Tau Empire

The Tau are a small but growing power on the edge of the Imperium. War is the purview of the Tau Fire
Caste, utilizing tactics that emphasize well-trained, highly mobile forces that tear apart their enemies
with overwhelming firepower.

Disposition of Forces
Select a tactical doctrine:
Mont'ka- Following the doctrine of the “Killing Blow,” the Tau maneuver to strike at weak or critical
points of the enemy forces. Followers of Mont'ka use overwhelming speed and firepower to break the
enemy's back.

You must spend a Challenge Point; all friendly units are mounted in Devilfish Transports, if able, at no
additional cost. Reduce the cost of Pathfinder Teams to one Challenge Point.

You may not use Broadside Battlesuits.

Kauyon- Tau Commanders that follow the doctrine of the “Patient Hunter” maneuver their enemies into
a vulnerable position, and defeat them in detail.

You must spend a Challenge Point; After a friendly Tau Skimmer or unit equipped with Jump Packs
makes a Shooting attack, they may immediately move 6”, ignoring terrain.

You must spend a Challenge point to purchase the following unit:

Tau Commander*
*You may only have a single Commander.

You may spend any number of Challenge Points, gaining one of the following units for each point:
Fire Warrior Team
Kroot Carnivore Squad
Stealth Suit Team
Tau Commander
Piranha Light Skimmer Team

You may spend any number of Challenge Points, gaining one of the following units for every two
points:
Pathfinder Team
Crisis Battlesuit Team
Broadside Battlesuit Team
Hammerhead Gunship
Sky Ray Missile Defense Gunship
Sniper Drone Team

For Each Piranha Team:

A Piranha Team consists of three vehicles.

You may spend a Challenge Point to add two additional skimmers.

You may spend any number of Challenge Points; for each point spent, give all of the Skimmers one of
the following upgrades:
Sensor Spines
Targeting Array
Flechette Discharger
Decoy Launchers
Disruption Pod
Target Lock

Unit Statistics
Name Tau Commander
Quality Regular
Resolv Determined
e
Armor Crisis Battlesuit (+4)
Traits
A Tau Commander is an Independent Character. It is equipped with a Crisis Battlesuit.

You may spend a Challenge Point to give the Tau Commander a Command Squad. This squad counts
as a Crisis Battlesuit Team of 2 models.

In addition, the Tau Commander and any members of his Command Squad may choose one of the
following Special Issue upgrades:
Iridium Armor
Positional Relay
Stimulant Injector
Vectored retro-thrusters

Name Fire Warrior Team

Quality Conscript
Resolv Steady
e
Armor Carapace Armor
(+2)
Traits Slow
A Fire Warrior Team consists of 12 models. They are equipped with pulse rifles and photon grenades.

You may replace the squads pulse rifles with pulse carbines at no additional cost.

You may spend a Challenge Point to mount the squad in a Devilfish Transport.

Name Pathfinder Team

Quality Conscript
Resolv Steady
e
Armor Carapace Armor
(+2)
Traits Slow
A Pathfinder Team consists of 8 models. They are equipped with pulse carbines, photon grenades and
Markerlights.

A Pathfinger Team is mounted in a Devilfish Transport.

Name Kroot Carnivore

Squad
Quality Conscript
Resolv Steady
e
Armor None (-2)
Traits Fieldcraft, Infiltrate
A Kroot Carnivore Squad consists of 20 Kroot Carnivores. They are equipped with Kroot Rifles.

You may spend a Challenge Point to attach a unit of 12 Kroot Hounds to the Carnivore Squad.

Name Kroot Hounds

Quality Conscript
Resolv Steady
e
Armor None (-2)
Traits Infiltrate, Assault
Troops, Quick
Kroot Hounds are equipped with close combat weapons.

Name Devilfish Troop

Carrier
Armor +3
Movemen Skimmer (18”
t Cruising, 24” Flank)
Crew 3 (Conscript)
A Devilfish Troop Carrier is equipped with a Burst Cannon, Landing Gear and your choice of two Gun
Drones or a Smart Missile System. In addition, it is a transport capable of carrying up to 12 models.

You may spend a Challenge Point to give the Devilfish two of the following upgrades:
Decoy Launchers
Disruption Pod
Flechette Launcher
Sensor Spines
Multi-Tracker

Name Sky Ray Missile

Gunship
Armor +5
Movemen Skimmer (18”
t Cruising, 24” Flank)
Crew 3 (Conscript)
A Sky Ray Missile Gunship is equipped with six Seeker Missile systems, two Markerlights and your
choice of a Smart Missile System, two Burst Cannons or two Gun Drones.

