T'au Wargear - T'au Technologies and Support Systems: Below is a list of all named technologies and Support Systems utilised by the military forces of the T'au Empire.Advanced Stabilisation System - An Advanced Stabilisation System is a T'au Battlesuit Support System available exclusively to XV88 Broadside Battlesuits. With this system equipped, all of the Battlesuit’s heavy weapons are upgraded with stabilising gyroscopes that enable them to be brought to bear at speed, even when on the move. As a result, the Advanced Stabilisation System allows its user a high degree of mobility whilst retaining the ability to fire even the heaviest of weapons accurately.Advanced Targeting System - An Advanced Targeting System is a T'au Battlesuit Support System available to most types of T'au Battlesuits, as well as a T'au vehicle support system. An Advanced Targeting System is a specialised target acquisition computer that identifies and picks out high-priority targets of value in the midst of battle before plotting efficient fire plans to counter them. With this system, tactically-important enemy figures such as squad leaders, special weapon wielders, and commanders can all be more effectively pinpointed as specific targets for elimination by a Battlesuit pilot or vehicle gunner.Automated Repair System - An Automated Repair System is a vehicle support system that consists of numerous dispenser hubs mounted around the vehicle’s hull. If the vehicle’s engine drives or weapon systems become damaged during the course of a battle, the Automated Repair system will automatically release swarms of tiny Maintenance Drones to quickly perform field-repairs and restore the systems to full function in the midst of battle.Blacksun Filter - A Blacksun Filter is an advanced optical filtering suite employed by T'au military units that enhances and magnifies a warrior’s low-light vision whilst simultaneously filtering out bright flares of light that could blind the user in battle. With Blacksun Filters, target calibration systems sensors can also lock onto enemies with full efficiency and range even during night-fighting operations. This has proved to be a major advantage for T'au forces in many campaigns, where surprise night attacks can be conducted with full efficiency upon unsuspecting enemy forces. All T'au Battlesuit primary sensor clusters are fitted with Blacksun Filters as standard. T'au skimmers and aircraft can also be upgraded with Blacksun Filter systems as necessary to meet the particular tactical demands of their intended mission.Command and Control Node - A Command and Control Node is a sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted communications system used by a T'au Commander to communicate more effectively with other Fire Caste warriors around him, and better direct battlefield operations by linking together all nearby T'au targeting computers. Though the sheer amount of information received can seem overwhelming, a T'au Commander who masters the flood of data can better orchestrate the firepower of his forces and drastically improve their accuracy. A Command and Control Node is a signature Support System available only to Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas’vre or higher. The current rarity of this system among deployed Fire Caste units means that its distribution is usually limited to only one per Hunter Cadre.Counterfire Defence System - A Counterfire Defence System is a valuable artificial intelligence (AI) sensor suite that was first designed to counter the threat of charging Ork hordes. The system incorporates predictive logic circuits that further enhance Battlesuit targeting systems, ensuring that large groups of assaulting enemies are met with a withering curtain of unerringly accurate firepower. A Counterfire Defence System is a Support System available to most forms of T'au Battlesuit.Dark Matter Nova Reactor - A Dark Matter Nova Reactor is an experimental and potent power source developed during the Third Sphere Expansion, and only employed by XV104 Riptide and XV107 R'varna Battlesuits. The Dark Matter Nova Reactor is an experimental power-pack that fuses exotic dark matter, producing an energy output that can rival that of a small star. Such devices have been used to power the mighty void fleets of the Air Caste, but until recently, the technology could not be reduced to a suitable size for use on smaller vehicles. Although still in the prototype stage, the Nova Reactor has proven largely stable, despite some problems in safely releasing the vast energies it produces. Both the XV104 and XV107's higher functions can draw upon this almost unlimited source of power when the reactor is activated, but not without some risk. While attempting to