The Gue'vesa, literally 'human helpers' in the Tau tongue, are human warriors who have taken the cause of the Greater Good as their own. These humans, often the descendents of troops captured or abandoned during the abortive Damocles Crusade, now live and fight alongside the Tau. For them, fate has dictated that the Imperial Creed and the rule of the Adeptus Terra be replaced by loyalty to the collectivist Tau empire and to the ruling Ethereal caste.

Human auxiliary troopers are a fairly common sight along the western fringes of Tau space, in particular on those worlds contested during the Damocles Crusade. The Tau proved a hardier foe than anticipated by the Imperial forces and as the offensive became stalled, they were forced to withdraw in response to the far greater threat presented by the arrival of Hive Fleet Behemoth in nearby sectors.

The rapid redeployment left many human soldiers stranded; a situation soon exploited by the famous Commander Farsight as he followed in the wake of the retreating Human fleet, offering those left behind the stark choice of integration into the Tau empire, or a bleak future as prisoners of war. Faced with the proposition of being stranded many light years from home in a hostile and foreign region, many saw no alternative. These warriors and their offspring now maintain colonies on the frontiers of Tau space, content under their new masters yet none the less apprehensive of Imperial retribution should they face another crusade.

Those humans who have joined the Tau empire have been provided with the technology required to prevail on the Tau frontier. They have limited production capabilities, allowing them to construct equipment ranging from simple farming tools to a copy of the standard issue Imperial lasgun. In times of war, the Tau allow the Gue'vesa access to more advanced weaponry such as pulse rifles and carbines and other, more specialised equipment. These auxiliaries have become a respected part of the Tau military in the border regions, where they fill a tactical niche between the barbaric Kroot and the mainstay of Tau armies, the Fire Warrior teams. The Gue'vesa may lack the close combat savagery of the Kroot, but they are fully capable of using the more advanced examples of Tau technology, and using them to further the cause of the Greater Good.

The following army list entry may be taken in Tau armies, occupying one Troops choice on the Force Organisation chart.

Squad: The squad consists of 6-12 auxiliaries.

Weapons: Lasguns.

Options: Up to two auxiliaries may be equipped with a pulse rifle or a pulse carbine at +3 points per model. The team may carry EMP grenades at an additional cost of +3 points per model.

Character: One auxiliary may be upgraded to a Gue'vesa'ui at an additional cost of +10 points. The leader may buy a markerlight at an additional cost of +10 points.

Traitors: Although the humans who have joined the Tau empire bear no ill-will towards their former compatriots, the same can not be said of Imperial troops fighting the auxiliaries. Imperial troops will always hit a Gue'vesa on a roll of 3+ in close combat, regardless of relative Weapon Skill.

There are lots of miniatures you could use to represent your Gue'vesa teams, in particular any of the Imperial Guard range, as well as Necromunda miniatures. However, in order to present the humans as part of a Tau force, as well as for ease of conversion when it comes to equipping them with Tau weaponry, I've opted to use a combination of the Imperial Guard Catachan and Tau Fire Warrior plastic sets.

Combining these two sets allows you to use whatever mixture of parts you feel is appropriate to your force. I've used the legs, arms, weapons and heads from the Catachan set, and combined these with the torso, shoulder pad, back pack and other details from the Fire Warrior set. You can vary how much you use from either set to achieve the look you like, either a more scruffy and Imperial appearance, or a regimented and Tau look.