This page details military structure of
Tau Empire forces including
Detachments,
Formations and
Apocalypse Formations.
Detachments
Hunter Contingent
The Hunter Contingent Detachment allows you to represent the typical structute of a Tau Empire army on the Warhammer 40,000 battlefield. Whether you wish to represent a Commander assimilating a new planet, or Fire Warriors defending Tau enclaves from attacking aliens, the choices below offer a great way to pick your army.
The Hunter Contingent Detachment is a special type of
Detachment that can be included in any
Battle-forged army. Unlike the Detachments shown in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules, it has a
Force Organisation Chart whose slots are a combination of specific
Formations and
Army List Entries instead of
Battlefield Roles. However, it still has compulsory and optional elements, as well as Restrictions and Command Benefits, just like any other Detachment.
Although units cannot normally belong to more than one Detachment, units from a Formation that is part of a Hunter Contingent are an exception. They count as part of both their Formation and the Detachment, and have all associated Command Benefits and special rules. If your
Warlord is part of a Formation or an Army List Entry that makes up part of a Decurion Detachment, that entire Decurion Detachment is your
Primary Detachment.
• 1 Commander • 0-1 Cadre Fireblade • 0-1 unit of XV8 Crisis Bodyguards • 3-6 units chosen in any combination from the following list: - Breacher Team, Strike Team, Kroot Carnivores • 1-3 units chosen in any combination from the following list: - XV25 Stealth Battlesuits, XV8 Crisis Battlesuits, XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuits, XV104 Riptide Battlesuits • 1-3 units chosen in any combination from the following list: - Pathfinder Team, TX4 Piranhas, Vespid Stingwings, Drones • 1-3 units chosen in any combination from the following list: - XV88 Broadside Battlesuits, TX7 Hammerhead Gunships, KV128 Stormsurges, Sniper Drones | |
DRONE NETWORK
ASSIGNED AIR CASTE ASSET
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RESTRICTIONS
This
Detachment must include at least one Core choice. For each Core choice you must include between 1 and 10 Auxiliary choices, in any combination, and you may also include up to one Command choice. Only the datasheets listed below may be included in this Detachment.
COMMAND BENEFITSCoordinated Firepower: Whenever a unit from a Hunter Contingent selects a target in the
shooting phase, any number of other units from the same Detachment who can still shoot can add their firepower to the attack. These units must shoot the same target, resolving their shots at the same time as those of the first unit. When 3 or more units combine their firepower in this way, the firing models add 1 to their Ballistic Skill. in addition, any
markerlight counters expended by the first unit confer their benefits on all units shooting at the same target as part of the Coordinated Firepower attack. For example, if you expend one markerlight counter on the
Pinpoint ability, all units taking part in the Coordinated Firepower attack would add 1 to their Ballistic Skill for shots directed at the target of that attack.
Ideal Mission Commander: If this
Detachment is your
Primary Detachment, you can choose to re-roll the result when rolling on the
Warlord Traits table.
Formations
Air Caste Support Cadre
SPECIAL RULESAdvanced Repair Systems: Roll a dice at the start of your turn for each Hull Point lost by models from this
Formation. On a roll of 6 the Hull Point is restored.
Commitment to the Greater Good: Roll a dice if a
Crew Shaken or
Crew Stunned result is inflicted on a model from this
Formation. On a roll of 2-6 the result is ignored and has no effect. Note that if the model lost any Hull Points as a result of the attack, these are deducted as normal.
Allied Advance Cadre
Armoured Interdiction Cadre
SPECIAL RULESInterlaced Predictive Targeting: Pick a point anywhere on the battlefield at the start of your
Shooting phase. The point you pick is the centre of this
Formation’s Predictive Targeting Grid. You can re-roll failed
To Hit rolls for attacks made by models from this Formation if the target unit is within 6" of the point that you picked.
Firebase Support Cadre
Heavy Retribution Cadre
SPECIAL RULESMonsoon of Destruction: If an enemy unit is chosen as the target by at least two units from this
Formation in the same
Shooting phase, that unit cannot
Run or move
Flat Out in their next turn. In addition, such units must halve the result of any
Charge rolls they make in the next turn (rounding fractions down).
Optimum Fire Position: You can re-roll failed
To Hit rolls for shooting attacks made by
Stormsurges from this
Formation if the target unit is within 12" of a
Ghostkeel Battlesuit from this Formation.
