Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Nothing will happen unless GW advance the timeline. Which frankly I think they never will.

GW might not be advancing the overall timeline but they are expanding on the fluff with each new codex. It's possible Tau can get a boost in the next one.

Yeah, they have a habit of retconning the present instead of advancing the timeline.

IronSnake wrote:Because they have a foothold in their area of the galaxy. Because they have superior technology. Because they have their own TT army as according to GW. And because should they find a way to use FTL travel... they're gonna start shaking things up.

So do many alien empires, including numerous Ork empires, but people seldom seem to suggest that they'll go on a galaxy threatening Waaagh! and that's about as likely as the Tau threatening the Imperium. Debatable. Personally I really don't think that that's the case (at the least, the Imperium still has superior naval assets). So what if they have a table-top army? You didn't answer how that meanas that they are a major player (or at least, any more so than individual Astartes Chapters). They do have faster-than-light travel, and I doubt they would suddenly start shaking things up since they're not only stuck where they are because of relatively slow Warp travel; it's also because they don't have the manpower to expand as rapidly as they move, which is what you seem to be suggesting.

If an army has a TT presence, they are a major force to be reckoned with. I think common sense would tell you that they are a major player.

IronSnake wrote:Because they have a foothold in their area of the galaxy. Because they have superior technology. Because they have their own TT army as according to GW. And because should they find a way to use FTL travel... they're gonna start shaking things up.

They won't. No matter what Tau fans think, GW's primary cash source in 40k is and always will be the Imperium. So GW won't do anything stupid like replace the Imperium with the Tau, which would completely ruin the game's grimdark feel. Not to mention the small Tau population compared to other major races like Humans and Orks. And while the Tau might be relatively invulnerable to the effects of Chaos, their subject races are not, so it's only going to be a matter of time before Chaos infects the Tau Empire.

It's all a matter of speculation anyway. Suffice it to say that Tau could, in theory, receive a boost to their fluff. It doesn't have anyting to do with sales or the fact that the Imperium is the #1 force in the galaxy.

Tadashi wrote:

IronSnake wrote:Because they have a foothold in their area of the galaxy. Because they have superior technology. Because they have their own TT army as according to GW. And because should they find a way to use FTL travel... they're gonna start shaking things up.

They won't. No matter what Tau fans think, GW's primary cash source in 40k is and always will be the Imperium. So GW won't do anything stupid like replace the Imperium with the Tau, which would completely ruin the game's grimdark feel. Not to mention the small Tau population compared to other major races like Humans and Orks. And while the Tau might be relatively invulnerable to the effects of Chaos, their subject races are not, so it's only going to be a matter of time before Chaos infects the Tau Empire.

I wish you would stop leaping to conclusions. No where in his post did he say 'Replace the Imperium with the Tau'. There still are people who do not like the Imperium and wish their Xenos armies get some attention ONCE in a while. And as long as the Imperium is still operating, Chaos will largely ignore Tau and its collectives for the more tantalizing treats via Humanity and Eldar.

IronSnake wrote:It's all a matter of speculation anyway. Suffice it to say that Tau could, in theory, receive a boost to their fluff. It doesn't have anyting to do with sales or the fact that the Imperium is the #1 force in the galaxy.

Tau are recieving more fluff. It is inevitable just by looking at the layouts of the latest Codicies. Whether or not GW will give Tau the fluff to travel around the Ultima Segmentum is debatable, but likely, to reinforce the TT likelyhood of other TT armies running into the Tau.

I could win the lottery, buy a controlling share of GW stock, and create Female Grey Knights who fell to Chaos and orchestrated the downfall of the IoM before being convinced the Greater Good is what is best for the galaxy, and installing the Tau as the Supreme overlords of the MIlkyway, who often invite the Nids over for tea.

Hows that for a future of 40k?

CpatTom wrote:I could win the lottery, buy a controlling share of GW stock, and create Female Grey Knights who fell to Chaos and orchestrated the downfall of the IoM before being convinced the Greater Good is what is best for the galaxy, and installing the Tau as the Supreme overlords of the MIlkyway, who often invite the Nids over for tea.

Hows that for a future of 40k?

No please.

I like my Tau as the under-estimated, overlooked, new empire on the block with a fresh angle on the 40k universe, a little fluff buff, and some new toys and I will be a happy Shas'O.

I actually will prefer just a mild step forward for them, but a estensive flesh out of the dynamics of this most dynamic of empires.

CpatTom wrote:I could win the lottery, buy a controlling share of GW stock.

