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Tactica

Post subject: Fire Warriors Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 4:22 am

Brood Brother Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:12 am Posts: 2241

Quote (CyberShadow @ 28 May 2006 (08:17)) OK. This is something that has been on my mind for a while now. It appears that many players are simply taking these guys to get at the upgrades and contingents that they allow access to. To me, this just doesnt seem correct. I appreciate the perspective and share the feeling, as previously noted. In addition, I must admit that I am not entirely convinced that the stats accurately represent the squads in the game. Also agreed. So, I would like to canvas opinions on three issues: How do Tau Fire Warriors operate in the 40K background? What kind of role do they play in the force, what are their strengths and weaknesses, etc.

Your question sites background, not 40K rules. I admire that as there is a lot of chatter here on 40K rules instead of directly addressing this particular question - i.e. fictional 40K history.

Without citing pages of literature here, I think the Tau Codex, circa 2001, page 13, "THE ART OF WAR" may be what you are after as it sums things up nicely under a few headers. However, it talks about Tau in general, not Fire Warrior Teams - which I think is more to the point of your question.

The Tau Codex often refers to Fire Warriors and their doctrines of battle, but when they are talking about Fire Warriors, the book often uses this to generally describe anything raning from a Fire Caste Memeber whom may be a Shas'la, Shas'ui, Shas'vre, Shas'el, or a Shas'o. He may also be in standard armor, stealth armor, crisis armor, or broadside armor... so quoting text that simply references what the Fire Caste Fire Warrior does is also going to miss the mark I believe you to be after.

Page 26 of the Tau Codex, circa 2001 specifically under TROOPS, 1+ Fire Warrior Team in the italics describing the unit may be just what you are after. I'll quote and let you figure it out from there... note that Tau FW TEAMS are different than a general referenct to Tau FW member of the Fire Caste.

Fire Warrior Teams are everpresent in Tau armies and are formed from members of the same sept. They are cautious but efficient, and their pulse rifle armament gives them excellent firepower. Often mounted in a Devilfish troop carrier, they are able to rapidly deploy and lay down a withering fusilade upon their foes.

In the back of the book where it references how a Hunter Cadre (single 40K force) operates in battle, they show a good mix of units supporting at most one or two units of Fire Warrior Teams.

Even on the inside cover of this codex, the largest 40K army displayed in this codex only contains 2 FW team units:

Ion-Head
Rail-Head
FWTeam 1 with DF
FWTeam 2 with DF
PFTeam with DF
Comander in Crisis 1
Commander in Crisis 2
Crisis Team 1
Crisis Team 2
Broadside Team
Stealth Team
Kroot Carinvore Squad 1
Kroot Carnivore Squad 2
Drone Squadron
Ethereal 1
Ethereal 2

Finally, the old codex offer's a look at actual 40k army battle tactics as they pertain to Paitent Hunter and Killing Blow styles of warefare.

Kauyon (Patient Huner): The Tau army is at its best when engaging the enemy at long range. Tau tactics are therefore focused on getting the enemy in clear view so that the Tau shooting can be decisive. The Kauyon method does this by using a lure to tempt the enemy forward. In this photo a Tau army has set up to perform a Kauyon using the Stealth team as the lure.

In this photo with the Stealth, the FW Team is deployed off to the side by a DF. There's a bubble box stating the following, Fire Warriors form a line which can be reinforced by the reserve if required. The Devilfish is placed for quick embarkation if needed.

Next...

Mont'ka (Killing Blow): It is not always necessary to wait for the enemy to rush into your gunsights to apply firepower. Mont'ka is about swiftly deploying your firepower so that a portion of the enemy army is quickly overwhelmed. this photo shows a Tau army set up to execute the Mont'ka with their mobile troops while using the Kroot squad and Broadside team to suppor them when they act.

Interestingly here, the main plan is a Tau shift right and converge on on portion of the enemy with Kroot leading the advance. The tau are positioned for Tau left field with a DF behind them. The arrow for their movement further has them moving away and flanking from the main Tau push. There's a bubble box stating the following about the the Fire Warrior Team, The Fire Warriors will manoeuvre to put the enemy in doubt about the overall plan.

Its important to note here that the Firewarrior Team was not the key element in either tactical analysis. They performed support or diversionary tactics.

+ + + Now, moving on to the new Tau Empires Codex, circa 2006 + + +

There are numerous color photos of armies, but even here, we never see more than 2 units of Fire Warrior Teams in these pages.

On page 36, the exact same fictional history text is used for the 40K TROOP choice of Fire Warrior Team in the new Empires codex which I already quoted above.

Page 22 of the new Tau Empires Codex does give us a bit more insite into what a Fire Warrior Team looks like.

TEAM (TAU: LA'RUA)
The smallest unit; equivalent to a single squad or section in the Imperial Guard. The most common type is the Fire Warrior team, consisting of six to twelve Fire Warriors and normally led by an experienced leader called a Shas'ui.

A Fire Warrior team normally has a transport vehicle, in the form of a Devilfish troop carrier assigned to it, allowing it to operate as mechanised infantry. Often however, the transport will be left at a secured base of operations or aboard a transport vessel, with the team operating as light infantry.

