After several orbital strikes, a massive landing operation swiftly unfolded. Drop Pods, orbital assault craft, and transports descended from space in a sky-darkening deluge.
The size and power of the Executioners-class warships' weapons left those vessels with no role to play in the ground war.
Even the warriors of the Iron Hands dared not imitate the Men of Iron by using such devastating spaceborne firepower to support ground troops.
After all, the slightest mistake could inflict far greater losses on their own forces than on the enemy.
The T'au ground forces were not that fragile.
Ordinary Astra Militarum soldiers were at a clear disadvantage against Fire Caste warriors supported by battlesuits.
Whether they belonged to renowned Astra Militarum regiments or were ordinary soldiers, members of the Imperial Guard generally needed extensive training to ensure their marksmanship and tactical proficiency.
The T'au Fire Caste warriors, however, could make better combat decisions with their battlesuits' assistance.
Their long-range accuracy rivaled that of the Imperium's sharpshooters, far surpassing ordinary members of the Imperial Guard.
Only certain veterans and officers augmented with bionic implants could gain an advantage in long-range firefights.
Once combat moved into close quarters, however, the weaknesses of these Fire Caste warriors became glaring.
The T'au had relatively frail physiques and bodily strength.
The standard combat armor mass-produced by the T'au Empire provided only a very limited boost to the Fire Caste warriors' strength.
An ordinary Astra Militarum soldier could easily overpower these high-tech armored Fire Caste warriors in melee.
The heavy blows of Krieg entrenching tools, the combat knives of Catachan warriors, and the long blades of Valhalla's ice warriors could all easily give Fire Caste warriors the chilling sensation of being pierced straight through.
With their space defenses rendered ineffective, the T'au ground forces had no choice but to