Hunter Cadre
FORMATION •
1 Commander •
0-1 Cadre Fireblade •
0-1 unit of
XV8 Crisis Bodyguards •
3-6 units chosen in any combination from the following list:
-
Breacher Team,
Strike Team,
Kroot Carnivores •
1-3 units chosen in any combination from the following list:
-
XV25 Stealth Battlesuits,
XV8 Crisis Battlesuits,
XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuits,
XV104 Riptide Battlesuits •
1-3 units chosen in any combination from the following list:
-
Pathfinder Team,
TX4 Piranhas,
Vespid Stingwings,
Drones •
1-3 units chosen in any combination from the following list:
-
XV88 Broadside Battlesuits,
TX7 Hammerhead Gunships,
KV128 Stormsurges,
Sniper Drones SPECIAL RULESAmbushes and Feints: Units from this
Formation that are within 12" of this Formations
Commander or
Cadre Fireblade at the start of the
Shooting phase can
Run or move
Flat Out and then shoot in that Shooting Phase. Each unit must complete both actions before you move onto the next unit otherwise the chance to make the second action is forfeit.
Unbreakable Bonds of Comradeship: Units from this
Formation that have the
Supporting Fire special rule can provide Supporting Fire to any other model in this Formation if they are within 12" of each other, rather than 6".
Infiltration Cadre
SPECIAL RULESIntervention Request Beacons: If a unit from this
Formation is completely destroyed, you can activate the Formation’s Intervention Request Beacons. If you do so, all units you have remaining in
Reserve arrive at the start of your next turn (there is no need to roll for them).
Neutralisation Lattice: If a unit from this
Formation inflicts three or more
markerlight hits on a target unit in a
Shooting phase, inflict a single
seeker missile hit on the enemy unit in addition to placing the markerlight counters. Note that you do not need to
roll to hit for the seeker missile, nor do you need to have a unit capable of firing the missile in range of the target (the missiles are fired by support craft flying high above the battlefield).
Optimised Stealth Cadre
SPECIAL RULESThe Wall of Mirrors: At the start of your
Shooting phase, this
Formation can network their stealth fields to create a Wall of Mirrors. If you do so, then the weapons used by the Formation’s
Ghostkeels, and by any unit of
Stealth Battlesuits from this Formation that are within 6" of a Ghostkeel from this Formation, have the
Ignores Cover special rule, and these models add 1 to their Ballistic Skill for that Shooting phase. In addition, their weapons are assumed to strike the rear armour of any
vehicle that they hit, no matter what its
actual facing.
Retaliation Cadre
SPECIAL RULES • Relentless
Drop Zone Clear: All models in this
Formation add 1 to their Ballistic Skill during the turn that they arrive by
Deep Strike.
Low Altitude Deployment: If all of the units from this
Formation start in
Reserve, you can announce before the battle begins that they will use Low Altitude Deployment. If you do so, deploy the entire Formation using the
Deep Strike special rule at the start of your second turn.
Targeted Reconaissance Cadre
SPECIAL RULESMobile Insertion Force: As long as the
Commander from this
Formation is on the battlefield at the beginning of your turn, you can choose one unit from this Formation to move up to 6" before your
Movement phase begins. The unit you choose cannot be
locked in combat,
Falling Back or
Pinned. If the unit doesn’t move in the subsequent Movement phase, they are considered to be
stationary.
Air Caste Support Cadre
SPECIAL RULESAdvanced Repair Systems: Roll a dice at the start of your turn for each Hull Point lost by models from this
Formation. On a roll of 6 the Hull Point is restored.
Commitment to the Greater Good: If the
Formation is in an
Attack Pattern, then the
Flyers in the Formation receive the Commitment to the Greater Good special rule until the start of your next turn in addition to the other benefits that the Attack Pattern confers. Roll a dice if a
Crew Shaken or
Crew Stunned result is inflicted on a model with this special rule. On a roll of 2-6 the result is ignored and has no effect. Note that if the model lost any Hull Points as a result of the attack, these are deducted as normal.
Air Superiority Cadre
SPECIAL RULESAir Superiority: In the
Shooting phase, add 1 to the Ballistic Skill of all models from this
Formation shooting at enemy
Flyers,
Super-heavy Flyers,
Jetbikes,
Skimmers,
Flying Monstrous Creatures or
Flying Gargantuan Creatures.
Hyperlinked Drone Network: As long as at least one model from the
Formation is on the battlefield, then at the start of the Tau
Shooting phase, the Tau player gains D3
markerlight counters that can be placed on any enemy units on the battlefield.
Skywatch: Units from this
Formation automatically enter play from
Reserves without a dice roll being made if there are any enemy
Flyers,
Super-heavy Flyers,
Jetbikes,
Skimmers,
Flying Monstrous Creatures or
Flying Gargantuan Creatures anywhere on the battlefield.
Counterstrike Cadre
Drone-net VX1-0
FORMATION •
4+ units of
Drones
Piranha Firestream Wing
SPECIAL RULESRearm and Refuel: If all of the surviving models from a unit in this
Formation are within 6" of a table edge at the end of their
Movement phase, the unit can enter
Ongoing Reserves. When it returns to play, it does so at full strength with any damage repaired and
Drones and
seeker missiles replaced.