Other types of unit are also organised into (often smaller) teams, including ad hoc units, equivalent to the Imperium's kill-teams, consisting of mission-specific specialists of all types. Such teams are referred to as Mission Groups, and are commanded from the far higher level of Coalition.

The new book further goes into details on pages 12 and 13 about the Mont'ka - Killing Blow and the Kauyon - Patient Hunter tau tactics. However, they do not afford us a pictorial example of in game practice like we find in the old codex. On the other hand, they speak more broadly now, identify divergences as it pertains to a given world, academy, and/or shas'O or Shas'el master the principles are taught by. The scale of practice is broadened significantly in the Tau Empires codex as well.... read for yourself:

ORGANISATION
Tau are organised in teams of warriors originating from the same sept, often bound by a Ta'lissera. These teams are grouped into an all-arms combat force known as Hunter Cadre under the leadership of a Commander (note: that's shas'el or shas'o in 40K). In many cases an Ethereal will accompany the force, and the balance of the teams will be selected for the particular hunt to be undertaken.

TACTICAL PHILOSOPHY
The two most common forms of Hunter Cadre are the Mont'ka and Kauyon. Each method is taught by the great Fire caste academies on each Fire caste world and have their own adherents amongst the Shas'O and Shas'el masters. They are both based on hunting techniques. Broadly speaking, there are two approaches to hunting: the first involves bringing the prey to the hunter, the second involves the hunter running the prey to ground.; the former is Kauyoun, the latter Mont'ka.

Mont'ka - Killing Blow
Roughly translated, Mont'ka is the Killing Blow. It is the art of identifying a target of opportunity and attacking it switftly with a Hunter Cadre, often deployed from a Manta missile destroyer. A Cadre pursuing the Mont'ka may stand in readiness for several days awaiting the command to strike. During this time they will plan the exact movements they will perform when the call comes. Often the decision to strike will come from a Shas'el or Shas'o with a good view of the enemy or the input of a well-sited Pathfinder team.

It is firmly believed that the bond of trust between the Cadre that conducts the Mont'ka and the Commander who orders it brings honor to both. The attack will be immediately called off if the prey remains resilient or evasive.

Kauyon - Patient Hunter
In the Tau language the words for hunter and patience are derived from the same root. This technique is the oldest of the Tau techniques and has the most variations. Essentially the technique relies on the interaction of the hunter and the lure. In recent times, auxillary troops such as Kroot are used as the lure, although some septs still regard the role as one that honours both hunter and prety and allow only bonded Fire Warrior Teams to undertake it. (note: FWTeams being used as lure in this verbose example)

The lure's role is to expose itself to the prey and draw it into a position where it can be killed by the hunter. The more subtle Commanders have been known to use the absence of troops as a lure. Once the prey is in position, the lure is free to escape or help the hunter as the situation dictates. Hunters are frequently equipped with Crisis, Stealth or Broadside armour with weapons carefully selected for the particular prey.

Finally on these pages 12 and 13, the Tau Empires Codex talks about the tau SIEGE concept and their BATTLE plans as it pertains to large scale battles. The Tau are clearly a precision army with detailed if not time intricated planning and elitist style of execution and contingency planning for all scenerios.

BATTLE
As the Tau empire expands, the need to fight large-scale engagements has caused the purist Fire caste approach to be questioned and, at the suggestion of the Ethereal caste, large numbers of auxiliaries ahve been incorporated into the Tau military, the most common being the mercenary Kroot and the insectoid Vespid.

The Kroot in particular are used to maintain a battle line around which the highly mobile Tau Hunter Cadres operate. The change has allowed the Tau to fight wars on a large scale where previously they would have been limited to raids.

Tau battle plans are very complex as each Hunter Cadre is assigned specific targets, locations and times. teams are briefed at length beforehand and simulations are widely employed. Teh Tau may start a battle with elaborate flowing attacks, each launched with perfect planning, but sooner or later their prepared scenarios cease to apply and they lose momentum. When this occurs, they will disengage and plan anew.

It is important to note that the Tau regard territorial gain as militarily irrelevant compared to the destruction of enemy forces. Ground is for position from which to make the kill; once the kill is made, the ground is for the taking. A Tau army will gladly retreat from a strong enemy attack to preserve Tau lives while it awaits its opportunity to strike back decisively.

I just really love this next part...

Tau attribute no dishonour to prudent retreate and see last stands as a lack of imagination or the last refuge of an incompetent commander. Unlike the Imperium of Man, the Tau empire cannot draw on limitless manpower, so the strategy of attrition is unkonwn to them.

The Fire caste is capable of battle rage and there have been occasions where the death of an especially beloved Ethereal has enraged an army beyond endurance. This does not result in them rushing into hand-tohand combat. Instead they advance steadily while pouring an unceasing volume of fire into the enemy. Such an attack will only be halted by the expenditure of all ammunition.

OK... that's about all the fiction I can stand to type up.

CS, hopefully you can find some value in there and hopefully I've hit the mark as it pertains to your first question.

Cheers,