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  As the nascent Tau began to stretch their hand across 
  the stars and assume the manifest destiny they saw 
  within themselves to colonize the greater galaxy, it 
  was only a relatively short time before they began to 
  encounter other spacefaring races. Because their own 
  interstellar drive systems were derived in part from 
  alien technology discovered on one of the moons in 
  their home system, they were from the outset very 
  open-minded to this possibility and were quick to 
  form trade agreements and colonization pacts with 
  all they encountered. The first of these was the 
  natural deep-space explorers that are the Nicassar. 
  The Tau‟s technology proved to be vastly superior 
  between the two, and the inevitable conflict arising 
  from misunderstanding proved to be relatively short. 
  Extremely poor warriors and completely unsuitable 
  for a military role in the Greater Good, the Nicassar 
  lent their natural skill in space to building vessels for 
  the Empire, and their innate curiosity and desire to 
  explore the galaxy made them uniquely suitable as 
  scouts, slowly and methodically plying the depths of 
  space between the stars. 
   
  Heady with this success, the Tau earnestly believed 
  that no race they encountered could turn from the 
  unsullied logic of “greater good” as well as the 
  superior technology they had at their disposal. When 
  they once again encountered another spacefaring 
  race, they quickly rushed to establish contact. Their 
  naïve suppositions were cruelly shattered. What they 
  encountered were Ork raiders, brutal killers bent 
  only on war and conquest. Referred to as the 
  O‟res‟la, it took little time before first contact with 
  the Orks turned to open war. While this vanguard 
  was rebuffed after much struggle, it proved in the 
  intervening centau‟cyr to only be a foretaste of the 
  woe that was to come. At first the Tau took it to be a 
  war of ideologies, as the O‟res‟la expansion directly 
  interfered with the Tau‟s plans at colonizing and 
  expansion of their sphere of influence. It was not 
  long before the realization set in that this was indeed 
  a battle for survival, as the O‟res‟la with their 
  technologically superior vessels quickly cut lines of 
  communication between worlds and threatened to 
  come within range of the Phase One Septs 
  themselves. In the midst of this, the Tau continued to 
  expand their sphere of influence in the systems 
  surrounding their homeworld in their race to explore 
  and colonize the stars. They rightly ascertained this 
  was not only paramount to their manifest destiny, 
  but quite possibly could prove to be the key to their 
  very survival.  
   
  This ethos proved itself during an otherwise 
  unassuming 
  merchant 
  expedition 
  to 
  newly 
  discovered Pech, the homeworld of the Kroot. A 
  lasting alliance was forged in the fires of battle as the 
  visiting delegation and its cadre of Fire Warriors 
  stood beside the local defenders against an invading 
  O‟res‟la war-host. During this battle, the Kroot 
  proved themselves to be quite able defenders as well 
  as frightfully brutal and efficient close-quarter 
  fighters. The Ethereals, recognizing an unparalleled 
  opportunity to gain an ally as well as a new source of 
  information vital for their cause, quickly interceded 
  to negotiate a lasting peace and alliance between the 
  two races. The Kroot took advantage of an 
  opportunity to expand their access to technology and 
  resources, willingly allowing themselves to become 
  subjects in a sense and forming an alliance that 
  quickly became a cornerstone of the emerging Tau 
  Empire. In return, they lent their expertise in hand-
  to-hand fighting and natural warrior skill to benefit 
  the Tau, using this opportunity to expand their 
  travels and pursue the hunt, constantly shaping and 
  improving their genetic bloodline by sampling the 
  gene pools of alien creatures and races they 
  encounter. 
   
  As they continued to expand, the Tau encountered 
  the Demiurg, another spacefaring race with which 
  the Kroot had long experience as hired mercenaries. 
  Plying the stellar void in ponderous, stately factory 
  ships and powerfully armed commerce vessels, this 
  ancient race saw an unusually strong kinship 
  between themselves and the Tau. Referred to by the 
  Tau as the Bentus‟la (Lit: wise-gifted ones), they 
  declined an invitation to join their Empire. They did 
  however realize that together they could be potent 
  allies against continuing predations against the Orks, 
  as the Demiurg‟s history with them in particular was 
  an exceedingly long one brimming with hatred, 
  loathing and bitterness. In particular, Brotherhoods 
  referring to themselves as Thrum and SrryTok in 
  their unusual, clicking, consonant-heavy language 
  formed strong economic partnerships with the Tau.  
   
  Technological advancements gained through this 
  relationship completely revolutionized Tau weapon 
  development as well as the very structure of the Shas 
  (Fire) caste and its role in the Tau‟s interstellar 
  exploration. Now the Tau were capable of building 
  vessels that could fight the Orks on equal terms, and 
  they wasted no time applying these technologies to 
  new starship designs. Both Gal‟Leath explorers and 
  the ubiquitous Il‟fannor heavy transport maintained 
  the ability to tow with them large cargo lighters 
  capable of quickly transporting large quantities of 
  materiel between orbit and a planetary surface. 
  However, it was found that by replacing the cargo 
  capacity of these lighters with modularly mounted 
  ion cannons, they could quickly be transformed into 
  extremely capable escort gunships in their own right. 
  This new escort design, dubbed the Kess‟l, proved to 
  be so successful at defending their charges that ion 
  cannons 
  were 
  applied 
  to 
  Il‟fannor 
  vessels 
  TT‟‟AAU
  U  KKO
  ORR‟‟O
  ORR‟‟VVEESSH
  H  ––  TTH
  HEE  AARRM
  MAADDAA    
  EEVVO
  OLLU
  UTTIIO
  ONN  O
  OFF  TTH
  HEE  TTAAU
  U  BBAATTTTLLEEFFLLEEEETT  
  “Ours is to be an empire of worlds, not merely of 
  castes or nations, or races or peoples. To simply 
  control the worlds which we claim as our own 
  will not be enough – we must control the paths 
  between them also, or be divided, and so fail.”  
   
  – The Air Caste Petition 
  ahead of the Tau‟n Campaign 
  
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  themselves, a measure that met with only limited 
  success. Because the Tau found this arrangement to 
  be less than satisfactory, they did not attempt to 
  place these weapons on their Gal‟Leath vessels, 
  though the Bor‟kan Sept produced a variant of the 
  Gal‟Leath that substituted launch bays with a 
  powerful gravitic launcher system capable of putting 
  a veritable storm of drone-linked missiles into space. 
   
  These advances came just in time. Sporadic attacks 
  on Tau shipping and communication lines erupted 
  into the inexorable tide of Waagh! Scraghurtz, a vast 
  Ork armada sweeping through that part of the 
  galaxy, already responsible for overrunning dozens 
  of worlds. Despite the Tau‟s technological advances, 
  it was likely that they would not have prevailed 
  against the amassed might of Waagh! Scraghurtz. 
  Unknown to the Tau however, the Demiurg 
  cultivated relations with races even far more ancient 
  than themselves, and in less than a kai‟rotaa the grim 
  pressure this mighty Ork-mada applied to the 
  fledgling race vanished as suddenly as it came. 
   
  In the route of its expansion, it was inevitable that 
  the 
  Tau 
  would 
  eventually 
  encounter 
  the 
  unimaginably vast domain that encompassed the 
  Imperium of Man. The well-documented Damocles 
  Gulf Crusade and their war with whom they called 
  the Gue‟la was the nearly inevitable result. As 
  fortune would have it, the Tau already had 
  established relations and trade agreements with a 
  number of Rogue Traders. This served them well, as 
  they to an extent has a measure of preparedness for 
  what to expect. The human invasion fleet was 
  nonetheless brutally efficient, and the Tau suffered 
  mightily in this war. The outcome at Hydrass in 
  particular was widely considered to be a disaster by 
  the Tau. Lessons learned were rapidly applied 
  however, and they developed their first true 
  interstellar warships in the form of the Kir‟Qath 
  escort as analogues to those they faced, serving 
  alongside exploration carracks and heavy transports 
  refitted as combat vessels using up-rated weapon and 
  defensive systems. Though constructing dedicated 
  warships was against the philosophy of a culture that 
  strived to solve every challenge with diplomacy, 
  trade, ingenuity and not a little cunning, it was 
  recognized that it was necessary against such an 
  intractable foe as the Orks. Despite this, warships 
  were initially produced very sparingly, as many of 
  the Ethereal Caste believed that the bulk of the 
  Kor‟vattra‟s resources needed to focus on its primary 
  goal: commerce and exploration to unite the stars in 
  support of the Greater Good. Once again the fickle 
  hand of fate played in favor of the Tau, and the 
  Gue‟la were forced to commit to a cessation of 
  hostilities, beset on multiple fronts by a burgeoning 
  assault by what they called Hive Fleet Behemoth as 
  well as continuing raids by the O‟res‟la. 
   