You may deploy the Sky Ray Missile Gunship in Reserve. If you do, you may use it as an off-board
artillery unit.

You may spend a Challenge Point to give the Sky Ray two of the following upgrades:
Sensor Spines
Decoy Launchers
Disruption Pod
Landing Gear

Name Hammerhead Gunship

Armor +5
Movemen 18” Cruising, 24”
t Flank
Crew 3 (Conscript)
A Hammerhead Gunship is equipped with your choice of a Railgun or Ion Cannon and one upgrade, a
Targeting Array and your choice of a Smart Missile System, two Burst Cannons or two Gun Drones.

You may spend a Challenge Point to give the Hammerhead two of the following upgrades:
Decoy Launchers
Disruption Pod
Flechette Launcher
Sensor Spines
Multi-Tracker
Landing Gear

If you equipped the Hammerhead with an Ion Cannon, it gains one of the above upgrades at no cost.

Name Piranha Light

Skimmer
Armor +1
Movemen 18” Cruising, 24”
t Flank
Crew 2 (Conscript)
Each Piranha Skimmer is equipped with a Burst Cannon Primary Weapon and two Gun Drones.

You may replace the Skimmers Burst Cannon with a Fusion Blaster.

Name XV88 Broadside Battlesuit

Team
Quality Regular
Resolv Determined
e
Armor Broadside Battlesuit (+6)
Traits Slow
A Broadside Battlesuit Team consists of 3 models. They are equipped with Broadside Battlesuits. Each
Battlesuit is equipped with twin-linked railguns and your choice of a Smart Missile System or twin-
linked plasma rifles.

Name XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Team

Quality Regular
Resolv Determined
e
Armor Crisis Battlesuit (+4)
Traits Slow
A Crisis Battlesuit Team consists of 3 models. They are equipped with Crisis Battlesuits.

Name Sniper Drone Team

Quality Conscript
Resolv Steady
e
Armor Carapace Armor (+2)
Traits Slow
A Sniper Drone Team consists of a single Spotter. The Spotter is equipped with a Pulse Pistol, Stealth
Field Generator, Sniper Drone Controller, Targeting Array and three Sniper Drones.

Name Stealth Team

Quality Regular
Resolv Steady
e
Armor Stealth Armor (+4)
Traits Slow, Infiltrate
A Stealth Suit Team consists of 6 models. They are equipped with Stealth Armor and Burst Cannons.

Up to two models may replace their Burst Cannons with Fusion Blasters.
 Tau War Gear
Tau Squad Basic Weapons
Name Rang Damag
e e
Burst Cannon* x3 +4
Kroot Rifle x4 +2
Pulse x3 +4
Carbines**
Pulse Pistol x2 +4
Pulse Rifle x5 +4
*Because of it's high rate of fire, a unit equipped with burst cannons gains +1 fire effect for each burst
cannon, instead of the normal +1 per three models. Vehicles gain this benefit as well.
**Because of its integrated grenade launcher, double the fire effect of a unit equipped with pulse riflers
for the purpose of determining Pinning.

Tau Support Weapons

Name Rang Fire Anti-
e Effect Tank
Flamer* x1 +1d6 +2
*A unit gains a +1 bonus to Close Assault resolution for each Flamer in the unit.

Tau Special and Heavy Weapons

Name Rang Fire Effect Damag Anti-
e e Tank
Fusion Blaster* x2 +0 +10 +9
Ion Cannon x10 +0 +7 +6
Markerlight** x6 +0 ** **
Missile Pod x6 +1 +7 +7
Plasma Rifle x4 +1 +6 +7
Railgun- Slug*** x12 +0 +12 +8
Railgun- x12 +0, Large +5 +4
Submunition Blast
Rail Rifle*** x6 +0 +7 +4
Seeker Missile**** - +0 +8 +4
Smart Missile x4 +4 +3 +2
System
*This weapon has the Melta special rule.
**Markerlights deal no damage; see the weapon description.
***Whenever a unit targeted by this weapon would become Under Fire, they are Pinned instead.
****A Seeker Missile has unlimited range; see the weapon description.
 Tau Wargear
Advanced Stabilization System
A model equipped with an Advanced Stabilization System may declare it is using it at the beginning of
its activation. If it does, its Speed is halved but the model ignores the effects of movement on firing
heavy weapons.

