Black Templar Crusade into the Tau Empire.

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**Nerivant**

Grey Templar wrote:the Tau can't have a birth cycle all that different from a Human birth cycle.

they might have a shorter gestation(maybe only 3-5 months), but we can't say for sure.

although, seeing as they are evolved from a bovine-like ancestry we could make educated guesses.

animals like Cows, Deer, Antelopes.... tend to have twins, but they also have specific breeding cycles.

the Tau might usually have twins, but they would have a specific mating season once a year.

so, even if they had a shorter gestation period, they would be locked into having only 2 babies a year. which is perfectly in line with human reproduction.

this gives no specific advantages over humans, aside from a Tau year being about 1/3 shorter then a Terran year.

but the Imperium has countless trillions of people. the birth rate overwhelms the casuality rates in battle so that the Imperium wins battles by drowning the enemy in bodies.

the Tau will have to be the same size of the imperium to hope to match that.

A load of osik.

The Tau year is not 1/3 shorter then a Terran year, unless the Terran year is 900 days.

There's no evidence linking Tau to bovines, or even to mammals.

Given their short lives, it's not unlikely that the gestation period and the period between births are much shorter than the human norm.

And why do the Tau need to match the Imperium's size?

**Grey Templar**

Wait, the Tau year is about 400 days?

I could have sworn it was about 250ish.

in that case its even worse for the Tau reproductive cycle.

and yes, the Tau anatomy is most closely associated with Herbivorous rumenates.

they are not a naturally predatory species in their evolutionary origins, rather being seen as a plains dwelling herbivore.

they are mammels in a loose sense of the word. they certantly don't equate to other Fauna types readily.

**BaronIveagh**

Nerivant wrote:

There's no evidence linking Tau to bovines, or even to mammals.

Um, not correct: see Xenology.

**Nerivant**

BaronIveagh wrote:
Nerivant wrote:

There's no evidence linking Tau to bovines, or even to mammals.

Um, not correct: see Xenology.

Can't get one for a decent price over here.

I assume they are, in fact, mammals?

Grey Templar wrote:Wait, the Tau year is about 400 days?

300.

**BaronIveagh**

Nerivant wrote:
BaronIveagh wrote:
Nerivant wrote:

There's no evidence linking Tau to bovines, or even to mammals.

Um, not correct: see Xenology.

Can't get one for a decent price over here.

I assume they are, in fact, mammals?

Yes, though their blood is based on cobalt and they have some unusual (read: unworkable) internal organ layouts.

**Nerivant**

BaronIveagh wrote:
Nerivant wrote:
BaronIveagh wrote:
Nerivant wrote:

There's no evidence linking Tau to bovines, or even to mammals.

Um, not correct: see Xenology.

Can't get one for a decent price over here.

I assume they are, in fact, mammals?

Yes, though their blood is based on cobalt and they have some unusual (read: unworkable) internal organ layouts.

Thanks. The cheapest I've ever seen a copy was around $115 after shipping.

Any info on their reproduction, because comparing it to the breeding cycles of Earth species is asinine.

**nomotog**

Grey Templar wrote:the Tau can't have a birth cycle all that different from a Human birth cycle.

they might have a shorter gestation(maybe only 3-5 months), but we can't say for sure.

although, seeing as they are evolved from a bovine-like ancestry we could make educated guesses.

animals like Cows, Deer, Antelopes.... tend to have twins, but they also have specific breeding cycles.

the Tau might usually have twins, but they would have a specific mating season once a year.

so, even if they had a shorter gestation period, they would be locked into having only 2 babies a year. which is perfectly in line with human reproduction.

this gives no specific advantages over humans, aside from a Tau year being about 1/3 shorter then a Terran year.

but the Imperium has countless trillions of people. the birth rate overwhelms the casuality rates in battle so that the Imperium wins battles by drowning the enemy in bodies.

the Tau will have to be the same size of the imperium to hope to match that.

Is that from a book or is it fan cannon?

<Fancannon>It sounds close (You know about as logical we can get with a species that might actually give birth from a hole in their head) A mating season makes sense and it also explains how fire warriors have children. They take the mating season off have a baby and then send them to school before they go back to fighting. Maybe they use chemicals and pharmones to induce mating when it's most advantageous. The eternals could just pick a date or maybe more then one date.<fancannon>

How this relates to planet size? Don't ask me.

On the birth rate for the IoM. Is that birth rate (As in births per 100 people) Or just a lot of births (Because they are so big) ?

**BeefCakeSoup**

With one of the best science communities out there, I see no reason the Tau wouldn't have stellar medical capabilities.

Dal'yth Prime had a population of billions, so it isn't far fetched to imagine a Tau army numbering in the billions. It's actually more far fetched to assume they have an army numbering in the millions.

The Tau also have limited expansions instead of all out crusades. Given their very conservative movements, I wouldn't be surprised if the full Tau military is quite large.

In 40K numbers aren't as scary as they are by current standards. A military power with 20 Billion Soldiers isn't the same compared to a military power capable of raising billions upon billions then replacing them live or die shortly after, like the IoM does.

I think it is totally possible that the Tau have billions in their military. Their Empire is described as being small, but densely populated in the 40K universe.

**agnosto**

nomotog wrote:
Is that from a book or is it fan cannon?