  The lessons of the Lithesh War were not lost on the 
  Tau, and within twenty tau‟cyr of the Armistice, the 
  Lar‟shi cruiser took to space, the Tau‟s first purpose-
  built warship and the vessel with which they would 
  re-take the stars. Parallel to this, various capital ship 
  and escort variant designs were experimented with. 
  While the Lar‟shi was a formidable warship in its 
  own right, it was still based on the modular transport 
  concept the Tau relied on for generations, a concept 
  favored by the Kor caste that was simple to construct 
  and maintain but suffered the same efficiency and 
  interstellar warp dive shortcomings as other Tau 
  vessels. Nonetheless, these warships proved their 
  worth, and they increasingly became available 
  throughout the Tau fleet. As Tau technology evolved 
  to match that of the Gue‟la, it began to easily surpass 
  that of the Orks, and a modernized fleet defending 
  the D‟yanoi system handily defeated a comparable 
  fleet of Ork vessels. 
  
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  …it has been concluded that, after careful analysis of data gathered during the Damocles Gulf crusade, that this new race identified as the Tau  (ref AdMech 5432/XEN583) 
  poses a threat to the Imperium unlike any other yet encountered. Interrogation of prisoners known to have colluded with these xenos describe them in various different ways, but 
  the same basic trends appear pointing to a common theme, describing this race in glowing expressions like “dynamic,” “open-minded,” “compassionate,” and other terms 
  expressing ideals that are markedly out of keeping with willful obedience, service and discipline, as well as representing a direct threat to order that has maintained our blessed 
  Imperium for uncounted centuries. Furthermore, their evolutionary traits represent a rate of development orders of magnitude more accelerated than any sentient life form 
  previously encountered (possible Chaos influence?), at a level that cannot even be explained by Zachary‟s Theorem of Adaptive Divergence (ref AdMech 32/XEN583). 
  Evidence exists that even as contact with Imperial units increase, the level of development evident in the vessels they array against us continues to increase in complexity and 
  technological development. In particular, xenos vessels encountered during the Taros Campaign show extremely marked advances in both weaponry and design theory 
  compared to those encountered during the Damocles Crusade (ref AdMech 8748821/XEN583, notes on new classes “Emissary,” “Warden,” etc.) Recommend directive be made 
  to all Imperial units that great care should be taken to prevent our blessed technology from falling into the hands of these aliens, especially our venerable starships and weapons 
  of the Legio Titanicus. If necessary, steps should be taken to destroy what cannot be recovered, with a level of prejudice exceeding even that reserved against the foul Orks. 
  Emperor forbid what circumstance may come to pass should these aliens ever develop the ability to construct a Titan, or warships that approach a level of capability comparable 
  to ours... 
  -Morris Montesigna, Genetor Secundus 
  In the midst of these advances, a whole new foe 
  revealed itself in what the Gue‟la called the 
  Tyranids. Outriders of which were first encountered 
  in the outlying worlds near the Fal‟shia Sept, they 
  proved to be an intractable foe, unable to reason, 
  devouring all before them in an insatiable tide of 
  annihilation that consumed worlds as surely as fire 
  does dry brush. Once again the Kor'vattra's 
  performance and tactics against a new enemy were 
  called into question. The problem wasn't yet a crisis, 
  but the Ethereals and Air Caste saw its potential to 
  rapidly develop into one should this new foe prove 
  to be as widespread or problematic as the Gue‟la. To 
  this end, the Ethereals, Air Caste and Earth Caste 
  urgently re-thought their policies for the future 
  development of the Kor'vattra. The Tau finally 
  realized that the status quo was no longer adequate. 
  They would have to bend the full ability, resources 
  and technological prowess at the Empire‟s disposal 
  to the task of creating a completely new range of 
  vessels designed from the outset as warships with a 
  level of redundancy, efficiency and dive range that 
  were beyond the limits of current starship 
  construction techniques.  The faith the Tau have in 
  their Fio caste and its grasp of technology is 
  unshakable, and once again they did not fail to 
  deliver. 
   
  Engineers and artificers long familiar with the needs 
  and requirements of the Shas caste were invited into 
  the design process. No effort was to be spared. The 
  project as a whole was soon referred to as the 
  Kor‟or‟vesh, and it incorporated the single largest re-
  allocation of resources in the history of the Tau 
  Empire. The result was a new, „experimental‟ fleet, a 
  number of radically different starship concepts that 
  bore strong resemblance to the Tau machines of war 
  rather than the modular hulls and platforms familiar 
  to the Kor. For the first time, purpose-built warships 
  were designed to fully integrate the Fire Warrior 
  command structure into the crew, and they 
  represented 
  the 
  very 
  apex 
  of 
  technological 
  advancement of the Tau race. However, these 
  vessels proved to be especially difficult and 
  expensive to produce, and extensive assistance was 
  required by both the Nicassar and the Demiurg to 
  bring them to fruition. The first vessel created by the 
  new initiative was the Il‟Porrui, and it proved to be a 
  revolutionary advance indeed. Able to make 
  interstellar dives nearly five times farther than 
  conventional designs, this vessel was promptly taken 
  up by the Por caste as a means to rapidly traverse the 
  breadth of the Empire as well as quickly and 
  efficiently explore beyond their realm. In their first 
  contact, a pair of these vessels quickly bested a small 
  pack of Or‟es‟la raiders encountered near D‟yanoi, 
  proving the concept was sound- and so the 
  Kor‟or‟vesh, the Tau Battlefleet, came into its own. 
   
  The threat represented by the Gue‟la subsided but 
  was not removed. Once again they attempted to 
  press their will against the Tau during the Taros 
  Campaign. Fortunately by this time the Tau had 
  finally fielded significant numbers of their new 
  warships, and a number of Septs deployed these 
  vessels in significant numbers only a few tau‟cyr 
  before they would be tested in the fires of battle 
  against an Imperial fleet. Quickly called to the front 
  from throughout the Empire, these vessels became 
  the core of a newly created fleet command to meet 
  the invasion fleet head-on. The first of these new 
  
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  EXCELLENT SHIPS WAS TESTED.test  
   
      
   
   
   
  DOSSIER: Kor‟O Vash‟ya Y‟eldi Mesme  - 110 points 
   
  At 41 Tau‟cyr, O‟mesme is of a great age for his kind, but this has done nothing to dim the fire in his eyes or the 
  great skill and subtlety with which he wields the ships under his command. Hailing from a world renowned for 
  the history and tradition of its Kor caste, he began his career as a pilot for one of the fighter squadrons of the 
  Kor‟vattra. Quickly advancing to the level of squadron commander and soon that of an entire Gal‟Leath attack 
  craft wing, he earned the title of Y‟eldi, or “winged one,” for his particularly gifted skills as a pilot in their 
  unceasing conflicts against the Orks. Moreover, his tactical genius did not go unnoticed, and it was only a matter 
  of time before he was selected to command a starship, first as command pilot of a Kass‟l gunship, then later of 
  the first ship to carry his name, the T‟olku Il‟fannor M‟poth Vash‟eldi. 
   
