Tau Stylin'

I'm fond of the notion that you have to know where you're coming from before you can know where you're going. I think that it's a concept that applies as gainfully to codex creation as it does anything else. So that's why, for this article, I've set myself to examining where the Tau are coming from, in hopes that we might follow in the foot steps of those who are deciding where they're going.

And for those of you wondering,
we've come a very long way.

Some fo the first Stealth Suit concepts. I'm
especially intrigued by the WWII-like variant
on the bottom right.

Some of our first glimpse's of the Tau came to us way back in October of 2001, through the White Dwarf magazine. The concept art contained within offers an especially rare perspective on the original development process, pealing back the developers carefully chosen words and giving us the chance to look at the different Tau armies that could have been. And though most of what's contained within the articles themselves has passed into common knowledge, there remains much for the would-be augur to learn from. Because I can't hope to include the entire scope of some four odd issues here (after all, that's what the issues themselves are for), I have taken the time to prepare a short list of things I thought relevant or interesting.

Early Fire Warrior and Drone concepts. The
Drones remain essentially identical to their
original imaginings - the same cannot be
said for the Fire Warriors.

The designers wanted to include a robotic element to the Tau, a concept that started out with a bipedal idea, but would eventually evolve into the Drones we know today - a call the designers say, was made so that they wouldn't steal any of the attention from the Battlesuits. Originally their were only the Shield and Gun Drones, but the last Tau codex saw the inclusion of the Marker and Rail-Rifle Drones. The White Dwarf article makes very direct reference to the designers wanting (if not planning) to include more varied kinds of drone. As an interesting little tidbit, according to Andy Chambers, the author of the article, the Drones were at least in part inspired by the Necron scarabs.

The designers really wanted to stress the technological advantage the Tau had over other armies, and this was represented in, among other things, the design of their vehicles. They wanted to strike a balance between the graceful, manoeuvrable Eldar, and the utilitarian might of the Imperial Guard – thus was born the Devilfish and Hammerhead. I think this could be especially telling of future Tau vehicles, giving us two extremes for our predictions to fall between.

An interesting Farsight sculpt that
never made it into production.

Perhaps the greatest problem plaguing the Tau today, was one they encountered when first testing them. It seems the designers had a significant degree of difficulty in balancing the Tau, claiming they “rest on a knife edge between gunning down the opposition unmercifully (making for a rather dull game for the enemy) or getting cut to pieces by assaults (which makes a rather dull game for the Tau player).” They go on to say that they had hoped the Tau would be able to fight a game of “fire and manoeuvre, evacuating or reinforcing positions as they come under threat”. It's difficult to imagine how this concept will stand up in the current meta-game, as a typical six turn game can have serious ramifications for an army that is forced to adapt to his enemies movements, without ever being able to bring their own plans to fruition. This is especially true if the designers are leery  of providing the Tau with the fire power required to meet the enemy on their terms. Whether or not this remains the designers battle-plan for the Tau may play a key role in our future codex, and the changes that lie within.

A Crisis Suit as imagined by
Roberto Cirillo.

It appears as though Crisis Suits were equally difficult to balance, and were even at one point during the testing phase treated as Walkers. When this proved to be a bit overpowered, they decided to try treating them as Jump Infantry – but found that the 12" move only led to them being assaulted and wiped out more easily. Borrowing an idea from Eldar Jet Bikes, the designers came up with the Jet Pack. The Jet Pack solved the issue of being assaulted by giving birth to the tactic we've since dubbed Jump Shoot Jump (JSJ), but proved to be too powerful in it's first conception, as it still allowed for the initial 12" move of the more traditional Jump Pack, before additionally granting the defensive 6" assault move. As development continued, the design team would struggle with the suits stats, squad size, and even the USR's under which they operated.

The Tau were one of over a dozen potential new races vying for a single spot in the 40k universe. The Kroot were another, and though the Tau won out, their altruistic nature made it possible for the designers to bring the runners up along for the ride. One thing the designers continually speak of, are the multiple sources of inspiration that form the Tau – it's a safe assumption that many elements from other proposed races found a home within the Greater Good, even if not in the form of an auxiliary.

the "Dark Cobra" of the Heavy Gear Franchise.