utilise it, the Battlesuit can suffer dangerous power vents capable of wounding or even killing its pilot. That a pilot willingly risks using the Nova Reactor -- even through the radiation may kill him -- highlights his heroic self-sacrifice and the nobility of the Greater Good.Darkstar Warhead - A Darkstar Warhead is a neutron warhead incorporated into specialised missiles that can be fired from T'au starships. Darkstar Warheads are often used to aid in large-scale planetary assaults, and are fired directly onto battlefields. Once they have detonated, the neutron pulses from this warhead destroy all biological matter in an extremely large area around them, whilst leaving inorganic material unharmed. The warhead will continue to pulse these energies outwards for a significant amount of time after they have first detonated. The Darkstar Warhead is an ideal weapon to use when it is important to conserve a target planet's resources for the Greater Good, but the home population will not submit.Decoy Launchers - Decoy Launchers are a form of vehicle support system that is mounted near the engines of T'au vehicles. When triggered, they fire clouds of reflective strips, sophisticated electronic decoys, flares, chaff and tiny Emitter Drones to protect the vulnerable thruster arrays, although they are also extremely effective at protecting the vehicle from enemy missiles.Disruption Pod - A Disruption Pod is a vehicle support system that throws out distorting images in both the visual and magnetic spectra, making the vehicle hard to target at range. This effect can be combined effectively with the use of cover, making the hidden vehicle extremely difficult to hit.Drone Controller - A Drone Controller is an electronic device that is used by the T'au to control their robotic T'au Drones, as it acts as a hub of digital communications between the operator and any Drones that are nearby the user. Through this connection, it serves as an advanced interface between the operator and the artificial intelligence (AI) combat programs of the Drones, and is used to direct the Drones’ firepower far more efficiently and with a level of accuracy far greater than would otherwise be possible on the battlefield. A Drone Controller is a T'au technology most commonly employed by a variety of T'au units, whether it is in the form of a Support System for a T'au Battlesuit, or a hard-wired piece of wargear for T'au infantry or Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas'vre or higher.Early Warning Override - An Early Warning Override is an advanced sensor suite that has been calibrated to detect the electronic signatures of teleport beams and orbital-entry jump systems. If such a signal is detected, the system jolts a T'au Battlesuit's weapons to lock-on status and firing before the target has a chance to react. This Support System is available to most forms of T'au Battlesuit.Earth Caste Pilot Array - An Earth Caste Pilot Array is a Farsight Enclave-exclusive modification of the T'au XV104 Riptide Battlesuit intended to accommodate an Earth Caste member as its pilot. Whilst the Earth Caste's squat and muscular physiology makes them ill-fitting pilots for the T'au Battlesuits they are famed for creating, in the Farsight Enclaves it is not unheard of for an Earth Caste Pilot Array to be fitted to a Riptide Battlesuit in order to grant rare individuals the honour of donning the "Hero’s Mantle." Earth Caste pilots are naturally able to judge a Battlesuit's accuracy and energy tolerances far better than their Fire Caste equivalent, and are able to activate an XV104's Dark Matter Nova Reactor with a greatly decreased chance of dangerous radiation feedback. However, an Earth Caste pilot's skill in close quarters combat nevertheless leaves much to be desired."Eclipse" Shield Generator - The "Eclipse" Shield Generator is an experimental variant of a Shield Generator whose prototype is only wielded by Shas'O Vesu'r R'alai. His "Eclipse" Shield Generator exerts a drain on O'Ralai's XV9 Hazard Battlesuit power capacity, but is able to project a potent defensive energy barrier that is capable of diffracting light much in the same manner as a Stealthsuit's stealth field generator, making the Commander harder to target at long range.Ejection System - An Ejection System provides a T'au Battlesuit pilot a chance of escaping catastrophic damage to his Battlesuit by throwing him clear of its imminent destruction. Once ejected, the Battlesuit pilot is armed with nothing more than a Pulse Pistol and has to make his own escape from the battlefield. Often used by those T'au Commanders who lead from the front but are considered too valuable to the T'au Empire to die, Ejection Systems are a special-issue system only