Tau (Warhammer 40,000)
Encyclopedia
In the universe of Games Workshop
's table-top wargame
Warhammer 40,000
, the Tau Empire is an alien race, inhabiting a small but dense region of space on the eastern edge of the Galaxy, roughly 300 light years in diameter. The Tau were first introduced to Warhammer 40,000 in late 2001, the result of Games Workshop's plan to introduce a new race to the game.
The Tau have advanced rapidly since their first encounter with the Imperium of Man
in the 35th millennium, rising from a savanna dwelling hunter-gatherer
level of technology to a starfaring race in less than six thousand years. Tau society has also advanced rapidly, from warring tribes to a unified caste
system working towards common goals, known by the Tau as Tau'va, The Greater Good.
As well as the five castes of the Tau, multiple alien species are incorporated into the Tau Empire; the most significant of these being the Kroot
and Vespid although many other races, including the space faring Nicassar and the mercenary Tarellian Dog Soldiers are members. In addition, human auxiliaries (Gue'vesa in the Tau language) are sometimes seen to be aiding the Tau as well.
The Tau were the fourth army to receive a Codex
updated for Fourth Edition rules (Codex: Tau Empire - Hoare, 2006). Additional rules for the Tau appear in a Forge World Imperial Armour
rules supplement (Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign - Kinrade, 2005).
, the Tau, along with the Tyranids
, are the only playable races that do not possess an analogue in the Fantasy fictional universe, although most of the combat doctrines are based on the Wood Elves or Dwarfs. The Tau ideology focuses on ranged combat, generally perceiving close-range, physical combat as crude and unnecessary. However this does not mean that they have no chance in close combat, Kroot mercenaries are available to give some melee strength to any Tau battle company. In addition, one the Tau's unique commanders (O'Shova, or, "Commander Farsight") is more than equipped for close combat. However, the Tau's absolute dominant strength lies in their ranged firepower. Most Tau weaponry has an exceptionally long range, and as a result they are able to fire at and cripple an enemy army even before the opposition has a chance to return fire. One of the Tau's signature weapons remains the railgun, an incredibly powerful and long range heavy weapon that is more than capable of punching through even heavy armor at extreme ranges.
The Rail gun is the most iconographic, and feared, of Tau weapons, which can be found on the hammerhead tank and broadside heavy support unit the rail gun has extreme range and is immensely powerful, being one of the best weapons in the standard warhammer 40,000 game.
were one of the others, and these two were eventually combined into the one fictional organisation; the Kroot were later given their own army list written by Andy Hoare in the Chapter Approved 2002 publication. This list permitted the Kroot to be used as mercenary forces for a selection of other races or as a stand alone army.
According to Andy Chambers, the chief designer at the time, the Tau were intended "to be altruistic and idealistic, believing heartily in unification as the way forward." Graham McNeill
was responsible for much of the background material produced for the Tau, developing what Andy Chambers described as "...their proud, quiet but determined character [developed] to the point where they actually became a rather likeable, if slightly naive addition to the cosmos."
capability, a separate 'mini-campaign' was held specifically for Tau players. Codex: Tau Empire (Hoare, 2006) was the first publication to incorporate the impact of this game event on the 40k universe. In the new background material published with the Codex, it is explained that Imperial forces were drawn away from Tau space to defend against Abaddon's Thirteenth Black Crusade. This left a power vacuum that prompted the Tau to initiate their Third Sphere Expansion.
In the campaign, registered games involving the Tau contributed to the expansion or contraction of Tau-controlled space. Over eight weeks of gaming, the Tau Empire grew by nearly a third due to victories.
. and were designed to slightly resemble a faster and more lightweight version of the Space Marine Dreadnought. While the Tau vehicles are 'skimmers', the design brief specified that the Tau Tanks have an impression of being heavier and more solid than the Eldar
Grav-tanks while nowhere near as solid as some of the more heavily armed vehicles like those owned by the Orks or the Chaos Space Marines.
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
's table-top wargame
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
, the Tau Empire is an alien race, inhabiting a small but dense region of space on the eastern edge of the Galaxy, roughly 300 light years in diameter. The Tau were first introduced to Warhammer 40,000 in late 2001, the result of Games Workshop's plan to introduce a new race to the game.
