Tau Commerce Protection Fleet (Fan Made)

Inception of the CPF . . . . . . . . . . 2 Evolution of the CPF . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fleet rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Custodian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Protector and Emissary . . . . . . . . 6 Castellan and Warden . . . . . . . . . 7 Orbital defences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Written by : Andrew Park (Shinnentai) with the exception of the quote on page 5 and the fiction on page 7 both contributed by Gary Carney (Nerroth). Art by : Andrew Park with the exception of the piece on this page contributed by Sebastian Stuart (Shas’el Tael). Rules compiled by : Frank O’Hanlon (Xisor).

Version 17th March 2006

Since much of the content of this list has come from the series of conversations to be found on the Specialist Games forum, we would be remiss in not acknowledging those that have contributed to them. Whilst the list does not represent the views of all these people, and every one of them could likely find at least one stat that they would prefer changed, we have at least attempted to walk the fine line between popular opinion and what we judge to be right. Hopefully not too many of the following are disappointed:

This document presents rules for using the resin Tau starship models produced by Forgeworld in games of Battlefleet Gothic, which are collectively known as the Commerce Protection Fleet. Whilst a set of rules for these vessels is included in the Taros Campaign book, no official rules are available at the time of writing. The rules presented here are all unofficial and should only be used with the consent of your opponent. Those wishing to enter the Forgeworld fleet in tournaments are advised to use the Tau fleet list from the Armada supplement, with each Forgeworld model ‘counting as’ its closest equivalent in the original fleet. Having said this, we hope that you make use of these rules in friendly games, and would greatly appreciate any playtesting feedback that you are willing to contribute on the Specialist Games forums or elsewhere.

Artanic, Blackhorizon, Bladed Thesis, BrotherCaptain Augustine, Burzum, Data, Dectilion, Eldanesh, ForbiddenKnowledge, Icon-Of-Sin, Ishoog, Jesper_Asmussen, Juracan, KCKitsune, Kor_O_Bob, LordDemon, Magus, Marcius, Morghum the everthirster, Nerroth, Nightstalker, Other Dave, Patriarch, Raysokuk, RedDevil, Scatterlaser, Seawolf, Sephiroth, ShogunTau, Sigoroth, Soulstone, SqurielLord, Stormbringer, Sylvain, TahiriRocks, Taustar, Tygon, Ubik_ lives, Unseelied, Wargamer, Warmonkey, Xisor.

Courier and Merchant . . . . . . . . . 9 Qath’fannor fleet list . . . . . . . . . . 10 Ileath’fannor fleet list . . . . . . . . . 11

Inception

The origins of the Commerce Protection Fleet ( or Qath’fannor to the Tau ) date back to the early 42nd millennium, by which time the Emissary class had entered into widespread use across an emergent Tau Empire. The Emissary itself utilised a unique hull design, better conforming to the wing shape created by the Gravitic Drive. This had the effect of increasing the duration of warp-dive that the Emissary was able to sustain, an attribute which was to be of great use in the Emissary’s primary role as a diplomatic vessel, forming trade relations and alliances with those species inhabiting systems neighbouring Tau space. An end to the Emissary’s primarily passive role was to come when a vital medical supply convoy on its way to a viral outbreak on T’olku was attacked by Ork raiders. Despite the particularly heavy escort assigned to it, the convoy commander realised that it was only a matter of time before the Orks gathered in enough strength to overwhelm the convoy entirely, and dispatched his Messenger to the nearby Sept world of N’dras for aid. Arriving in-system, the Messenger immediately relayed news of the impending disaster to the Kor’vattra in orbit around N’dras. Amongst them was Kor’el Nem’sha and her command of four Emissaries. Realising that the Emissaries were the only vessels capable of reaching the beleaguered convoy in time, the young Kor’el immediately volunteered to defend it until the Kor’O commanding the N’dras fleet could reinforce her with his more heavily armed Merchants and Explorers. Nem’sha’s Emissaries proved to be the salvation of the convoy, their arrival heralded by an immediate salvo of missiles crippling the Ork Kroozer leading the raid. Through the intense fighting that followed, the Emissaries were able to link with the remnants of the convoy’s escort and hold off the still-determined Orks until the rest of the N’dras fleet appeared to scatter the raiders before them.

