A Markerlight is the Tau Empire’s laser targeting system. It does no damage on its own, but it paints a target so the rest of the army can shoot it more effectively, and it can call down Seeker Missiles from anywhere on the field.
What a Markerlight actually does
The Markerlight is a laser designator. Tau infantry carry it, some mount it on their weapons, and drones can carry it too. You aim and fire it like any other weapon, but instead of hurting anything it just marks the target.
Once a target is lit, other Tau units and vehicles shooting at it become more effective. That’s the whole point of the system: one unit spends its shot painting the target, and the rest of the army cashes in on the improved accuracy.
It also acts as a fire support tool. When a Markerlight hits, the user can send a signal to a Seeker Missile mounted on a vehicle, and the missile will fly off to destroy the painted target entirely on its own, even if the vehicle that launched it is nowhere nearby.
How Seeker Missiles find the right beam
Every Markerlight has its own unique pulse pattern. Before a Seeker Missile launches, that pattern gets fed into the missile’s guidance controls, so the missile follows the correct beam to the correct target and doesn’t get confused by other Markerlights in the area.
It’s a neat bit of Tau engineering. The missile doesn’t need the launching vehicle to stay in the fight or keep line of sight, it just needs the beam to still be there.
The one weakness
Under normal conditions the Markerlight beam is invisible. Pass it through dense gas or vapour, though, like smoke or fog, and it becomes visible. That risks giving away the user’s position, which is a real problem for Pathfinders and other light infantry who rely on staying hidden while they paint targets.
Networked Markerlights
A standard Markerlight helps everyone except the squad that fired it. A Networked Markerlight fixes that. It’s wired directly into the squad’s own weapon systems, so the unit that paints the target also gets the benefit.
That makes Networked Markerlights a favourite for teams that want to be self-sufficient, rather than depending on other units to take advantage of the marker they’ve just placed.
- Standard Markerlight: benefits other Tau units, not the firer.
- Networked Markerlight: benefits the firing squad as well.
- Both can still guide Seeker Missiles.
Key facts
- The Markerlight is a Tau laser targeting system carried by infantry, mounted on weapons, or fitted to drones.
- It deals no damage; it marks targets so other Tau units fire more effectively.
- A lit target can be hit by a Seeker Missile launched from a vehicle, independent of that vehicle’s position.
- Each Markerlight has a unique pulse pattern so Seeker Missiles follow the right beam.
- The beam is invisible except through smoke or fog, which can expose the user.
- Networked Markerlights also give the accuracy benefit to the squad that fires them.
FAQ
Does a Markerlight do any damage?
No. It’s a targeting laser, not a weapon. Its value comes from making other Tau units shoot better and from guiding Seeker Missiles.
What’s the difference between a Markerlight and a Networked Markerlight?
A Networked Markerlight also feeds targeting data to the squad that fired it, so they get the accuracy bonus themselves. A standard Markerlight only helps other units.
Can a Markerlight be seen?
Normally the beam is invisible, but it shows up when it passes through smoke, fog, or other dense vapour, which can reveal the user’s position.