Pilots issued with this battlesuit variant are often called upon to fight away from the support of the rest of their cadre, whether buying time for their comrades to retreat and redeploy, or undertaking a surprise assault on the enemy.

Although the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is by far the most commonly deployed battlesuit in the T'au armoury, only those Fire Warriors who prove themselves in battle earn the right to wear it and bear the name of shas'ui -- the first honoured military rank that can pilot a T'au Battlesuit. T'au Battlesuits are only piloted by those Fire Warriors who have proven themselves in battle and completed their first Trial by Fire to earn the Fire Caste rank of shas'ui. Often, the first battlesuits that Fire Warriors learn to pilot are the XV15 and/or the XV25 Stealthsuit, to complete their training in the arts of infiltration and ambush that they began as Pathfinders. Once their time utilising a Stealthsuit is complete, they are then given the honour of piloting an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit and becoming a member of the Fire Caste's elite. White Dwarf #263 (US), Crisis! Tau Battlesuit Teams. A look at the strategies of the Tau battlesuits. by Pete Haines and Phil Kelly There is broad range of T'au Battlesuits, and each has their own specialised tactical role. All nomenclature of battlesuits mentioned here are their Imperial designations rather than the actual names for the different battlesuit variants used in the T'au Lexicon. Imperial interrogations with T'au prisoners have yielded the term Her'ex'vre as the name in the T'au Lexicon for their single-pilot battlesuits. This roughly translates into Low Gothic as "Mantle of the Hero." XV8 Crisis Battlesuits commonly operate in teams of three, called Ta'ro'cha in the T'au Lexicon ("three minds as one"), and can be equipped for a variety of different battlefield roles. Many different Fire Warrior Septs have developed their own Battlesuit tactics and their preferred weapon and support system load outs are intended to enhance these proscribed tactics. These techniques are taught in each Sept's military academies, where respected Shas'vre pass on their knowledge. Some examples of these tactical formations include the Vior'la Death Rain and Burning Eye configurations, or the T'au Fireknife and Blinding Spear patterns.Yet the Earth Caste did not stop there. As the T'au Empire expanded across the stars, the Hunter Cadres encountered new and more deadly alien races, prompting the Earth Caste to develop new battlesuits to fulfill particular battlefield tactical roles or face certain foes. He’s near god-like in his manipulation of the T’au and the Imperium. There’s so much going on – from despising war while masterfully commanding the art of death, to his cynicism about empire and technology – and whatever I couldn’t pull off in performance, the team covered in the story-telling. Do you like powerful sci-fi battlesuits? Do you like mobility? Long term calculations and planning? Patiently waiting for the killing blow? Yet another Infiltrating Lone Operative (helping the army potentially reach critical mass of them to build around), and able to occasionally snipe out a key Character. Commander Farsight All XV8 Crisis Battlesuits also greatly augment the natural physical strength of their pilot, and grant the warrior within the Battlesuit the ability to smash apart light armoured vehicles in close combat, if necessary. XV8 Crisis Battlesuits also feature retractable fingers built into their forearms for use in more delicate -- and often non-combat -- tasks.

XV8-02 Iridium Battlesuit After the death of Commander Pridestar to a sniper's bullet and the subsequent Tau defeat during the Klodate Worlds Suppression, the Earth Caste developed an experimental iridium alloy and produced only enough for a small series of Battlesuits. While it offers Tau Commanders and their Bodyguards optimal protection, it is a luxury that few can afford, though Commander Dawnstar of the Dal'yth Sept is known to call upon them. To the T'au, the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is more than just a powerful weapon of war; it is also a symbol of great achievement. Being allowed to pilot an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is considered a high honour by the T'au Fire Caste, and is only granted to those Fire Warriors who have earned the rank and privilege required to be granted this responsibility. XV17 Battlesuit - Little is known about this battlesuit other than that it exists, is piloted by a single T'au, and is a form of infiltration suit.Doesn’t really play like an Ethereal should, as the buff he hands out is fairly meaningless, but acts as an incredibly durable Lone Operative to park on an objective. Firesight Team Of course the suits are really just platforms to mount a ton of different weapons on. Each suit can mount 3 weapons, a suit system and up to two support drones, with up to 6 suits in a unit thats nearly infinite combinations. Crisis suits have access to a number of deadly weapons, from heavy hitters like Plasma Rifles, now upgraded, and Fusion Blasters, to specialist high right of fire weapons like T’au Flamers or Airburst Fragmentation Projectors. A large unit of Crisis suits can put out a really terrifying amount of fire power. Not all T'au find themselves suitable for advancement through all of these stages, either due to failure in training or simply because some warriors choose to take on more specialised roles that end their advancement up the general command ranks of the Fire Caste. As such, they will often stay in one role to teach the others who will follow, such as the shas'ui who command Fire Warrior Squads, the shas'nel who serve as Cadre Fireblades, and the shas'vre who lead XV88 Broadside Battlesuit Teams and Stealthsuit Teams, amongst others. However, there are those XV8 pilots who have lost their team members and operate alone. These embittered Monat pilots often choose to undertake dangerous missions where the risks are extremely high, and will often be deployed to undertake tactically vital missions which they are not likely to survive; such sacrifices are sometimes necessary in pursuit of the Greater Good. When Drones are taken with another unit — for example, a Commander can take up to two Drones — the cost is as follows: 10 points for a Marker or a Gun Drone and 15 points for a Shield Drone.