  It was at this time that he was given the name Mesme, when assigned as a flotilla leader of two other Il‟fannor 
  vessels by his Kor‟O as part of a colonization fleet near Tash‟var. During a surprise attack by Ork pirates, he 
  daringly interposed his vessel between an attacking Onslaught squadron and another Il‟fannor vessel crippled by 
  an earlier firing pass. During this engagement, he continuously stayed one step ahead of their adversary, 
  constantly interposing his best ships between the attacking enemy and the flotilla. As their railguns continued to 
  hammer out at the Orks, they stubbornly refused to retreat, and in a relatively short engagement the entire enemy 
  squadron was destroyed. Soon afterward he was given command of a Gal‟leath exploration vessel, where his 
  exploits against the Orks soon became the stuff of legend. His vessel was at the Dal‟yth system when word of the 
  attack against Viss‟el by the Gue‟la reached them, and he once again performed admirably against these invaders.  
   
  Kor‟O‟Mesme is embarked aboard the Kor‟or‟vesh vessel Bor‟kan Or‟es El‟Leath Se‟arle O‟Mesme, is 
  Leadership 9 and has two re-rolls. Aun‟Shear, a revered member of the Ethereal Caste and a close personal 
  friend, always accompanies him. His love of flight has never diminished, and he continues to fly a fighter out of 
  his own hangar bays, true to his name Y‟eldi. This inspires his pilots to drill even harder and accomplish feats of 
  bravery that has made his attack craft wings legendary in the annals of the Tau. The attack craft squadrons of his 
  flagship have the Excellent Pilots crew skill. As a revered fleet commander, his vessel takes advantage of the very 
  best technology the Fio Caste can produce for the Greater Good. His ship can be refitted with Improved Logic 
  Engines enabling his vessel to avoid leadership effects for being in contact with blast markers for +10 points 
  instead of the normal +10% cost.  
  ships to be encountered by the Imperial fleet was the 
  II'Porrui during fighting in the Dolumar system. 
  Codifying it as the „Emissary‟ class, the single vessel 
  was eventually destroyed, but the new class of ship 
  was noted with surprise and concern amongst many 
  commanders and tacticians, more than one assuming 
  erroneously that the Tau had established an alliance 
  with a hitherto unknown, highly advanced alien race. 
   
  The Tau took advantage of their new capabilities to 
  stretch the hand of their Por-caste diplomats far and 
  wide, encountering a number of new, minor Xenos 
  races such as the Vespids and inviting them to join 
  their empire as part of the Greater Good. It was not 
  long afterward that new, larger variants of 
  Kor‟or‟vesh ship designs were encountered in 
  increasingly larger numbers by the Imperial Navy as 
  the Taros Campaign progressed, the Tau using this 
  conflict as a testing ground. Up to this time they had 
  been nothing more than anomalies, encountered only 
  occasionally as the Imperial fleet progressed into 
  Tau space. The arrival of these new ships in 
  substantial numbers took Fleet Admiral Kotto by 
  surprise. Given the Tau fleet's performance, their 
  numbers may increase as the Kor'vattra of other 
  Septs seek to adopt the new classes, integrating them 
  into their fleet structure as these ships redefine the 
  Kor‟s role in defending and advancing the Greater 
  Good. 
   
  These dedicated warships are far too precious to be 
  used merely as convoy escorts or deep-space patrol 
  vessels, as these roles are already suitably engaged 
  by other starship designs. However, the Tau depends 
  on the Kor‟or‟vesh to defend their vital Phase One 
  Septs, and will also unhesitatingly deploy them in 
  force to support a particularly vital commerce and 
  exploration fleet. They are also called upon to 
  perform punitive expeditions against pirate raiders or 
  as an invasion fleet for a hotly contested system. 
  Finally, a race so keenly attuned to the importance of 
  commerce and exploration is quick to grasp the 
  impact of interrupting the lines of communication 
  and provisions of an enemy. It is not uncommon to 
  see these ships used as commerce raiders, as the 
  older designs were used on occasion for many 
  hundreds of tau‟cyr. 
   
  
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  TAU WEAPONS 
   
  Turrets 
  Tau turrets are extremely sophisticated, combining a 
  range of weapon types with overlapping fire zones. 
  Note the Tracking Systems special rules. See p. 29 of 
  the main rulebook for more on turrets. 
   
  Ion Cannons 
  Ion cannon shots vaporize the object struck 
  magnifying the energy discharge. They function as 
  lances in all respects. 
   
  Railgun Batteries 
  Railguns of the size mounted on warships require 
  massive amounts of energy to fire. Power is routed 
  to a single barrel at a time, sequenced to ensure the 
  first barrel is reloaded before it is charged again. 
  Railguns function as standard weapons batteries. 
   
  Gravitic Launcher and Tau Missles 
  Gravitic launchers are massive railguns where mass 
  drivers trigger the initial acceleration before the 
  ship‟s gravitic field is pulsed to squeeze the drone-
  controlled missiles toward the enemy at enormous 
  speed. Though smaller and more numerous than 
  torpedoes in the regular sense, they count as 
  torpedoes for the strength listed in a given ship‟s 
  profile. Tau torpedoes are able to alter both speed 
  and trajectory, moving between 20cm to 40cm each 
  ordnance phase. They are guided and may turn up to 
  45 degrees at the start of their movement. Roll a D6 
  for each torpedo strength in the salvo at the start of 
  each ordnance phase after the one they were 
  launched, removing one for every 6 rolled. 
   
  Attack Craft 
  Barracuda superiority fighters behave as fighters in 
  all respects but due to their inferior technology only 
  move 25cm per ordnance phase. Manta Missile 
  Destroyers 
  are 
  enormous 
  and 
  well-defended 
  individual vessels more akin to proper starships than 
  attack craft. When intercepted by fighters, they roll a 
  D6 once per ordnance phase, remaining in play on a 
  roll of 4+. They otherwise ignore any other type of 
  ordnance the same way other bombers do. 
   
  Gravitic Hooks 
  Gravitic Hooks are large, suspensory arms which 
  create a gravitic sheath in which a small vessel can 
  be transported by a larger one. However, gravitic 
  hooks have no effect in game terms – ships do not 
  start a game attached to their parent ship, and can 
  never be docked during a game. Likewise, the 
  number of gravitic hooks is unimportant when 
  calculating victory points, in that an opponent does 
  not get VPs for surviving escorts just because there 
  aren‟t enough Gravitic hooks to notionally transport 
  them to safety. 
   
  TAU SYSTEMS 
   
  Deflector 
  The deflector is a specialized shield mounted on the 
  prow of the latest Tau ships. It turns the gravitic 
  sheath around the vessel into a wedge, increasing its 
  defensive capability. If fired at from the front, the 
  deflector augments the passive armor and counts as 
  armor 6. Deflectors are always mounted on the prow 
  and will be disabled if the ship suffers a prow 
  weapons damaged critical (repaired normally). 
  Deflectors are NOT shields and do not count as such 
  for the purpose of boarding, blast markers or other 
  effects which apply to shields. 
   
  Tracking Systems 
  Some Tau starships and orbital platforms boast 
  highly advanced data storage and processing 
  facilities to cope with the vast amounts of 
  information they carry. When linked to ship sensors, 
  this processing power can be used to provide a direct 
  feed to the ships turrets. In fleet actions this system 
  can route data to nearby Tau vessels. Any Tau vessel 
  within 10cm of a ship with tracking systems may re-
  roll misses when using turrets, and ignores the 
  column shift when firing batteries at ranges above 
  30cm. Tracking systems continue to function even if 
  a ship is braced for impact.  
   
  USING TAU STARSHIPS 
   
  Unless noted otherwise, Tau vessels follow all the 
  normal rules from the Battlefleet Gothic rulebooks 
  concerning leadership, movement, shooting, critical 
  damage, etc. Tau have an attack rating of 2. 
   
  Boarding Actions and Teleport Attacks 
  All Tau vessels except Kor‟or‟vesh warships have a 
  boarding strength that is half normal for the size of 
  ship. Kor‟or‟vesh warships have a standard boarding 
  value. Tau ships may not conduct teleport hit and run 
  attacks. 
   
  Campaigns 
  Tau fleets gain renown and leadership in the same 
  manner as Imperials and may use the refits and crew 
  skills tables on p.156-157 in the Battlefleet Gothic 
  rulebook. They do not have access to the special refit 
  tables listed on p.156-157 of Armada, though they 
  may use the special ordnance rules listed on p.158. 
   