available to lone XV8 Crisis Battlesuit pilots (Monat) of the rank of Shas’vre or higher. The current rarity of this system among deployed Fire Caste units means that its distribution is usually limited to only one per Hunter Cadre. It is of note that all XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuits are also fitted with a variant of an Ejection System as standard, one that deploys an escape pod programmed to return the pilot back to the boarding craft which delivered him to the battlefield upon the Battlesuit’s destruction.Energy Shield - An Energy Shield, also known as a Deflector Shield, is an especially large Shield Generator most commonly fitted onto the larger T'au aircraft and spacecraft like the Manta. Strike-modified Orca transports utilised exclusively by XV9 Hazard Battlesuit Swift Protector Wings are also fitted with an Energy Shield. A Deflector Shield is formed by shaping a gravitic field to repel incoming fire. A Deflector Shield does not stop incoming projectiles, but rather its gravitic profile has been shaped and positioned in such a way as to deflect incoming fire. A Deflector Shield's strength grows in proportion to the energy of the assault made against it. Deflector Shields mounted on the prow of some T'au starships work slightly differently, as they shape a vessel's gravitic sheath into a dense wedge which is most effective against incoming fire from the front.Ether Drive - An Ether Drive is a T'au spacecraft drive that allows for faster-than-light travel through the boundary between realspace and the Warp. Unlike an Imperial Warp-Drive, which allows a starship to fully enter and navigate through the Warp to achieve apparent superluminal speeds and reduced travel times in realspace, the T'au Ether Drive only allows a starship to make a brief "dive" into Warpspace. While a T'au starship outfitted with an Ether Drive can still achieve apparent superluminal velocities from the perspective of realspace, interstellar travel using this technology is far slower than conventional Warp travel. Despite the T'au's lack of psykers, and their lack of understanding of the true nature of the Empyrean, the Earth Caste have nevertheless developed an effective drive system that is sufficient to suit the needs of the rapidly expanding T'au Empire.Failsafe Detonator - A Failsafe Detonator is a powerful explosive device that causes the bearer's T'au Battlesuit to self-destruct in a lethal explosion. This technology was developed to be used in only the most dire of circumstances and was intended to serve as the ultimate expression of the doctrine of the Greater Good. With the pilot's sacrifice, he buys the rest of his squadmates time to withdraw and regroup in the face of overwhelming enemy forces. A Failsafe Detonator is a signature Support System available only to Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas'vre or higher. However, the current rarity of this system among deployed Fire Caste units means that its distribution is usually limited to one per Hunter Cadre.Fio'tak - Fio'tak is a hard, ultra-dense, nano-crystalline metal alloy developed by the Earth Caste of the T'au Empire for a variety of applications. Fio'tak is most commonly utilised as the primary constituent of vehicle, aircraft and infantry armour plating. Fio'tak is very resilient to penetration by kinetic strikes or directed energy due to its impact-resistant structure. This material is highly resistant to corrosion by various toxins and other environmental influences and is more lightweight than conventional Imperial materials which serve a similar structural function such as plasteel. When it comes to damage deflection and mitigation, Fio'tak is comparable to the ceramite used in Space Marine power armour, but weighs substantially less on a per unit basis. Fio'tak alloy variants are used by the T'au in a variety of applications, including in infantry armour such as Combat Armour and Recon Armour, T'au skimmer and aircraft vehicle armour, T'au Drones, T'au structures, and the armour of T'au Battlesuits. Battlesuit armour employing Fio'tak is shaped to deflect solid shot, and also has a liquid metal coating that reflects medium-grade laser fire. In some cases, such as that of the XV88 Broadside and XV104 Riptide Battlesuits, additional nano-layers of the material are added to upgrade the armour's thickness so that the protection it offers is even comparable to that of Tactical Dreadnought Armour. The techniques employed in the fabrication of Fio'tak are currently unknown to the Imperium of Man as the Adeptus Mechanicus is officially forbidden from investigating dangerous alien technology by order of the Inquisition's Ordo Xenos.Flechette Discharger - A Flechette Discharger is a