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Here's the biggest problem imo:

Comparing the Tau to the Covenant isn't really a good exercise, just because we don't know the full picture of either/or. We KNOW that each is several different "castes" ruled over by another, but the exception being that the Tau follow the Ethereals fairly blindly, while the Covenant DID start questioning the Hierarchs and broke into two separate factions(the Loyalists--the Hierarchs, Brutes, Drones, a few of the Grunt clans it seemed and the Rebels--Elites, Grunts, Jackals, and the Hunter tribes).

I'd, personally, say though that the Tau would adapt after the first few engagements. The Imperium utterly crushed them in the opening operations of the Damocles Crusade, and then were(up until withdrawing to counter a Hive Fleet) being beaten back, hard. On the ground, the Tau would have a *huge* advantage in that the Covenant rely very heavily on waves of troops and masses of warmachines alongside of their caste system specifically for command(Brutes leading the Jackals, Jackals leading the Grunts, etc), while the Tau rely on heavily trained troops, squad leaders relating back to a trained military commander(admittedly, who DOES report to a religious leader much like the Covenant), unit cohesion, and combined arms tactics.

The way I envision it going? At least on an open/built-up area that the Tau had time to prepare.
Infiltrated Pathfinder and Stealth teams draw the Covenant into the set trap, the Fire Warriors open up and draw the Covenant further in, and the Pathfinder/Stealth teams go to work on the leaders breaking the back of the Covenant C&C. Or in the case of a Covenant Armoured Assault, Pathfinders+Stealth teams would light them up for Skyray barrages and the inherent range on the Hammerheads/Broadsides, the mobility of the Stealthsuits/Piranhas/Crisis Suits would come VERY heavily into play.

Now, a free for all in close quarters like a boarding action? I suspect the Covenant would do much, much better.

But, I'd root for the Imperial Guard against both

Comparing the Tau to the Covenant isn't really a good exercise, just because we don't know the full picture of either/or. We KNOW that each is several different "castes" ruled over by another, but the exception being that the Tau follow the Ethereals fairly blindly, while the Covenant DID start questioning the Hierarchs and broke into two separate factions(the Loyalists--the Hierarchs, Brutes, Drones, a few of the Grunt clans it seemed and the Rebels--Elites, Grunts, Jackals, and the Hunter tribes).

Thats not entirely true, the Firewarriors have questioned the Etheral way in the past. There was a bit in the either the current Tau codex or the one before it that said some Fire Warrior commanders thought that O'Shovaa was right in his decision to split. O'Shovaa himself is the biggest proof that the Tau can break away from Etheral control.

The reason why the rebellion happened in the Covenant was that the Prophets took away the standing of the elites which they had had for hundreds of years. Alienating a very large part of your military is not a wise decision. If the Etherals did something similar I would assume that the Fire Caste would split as well. Though they would probably not have a civil war.

O'Shovah didn't cause any kind of split though. Yeah, he took his expeditionary force with him. But they already were out in the unexplored reaches, and with no Ethereals there to stop him. When he left, Shadowsun took over his spot and they seemed to have cast him down from his hero status.

And the Prophets took away the standing of the Elites was that they *did* begin questioning them. Especially once the Brutes started gaining influence, even in minor things like the Honor Guard.

While it's true the covenant by and large can be a somewhat inflexible foe, they're not completely unable to think. Elites are meant to be great tacticians and leaders - hell, they get promoted based on how many enemies they've killed.

While it's true the covenant by and large can be a somewhat inflexible foe, they're not completely unable to think. Elites are meant to be great tacticians and leaders - hell, they get promoted based on how many enemies they've killed.

They are good in a tactical sense but crap when it comes to technology evolving. In the books it mentions how Cortana infiltrates a covenant cruiser and takes control of its systems, and the Covenant made no changes to any of their other ships. Where as the UNSC would have brought in new protocols that would minimilize if not completely stop a similar action from occurring again. Also their tech doesn't evolve. They think that the Forerunner tech is perfectly fine and don't even try to improve what they do have let alone create new stuff.

The Tau would wipe the floor with the Covies.

First, Tau tactics are sound and methodical. While the elites are slowed. They literally charged three Spartans, Spartans armed with guns. What the elites had? Spears. Spears. Needless to say they got massacred, and an insult to the arbiters honor was the only advantage a Marine needed to kill him.
So overall, Tau tactics are much better will Elites are not and can be goaded into action.

Then you have troops. The basic covie is a grunt usually armed with a short range plasma pistol that overheats. Weak individually, and still pretty weak in squads. All it takes to send these lil' rats scatterin' is to kill their leader.
The Covie leader is usually an Elite or a Brute. Better soldiers armed with E. Shields or power armor armed with much the same weaponary, a plasma rifle with probably a longer range.

Then you have the Tau. Basic grunts: Kroot Carnivores, Firewarriors and Pathfinders.
Firewarriors are armed with Pulse Rifles and are Plasma weapons. The Pulse rifle is a ranged weapon, unlike the Covies who's only weapons with a range to compete are the Beam rifle and maybe the carbine.
Firewarriors would shred Covies from afar. Covie energy shields would be reduced fast because of the Pulse rifles strength. Firewarriors can be shielded, so Elites/Brutes gain no advantage there.

Now for CQC. The Firewarriors are poor melee fighters because of their depth perception and relative lack muscle mass to compete with Orkz, Space Marines or even Guardsmen. To deal with this they use Kroot Auxiliaries who are strong enough to go toe to toe with Orkz, so these Kroot should be able to rip apart Grunts, Elites and Brutes with ease.

Pathfinders. Railguns. 'nough said.
That about covers the majority of ground fightan. Covie vehicles are worthless and not worth much attention.

In space, Tau win. Why? Because the Covies may be faster, but the Tau ships pack more firepower and are generally larger.

Tau win this. All other answers are heresy and will result in PROMOTIONS!!!

Thread necro locked.