Tau Fluff

One of the things that will probably come across as I continue to post on this blog is that I love fluff. The stories and background of a race are, for me, as (if not more) important as the miniatures. The minis are the representation of that race on the table-top but the fluff is what brings those pieces of resin, metal and plastic to life. I'll post more on this in the future, this post though is about my own Tau army. I have named every unit after it's leader (the Shas'ui in a fire warrior squad or Shas'vre in a suit unit). This post is about my commander, Commander Cyclone of the Au'taal sept. I will post more on him soon, specifically how he got his name, as well as posting about the other units!


"Shas'O Au'taal Korst'la Kar'tyr Sio'era'sha'is, more commonly known as O'Sio'era'sha'is or Commander Cyclone, is a senior commander of the Tau Empire. He is widely regarded as the greatest ever hero of Au'taal, having been taught by the AI of Commander Puretide himself. He has won many decisive victories for the Greater Good and none can deny his importance in the Third Sphere Expansion. He has been instrumental in conquering early Septs as the Fire Caste advanced into Imperial space and he has been possibly the most important commander in tying up the Space Marine counter-attack in the Ziest Campaign. O'Shaserra knew that it would come and she needed a skilled leader to run the defensive, preventing Imperial forces from reacting when she advanced into the surrounding sectors: Commander Cyclone was top of the list. Despite this, the Ethereal Council remains wary of his methods and always maintain a close watch on the Commander.

O'Sio'era'sha'is uses unconventional methods to achieve decisive victories. The Fire Caste academies  have always taught that while "Our technology advances through the years; our tactics do not". Commander Cyclone however sees that against the brutal war machine of the Imperium, the Tau Empire's tactics must evolve. Most commanders favour one tactic over others and the best can use all of them when required, O'Shaserra being the prime example. Cyclone though has ruffled more than a few feathers in his time by merging certain aspects of one tactic and other pieces of another to deal with the situations he has faced. Though not dogmatic like the Imperial forces, tactics are ancient and sacred to the Tau and to defile them is sacrilegious. His victories though make this possible to ignore, if not fully accept.

This alone would not warrant such suspicion from the Ethereal Council though. The real problem is Commander Cyclone's apparant obsession with desperate situations. He attempts to salvage a losing battle have thus far always succeded, especially in the Ziest Campaign where his bold and sometimes seemingly phsycotic actions have pushed the Space Marines back, allowing for a more organised and successful retreat from a planet. As of yet he has yet to incur losses that warrant an order to halt a tactic that seems to be working, but the Ethereal Council believes that he is one error of judgement away from a serious mistake that could cost entire armies. O'Sio'era'sha'is knows this as well and despite his actions seeming oportunistic and brash, he calculates the odds of success thoroughly and weighs up the risks with the possible benefits before making a decision. He has refrained from desperate battles when he believes the odds are unfavourable and so far this has kept him out of trouble with the Ethereals.

He walks a fine line though and while he has so far erred on the side of trailblazing glory in the name of the Greater Good, a single mistake could leave him in utter disgrace."