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So i was introduced into the W40K Universe by warhammer 40k Firewarrior, and contrary to what most people say about it it had to be one of my favorite games of all time, this in turn made it so down along the line when i was introduced to the tabletop game i still loved the tau. However, in close to every topic that the tau make it into in here its always to be hated on, whats with that? I personally love them, but am just curious to why everyone dislikes them so much, can anyone give me a legitmet answer why and not just they're the stupidest race added to W40K.

And can this be a friendly discussion, not complete hatefest?

What do you mean by hated on?

Actually, i don't think the tau are hated on for fluff reasons. I like their fluff personally, its a refreshing change from "MAIM BURN KILL!!!"

HOWEVER,

My tau army is really not the strongest army as far as competitive play. The Tau are a 3rd edition book in a 5th edition game. This means that everybody else has gotten faster stronger and cheaper and the poor tau are barely hanging on. Now in non competitive environments, the Tau are just fine, in fact i play the Tau with great success in friendly games. But in a competitive tournament they just cant stack up with imperial guard pie plates of doom or the 80 missile launcher space wolves list.

In short, i think people say the tau are a weaker army than the others but they are not hated on by people for their existence. I could be wrong though (i often am )

Like 9/10 topics i find that have the tau in them its people ranting about how stupid they are, they are too anime like, and they dont fit in the W40K universe. Just wondering how they are anime like and dont fit? I personally dont like anime so never got into it and am not sure what the connections are

Noblebright fish people. 'Nuff said.

Yep "fishpeople" is the number 1 thing i see them called on here, and after reading it and really looking at them i can sorta see how the nickname came about lol

TheTaurans wrote:Yep "fishpeople" is the number 1 thing i see them called on here, and after reading it and really looking at them i can sorta see how the nickname came about lol

All their tanks are named after fish.

Haha wow i actually never noticed that cause i didnt think too hard into it, thats interesting

Personally I like much of the Tau aesthetic.
Not sure how it is any less appropriate to 40K than, for example, Eldar.

If it is due to there being no corrollary in fantasy, people are always saying how GW have tried to distance the fantasy element from 40K

But I wouldn't say the "anime" criticism is hatred. Tedious for the Tau playersn to have to listen to all the time but people are not always imaginative when it comes to opining on the internet.

Comes down to this, you like Tau and that is good enough.

It's mostly the following:

People thinking they are communist, which isn't true and would talk too long to fully explain.

People not wanting a non-grimdark army in the game.

People thinking anything with mecha is anime.

People hating cause haters gonna hate.

juraigamer wrote:
People hating cause haters gonna hate.

+1 This.

And i agree with you guys, i personally like the Tau's Fluff, and the whole new species that are evolving at an extreme rate, even though they are small in comparison to the other races and all that nonsense i think how they arent so kill everything, never ask questions, and then kill everything again will down along the line create a good amount of fluff about what happens to them in a universe that only has kill everything on sight that doesnt look like you

I don't think they were thought out properly by GW. Biggest thing being they only hold 100 worlds. They do have potential if they are fleshed out more, but they will need some major plot armor or retconning to be a big enough force in the galaxy to even deserve a codex.

Second thing is some Tau fan boys go over the top, especially in Tau discussion. Just because you have a sized down railgun does not mean your tech is better than the other factions. I would have no problem with them if they had simply given them more than 100 worlds. Table top wise they are one of the funner armies to play against if you have a good opponent. Unless they play foot Gunlines, which I seem to be able to table easily.

Nicholas wrote:I don't think they were thought out properly by GW. Biggest thing being they only hold 100 worlds. They do have potential if they are fleshed out more

Which is why we don't see Andy Hoare any more

ChiliPowderKeg wrote: Which is why we don't see Andy Hoare any more

Is he an author?
If so what did he write?
I see his name a lot on here

I don't hate Tau I just don't like the models.

TheTaurans wrote:

ChiliPowderKeg wrote: Which is why we don't see Andy Hoare any more

Is he an author?
If so what did he write?
I see his name a lot on here

To get straight to the point, Andy wrote the 4th ed Tau codex. Though the fluff isn't horrendus, it still fails to flesh out the Tau more, and like the trend of 4th ed codices (Save for Orkz and Nids) he didn't write their rules as first rate quality.