The Tau did not achieve such a victory without cost however. In addition to most of the convoy’s escort being destroyed, one of the Emissaries was also left a twisted wreck, with a second so badly damaged that it had to be abandoned and scuttled. Most importantly, a convoy vessel had been boarded, with Kor’el Nem’sha forced to order it destroyed rather than let it fall into the hands of the Orks. Still, enough inoculations reached T’olku to halt the progress of the virus, saving many thousands of Tau lives in the process. The swift intervention of the Emissaries was widely acknowledged as the single greatest factor contributing to this success, and so the Commerce Protection Force was created with the newly promoted Kor’O Nem’sha commanding it. Consisting as it did of Emissary crews – always chosen for their ability to improvise when their far-flung missions left them isolated from any form of support, the fledgling Qath’fannor soon came to be regarded as one of the most forward thinking elements of the entire Kor’vattra. Kor’O Nem’sha actively encouraged such radical thinking amongst her officers, leading by example in assigning Fire Warrior Strike Teams to every Emissary under her command. Still distraught over her part in the destruction of the T’olku convoy vessel, Nem’sha placed the requirement of having the strike teams be able to retake captured convoy vessels. Responding to this, her liaison in the Fire caste implemented a new training regimen amongst the Qath’fannor Fire Warriors, which when combined with specialist boarding pods developed by the Earth caste, enabled them to successfully undertake boarding operations. Such co-operation between the Castes has characterised the development of the Qath’fannor under the leadership of Kor’O Nem’sha and that of her successors. Inspired by the example set by Kor’O Khas’a’tah, the Fire caste was fully integrated into the command structure of the fleet,

with hunter cadres permanently attached to specific vessels. Such measures, when combined with improvements to the Emissary itself such as the addition of grav-hooks to tow Orca gunships, enabled the Commerce Protection Force to dramatically decrease the amount of shipping lost to raiders. Even in this formative state, the Qath’fannor was not entirely restricted to anti-piracy operations. When the need presented itself, the Emissaries of the Commerce Protection Fleet also participated in full fleet engagements, such as its part in the Damocles Gulf Crusade of 742.M41. With an Imperial fleet discovered penetrating into Tau space, all available Emissaries within range were formed up and tasked with fighting a delaying action in order for the Tau fleet to gather in sufficient numbers to prevent the intruders from reaching the major Sept world of Dal’yth. It was in the Hydass system that the Emissary fleet first clashed with the ships at the spearhead of the Imperial crusade. However, it soon became apparent that the light cruisers were no match for their Imperial opponents, as the Tau were forced to withdraw with the loss of an Emissary and several Orcas, with much of the rest of the fleet suffering damage. Swift to adapt, the Emissaries still in a condition to fight adopted the hit-and-fade tactics commonly employed against them in the past by commerce raiders, striking at the vulnerable crusade transports and slowing the advance of the Imperial fleet. Not to be deterred from its objective, the Crusade soon arrived in the Tau held Sy’l’kell system. Here rather than needlessly engaging the superior Imperial forces, the remaining Emissaries had instead successfully evacuated as many Tau personnel as possible in the knowledge of the ambush awaiting their enemy in the Pra’yen system. Thanks to the actions of the Emissary fleet, there the Tau had been able to gather their heavier ships and install new weapons systems on the orbital station that would prove to be a formidable obstacle to the invaders.

Evolution

With the experience gained during the Damocles Gulf Crusade, the Qath’fannor developed the hit and run manoeuvres they had deployed there, and turned them against Imperial convoys operating on the borders of Tau space. This proved to be of limited success, both due to the Qath’fannor’s ongoing commitments to protecting the Tau shipping lanes, and the limitations of the Emissary as a combat vessel. With the settlement and subsequent defence of new worlds prioritised by the Tau, few resources could be spared from expanding the bulk of the Kor’vattra, with all but a few facilities being given over to the production of the Hero class or refitting the older Merchants and Explorers already in service. Hence it was only with the waning years of the 42nd millennium that the Qath’fannor received a new vessel in the form of the Protector. The Protector was designed to replace the Emissary in the role of commerce raider, where the intense firepower it was able to bring to bear would enable it to inflict heavy damage on convoys before reinforcements could be mustered to come to their aid. Larger than the Emissary, the Protector had stores and munitions enough for long patrols, infiltrating deep into Imperial space whilst preying on mercantile shipping. Crucially, the Protector’s hull was designed around similar principles to that of the Emissary, which whilst compromising its durability, also gave it the superior warp-dive capabilities integral to the success of its role. As production of the Protectors continued, the Qath’fannor was able to assign increasingly large groups of ships to more important and heavily defended targets. As the intensity of these engagements grew, so too did the need for heavier ships to take the brunt of the fighting. The Hero class was found to be ideal in this role, and it became common practice for Qath’fannor battle groups to be accompanied by these vessels, though they limited the effective warp-dive range of the fleet. Eventually the Qath’fannor was permanently equipped with Heroes,

