XV88 Broadside Battlesuit - Role: The decision to combine the deadly Rail Weapon technology of the Hammerhead gunship with the most successful of T'au Battlesuits -- the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit -- has produced the vaunted XV88 Broadside Battlesuit.Designed to offer T'au combatants long-range fire support, XV88 Broadside Battlesuit Teams have exceeded expectations since their conception, becoming mainstays of the Hunter Cadres and tank-destroyers of legendary proportions upon the many battlefields of the T'au Empire.The Broadside's reach alone is a potent weapon, and this is exemplified by the battlesuit's signature weapon -- the Heavy Rail Rifle, which can cut through the defences of almost any armour and even enemy entrenchments at extreme ranges. The whip-crack retort of its fire is greatly feared by the enemies of the T'au.XV88 Broadside Battlesuits are small enough to utilise cover well on the battlefield in comparison to other vehicles, which makes them ideal for supporting Fire Warriors with much needed anti-tank firepower on the frontline. This rates favourably in comparison to the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, which often bears the brunt of an enemy attack.XV88 Battlesuits are most commonly deployed alongside Fire Warriors to form a static defence line, or to provide the equivalent of mobile artillery to support a T'au advance. In open terrain, as occurred on Taros or upon the ice plains of Issenheim, a small number of XV88 Broadside Teams were sufficient to negate the advance of entire armoured tank companies, quickly turning them into smoking wreckage.Broadside Battlesuits are commonly fielded in teams of one to three and can be carried by T'au Orcas or Mantas for transport to the battlefield on a planet's surface from a T'au fleet in orbit, where they can provide heavy fire support for T'au Hunter Cadres.Occasionally, a single Broadside may be tasked with providing fire support for a smaller T'au infantry force. However, once deployed, XV88s are slow-moving units in comparison to Crisis Battlesuits, due to their lack of a Jetpack.Their need for a static firing position means they must be deployed with care and only when an engagement is imminent; for it takes valuable time for them to reposition; and while doing so, their main armament is far less accurate.Their standard secondary weapon system -- a Smart Missile System -- was chosen to make up for this shortcoming. The Heavy Rail Rifle and Smart Missile System are complementary tools of destruction that are system-linked on Broadside Battlesuits to provide lethal accuracy.For accurate deployment, Broadside Battlesuit pilots rely on good information from forward Pathfinder teams and other T'au scout units.As with all T'au Fire Caste warriors, 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 their utmost to protect not just their comrades, but also nearby teams in their cadre. With this training, T'au units can use overlapping fields of fire to provide all teams with mutual support on the battlefield in the case of enemy assaults.During the Taros Campaign, Broadside Battlesuits were widely deployed in support of Hunter Cadres on the defensive. They could not be deployed as part of the fast-moving Pathfinder raiding force, or as armoured counter-attack forces which might be required to operate in the deserts for many solar days, fighting then quickly withdrawing before moving to attack again.Instead, when an engagement was imminent, Orcas or a Manta would quickly move Broadside Teams into position, usually holding a ridge line or an area of higher ground with good fields of fire. The Broadside Teams could then target the enemy at maximum range, singling out enemy tanks and troop carriers before being picked up again after the battle by T'au aircraft.Using these rapid deployment tactics, XV88 Broadside Battlesuit Teams could lend their potent fire support without slowing an armoured Hunter Cadre down as it raced to new positions for the next battle against Imperial forces.