Editing Last Stand - Tau Commander (section)

==Progression==
The Tau progression is extremely balanced and measured, with equipment distributed quite evenly throughout. At no point does the Tau Commander ever really have a "struggle point" like the [[Last Stand - Captain|Captain]] before the Jump Pack or [[Last Stand - Lord General|Lord General]] before Guardsmen. Out the gate, the Tau Commander is a versatile, effective hero that excels at fire support. Initially in his career, however, he is better used as an offensive support unit, debuffing, controlling, and bringing down tough enemies, but later he can be kitted out for everything from line support to long-range, high-damage combat or infantry destruction.

At the start of your career as a Shas'o, you have two decent gun options - the Flamer and the Plasma Rifle, a usable-if-not-overwhelming shield in the Shield Generator, and a ''very'' useful pair of starting wargear options - the Photon Grenade and Snare Trap. Both of these items are usable ''all game long'' and unlike many similar options in other classes retain their usefulness no matter how high in level the Shas'o is; consider them if you don't necessarily ''need'' another tactical option (for example, if you are running Dual Fusion Blasters, Photon Grenade and Snare Trap are generally a better choice than Anti-Armor Missiles). You should stick with the Armored Chassis - at least for the first few levels - so you can work towards the ''Dynamic Entry'' achievement and so you have a bit more survivability, since you don't have the usual degree of flexibility a Shas'o will later have yet.

Levels 2 through 4 bring you, in order, the Energy Core, Fusion Blaster, and Stimulant Injector. The Energy Core should be used ''immediately'', whereas the Fusion Blaster is more of a tactical choice - huge damage, but a very slow reload, making the Shas'o better at wiping out heavy targets at the cost of everything else. It's better to shelve the Fusion Blaster (for now), because it becomes way better later on. The Stimulant Injector comes next, and should ideally replace the accessory of your choice if you plan to use the other crisis suit - the Agile suit will give you plenty of mobility and really helps the Flamer; it'll be even better later on with some additional gear. Though the Stimulant Injector's a great survivability upgrade, try to learn to get by ''without'' it - you'll train yourself better and be more able to avoid over-relying on it for when accessories are scarce!

Level 5 brings you the Shield Drone, and a great option it is. Use it immediately and familiarize yourself with using it as mobile cover, since the Tau Commander lacks the ability to gain cover saves.

Levels 6, 7, and 8 are characterized by major utility upgrades. Level 6 brings you the Ion Battery, which is one of the most useful wargear items in the game if you're packing a lot of heavy drain equipment (Photon Grenades, Shield Drone) and are great for allies as well. Level 7 brings you the Kinetic Shield, a great defensive enhancement that makes the Tau Commander a threat at close combat and synergizes beautifully with the Fusion Blaster and Plasma Rifle. Level 8 brings you your first legitimate anti-squad option in Fragmentation Missile Pod - Use this weapon sparingly - it's both energy-hungry and hard to aim, but its firepower is excellent.

With Level 9 and 10, you get the Airbursting Fragmentation Projector, which is your first long-ranged weapon and extremely handy for fighting from afar. This is then chased by the Coolant Injectors - arguably the most important and powerful item in ''all of Last Stand'' for the Tau Commander, reducing the cost of ''everything'' by five and reducing your cooldowns. Virtually every quality Tau Commander build ''needs'' this piece of hardware, but it isn't ''critical'' if you're focused on weapon use, so bear this in mind.

Level 11 brings the Iridium Shield, giving you an alternate way to get the Heavy trait for lighter chassis builds, and giving major survivability to any build that doesn't need sheer mobility. You can now run a heavy defense build, or use it to bolster light builds. Anti-Armor Missile comes next, arguably the most useful offensive option the Tau Commander gets for almost six levels, and one of the most useful weapons of its type, making anti-infantry weapon builds much more viable. 13 then chases this with the Agile Crisis Suit, giving you a substantial boost to airmobility and making most long range offensive builds viable. 14 then brings Targeting Cluster - now you can get the most out of Plasma Rifle and Fusion Blaster builds. Score!

Level 15 gives you the Heavy Gun Drone. Get used to using it - it's less survivable and less helpful to allies than the Shield Drone, but it's way more self-sufficient and can help you stay alive that much longer. Very handy for fire support and as a distraction, and it becomes lethal if you can get Drone Controller - more on that later.

Level 16 finally starts to bring the Tau Commander up to his zenith as far as power goes, unlocking the Burst Cannon. This weapon offers suppression, high damage, and long-range - it's hard to find a more efficient weapon for infantry-killing, though it struggles with high armor. Fortunately, you ''have'' an option for heavy armor by now (you got it at level 12). 17 then gives you the Command Armor, the only Shas'o armor with Fearless and a unique aura that boosts your ranged damage. Unfortunately, it's also the only suit without a health boost, so it also makes both the Shields and Stimulant Injector highly desirable.

Level 18 brings Markerlight - pretty much the best "utility" ability the Shas'o gets, because it debuffs enemy defense significantly against ranged attacks, which ''every single primary you carry is''. It also gives you your most powerful offensive option, the Skyray Barrage, though it's nowhere near as strong as other nukes (such as Rocket Run or even Eldritch Storm).

Level 19 gives you Nano Technology - your ''only'' health regen boost in the game and an advantage the Tau Commander ''seriously'' benefits from. Better, it bolsters teammates, so it can help keep nearby allies in the field. It's a reasonable alternative to Stimulant Injector if your build is durable enough already, and can easily pay for itself if you're on the move often enough.

Level 20 then wraps things up by giving you Marker Drone. Not much to say here - it's a great option that works best with Markerlight.

Special note needs to be placed on the achievement wargear. Networked Weapon Interface is absolutely amazing, giving the Tau Commander remarkably high damage, even early on. This weapon costs some of your primary's damage, but in exchange, clones the weapon in your alternate slot, giving you, on average, a 50% increase in overall damage. Use it well.

The Drone Controller is the hardest-to-get item ''in the entire game'', but is also ridiculously useful, opening up tons of new tactics for an enterprising Tau Commander. The Shield Drone becomes an amazing lockdown and control device, the Gun Drone a fire support minion par excellence, and the Marker Drone becomes a ridiculously powerful suicide device. If you can get this item, consider using it - it has many advantages and few drawbacks to speak of.