vehicle support system that consists of powerful clusters of reactive charges attached to the prow of the vehicle. If an enemy moves into close proximity of the vehicle, the dischargers automatically fire off clouds of high velocity flechettes which often prove to be lethal against the would-be attacker.Flechette Dispersal Pods are a variant of the vehicle mounted Flechette Discharger, and are equipped on XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuits. Flechette Dispersal Pods differ in that they can be triggered to fire at nearby enemies by the Battlesuit pilot, even if they are not actively assaulting the XV109.Gravity Wave Projector - A Gravity Wave Projector is a piece of technology developed during the Third Sphere Expansion, and is only ever found carried by Grav-Inhibitor Drones that have been deployed as part of Pathfinder reconnaissance teams A Gravity Wave Projector is a defensive measure that can emit a high-powered graviton wave which repulses nearby enemies, slowing their advance to a crawl or halting them in their tracks altogether. This allows Pathfinder Teams to move out of the way of an enemy assault and take the time to react to the assault in the most efficient manner.Homing Beacon - A Homing Beacon is a multi-spectrum T'au homing device that, when placed and activated, allows a Hunter Cadre's T'au Battlesuit reinforcements to deploy with pinpoint precision in the immediate area. Homing Beacons are usually only issued to XV25 Stealthsuit pilots with the rank of Shas'vre, Ethereals, and Recon Drones.Icefire Warhead - An Icefire Warhead is an electromagnetic pulse weapon that can be incorporated into specialised missiles fired from orbiting T'au starships. Icefire Warheads are used to aid large-scale planetary assaults, and are fired directly onto battlefields. Once they have detonated amidst the enemy, the Icefire Warhead will disable all surrounding technologies with crippling electromagnetic pulses, sometimes resulting in catastrophic consequences for the affected technology or vehicles. These warheads continue to emit their electromagnetic pulse outwards for a significant amount of time after they have detonated.Iridium Armour - Iridium Armour is a T'au Battlesuit wargear upgrade that fits a battlesuit with additional protection in the form of iridium armour plates across its surface. Iridium Armour significantly increases the resilience of the Battlesuit's external armour to the point where it can shrug off all but the heaviest firepower. This enhanced protection comes at the cost of a decrease in manoeuvrability due to the armour's increased weight impeding the function of the Battlesuit's Jetpack. Iridium Armour is an upgrade only available to Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas'vre or higher, and its rarity means that its distribution is usually limited to only one per Hunter Cadre. However, further refinements of the upgrade's technologies resulted in the development of the XV89 Crisis Battlesuit variant that was specifically designed to be fitted with Iridium Armour. However, inherent weight problems in its design caused production to slow, and eventually the prototype XV8-02 Crisis "Iridium" Battlesuit was developed. With this new variant of the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, Iridium Armour is no longer an available Battlesuit upgrade.Jetpack - A Jetpack is a man-portable powered flight device that enables the user to hover and rapidly move through the air. Jetpacks grant great mobility and manoeuvrability to their bearers. Jetpacks offer a more controlled flight than Jump Packs, and are designed to provide stable firing platforms rather than a rapid means of entering close combat.Marker Beacon - A Marker Beacon is a vehicle system that consists of enhanced optical processors and long-range communicators. With a Marker Beacon, a vehicle can accurately guide the deployment of Battlesuit-equipped warriors dropping into battle from transports far overhead. Devilfish assigned to Pathfinder scout teams are sometimes fitted with Marker Beacon systems, whilst all Tetras have one as standard gear.Mor'tonium - Mor'tonium is a highly-radioactive alloy discovered and manufactured by the T'au primarily to power their Ion Weapons. A fairly recent discovery, Mor'tonium rapidly decays upon exposure to air and releases extremely large numbers of ion particles in the process. T'au Ion Weapons can use this property to overcharge their shots which makes them far more powerful, simply by exposing their power source to the atmosphere.Multi-Spectrum Sensor Suite - A Multi-Spectrum Sensor Suite is an advanced prototype sensor system available only to Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas’vre or