Tau Commander and Variants: Background and Tactica

Crisis Suit by Squirrel

The other day I was at a Games Workshop and I saw a player who was getting ready to get started with the hobby by showing interest in the Tau.  He had only one unit, his HQ.  The sprite young lad had purchased an XV-8 Crisit Suit and decided to make it his commader.  Because I had shown up with no models (I went to the mall with my wife to get her a new phone and didn't plan on staying as long as I did) I appeared to him to be just another guy.  With pride, he named off all of the upgrades and weapon systems that his commander was ready to bring to the field in the name of the Greater Good.  Though it was poorly painted and stood in a non-dynamic upright pose with it's arms pointing straight forward, it was an ode to nostalgia that many of us veteran Tau players can relate to.  The commander more than often, if not always, is the General of our army.  The General is our Avatar into the Universe of Warhammer 40K.  It seems fitting that this model be the first unit of any Tau Army.




Background/History
The Crisis Suit Commander made it's debut along with the original "Codex: Tau" back in late 2001.  Like the model I described earlier, the XV-8 Crisis  Suit model served as the Elites selection and two HQ selections.  But we as Tau players had one of the few HQ selections that wasn't made completely out of metal.  We also had one of the most visually customizable and dynamically poseable HQ choices available from Games Workshop.  The commander didn't utilize a record breaking statline, but had the advantage of a High BS and Tau Jetpack along with a huge arsenal of weapon systems that could be used to deadly effect.  I don't know about anyone else that has been playing Tau for around a decade, but I remember everyone trying to make their Crisis Suit Commander unique by using Commander Farsight's aerials.  With the introduction of the Imperial Armour 3: The Taros Campaign in 2005 the Commander was given the option of taking 3 different Crisis Suit Variants, this also prompted Forge World to Release 3 more Resin models to be used as a commander.  It was during this time that we saw a shift from Farsight look alike commanders, to R'myr look alike commanders (when I created my new commander I used R'myr as a base and Farsight's aerials as a salute to Tau player creativity in the past).  Then in 2006 we saw the shift from "Codex: Tau" to "Codex: Tau Empire" which allowed our Commanders the option of taking Special Issue Wargear.  Games Workshop also released a  box set that was specifically for assembling a Tau commander.  Then finally in 2012 we saw the commander's final tweaking with Forge World's "Tau Update" which updated the variants presented in IA3.

Crisis Suit Commanders of Note
Now I can't do a review on Crisis Suit Commander variants without naming the Two Commanders who brought variance to the table.  The First would be commander O'Shovah also known as Farsight.  This guy counts as a Monstrous Creature and can take an entire entourage of Crisis Suits as a body guard retinue.  Farsight has made two appearances outside of the Black Library being the only Crisis Suit Character in Both codices.  The second would be Commander Shas'O R'myr.  For a lot of Tau players R'Myr was an introduction to purchasing with Forge World and working with Resin before Citadel Finecast.  R'Myr displays the only 3+ Invulnerable save available to a Crisis suits in close combat, the only Assault 2 Plasma Rifle, and the only Crisis suit to use a flechette discharger.  R'myr also has the option of allowing his bodyguard to use battle suit variants.  I find these two guys eerily similar in that they present the Tau army with a semi-able close combat suit with a unique rule for bodyguards.  I also find it interesting that both commanders seem to represent one of the two military ideals presented in the Tau Fluff.  Farsight being the Killing blow by brining his Beast like Close combat skills and overwhelming his opponents with S5 attacks from his numerous bodyguard.  And the patient hunter R'Myr who punishes his opponents in close combat by bunkering them down with Body guards who have the option of taking 2+  armor saves , having a 3+ invulnerable save himself, and forcing each opponent to take an automatic wound on a roll of 4+ before blows are struck. 

The Variants
Now we come to the Crisis Suit Variants.  By that I don't mean the almost limitless load out combinations that can be taken (i.e. fireknife, hellrain, soulforge, etc.).  i'm talking about the variants presented in the Forge World Tau Update.

XV-81
This Suit allows the wearer to take a smart missle system as one of it's hardpoints.  Some of you might be asking "Why does this matter?".  With the introduction of 6th edition, Crisis suits have been redefined as "relentless" meaning that we can now JSJ with Heavy Weapons.  This also means that the Tau commander can use this weapon to draw line of site to any unit within 24 inches, and with the high volume of shots will occasionally get a precision shot.  Remember the only cover saves that can be taken from smart missles are those granted by area terrain, so by taking this with an Air-Bursting Fragmentation Projector, your commander can become an unseen terror to light infantry.

XV-84
This suit basically gives a markerlight to your commander.  This appears to be the only way you will see a BS 5 or BS 6 (Shas'O w/ Targeting Array) Markerlight.  With Relentless any jetpack can now JSJ while firing a markerlight.  The Markerlight doesn't take up any hard points, leaving  you open to select other weapon systems (Though with a multi-tracker suits are only allowed to fire two weapons).  An interesting combination ive seen is this commander being taken in a stelth suit squad with two marker drones.

XV-89
Imagine Iridium Armour for a few more points and you have this suit.  One thing you might notice though is that, unlike Iridium Armor, this is not special Issue Wargear meaning that if you take two commanders they can both select this option granting both a 2+ Armor save, leaving Iridium Armor open to another model in the army.  Oddly enough, with the change to Jetpack assault moves in 6th edition, this guy was completely unaffected in his movement.  I've seen this guy taken with an Iridium armor donning body guard both suits with a pair of Shield Drones.  There is also the option of a shield generator(4+ invulnerable save) and Stimulant Injectors (Feel no Pain).  Making this guy one of the most difficult units in the Tau army to kill. 

Afterthought
It's nice to see that the XV-8 commander continues to be one of the most customizable units in the Warhammer Universe, and i'm glad that even after a decade people can still take pride in their commander as an individual champion as opposed to an upgrade for an army.  Please continue the great conversions guys.

Thought for the day
O'Shovah went from okay in close combat to one of the best close combat fighters in the game.  Counts as having a power weapon < Counts as a Monstrous Creature.  With Eldar specific psychic powers and consideration for O'Shovah's effectiveness in close combat being written over  half a decade ago, you need to question how long Games Workshop really holds on to certain ideas.