XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - XV8 Crisis Battlesuit: The XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is the mainstay general combat T'au Battlesuit utilised by the warriors of the Fire Caste of the T'au Empire. It mounts a vast array of fearsome ranged weaponry as well as a complement of technologically advanced support systems on a comparatively small and agile frame that offers the T'au pilot within exceptional protection. Of all the weapons systems employed by the T'au, the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is easily the most distinctive and recognisable due to its reputation as an efficient and lethal weapon of war.The XV8 Crisis Battlesuit strikes a perfect balance between offensive capability, armoured protection, speed, manoeuvrability and utility. It is a towering T'au Battlesuit, easily twice the size of the Fire Warrior who wears it. A wonder of Earth Caste engineering, only the T'au could master the secrets of producing the dense nanocrystalline alloy that forms the thick protective armour of the XV8. When it comes to deflecting and withstanding damage, the XV8's armour is comparable to the ceramite used by the Imperium of Man's Space Marines, but weighs substantially less.Agile for its size, the XV8 is extremely manoeuvrable as it mounts a Jetpack with repulsor jet engines -- another unique Earth Caste invention that combines the functionality of a jet with antigravitic technology. These powerful thrusters allow the XV8 to vault battlefield obstacles and to make bounding leaps to gain advantageous firing positions, or to avoid incoming shots. By firing off the jets to slow descent, it is possible for a warrior in a XV8 Crisis Battlesuit to make a combat drop -- arriving to the battlefield suddenly by leaping from an airborne Orca or Manta transport aircraft.While its protective armour and mobility are highly valued by the T'au, it is the ability of the XV8 Battlesuit to carry multiple weapons and support systems that makes them so incredibly dangerous and versatile. Designed to compensate for the recoil of light weapons fire, the XV8's weapon loadout can be easily altered to reflect mission requirements or the pilot's own personal preference.Additional upgrades, from Multi-Tracker fire-control systems, to Homing Beacons or Shield Generators, further enhance the fighting abilities of this impressive Battlesuit. New technological improvements are made to the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit all the time, yet its core aspect remains iconic and unchanged. The XV8 is the armoured embodiment of the Tau'va, its inspirational image blazoned on T'au propaganda holovids from Fi'rios to Fal'shia, and even upon the distant worlds of the Farsight Enclaves.To the T'au, the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is more than just a powerful weapon of war; it is also the foremost symbol of great achievement, honour and reputation -- a symbol of everything the Fire Caste stands for, of ignorance and evil crushed by the potent combination of technological supremacy and martial skill.Although the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is by far the most commonly deployed battlesuit in the T'au armoury, only those Fire Warriors who prove themselves in battle earn the right to wear it and bear the name of shas'ui -- the first honoured military rank that can pilot a T'au Battlesuit.To do so is a great honour, and means the Fire Warrior has passed his first Trial by Fire after four Terran years of service on the line. This is the aspiration of every Fire Caste warrior -- recognition of a mastery of the Code of Fire and noble service to the Greater Good.