Tau Commander

Tau Commander

This multi-part plastic kit gives you everything you need to assemble one T'au Commander, in either an XV-85 Enforcer Armor Crisis Battlesuit or an XV86 Coldstar Battlesuit. There's an immense number of options in the box - different heads, motors, leg and arm assemblies - and a ton of weapons! An airburst fragmentation projector, plasma rifle, flamethrower, fusion blaster, cyclic ion blaster, burst cannon (plus upgrade kit) and rocket pod. Included is a drone that can be assembled as a weapon, shield or tracer drone.

Seventy-seven components are included and one Citadel 60mm Round base.

Commander is the imperial translation of a Tau rank. The Tau rank comprises two grades, Shas'o and Shas'el. Both ranks indicate authority to lead a Hunter Cadre. Normally, Commanders go into battle in Crisis Combat Suits. Tau commanders differ in their doctrine based on their sept of origin. Commanders from Vior'la, Tash'var, and Kel'shan are known for their personal kills, while those from Elsy'eir and T'olku are known for being more intellectual in nature.

A Shas'o is the highest rank in the Tau Army that a Fire Warrior can attain. Becoming a Shas'o means going through several ordeals and rising through the ranks from Shas'la to Shas'ui to Shas'vre, then becoming a member of another commander's bodyguard, to Shas'el and finally to Shas'o . After becoming a Shas'o, his only choices are to either teach at an academy, become a military adviser to the Shas'ar'tol, or enter politics and serve on one of the many councils in the Tau Empire. Aside from death, this is the only way for a member of the Fire Caste to leave the Tau Military.

Some Shas'o wear armor with inverted color schemes. For example, O'Shaserra and O'Kais both wore white armor with sept markings highlighted in yellow, the inversion of the regular color scheme of the T'au Sept. O'Shovah is another example of this. Whether this is the norm for Shas'o is unknown.

Shas'el is the second highest rank a Tau fire warrior can attain. A Shas'el typically attains the rank only after years of training and combat experience. A Shas'el will typically command smaller engagements of small squads, leaving full squad and multi-squad actions to a full Shas'o.

A Tau Commander is a master of the ancient tenets of the Fire Caste, grounded in the martial philosophy and tribal wisdom of the ancient T'au, the homeworld of the Tau species. They weigh the strengths and weaknesses of their own troops and their enemies so they can strike with overwhelming force at the opportune moment to achieve victory. Tau Commanders are also formidable warriors, often bearing the scars, bionics, and disfigurements earned in their careers. Depending on their reputation, they can be called upon to command anything from a squad to a full commando dealing with an entire campaign. Depending on the situation, sept, and standing, a Tau Commander can be called upon to lead anything from a squad to a coalition. The number and size of previous commands is reflected in the rings that limit her long scalp lock. Those new to the rank could receive a single cadre, a force of a hundred or so warriors, while the greatest military leaders, whose names and victories are most honored, could call untold millions to arms with just a single word. Shas'el often leads her own cadres of hunters in assaults, participates in the front lines, and directs her forces on the battlefield. However, Shas'o will lead larger forces composed of multiple squadrons of hunters, or even assume command of all Fire caste forces engaged in a planetary offensive or defensive campaign. In these scenarios, a Shas'o will coordinate and formulate the overall strategic strategy. While input from minor Tau commanders within his forces is always honored, it is up to the Shas'o to create and implement the final tactical plan.