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Reading through an old Tau Codex it mentions a Ranged Support Cadre but doesn't mention the unit composition, does anyone know what units would typically be included? I'm guessing Ta'unars and Stormsurges maybe an Ethereal to command with a Sky Shield (3 Sky Rays) for AA.

I don't know, but how old is the codex? Pretty sure skyrays weren't introduced until 6th edition and tau'nars and storm surges were introduced after that. So if the codex is from 3rd edition or something, the writer probably didn't have those particular units in mind at the time. Not that canon is immutable. Especially for the tau.

The Ranged Support Cadre is the Broadsides + Pathfinders grouping.

Pretty sure skyrays weren't introduced until 6th edition

They were introduced back in the 4th edition Tau Codex with the Vespids, the Piranhas, and the Sniper Drone Teams.

Really? Weird. I could have sworn they were released in 6th alongside other anti-aircraft solutions like the stalker/hunter tank marines got. Were they just anti-skimmers back in 4th?

 Wyldhunt wrote:
Were they just anti-skimmers back in 4th?

They were originally the Tau artillery tank.

Actually, probably stuff that doesn't exist in the background now.

A Support Cadre was a formation in Epic Armageddon for Tau way back when, written by Jervis Johnson, and was built around the various tau tanks, of which the Skyray and Hammerhead are well known, but also the Stingray - an artillery vehicle based on the Skyray packing submunition missile racks - and the Scorpionfish - a variant of the Orca Dropship replacing its troop bay with massive multi-ammo-type missile launchers, including super-heavy-killing 'Tracer Missiles'.

Wyldhunt wrote:I don't know, but how old is the codex? Pretty sure skyrays weren't introduced until 6th edition and tau'nars and storm surges were introduced after that. So if the codex is from 3rd edition or something, the writer probably didn't have those particular units in mind at the time. Not that canon is immutable. Especially for the tau.

I think its the 8th edition codex, it has Stormsurges in it. The Cadres are listed on p31 as part of the Dy'aketh Expeditionary Force

AtoMaki wrote:The Ranged Support Cadre is the Broadsides + Pathfinders grouping.

Thanks, I think the Broadsides would fit well but the Pathfinders would be better staying in the Infiltration Cadre

I think in this context, the pathfinders provide organic target acquisition assets for the cadre, rather than having to rely in a separate infiltration cadre. If I recall, pathfinders are somewhat independent (or was that stealth suits?) and therefore it may be more effective to have them under the same cadre command structure.