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basically i want to start a tau army (as good a time as any). but i always liked the tau's ability to incorporate other races in "the greater good" (at least compared to other races), so i was planning on all my tau models being converted to look like human citizens.
the plan is for all their tech to be tau left overs, so they have the same weapons, but have to make due with their own resources to make their suits and devilfish (custom human tau conversions here). all their suits and ships are made by apostate mechanikus who joined the tau to study their AI technology.
squad leaders will actually be tau (to show that the tau still lead these humans)

while i have a general idea on how i wan the army to look, i would like help on my understanding of que vesa fluff so that my army can make sense in the setting without being too fanfic'ish.
i have basic questions like:
-would these que vesa be more likely to come from the farsight enclaves as compared to the empire?
-do quevessa have specific sept colors (something to paint my army in)
-what instances would tau have que vesa fight for them?
-would que vesa have an easier time fighting for a commander instead of an ethereal?
-what AM units would make good conversions over to tau?

if you have any insight, or suggestions i am open to listen (except if its troll comments about sterilized que vesa or stuff like that).

1.) Empire most likely source, as it has the IG leftovers from the Damocles Gulf Crusade along with any Systems that went turncoat
2.) Yes
3.)Gue-Vesa are auxiliary forces, much like the light of infantry of Roman vassal states were. They could end up fighting with the Tau in virtually any conflict, it just depends on if there happen to be Gue Vesa in the battleforce sent to a war (there could just as easily be Galg or Kroot auxiliaries)
4.) Probably the same either way
5.) Yes


Also, apostate Mechanicus would never join the Tau. The Tau tech simply isn't on par with that of the Imperium, everything the Imperium has is bigger and better, and in larger quanitities. Imperial technology has reached the point where they don't give the bleeding edge tech to front-line soldiers, they have found niche weapons for specific soldiers. However, Tau tech is less refined, they have less of it, it's almost always weaker, and they are still over-technifying everything. That would be like a Space Wolf joining the Tau to learn their hunting techniques; it just doesn't make sense. If apostate Mechanicus were to study alien tech, it would be the tech of aliens who's technology actually surpasses what the IoM has in one area or another (like the Enoulians). Tau tech could only be considered more advanced than human tech if you consider the fact that they actually fully understand their technology, where Tech Priests think the Plasma Gun overheated because they pissed off its machine-spirit.

thank you for you comment, helps me get a better view of what my force will be.

i probably wont have apostate mechanikus build these que vesa wargear but would the earth caste teach humans in their technology?

geargutz wrote:
thank you for you comment, helps me get a better view of what my force will be.

i probably wont have apostate mechanikus build these que vesa wargear but would the earth caste teach humans in their technology?

They definitely would; it's the only way they could possibly ensure the Gue-Vesa don't blow themselves up.

my que vesa are remnants from the 2nd sphere expansion. few of the worlds that survived the imperial reclamation. multiple generations have lived though the doctrines of tau va and their military force is well disciplined in the tactics of the fire caste. their tech might not be the most advanced in the empire but it is unique to their sept world. human and earth caste working together to build suits that can incorporate the larger stature of the human and their slightly different physique.
every que vesa fire warrior works hard to prove himself to thier tau superiors. veterans have earned their own que vesa pattern xv8 but often at great cost from rigorous and fatal service. indeed these battlesuit pilots are often more machine then flesh, a physical mark of their devotion the greater good.
the majority of the battles these que veas have fought are within the 2nd sphere territory, a constant fight against ork warbands. but as the 3rd sphere expansion grows in conflict more and more humans are enlisted to reinforce captured territory.

just some wip fluff for my force.

It's, uh, Gue, not Que. A bit like Goo but Canadian (not French Canadian, either)

ok, thx. once i get the next codex ill learn the terminology to heart.

I've seen normal IG squads fill in rather nicely with a little work being done to trim/shave down the parts needed to make the guns fit.

I've always assumed Tau view their human buddies as second class citizens, so when/if I ever do decide to create a squad of Gues ava, I'd like to modify their current las guns to look a little bit more Tau-ish. As if they got some decent technology but nothing worthy of a true Fire Warrior. Same goes for armor.

There's so many different routes you can go, depending on how well your human elements have been incorporated into Tau society as a whole.

Your idea is very close to mine. What you can do:

- Grab IG kits and substitute FWs/PFs legs for human ones
- Change sergeants' heads
- Human pilots instead of Tau ones in vehicles (PIranhas and such can have only their legs changed; Ghostkeel/Stormsurge will require headswaps)

I'll have an Ethereal overseeing this new 'sept', so to speak. I'll take some liberties, though (hacked canoptek necrons, farisght contigents working in tandem, a mysterious seer council giving help here and there)