Cadres of the Or'es Shi Contingent

The Or'es Shi contingent numbers roughly 8 battle ready cadres. While this is somewhat more than normal many of the cadres are under strength in Tau Firewarriors. They make up for the lack of line troops with an increased number of auxilaries, drones or mechanized elements. Below is listed the setup of each cadre.

First Cadre:
-The Or'es Shi First is the personal cadre of Shas'O Ximoro'An and is both highly elite and highly mechanized. The cadre consists of a few Firewarrior squads in Devilfish APCs, a number of Hammerhead gunships and a handful of veteran battlesuite pilots. Shas'el Ren'va also serves as second in command of the cadre. Armored assault cadre experienced in punching holes in enemy formations and battle lines to disorient the enemy and perform vital tasks to the greater Tau forces. Also specializes in targeting enemy HQ units and neutralizing them. Was the first cadre to enter the underground ruins on VR-4 and is known for being the most agressive cadre in the contingent almost to the extent of recklessness.

Second Cadre:
-The second cadre is also mechanized however this cadre makes use of more battlesuits and drones than the first cadre. Currently under strength after the battle for Dalath Ridge on VR-4 during the evacuation efforts and underwent an organizational change to compensate for the losses. Primarily a support cadre for the first and a rapid responce unit.

Third Cadre:
-The only cadre in the Or'es Shi contingent to sport a large number of Firewarriors the third makes use of a large number of infantry and primarily uses no tanks what so ever. Has a high concentration of Firewarrior teams, Broadside teams, sniper drones, Battlesuits and Stealth suits. Also along with the First and Second cadres it is the last cadre to contain no auxilaries. The primary role of this cadre is defence. Specializing at holding positions and battle lines making sure the other cadres in the contingent can go about their missions without the threat of being cut off from reinforcements. The third cadre is one of continuously fewer cadres in the empire that maintains this combat style.

Fourth Cadre:
-The fourth cadre was detatched from the contingent to liberate a mining outpost on VR-12 during the third sphere expansion and suffered heavy cassualties when an airlock was broken in the sealed mining facilities on the inhospitable planet and fully half of the cadres fighting troops were killed. The tragedy did not deter them however and they pressed on with their mission and were eventually successful thanks ot sympathetic miners who took up arms to aid them. The rebels were formed into a gue'la regiment and a number of auxilaries were seconded to the Or'es Shi Fourth in recognition of their bravery in aiding the practically enslaved miners.

Fifth Cadre:
-The fifth is a cadre that has been assigned to test a number of new weapons systems and prototype wargear by O'An himself. The cadre has recieved a number of new technological war machines from the Empire such as Piranha light skimmers, Skyray gunships, Sniper Drone teams and a surprising number of new and advanced battlesuite systems. In addition a number of Vespid auxilaries were assigned to the cadre. The cadre forms a support role in the contingent bringing these new experimental weapons to bear where they are most needed in the battle and frequently the cadre will not even fight together but will be broken up and assigned temporarily to other cadres in the contingent a somewhat unusual but increasingly popular practice in Tau forces.

Sixth Cadre:
-Known as the Roughnecks by a tribe of the Kroot who they fought beside during the missions on the Western Hemisphere of VR-4. The western himisphere of the planet was covered in thick jungles and being adept at jungle fighting a large number of Kroot Auxilaries were assigned to the Or'es Shi contingent and surprisingly most of them were then ordered to fight along side the Sixth cadre. It was the Sixth that cut a path through the jungle to the ancient capital of a pre-Imperial human civilization that had once inhabited the planet. The ruins were now underground and hidden amidst the vast jungle. The fighting was close and brutal and the cadre quickly learned to value the particular skills of the Kroot. The cadre maintains a significantly larger number of Stealth teams than the other cadres in the contingent and maintains few armored vehicles. Obviously a specialist at jungle fighting the cadre is being adapted to an equally deadly type of combat, urban warfare.

Seventh Cadre:
-The seventh cadre of the contingent maintains auxilaries of Gue'la, Vespids and Kroot. The only cadre in the contingent to do so the seventh is most often assigned to support the third cadre in holding the lines for the other cadres to operate around. With the broad spectrum of specializations the different auxilaries bring the Seventh is one of the most versatile cadres in the contingent.

Eighth Cadre:
-The eighth cadre is also known by the Imperials as the 'artillery boys.' This cadre makes heavy use of Pathfinder teams and Skyray Gunships and also provides every one of its Firewarrior squad leaders with a markerlight and contains few Battlesuits of any kind. This cadre Provides long ranged missil support to the other battle cadres and is quite often assigned to aid the seventh and the third cadres though the eighth is also frequently drawn to the front lines to support one of the more mobile cadres. Most recently the eighth engaged in a scouting mission behind enemy lines and used its markerlights to devastating effect destroying their targets and many more before the enemy even knew what was happening and even managed to call in an orbital strike from the contingents Emmisary class battleship in orbit destroying a significant number of the enemy before withdrawing without taking a single cassualty.