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I was just wondering if there was any interpretations of the inside of a Crisis suit in any 40K fluff, for such a mainstay of a Tau army the inner workings aren't discussed that much in the codex.

Are they nerve controlled? Is any movement from the user required? Is it all controlled by buttons and levers? Because currently I'm just imagining them as similar to how mechas are controlled with anime, largely through thought but with some body movements required (for the arms and such).

I mostly imagine it as a cramped cockpit sort of thing.

Yeah, I imagine a Gundam/Knighmare sort of thing.

Neural interface.

Once you can do that reliably, there's no need for levers and waldo gloves and so on.

I imagine an interface like the one shown in the Iron Man movies.

I remember seeing in a previous Games Day (I think it was France or UK) a diorama showing an Earth Caste scientist working on a crisis battlesuit. The battlesuit was open and showed the interior, where the pilot is supposed to stand. Needless to say the diorama was exceptionally cool. It was nominated for silver in the diorama competition IIRC.

I'll try to find an image back for you and post it in this thread.

Given the size and layout of the battlesuit, I suspect you'd have some sort of waldo control system where the pilot's motions are replicated by the suit.

Here's one person's take:

Fire warrior described it as the pilot being encased fully and using a neural link so he doesn't have to be comfortable or roomy in the suit, he is the suit.

I belive the Pilot is curled up in a Fetal position with a Neural interface allowing him to pilot the suit.

the Pilot uses his real voice to speak through a outside speaker and over the Vox.

Neural interface for sure, and also I think that he have specific sensors (infrared etc.). The suit must be made this way because it is design for fast attacks on enemy lines. It has to be maneuverable, so - as light as possible. SO, they probably put some powerful generator together with jet-packs on the back, wire his brain, legs, arms etc. to the suit and when he moves his arm he is actually moving the suit arm. He can also use various weapons like flamer or plasma carbine - or even a sword. But, they are not as tough as you think. I read reports from Guardsman killing pilot with just one Long-las shot in the suit visor. And they cannot stand long enough in artillery fire.
Other than that - the best thing you can ask for raiding the enemy lines beside Land Speeders.

The interior is shortly mentioned in "Kill Team" near the end, here some fan interpretations:

There is also some fluff about tau who spend too long in their suit thinking that they are 'incomplete' when not in it and superior to other tau while in their suits due to some sort of trauma.

Kroothawk wrote:The interior is shortly mentioned in "Kill Team" near the end, here some fan interpretations:

That's the diorama I was talking about!

Definitely one of my favourites from all the games day minis I have seen in my life.

I prefer the other pic, forgot about that


also note the L EE T on the suit's left shoulder

very nice & advanced interior

Phototoxin wrote:There is also some fluff about tau who spend too long in their suit thinking that they are 'incomplete' when not in it and superior to other tau while in their suits due to some sort of trauma.

Titan pilots and space marines have the same feeling when away from their equipment, it has to do with the nueral link giving you a greater feeling of bodily attachment.

Yeah, I was thinking something along the lines of Iron Man too

Is it possible to have an "open" Crisis Suit in battle? I mean, everyone tend to not put his helmet on, why wouldn't they do the same? :p

(And we all want to see Shadowsun's face :p)

Shadowsuns suit is a different mark that actually is a suit of armor rather then a bipedal vehicle. her head is where the head is.


a normal XV8's 'head' is really just a set of sensors linked to the pilot. a battlesuit without a head would be blind, but the pilot would be perfectly fine.

Ok, thanks for the info

Might try to convert all Crisis suits to an equivalent of Shadowsun armor, could look good

Mikalichou wrote:Ok, thanks for the info

Might try to convert all Crisis suits to an equivalent of Shadowsun armor, could look good

You mean you would employ tau females for all your battlesuits? I bet your fire warriors are gonna be very happy.

Laodamia wrote:

Mikalichou wrote:Ok, thanks for the info

Might try to convert all Crisis suits to an equivalent of Shadowsun armor, could look good

You mean you would employ tau females for all your battlesuits? I bet your fire warriors are gonna be very happy.

And stressed How would you feel on the battlefield, knowing that the broadside behind you is the girl you dumped some days before?

But yeah, now that you've talked about it, might do that :p 40k really lack some feminine presence, I've tried to change that for my IG, why not with the Tau?