   
  TAU SPECIAL RULES 
  Special Rules of the Tau Kor’or’vesh: 
  Kor‟or‟vesh vessels incorporate the very highest level of technology available to the Tau. They have a distinctly 
  different appearance to ships of the Kor‟vattra. However, except where noted, these vessels follow all standard 
  rules for Tau vessels as presented in Armada.  
   
  Kor‟or‟vesh capital ships embark a number of Fire Warrior cadres specially trained in shipboard combat and 
  boarding techniques as an integral part of the crew. These vessels ignore the rule for Tau ships halving their 
  boarding strength for the size of the ship. However, even these vessels do not have the ability to conduct teleport 
  Hit and Run attacks, as the Tau have not yet mastered this technology to an acceptable degree. 
   
  
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  OR‟ES EL’LEATH “CUSTODIAN” CLASS BATTLESHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330 Points 
  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Battleship/10 
  20cm 
  45° 
  3 
  5+ 
  4 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Port Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  6 
  Left/ Front 
  Starboard Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  6 
  Right/ Front 
  Port Ion Cannon 
  45cm 
  1 
  Left/ Front 
  Starboard Ion Cannon 
  45cm 
  1 
  Right/ Front 
  Stern Gravitic Hook 
  - 
  Capacity: 3 Wardens 
  - 
  Port Launch Bays 
  Mantas: 20cm 
  Barracudas: 25cm 
  3 
  N/A 
  Starboard Launch Bays 
  Mantas: 20cm 
  Barracudas: 25cm 
  3 
  N/A 
  Prow Gravitic Launcher 
  Speed: 20-40cm 
  8 
  Front 
   
   Notes: The gravitic hooks of Custodian battleships are enclosed in a single shrouded, hangar-type enclosure 
  specifically designed for Kir‟la “Warden” gunships and are unsuitable for the transport of or to count for other 
  escort types. Custodian battleships cannot undergo Come To New Heading special orders. 
   
  Custodian battleships are equipped with a deflector that raises its prow armor to 6. This is disabled whenever the 
  vessel suffers a prow critical hit (repairable normally). 
   
  The Custodian has an integrated Tracking System coupled to an extremely sophisticated sensor suite. It functions in 
  the same manner as that on Messenger starships in all respects but has a range of 20cm. 
  Experience with the Gal‟Leath in combat, particularly 
  against the Gue‟la incursion into sovereign Tau space 
  during the Damocles Crusade, demonstrated a number 
  of significant shortcomings that could not be 
  overcome without a radical hull redesign, despite 
  notable advances incorporated into the experimental 
  Bor‟kan variant of the venerable Gal‟Leath. As the 
  Kor‟or‟vesh initiative bore fruit with a progressively 
  larger series of completely new and successful hull 
  designs, it was only logical that the next step would be 
  to produce a true battleship-class vessel. 
   
  An enormous carrier, it is capable of bringing three 
  gunships as well as a large number of attack craft 
  squadrons into combat to support the rest of the fleet. 
  Early operational tests proved that like the other 
  designs resulting from the Kor‟or‟vesh initiative, it 
  met or exceeded all objectives required for the new 
  ship. Despite the horrendous costs and resource 
  expenditure involved in building these vessels, a 
  number of Septs adopted the design and produced 
  them in small numbers. For many tau‟cyr these ships 
  were held in reserve, and it was quite some time 
  before knowledge of this vessel‟s existence became 
  widespread.  
   
  First encountered by Imperial forces led by Admiral 
  Kotto during the Taros Campaign, the “Custodian” 
  class and its attendant escorts were a complete 
  surprise to the Imperial fleet. Appreciating the threat 
  this class represented, the battleship A‟rho in 
  particular was ruthlessly hunted down and destroyed 
  by Admiral Kotto‟s fleet. 
   
  
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  …You should go back to your Emperor and tell him what you have seen here. Tell him of all the people that will die 
  in his name, and ask him if it is worth such a price to stand in our way.                           
  - Aun‟O T‟olku K‟yna 
   
   
   
   
    
   
  KIR‟LA “WARDEN” CLASS GUNSHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Points 
  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Escort/1 
  25cm 
  90° 
  1 
  5+ 
  1 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Prow Railgun Battery 
  30cm 
  2 
  Front 
  Prow Ion Cannon 
  30cm 
  1 
  Left/ Front/ Right 
   
   Notes: Any Tau fleet may bring Wardens to battle on gravitic hooks instead of Orcas. Any ship equipped with 
  Wardens can only be equipped with Wardens and may not have other hook-transported escorts. These then form an 
  independent squadron in all respects (including separate leadership), as they are Kor‟or‟vesh vessels and not 
  necessarily related to the parent vessel transporting them. They may squadron with Castellan escorts in the fleet if 
  present (max. six per squadron) but not with any other escort types. 
  The Kir‟la “Warden” is a radical departure in gunship 
  design for the Kor‟vattra in that while it still requires 
  towing via gravitic sheath by larger vessels, it is 
  designed for and crewed primarily as a combat vessel 
  as opposed to being a re-configured cargo lighter as is 
  the Kess‟l. Because of this, it can seamlessly integrate 
  itself into Kor‟or‟vesh flotillas, though it will still 
  operate independently as an escort squadron when 
  assigned to escort Gal‟Leath or Il‟fannor vessels of the 
  Kor‟vattra. Because of the high experience levels of 
  its crews and its superior maneuvering qualities when 
  compared to the K‟essl, it has proven to be a 
  formidable adversary to attacking raiders. However, 
  its numbers will not be sufficient to replace the Kess‟l 
  in active service for quite some time because of its 
  complexity, and only rarely is it used in this manner. 
   
  Despite 
  technological 
  advances 
  in 
  etherdrive 
  technology, the Kir‟la‟s small size makes it extremely 
  difficult to put an efficient interstellar drive system 
  into its hull. Thus it must always be towed into combat 
  and launched after its mother ship enters a system. 
  The Or‟es El‟leath is specially designed to quickly 
  deploy these vessels immediately upon entering 
  combat, and it operates with the Kir‟la exclusively as 
  its towed gunship escort. While Wardens have been on 
  occasion used in other roles, it was designed primarily 
  to protect their vitally important carrier battleships and 
  will rarely be seen too far from their side. 
   
  “Warden” shown in attendance 
  with “Custodian” battleship 
  
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  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Cruiser/6 
  20cm 
  90° 
  2 
  5+ 
  3 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Port Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  2 
  Left/ Front 
  Starboard Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  2 
  Right/ Front 
  Prow Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  6 
  Front 
  Port Ion Cannon 
  30cm 
  1 
  Left/Front 
  Starboard Ion Cannon 
  30cm 
  1 
  Right/Front 
  Prow Launch Bays 
  Mantas: 20cm 
  Barracudas: 25cm 
  1 
  N/A 
  Prow Gravitic Launcher 
  Speed: 20-40cm 
  5 
  Front 
   
   
  LAR‟SHI‟VRE T‟OLKU CONFIGURATION  
  Based on the mission envisioned for the Lar‟shi 
  cruiser, the Lar‟shi‟vre “Protector” cruiser is the 
  primary combat vessel of the Kor‟or‟vesh, the first 
  starship designed by the Tau specifically to engage 
  and destroy enemy vessels in fleet actions. Like many 
  other Kor‟or‟vesh vessels, this class was first 
  encountered during the Taros campaign. While it does 
  not have the same bulk and durability as comparable 
  Imperial vessels, it is the first Tau design capable of 
  meeting Imperial cruisers on nearly equal terms. Two 
  Lar‟shi‟vre vessels formed the fighting core of the Tau 
  fleet defending Taros, and it inflicted heavy losses on 
  the invading fleet‟s transport ships. 
   