higher that can scan all known electromagnetic spectral bands to locate stealth-cloaked enemies. The system then relays this information back to the targeting computers of the squad members. A Multi-Spectrum Sensor Suite is a signature Battlesuit support system that represents the pinnacle of T'au sensor technology. With the information provided by this sensor suite, the user’s squad can then direct their firepower to bypass virtually all forms of cover and more effectively strike at their enemies. However, the current rarity of this signature system within the Fire Caste means that its distribution is usually limited to only one per Hunter Cadre.Multi-Tracker - A Multi-Tracker is a sophisticated fire control system mounted in a sensor node. Infantry and Battlesuit versions of the Multi-Tracker aid the user by coordinating the firing of multiple weapon systems simultaneously, thus allowing the bearer to make full use of their wide armament and become more formidable opponents in a wide variety of battle conditions. Vehicle-mounted versions of a Multi-Tracker allow the vehicle's weapons to be fired more effectively and with more accuracy when on the move. All Battlesuits are equipped with a Multi-Tracker system as standard, whilst certain Fire Caste infantry may also be found with hard-wired versions of the system. T'au skimmer vehicles can also be upgraded with Multi-Trackers as additional support systems.MV52 Shield Generator - An MV52 Shield Generator is an experimental variant of the standard Shield Generator currently fitted only on specialised MV52 Shield Drones. It is able to project the most potent energy shields of any type of T'au Shield Generator. During the Battle of Mu’gulath Bay, an MV52 Shield Drone was easily able to shrug off a single Battle Cannon shell that would have otherwise found its mark.Commander Longknife's Variant Shield Generator – Commander Longknife carries an experimental variant of a Shield Generator, which possesses a larger ablative shield and improved protective qualities against enemies in close combat.Neuroweb System Jammer - Developed in the T'au's quest to seek mastery over not only their own technology, but also over that of the other starfaring races, a Neuroweb System Jammer is a device capable of broadcasting a jamming field that interferes with enemy weapon systems, causing critical, and sometimes explosive malfunctions. A Neuroweb System Jammer is a T'au Battlesuit signature Support System available only to Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas’vre or higher. However, the rarity of this system means that its distribution is usually limited to only one per Hunter Cadre.Onager Gauntlet - An Onager Gauntlet, also known as a Fist of Dal’ryu, is an experimental T'au Battlesuit close combat weapon intended to destroy enemy armour. An Onager Gauntlet takes on the appearance of giant gauntlets, each shimmering with an immense payload of potential energy, intended to allow XV8 Crisis Battlesuits to remain effective against the armoured companies of the Imperial Guard in extended operations where ammunition reserves could run low. An Onager Gauntlet is a T'au Battlesuit signature Support System available only to Battlesuit pilots of the rank Shas’vre or higher. Armed with the Onager Gauntlet, a Battlesuit could punch a hole through the side of an Imperial main battle tank and rip out its power core with ease. Of the twelve original Onager Gauntlets utilised during the Battle of Blackthunder Mesa, only one was recovered from Commander Bravestorm’s critically damaged Battlesuit, which was surrounded by the smoking wrecks of over a dozen Imperial armoured vehicles. Onager Gauntlets were first developed and utilised during the Damocles Gulf Crusade via a personal commission to the Earth Caste from Commander Farsight. During the T'au Empire's Third Sphere Expansion, Onager Gauntlets became more widely available to the forces of the T'au Fire Caste. However, the rarity of this weapon means that its distribution is usually limited to only one set per Hunter Cadre.Photon Caster - A Photon Caster is a defensive technology that all XV9 Hazard Battlesuits have mounted upon their forward knee armour. Operating in a similar fashion to Photon Grenades, Photon Casters are designed to be used in the situation that enemy forces advance too close to the Battlesuit, and repel attackers with a dazzling pulse of multi-spectrum light and a deafening sonic burst. This will often blind and disorient attackers, confusing them and slowing their charge so that the Battlesuit is able to respond with further volleys of lethal firepower.Point Defence Targeting Relay - A Point Defence Targeting Relay is a vehicle support system that aids a T'au skimmer's