either newly built and crewed with Qath’fannor personnel, or assigned from their previous commands and their crews retrained in Qath’fannor combat doctrine. With this genesis of the Qath’fannor as a fully fledged fleet in its own right, design of the Custodian class began, envisaged to co-ordinate the various components of a Qath’fannor battle-group and allow it to outmanoeuvre its opponents. Massing almost as much as the Explorer, and yet able to match the warp-dive speed of the Emissary and Protector, the Custodian suffered from a lengthy development period, the first example of the class eventually only launching following technical aid from the Demiurg. With the Custodian project team still struggling with the intricacies of its design, other teams were tasked with creating a pair of escorts to complement the cruisers already in service with the Qath’fannor. The first of these was the Castellan class, intended to provide close escort for the larger vessels and accompany the Protector in its

raiding operations. The second was the Warden, an uncompromisingly aggressive gunship well suited to the broader purpose of the newly re-organised Qath’fannor : undertaking any operations that would damage the enemies of the Tau to an extent disproportionate with the size of force used by the Qath’fannor in engaging them. Whilst necessity often requires the intervention of Qath’fannor battle-groups in defending Tau held planets, they are rarely used in such a static role permanently. Instead, each battle-group ( consisting of a Custodian and various capital ships with attendant escorts and support vessels ) is stationed over a Sept world where it is deployed in its entirety or in smaller task-forces as the situation dictates, commonly returning once it has achieved its objective, ready to be redeployed. In particularly vital missions, the Tau are known to utilise two or more Qath’fannor battle-groups to achieve their objectives, although where such large forces are required, it is more likely that a single battle-group will provide the spearhead element for the bulk of the Tau fleet.

TAU WEAPONRY AND SYSTEMS

TAU ORDNANCE

Ion Cannons and Railgun Batteries Ion Cannons function as lances in all respects. Railguns function as standard weapons batteries in all respects. Gravitic Hooks Gravitic hooks create a gravitic sheath in which a small vessel can be transported by a larger one. However, Gravitic Hooks have no effect in game terms - ships do not start a game attached to their parent ship, and can never be docked during a game. Gravitic Launcher Gravitic Launchers are massive Railguns which fire drone-controlled missiles. See the Tau Ordinance section for further details. Tracking systems The Tau have developed highly sophisticated data storage and processing facilities which when linked to ship sensors aid in the targetting of enemy vessels. Whilst the Protector has these tracking systems fitted, it does not have the facilities to collate and transmit this data to other vessels, unlike the Custodian and Messenger classes. Deflector The deflector turns the gravitic sheath around Tau vessels into a dense wedge, which is far more effective against incoming fire. The shape of the Qath’fannor type hull enables Deflectors to operate in a more efficient manner, making it possible for all combat vessels of this design to mount a Deflector, with the exception of the Warden which does not have the Gravitic Drive necessary to form a gravitic sheath.

Manta Missile Destroyer Mantas are bombers, each marker represents a single vessel. They are well shielded and if intercepted by enemy fighters roll a D6, on a roll of 4+ the Manta is not removed. Whilst Mantas can carry large numbers of troops they lose much of this capacity when configured for their anti-starship role, and in any case are ill-suited to forcing entry aboard a vessel, so do not act as attack boats.

Tau Missiles Tau missiles are able to alter both their speed and course during flight, so may move at any speed between 20cm and 40cm ( i.e. must move at least 20cm, cannot move more than 40cm ) each ordinance phase. Tau missiles are also guided. Each ordinance phase the missiles may change course by 45 degrees at the start of their movement. However, you must roll a dice for each point of missile strength at the start of each ordinance phase, after the first. The salvo is reduced by 1 point for every 6 rolled.

SPECIAL RULES

The Custodian, Protector, Emissary, Castellan and Warden take advantage of the following two special rules irregardless of which fleet list they are chosen from. However, as long as they remain squadroned with vessels which do not have the special rules, the Qath’fannor vessels will also lose the benefit of them : Enhanced Gravitic Drives: The vessel adds 5D6cm to it’s movement whilst on ‘all ahead full’ special orders, rather than the usual 4D6cm. Advanced Manouvering Protocols: The vessel receives a +1 leadership modifier on command checks to perform the ‘all ahead full’, ‘come to new heading’ and ‘burn retros’ special orders. The Custodian, Protector and Emissary take advantage of the following special rule irregardless of which fleet list they are chosen from. Heroes chosen from the Commerce Protection Fleet list also benefit from it : Fire Warrior Strike Teams: The vessel may make hitand-run attacks identical to the standard teleport attack with the exception that any number of squadroned ships with this rule may combine their remaining hit points when calculating whether they may attack an enemy vessel. Ships which combine their hits in this manner only make a single attack between them. Note that with the exceptions specified above, all Tau vessels follow the rules for halving boarding strength and prohibiting hit and run teleport attacks as stated on page 98 of Armada.

