[calmsword]

Hey guys, so i'm getting ready to rehash the Project- finish up the Fire Caste, work on the Kor- ect.

So- i know i've asked this before but in light of newer fluff (current WD article for example.)

But i need a comprehensive list of nearby Human worlds (Dolumar, Nimbosa) and smaller Tau colonies (Me'lek, Es'tau). I really need help doing this as my collection is no longer available.

So, if anyone could help me start building the list- that would be great. Just put the planets name first- then a blurb on fluff like what happened on it.

[Wargamer]

Official only, or does this include player-made worlds?

[Doombringer]

From IA3 and the Tau Empire Codex, we can see that the Tau Empire encompasses just over a hundred settled/colonized worlds, consisting of twenty Septs and a large number of vassal alien homeworlds.

In addition to the primary 1st (1PE), 2nd (2PE), and 3rd (3PE) Phase Expansion Planets described and detailed in the Star Maps in the Codices:

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Fire Warrior

Kra'sylth - Location: Unknown (2PE)
Site of an enormous battle between Shas'O Shi'ur's Contingent/Command and a Tyranid Splinter Fleet. Outcome unknown.

Kuu'lan - Location: Near Dal'yth, Frontier World (3PE)
World taken during the Third Sphere Expansion

Natash: Location: Unknown (2PE)
No information

Queh-Quih - Location: Near Perdus Rift, Kroot Territory
Kroot "Sept" World.

Rann - Location: South of Damocles Gate, between Dolumar IV and Dal'yth (2PE)
Frontier/Outpost world with vast orbital shipyards.

Yu'kanesh - Location: Near Dal'yth, Frontier World (3PE)
Site of Ethereal capture just prior to the events on Dolumar IV.

[size=6pt]To be updated soon[/size]
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Aeronautica Imperialis

Ik'yabar - Location: Southern Tau Territory, near D'yanoi and Fal'shia (2/3PE)
Arctic world near D'yanoi that came under the assault of a Tyranid splinter fleet during the Third Sphere Expansion. Thanks to heavy presence of Kor air power, the Tyranids were defeated.

Dy'rios III - Location: Northern Tau Territory (3PE)
One of the many planets raided by Commander Shadowsun during the Third Sphere Expansion.

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Xenology

Colony #23 (Imperial Designation) - Location: Near Damocles Gulf, West of N'Dras (2PE)
Information unknown

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Kill Team

Me'lek - Location: Southern Near Side of Damocles Gulf, West of T'olku (2PE)
Tau Garrison/Staging World

Es'tau - Location: Southern Near Side of the Damocles Gulf, West of T'olku (2PE)
Tau Garrison/Staging World - Site of Imperium/Tau Battle, Conclusion Unknown

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Imperial Armour 3: The Taros Campaign

T'ros - Location: Likely on the Southern Far Side of the Damocles Gulf, West of T'olku (3PE)
Imperial mining world conquered by Shas'O R'myr in the Third Sphere Expansion

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The Traitor's Hand

Salomine System (Imperial Designation) - Location: Near Edge of Damocles Gulf (2PE-3PE)
A Tau colony world was attacked by Chaos "Ravagers." Encountering unexpected resistence, the Ravagers were delayed long enough for an Imperial Naval contingent to catch up with them and "slaughter the heretics in the name of the Greater Good."

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Other Games Workshop Sources

Nimbosa - Location: Southern Far Side of Damocles Gulf, West of T'olku (3PE+)
Vital gue'la mining/factory colony, site of fierce ongoing battles over ownership.

Vor'anoth - Location: South-East of Tash'var between Fal'shia and D'yanoi (2PE)
Small burgeoning colony that came under siege by Orks at its' two-year mark. Outcome unknown.

Vir'la - Location: Vior'la System, One of Twelve Planets (1PE)
Planet similar to Vior'la with a high proportion of Fire Warriors.

Mon'kali - Location: Near Gue'la Space, between Damocles-Perdus Gate (3PE)
Tau border colony, the site of a battle between Shadowsun's forces and Space Marines of the 'Dark Angels' classification.

Kronus - Location: Damocles-Perdus Gate, Border World (2PE)
Tau border colony, the site of a fierce battle between Tau and aliens of many classifications. Outcome unknown.

[calmsword]

only official- after that we can work on player made.

[calmsword]

I'll put down a few

Sy'l'kel- lost and believed retaken

Dolumar V- exterminated by SM after Chaos breach. Near Perdus Rift but beyond 2nd Phase Empire boundaries.

