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Tau Empire

93 bytes added, 01:35, 30 October 2015
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==Military==
[[File:TauBattlefield.jpg|thumb|right|The Tau Empire at war]]
Tau ground warfare is carried out almost exclusively by the Fire caste, while the Air caste is responsible for aerial and space combat, and providing transport between systems. The basic Fire Caste military unit is known as a Cadre, or '''Kau'ui'''{{Fn|12}}, similar in size and role to an [[Imperial Guard Company]], and is primarily made up of Tau from the same [[sept]]. [[Auxiliaries]] are drawn from the alien races within the Tau Empire, and can include [[Kroot]] warriors, [[Vespid]] Stingwings, and [[Gue'vesa]], among other forces.
The most commonly-fielded Cadre is a combined-arms formation (made up of multiple '''Teams''', or '''La'rua'''), though more specialised Cadres exist such as a [[Battlesuit]] '''Retaliation Cadre''' and a [[Pathfinder]] '''Infiltration Cadre'''. Three to six Cadres will often fight together as part of a '''Contingent''', or '''Tio've''' similar to an [[Imperial Guard Regiment]] and commanded by the most senior Cadre commander. Three to six Contingents may be grouped together into a '''Battle''' (also known as a '''Commune'''), though this is only a temporary formation. All Fire Caste forces in a given location, whether a planet or star system, is grouped into a '''Command''' under the leadership of a High Commander, with the four Commands (Fire, Earth, Water and Air) grouped into a '''Coalition''' under the command of the local [[Ethereal]]s.{{Fn|12}}
The Tau prefer long-ranged combat over close-quarters fighting, and use the speed and agility of their anti-gravity vehicles to fight a war of maneuverability. Pinpoint destruction is favoured over massive barrages, hence the preponderance of laser-guided missiles as artillery. The destruction of the enemy's forces is considered more important than the capture of territory, and the Tau will willingly give ground in order to achieve a more advantageous position. Battle plans are complex affairs, with each Cadre given specific targets and launch times, and if the initiative is lost the Tau will fall back to plan a new strategy. The Tau military has neither the inclination nor the numbers to fight a war of attrition, and so must choose its battles carefully.
** {{Endn|10a}}: pg.49
* {{Endn|11}}: [[Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition)]], pgs. 18-21
*{{Endn|12}}: [[Codex: Tau Empire (7th Edition)]] - Tau Military Structure
===Uncited===

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