You need to win 3 lotteries to do this. Seriously, that would be like trying to buy Star Wars from George Lucas, not gonna happened.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

CpatTom wrote:
Hows that for a future of 40k?

Not gonna happened.

Obviously, nids don't drink tea.

Eldar are still better than the Tau though. Doesn't really matter if the galaxy's in its current state thanks to their Fall, but out of all xenos, they're probably the closest to Humans, which is one reason I like them better than the Tau. Swordwind of Biel-Tan > Fire Caste.

KplKeegan wrote:
Tau are recieving more fluff. It is inevitable just by looking at the layouts of the latest Codicies. Whether or not GW will give Tau the fluff to travel around the Ultima Segmentum is debatable, but likely, to reinforce the TT likelyhood of other TT armies running into the Tau.

GW already placed a warp rift, they don't need to mobilize the TAU.
Just redirect chaos crusade n° 14 into the eastern fringe..

some factions are operating Galaxy wide:
- Orks
- Tyranids
- Eldar
- Necrons
- Humans
- chaos

You don't have to move the Tau out, its easier to move the rest in.

What if they expand on the likelyhood of Tau vs Tau ?

CpatTom wrote:Hows that for a future of 40k?

No future at all?
40k killed as a game system in minutes.

1hadhq wrote:
What if they expand on the likelyhood of Tau vs Tau ?

This. I would like to see Tau Empire against Farsight Enclaves. This is about to happened in the near future for sure.

Brother Coa wrote:

1hadhq wrote:
What if they expand on the likelyhood of Tau vs Tau ?

This. I would like to see Tau Empire against Farsight Enclaves. This is about to happened in the near future for sure.

Yeah, that would be great. The Imperium wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of the turmoil in the Tau Empire to restore and fortify its frontier, while the Orks would be drawn to the area for a good fight. Not to mention the Dark Eldar who would see it a great chance to acquire fresh slaves and 'food'. Or the Tyranids for that matter. While the Tau are busy with themselves and others, genestealers in the empire can take advantage of the turmoil to grow influential enough to draw the Hive Fleets in.

Brother Coa wrote:

1hadhq wrote:
What if they expand on the likelyhood of Tau vs Tau ?

This. I would like to see Tau Empire against Farsight Enclaves. This is about to happened in the near future for sure.

I think it will happen. Surprised they haven't had any battles yet.

Brother Coa wrote:

CpatTom wrote:I could win the lottery, buy a controlling share of GW stock.

You need to win 3 lotteries to do this. Seriously, that would be like trying to buy Star Wars from George Lucas, not gonna happened.

Current estimates from site below have GW's market cap at roughly 138 million pounds. Thats some odd 216 million dollars, well underneath the largest jackpot in Mega Millions ( one of the multi-state lottery here in ga, that was 365 million). So, In actuality, one win could own the company.
http://www.lse.co.uk/SharePrice.asp?shareprice=GAW

Not gonna happened.

It would be a terrible direction. I will admit that (I just used the example to refute the: it won't/can't happen, as obviously there is a future where it is possible).


I really hope for some Enclave vs Empire action. It is a magnificent distinction, and it rolls off the tongue so well.

Enclave vs Empire, yeah.

All right, sorry. I meant you will never buy Games Workshop because people won't sell it.
Same thing as Lucas won't sell Star Wars

Brother Coa wrote:

1hadhq wrote:
What if they expand on the likelyhood of Tau vs Tau ?

This. I would like to see Tau Empire against Farsight Enclaves. This is about to happened in the near future for sure.

This would also help justify those awkward Tau vs. Tau table top matches.

1hadhq wrote:What if they expand on the likelyhood of Tau vs Tau ?

Each Tau hater his own favorite Tau genocide fantasy.
Even if it contradicts current fluff.

IMHO, I think that the Tau are never going to conquer in the scale the IoM or the Orks have. Sure they can expand their empire, but it will be difficult and slow since they do not have Warp-capable ships.

About the dangers facing their Empire, there are the Tyranids. Their Empire is too small to hold out for long against a major fleet. They had enough trouble with a splinter fleet, which they somehow managed to destroy. They cannot win a war of attrition, specially not in the scale of a Tyranid invasion.

And there are signs of insurrection among the race, such as the case of commander Farsight. Orks and Dark Eldar raiders will also be a serious problem. I doubt they can stand an Ork Waaagh on the scale of Armageddon. The expanding Necron empires can also do serious harm to them.

They beat the splinter fleet because if the imperium. They also destroyed another fleet with no casualties. However that was on space and was very small.
but yes, you have several valid points.

