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Skarwael wrote:
Do they? In many ways Orks are a comical army.

I put it to you that they "fit into the background" because they've been there for far longer than the Tau have.

Orks are only comical in a VERY dark, twisted way. Orks are, by human standards, uniformly psychopathic and murderous. They care nothing for the well-being of anyone else; hell, Ork doctors commonly perform radical experimental surgery on their patients, just because they're bored! Orks commit mass murder just to keep themselves amused. They measure their economy in teeth; meaning that a rich Ork is one who mutilates others on a regular basis. Even when they were at the peak of the 'funny Ork' style, back during 2nd Edition, they were still vicious, warmongering mercenaries.

Orks are, and honestly always have been, if anything more dystopic than the Imperium. Yeah, sure, the Orks are having a great time; that's because they LOVE brutal violence and unending warfare. The fact that the Orks are the 'comic relief' of the setting is, frankly, just another point in favor of the Tau NOT fitting in. The 'comic relief' race is infinitely more dark and terrifying than they are.

I like the look of the tau, and would honestly consider collecting them as a 3rd army, but a guy in my tiny gaming circle has them already, so it makes more sense to get something none of us has.

Skarwael wrote:

Durza wrote:

Skarwael wrote:And for the people whose argument is "THEY'RE NOT GRIMDARK. GET OUT MY GRIMDARK", compare them to Eldar for example. Do twinkley space elf hippies fit in? No? Want to throw them out your grimdark, too?

Um... Eldar are not twinkley space elf hippies. They're the remnants of a dying race whose souls get absorbed by an evil god if not stored in a stone forever and whose only hope is that when they all die, they'll make a new god to kill Slaanesh, freeing them to be dead in peace. That's about as grimdark as it gets.

Ah - but I'm sure that they didn't have that kind of depth initially.

In my opinion the naivete of the Tau was written to show a fresh view of the universe, and their innocence was designed to be "violated" in a later codex with some new fluff.

But they got sidelined...

What do you mean initially? Eleven years isn't long enough for them?

As for orks, yeah, to us they're the comic relief.
Now put yourself in the boots of an Imperial guardsman...





That being said, I like the Tau.

I'd go so far as to say they fit precisely because they're seemingly not grimdark. They are the "only sane race" on board, which offers a refreshing and interesting point of view. They're also completely open to character development while being small enough to not threaten the status quo, so GW has more than enough room to put some flesh on their advancement as they come to terms with the brutality of 41M.

They're the fresh youngster, brimming with ideals and optimism. Admittedly this character has a lot of potential to be annoying, but if handled well, it can be a most enjoyable element of the story although seemingly out of touch with the setting. See Sansa Stark in ASoIaF.

I do hope people say "spess commies" tongue-in-cheek though. That's so wrong on so many levels...

Maybe it is just cause I am tau player but this poll doesn't seem to reflect the threads I see. Maybe it is just a very hateful minority that does most of the talking.

I like the Tau, models are great and so is the fluff.
I don't like the tactics of the people that play them however...

Skarwael wrote:And for the people whose argument is "THEY'RE NOT GRIMDARK. GET OUT MY GRIMDARK", compare them to Eldar for example. Do twinkley space elf hippies fit in? No? Want to throw them out your grimdark, too?

Cool, is there another Eldar race in some other miniature wargame? Because that description is as adequate in wh40k as "forgiving and peace loving Imperial Guard". Or are we talking 4chan fluff?

I find them to be annoying like the spam Advertising on TV.

I like Tau, they were my first army.

I think they've got a very interesting background being the only ones who aren't grimdark. They also get some sympathy from me for being so overlooked by GW. I started around about when the current Tau codex came out.. about 8 years ago now si it?

