The Tau defend their recently acquired world of Kronus from the invaders, including the planet's original owners, the Imperial Guard. With the rise of the Necrons and the arriving of other invading factions, the Tau forces and Kroot allies could not sit idly by with their thriving empire in danger. The Tau Empire was introduced in Dark Crusade The wasp-like Vespids have also joined, supposedly due to interest in the Greater Good philosophy. The Tau aided the Kroot, and helped them reclaim the Kroot-colonized Planets. The Tau's alliance with the Kroot was created when a Tau armada came across a band of Kroot War Spheres under attack by Orks. They have a hierarchical socialistic government, where each caste fights for the Greater Good and supports the other castes, Fire (Warriors), Water (Diplomats and Merchants) Earth (Laborers and Constructors), Air (Pilots and Navigators) and Ethereal (Ultimate Authority). Despite this limitation, the Tau are an emerging force in the galaxy that the established races cannot ignore.Ī race that advanced several technological millennia in 2,000 years, the Tau were given ion drives by the Squats, which they studied and then created their own technology from. They have hired the mercenary Kroot and inducted the insectoid Vespid to make up for this lack, but the Tau still try to avoid close-quarter engagements. Yet, the Tau disdain up-close fighting and are unskilled in hand-to-hand combat. At a distance, the Tau can lay waste to all but the hardiest of enemies. The Tau's Hammerhead and Skyray gunships, along with XV88 Broadside battlesuits, pound opposing forces to bits while their Devilfish Troop Carriers reposition Fire Warriors for better shots. Their Crisis and Stealth battlesuits have unrivaled mobility on the battlefield, popping out from behind cover, firing a thunderous barrage, and disappearing again before the enemy can react. Pulse weapons would be devastating enough, but the Tau also have powered armor and anti-gravity vehicles galore. Their basic troop type, called Fire Warriors, are armed with pulse rifles and carbines that penetrate armor like a comet through a dust cloud. To help "bring them around," the Tau have invented some of the most lethal ranged weaponry in Warhammer 40,000. Not surprisingly, the established races have other plans. All the other races must do is accept the Greater Good and obey the Ethereals, the mysterious Tau leaders.
Indeed, they believe that they can help the rest of the galaxy find their way to peace and prosperity. This unhindered progress has given the Tau confidence that there is no obstacle that their society and their science cannot overcome. In just over 6,000 years, they evolved from savanna dwelling primitives to space-faring colonists.
They are a surprisingly advanced civilization that has organized itself around a single guiding principle known as "The Greater Good." By setting aside individualism to serve the needs of society as a whole, the Tau Empire has developed and expanded at an astounding rate.
On the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy, a they have emerged to challenge the might of the Imperium of Man and the other established races in the 41st millennium. The Tau Empire are a relatively young civilization in the 40k universe, yet they have made their presence known via great technological achievements.