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In the near future, I plan to build up a small Imperial Guard force to go alongside my Tau army, representing Guardsmen lost in the Damocles Crusade or just humans swallowed up by the Tau empire. My big question is...how would the Tau 'arm' their human "allies"?

Would they go all out and arm these humans with all manner of exotic smuggled/stolen heavy and special weapons and use these allies to their full potential on the battlefield? Would the Tau trust them enough to equip them with weapons that could be used against them in case of a rebellion?

Or would they just give them las/autoguns, maybe a few hard round heavy weapons (grenade launchers/mortars) and just point them towards the enemy as cannon fodder?

Gue'vessa are allowed to create their own version of the lasgun by the Tau emprie, however, if the need arises, Human allies will be given Tau fire cast weaponry to better aid in combat.

I don't think they maintain imperial equipment remember that only "techengineers" know exactly how Lasguns etc.. actually work.


Its heresy to mess with Imperial Equipment or modify it. So the guards would probably use Tau vehicles and Weaponry as you really want to have weapons that you are able to actually repair.


I just don't see Imperial Guard proper in a Tau army but instead armed with Tau weapony.

I think it would look a lot better ( theme wise ) if the humans were given Tau weapons, and even elements of Tau armour.

I'm curious though, how will the rules play? I guess the basic stats will be IG, including points costs, but I'm guessing you'd use Tau weapons stats instead of IG "torches and t-shirts!"

Cool project though!

In the Chapter Approved for Gue'vessa, they have flak armour and lasguns, though they are modified to use a different power source. It is also recommended to model them with bits of Fire Warrior armour, for thematic purposes. Rather than a heavy and a special, they can take two Tau weapons from any combination of Pulse Rifles and Pulse Carbines. Based on current fluff, this seems to be how they work. If you want to play with Codex: Imperial Guard, just use everything as-is, kit-bash everything with Tau equipment and say that all weapons have been modified to take slightly different ammunition.

I had considered making a experimental Tau Hunter Cadre that would integrate non-Tau and Tau at squad level, to see if the performance increased.

For instance a Fire Warrior Squad with Humans, Naga, and so on as well as Tau.

Hollismason wrote:I don't think they maintain imperial equipment remember that only "techengineers" know exactly how Lasguns etc.. actually work.

That may not be true for lasguns.

If I recall correctly, even feudal worlds are able to assemble them en masse if given the specifications. They're extremely simple, I'd be surprised if the Tau couldn't backwards engineer them.

From what I remember, the Tau DO manufacture lasguns for the Gue'vasa they have, with pulse weaponry being relegated to officers/specialists(like they do with the Kroot).

They also, from the top of my head, seemed to run the normal vehicles the Guard were trained on rather than training them on Tau vehicles--or provide them with Tau-built knockoffs.

I think Tau weapons will look good, or maybe some kind of lasgun/pulse rifle cross, and then some of the odd Tau armour or even just Tau-itize the standard Guard Flak armour with some GS.

Either way, I've always thought Tau Empire Human troops are a cool idea and I've always wanted to model some. If you start them, post some shots so I can try my hand at it when I finish the Guard and SM armies I've got going.

Based on the equipment that Kroot and Vespids field, Tau don't necessarily re-arm their allies, but may offer some assistance.

Also consider that recently converted human allies would be more familiar with standard Imperial weaponry, so would be more effective using it than Tau weaponry.

I would model them as standard IG with lots of tau bitz strapped on (from FW shoulder pads to scattering a few helmets about, and maybe even give the vehicles some bitz like hatches, etc.). But, I'd want to be able to field them as a legal IG force in a tourney.

You could also include a couple Tau as the new Master of Ordnance or Astropath, and it'd probably look pretty good.

Hollismason wrote:
Its heresy to mess with Imperial Equipment or modify it. So the guards would probably use Tau vehicles and Weaponry as you really want to have weapons that you are able to actually repair.
quote]

A regiment that has abaddoned the imperium wont modify lasguns due to it being against imperial beliefs?

Epic facepalm...

It also depends on how long ago these humans were absorbed in to the Tau empire. IIRC, the Demascus crusade was well over a (human) generation ago, meaning there are humans who grew up never part of the Imperium. These humans may be trusted to use more advanced or powerful equipmen then their recently turned counterparts. They are also more likely to be familiar with Tau designs, rather then Imperial ones.

Recently turned troops, however, are likely to still use equipment based on Imperial designs. The Tau have been making items for Human use for years, mostly to sell to Rouge Traiders, making a LRMBT equivilent wouldn't be byond their abilities, particularly the more basic versions (or replaced with tau equivilents).

I personaly use some of the first intigrated in to my Tau army, as count-as troops. Modeled and painted, I've had people not realize there were humans among my firewarriors untill an hour in to the game.

If you want to field it as an IG army, then the second makes more sense. At which point it become a unit-choice and modeling issue. The Tau have often captured IG units intact, so it's not unreasonable for them to use the same orginization they're used to. (On Taros alone, they captured some 10,000 abandoned Guardsmen.)

If you do use IG rules, a cool conversion for heavy weapons teams is to use a large base with a gue'vessa trooper controlling a gun drone mounted weapon. Burst cannon for HB, missile pod for AC, etc.

I think just using the "ally" rules from Witchhunters as a basis for Imperial Guard. Its completely fair imo.

I was more thinking along the lines of water caste members getting massive amounts of Imperial weaponry from rogue traders and such.

The main issue I was wondering though was would the Tau actually give things like heavy weapons and special weapons to their human allies. How much do they trust that the gue'vesa wouldn't rebel against the Tau empire?

That's the difference between my Tau "veteran" gue'vesa being armed with grenade launchers and flamers or, say, plasma rifles and melta guns.