  In subsequent decades, this vessel has been 
  encountered in ever-increasing frequency, not only in 
  defense of Tau home worlds but abroad outside of 
  Tau-controlled space, operating in pairs while 
  accompanying colonization fleets or as deep space 
  patrols reminiscent of the operations common to the 
  Imperial Navy. They have wasted little time 
  capitalizing on the Imperium‟s heavy commitments in 
  the sectors near the Eye of Terror, and this class has 
  played a pivotal role in the Tau‟s recent explosive 
  advance into Imperial space   
   
  LAR‟SHI‟VRE “PROTECTOR” CLASS CRUISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Points 
  Kor‟uil Vash‟ya Tozhan lowered himself into his blast couch and glanced at the control surface to trigger the emergency restraints. He never locked himself down until the 
  last moment before combat, he was air-caste born and orbital-raised, swimming in zero gravity was far more natural to him than walking. His vessel had accelerated to 
  optimum speed and was rapidly closing with his human quarry. Tozhan confirmed that the intercept point had appeared on his tactical display and a countdown to intercept 
  had started. All his railgun tubes were loaded and the huge energy charge needed to fire them could be released on his command. This was one consignment of Gue‟la 
  supplies that would never reach the fighting on Arthas Moloch… 
  Notes: All Protector class cruisers are equipped with a deflector that raises its prow armor to 6. This is disabled 
  whenever the vessel suffers a prow critical hit (repairable normally). Long-range ion cannons are a recent 
  development; T‟olku configuration Protectors must outnumber those of the Vior‟la configuration in a Tau fleet. 
   
  
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  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Cruiser/4 
  20cm 
  90° 
  1 
  5+ 
  2 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Port Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  4 
  Left/ Front 
  Starboard Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  4 
  Right/ Front 
  Port Gravitic Hook 
  - 
  Capacity: 1 Warden 
  - 
  Starboard Gravitic Hook 
  - 
  Capacity: 1 Warden 
  - 
  Prow Launch Bay 
  Barracudas: 25cm 
  2 
  N/A 
   
   
   
  As I scry far across the skein of time to 
  where the mists of the distant future cloud 
  any certainty, the one revelation that over and 
  again asserts itself is the eventuality of 
  conflict between our two races. However, the 
  journey toward that distant end is one replete 
  with the gossamer caress of hope and 
  promise, a faint glimmer in an otherwise 
  frigidly dark and unforgiving universe the 
  likes of which has not been glimpsed since 
  the Fall… 
  - Glébriwyn Tithrändil,  
  Farseer of the Alaitoc Eldar 
  Unlike the other hull designs resulting from the 
  Kor‟or‟vesh initiative, the Il‟Porrui “Emissary” cruiser 
  is primarily intended as a diplomatic vessel. This 
  provides it the necessary mix of firepower and 
  maneuverability to make it a suitable conveyance to 
  transport Por Caste dignitaries, Tau commanders and 
  Ethereals in relative safety. By design, it is also 
  capable of seeing off all but the most powerful 
  adversaries of a similar class it may encounter.  
   
  As the first capital ship to be produced under the 
  Kor‟or‟vesh, there are significant numbers of these 
  vessels operating throughout Tau space in a variety of 
  tasks. As befits its nature, it is the vessel with which 
  the Tau perform long range exploration and “first 
  contact” missions. It is often sent to rove far beyond 
  Tau space on diplomatic assignments to the Tau‟s 
  neighbors 
  or 
  in 
  accompaniment 
  of 
  merchant 
  transports, in this capacity it has most proven its worth 
  to the Tau Empire. 
   
  While it may not be a front-line combat vessel, it is 
  well suited to the fires of war, and during the latter 
  stages of the Taros Campaign, a squadron of these 
  vessels successfully boarded an Imperial battleship. 
  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Cruiser/6 
  20cm 
  90° 
  2 
  5+ 
  3 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Port Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  2 
  Left/ Front 
  Starboard Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  2 
  Right/ Front 
  Prow Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  4 
  Front 
  Port Ion Cannon 
  45cm 
  1 
  Front 
  Starboard Ion Cannon 
  45cm 
  1 
  Front 
  Prow Launch Bays 
  Mantas: 20cm 
  Barracudas: 25cm 
  1 
  N/A 
  Prow Gravitic Launcher 
  Speed: 20-40cm 
  5 
  Front 
   
   
  LAR‟SHI‟VRE VIOR‟LA CONFIGURATION  
  IL‟PORRUI “EMISSARY” CLASS ENVOY SHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Points 
  IL‟PORRUI DAL‟YTH CONFIGURATION  
  
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  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Cruiser/4 
  20cm 
  90° 
  1 
  5+ 
  2 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Port Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  4 
  Left/ Front 
  Starboard Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  4 
  Right/ Front 
  Port Gravitic Hook 
  - 
  Capacity: 1 Warden 
  - 
  Starboard Gravitic Hook 
  - 
  Capacity: 1 Warden 
  - 
  Prow Gravitic Launcher 
  Speed: 20-40cm 
  3 
  Front 
   
   
  IL‟PORRUI BORK‟AN CONFIGURATION  
  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Cruiser/4 
  20cm 
  90° 
  1 
  5+ 
  2 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Port Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  3 
  Left/ Front 
  Starboard Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  3 
  Right/ Front 
  Port Ion Cannon 
  30cm 
  1 
  Left/ Front 
  Starboard Ion Cannon 
  30cm 
  1 
  Right/ Front 
  Prow Gravitic Launcher 
  Speed: 20-40cm 
  3 
  Front 
   
   
  IL‟PORRUI SA‟CEA CONFIGURATION  
  Notes: Emissary class cruisers can be equipped with a deflector that raises its prow armor to 6 for +10 points. This 
  is disabled whenever the vessel suffers a prow critical hit (repairable normally).  
   
  A large number of Il‟Porrui vessels were equipped with specialized grav hooks for supporting Kir‟la “Warden” 
  gunships so that it may have a form of escort on long-range emissary missions. These grav hooks are specially 
  designed for Wardens and cannot be used to tow or count for any other kind of escort. 
  TAU SEPT WORLDS 
   
  The world or system from which a Tau hails from forms a 
  large part of his or her identity. The culture of each of these 
  many colonies or so-called sept worlds is subtly unique. This 
  is due in part to the age of the colony – it may be one of the 
  First Phase colonies established during the early stages of the 
  Tau expansion into space, or it may be a much younger 
  society. The relative proportions of the various castes differ 
  from sept to sept too, and this may lend a certain outlook and 
  character to the world‟s culture and the Tau born there.  
   
  Vior‟la: A First-Phase colony, Vior‟la orbits a binary star, 
  and its name translates as „hot-blooded.‟ A notorious Fire 
  Caste world, its warriors are especially aggressive and skilled 
  in the arts of death. The oldest and most respected of the Fire 
  caste academies was founded here many centuries ago.  
   
  T‟olku: Known for the sage counsel, debating and diplomatic 
  skills of its Ethereal caste members, many of those Tau who 
  have had successful dealings with alien species originate from 
  this Second-Phase world. 
   
  Dal‟yth: A very cosmopolitan First-Phase world where trade 
  is valued as much as conquest, Tau from here welcome 
  offworlders. As such, it has seen the most contact with alien 
  species. Many Water-caste merchants and traders come from 
  this sept. 
   
  Bork‟an: A center of learning and academia, it has many 
  universities and research facilities. A high percentage of the 
  Fio, or Earth caste come from this First-Phase world.  
   
  Sa‟cea: One of the hottest and most densely populated Tau 
  worlds, this First-Phase sept has a greater proportion of Fire 
  Warriors than almost any other and is highly militarized. 
  Those hailing from Sa‟cea are regarded as particularly 
  disciplined and honorable warriors.  
   
  Vash‟ya: Known as the “world between spheres,” members 
  of the Kor caste have a long tradition on this Second-Phase 
  sept, providing a majority of the pilots and ship crews for the 
  Tau‟s early expansion into the greater galaxy. 
   
  Ksi‟m‟yen: One of the first Third-Phase septs, it has yet to 
  emerge as a distinct society. Conquered largely by stealth, a 
  combination of Second-Phase fleets and hunter cadres 
  wrested this from the Imperium when it was stripped of its 
  defenders due to pressing needs elsewhere. 
  