forward cupola-mounted secondary weapon systems. During battle, a Point Defence Relay will automatically target and engage enemies that try to assault the vehicle and/or nearby friendly troops, thus providing superior covering fire for nearby Fire Caste units.Positional Relay - A Positional Relay is a sophisticated device that actively records detailed battlefield data before relaying it in a tight-band, encrypted burst to T'au assets in orbit, allowing them to better coordinate forces operating in strategic reserve. The Positional Relay is a T'au battlesuit Support System available to most forms of Battlesuit. Whilst the Positional Relay system is now a commonly available Support System for use, when first introduced, it was special-issue and entrusted only to Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas’vre or higher. The previous rarity of the system also meant that its distribution was limited to only one per Hunter Cadre, although this has since changed.Pulse Accelerator - A Pulse Accelerator is a device that emits a powerful induction field, which can accelerate the charges of nearby Pulse Weapons, thus increasing their effective range. This allows Pathfinder Teams to engage enemies more effectively from a longer range with their Pulse Carbines. The Pulse Accelerator was developed during the Third Sphere Expansion, and is only ever found carried by Pulse Accelerator Drones that have been deployed as part of Pathfinder reconnaissance teams.Puretide Engram Neurochip - A Puretide Engram Neurochip consists of a T'au bio-chip that has been surgically implanted into the brain of a Fire Caste T'au Commander, and allows the bearer to access much of the wisdom of Commander Puretide himself. He or she is able to draw upon a great reservoir of tactical acumen when needed through the data contained on the chip. Puretide Engram Neurochips were developed from prototype versions knows as Swords of Puretide, and are a result of a project that originated with the T'au's unwillingness to lose Commander Puretide's tactical and strategic brilliance when he succumbed to old age, as he was undoubtedly the most gifted T'au Commander of all time. Upon his death, Puretide's mind was scanned and his accumulated memories committed to a massive hologram program on his birth world of Dal'yth. Slivers of his genius were then copied and crafted into bio-chips that would one day become Puretide Engram Neurochips. The Puretide Engram Neurochip is considered a T'au Battlesuit signature Support System available only to Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas’vre or higher.Repulsor Impact Field - A Repulsor Impact Field is a device capable of unleashing a shockwave of force that can slam into the foe with devastating results. The technologies used in the Repulsor Impact Field were the result of decades of T'au attempts to reverse-engineer tractor beam technology recovered from Ork wrecks. Whilst the Earth Caste's attempts to decipher its workings have largely proven futile -- in no small part due to the complete lack of logical, uniform construction employed by Greenskins -- the sum total of T'au ingenuity has so far managed to produce a few functioning Repulsor Impact Field systems. Field-testing has proven them to be devastating weapons capable of emitting shock waves of gravitic energy that smash into assaulting foes with immense lethal force. The Repulsor Impact Field is a T'au Battlesuit signature Support System available only to Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas'vre or higher.Ravelin Shield Generator - The Ravelin Shield Generator provides similar defensive properties to an XV104's Riptide Shield Generator, except the Ravelin provides better protection against close-ranged firepower and close-combat attacks.Riptide Shield Generator - A Riptide Shield Generator is an especially large Shield Generator that has been fitted into an XV104 Riptide Battlesuit's ablative shield. Whilst it provides a lesser degree of protection than a normal Shield Generator, it can harness the energy from a Riptide's Dark Matter Nova Reactor to supercharge itself, making the shield near-impervious to enemy attacks.Seismic Fibrillator Node - A Seismic Fibrillator Node is a potent disc-shaped device which, when activated, emits resonant frequencies of such power that they cause localised seismic tremors. When the device is used correctly, these tremors can be greatly magnified and last for an extended period of time. Developed by the Earth Caste scientist O'Vesa at the personal request of Commander Farsight, Seismic Fibrillator Nodes were used to defend the Farsight Enclaves against the assault of WAAAGH! Grog. Upon the watery world of Salash'hei, Seismic Fibrillator Nodes