So my KT will be launching a capture and control mission against a tau base on one of the sept worlds. The goal is to establish a FOB from which they can launch further operations on this planet against the foul xenos. Anyways I was wondering as I am fairly new GM and have only ran the extraction one off in the back of the core book what is a good number of fire warriors to throw at the team (4 maybe 5 members)? And should i run the as individual baddies or throw them into a horde? Oh and the team is all rank 1 just starting out…..figured that might be imortant lol. Thanks in advance for any help!!

Individual fire warriors is just asking for a lot of bookkeeping.

If your KT is generally inexperienced, I would perhaps have the base they are assaulting be one of tertiary importance. The Tau main base on the planet will be comparable if not superior to imperial bases just due to their design philosophy and be brimming with Fire Warriors, drones, and probably battlesuits along with static turrets, probable Piranha patrols, etc.

For a small base in a low-strategic area (which could be turned to greater strategic use by the KT as a staging area), I think that regardless there is going to be resistance from the moment of detection - and either a request for aid to a stronger base or at least an update that the enemy has appeared. The Tau aren't dumb, they have good logistics, they will not just go it alone for glory.

I would say a loud insertion (drop pod) will attract attention immediately as it is scrambled. A more subtle one, say a stealthed Stormraven deployed from a frigate with an Empyrean Mantle, could be more unnoticed.

The Tau will likely have a Piranha patrol, at least 1 stealthsuit, and kroot set up to act as spotters. A good challenge for the main base might be a couple mounted railguns, a couple roaming drone patrols, a Fire Warrior horde able to respond to attacks from cover and perhaps even a battlesuit.

I would keep Hordes at Magnitude 30 or less. I would have multiple small Hordes over one large one, but if you want, say, 5 small Hordes, make them Magnitude 5 each. The point is abstracting the enemies, but too many small Hordes will flat-out kill a KT especially if their Magnitude is over 10 as that increases Horde damage substantially.

The KT should be aware that rousing the entire base in one glorious action will probably be a fight they cannot win. Their goal should be to eliminate successive defensive perimeters and above all, blind and deafen the base so they cannot call for aid.

I might stage the following encounters:

-Piranha patrol - the KT must quickly eliminate them or jam their systems before they escape or call for help. 1 vehicle, perhaps 2 but know that if the enemy escapes, they are in for a world of hurt. Think the speeder bike scene from Return of the Jedi.

-Kroot spotters in the trees or high ground - decide whether they will engage or just radio it in, or both. A couple Hordes of Magnitude 10, perhaps. Rolls to spot. Or instead of Kroot, some Fire Warriors playing Patient Hunter.

-Maybe a Tau Pathfinder, but that's likely to get someone sniped or just blow the cover. Perhaps the nastiest option. Or instead, a stealthsuit team of two. Give rolls to detect the suits and then destroy them, this will play sort of Predator-ish.

-The main base: 1-2 mounted railguns (destroyable), 1 Battlesuit with shield drone, 2 Hordes of ~15-20 Fire Warriors each in an octagonal base with lots of cover and shooting holes. The Battlesuit will need to jump out to engage, while the Fire Warriors provide covering fire. When it looks like the KT is going to win, throw in either a Kroot horde returning to base, another Piranha, or a drone Horde returning from patrol. I wouldn't put the Hordes at a size greater than 20 depending on your team's equipment. You want the fight to be hard but not necessarily to automatically ****** defeat from the jaws of victory.

I'd also add a recon/intelligence-based sidequest or something, like seizing and securing a data-cache or destroying a buried cable line so the base cannot easily call for help.

Super helpful thank you!