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  Using Merchant Transports in a Tau Fleet for scenarios requiring transports 
  Due to the nature of the Tau Kor‟vattra, there are a large proportion of heavy transports in the fleet. In any scenario requiring transports, up to half the transports allowed in the fleet may be 
  replaced with Il‟fannor “Merchant” heavy transports if desired, each for their normal point cost. These ships are represented by the variant equipped with gravitic hooks (not ion cannons!). When 
  used, their accompanying Orcas or other towed escorts must count toward the fleet escorting the transports, in addition to the point value of the Merchant starships themselves. They count as two 
  transports in all respects and have four planetary assault points (these values are halved if crippled).     
  KIR‟SHASHVRE “CASTELLAN” CLASS ESCORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Points 
  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Escort/1 
  25cm 
  90° 
  1 
  5+ 
  2 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Prow Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  2 
  Left/ Front/ Right 
  Prow Gravitic Launcher 
  Speed: 20-40cm 
  2 
  Front 
   
   Notes: This vessel may squadron with any other Tau escorts normally except Orcas (max. six per squadron), but 
  those in a squadron with Wardens may not also be with any other escort type. 
  Operations by the Kir‟Qath “Defender” starship 
  revealed that while it was a capable escort, continuing 
  shortcomings in its engineering plant required a new 
  vessel design that could make much deeper and longer 
  dives as well as a larger number of dives before 
  requiring to recharge its primary drives. Like the other 
  vessels designed during the Kor‟or‟vesh initiative, its 
  unique hull design allows for considerably longer-
  range operations compared to its predecessor. 
  Deployed in the role of traditional escort vessel, it has 
  proven directly comparable to commonly encountered 
  Imperial designs. Around Taros the Tau fleet deployed 
  Castellans in large numbers in support of their larger 
  vessels with great success. 
  IL‟EMAAR “COURIER” CLASS MERCHANT TRANSPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Special 
  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Escort/1 
  20cm 
  45° 
  1 
  5+ 
  1 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Prow Railgun Battery 
  30cm 
  1 
  Left/ Front/ Right 
   
   Notes: Il‟Emaar merchant transports support the Kor‟vattra in a variety of missions but are usually crewed by more 
  junior members of the Kor-caste. They have a -1 modifier when determining base leadership. These vessels are 
  reserved for scenarios that require transports, for which they have the value of a full transport or two assault points. 
  Their long and protracted war with the Or‟es‟la 
  proved early on that the numerous but relatively 
  fragile merchantmen that were the life-blood of the 
  rapidly expanding Tau Empire were woefully 
  inadequate. Continuing raids decimated the fleets of 
  these small ships, requiring a whole and much larger 
  class of heavily armed transport in the form of the 
  Il‟Fannor. As time progressed, smaller transport 
  classes almost disappeared entirely, though many 
  various types still found use among and between the 
  major Septs of Tau space. However, as the 
  Kor‟or‟vesh began operating throughout Tau space 
  and beyond, a new kind of fast transport was required 
  that could make long, deep dives in support of the 
  fleet and quickly replenish forward-deployed flotillas. 
  While this vessel was originally designed to support 
  the Kor‟or‟vesh, the obvious utility of these vessels 
  was expanded to the Greater Empire, and now these 
  easily 
  produced 
  starships 
  are 
  common 
  sights 
  throughout Tau space and beyond. 
  
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  The Tau Kor Caste live much of their lives in zero-gravity, either as spacecraft or 
  waystation crew, or as a resident in one of many of the Caste‟s own large orbital habitats. 
  Unlike the modular deep-space way-stations used throughout Tau space, orbital habitats 
  and cities are massive constructs usually assembled in place as permanent or semi-
  permanent installations in high orbit. By their very nature they are sturdier and more 
  heavily populated than the modular way-stations designed for rapid deployment and 
  assembly. However, as they are primarily designed for habitation, they tend to be not 
  nearly as well defended as other orbital constructs, as demonstrated by the relatively quick 
  destruction of the orbital facilities of Viss‟el during the Damocles Gulf Crusade. As such, 
  they tend to become important rallying points when defending against an invasion force. 
   
  TAU KOR CASTE ORBITAL CITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Points 
  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Defense/10 
  0cm 
  0° 
  3 
  5+ 
  4 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  12 
  All Around 
  Launch Bays 
  Mantas: 20cm 
  Barracudas: 25cm 
  4 
  N/A 
  Gravitic Hook 
  - 
  2 Orcas/Wardens 
  - 
   
   
  Notes: Like many deep-space way-stations, Tau 
  Orbital Cities and Security Orbitals are equipped 
  with comprehensive sensor and communication 
  suites with a high degree of automation. They are 
  equipped with the same Tracking System as 
  “Messenger” starships. Orcas assigned to guard 
  an Orbital City have a base leadership of 7 and 
  cannot squadron with other escorts.  
  PPLLAANNEETTAARRYY  DDEEFFEENNSSEESS  
  These Planetary Defense profiles vary slightly from those available in Armada and are perfectly suited for the models produced by Forgeworld. They can be used in any 
  scenario requiring Planetary Defenses. 
  While most Second and Third-Phase Septs in the Tau 
  Empire rely on quickly deployed modular way stations 
  and Orbitals for their defensive and operational 
  requirements, most primary Septs and a small number 
  of firmly established secondary systems have a 
  quantity of permanently situated orbital defenses. 
  These security orbitals tend to be somewhat stouter 
  than 
  other 
  single-point 
  defenses 
  without 
  the 
  complexity or size of full stations.  
  TAU SECURITY ORBITAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Points 
  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Defense/4 
  0cm 
  0° 
  1 
  5+ 
  4 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Railgun Battery 
  45cm 
  4 
  All Around 
  Ion Cannon 
  30cm 
  1 
  All Around 
   
   
  Orbital City and smaller 
  Security Orbital 
  
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  Using Citadel Commerce Vessels 
  Citadel Commerce Vessels outwardly resemble Bastion Commerce vessels in all respects, and the same model may be 
  used to represent either ship class. To represent its complex resource-gathering and harvesting systems, the model is 
  mounted on a large base, which due to the unique nature of Demiurg shields is not nearly the handicap it would be for 
  other races! It can be used as allies in the same manner as Bastion Commerce Vessels in any fleet that can take 
  Bastions. This allows Demiurg vessels to be used in a pure fleet or be taken as a ship choice in scenarios limited by the 
  amount of points that may be taken. 
   
  AALLLLIIEESS,,  SSU
  UBBJJEECCTTSS  &&  M
  MEERRCCEENNAARRIIEESS  
  As the Tau more fully integrate themselves with the Demiurg, they make regular contact with vessels rarely encountered by other races. Likewise, their ongoing conflict 
  with the Orks made them party to a supremely rare sight- the power and magnificence of an assembled Demiurg war host. 
  DEMIURG „CITADEL‟ COMMERCE VESSEL . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Points 
  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Cruiser/6 
  20cm 
  45° 
  2 
  5+/6+ Prow 
  3 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Port Weapons Battery 
  30cm 
  6 
  Left 
  Starboard Weapons Battery 
  30cm 
  6 
  Right 
  Prow Weapons Battery 
  45cm 
  8 
  Front 
  Prow Cutting Beam 
  15cm 
  Special (max 8) 
  Front 
  Dorsal Torpedoes 
  Speed: 30cm 
  4 
  All Around 
   
   Notes: Demiurg Citadel class ships are heavily automated and count their Ld value as 9 at the start of the battle. The 
  Citadel‟s Ld will drop by -1 for each point of damage it suffers, but its Ld value will not drop any further than 5. 
  Bridge smashed critical hits will not inflict additional Leadership loss on a Demiurg ship, but instead cause an extra 
  point of damage (and possible attendant Ld loss) on the vessel.  
   
  A Citadel class vessel is worth 185 Victory points normally but in a pure Demiurg fleet or one fighting against Orks 
  it is worth 200 Victory points instead to reflect its extra determination. This does not affect its starting point cost.  
   