The Tau have advanced rapidly since their first encounter with the Imperium of Man
Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
The Imperium of Man is a fictional galactic empire of over a million planets that contains the vast majority of humans in the forty-first millennium, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe created by Games Workshop....
in the 35th millennium, rising from a savanna dwelling hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
level of technology to a starfaring race in less than six thousand years. Tau society has also advanced rapidly, from warring tribes to a unified caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
system working towards common goals, known by the Tau as Tau'va, The Greater Good.
As well as the five castes of the Tau, multiple alien species are incorporated into the Tau Empire; the most significant of these being the Kroot
Kroot
The Kroot are a fictional species in the Warhammer 40,000 game universe. Warhammer 40,000 is a game produced by Games Workshop.In the game, they are a species of ferocious carnivores that resemble avian creatures. They are aligned with the Tau Empire, and contribute auxiliaries to the Tau Hunter...
and Vespid although many other races, including the space faring Nicassar and the mercenary Tarellian Dog Soldiers are members. In addition, human auxiliaries (Gue'vesa in the Tau language) are sometimes seen to be aiding the Tau as well.
The Tau were the fourth army to receive a Codex
Codex (Warhammer 40,000)
A codex , in the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop wargame, is a rules supplement containing information concerning a particular army, environment, or worldwide campaign....
updated for Fourth Edition rules (Codex: Tau Empire - Hoare, 2006). Additional rules for the Tau appear in a Forge World Imperial Armour
Imperial Armour
Imperial Armour is a series of rules supplements to the Warhammer 40,000 table-top game, along with an associated range of vehicle-size resin model kits...
rules supplement (Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign - Kinrade, 2005).
Development
The Tau, though a decade old, are a relatively new race to the Warhammer 40,000 game, having been first released in October 2001. Unlike most of the races in Warhammer 40,000, which were developed from a comparable race in Warhammer Fantasy BattleWarhammer Fantasy Battle
Warhammer: The Game of Fantasy Battles is a tabletop wargame created by Games Workshop. It is the origin of the Warhammer Fantasy setting....
, the Tau, along with the Tyranids
Tyranids
The Tyranids are a fictional race from the Warhammer 40000 tabletop game and its spin-off media. They are known to the Imperium generally as Tyranids, because Tyran is the first known planet they devoured and where they were first encountered...
, are the only playable races that do not possess an analogue in the Fantasy fictional universe, although most of the combat doctrines are based on the Wood Elves or Dwarfs. The Tau ideology focuses on ranged combat, generally perceiving close-range, physical combat as crude and unnecessary. However this does not mean that they have no chance in close combat, Kroot mercenaries are available to give some melee strength to any Tau battle company. In addition, one the Tau's unique commanders (O'Shova, or, "Commander Farsight") is more than equipped for close combat. However, the Tau's absolute dominant strength lies in their ranged firepower. Most Tau weaponry has an exceptionally long range, and as a result they are able to fire at and cripple an enemy army even before the opposition has a chance to return fire. One of the Tau's signature weapons remains the railgun, an incredibly powerful and long range heavy weapon that is more than capable of punching through even heavy armor at extreme ranges.
Weapons
The primary weapon for Fire warrior teams are the Pulse Rifle, which has high fire power and a range greater than most troops weapons, and the Pulse Carbine, which is short ranged but is equipped with an underslung photon grenade launcher that can pin enemy infantry.The Rail gun is the most iconographic, and feared, of Tau weapons, which can be found on the hammerhead tank and broadside heavy support unit the rail gun has extreme range and is immensely powerful, being one of the best weapons in the standard warhammer 40,000 game.
History
The Warhammer 40,000 Design Team selected the Tau as one of three new race ideas from hundreds of possible concepts. The KrootKroot
The Kroot are a fictional species in the Warhammer 40,000 game universe. Warhammer 40,000 is a game produced by Games Workshop.In the game, they are a species of ferocious carnivores that resemble avian creatures. They are aligned with the Tau Empire, and contribute auxiliaries to the Tau Hunter...
were one of the others, and these two were eventually combined into the one fictional organisation; the Kroot were later given their own army list written by Andy Hoare in the Chapter Approved 2002 publication. This list permitted the Kroot to be used as mercenary forces for a selection of other races or as a stand alone army.