The Custodian was designed to form the core of each Qath’Fannor battle group, being able to gather intelligence from the ships under its command and co-ordinate tactical manoeuvres using its extensive command and control facilities. Complementing this role are the Barracuda and Manta squadrons based aboard each Custodian, making the vessels integral to all but the smallest Qath’Fannor fleet formation. Extensively armed and heavily shielded, the Custodian is also a potent combat vessel in its own right, although Tau commanders are often reluctant in using it to engage the enemy too closely given its importance in leading the battle group. Alongside its attack craft squadrons, each Custodian also carries a significant number of Mantas configured as super heavy dropships, each able to land an entire Firewarrior Hunter Cadre from orbit and provide close support to ground forces once planetfall has been achieved. The Custodian typically carries a complement of eight such cadres, although there is sufficient capacity aboard for twice that number to be embarked. Given the expenditure of resources that they represent, Custodian battle groups are currently only deployed in those roles considered most vital to the continued survival and expansion of the Tau Empire. Stationed at strategically important points across the Empire, the battle groups make use of their superior warp-dive capabilities to execute specific objectives before regrouping at their staging point ready to strike again. In this way the Battlegroup can affect vast swathes of space, not with its presence, but rather with the threat of its presence.

Constructed in the Dal’yth Sept which is a major staging area for the Tau’va’s Third Sphere Expansion into Imperial space, the Y’eldi and its accompanying battle group formed the vanguard of operations against the Imperial Navy in the Lithesh Sector, leading to the region’s eventual integration into the Tau Empire. In defence of the newly claimed Kleist system within the Lithesh sector, the Y’eldi battle group successfully defeated an Imperial fleet of comparable size, notably capturing its flagship battlecruiser ‘Ultima Imperia’ after a succession of Manta attack runs had left it crippled and its bridge destroyed. The Imperia’s surviving crew were quick to capitulate to the rescue parties sent by the Y’eldi, mostly consisting of Kleistians already serving the Greater Good. The Ultima Imperia is currently being refitted at Dal’yth dock facilities, its badly damaged Nova Cannon being studied by Fio weapons scientists with the aid of the remaining gun crew.

Notes: All Or’es El’leath class vessels are fitted with a Prow Deflector to raise their frontal armour to 6. This is disabled if the ship suffers a prow critical hit. All Or’es El’leath class vessels are equipped with Tracking Systems. These allow the Or’es El’leath itself, and any Tau vessels within 20cm of an Or’es El’leath to re-roll misses when using turrets, and ignore the column shift when firing batteries at ranges above 30cm. Tracking systems continue to operate when the Or’es El’leath is braced for impact.

The Protector forms the main combat strength of the Qath’Fannor. Although it is significantly smaller than the Hero, refinements in Tau technology have enabled the Protector to remain just as effective in combat, although some of the Hero’s versatility has been lost due to the necessary reduction in bulky launch bays and missile storage silos. With the superior warp-dive capabilities inherent to the Qath’Fannor hull design, the Hero has proven to be most effective in commerce raids along the borders of Tau space. Indeed, the Imperium has been forced to reallocate several cruiser squadrons in an attempt to stem the growing threat to their shipping.

Notes: All Lar’shi’vre class vessels are fitted with a Prow Deflector to raise their frontal armour to 6. This is disabled if the ship suffers a prow critical hit. All Lar’shi’vre class vessels are equipped with Intergrated Tracking Systems. These allow the Lar’shi’vre to re-roll misses when using turrets, and ignore the column shift when firing batteries at ranges above 30cm. Tracking systems continue to operate when the Lar’shi’vre is braced for impact.

Commissioned many Tau’cyr before the formation of the Qath’fannor, the Il’porrui is a common sight throughout the Tau Empire and beyond, using its superior warp-dive capabilities to perform a wide-range of duties, notably conducting trade negotiations with those systems bordering Tau space.

Notes: All Il’Porrui class vessels are fitted with a Prow Deflector to raise their frontal armour to 6. This is disabled if the ship suffers a prow critical hit. Any Il’Porrui class vessel may replace both grav-hooks with 1 port and 1 starboard Ion Cannon at no extra cost, each with 30cm range and with fire-arcs of front/left and front/right respectively.