I do not dislike them. I dislike some of the player's actions at times.
I remember when they first hit, and everyone at the FLGS I went to more often (I worked next door to it) fell onto the Tau as the next great thing. It was a nice change as no one played Guard but me (In fact, 30 people at any given time, and it was Marines from whatever new Chapter approved, Dark Eldar, Necrons, and Nids and then Tau) So there was a lot of crap being said when Tau came out. they could shoot all the things!
Then it settled down, and now every so often I hear "Greater Good" and someone paid for way to many upgrades on their tanks, and suits, and I cant shoot anything at all or it misses because some flying pizza pan got in the way or something. In the end, there is always a way.
Did enjoy everyone wanting to try this whole Kroot thing out when Tau hit, hiding them in woods, more than a few inchs, so they could shoot out, but you cant see them. Good things I had Catachan Guard first Suprise oh how i miss thos rules.

I don't hate tau's fluff but I extremely dislike the models because they are so anime. If they looked different I might even have a tau army myself (or atleast tau corpses on my orks' bases).

I quite like the Tau. Initially I think they were a blunder on GW's part (aim for the anime market, tarnish your Grimmdarke as a result), and now they seem to be awkwardly sat trying to pretend they're not really there, because they don't quite fit. But I think they add something to the gestalt of 40k, the fresh perspective that other players have mentioned, and I hope they get treated a bit better by GW soon. They made this bed, and it's a promising one; they just have to pull their thumb out and sleep in it (metaphor collision D: )

They're a touch of pure scifi in an otherwise gothic universe, I think that's pretty cool.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the many things in the Tau fluff that scream Doublespeak or dystopic propaganda actually turn out to be, by 40k standards at least, pretty sensible and rational.

I'll be blunt, I thought when I first heard "Greater Good" they were talking about every Dystopic cliche ever.

I really like the Tau, they look incredibly stylish on the battlefield and when played by a true master put up a very good fight. Im not a huge fan of the battlesuits look, but i am a bug fan of how effective they are in the game.

I think they are secretly a grimdark race. Kinda like how the romains did things."join us?" "no" BOOM dead.

I like the Tau. I think they're amongst the most distinctive armies in 40k.

I don't hate the Tau, I hate the players who prop them up as the best thing since sliced bread. The chronic overvaluation of Tau technology gets to me.

AlmightyWalrus wrote:The chronic overvaluation of Tau technology gets to me.

Shurg.. just as the chronic overvaluation of Tyranid numbers, Eldar skill through longelivety, Space Marine badassery, Inquisitorial omnipotence, Ork savagery or funnyness, Imperial anything, whathaveyou (hell, Imperial most of all, they are as a faction defined by impotency through disorganisation, red-tape and bureaucracy by and large).

Technology is the Tau schtick, and those who like Tau like their schtick (or vice versa). It isn't, in the end, more or less valuable than the other schticks of the other factions.

I don't think tau hate is largely even real tau hate, it's just like if there's a guy at your flgs who consistantly rolls bad and makes poor tactical decisions and never wins so the regulars start making jokes like 'as long as i don't roll like x, i should be fine' or something. They don't dislike the guy or intend harm, it's just playful ribbing.
In the 40k narrative metaphor it's like a fire warrior walks into a bar that contains an ork nob, a khorne bezerker, a imperial fists terminator, and a lychgaurd, and orders a milk. It's time to comment on his scrawny arms and his anime as sh!t pet robot, but he's still welcome to come back.

I'm a huge fan of the Tau. Having played the game Firewarrior for PS2 back in the day, was the initial draw, and after a friend explained to me that they were a huge ranged-based army, I was sold. Railguns, pulse rifles, and the like were their main draw, not to mention the aesthetics of the models themselves (although I still feel that the Crisis and Broadside suits need a reworking, ala Forge World-style). I love painting Tau models, and when you do them just right, they look amazing.
All that being said, though, I do recognize the fact that the Tau are seriously hurting when it comes to making competitive lists for tournaments. But, despite this fact, I still love playing them, and it's somewhat entertaining to frustrate those slow, non-shooty armies by doing JSJ in circles around them.
So, overall, love the figs, love the fluff, and just love how fun they can be to play, even when I'm losing!