Since their rules aren't "all that and a bag of potato-chips", Tau players outside of this forum normally tend to argue on actually how to play Tau and win at it, and scoffing at those who don't agree with them. All of this arguing because of Andy War-I-I mean Hoare

juraigamer wrote:It's mostly the following:

People thinking they are communist, which isn't true and would talk too long to fully explain.

People thinking anything with mecha is anime.

I believe they're communist,no offense; but I'm open to opinion from those who differ.

Titans and dreadnoughts and dredds, oh my! In your face people thinking anything with mecha is anime! as a warlord titan once said: "when you weeaboos are done with your evas and gundams I'll be here waiting." as ork boss Sun Zoo once said after crumpin' some tau 'eadz: " so much fer da bloo gitz dakka."

A lot of it is because they're not terribly competitive on the tabletop and can be beaten senseless by fairly middling lists. That with some heldover hatred from 4th edition where they were a lot scarier means they get more crap than they really deserve.

Nicholas wrote:I don't think they were thought out properly by GW. Biggest thing being they only hold 100 worlds. They do have potential if they are fleshed out more, but they will need some major plot armor or retconning to be a big enough force in the galaxy to even deserve a codex.

Second thing is some Tau fan boys go over the top, especially in Tau discussion. Just because you have a sized down railgun does not mean your tech is better than the other factions. I would have no problem with them if they had simply given them more than 100 worlds. Table top wise they are one of the funner armies to play against if you have a good opponent. Unless they play foot Gunlines, which I seem to be able to table easily.

This statement right here is the most perfectly eloquent response to the question, in my opinion.

Is there any denying that there are individuals who take the Tau existing as a personal affront to them? Yes. We know who the most infamous one is, and pretty much any time he posts in a thread about them--it's a matter of minutes until the thread is locked.

On the Tau fanboy front, we know at least one individual who does the same with his staunch, over the top exaggeration of the combat and technological capabilities of the Tau.

If the Tau are given a good workover, in the vein of the Dark Eldar...I expect great things. Enough so I might shell out for the army, after a few times of dipping my toes in before.

Its primarly the fluff.

the army composition and astetic design is quite pleasing and they do fill the niche of the Technologically advanced race.


the Fluff has a completely different feel from all other fluff. Not really grimdark enough. Some find that attractive, some(as in most) don't.


I don't think the Greater Good line was a horrible idea. I like the subtle undertone that the Greater Good is really a sham put on by the Etherials who are mind controlling the Tau with Pheremones. I just wish this was a little less subtle. the DoW games have brought this into the light a little more, but it would be nice if some actual GW material made it more obvious(to us, the omniscient 3rd party who can see everything)

Farsight is a good avenue for this and I think his rebellion needs more detail put into it.



the Tau, in an ideal world, would be just as Grimdark as everyone else, but covered up by Propaganda, smiling faces, and false promises.

For me...it's because they neuter thier non-Tau allies. Just not cool man.

Yeah, screw galactic peace if it means losing the family jewels.

People hate them because they're anime (which isn't really true, apart from their battlesuits-by that logic, all Grey Knights are mecha because of the DK. And judge the Battlesuits by the FW models if you have too, GW ones are awful).
Or they hate them because they don't fit in to the grimdark-which was their aim. They were suppossed to be a bright speck in the Galaxy, not big enough to be a threat but improving technologically and numerically. There darker undertones puts the rest of the galaxy in to perspective-they're the least bad race, and they still have a dark side.
Then there's those who hate them because they're too small to deserve a codex. Say hello to WH, DA, BT, BA, GK, Eldar, SW... The only people in the universe who are big enough to be an actual threat to the Imperium are the Tyranids, Necrons, Daemons, LatD, Orks and Eldar, but that's through manipulation-there actual military strength is a different matter entirely. The only army that the IoM would be royally screwed if it lost are the Guard. Tau aren't alone in this "problem".
Then there's those who hate them for being too grimdark, because they attack anyone who doesn't join them. Which I find hilarious.

They're shinybright but actually have grimdark undertones which make it even better.

I think the anime think is silly. If anything grey knights are anime - mecha-walkers and drago single handedly killing everything short of chaos gods themselves..

Draigo's Law...has just been proved. This early? Aww, come on.