When engaging the enemy, the Il’porrui supports the Qath’fannor by making use of its maneuvering advantage in covering the blind spots left by the heavier ships of the fleet. Although not primarily a combat vessel, the Il’porrui is nonetheless the equal to Imperial ships of a similar displacement, since it is often isolated from support in the missions which it undertakes.

Crewed entirely by Tau from the sept world of Tash’var, and benefiting from their hardy demeanor, the M’yen had already proven itself in several raids on Imperial shipping before launching what was to become a legendary mission amongst the Qath’fannor. The raid started well, with the M’yen sighting a lightly defended convoy barely 20 Rotaas into it’s patrol. However, a vigilant bridge officer on the M’yen soon spotted several sensor anomalies in a nearby nebula. Ever cautious, Kor’ui M’yen ordered his vessel to turn about until the anomolies could be identified. Sure enough, as soon as the M’yen altered course, several Imperial vessels powered up and accelerated towards the M’yen from their concealment in the nebula. There followed an epic chase through the surrounding systems, Kor’ui M’yen using all of his prowess to evade the superior Imperial forces, constantly staying one step ahead of them despite the inferior warp capabilies of his ship. M’yen eventually escaped back to the safety of Tau space after almost two Rot’aa, having accounted for four Imperial escorts and a light cruiser, whilst forcing the Imperials to allocate an ever increasing number of ships to the hunt for the elusive vessel.

Early tactical simulations involving the proposed designs for Qath’fannor vessels revealed a dangerous weakness once the enemy had closed the distance with the fleet. The Castellan was developed to alleviate this concern by providing the Tau with the advantage in such short-ranged fire-fights. Harnessing an extensive array of Railguns, Castellan squadrons are typically deployed amongst the capital ships of a Qath’Fannor battle group, acting as close escorts to guard the exposed flanks of the fleet formation whilst utilising their Gravitic Launchers against more distant targets.

Notes: All Kir’shash’vre class vessels are fitted with a Prow Deflector to raise their frontal armour to 6. This is disabled if the ship suffers a prow critical hit.

The Castellan’s Gravitic Drive and capacitors take up much of its hull, giving it sufficient warp-dive capabilities to perform various duties outside of fleet engagements such as reconnaissance and raiding missions, often as part of a strike-force led by a Protector class cruiser.

As with the Orca class gunship, the Warden is dependant on larger ships to carry it during interstellar travel. Here the space and power ordinarily used by a gravitic drive have been utilised in fitting a powerful array of Ion Cannon, although because of the Warden’s small size, these are limited in only being able to fire a few volleys of shots before having to recharge. With these Ion Cannon on mountings fixed forward, Warden squadrons employ unusually aggressive tactics when engaging the enemy, making daring attack runs against opposing capital ships where their devastating firepower can be used to greatest effect. This is actively encouraged by many fleet commanders who often promote the most impulsive young deck officers to captain a Warden.

Notes: The number of Kir’la that may be fielded is limited to the unused gravitic hook capacity in the fleet. Note that Kir’las may only use the gravitic hooks of certain ships to carry them, as noted in the rules for those vessels.

As a dedicated gunship, the Warden is often involved in the most intense fighting, making its crews some of the most combat hardened in the Qath’Fannor, with a notable number bearing Mont’yr as part of their name . Despite the risks involved, placements amongst the Warden squadrons are highly sought after.

The Eviscerator’s sensors detected a number of Tau cargo ships, smaller than the crates they used previously on such routes, escorted by Tau escorts of an unknown configuration. They were en route to one of their colony worlds which I had planned to subsequently grace with my presence. My warships stalked them from afar, masking the approach using one of their primitive configurations as my shield, preparing the Slavebringer and Impaler boarding parties for the soulfeast to come. I was confident that my vessels could dance around their sluggish escorts - as had been done when last the Eternal Night preyed upon this upstart race. Yet the new class of prey-vessels had increased their abilities in maneuvering, and dared to cast their firepower at our cruiser, having the audacity to inflict significant damage to our hull! As a further insult, the Eviscerator’s Impaler module was lost, with many of my most seasoned warriors aboard.

As their name suggests, Orbital Cities are used by the Tau to provide all of the capabilities of a planet-side population centre. Primarily used as accomodation for the Air caste, orbital cities also contain extensive research, manufacturing and hydroponics facilities, and are virtually self-sufficient. Given how dependant the Air Caste are on Orbital Cities, all sept worlds have at least one of the various classes in orbit. Indeed, Orbital Cities are often one of the first major construction projects undertaken by the Tau on newly colonised worlds, being used as a base of operations for subsequent development. Whilst well shielded and armed, Orbital Cities were not originally intended to be used as system defences, given the danger that this would represent to the civilian population onboard. However, there have been several notable incidents where Orbital Cities have been instrumental in the defence of a Tau system against invasion fleets. Notes: All Orbital Cities are equipped with Tracking Systems. These allow the Orbital City itself, and any Tau vessels within 20cm of an Orbital City to re-roll misses when using turrets, and ignore the column shift when firing batteries at ranges above 30cm. Including Orbital Cities: Orbital Cities may only be included when planetary defences are allowed. The Tau may spend their points allocation for planetary defences on Orbital Cities.