Brother Coa wrote:I don't mind Tau to, they are very interested faction.
I just hate when Tau player represent them stronger then they actually are and deny any explanation to that with: "You hate Tau." and "You are fanboy."
Reality is that Tau are one of the weakest factions in 40k lore, and it seems that this fact bother Tau fans the most.

That's why it's all the better when we beat Marines =)

Any who I Love the Tau!!! I think the one thing we do get the most crap for is that in retrospect the Tau are the weakest faction that being said they are also the newest faction so their not seppose to be on par with the Imperium of man, Eldar, ect... So as a Tau fanatic I do feel they get undercut a little by players who don't give them much respect. I don't sit there and act like a 8 year old and scream hater, but give them credit where credit is due. I mean it DID take a BOAT LOAD of SPACE MARINES to bring the crusade to a stalemate.

Tau were my first army, I love and loathe the little guys. I love their models and the army tactics. I love their fluff but it makes me loathe them. I take the whole greater good thing as basically meaning, "Join us willingly and do whatever we say or we'll make you join and ensure you do what we say." That being said I'm almost definately going to get an army of them when their new codex comes out. I find they portray helicopter troops much more effectively than guard do.

I dislike the anime stlye. I also dislike how to make the Tau look tougher they used the worf effect on the IG. I hate the worf effect in general so maybe that shouldnt count.

ObliviousBlueCaboose wrote:I dislike the anime stlye. I also dislike how to make the Tau look tougher they used the worf effect on the IG. I hate the worf effect in general so maybe that shouldnt count.

Their worf effect on the Orks is probably more prominent than IG. IIRC Orks avoid fighting Tau because they don't respect/ have a hard time beating Tau's ranged fighting style.

The Tau are Communist space-dwelling Weeaboos. Nuff said.

I don't hate them. I love them. Especially the vehicle names.

Dislike the looks, though xv suits look ok, dislike the "We can shoot, but cant shoot good for our tech" idea of bs3, i honestly HATE the non suit based models stats, i kind of feel the fluff of it and the way they can outfit the xv8's for whatever role a plaer wishes them to do is just mad! - in a positive way
other unites with better stats cost less and the overrange of the tau is usually reduced to nothingness, cause of the insane counters enemies have - saves, fast OT transports, special rules.
I love the CIB in its idea, but hate its stats, i love the ABF but hate its SI rule, i love the idea of P.Carabines but hate the drones that carry it, although if overlooked, can be a real pain in the ars, i love the overrange but hate WS-BS combo for it - c'mon, most 'dexs have 4 and above values on those - and the broadsides are insanely expensive, as is the hammerhead, skyrays need PFs to shoot a lot, sniper drones are immobile and to expensive, kroots are fun but if assaulted or shot at out of terrain die fast, the Aun is a joke, and since there is no target priority, the hammer of the Tau has been removed. Love the idea of Piranhas but i think cost to much for what they can do.
Firewarriors...nonononononononono...sadly have to take 1 every time.
xv15&25 i love them but i think cost to much for what they can do. But realy, i just love them.
xv8: favorite.
If i could, i would field only suits, but after seeing that GK: 2 5 man troops, a regular HQ and two dreadnoughts decimated a Tau army build ONLY for killing GK...

i dont hate the tau, but considering their advantages and disadvantages, i wouldnt field them as an army.

Farsight is a fluff CMD, but i like O'Shaserra better

Off topic: Hey look a hate thread that's not locked. Imagine that...

OT: The only thing to dislike of the Tau is the 4th ed rules and point it's still fighting.

Squidmanlolz wrote:
IIRC Orks avoid fighting Tau because they don't respect/ have a hard time beating Tau's ranged fighting style.

The Orks have the War of Dakka going (against the Farsight Enclave if I recall correctly) which is bringing in large numbers of nearby Orks.

Squidmanlolz wrote:
IIRC Orks avoid fighting Tau because they don't respect/ have a hard time beating Tau's ranged fighting style.

Orks never avoid fighting anything. It's against their entire nature.