According to Andy Chambers, the chief designer at the time, the Tau were intended "to be altruistic and idealistic, believing heartily in unification as the way forward." Graham McNeill
Graham McNeill
Graham McNeill is a British novelist. He is best known for his Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 novels, and his previous role as games designer for Games Workshop.-Biography:...
was responsible for much of the background material produced for the Tau, developing what Andy Chambers described as "...their proud, quiet but determined character [developed] to the point where they actually became a rather likeable, if slightly naive addition to the cosmos."
Influence of the Eye of Terror campaign
Since the setting of the Eye of Terror Worldwide Campaign was on the opposite side of the galaxy from the Tau Empire, and published materials had previously established that the Tau have limited faster-than-lightFaster-than-light
Faster-than-light communications and travel refer to the propagation of information or matter faster than the speed of light....
capability, a separate 'mini-campaign' was held specifically for Tau players. Codex: Tau Empire (Hoare, 2006) was the first publication to incorporate the impact of this game event on the 40k universe. In the new background material published with the Codex, it is explained that Imperial forces were drawn away from Tau space to defend against Abaddon's Thirteenth Black Crusade. This left a power vacuum that prompted the Tau to initiate their Third Sphere Expansion.
In the campaign, registered games involving the Tau contributed to the expansion or contraction of Tau-controlled space. Over eight weeks of gaming, the Tau Empire grew by nearly a third due to victories.
Model design
Tau miniatures were designed to display the high-tech science fiction and robotic concepts that had resulted in the choosing of the Tau as the new army-race. The reflection of the Tau's high-technology status was reflected by the lack of cabling and links modeled onto the weapons; instead it was decided that these components were internally integrated. The Tau Infantry models, according to sculptor Jes Goodwin, were designed to have subtle influences taken from Chinese foot soldiers and Japanese samurai. The Battlesuits and vehicles drew from anime style exo-suitsMecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
. and were designed to slightly resemble a faster and more lightweight version of the Space Marine Dreadnought. While the Tau vehicles are 'skimmers', the design brief specified that the Tau Tanks have an impression of being heavier and more solid than the Eldar
Eldar (Warhammer 40,000)
In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Eldar are a race of elf-like humanoids who look into the future via psychic powers. They are one of the most ancient and advanced races in the universe's history, though younger than the Necrons, the C'tan, and the Old Ones...
Grav-tanks while nowhere near as solid as some of the more heavily armed vehicles like those owned by the Orks or the Chaos Space Marines.
Allies
- DemiurgDemiurg (Warhammer 40,000)In the tabletop miniature wargame Battlefleet Gothic, the Demiurg are an alien race of squat semi-humanoids, who share many traits with the typical fantasy dwarf stereotype: they are avid miners, expert traders, and, in some ways, further technologically advanced than humans...
- Galgs
- Humans
- KrootKrootThe Kroot are a fictional species in the Warhammer 40,000 game universe. Warhammer 40,000 is a game produced by Games Workshop.In the game, they are a species of ferocious carnivores that resemble avian creatures. They are aligned with the Tau Empire, and contribute auxiliaries to the Tau Hunter...
: close-combat troops - Mercenaries
- Nicassar
- Tarellians
- Vespids: flying, insect-like humanoids
Computer games
- Warhammer 40,000: Fire WarriorWarhammer 40,000: Fire WarriorWarhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior is a Warhammer 40,000 video game available for the PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Kuju Entertainment and was released in October 2003....
- a first-person shooterFirst-person shooterFirst-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
played from the perspective of a Tau Fire Warrior, there is also a book based on the game. - Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of WarWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of WarWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment based on Games Workshop's popular tabletop wargame Warhammer 40,000. It was released by THQ on September 20, 2004 in North America...
- Tau are a playable race in the second expansion pack, Dark CrusadeWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Dark CrusadeWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Dark Crusade is the second expansion to the PC-based RTS game Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War developed by Relic Entertainment and published by THQ. Based on Games Workshop's popular tabletop wargame, Warhammer 40,000, Dark Crusade was released on October 9, 2006. The...
, released October 2006, as well as the third expansion pack, SoulstormWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: SoulstormWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm is the 3rd expansion to the PC-based RTS game Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series developed by Iron Lore Entertainment. Like its predecessors, Soulstorm is based on Games Workshop's popular tabletop wargame, Warhammer 40,000, and introduces a multitude of...
, released March 2008.
- Tau are a playable race in the second expansion pack, Dark Crusade