Security Orbitals were designed with the sole purpose of defending Tau space from aggressors. As such they are exceptionally well shielded and extensively armed for their size. They are also highly automated, even by the standards of the Tau, with only a small crew required to supervise the drones which maintain the Orbital’s systems and operate its weaponry.

Including Security Orbitals: Security Orbitals may only be included when planetary defences are allowed. The Tau may spend their points allocation for planetary defences on Security Orbitals.

Security Orbitals are commonly deployed in defensive perimeters around assets such as Orbital Cities and space-docks, although they lack the communications arrays and storage facilities necessary to act as deep-space waystations.

“Kor’el, my cadre is down to 30% effective strength. Requesting immediate reinforcements.” “Negative, hold them until the signal to withdraw. Out.”Kor’el J’kaara cut the link with the beleaguered Shas before he could respond. She knew they had been holding that section of the perimeter open for a full five Decs longer than they had been called to, but the evacuation was going slower than originally anticipated and she had no more reinforcements to send. J’kaara looked out from her makeshift command centre over the teeming multitudes of civilians making their way all too slowly aboard the various craft facilitating the evacutation from the Orbital City. This was the last extraction point now. The armoured Gue’la had been quick to over-run the other two docking bays, now despite the best efforts of the security Cadres, they were pushing towards this final refuge. “Kor’el, the Aun has reached safety.” The relief was palpable around the command centre as one of J’kaara’s staff reported the news. At least some of the Qath’fannor ships were still contesting the space around the Orbital City then, although J’kaara knew that the battle must be going badly for the Tau if one of the Gue’la Strike Cruisers had been able to dock with the City. It was the sudden rush of civilians that alerted J’kaara to the arrival of the armoured Gue’la in the docking bay. What had been an orderly evacuation quickly turned into a stampede as the Gue’la opened fire on the crowds. “Prepare to defend yourselves”, J’kaara ordered grimly as she unholstered her side-arm.

With the formation of the Qath’fannor, the Courier resulted from the requirments for a faster and more versatile design of transport than the Merchants available at the time. Whilst not able to match the capacity of a Merchant, the Courier facilitates faster resupply of Qath’fannor battlegroups, and does not present such a vulnerable concentrated target during enemy raids.

Notes: All Il’emaar class vessels reduce their randomly rolled leadership by one, so they will have a leadership value of between 5 and 8. Il’emaar class vessels may only be used in scenarios which require transports, for which each has a value of a full transport or two assault points.

The Courier is also able to land directly onto the surface of a planet with far greater ease than the Merchant, bypassing the need to unload from orbit when the situation necessitates swifter action, notably in support of ground based warfare or when bringing aid to the area of a natural disaster. This utility has ensured that the Courier has become a common sight throughout the Empire.

With a steadily increasing number of Qath’fannor battlegroups bolstering the Tau fleet, the Kor’ar’tol ( the Tau fleet high command ) were able to approve a program to retro-fit significant numbers of Merchants to better fulfill the transport role which they were originally designed for. By replacing weapons systems and related systems with storage compartments, an additional 50% transport capacity was achieved - vital to supporting the continued growth of the Tau Empire. Whilst this left the Merchant transports poorly armed in comparison to those still serving in the Ileath’fannor, they did retain the ability to carry their own escorts in the form of Orca gunships, freeing several battlegroups from convoy defence duties to be redeployed elsewhere.

