This page is about Dark Crusade units. For background information, see Tau Empire. Like the Orks, the Tau are primarily an offensive civilization, possibly even more so due to their inability to construct defensive turrets. However, the similarity ends there. Unlike the Orks who specialize in direct melee combat, the Tau excel in attacking while avoiding damage, either through stealth or by sniping enemy positions using their superior range and accuracy. They also have a greater selection of units that can be infiltrated and are they only faction that can construct infiltrated Vehicles. Tau players can hold Critical Locations more effectively since these areas act as spotters that allows units to attack beyond their normal line of sight. The Tau may alternatively camp out in narrow passageways near choke-points from where they can snipe the enemy from afar. The Tau have some of the highest range units in the game and some deal the most ranged damage. Some Infantry units can out-range turrets mounted on Listening Posts while some Vehicles can even out-range most anti-Vehicle weaponry. Like the Eldar, they can be used in hit and run attacks and fare best in large maps that feature multiple narrow passageways, but can also be used in entrenched positions to a good effect.
Armed with a Burst Cannon and can be upgraded to also wield the Missile Pods and Flamer. The Burst Cannon can be upgraded in both the campaign and skirmish.
Is a powerful ranged commander which doesn't even have a proper melee attack.
Relatively fragile, but is highly mobile with its Jump ability.
Ethereal[]
Secondary Commander unit.
Inspires all Tau units on the map to fight with greater fervour.
Has a variety of special abilities at its disposal.
All Tau units gain a morale, health, and damage bonus while the Ethereal is alive.
Consequently, all Tau temporarily suffer a large morale, health, and damage penalty if the Ethereal dies.
Infantry[]
Earth Caste Builder[]
Builder drone provided by the Tau Earth caste.
Constructs all Tau buildings.
XV15 Stealth Team[]
Light infantry.
Infiltrated squad of up to three XV25 Stealthsuits that is able to attack and capture points while invisible.
Can be equipped with a jetpack to move across and over the battlefield.
Can be upgraded with heavier weapons and may have a XV25 Shas'ui added to the squad to slow down and deal heavy damage to vehicles.
Vespid Stingwing Strain[]
Heavy Infantry.
Fast melee squad of 5 Vespids.
Can jump quickly over the battlefield.
Effective at disrupting enemy infantry and destroying buildings.
Cannot capture or uncapture Strategic Points.
Detects infiltrated units.
Fire Warrior Team[]
Heavy Infantry.
General combat unit with a powerful ranged attack effective at Infantry and Heavy Infantry. Squad contains up to 6 Fire Warriors
Extremely weak in melee.
Can fire from incredibly long range but has a short sight radius, so requires other units scout ahead.
May have a maximum 2 squad leaders added, which can either be the supportive Shield Drones, or offensive Fire Warrior Shas'uis.
If the Way of the Patient Hunter has been upgraded to their range becomes absolutely extreme, able to put crippling fire down on targets that will more than likely not be able to fight back if sighted by a Stealth or Pathfinder team, the key being not to let them get tied up in melee combat.
Kroot Carnivores[]
Light Infantry.
Mobile meelee unit.
Effective against Infantry and Heavy Infantry.
Able to Cannibalize corpses to gain maximum health.
Can be upgraded to leap at enemy units.
Kroot Shaper[]
Commands Kroot Carnivore and Kroot Hound squads
Improves speed and health of squad
Effective against all unit types.
Pathfinder Team[]
Light Infantry.
Scout/Recon squad of up to 5 Pathfinders with a very long sight radius.
Armed with markerlights to mark enemy units, making targets more vulnerable to attack.
Supression fire slows enemy advance.
Detects infiltrated units.
XV88 Broadside Battlesuit[]
Heavy Infantry.
Slow Anti-Vehicle battlesuit equipped with two Missile Launchers.
Can entrench into the ground, transforming it into a powerful weapons platform effective against all targets.
Can act as a semi-mobile turret.
XV8 Crisis Battlesuit[]
Heavy Infantry.
Powerful battlesuits reserved for the most elite of Fire Warriors.
Can jetpack quickly around, and over, the battlefield.
Equipped with a Burst Cannon and Fusion Blaster, making it effective at most targets.
Weapons can be customized to deal with different opponents.
Kroot Hound Pack[]
Heavy Infantry.
Advanced close combat unit.
Effective against Infantry and Heavy Infantry.
Can be upgraded to leap at enemy units.
Shas'ui Bodyguard[]
Heavy Infantry.
Extremely long ranged squad of 4 Shas'ui that can only be spawned from the Ethereal.
Deal deadly damage from a safe range.
Weak in melee.
Vehicles[]
Devilfish Troop Carrier[]
Lightly armoured fragile infiltrated troop transport that can move around up to 2 squads without being seen.
Can be used as fire support when not transporting, being equipped with a Twin-Linked Pulse Carbine and Burst Cannon.
Skyray Missile Gunship[]
Long ranged anti-vehicle and disruption vehicle equipped with 2 Smart Missile Launchers.
Relatively fragile.
May be upgraded to use the Missile Barrage, which unleashes many missiles to severely damage units in a large area.
Drone Squad[]
Squad of up to 5 Gun Drones.
Powerful yet fragile short-ranged vehicles with with Twin-Linked Pulse Carbines.
Can burrow into the ground, becoming invisible. Will automatically unburrow once an enemy unit strays near, which deals damage and knocks back units.
Will self-destruct upon death, damaging and tossing around nearby enemy units. Useful against melee opponents.
Drone Harbinger[]
Fragile vehicle capable of constantly spawning Gun Drones.
These Gun Drones cost a few energy to spawn and only a maximum of 20 can be on the field at a time.
Equipped with 2 Twin-Linked Pulse Carbines, making it a fairly useful fire support unit.
Hammerhead Gunship[]
Mobile heavy weapons platform.
Can deal enormous damage with its 2 Burst Cannons and Railgun, but can't take a lot of punishment.