  Demiurg „Citadel‟ class vessels cannot employ Come to New Heading special orders. 
  Hidden among the more closely-guarded systems 
  frequented by the Demiurg are vessels specialized 
  for mining and resource harvesting. These vessels 
  outwardly resemble Bastion vessels in all respects 
  but vary in critical details. The volume in Bastion 
  vessels dedicated to attack craft and broadside 
  lances is entirely turned over to specialized 
  resource harvesting equipment. Outwardly they 
  resemble the more familiar but still rare Bastion 
  commerce vessels in all respects, and only through 
  their interaction with the Tau did some Rogue 
  Traders become aware there was a distinction 
  between ship types. 
  “You misunderstand, this is Tau space, despite 
  what the Gue‟la may claim, and you are 
  welcomed to it as friend. We too have suffered 
  difficulty with the Or‟es‟la, since it seems they 
  wish no unity. We would be honoured to have 
  you fight alongside us against this common 
  enemy. You will find it to the benefit of both our 
  peoples. You will find it, I have no doubt, to be 
  for the Greater Good.” 
  -Por‟O Dal‟yth V‟Rok  
  greets the Thurm Brotherhood  
  during first contact with the Demiurg 
  Demiurg Cutting Beam  
   
  This weapon is a short ranged but devastating 
  ionization beam. In addition to the rules described 
  for this weapon on p.109 of Armada, any Demiurg 
  vessel may extend the range of its cutting beam to 
  30cm by expending two collected blast markers 
  per weapon strength instead of one, rounding 
  down. For example, a Demiurg Bastion that 
  gathers up four blast markers in the course of its 
  immediately previous movement may in the 
  shooting phase fire a str-5, range-15cm cutting 
  beam or a str-2, range-30cm cutting beam. 
  
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  Using Nicassar Caravans 
  As opposed to a Rig and its separate Dhows described on pp.106-107 of Armada, a Nicassar Caravan in motion has its 
  Rig and Dhows as a single entity that does not separate throughout the course of the battle and is treated as a single 
  vessel in all respects. It can be crippled normally, but it does not take critical damage in the normal sense. If the 
  Caravan takes critical damage, apply an additional 1Hp damage instead. When a Caravan is reduced to zero hits, it 
  and its Dhows all count as destroyed. Remove it from play and replace it with four blast markers centered around the 
  point where it was destroyed.  
   
  Using Nicassar Rigs 
  A Nicassar Rig and its four Dhows remain separate throughout the course of a battle, and the rig itself is stationary in 
  the same manner of any other planetary defense. However, it is not limited as to where it is placed on the table unlike 
  other planetary defenses and does not need to be placed within 15cm of celestial phenomena. A Caravan and a Rig 
  with its four Dhows are essentially identical, despite the different profiles listed above. In the course of a campaign, a 
  player may substitute one for the other for every Rig or Caravan on the fleet list before the start of a battle simply by 
  deciding whether or not the Rig is to move or remain stationary. Once the decision is made, it cannot be changed until 
  the start of the following battle.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  NICASSAR RIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Points 
  NICASSAR CARAVAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Points 
  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Defense/8 
  10cm 
  Special 
  4 
  5+ 
  6 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Railgun Battery 
  30cm 
  10 
  All Around 
  Gravitic Hook 
  - 
  4 Dhows (see notes) 
  - 
   
   Notes: Their point cost and profile above reflects a slightly modified Nicassar Rig and four Dhows, as described on 
  pp.106-107 of Armada. Nicassar Caravans are ponderously slow, but like their individual Dhows, they are 
  surprisingly maneuverable. A Nicassar Caravan moves 10cm in any direction during the movement phase, no more, 
  no less. It is not slowed down by blast markers, celestial phenomena or being crippled, and it cannot take Burn 
  Retros, Come To New Heading or All Ahead Full Special Orders. Nicassar Caravans have +1 Leadership (max. 10).  
   
  Though they have very little combat utility, 
  Nicassar have powerful minds and rely on their 
  telekinetic talents in particular to make up for 
  their own limited mobility. Their extended 
  families are semi-nomadic and are driven by 
  insatiable curiosity. Their spacefaring skills are 
  exemplary, and it is in this manner they best serve 
  the Greater Good. Trading caravans are the large 
  networks of conjoined Dhows which the Nicassar 
  employ when travelling over long distances at 
  their natural leisurely pace, sometimes over the 
  course of centuries.  
   
  As they are most content when travelling and can 
  survive for long periods in virtual hibernation, 
  they are uniquely suited for their service to the 
  Tau, exploring systems on the fringes of the Tau 
  Empire. Occasionally caravans accompany Tau 
  fleets to war, and if attacked the Dhows will 
  attempt to move the community to safety, though 
  it is not unknown for them to detach and fight 
  vigorously in defense of their community and the 
  Tau vessels supporting them. 
  TYPE /HITS 
  SPEED 
  TURNS 
  SHIELDS 
  ARMOR 
  TURRETS 
  Defense/4 
  0cm 
  0° 
  1 
  5+ 
  6 
  ARMANENT 
  RANGE 
  FIREPOWER/STRENGTH 
  FIRE ARC 
  Gravitic Hook 
  - 
  4 Dhows 
  - 
   
   Notes: For every Nicassar Rig in the fleet, four Dhows must be purchased as described on pp. 106-107 of Armada. 
  Their gravitic hooks count toward the number of Dhows in the fleet and cannot be used on any other escort type.  
  Upon encountering something of interest in 
  wilderness space, a Nicassar Caravan will detach 
  a number of its Dhows to investigate, though it is 
  immobile while its Dhows are maneuvering 
  separately in this manner. While Caravans will 
  always attempt to retreat in the face of hostility, it 
  is not unknown in desperate situations for a Rig‟s 
  Dhows to remain separate and actively defend it 
  against a particular threat.  
   
  
  2010 COMPENDIUM 
   
   
  169 
    
   . 
   
  .   
   
  Kor‟or‟vesh 
  vessels 
  can 
  be 
  deployed 
  in 
  a 
  particularly important Commerce and Exploration 
  fleet as a mixed flotilla of vessels integrated in the 
  current Tau list in Armada, with a number of 
  restrictions due to their great expense and rarity.  
     
  TTAAU
  U  KKO
  ORR‟‟O
  ORR‟‟VVEESSH
  H::  CCO
  OM
  MM
  MEERRCCEE  
  PPRRO
  OTTEECCTTIIO
  ONN  FFLLEEEETT  
  This fleet list is identical to that on p. 112 of 
  Armada, with the following 
  changes and/or 
  additions: 
   
  FFLLEEEETT  CCO
  OM
  MM
  MAANNDDEERR  
  Your fleet must include a commander if it is greater 
  than 750 points. If it is greater than 750 points, the 
  commander may be a Kor‟el or a Kor‟O. If the fleet  
  includes a Custodian, a Kor‟O must lead it.  
   
  Tau Kor‟el (Ld 8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 points 
  Tau Kor’O (Ld 9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 points 
  test. 
  The commander has one re-roll included in his 
  points cost. If you wish, the commander‟s ship may 
  carry a member of the Ethereal caste and therefore 
  purchase additional re-rolls at the cost shown.  
   
  Aun‟el (one extra re-roll) . . . . . . . . . . . . . +25 points 
  Aun‟O (two extra re-rolls) . . . . . . . . . . . . +75 points 
  test.. 
  CCAAPPIITTAALL  SSH
  HIIPPSS  
   
  Battleships 
  Your fleet may include any number of Explorer 
  battleships. Your fleet may include up to one 
  Custodian per FULL 750 points of Tau vessels. 
  Allied vessels don‟t count toward this total. For 
  example, a fleet that has at least 750 points of Tau 
  vessels in it may include a single Custodian. Fleets 
  of at least 1,500 points may include two Custodians.  
   
  Custodian class battleship . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330 points   
  Explorer class starship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 points 
  test line 
  Test 
  Test 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  KOR‟OR‟VESH  VESSELS  IN  THE KOR‟VATTRA FLEET LIST 
  Cruisers 
  Your fleet may include any number of Merchant, 
  Emissary or Protector class starships. It may also 
  include up to one Hero class starship for every other 
  type of capital ship in the fleet. 
   
  Protector class starship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 points 
  Hero class starship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 points 
  Emissary class starship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 points 
  Merchant class starship  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 points 
  test. 
  EESSCCO
  ORRTTSS  
  Your fleet may include up to one Messenger class 
  starship per 500 points. 
   
  Messenger class starship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 points 
  test. 
  Your fleet may include any number of Defender 
  and/or Castellan class starships. 
   
