What's the deal with killing Ethereals?

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**bibotot**

It's always the Ethereals who die when the enemy gets into range for knives and axes, never the Commander. Why is this? It's like killing the Chaplain instead of the Captain of the Space Marines. The army will have broken morale, but should still be a threat if competently lead (what do you think the Commissars are for?). Name one Tau Commander who has died in combat to prove me wrong.

**Galas**

Ethereals are not the equivalent of Chaplains in Space Marines.

Ethereals are much more important to Tau than anything equivalent could exist in the Imperium. Maybe Living Saints can compare with Ethereals.

**Wyldhunt**

As Galas points out, killing an ethereal can absolutely devastate the morale of a tau army. Killing a commander will confuse the enemy forces until his successor starts issuing orders. Killing an ethereal will haunt the force from then on.

As for a counter example, Shadow Sun's sister, whom I believe was a commander, got killed while defending some ethereals form some dark eldar.

**Stormonu**

The death of the Ethereals in Farsight's company ended the WAR they were undertaking. If it hadn't been for the Dawn Blade, Farsight would have taken his remaining army AND GONE HOME.

In prior editions of 40K (5th and before, if I remember correctly), if you lost your last Ethereal on the board, every unit had to make a morale check each turn or they ran away.

That's how powerful the loss of an Ethereal to the Tau is.

**TheAvengingKnee**

Stormonu wrote:
The death of the Ethereals in Farsight's company ended the WAR they were undertaking. If it hadn't been for the Dawn Blade, Farsight would have taken his remaining army AND GONE HOME.

In prior editions of 40K (5th and before, if I remember correctly), if you lost your last Ethereal on the board, every unit had to make a morale check each turn or they ran away.

That's how powerful the loss of an Ethereal to the Tau is.

I believe it was a 1 time test in 5th edition, you got preferred enemy though if you passed, and kroot and vespid were not subject to the moral test.

**Giantwalkingchair**

Yeah. Used to be Tau with line of sight to ethereal were fearless. When it went down, tau all took a Ld test and fell back if they failed.
I havent seen an ethereal in a game in over 10 years.

**Stux**

To add to the above great answers, it is at times implied in the fluff that Ethereals have some sort of mind control ability, possibly pheromone based, over other Tau.

If this is true, it is likely what holds Tau society together and allows Ethereals to command the Tau with unquestioning loyalty. As such, losing an Ethereal isn't just your commander dying, it's potentially losing everything you've believed in and been taught since birth in an instant. Like having the matrix cable ripped from your head.

It's also suggested that the death of the Ethereals in his army was the catalyst for the rebellion of Farsight against the empire. Not because of morale, but because it freed him and his army. The implication is that many more would side with him and think his way were it not for the controlling influence of the Ethereals.

TL;DR: Even the 'good guys' of 40k need a bit of grimdark!

**AndrewGPaul**

Alternatively, when the Ethereal on Taros was assassinated, the remaining Tau forces escalated their warfare in revenge. They stopped taking prisoners and began ruthlessly slaughtering any Imperial forces they overwhelmed.

**Iur_tae_mont**

Losing an ethereal is the Tau equivalent of losing a Primarch.

**Stux**

AndrewGPaul wrote:
Alternatively, when the Ethereal on Taros was assassinated, the remaining Tau forces escalated their warfare in revenge. They stopped taking prisoners and began ruthlessly slaughtering any Imperial forces they overwhelmed.

I would hypothesise that the Tau the Ethereals elevate to command roles are likely the ones they need to influence the least to do what they want. I totally imagine Shadowsun being well on board with the whole thought police, shady dictatorship thing for example. So when the link to the Ethereals is severed, a good commander can quickly step in and twist what the emotionally destraught Tau are experiencing in to a positive as far as winning the battle. Then after the battle, they keep them contained until new Ethereals can be brought in.

Of course we have no specifics on what the range of this stuff is, or how exactly it works!

As for Farsight, he probably was also somewhat aware of what the Ethereals were doing and complicit with it in a Greater Good way. However after his Ethereals were killed he also discovered the existence of Chaos, and that the Ethereals had been lying to him, along with the rest of society, about this. I see that as the final straw for him.

**=Angel=**

As has been stated- an ethereal is a noncombatant primarch/saint/prophet/beloved head of state.

It would be like Hitler hanging around the front lines for the Hitler youth- he's not so much commanding or contributing directly, but the morale benefits are tremendous- until he catches a bullet.

**CREEEEEEEEED**

bibotot makes crappy bait. Boo.