Personally i'd love to field a unit of "fire warriors" with human feet and whatnot, as if they're all humans.

at the same time, they would be a kind of "elite" Gue'vesa team, that have demonstarted their loyalty numerous times. It would be fun in an Apoc game to be able to field Fire Warriors with Guardsmen (or even guard veteran/shock trooper) statlines. better armour, better guns, ah, 'twould be awesome

also a Leman Russ with a railgun.

GW had an excellent article on their site about this,well that was until it became more of a store.

I rember most of the guard being armed with lasguns but that the vets and such had pulse rifles.Plus they modified a sentinel with tau devilfish(some or other tau vechile I am not really a Tau player)parts.

If you look at the other races the Tau use as auxileries they dont realy give them armore or wepons. The Kroot get new amo for their guns making them more powerful, as do the Vespid (spelt wrong i know), and the only reson the Vespid comanders get those helmits is becosue of translation issues.

I think genraly the Human Auxilerys would have the same thing, they would be equiped with normal imperial gear (with the icons filed off of course) but with maby more efficiant power pacs so thier Lazguns got more shots off per clip. I think only realy the offericers could maby be given some proper taue eqipment, just as sometimes Kroot can carry a Tau pulse rile so could the human officer as well as a Fire warrior shoulder pad as a mark of rank.

Actually you spelt Vespid correctly.

I agree with the above post, mostly IG with some Tau parts scattered throughout the army to show that they're allied with them. You'd probably have to file off all of the eagles and if possible replace them with the Tau Emblem.

here maybe this will help:

The Gue’vesa, literally ‘human helpers’ in the Tau tongue, are human warriors who have
taken the cause of the Greater Good as their own. These humans, often the descendents
of troops captured or abandoned during the abortive Damocles Crusade, now live and
fight alongside the Tau. For them, fate has dictated that the Imperial Creed and the rule of
the Adeptus Terra be replaced by loyalty to the collectivist Tau empire and to the ruling
Ethereal caste.

Human auxiliary troopers are a fairly common sight along the western fringes of Tau space, in
particular on those worlds contested during the Damocles Crusade. The Tau proved a hardier foe
than anticipated by the Imperial forces and as the offensive became stalled, they were forced to
withdraw in response to the far greater threat presented by the arrival of Hive Fleet Behemoth in
nearby sectors.

The rapid redeployment left many human soldiers stranded; a situation soon exploited by the
famous Commander Farsight as he followed in the wake of the retreating Human fleet, offering
those left behind the stark choice of integration into the Tau empire, or a bleak future as prisoners
of war. Faced with the proposition of being stranded many light years from home in a hostile and
foreign region, many saw no alternative. These warriors and their offspring now maintain colonies
on the frontiers of Tau space, content under their new masters yet none the less apprehensive of
Imperial retribution should they face another crusade.

Those humans who have joined the Tau empire have been provided with the technology required
to prevail on the Tau frontier. They have limited production capabilities, allowing them to construct
equipment ranging from simple farming tools to a copy of the standard issue Imperial lasgun. In
times of war, the Tau allow the Gue’vesa access to more advanced weaponry such as pulse rifles
and carbines and other, more specialised equipment. These auxiliaries have become a respected
part of the Tau military in the border regions, where they fill a tactical niche between the barbaric
Kroot and the mainstay of Tau armies, the Fire Warrior teams. The Gue’vesa may lack the close
combat savagery of the Kroot, but they are fully capable of using the more advanced examples of
Tau technology, and using them to further the cause of the Greater Good.

TROOPS
The following army list entry may be taken in Tau armies, occupying one Troops choice on the
Force Organisation chart.
GUE’VESA TEAM
Points/model WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Gue’vesa’la 6 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 5+
Gue’vesa’ui +10 3 3 3 3 1 3 2 8 5+

Squad: The squad consists of 6-12 auxiliaries.

Weapons: Lasguns.

Options: Up to two auxiliaries may be equipped with a pulse rifle or a pulse carbine at +3 points
per model. The team may carry EMP grenades at an additional cost of +3 points per model.
Character: One auxiliary may be upgraded to a Gue’vesa’ui at an additional cost of +10 points.
The leader may buy a markerlight at an additional cost of +10 points.

SPECIAL RULES
Traitors: Although the humans who have joined the Tau empire bear no ill-will towards their
former compatriots, the same can not be said of Imperial troops fighting the auxiliaries. Imperial
troops will always hit a Gue’vesa on a roll of 3+ in close combat, regardless of relative Weapon
Skill.

MODELLING THE TAU HUMAN AUXILIARIES
There are lots of miniatures you could use to represent your Gue’vesa teams, in particular any of
the Imperial Guard range, as well as Necromunda miniatures. However, in order to present the
humans as part of a Tau force, as well as for ease of conversion when it comes to equipping
them with Tau weaponry, I’ve opted to use a combination of the Imperial Guard Catachan and
Tau Fire Warrior plastic sets.

Combining these two sets allows you to use whatever mixture of parts you feel is appropriate to
your force. I’ve used the legs, arms, weapons and heads from the Catachan set, and combined
these with the torso, shoulder pad, back pack and other details from the Fire Warrior set. You can
vary how much you use from either set to achieve the look you like, either a more scruffy and
Imperial appearance, or a regimented and Tau look.

Somewhere out there a fellow made some very cool Tau Karskin.
I would rather like to see how this turns out as i'm whipping up a small guardsmen army.

And they may just be Tau or Chaos loving Guardsmen.

In Game terms it would depend on what codex you wanted to use. For IG codex it would all be regular but looking more 'tauy'. For the Tau codex id either use the Gue'vesa rules or just count them as fire warriors. As for modeling them there is a great example here (as well as some great Tau and other Tau allies):
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/180/220201.page