Excerpts from the log of the Vash’ya Il’Porrui Kais’vral made whilst leading convoy 4751 between the septs of Vash’ya and D’yanoi ( time references are in Rotaa/Decs since start of convoy ). 00/05 - Convoy reaches insertion point for first warp-dive stage. Vash’ya system escorts bid us safe passage and depart. 00/07 - Il’emaar 2&6 rejoin the convoy after their unacceptably inaccurate warp-dive. Already behind schedule due to this delay. Redirect convoy to pass closer to asteroid fields in attempt to regain time. 01/01 - Convoy struck by Or’es’la raiders. Il’fannor 2 suffers engine damage & Il’emaar 3 boarded. 4 of the 6 raiders accounted for by our Kass’l and Kir’shash’vre. 01/03 - Il’emaar 3 cleared of Or’es’la by our security teams. Estimate 25% casualties, 70% amongst Il’emaar 3 crew. Transferring some of our own crew aboard to compensate. Insertion point 2 reached. 01/10 - Convoy reaches site of Waystation 249. Scans confirm zero life-signs amongst its wreckage. Order convoy to close up formation but Il’fannor 2 still falling behind. 02/05 - Or’es’la continue to harry convoy, concentrating on the isolated Il’fannor 2 and its Kass’l escorts. Or’es’la becoming more confident. 02/07 - Contact with Il’fannor 2 lost. Sensor readings show convoy surrounded. Order vessels to jump as soon as they reach final insertion point. Form rear-guard whilst Kir’shash’vre take point.

Notes: All Il’fannor transport vessels reduce their randomly rolled leadership by one, so they will have a leadership value of between 5 and 8. You may replace three Il’emaar transport vessels with one Il’fannor transport vessel. Each Il’fannor transport vessel has the value of three full transports or six assault points.

02/07 - 2 Il’emaar and Il’fannor 1 still to reach insertion point. Turn about to face pursuing Or’es’la with 3 Kass’l forming up alongside. Heavy damage taken, but action allows rest of convoy to warp-dive. Recover remaining Kass’l and follow. No opportunity to rescue survivors.

FLEET COMMANDER 0-1 Commander Your fleet may include a fleet commander to lead it if you wish. Your fleet must include a commander if it is greater than 750 pts. The commander may either be a Kor’O or Kor’el unless your fleet includes a Custodian, in which case it must by led by a Kor’O aboard a Custodian. A Commander may only ever be assigned to a Custodian, Protector or Emissary. Tau Kor’el (Ld 8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 pts Tau Kor’O (Ld 9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 pts The commander has one re-roll included in their points cost. If you wish, the commander’s ship may carry a member of the Ethereal caste and therefore purchase additional re-rolls at the cost shown. Aun’el (one extra re-roll) . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 pts Aun’O (two extra re-rolls) . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 pts

CAPITAL SHIPS Battleships You may include one Custodian for every full 1,000 points of your fleet, you may also include one Explorer for every Custodian in the Fleet. Custodian class battleship . . . . . . . . . . . 320 pts Explorer class starship . . . . . . . . . . . 230 pts Cruisers Your fleet may include any number of Emissaries and Protectors. It may also include one Hero for every Protector in the fleet. Hero class starship . . . . . . . . . . . 200 pts Protector class cruiser . . . . . . . . . . . 180 pts Emissary class light cruiser . . . . . . . . . . . 125 pts

ESCORTS

Your fleet may include any number of Castellans. You may include no more Defenders than there are Castellans in your fleet. You may also include one Messenger for every full 750 points of fleet, which may operate alone or as part of a squadron with Castellans and/or Defenders. Messenger class starship Castellan class escort Defender class starship

. . . . . . . . . . . . 50 pts . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 pts . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 pts

The combined numbers of Orcas and Wardens may not exceed the gravitic hook capacity of the fleet. Orcas and Wardens may only use the gravitic hooks of certain ships, as indicated in the rules for those vessels. Warden class gunship Orca class gunship

. . . . . . . . . . . . 30 pts . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 pts

ALLIES, SUBJECTS & MERCENARIES Tau fleets make frequent use of mercenaries. These include subject races, commerce partners, allies and other, less scrupulous individuals. Your fleet may include mercenaries chosen from the following, subject to the relevant restrictions. Kroot Vessels You may include one Kroot Warsphere in fleets of upto 1,500 points, or upto two Kroot Warspheres in fleets exceeding 1,500 points. Kroot Warsphere

. . . . . . . . . . . 145 pts

Demiurg Vessels You may include upto one Stronghold or Bastion vessel for every three Tau capital ships in the fleet. Stronghold commerce vessel . . . . . . . . . . . 350 pts

Bastion commerce vessel . . . . . . . . . . . 255 pts

ORDNANCE Ships with gravitic launchers are armed with Tau Missiles. With the exception of Demiurg vessels, ships with launch bays may launch Barracudas or Mantas, though as noted in its rules, the Emissary may only launch Barracudas.