Kroothawk wrote:

1hadhq wrote:What if they expand on the likelyhood of Tau vs Tau ?

Each Tau hater his own favorite Tau genocide fantasy.
Even if it contradicts current fluff.

So youre saying if GW lets slip the control of the etherals and Tau harm other Tau AGAIN, this contradicts current fluff?
Somehow, parts of the codices GW releases don't survive the selective reading methods of our Dakkanauts with a Tau genocide paranoia.

Civil war happend once. The likelyhood of it isn't zero just because currently we have no information how those in the empire and the followers of Farsight get along. In the case of Farsight and Shadowsun, 2 schools of thought may collide and the followship of both could resort to violence.
The fire caste isn't called fire caste for their calmness..

1hadhq wrote:So youre saying if GW lets slip the control of the etherals and Tau harm other Tau AGAIN, this contradicts current fluff?
Somehow, parts of the codices GW releases don't survive the selective reading methods of our Dakkanauts with a Tau genocide paranoia.

Civil war happend once. The likelyhood of it isn't zero just because currently we have no information how those in the empire and the followers of Farsight get along. In the case of Farsight and Shadowsun, 2 schools of thought may collide and the followship of both could resort to violence.
The fire caste isn't called fire caste for their calmness..

At this point a Tau directly disobeying an Etheral in his presence would be a contradiction of the fluff. Farsight is more like a kid who ran away from home, than an actual rebel at this point. Sure they let him set up his nice little treefort down the street, but if they really needed some Close Range trained Tau warriors, they could send Space Pope to bring him back in the fold (HOVER-POPE!).

Hopefully, with the new Codex, the Enclave will do something like, pick up their own defector Etheral, thus insuring their faith in the Tau and only Tau outlook all the IoM players love ( , With Human's replacing Tau of course). Of course the Enclave could be "immune" to Etheral control somehow, but I'm having a hard time thinking of anything besides the Enclave Etheral explanation that doesn't suck as to why they are immune (And Enclave Etheral is kinda a sketchy idea as is, but ya know, whatever,somebody else come up with something more plausible)

Battle Brother Ambrosius wrote:IMHO, I think that the Tau are never going to conquer in the scale the IoM or the Orks have. Sure they can expand their empire, but it will be difficult and slow since they do not have Warp-capable ships.

About the dangers facing their Empire, there are the Tyranids. Their Empire is too small to hold out for long against a major fleet. They had enough trouble with a splinter fleet, which they somehow managed to destroy. They cannot win a war of attrition, specially not in the scale of a Tyranid invasion.

And there are signs of insurrection among the race, such as the case of commander Farsight. Orks and Dark Eldar raiders will also be a serious problem. I doubt they can stand an Ork Waaagh on the scale of Armageddon. The expanding Necron empires can also do serious harm to them.

They might be able to stand up against a full Hive Fleet, but they would end up like Iyanden, broken and in dire straits. And IMO, Farsight is probably possessed or controlled like Fulgrim by a daemon in that Dawn Blade of his, or that could be a C'tan artifact, although I lean towards the daemon weapon hypothesis. Even if they lack psychic aptitude, they're not immune to psychic influence, and certainly not to daemonic possession. Either way, I doubt even with an Ethereal nearby Farsight would rejoin the Empire.

Farsight had an existing grudge against the powers that be in the Empire (not providing him adequate reinforcements, censure of one of his followers) as well as some policy concerns. So his beef with the Empire was founded in reality.

If the Imperium is right in that the Ethereals do exert some sort of mind control through presence, the lack of a presence of Ethereals combined with his existing grudge is all that is eeded to explain his breakaway status.

No need to make it more complicated than it already is.

Not the one making it complicated. The Tau codexes were the ones which mentioned Farsight being under malign influences, which causes concern not just to the Ordo Xenos, but to the entire Inquisition. And the Tau aren't under mind control, apparently its some sort of pheromone.

Tadashi wrote:Not the one making it complicated. The Tau codexes were the ones which mentioned Farsight being under malign influences, which causes concern not just to the Ordo Xenos, but to the entire Inquisition. And the Tau aren't under mind control, apparently its some sort of pheromone.

I'm going to need a page number for that one as I can't find a reference to anything else influencing Farsight in my copy of Codex: Tau Empire.

Also, mind control, mind altering chemical, same effect, different terminology. It's still only an Imperium theory at this point (the Tau Codex does acknowledge the theory though).

Sorry, don't have a page number since I don't have a copy of Codex: Tau Empire, only Space Marines, CSM, and Eldar. I've always assumed the references on Lexicanum's pages about the Tau were accurate.