placed on the ocean floor to awake the wrath of the world’s oceanic vents caused tsunamis of such immense size that an entire Ork navy was wiped out. Seismic Fibrillator Nodes were also used during the defence of Lub'grahl when a clutch of them where dropped into B'oghal, the Great Abyss. Before the hour was out, every one of the delicate rock spires that covered the world collapsed, burying all of the invading Ork hordes under forty metres of rock.Sensor Spines - Sensor Spines are a T'au vehicle support system that consists of several highly-sensitive antennae mounted on the prow of the vehicle. These Sensor Spines aid the vehicle by feeding data to an advanced ground-following flight control system, thus plotting safe courses through treacherous terrain and avoiding traps or mines that might lie hidden out of sight.Shield Generator - A Shield Generator is a T'au defensive technology that projects a cohesive energy field around its bearer, protecting him from assaults that might otherwise slay him outright. Shield Generators are employed at varying scales, from infantry-portable versions to the shields that protect T'au starships.Stimulant Injector - A Stimulant Injector system consists of an advanced life support system fitted within a T'au Battlesuit, and is able to flood the pilot's metabolic systems with life-sustaining stimulants and analgesic drugs should be become wounded so that he may continue to fight on at full effectiveness. A Stimulant Injector is a T'au Battlesuit Support System available to most forms of T'au Battlesuit. Whilst Stimulant Injector systems are now a commonly available Support System for use, when first introduced they was special-issue and entrusted only to Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas'vre or higher. The previous rarity of the system also meant that its distribution was limited to only one per Hunter Cadre, although this has since changed.Structural Analyser - The Structural Analyser is a unique, prototype T'au signature support system only used by the Pathfinder known as Darkstrider. This device, worn over the eye, utilises a newly-developed form of sensor located in the backpack of Darkstrider's armour that scans for the critical weak points in enemy armour, before feeding this information back into the targeting computers of Darkstrider and the Pathfinder Team he leads.Sunburst Bombardment - A Sunburst Bombardment is a T'au military tactic that can be performed by orbiting T'au starships to aid friendly ground forces engaged in a difficult combat against a world's defenders. Sunburst Bombardments are often used to aid large-scale planetary assaults during the initial planetstrike. When the command is given, the skies over the target world flash with blinding white as the T'au launch a massive onslaught of Lumina Flares at the foe, saturating and confusing any automated defensive Auspexes or tracking stations with the light. The shadow-haunted battlefield is illuminated starkly, each enemy stronghold now a glimmering beacon for the T'au forces' concentrated fire.Sword of Puretide - A Sword of Puretide is a prototype T'au neurochip that served as the predecessor of what would become the Puretide Engram Neurochip. Developed during the midst of the Damocles Gulf Crusade by the Earth Caste at the request of the Ethereals, these experimental neurochip prototypes contained the recorded military strategies of the great T'au military leader Commander Puretide. During the war, these "Swords of Puretide", as they came to be known, were surgically implanted into the minds of many Cadre Fireblades and T'au Commanders, allowing them to function as great military leaders that thought alike and could adapt to nearly any situation. Implanted commanders enjoyed great success when facing off against rank and file Imperial troops, but suffered when the Imperium brought forth its psykers to battle. Once implanted with a Sword of Puretide neurochip, a commander could not draw upon any of their own previous strategic knowledge. This caused many to falter badly in the face of the psyker threat, with the confusion costing hundreds of lives as the minds of the T'au leaders struggled to respond. After the war, all of the Puretide engrams were forcibly removed from the minds of those who had been implanted with them. These invasive procedures left those who were operated on as drooling and pliant simpletons, a sad loss to the T'au Empire, but such was the painful cost of victory in the eyes of the Water Caste. A notable exception to this was Commander Shas'vastos, a close friend of Commander Farsight’s, who was hidden away before his scheduled engram removal; thus becoming the sole survivor of the Sword of Puretide program. Whilst the prototype