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Looking at the Lexicanum, it seems Genestealer cults exist in plenty of societies, including orks. The Tau's greatest threat is currently the Tyranids, which makes me wonder why we haven't heard about Genestealer infiltrations that are so prevalent with other societies. Is it just a Games Workshop oversight?

 DarkHound wrote:
Looking at the Lexicanum, it seems Genestealer cults exist in plenty of societies, including orks. The Tau's greatest threat is currently the Tyranids, which makes me wonder why we haven't heard about Genestealer infiltrations that are so prevalent with other societies. Is it just a Games Workshop oversight?

Probably. Genestealer cults seem to become less cool with each edition... which makes them fit in with the rest of the Tyranids.

There's a gent at the Advanced Tau Tactica who has a fanfic about a Kroot genestealer cult attacking a Gue'Vesa world while the Tau are entering it into their empire. Fun stuff. My favorite bit is a joke about the Earth Caste putting a recording device into a drone and proofing it against chants and incense so the Admech can't detect it.

Tau are also the one race that would keep track of every citizen*, so if one starts acting very strangely or just disappears, they would do something about it.


*Not in a big brother way (although they do that as well), but in a safety ans security of their citizens way.

IIRC there was something about a Kroot/Tyranid hybrid in the Deathwatch book? Was literally the first chapter, never went anywhere really.

Well, I guess it would make sense if they eat nids. The shapers probebly have put a no eating rule on tyranids, they already have one on deamons.

There are a couple of Tau infected by 'stealers in one of the Cain books as well from what I remember.

They could certainly exist, but man wouldn't they be about the least frightening genestealer I could imagine!

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
Well, I guess it would make sense if they eat nids. The shapers probebly have put a no eating rule on tyranids, they already have one on deamons.

I believe the Kroot fluff explicitly states that the Shapers have figured out that eating Nids is a bad thing.

I'd say it would be about as scary as a regular one because tau are just as string as humans, they just don't have the cc training (and that come from instinct with 'nids.

The Genestealer Cult fluff has dropped off to almost zero. So I don't know if it's really a "can't" so much as "almost nobody writes about Genestealer Cults at all, let alone a Tau one."

I'd imagine that the Stealers would just adapt their propaganda to the Greater Good. If anything, the pervasive propaganda and "just go with it" nature of the Tau might make the individuals more vulnerable to Cult influence than humans. However, the extreme Big Brother oversight in the Tau culture might make it harder for the cults to hide.

Black Library books often feature Genestealer cults (or rather, reference them without going into too much detail).

The Ciaphas Cain books are a notable exception, and do often feature Genestealer cults. There is a large Genestealer cult infestation on a world that the Tau and Imperium are squabbling over, and there are a few infected Tau running around under the city with the humans stirring up the conflict on both sides.

The Cain books also feature [b]Ork/b] cultists on a Space Hulk (doesn't go into the reproductive cycle; just that the Orks who have been "kissed" are completely enslaved to the brood mind and the rest of the Orks don't seem to have noticed).

 EmpNortonII wrote:

 DarkHound wrote:
Looking at the Lexicanum, it seems Genestealer cults exist in plenty of societies, including orks. The Tau's greatest threat is currently the Tyranids, which makes me wonder why we haven't heard about Genestealer infiltrations that are so prevalent with other societies. Is it just a Games Workshop oversight?

Probably. Genestealer cults seem to become less cool with each edition... which makes them fit in with the rest of the Tyranids.

There's a gent at the Advanced Tau Tactica who has a fanfic about a Kroot genestealer cult attacking a Gue'Vesa world while the Tau are entering it into their empire. Fun stuff. My favorite bit is a joke about the Earth Caste putting a recording device into a drone and proofing it against chants and incense so the Admech can't detect it.

Tyranids and Kroot don't really mix.

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
I'd say it would be about as scary as a regular one because tau are just as string as humans, they just don't have the cc training (and that come from instinct with 'nids.

They are less coordinated and have slower reflexes as well.

 PhillyT wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
I'd say it would be about as scary as a regular one because tau are just as string as humans, they just don't have the cc training (and that come from instinct with 'nids.

They are less coordinated and have slower reflexes as well.

Since when? Their eyes focus slower is all that I can think of.