NOTES

Warden and Orca class gunships These gunships fight as a squadron with the same leadership as their parent. If parent ships are squadroned together, their gunships may be likewise. However, the normal squadron limit of six still applies. Gunships may not be squadroned in any other way. Planetary Defences In scenarios where they are allowed, you may spend your points allocation for planetary defences on Security Orbitals, Orbital Cities, or Tau Orbitals. You may not use any other form of planetary defences. Additionally, your fleet may include Tau Waystations in any scenario where you are the defender, even if planetary defences are not normally permitted. Transports In scenarios which require you to use transports, you must use Courier transports. However, you may include any number of Merchant heavy transports by replacing three Courier transports for each Merchant heavy transport which you wish to include. Hero class starship Hero class starships cost 200 points when included in the Tau Commerce Protection Fleet rather than the usual 180pts due to the addition of the Fire Warrior Strike Teams special rule. Attack rating and campaign participation The Commerce Protection Fleet ordinarily has an attack rating of 2. However, this is raised to 3 if a Custodian is present in the fleet. No further increase in attack rating is gained if multiple Custodians are present. The Commerce Protection fleet is a Raiding Fleet in campaigns.

FLEET COMMANDER

ESCORTS

0-1 Commander Your fleet may include a fleet commander to lead it if you wish. Your fleet must include a commander if it is greater than 750 pts. A Commander may only ever be assigned to an Explorer, Hero or Merchant.

Your fleet may include any number of Defenders. You may include no more Castellans than there are Defenders in your fleet. You may also include one Messenger for every full 500 points of fleet, which may operate alone or as part of a squadron with Castellans and/or Defenders.

Tau Kor’el (Ld 8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 pts Tau Kor’O (Ld 9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 pts

Messenger class starship Castellan class escort Defender class starship

The commander has one re-roll included in their points cost. If you wish, the commander’s ship may carry a member of the Ethereal caste and therefore purchase additional re-rolls at the cost shown. Aun’el (one extra re-roll) . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 pts Aun’O (two extra re-rolls) . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 pts

CAPITAL SHIPS Battleships You may include any number of Explorers. If your fleet is worth more than 750 points it must include at least one Explorer. Explorer class starship

. . . . . . . . . . . 230 pts

Cruisers Your fleet may include any number of Merchant class starships and Emissary class light cruisers. It may also include up to one Hero Class starship for every Merchant or Explorer in your fleet. It may also include one Protector class cruiser for every two Heroes or Merchants in your fleet. Hero class starship . Protector class cruiser . Emissary class light cruiser . Merchant class starship .

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180 pts 180 pts 125 pts 105 pts

. . . . . . . . . . . . 50 pts . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 pts . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 pts

The combined numbers of Orcas and Wardens may not exceed the gravitic hook capacity of the fleet. Orcas and Wardens may only use the gravitic hooks of certain ships, as indicated in the rules for those vessels. Warden class gunship Orca class gunship

. . . . . . . . . . . . 30 pts . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 pts

ALLIES, SUBJECTS & MERCENARIES

Tau fleets make frequent use of mercenaries. These include subject races, commerce partners, allies and other, less scrupulous individuals. Your fleet may include mercenaries chosen from the following, subject to the relevant restrictions. Kroot Vessels You may include one Kroot Warsphere in fleets of upto 1,500 points, or upto two Kroot Warspheres in fleets exceeding 1,500 points. Kroot Warsphere

. . . . . . . . . . . 145 pts

Demiurg Vessels You may include upto one Stronghold or Bastion vessel for every three Tau capital ships in the fleet. Stronghold commerce vessel . . . . . . . . . . . 350 pts

Bastion commerce vessel . . . . . . . . . . . 255 pts

Nicassar Dhows Your fleet may include Nicassar Dhows in place of some or all of its Orcas. A ship may have either Orcas or Dhows, but not both. Nicassar Dhow

. . . . . . . . . . . . 45 pts

The Dhows fight as a squadron with a leadership one higher than that of their parent . If parent ships are squadroned together, their Dhows may be likewise. However, the normal squadron limit of six still applies. Dhows may not be squadroned with any other form of escort

ORDNANCE Ships with gravitic launchers are armed with Tau Missiles. With the exception of Demiurg vessels, ships with launch bays may launch Barracudas or Mantas, though as noted in its rules, the Emissary may only launch Barracudas.

NOTES This fleet list is an extended version of the Kor’vattra fleet list found in Armada, in that it is identical with the exception of the option to take additional vessels. Planetary Defences In scenarios where planetary defences are allowed, you may spend your points allocation for planetary defences on Security Orbitals, Orbital Cities, or Tau Orbitals. You may not use any other form of planetary defences. Additionally, your fleet may include Tau Waystations in any scenario where you are the defender, even if planetary defences are not normally permitted. Transports In scenarios which require you to use transports, you must use Courier transports. However, you may include any number of Merchant heavy transports by replacing three Courier transports for each Merchant heavy transport which you wish to include.