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Deadnight wrote:

 Iron_Captain wrote:

The Tau don't even inhabit that many systems.
The Tau only inhabit a total of 21 planets/systems. (The Kroot have 3 worlds: Pech, Tawka and Seco).
The AM codex specifically mentions that the worlds reconquered by the Imperium in the Zeist Campaign were 'Tau-held' worlds. They were not actual Tau septs. Again, I highly doubt that the Tau would exterminate one of their septs just to eliminate a few Kroot guerillas.
What I get from reading the Tau codex is that unlike the Imperium at many times, the Tau Empire actually cares about its own citizens.

The tau inhabit between 130 and 200 worlds at the start of the fourth sphere expansion. I've seen Sept translated both as 'system' and a group of inhabited systems (like an imperial sector). And it's not a case of one world = one sept.

Those tau held worlds were still voluntarily sacrificed to the imperials. Whether they were fully fledged, autonomous septs, or in the process of being 'assimilated' into the empire it's academic. The tau sacrificed dozens of systems to a massive space marine crusade, along with billions of tau in the process. This was just a feint.

If you read the codex, it very clearly speaks about Septs being single worlds. We also get a map of the Dal'yth Sept, which shows that it is made up of the Sept World, smaller colonies on 3 other worlds in the same system and a large space station. It is not even close to an Imperial Sector, which is not just a cluster of inhabited systems (that would be a Subsector), but a vast area of space 200 light years long that can contain hundreds of inhabited worlds (The Calixis Sector alone for example contains over 150 inhabited worlds) In contrast, the Tau only have 17 Sept worlds (of which those of the more recent expansion are noted to still be relatively undeveloped) along with an unknown number of small colonies and alien worlds that are part of the Tau Empire. In total, the Tau Empire is highly unlikely to contain more than 100 worlds.
The worlds the Tau sacrificed during the Zeist campaign were therefore a relatively light sacrifice because these were not Tau worlds. They were just worlds that had been occupied by the Tau and easily replacable by other gains elsewhere. It is far easier to sacrifice occupied enemy territory than it is to sacrifice your own home ground. I don't know where the idea that they sacrificed "billions" of Tau comes from, but I can't find it anywhere.

Deadnight wrote:

Would they exterminate one of their septs to eliminate some guerrillas? Probably not. But as a piece trade as part of a bigger game? Sure. Why not. They don't seem to appreciate 'excessive force' to the same extent as some more notorious and zealous inquisitors.

And by the way, 'caring' about your citizens is one thing. The tau look after their own. Just remember too that even if they care, everyone is still expected to do their duty and see it as part of the greater good. 'Caring' just means that your role is appreciated, theirs isn't the casual brutality and mindless drudgery and inefficiency of the imperium system. A lowly fio'la or shas'la will probsbly be quietly accepting of their fate if the last shuttle left on a planet for evacuating civilians is earmarked for a few Aun, and those of 'el ranks and higher. The individual is merely a small cog of a far greater machine. 'It is for the greater good' they will say. Don't just listen to the por'hui propaganda machine. Look at the casualty lists coming in from the fronts....

That is true, but it is also true that the Tau would only abandon their people if there were no other choice. If given the the possibility, they would evecuate everyone. That is very unlike the Imperium which only evacuates civilians if they are of strategic importance.

There is a "sept world", but that world is not the only world, but the capital of the sept. AFAIK, each sept is (at least) one system. The tau tend to settle on all worlds as well, not just the one, maybe two inhabitable worlds. They terraform, create atmospheres, and even set up self maintain bases on worlds they cannot otherwise tame (such as the red iron world, that farsight first reached fame on), and they also have a multitude of fortress stations, orbital cites, waystations, and star ports.

We also know form the Dal'yth map that there is Dal'yth, the planet. Dal'yr, and Pra'yen which would be satellite realms within the sept. Just like there is North America, but its not all USA.


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Sort of a bad example, since there is no country North America in North America, but the sept is simply named after the primary planet within the system.

NauticalKendall wrote:
We also know form the Dal'yth map that there is Dal'yth, the planet. Dal'yr, and Pra'yen which would be satellite realms within the sept. Just like there is North America, but its not all USA.


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Sort of a bad example, since there is no country North America in North America, but the sept is simply named after the primary planet within the system.

Is it kinda like Nusquam Fundamentus in the Ciaphis Cain novel The Last Ditch? It was the system and the planet the story took place on

Don't underestimate the Kroot. It would bean America vs Vietnam thing IMO. My money's on The Kroot.

The tau might not be able to defeat the kroot, but the kroo,t sure as hell, couldn't defeat the tau.

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
The tau might not be able to defeat the kroot, but the kroo,t sure as hell, couldn't defeat the tau.

depends how you define defeat. If by defeat we mean "occupy the Tau empire" yes you are right. won't happen. if by defeat you mean "force the Tau off the worlds and make them reckongize the soverginity and independance of the Kroot" it's likely. course the question is, would the Tau contest it militarily if they where ever told by a member species "ya know, we're done"?

BrianDavion wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
The tau might not be able to defeat the kroot, but the kroo,t sure as hell, couldn't defeat the tau.

depends how you define defeat. If by defeat we mean "occupy the Tau empire" yes you are right. won't happen. if by defeat you mean "force the Tau off the worlds and make them reckongize the soverginity and independance of the Kroot" it's likely. course the question is, would the Tau contest it militarily if they where ever told by a member species "ya know, we're done"?

Honestly, they might not. The tau don't control the kroot worlds, they are steadfastly in the hands of the kroot. The only thing the tau would really lose is soldiers, but with the influx on human-convert troops on their western edge, it might not really matter. They would loose more in the long run by attacking them. Besides, kroot are mercs. They could just hire a bunch back.

Vietnam. Kroot is Veitnam


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 KamikazeCanuck wrote:
Don't underestimate the Kroot. It would bean America vs Vietnam thing IMO. My money's on The Kroot.

Teach me not to read the whole thread. Tau'd win eventually though. They clearly how the dominate part of the dynamic leading me to believe they are more powerful