Jon Grant Miniatures

  UPDATED October 2025 The Tau Empire were the third faction released for Aeronautica Imperialis, and I have always been a fan of this Xenos race. In Warhammer 40,000, they are a force that prefers to keep their army at range, with good manoeuvrability but slightly slower overall. How do the Air Caste compare to their Fire Caste brethren? Within this article are examples of aircraft with weapon loadouts. Each loadout includes the average damage the aircraft can cause in a single round of firing at each range. Additionally, I have put together a painting guide for how I painted my Tau aircraft .  Faction review links: Imperial Navy Orks Tau Empire Aeldari Adeptus Astarte (Space Marines) Necron My recorded games can be viewed on YouTube or try the video below. Faction Overview The main strength of the Tau Empire Air Cadre lies in its exceptional manoeuvrability, combined with solid durability and impressive versatility. Each aircraft type can be armed in a variety of w...

The Tau Empire was released in the second box set for Aeronautica Imperialis, Skies of Fire. Since their release in 2020, the Tau have not received any additional rules for new aircraft. That was the case until the release of the Aeronautica Imperialis Companion. In the Companion, the Tau can now take human auxiliary aircraft. There is a small range of auxiliary aircraft that can be selected to operate with the Tau.  The Tau can take one auxiliary aircraft for every five Tau aircraft. Even if they take five Remora Drones, the Tau must spend at least 70pts before adding the cost of the auxiliary aircraft. It is unlikely that any Tau player would just take Remora Drones. Realistically, the Tau player will be taking five Barracudas at a cost of at least 125pts. So, the auxiliary aircraft are only going to be used in larger games.  Before I go on to consider which of the auxiliary aircraft are worth taking, I want to identify some of the weaknesses in the standard Tau aircraft. Th...