Learn to shorten your reach! If your foe can come close enough to negate your striking power, all stratagem is lost and when all stratagem is lost, the battle is lost.
The first Tau ships used a gravitic drive that projected a sheet of antigravity around the hull of the ship. Reprojecting this sheet over and over again in front of the ship would continuously pull the ship forward. This technology was used around M39, but had a standstill of 200 tau’cyr, for no advancement was made in developing the technology. The discovery of an alien vessel on one of the seven inner moons of T’au gave the Fio an insight in warp-drives. First progress was slow, but the Tau managed to master the technology partially allowing them to make partial transitions into the warp. Only the most bulky drives could handle it and power would remain a problem for long. The new warp drives would allow them to expand across the galaxy and the first class of starships build was the Gal’eath, which formed the basis for the Kor’vattra in its first wars against the Orks. More compact gravitic drives led to the construction of the Il’fannor and Kass’l class ships. A fleet combined from these ships in combination with orbital stations colonized Tau’n. The Manta was then created as transport ship for forces from space to ground. The Skether’qan class was then constructed as a messenger ship to relay messages over large distances in space. Within twenty years of the end of the Damocles Gulf Crusade the first Lar’shi was launched. The experiences of the Damocles Gulf Crusade and first contact with the Tyranid led to the creation of a new ‘experimental’ fleet. This project was titled Kor’ovesh and it resulted in design of the Il’Porrui, Kir’shasvre, Kir’la, Or’es’El’leath and Lar’shi’vre class vessels. These were first encountered in large numbers during the Taros Campaign.
The notation of the Tau names of the ships is adjusted to the new Tau codex system. A Tau spaceship name is build up out of the following elements, in same order of appearance: Sept of construction – class name – name of the first commander (Air caste of Kor’ui rank or higher) – name of the current commander (omitted if it is the same as the third element)
Ship Classes
Class Name
Class Translation
Type
Source
Gal’leath
Explorer
Starship
BFG: Magazine # 17, page 7
Il’fannor
Merchant
Starship
BFG: Magazine # 17, page 8
Kass’l
Orca
Gunship
BFG: Magazine # 17, page 8
Skether’qan
Messenger
Starship
BFG: Magazine # 17, page 8
Lar’shi
Hero
Cruiser
BFG: Magazine # 17, page 8
Il’Porrui
Emissary
Envoy Ship
BFG: Magazine # 17, page 8
Kir’shasvre
Castellan
Heavy Escort
IA 3: The Taros Campaign, page 214
Kir’la
Warden
Carrier Escort
IA 3: The Taros Campaign, page 213
Or’es’El’leath
Custodian
Carrier
IA 3: The Taros Campaign, page 213
Lar’shi’vre
Protector
Warship
IA 3: The Taros Campaign, page 214
Historic Ships
Full Name
History
Source
Dal’yth’Gal’leath’Kessan
Last of its class to be build. Developped by Kor’o’Kessan, also its current captain. Is the flagship for a major expedition into the Farsight Enclave, directed by Aun’shi, including a scientific team lead by Por’o’Jess’l. Most of the ships holds are converted to laboratories.
BFG: Magazine # 17, page 11
Or’es’Tash’var
Current captain is Kor’o’Natash’T’yra
Novel: Fire Warrior, page 54
Sa’cea’Lar’shi’Khas’a’tah
Build on Sa’cea, of the hero class, under command of Kor’o’Khas’a’tah. Has had a big offensive role and got a large crew of Fire caste warriors.
BFG: Magazine # 17, page 13
Sha’korar’Aslo
Current captain: Kor’el’Kais’Savon
Novel: Kill Team, page 128
T’au’Gal’leath’A’proh’M’lath
Build on T’au, of the explorer class, first commanded by Kor’o’A’proh, now under command of Kor’ui’M’lath
BFG: Magazine # 17, page 11
Tau’n’Gal’leath’Da’loth’K’shar
Build on Tau’n, of the explorer class, first commanded by Kor’Da’loth, now under command of Kor’K’shar, made first contact with the humans in the Delvan system and was destroyed.
BFG: Magazine # 19, page 8
Tau’n’Il’fannor’Ur’akym’Drimma
Build on Vash’ya in the Ke’lshan configuration, of the merchant class, first commanded by Kor’Ur’akym, and after almost two centuries of service under command of Kor’Drimma.
BFG: Magazine # 19, page 20
Tel’ham’Kenvaal
Current captain is Kor’o’Dal’yth’Men’he
Novel: Fire Warrior, page 165
Vash’ya’Il’fannor’Ur’akym’Drimma
Build on Vash’ya in the Ke’lshan configuration, of the merchant class, first commanded by Kor’Ur’akym, and after almost two centuries of service under command of Kor’Drimma.
BFG: Magazine # 17, page 12
Vash’ya’Lar’shi’vre’Io’Phi
Fought in the battle for Taros System in 998.M41
IA 3: The Taros Campaign, page 83
Vash’ya’Lar’shi’vre’Io’Tar
Fought in the battle for Taros System in 998.M41
IA 3: The Taros Campaign, page 83
Vash’ya’Or’es’El’leath’A’Rho
Destroyed in the battle for Taros System in 998.M41