Gravalax- Imperial held world infested by Genestealers. Tau influenced human population. Maybe in the north (southern end) of the Gulf 'gate.'

Kronos- Contested world, closer Medusa.

Epsil'ye'kal- human factory world near other human world influenced before the Damocles crusade.

Typha IV- imperial factory world- contested, on the new 3rd sphere border

[Kasrkin]

Semi-official, from Specialist Games:

Kleist - Tau-aligned Human world, taken during the 3rd phase expansion. Massive (for Gue'vesa) population of 7 billion and advanced infrastructure. Home of the Gue'senshi. Located in the Timbra subsector, east of Nimbosa, and presumably now a part of the Ksi'm'yen sept.

Garrus & Phaeb - Minor human-inhabited worlds (or moons, I forget which) in the Kleist system. Surrendered to the Tau immediately after the fall of Kleist.

[legio mortis]

Originally Posted by calmsword

Typha IV- imperial factory world- contested, on the new 3rd sphere border

The Tau were actually driven away from Typha, but they weren't really there to conquer the planet anyway.

[calmsword]

could you elaborate?

[calmsword]

Be'etar- in the Dal'yth Sept- twelve light years from Sept Center.

[legio mortis]

Here's a post from Warseer detailing the Typha-IV conflict.

The Typha-IV campaign though never explicitly stated or given dates, appears to take place in the early M42. This can be inferred from the political context of the campaign. It occurs after the main gains of the Third Sphere Expansion of the Tau, which in turn was sparked by the stripping of Imperial forces to face the 13th Black Crusade. We know the Black Crusade occurred in the waning part of 999.M41. Unless we accept a ridiculously fast Tau campaign in the Third Sphere Expansion, it isn't possible for the Typha-IV campaign to occur earlier than M42 as the Tau forces in Typha-IV were from one of the Third Sphere Septs.


Aerial assets:
Both sides seem to have inflicted equal amounts of damage to each other, with the Imperial losses stated as being possibly proportionally higher due to the final losses to the harsh environment in the aftermath of Operation Defiant Hate. However roughly equal losses is disadvantageous to the Tau given the greater size of the Imperium.

More importantly, the Imperium held the field and was therefore able to recover salvage of cutting edge new Tau technology including the new Remora drone fighter, along with Earth caste captives. The Tau therefore have lost the element of surprise in future more important engagements.

Thirdly, the Imperium is stated to have seized on the campaign as a propaganda piece showing the Tau being met and defeated. We have no way of knowing how skewed a picture the Imperium may paint, but at the very least I would think it would exert a chilling effect on Imperial governors or populations thinking of joining the Tau, and make the Water caste's work that much harder.

Now to look on the other side of the coin. The Tau did succeed in inflicting sufficient damage to Typha-IV's mining and refining facilities as to render the planet economically unproductive for decades. However, Typha-IV was not a critically important world. Not unimportant given its abundant mineral resources but not absolutely vital. Though losing its output may set the Imperium back in the local area, the price paid by the Tau for this IMO seems too high.


Naval assets:
A major setback for the Tau. Two freshly built Custodian battleship sized carriers were used, and one ends up being scuttled with the other being damaged. If taken in conjunction with the Taros campaign, where another Custodian was destroyed, the Tau seem to be losing ships of this class at a ferocious rate.


Overall strategic picture:

The Tau were stated to have launched the campaign as a deep penetration raid in order to keep that local area of the Imperium on a defensive footing rather than offensive footing, in order to give the Third Sphere Septs time to develop and fortify themselves. The Tau were stated to be trying to prevent a second Damocles Crusade. In this they appear to have succeeded, as the book states the Imperium diverted resources to fortifications and defneses, that might otherwise have gone towards to an Imperial invasion.

However I have my doubts as to how great a success this really was. Given the massive stripping of Imperial forces to the Cadian Gate region that allowed the Third Sphere Expansion to occur in the first place, and the result of the EoT campaign (Chaos victory), it is doubtful the Imperium would be refocusing major forces on the Tau anytime soon. Even if a small local counterattack had really been averted or delayed, the cost paid by the Tau (new carrier scuttled, large amounts of new tech left for Imperium to salvage, decent number of Earth caste captured by the Imperium, all the Tau aircraft lost in the campaign) for this extra time and the impact of one less mining world's production doesn't seem worth it.