In the dense street fights amidst the ruins of Nimbosa, the T'olku Sept employed lone Monat warriors in an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit armed with a Flamer, Burst Cannon and Stimulant Injector (the Lone Hunter configuration) , which proved the most effective means of driving the many Imperial Guard regiments out of their defensive barricades. Although the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit is by far the most commonly deployed battlesuit in the T'au armoury, only those Fire Warriors who prove themselves in battle earn the right to wear it and bear the name of shas'ui -- the first honoured military rank that can pilot a T'au Battlesuit. It is of note that some battlesuits may have a secondary operational role, and so a rare third numeral may be included in its designation. Please note that the recently introduced XV104 Riptide, XV107 R'varna, and XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuits are uniquely named, for their three numbers are meant to be read as 10-4, 10-7, and 10-9 respectively; with 10 being the mass class and 4, 7, and 9 being the designator of their tactical role.

The XV85 Enforcer Battlesuit is a larger and sleeker variant of the standard XV8 Crisis Battlesuit that provides better protection and joint movement for the pilot, and can mount additional support systems or weapons due to its more powerful reactor. Some weapons have ‘Blast’ listed in their profile’s abilities. These are referred to as Blast weapons. In addition to the normal rules, the following rules apply to Blast weapons: For example, an Enforcer Commander armed with three Cyclic Ion Blasters and an Advanced Targeting System now comes to 159 points, which is certainly still worth it. A Coldstar Commander armed with four Fusion Blasters is 180 points, which is starting to look a little pricy, but it’s probably still worth a look.T'au Battlesuit Size Comparison, from left to right: Fire Warrior in Combat Armour, XV25 Stealthsuit, XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, XV85 Enforcer Battlesuit, XV88 Broadside Battlesuit, XV104 Riptide Battlesuit, and XV02 Pilot Battlesuit. http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Tau/TAU-BATTLESUITS-AND-DRONES/XV89-CRISIS-BATTLESUIT.html (last accessed 9 June 2015)

Twin-linked Battlesuit weapons systems can be also wielded by XV8 Crisis Battlesuits. In this case, a twin-linked weapon system takes up two hard-points on the Battlesuit's chassis rather than the usual one. Note that weapons considered special issue cannot usually be twin-linked due to their rare availability in the T'au armoury.Initially deployed during the fighting on Taros during the Taros Campaign, it was soon found that the XV89's bulky armour plating limited its manoeuvrability, leaving those shas'vre assigned to it unable to fulfil the traditional role of XV8 Crisis Teams. XV25; The most common version of the stealthsuit in use by the Tau Empire. The Earth Caste hoped to introduce the XV22 en masse to replace the XV15, however the Kappa Mortis Incident forced them to instead bring the easier-to-produce XV25 into full-scale production. Thanks to their larger frame and augmented muscles, XV25s can replace their Burst Cannon for a Fusion Gun, and may also take an additional Battlesuit Support System. White Dwarf #263 (US), Crisis! Tau Battlesuit Teams. A look at the strategies of the Tau battlesuits. by Pete Haines and Phil Kelly After this service, Fire Warriors will normally move on to train in the use of the XV88 Broadside Battlesuit. Whilst some T'au Fire Warriors may skip this stage, it is considered important by many T'au Commanders for their veteran warriors seeking greater command roles within the Fire Caste to have had experience in the heavy fire support role. Once a Fire Warrior has proven themselves ready for more responsibility in a second Trial by Fire, they will then be promoted to the rank of shas'vre and lead their own XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Team.

Every piece of Tau wargear has a unique identification code detailing its size, design and battlefield role. Battlesuits are given the classification XV followed by a numerical code to denote their mass class (size) and their evolution in the design process. The XV88 Broadside Battlesuit, for example, is a mass class 8 suit, and the eighth variation of the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit. The much larger XV104 Riptide is in the tenth mass class, while the 4 in its classification indicates that it is in the final stages of field testing. [15] Battlesuits can also have a sub-designation of the standard suit, indicating a small alteration on the generic version of the suit, but without a specific battlefield role. For example, the XV8-05 "Enforcer" armour is an enhanced version of the Crisis suit, as opposed to an XV85, which would indicate a mass class 8 stealth suit.

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While its protective armour and mobility are highly valued by the T'au, it is the ability of the XV8 Battlesuit to carry multiple weapons and support systems that makes them so incredibly dangerous and versatile. Designed to compensate for the recoil of light weapons fire, the XV8's weapon loadout can be easily altered to reflect mission requirements or the pilot's own personal preference.