Broadside Battlesuit
A model equipped with a Broadside Battlesuit gains a +6 Armor bonus to Armor Rating.

A model equipped with a Broadside Battlesuit must select one battlesuit support system.

Burst Cannon
A burst cannon is a squad basic weapon.

Crisis Battlesuit
A model equipped with a Crisis Battlesuit gains a +4 Armor bonus to Armor Rating and counts as
equipped with a Jump Pack.

A model equipped with a Crisis Battlesuit must choose three battlesuit systems from the list of
Battlesuit systems, at least one of which must be a weapon system.

Decoy Launchers
Once per game, after the vehicle is hit by an attack but before determining damage, the vehicle may
deploy decoys. If it does, instead of rolling for damage the attack is treated as having rolled '1' on any
damage dice.

Disruption Pod
A vehicle equipped with Disruption Pods count as Partially Obscured against all shooting attacks.

Drone Controller
A model equipped with a Drone Controller gains the use of two drones. They may be of any
combination of Gun, Shield or Marker Drones.

Flamer
A flamer is a squad support weapon.

Flechette Discharger
A vehicle equipped with a Flechette Discharger may make its free attack against any enemy unit when
charged. This attack is treated as from a single model, gains a +1 bonus to Fire Effect for every model
in the attacking unit, and has a Damage of +2.

Fusion Blaster
A fusion blaster is a special weapon. It has the Melta Special rule; an attack against vehicles at Short
Range rolls an additional 1d6 for Damage.

Gun Drone
A Gun Drone is equipped with twin-linked pulse carbines. A model or vehicle using a Gun Drone may
have the Gun Drone attack with its Pulse Carbines at any time during its activation.
If a model or vehicle using one or more Drones would be hit by a Shooting attack, the models owner
may choose to have the attack hit one of the drones instead.

The Drone counts as Rabble for the purposes of Target Priority, Range and Fire Effect. It has a +4
Armor Rating.

Iridium Armor
A model with the Iridium Armor upgrade increases its Armor bonus to Armor Rating to +6. A model
with this upgrade loses the additional 6” to movement while Rushing gained from a Jump Pack.

Jump Pack
Any unit equipped with Jump Packs moves an additional 6” when it Rushes, and ignores terrain. In
addition, any unit equipped with Jump Packs gains the Deep Strike trait.

Landing Gear
A vehicle equipped with this upgrade may activate it at the beginning of its activation. As long as the
vehicle does not move, it does not count as a Skimmer.

Marker Drone
A Marker Drone is equipped with a Markerlight. A model or vehicle using a Marker Drone may have
the Drone use its Markerlight any time during its activation.

If a model or vehicle using one or more Drones would be hit by a Shooting attack, the models owner
may choose to have the attack hit one of the drones instead.

The Drone counts as Rabble for the purposes of Target Priority, Range and Fire Effect. It has a +4
Armor Rating.

Markerlight
A markerlight is a special weapon. When a unit is 'hit' by a markerlight, put a counter next to it. These
markers remain until the end of the turn. You may only put a single counter next to a target from each
'attack' with a Markerlight, regardless of the attacks Fire Effect. A unit may not benefit from counters
placed from its own Markerlights on the same turn that it placed them.

A friendly Tau unit may remove Markerlight counters when they target a marked unit for the following
effects:
– If the attacking unit is equipped with Seeker Missiles, it may expend a counter to fire up to two
Seeker Missiles at the target.
– The attacking unit may expend any number of counters, gaining +2 to Fire Effect for each counter.
– The attacking unit may expend a counter to ignore Targeting Priority when attacking the target.
– The attacking unit may expend any number of counters, doubling the Fire Effect of the attack for
the purpose of determining Pinning for each counter.
– The attacking unit may expend any number of counters, lowering the rating of the targets cover by
one for each marker expended.

The attacker declare use of the counters before rolling to hit, and the counters are removed after Fire
Effect is determined.
Missile Pod
A missile pod is a heavy weapon.

Multi-Tracker
A model equipped with a Multi-Tracker may fire two Battlesuit weapons when Shooting.

A vehicle equipped with a Multi-Tracker suffers no penalty to Fire Effect for moving at Flank Speed.

Photon Grenades
A unit equipped with photon grenades gains +1 to Close Assault resolution if the unit is being attacked.
In addition, the attacker loses any bonuses to Close Assault resolution from charging.

