XV15 Stealthsuit - Tactical Role: XV15 Stealthsuits are worn by Fire Caste members who have attained the rank of Shas’ui, normally after they have completed a tour of duty as the Shas’ui of a squad of Fire Warriors. XV15 Stealthsuit squad leaders hold the rank of Shas’vre, and are masters of the arts of subterfuge. The whole squad is usually ritually bonded to one another according to the Tau custom of Ta’lissera, which is symbolised by a knife design painted onto the squad leader’s armour. XV15 Stealthsuit teams usually consist of 3 to 6 members.XV15 Stealthsuit Teams either operate in support of larger Tau formations, or range ahead independently from the main Tau army. Stealth Teams are not factored directly into Tau battle plans due to the nature of their covert role in battle, and enjoy a great deal of freedom of action and autonomy within very broad parameters that have been set down by Tau Commanders. This freedom of action is rare in Tau military operations. This is because Stealth Teams are encouraged to fight independently and use their own initiative in assaults, as befits their combat style and tactical specialisation. Observing comm-silence and unable to receive orders, Stealth Teams are typically left to make their own decisions. Those Shas'ui who volunteer for duty in Stealth Teams are seen as strange; an unpredictable lot who do not always follow convention -- traits generally regarded with much suspicion in the well-regimented and highly-structured culture of the Tau. Those who survive long enough to earn the title of Shas'vre within the Stealth Teams are, without exception, noted as eccentrics amongst their fellow Tau, famous for their tactical innovations and daring raids deep behind enemy lines, as well as their delight in employing new and unpredictable tactics.XV15 Stealthsuits operate in many different tactical roles, ranging from ambushing isolated enemy troops when they least expect it, to intervening in support of friendly units when needed. In the reconnaissance role, Stealthsuits can infiltrate deep behind enemy lines or move into forward positions unseen where they can assault enemy units while they are off-guard and disrupt supply lines, like vengeful ghosts striking at will. Suddenly appearing, as if stepping out from nowhere, a Stealth Team unleashes a hail of gunfire to cripple or eliminate their selected targets before disappearing once more. However, when XV15 Stealthsuit Teams operate behind enemy lines, they are not alone and are able to call in a plethora of support options to better aid them in their goal. XV15 Stealthsuit Shas’vres can be armed with a Marker Light and Target Lock, allowing them to designate an enemy target for a long range Seeker Missile strike, and can also carry Homing Beacons to allow further Battlesuit teams to accurately deploy in devastating surgical strikes. Some Tau Septs, most notably Tash'var, are known to employ Stealth Teams outfitted with Marker Drones. This is a tactic common against large Ork hordes, as the Stealth Teams can use their Burst Cannons to thin the enemy numbers before painting them with Marker Lights, allowing the rest of the main Hunter Cadre to wipe them out. Once their ambush is sprung, the XV15s can use their Jetpacks to make bounding leaps -- moving either to acquire another target or to put obstacles in the way of any return fire. The Fire Caste doctrine laid down in the Code of Fire instructs all warriors to fight closely together, with each member of a team doing his utmost to protect not just his comrades, but also nearby teams in his Cadre. With this training, Tau XV15 Stealthsuits can use overlapping fields of fire to provide all nearby teams with mutual support on the battlefield in the case of enemy assaults.Built from the same dense nano-crystalline alloy as the larger XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, the XV15 Stealthsuit is the key to a Stealth Team's success, as its integrated holographic disruption fields allow its wearer to sneak forward unobserved into advantageous firing positions before a battle commences. The suit's stealth capabilities make its wearers extremely hard to detect, and the XV15's integrated Burst Cannon is the perfect weapon for ambushing lightly armoured troops and attacking the flanks of vehicles. The XV15's Jetpack also gives its wearer the manoeuvrability needed to redeploy quickly on the battlefield as the situation changes. The mobility provided by a Tau Jetpack also allows wearers of the XV15 Stealthsuit to pounce from cover upon the unsuspecting enemy forces and strafe them before retreating out of range again. This makes Jetpack-equipped Stealthsuit troops hard to counter and very difficult for the enemy to engage. An XV15’s Jetpack can also be used to slow the Battlesuit’s descent from high altitudes, allowing for Stealth Teams to be dropped directly behind enemy lines from high flying transports such as Orcas or Mantas. Many a foe of the Tau Empire has found himself attacked from an unexpected quarter by Stealth Teams positioned far ahead of the main army, and have learned to be wary of the technologically blurred Battlesuits that appear in their midst.