XV8 Crisis Battlesuit - Armament: XV8 Crisis Battlesuits strike a perfect balance between offensive capability, armoured protection, manoeuvrability, and utility. They are towering in size; easily twice the size of the Fire Warrior who wears it. To many T'au, they are a wonder and marvel of Earth Caste engineering. XV8s go into battle heavily armed with potent weapons systems that are backed up by combat support systems that allow them to fight more effectively.However, no matter the Battlesuit configuration or weapons load-out, all XV8 Crisis Battlesuits share some common features. These include the advanced sensors built into the primary sensor cluster that serves as the Battlesuit's "head." These sensors, which consist of a number of variable spectrum passive sensors and active scanners, allow the Battlesuit to detect hidden enemy units and their movement; this is information that can then be transmitted back to T'au command units.All XV8 Crisis Battlesuits are also equipped with a Blacksun Filter, which is an advanced optical system that enhances and magnifies a warrior's low-light vision whilst simultaneously filtering bright flares of light that could blind him in battle, and a Multi-Tracker; a sophisticated fire control system that is mounted in a sensor node that assists Battlesuit pilots in engaging enemy threats by using multiple armaments at once; making them formidable opponents in a wide variety of battle conditions.As with all T'au Battlesuits, XV8s are protected by a thick, dense nano-crystalline alloy armour named Fio'tak in the T'au Lexicon. This advanced alloy has a highly impact resistance structure, and is malleable and corrosive resistant, thus making it extremely resilient in the face of combat damage. Even the armour's shape helps deflect solid projectiles, while a reflective liquid metal coating can reflect medium-grade laser fire.When it comes to deflecting and withstanding damage, the XV8's armour is comparable to the ceramite used by the Imperium's Space Marines. The material is also lightweight, which keeps the Battlesuit's own weight down and reinforces its ground-based manoeuvrability. This reduced weight also means the XV8 can operate effectively using its T'au Jetpack to provide enhanced mobility. By firing off the jets to slow a descent, an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit can even drop into combat zones from transport aircraft like the Orca and the Manta.The Jetpack, which is another common feature of most T'au Battlesuits, combines anti-gravitic and repulsor aero-jet technology to make the Battlesuit extremely agile for its size. Its powerful thrusters allow an XV8 to vault battlefield obstacles and to make bounding leaps to gain advantageous firing positions, or to avoid incoming shots.All XV8 Crisis Battlesuits also greatly augment the natural physical strength of their pilot, and grant the warrior within the Battlesuit the ability to smash apart light armoured vehicles in close combat, if necessary. XV8 Crisis Battlesuits also feature retractable fingers built into their forearms for use in more delicate -- and often non-combat -- tasks.An XV8 Crisis Battlesuit has three hard-points, which means that any combination of up to three weapons and combat support systems can be mounted on the Battlesuit's chassis. All T'au Battlesuit weapon systems are fully integrated and supplied by continuous, high-yield power relays and ammunition hoppers. XV8 Crisis Battlesuits are also designed with advanced recoil absorption technology, meaning that they can fire their weapons at maximum capacity and with maximum accuracy, even when on the move.XV8 Crisis Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas'vre or higher can also take a limited amount of Battlesuit wargear. Combat support systems listed as hard-wired are cybernetic in nature, and are either entirely contained within the Battlesuit helmet, or are implanted within the Fire Warrior's body as warrior jewellery and cannot be removed without surgery.Special issue items and signature systems are experimental or hard to mass produce, and are currently undergoing field-testing prior to becoming widely available. As such, their distribution is usually limited to one per Hunter Cadre. Signature systems, like Battlesuit wargear, can only be taken by Battlesuit pilots of rank Shas’vre or higher. Any XV8 Crisis Battlesuit can also be accompanied by up to two T'au Drones into battle, such as Gun Drones, Shield Drones and Marker Drones.