What are the Tau opinions on gender?

from what little fluff there is for Tau, the gist is they do not care one whit about gender only caste, so female/male all that matters is if you are qualified for the job/mission.

no distinction.


all Fire caste members are warriors and are deployed to battlefields.


usually, a new Sept world is settled by the different caste members of the fleet that conquored it. there is no cross breeding of Castes.

also, since T'au have short lives, they usually only get into one or 2 worlds before dying. unlike in the IoM, there is no way to retire in the T'au army except by dying in battle or becoming a venerated Shas'o who gets placed in a consultory role when you get really old.

in the Imperial army you at least have the chance your Regiment gets drawn to settle a newly conquored world. you then become a PDF soldier or a civilian on the new world. new job description=make babies.

Mr Nobody wrote:

Phototoxin wrote:There is also some fluff about tau who spend too long in their suit thinking that they are 'incomplete' when not in it and superior to other tau while in their suits due to some sort of trauma.

Titan pilots and space marines have the same feeling when away from their equipment, it has to do with the nueral link giving you a greater feeling of bodily attachment.

It's a touch different for SM though...
Princeps feel powerless and pathetic (Only the Warhoud pilots since they are the few that aren't floating in bubbles) i assume this is what the Crisis suit pilots feel.
SM feel freed although they have a bond with their weapons and don't like to e without them, they are like a constant companion, almost like wearing a watch for 20 years then not wearing it for a week.

SM feel freed although they have a bond with their weapons and don't like to be without them

I thought the SM had a strong relationship with their armour too, no? Can't imagine them liking being outside rather than inside, like each time they go to battle: "Oh noooo, have to go into that thing again... :/ "

Mikalichou wrote:

SM feel freed although they have a bond with their weapons and don't like to be without them

I thought the SM had a strong relationship with their armour too, no? Can't imagine them liking being outside rather than inside, like each time they go to battle: "Oh noooo, have to go into that thing again... :/ "

It's not that they like the armour but it is heavy and they can be in it for 10 years straight... it must be nice to get out once in a while...

purplefood wrote:
It's a touch different for SM though...
Princeps feel powerless and pathetic (Only the Warhoud pilots since they are the few that aren't floating in bubbles) i assume this is what the Crisis suit pilots feel.
SM feel freed although they have a bond with their weapons and don't like to e without them, they are like a constant companion, almost like wearing a watch for 20 years then not wearing it for a week.

I think it's the exact contrary for titan princeps.
The point is that Warlord and Imperator princeps are kept in a "casket", some kind of big coffin full of "amniotics" (whatever it is). They are constantly limked with the MIU (or the AI) of their titan, which means that in battle, they actually feel like the titan, they think they are the titan. They definitely not feel powerless and pathetic, they feel like gods of war, with enough firepower to level entire cities. I remember reading about this in Titanicus. It was said that sometimes, a Warlord princeps can regret the fact that he cannot feel, or touch anything. That he can barely move in his casket. But these feelings are quickly compensated by the fact that they can fuse with their titan.

I bet SM interred in dreds and crisis battlesuit pilots sometimes feel the same.

purplefood wrote:

Mikalichou wrote:

SM feel freed although they have a bond with their weapons and don't like to be without them

I thought the SM had a strong relationship with their armour too, no? Can't imagine them liking being outside rather than inside, like each time they go to battle: "Oh noooo, have to go into that thing again... :/ "

It's not that they like the armour but it is heavy and they can be in it for 10 years straight... it must be nice to get out once in a while...

they wouldn't feel any wieght, and they would feel weaker when out of it because they don't have the servos supporting them

Laodamia wrote:

purplefood wrote:
It's a touch different for SM though...
Princeps feel powerless and pathetic (Only the Warhoud pilots since they are the few that aren't floating in bubbles) i assume this is what the Crisis suit pilots feel.
SM feel freed although they have a bond with their weapons and don't like to e without them, they are like a constant companion, almost like wearing a watch for 20 years then not wearing it for a week.

I think it's the exact contrary for titan princeps.
The point is that Warlord and Imperator princeps are kept in a "casket", some kind of big coffin full of "amniotics" (whatever it is). They are constantly limked with the MIU (or the AI) of their titan, which means that in battle, they actually feel like the titan, they think they are the titan. They definitely not feel powerless and pathetic, they feel like gods of war, with enough firepower to level entire cities. I remember reading about this in Titanicus. It was said that sometimes, a Warlord princeps can regret the fact that he cannot feel, or touch anything. That he can barely move in his casket. But these feelings are quickly compensated by the fact that they can fuse with their titan.

I bet SM interred in dreds and crisis battlesuit pilots sometimes feel the same.

I think he meant when they're outside the titan.