TheTaurans wrote:So i was introduced into the W40K Universe by warhammer 40k Firewarrior, and contrary to what most people say about it it had to be one of my favorite games of all time, this in turn made it so down along the line when i was introduced to the tabletop game i still loved the tau. However, in close to every topic that the tau make it into in here its always to be hated on, whats with that? I personally love them, but am just curious to why everyone dislikes them so much, can anyone give me a legitmet answer why and not just they're the stupidest race added to W40K.

And can this be a friendly discussion, not complete hatefest?

I like the Tau and their fluff ( well except the Grater Good, that is just excuse to bring down galaxy under their feet, hooves wahtever... ).
I hate Tau fans, not normal fans but Tau FANS. Who just enter every Tau thread and start talking about Titans, Mantas, Taors, Nimbosa, Railguns, Technology...
And then there are crazy statements that just made me bored ( like Beef assuring me that Tau Cadre has more Fire Warroirs than entire Imperium Guardsmans ).

I to am Imperial fan, but I admit that Imperium can't beat anyone in it's current situation ( well except Tau because they are not scatter across the galaxy, but that is another story ). And I respect game balance ( if Imperium is the most powerful, or Tau or Necrons that the game would be stupid since no other race could do anything against them ) and I hate when someone just start talking nonsense ( like Manta against Imperiator ). It is my opinion that Tau are hated generally because of this people, because they didn't even bother to read other factions fluff but only their own. Want a comparison betwen Imperial fun and Tau fan:

When someone asked me about Eldar I said: "They are cool, they have speed and rather strong characters. If you like hit and run Eldar are the best." And aldo I said that they are idiots in the past I respect their race for being the most wise and old. And for helping the Imperium in some times.
And this is what Beef ( the most Tau fan ) said: "Imperium? They are bunch of rock throwing monkeys. Stupid Humans, they all need to die. As for Chaos Gods, don't worry we will get in front of the Eye of Terror, place 1 gazillion Railguns and kill them all". He show no respect for others and actually said that Humans must die. And that is why I just put him on my "ignore" list - I don't speak with traitors to their own race.




Automatically Appended Next Post:

Kanluwen wrote:
If the Tau are given a good workover, in the vein of the Dark Eldar...I expect great things. Enough so I might shell out for the army, after a few times of dipping my toes in before.

Me to, I am just waiting for them to get 5e and some new lore stuff. And some major battle would be nice ( with Necrons or Tyranids now, they have to many battles with the Imperium ).

Phototoxin wrote:They're shinybright but actually have grimdark undertones which make it even better.

I think the anime think is silly. If anything grey knights are anime - mecha-walkers and drago single handedly killing everything short of chaos gods themselves..

most things in 40k could be drawn to an Anime paralell.

the Tau are the most obvious because they fit in with the typical futuristic anime(high level of technology, advanced AI, and they have a heavy japanese influence in their style)


Tau have more anime style patterns then other factions.

the GK dreadknight is a mecha thing, but its in a Space Marine codex(one thing a codex doesn't make)

Space Marine shoulder pads. again its one thing in the design.


Tau have alot of anime/Japanese characteristics.

Shoulder pads: they look almost identical to Samauri shoulder pads.

Advanced Technology: yeah, with a particular reliance on AI.

Philosophy: the whole Greater Good thing has alot in common with asian culture, in that it focuses on the group and not the individual.

I think Nicholas and Kanluwen have summed up my feelings on them pretty well. The fans on this site over-rule any positive thoughts I may have on their fluff. The fact that they have the most ridiculous amount of racial plot armour doesn't help either.

So I haven't gotten their codex yet cause im just starting with them and the fluff I know is from firewarrior, here and there in.topics on dakka, and a novel I read about white scars, so is there a reason the tau only have so few worlds and theyre so packed together? Do they travel outside of these worlds with warp technology?

The Tau can't use true Warp travel because they are a race that has no psykers.


their method involves only half translating into the warp and skimming the surface.

it is much slower then proper warp travel(assuming the warp is calm along the path) and can't go as far with the jumps.

this also creates problems because of the short live spans the Tau have(40 years)


the current Tau empire is in a densely packed cluster of worlds. so the Tau's method of travel works ok within that area.

the problem is that they can't really reach worlds beyond their current empire. the Damocles gulf is the greatest limit of their jump capabilities.