  Castellan class starship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 points 
  Defender class starship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 points 
  test. 
  You may not have more Orcas and Wardens than the 
  gravitic hook capacity of the fleet. Much of the cost 
  of these vessels is included in that of the parent ship.   
   
  Warden class gunship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 points 
  Orca class gunship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 points 
  test. 
  AALLLLIIEESS,,  SSU
  UBBJJEECCTTSS  &&  
  M
  MEERRCCEENNAARRIIEESS  
  The rules described on pp.107-112 of Armada 
  remain unchanged except as described here.  
   
  Demiurg Vessels 
  There cannot be more Stronghold than Bastion 
  vessels in the fleet.  
   
  Stronghold Commerce Vessel . . . . . . . . . 350 points 
  Bastion Commerce Vessel . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 points 
  Citadel Commerce Vessel . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 points 
  test. 
  Kroot Vessels – (0-2) 
  Warspheres do not count against cruiser limits in a 
  Kor‟vattra Fleet.  
  Kroot Warsphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 points 
  test 
   
  Nicassar Vessels 
  No more Dhows may be taken than the grav hook 
  capacity of the fleet. Grav hooks on a Custodian 
  battleship or Emissary starship cannot count toward 
  this total. 
   
  Nicassar Caravan  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 points 
  Nicassar Rig  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 points (+ 4 Dhows) 
  Nicassar Dhow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 points 
  test. 
  Rogue Traders 
  Up to one Rogue Trader cruiser and its attendant 
  escorts may accompany the fleet for every 750 points 
  of Tau ships in the fleet. Additionally, a single 
  squadron of up to six Xenos escorts can be taken as 
  per the Rogue Trader rules and fleet list.   
   
  Rogue Trader Cruiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 points 
  Endeavor Light Cruiser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 points 
  Xenos vessel  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 points 
  Recommissioned escort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 points 
  Iconoclast destroyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 points 
  Rogue Trader cargo vessel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 points 
  test 
  Using Kroot Warspheres 
   
  The Kroot approach spacefaring with an innate 
  sense bereft of the technological advances so keenly 
  sought by other races. When the Damocles Crusade 
  revealed shortcomings in the Warsphere compared 
  to Imperial starships, the Kroot adapted simply by 
  constructing larger Warspheres.  
   
  In any fleet list, a Kroot Warsphere may subtract up 
  to -4HP or add up to +6HP from its regular profile, 
  for 20 points added or subtracted per 2HP. For 
  every 2HP, it adds or subtracts +2 firepower to its 
  weapons battery. Warspheres 10HP or greater may 
  also add +1 shield and/or turret strength for +10 
  points each (no more than one each). A Kroot 
  Warsphere 10HP or greater can extend the range of 
  its weapons battery by +15cm for +25 points.  
   
  During planetary assaults, Kroot Warspheres cannot 
  return to flight during a battle once they have 
  landed. However, they are not destroyed and only 
  count as disengaged for purposes of victory points. 
  
  2010 COMPENDIUM 
   
   
  170 
    
   . 
   
  .   
   
  W
  WAARR  H
  HO
  OSSTT  O
  OFF  TTH
  HEE  DDEEM
  MIIU
  URRGG 
  The Demiurg will typically shy away from combat, 
  though occasionally they will respond to threats with 
  surprising ferocity. The Demiurg have plied the 
  stellar void millennia before encountering the Tau, 
  and on exceedingly rare occasion will muster their 
  ships for war for reasons entirely unrelated to their 
  relationship to the Tau. 
   
  AAFFFFIILLIIAATTIIO
  ONN  O
  OFF  BBRRO
  OTTH
  HEERRH
  HO
  OO
  ODDSS  
  Demiurg fleets are composed of a loosely-defined 
  but tightly knit affiliation of “Brotherhoods” that 
  rely on an exceedingly high level of automation and 
  are not organized in the manner of typical fleet 
  organizations. Because of this, Demiurg fleets have 
  no Fleet Commander in the conventional sense, 
  which affects their fleet in the following ways: 
     
  Re-rolls 
  A Demiurg fleet may purchase re-rolls, but they are 
  purchased by the fleet as a whole, rather than being 
  considered Fleet Commander rerolls. The fleet gets 
  one re-roll and can purchase extra re-rolls at the cost 
  shown. These re-rolls can only be used for Demiurg 
  vessels and not with other starships they may take as 
  allies in their war host.  
   
  One extra re-roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 points 
  Two extra re-rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 points 
  test. 
  Determination 
  Demiurg vessels used against this fleet list do not 
  attempt to disengage unless they have 2Hp or less 
  remaining. 
  Though 
  their 
  point 
  cost 
  remains 
  unchanged, Strongholds are worth 400 points, 
  Bastions are worth 300 points and Citadels are worth 
  200 points when determining Victory Points. 
   
  CCAAPPIITTAALL  SSH
  HIIPPSS  
   
  Battleships 
  Your fleet may include one battleship for every two 
  cruiser-class vessels in the fleet.   
   
  Stronghold Commerce Vessel . . . . . . . . . 350 points 
  test 
  Cruisers  
  Your fleet may include no more than twelve cruisers. 
  Demiurg Commerce Vessels must outnumber all 
  non-Demiurg cruisers combined. 
   
  Bastion Commerce Vessel . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 points 
  Citadel Commerce Vessel . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 points  
  Protector class cruiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 points 
  Rogue Trader Cruiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 points 
  Hero class starship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 points 
  Endeavor light cruiser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 points 
  Emissary class starship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 points 
  Merchant class starship   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 points 
  test. 
  Kroot Vessels – (0-3) 
  The Demiurg have a unique, little-understood 
  relationship with the Kroot pre-dating that with the 
  Tau, and it is not uncommon for their ships to be 
  encountered together.  
  The fleet may have one Kroot Warsphere in the fleet 
  for every 750 points in the fleet or portion thereof. 
  These do not count against the number of cruisers in 
  the fleet. (See note on p.15 concerning Warspheres).  
    
  Kroot Warsphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 points 
  test.. 
  EESSCCO
  ORRTTSS  
  The Demiurg do not make use of escorts in the same 
  manner of other fleets. However, they will contract 
  or otherwise arrange the use of escort squadrons as 
  the need arises. 
  For every three Demiurg capital ships in the fleet, it 
  may include one squadron of up to six Tau or Rogue 
  Trader escorts. Nicassar Dhows, Tau Wardens or 
  Orcas can be taken for every starship in the fleet 
  equipped with grav hooks. Tau, Nicassar and Rogue 
  Trader escorts may not be mixed in the same 
  squadrons. 
   
  Tau Escorts 
  Castellan class starship . . . . . . . . . . 50 points 
  Defender class starship . . . . . . . . . . 45 points 
  Nicassar Dhow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 points 
  Warden class gunship . . . . . . . . . . . 30 points 
  Orca class gunship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 points 
  Rogue Trader Escorts 
  Xenos vessel  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 points 
  Recommissioned escort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 points 
  Iconoclast destroyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 points 
  Rogue Trader cargo vessel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 points 
  test. 
  O
  ORRDDNNAANNCCEE  &&  U
  UPPGGRRAADDEESS  
  Demiurg ships utilize highly automated versions of 
  torpedoes, fighters, bombers and assault boats. They 
  do not have access to boarding torpedoes but may 
  use torpedo bombers for +10 points per launch bay.  
   
  Leadership and Attack Rating 
  The Demiurg fleet has an Attack or Initiative rating 
  of 2. Vessels allied with the Demiurg rely on the 
  basic leadership applicable to their fleets. They 
  cannot use Demiurg fleet re-rolls, but if available 
  they may purchase special characters with any re-
  rolls they come with to lead their ships.  
   
  Campaigns 
  In campaigns, Demiurg 
  and vessels on this fleet 
  list allied with them may 
  gain 
  leadership, 
  crew 
  skills and refits in the 
  same manner as Imperial 
  vessels (max Ld-10).  
   
   
   
   
   
  THE DEMIURG AND KROOT XENOS FLEET LIST 
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Warhammer/40k/Battlefleet Gothic/Battlefleet Gothic - 2010 Edition/m201010_BFG_Tau_Protection_Fleet.pdf