neurochip suffered rapid degeneration quickly thereafter, the commander was secreted away in stasis until the Farsight Enclaves Earth Caste scientist O'Vesa found a cure many decades later by recalibrating the neurochip and allowing the warrior to be safely awoken.Talisman of Arthas Moloch - A Talisman of Arthas Moloch is a form of rare artefact found on the Dead World of Arthas Moloch by the forces of Commander Farsight. These hexagrammatic talismans were discovered hanging upon great robed statues during the T'au forces' combat against Chaos Daemons on that world. A Talisman of Arthas Moloch possesses strange properties that cause Warp-spawned creatures and psychic powers to falter before it. Whilst the Farsight Enclaves now possess several of these talismans and use them in battle, neither Commander Farsight nor his advisors have the faintest idea of how they work.Target Lock - A Target Lock is a sophisticated target acquisition system. Infantry and Battlesuit versions of the Target Lock aid the user by identifying potential targets and plotting fire plans to counter them, thus allowing the bearer to target a different enemy unit from that engaged by the rest of his squad. A vehicle-mounted version of the Target Lock performs a similar role, except it allows different vehicle gunners within the same vehicle to more effectively engage multiple targets simultaneously. A Target Lock is a form of T'au Battlesuit Support System, though certain Fire Caste infantry and Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas'vre or higher may also be found with hard-wired versions of the system. This is particularly true for those who are equipped with Marker Lights so that they may designate priority targets whilst their squad provides covering fire. T'au skimmer vehicles can also be upgraded with a Target Lock as an additional support system.Targeting Array - A Targeting Array is a sophisticated computerised target acquisition system that assists the aim of the user by adjusting for the target’s range and speed, improving overall weapon accuracy. Primarily deployed as a T'au vehicle support system to assist the aim of the vehicle's gunners, a new application of Targeting Array technology has allowed it to be used as a T'au Battlesuit Support System.Unified Targeting Matrix - A Unified Targeting Matrix is a T'au Battlesuit Support System used to coordinate special formations of XV88 Broadside Battlesuits known as Broadside Destructor Phalanxes. Only issued to the formation's attached T'au Commander with the rank of Shas'el, a Unified Targeting Matrix allows for the combined fire of the formation's Heavy Rail Rifles to demolish even the most heavily armoured target with ease.Vectored Retro-Thrusters - Vectored Retro-Thrusters provide enhanced manoeuvrability to T'au Battlesuits outfitted with a Jetpack. Vectored Retro-Thrusters are a Battlesuit Support System available to most forms of T'au Battlesuit, with the exception of those that do not possess a Jetpack such as the XV88 Broadside Battlesuit, and those such as the XV104 Riptide Battlesuit which cannot use the system due to their immense bulk. Battlesuits equipped with Vectored Retro-Thrusters possess additional thruster nozzles for their Jetpack, granting them a high degree of manoeuvrability that is useful in escaping enemies which have engaged them in close combat. Whilst Vectored Retro-Thrusters are now a commonly available Support System for use, when first introduced, they was special-issue and entrusted only to Battlesuit pilots of the rank of Shas'vre or higher. The previous rarity of the system also meant that its distribution was limited to only one per Hunter Cadre, although this has since changed.Vectored Thruster Array - A Vectored Thruster Array is a new application of Vectored Retro-Thruster technology to the larger XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit that augments the chassis' own Jetpack to further increase the manoeuvrability of the Battlesuit, allowing it to make huge bounds across battlefields in order to reach its target, leap high into the atmosphere so as to redeploy elsewhere, or boost out of close combat with assaulting foes.Velocity Tracker - A Velocity Tracker is an advanced sensor suite that consists of sophisticated motion detecting and heat-seeking sensor systems designed to track the movements of airborne targets such as enemy aircraft. With a Velocity Tracker system, the bearer can accurately bring his weapons to bear on otherwise hard-to-hit, high-flying targets before blowing them out of the sky. A Velocity Tracker is a Support System available to most forms of T'au Battlesuit, although certain T'au skimmers such as the Skyray also make use of vehicle-mounted versions.