  • As of the weapons with powder manufactured by Kroots and used by Kroots only

    • Rifle kroot
    • Canon kroot

  • Weapons with photon :

    • Grenades with Photon
    • Of the weapons which are with the point of technology, of the weapons which are right for defenses of You with 4 French canon. They play on a simple mechanism, it receive shock equalizes has explosions of bomb interplanaiterre each minutes in an anteroom, and, then, recrache the photons concentrate on 2 System/H.

  • Weapons with neutrons :

    • Blasters with Neutrons of Vespides

Exo-armours Tau

The Tau armies are mainly made up of exo-armours, equipped with engines:
  • XV8 Crisis : General-purpose (3 systems of armament or support)
  • XV81 Crisis : Improvement of the XV8 Crisis
  • XV84 Crisis : Alternative of the XV81 Crisis, with Locking of target and Assistance of shooting integrated
  • XV89 Crisis : Another alternative, it is reserved to the Commander Tau, and better armor-plated than the others
  • XV88 Broadside : Heavily armed with Railguns twinned
  • XV88-2 Broadside : Alternative of first version XV88 Broadside, with Railguns twinned positioned on the arms and the weapons of the arms (Missile launcher homing device or Rifles with Plasma) are on the shoulders.
  • XV15 and XV25 Stealth : Infiltration (furtive combination), generally equipped with a gun with impulse to see of a fusor

There exists also an experimental Stealth exo-armor:

  • XV22 : Only the commander Shadowsun and his sister and his brother and his mother and his father and his son carry this armor with an aim of testing it and of the salire a little and in the extension of the play Warhammer 40,000 of THQ and published by Relic entertaiment: Dawn off War (Dark Crusade) the commander Shas' O Kais the door also

Vehicles Tau

The Taus control the technology of the tanks antigravs:
  • Devilfish : The devilfish is a vehicle antigrav which can transport twelve Taus to the assault. It is armed with a gun has impulse (being able to be modified) and owing to lack of two drones of assault.
It is a reliable vehicle making a good platform of armament.
  • Hammerhead : Principal armoured tank of the armies Taus being able to be equipped out of principal weapon is: of an ion gun, of a railgun, a pair of twinned heavy missile launchers, of a pair of twinned heavy fuseurs, of a pair of heavy lance-plasma twinned or of a pair of heavy guns with impulses twinned. In second system of support, it can accommodate either a pair of guns with impulses, or a system of drones of attacks armed with rifles with impulses, or 2 lance missiles with head-enquiring
  • Sky Ray : Version of Hammerhead armed with missiles with laser guidance ground/ground also which can play the role of anti-aircraft stopping. It has the same secondary system of support as Hammerhead.
  • Piranha : Speeder armed with a gun with impulse or a fusor Tau what makes of him a powerful hunter of tank
  • Piranha TX-42 : Evolution of the traditional piranha, it can support systems of heavier armaments, such as Rifles rails. Moreover, the 2 team members profit from a better protection.
  • Cibleur Tetra : Light vehicle allowing a laser marking for use of missiles laser guidance.

Aviation Tau

Various wheels compose Tau aviation:
  • Tigershark : bomber has drones.
  • Tigershark AX-1-0 : modified version (the ion guns and the bay of launching of the drones were replaced by two railguns heavy twinned) " killer of titan".
  • Barracuda : light hunter.
  • Orca : transport of troops heavy, being able to contain with full load 24 warriors of fire, 8 drones, 6 exo-armours, one éthéré and 3 team members.
  • Manta : transport of troops and vehicles, true flying fortress embarcant an armament of a destroying power.
  • Blackshark : Vessels most powerful existing in this universe, an equal firepower has a supernoeva, without light, rapid, but request one happy new year of equipment and has to take only 50 years to be built.
It needs 12565 team members minimum, with one of the best center of communication has edges of vessels.
  • Mothershark : The Taus often envied Eldars and their vessel-worlds, it have to start has to create a model of vessels Tau world.

Drones

The Taus are often helped by drones, that it is in their life of the every day or during a battle. Floating with a few meters with the top of the ground, they are equipped with a IA equivalent to the intelligence of an infant, and can fulfill various functions:
  • Drone of Attack : Equip with rifles with twinned impulses, it escorts sections of infantrymen, exo-armours, is integrated into vehicles as a support or constitutes themselves with other drones of attacks in independent sections.
  • Drone of Defense : It is equipped with a generator of protective screen, which gives an excellent cover to the units that it accompanies.
  • Drone Sniper : It is equipped with a rifle Rail, locking of target, an optical jammer and an assistance to the shooting. They Evolve/move by section of 3 and accompanied by a Tau acting as observer, and armed with a gun with impulse, a contolor of drone and a laser designator multinode.
  • Drone of Marking : It is equipped with a laser designator multinode and a system of assistance of shooting. It allows the units which it accompanies a help with the shooting or other units allied.
  • Tactical Drone DX-4 : Drone with the very diverse functions, it can exempt medical care, be used as monitoring system, or open a breach for infantrymen. It is also useful like helps with the combat as a tactical assistance with the section of warriors of fire.

Combined

The Tau profit from the assistance of many allies, of which mainly the Kroot, the Frelons vespides as well as human auxiliaries, called Gue' having embraced It the cause of the supreme good.

The Kroots warrior are:

  • the Kroot mentor.
  • the Kroot warrior.
  • the dog-Kroot.
  • Krootox.
  • Gnarloc.

There are also the Frelons Vespides, of the insectoïdes of the size of human, effective for reconnaissance missions or to destroy the enemy support. They are equipped fuseurs models " blaster". This weapon has a power devastator with average carried. This force is due to the crystals originating in native planet in Vespides, Vespid, and encrusted in the weapon. Their chief (Ka' bri' daN) carries a helmet of communion which enables them to communicate with the tau. Vespides are seems it become of allied of the Taus only as from the moment when all their leaders could profit from these special helmets, which would imply a possible mental control.

See too

  • Presentation of the Taus on the site of Ranges Workshop France

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