Target Acquisition Team: At the start of your
Shooting phase, you can pick an enemy unit that is within 36" of the Target Acquisition Team and in their
line of sight. All
Piranhas from this
Formation (including the Target Acquisition Team) add 1 to their Ballistic Skill if they shoot at that unit in the Shooting phase, and also have the
Tank Hunters special rule if the target unit is a
vehicle.
Ranged Support Cadre
Rapid Insertion Force
Skysweep Missile Defence
The Eight
SPECIAL RULES • Fearless
• Preferred Enemy
Inspiring Leaders: As long as at least one model from this
Formation is still alive and on the battlefield, all friendly units with the
Tau Empire Faction have the
Stubborn special rule.
Take to the Field as One: When you
deploy the Eight, you can deploy them as a
single unit, even though
Independent Characters cannot normally join a
Monstrous Creature. If you do this, all models in the unit lose the Independent Character special rule. Furthermore, no Independent Characters can join this unit.
Unbreakable Bonds of Comradeship: Models from this
Formation can provide
Supporting Fire to a unit containing any models from this Formation if they are within 24" of each other, rather than 6".
Ethereal Honour Guard
SPECIAL RULESSwift Redeployment: At the start of your
Movement phase, pick one unit from this
Formation that is within 12" of its
Ethereal. Now choose a single model in the unit you picked to be the lynchpin around which the rest of the unit will reform; remove all other models in the unit from the battlefield (do not remove the
DS8 tactical support turret if there is one) and immediately set them up again within 3" of the lynchpin. The unit does not count as moving; they may move normally in the same Movement phase.
Tidewall Counterstrike Cadre
RESTRICTIONS
Units in this Formation may not take Dedicated Transport. When deploying the Tidewall fortifications from this Formation, each Gunrig and Shieldline must be within 6" of the Droneport. If you wish to move the Tidewall Defence Network, this restriction must still be met once each element has moved.
Ethereal Council
SPECIAL RULES • Fearless
Collective Elemental Power: As long as the
Ethereal Council has at least two members, it invokes all four
elemental powers each turn instead of only one power per member. The Ethereal Council, and all friendly non-vehicle units that have the
Tau Empire Faction within 12" of it, benefit from the effects of all four elemental powers until the start of the Council’s next
Movement phase.
Fanatical Fervour: The range of the
Failure is Not An Option special rule is increased from 12" to 24" for all of the models in the
Ethereal Council that have the rule.
United Council: The members of the
Ethereal Council form a single unit, and are treated as
Characters rather than
Independent Characters as long as least two members of the council remain alive.
Ghostkeel Wing
SPECIAL RULESCoordinated Attacks: In the
Shooting phase, add 1 to the Ballistic Skill of a
Ghostkeel from this
Formation if it shoots at a unit that has already been shot at this phase by any other Ghostkeel from this Formation.
Networked Stealth Field: Any friendly unit with the
Tau Empire Faction that is within 12" of two or more units from this
Formation has the
Stealth special rule. If the unit already has
Stealth, it receives the
Shrouded special rule. If it already has
Stealth and
Shrouded, it receives no additional benefit.
Phantom Charge: Enemy units cannot make
Overwatch attacks against a unit from this
Formation that is within 6" of another unit from this Formation when the Overwatch attack would be made.
Riptide Wing
SPECIAL RULESCoordinated Attacks: In the
Shooting phase, add 1 to the Ballistic Skill of a
Riptide from this
Formation if it shoots at a unit that has already been shot at this phase by any other Riptide from this Formation.
Networked Reactors: Each
Riptide from this
Formation that is within 6" of another Riptide from the Formation can re-roll failed
Nova Reactor attempts.
Riptide Hailfire: Once per battle, this
Formation can make a Riptide Hailfire attack. If it does so, any units from this Formation that did not move in their
Movement phase can shoot twice in their
Shooting phase, making each attack at a
different target if desired. Carry out the shooting attacks separately, one after the other. The unit cannot move in the
Assault phase of the same turn. If a model uses
Ripple Fire in the turn in which it makes a Riptide Hailfire attack, it can fire the relevant weapon four times rather than twice.
Apocalypse Formations
Air Superiority Wing
Counterstrike Cadre
Kroot Hunting Pack
Optimised Stealth Group
Rapid Insertion Force
Riptide Wing
TYPE • Battle FormationSPECIAL RULESCoordinated Attacks: Any
Riptide that shoots at a unit that has already been shot at this phase by one or more Riptides from the
formation has +1 Ballistic Skill when resolving that attack.
Networked Reactors: Each
Riptide within 6" of another Riptide from its own
formation can re-roll failed
Nova Reactor tests.
Skysweep Missile Defence