No one can deny that there are strong eastern influences underpinning the Tau. Part of that relates to the visual aesthetic of some of their most iconic units, the Fire Warrior and Crisis Suit which each incorporate elements of feudal Japan's Ashigaru foot-soldiers. The designers point towards the shoulder pad dominating the left arm as a key aspect of this design choice, but I feel that it's a cue just as easily spotted in the signature thigh-armor the two share. The designers even go so far as to admit an “obvious Manga influence”, but temper the statement by insisting they tried to “steer clear of any one inspirational source”. Frankly, my imagination is fueled by giant robots. Heavy Gear, Battletech, the Transformers, even Gundam, I wager they all have their fingers in the cookie jar.

What Dreams May Come

The history of the Tau doesn't end with their induction into the 40k universe. With every new codex comes a fresh pair of eyes, and in our last dust-off it was Roberto Cirillo's turn. Though a free-lance artist, Roberto's work has been showcased at Games Workshop events like Games Day and is as close to official as it comes. His art, in many ways, has represented the first chance for the Tau to be expanded on after their creation – his illustrations building on existing Tau themes as opposed to bringing together an amalgam of source material to create something new – effectively, allowing the Tau to mature into their own brand. Indeed, his organic take on the Crisis Suits has preceded the only break in stagnation of new models, with his designs giving rise to the Forge World Crisis Suit variants, and quite possibly providing the building blocks for the XV9. His imagination even gave rise to the Tau Rail Jet Bike, a concept sadly left unexplored by GW, except as perhaps the progenitor of the Rail-Rifle Drone. If any source exists that could point to the direction the Tau stand to be taken in, I firmly believe it's Mr. Cirillo's work.

the "XV-75: Stealth-Crisis" as
drawn by Lord Dirk

But even now, Roberto Cirillo's work is aging, so where then, do we look for a more modern glimpse of what might be in store for the Tau? Truly, Warhammer is a game about imagination, and until we see the models for ourselves, nothing can be certain. For me, it's artists like Lord Dirk of Advanced Tau Tactica that provide that glimpse, doing what only a skilled artist can and bridging the gap between the imagination and the future. I contacted Lord Dirk for permission to use some of his art here as well as for his opinion on Tau stylings. Rather than chop apart his response and present it to you piecemeal through the article as I had intended, I've decided to include his response in it's entirety, as I feel he expresses an opinion that is enriched by his exceptional abilities as an artist.

Exemplifying the Special Forces
theme is a favorite for Lord Dirk.

“They (the Tau) obviously have strong eastern roots, but I never felt that they were as closely inspired by feudal Japan as some of the recent voice-work for Tau in video games has suggested. I easily see the anime influence, as well as strong ties to a more modern style of warfare. A Tau Fire Warrior can just as easily be compared to an anime archetype as it can to a contemporary United States grunt. So while you have your Space Marines that resemble medieval knights, Imperial Guard representing the era of WWI and WWII, I feel the Tau fit the niche of modern warfare. They light up targets with mark-lights, use surface to surface missiles, and pack the best weaponry this side of the galaxy. When I make my Tau sketches I always try to keep that in mind, and it's one of the reasons you won't see me making a Fire Warrior samurai anytime soon, because it misses the part about them being a modern fighting force and just focuses on the eastern inspiration.”

- Lord Dirk, of Advanced Tau Tactica

the "Sawfish" Open-Topped Troop-
Transport Concept

I feel it's artists like Lord Dirk that give us our best view of what's to come. By being able to discern the themes that visually power our army, he's able to logically expand on them, and bring them to their natural conclusions by way of his art. Though I doubt we'll see the Sawfish appear verbatim in the next codex, it's concept is a very tangible application of Tau aesthetics. Like vines growing with the aid of a trellis, the work of artist's like Lord Dirk can provide the latticework for our musings on the future units of the Tau codex.

I'd like to give a big thank-you to Firah for his help in dredging up some of this old material, I never thought I'd be able to get my hands on some of this stuff, I appreciate it! I'd also like to extend my very deep thanks to Lord Dirk, who's most excellent art can be spotted in this article, you can find more of his impressive work here. As always folks, thanks for reading!