Plasma Rifle
A Plasma Rifle is a special weapon.

Positional Relay
You may activate the Positional Relay at the beginning of the turn to allow one friendly unit of your
choice to automatically Deep Strike.

If you do, no other friendly units may Deep Strike this turn.

Railgun
A Railgun is a heavy weapon.

If the Railgun is mounted on a vehicle, it may fire a special Sub-munition round instead of a solid slug.

Seeker Missiles
A Seeker Missile is a heavy weapon. A seeker missile has unlimited range and counts as an indirect fire
weapon.

To fire a Seeker Missile, the unit equipped with it must expend a Markerlight counter on an enemy unit.
This counts as an Indirect Fire attack that does not scatter.

Sensor Spines
A Skimmer equipped with Senor Spines may declare that it is using it at the beginning of its activation.
If the vehicle does, it is affected by Difficult Terrain, gains the benefit of cover from terrain and may be
the target of a Close Assault.

When rolling to see if a vehicle is Immobilized by moving into Difficult Terrain, the vehicle may reroll
the die.

Shield Drone
A Shield Drone is equipped with a Shield Generator.

If a model using one or more Drones would be hit by a Shooting attack, the model's owner may choose
to have the attack hit one of the drones instead.

A Shield Drone has a +4 Armor bonus to Armor Rating and a +4 Shield bonus to Armor Rating, for a
total of +8.
Shield Generator
A model equipped with a Shield Generator gains a +4 Shield bonus to Armor Rating.

Smart Missile System

A Smart Missile System is a heavy weapon.

Sniper Drone
A Sniper Drone is equipped with a Rail Rifle, Targeting Array and Stealth Field Generator.

Unlike other Drones, each Sniper Drone uses its own model and counts as an individual unit, except
that they all activate when their Spotter activates.

A Sniper Drone uses its Spotters Quality for the purposes of range, Target Priority and Fire Effect. It
has a +4 Armor bonus to Armor Rating.

Stealth Armor
Stealth Armor gives a +4 Armor bonus to Armor Rating. Stealth Armor also includes a Stealth Field
Generator and Jump Pack.

A model equipped with Stealth Armor must select one Battlesuit Support system.

Stealth Field Generator

A model with this upgrade always counts as one range farther (short to medium, medium to long. At
long range the model is untargetable.) In addition, the unit always counts at in partial cover.

Target Lock
A model equipped with a Target Lock may activate it during its units Shooting. If it does, that model
does not count as a part of that unit for that attack. This means that it targets and determines Range,
Target Priority and Fire Effect separately.

Targeting Array
A model equipped with a Targeting Array gives a +1 bonus to Fire Effect to its unit.

A vehicle equipped with a Targeting Array gains a +1 bonus to Fire Effect with all of its weapons.
Battlesuit Systems
Battlesuit Weapon Systems
Burst Cannon*
Flamer
Fusion Blaster*
Missile Pod*
Plasma Rifle*
*You may select twin-linked versions of any of these weapons. If you do, they count as two weapon
systems.

Battlesuit Support Systems

Advanced Stabilization System
Drone Controller
Multi-Tracker
Positional Relay
Shield Generator
Target Lock
Targeting Array
Tau Traits
Fieldcraft
While a unit with this Trait is in cover, the unit counts as one range farther against all Shooting attacks
(short to medium, medium to long. At long range the unit is untargetable.)

Infiltrate

0.1
Initial Release

0.2
-Mont'ka Doctrine now reduces the cost of Pathfinder Teams.
-Added Positional Relay Wargear.
-Altered description of Markerlights to disallow a unit to benefit from its own Markerlight counters.
-Added Piranha Light Skimmers.
-Added Sniper Drone Teams and Sniper Drone and Rail Rifle Wargear.
-Edited Shield Drone description.
-Removed Stealth Trait, added Stealth Generator Wargear.
-Altered Seeker Missile description
-Added Seeker Missile to Special and Heavy Weapons table.
-Altered description of Sensor Spines.
-Clarified description or Fieldcraft Trait.
-Increased Railgun Damage to +12. Reduced Railgun Anti-Tank to +8.
-Reduced Hammerhead Gunship and Sky Ray Gunship Armor to +5.
-Reduced Devilfish Armor to +3.
-Added Pulse Pistol Squad basic weapon.
-Added Stealth Suit Teams and Stealth Armor Wargear.