<Fancannon>It sounds close (You know about as logical we can get with a species that might actually give birth from a hole in their head) A mating season makes sense and it also explains how fire warriors have children. They take the mating season off have a baby and then send them to school before they go back to fighting. Maybe they use chemicals and pharmones to induce mating when it's most advantageous. The eternals could just pick a date or maybe more then one date.<fancannon>

How this relates to planet size? Don't ask me.

On the birth rate for the IoM. Is that birth rate (As in births per 100 people) Or just a lot of births (Because they are so big) ?

Xenology hinted at a hoofed-mammal ancestor (at least the inquisition dissecting scientist guessed as much) other than that, I have no idea where that came from.

**im2randomghgh**

iproxtaco wrote:
Archonate wrote:
iproxtaco wrote:The rail-rifles are still huge, complicated, unwieldy with a low rate of fire
Huge?... They're the same size as pulse rifles! Something like holding a 2x4 piece of lumber... And probably not much heavier. Tau don't do 'unwieldy'. Low rate of fire? Yes. Rail Rifles are used much like sniper rifles... Hence the 'causes pinning'. The low rate of fire is probably the only thing that makes them a specialist weapon, and unfit for standard issue. They're heavy weapons for the same reason sniper rifles are heavy weapons. Not because they're actually heavy.

give me the source which states that they have been adapted to pulse-rifle ease of use.
Where's your source that says 'rail-rifles are huge, complicated, and unwieldy.'
And I believe that quote was given, pg 29 of the Tau codex, remember? They were brought into use by front line troops (meaning vanguard/scout units e.g. Pathfinders) after extensive field testing.

The models. The fact that it's larger, thus more complicated, and the fact that it's a rail-rifle, involving complicated technology. Unwieldy because they're big. Specialists Weapon with a low rate of fire used by scout roles, hence low ammo.
All of the above makes them unsuitable for general infantry.

And that's been stated before. Still not addressing the point though. They still aren't used or being tested as a replacement or counterpart for the Pulse Rifle, which was the original point.

Railgun tech is a LOT simpler than taking solid rounds and turning them to plasma upon leaving the barell.

**agnosto**

im2randomghgh wrote:
Railgun tech is a LOT simpler than taking solid rounds and turning them to plasma upon leaving the barell.

Yeah, so simple and compact that they may be loaded on........*wait for it*..........*drum roll*...............DRONES!

Yes, that's right, your rail rifle maybe mounted on a small, hovering, autonomous vehicle that may be remotely controlled.

Order today and we'll throw in a spotter and markerlight, ABSOLUTELY FREE!

The Imperium calls us crazy, but we're just here to satisfy all your weapon needs.

order today.

**im2randomghgh**

Grey Templar wrote:Wait, the Tau year is about 400 days?

I could have sworn it was about 250ish.

in that case its even worse for the Tau reproductive cycle.

and yes, the Tau anatomy is most closely associated with Herbivorous rumenates.

they are not a naturally predatory species in their evolutionary origins, rather being seen as a plains dwelling herbivore.

they are mammels in a loose sense of the word. they certantly don't equate to other Fauna types readily.

*sigh*

1. Tau ARE a predatory species. Their entire society was based upon hunting before they advanced. Their military doctrine is loosely based upon their hunting habits

2. How is the Tau being mammals "loose"? They are air-breathing, vertebrate animals, with sweat glands, specialized teeth, and (almost defiantely) a neo-cortex. I am willing to bet they are even placental.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

agnosto wrote:
im2randomghgh wrote:
Railgun tech is a LOT simpler than taking solid rounds and turning them to plasma upon leaving the barell.

Yeah, so simple and compact that they may be loaded on........*wait for it*..........*drum roll*...............DRONES!

Yes, that's right, your rail rifle maybe mounted on a small, hovering, autonomous vehicle that may be remotely controlled.

Order today and we'll throw in a spotter and markerlight, ABSOLUTELY FREE!

The Imperium calls us crazy, but we're just here to satisfy all your weapon needs.

order today.

Exactly. They MAY be loaded on drones. But pathfinders use them too. It has been discussed, they are simply specialist weapons and it would be inefficient for a low-rate-of-fire weapon to be on the battlefront. It would be like giving a barett .50 cal rifle to every soldier. Just...impractical. We are developing railguns in the modern day, but pulse rifle will likely be sci-fi forever.

**Brother Coa**

BeefCakeSoup wrote:
I think it is totally possible that the Tau have billions in their military. Their Empire is described as being small, but densely populated in the 40K universe.

I am agreeing with that, even we can raise 2/3 of our planetary population under arms for sure ( that's about 4.5 billions solders ).

But there is still one stage where Tau cannot compete with the IoM - experience.

Mankind is existing 240,000 years in 40k, Tau are existing only for 6,000 ( but because of the warp Time effect we will say that information is maybe wrong when compared to the Tau side ).

Mankind has been in space for 37.000 years and have galactic empire that covers 90% of the galaxy ( of course the 2 neighbor planets might be up to 100LY away with few star systems between them ). Tau have been in space for just under 2000 years.

Fire Warrior that have 10 years of experience cannot match Imperial Guardsman with 10 years of experience. And they also cannot match Space Marines in experience.

from all what I have read:

IoM - high numbers, slightly better and practical tech, lot of specialized infantry and armor vehicles. Disadvantage - to many enemies - veteran forces to stretch, primary use of solders as meat shields, highly adaptable to corruption - thus losing entire worlds in process.

Tau Empire - high tech present almost everywhere, lot of specialized infantry and battle-suits, alien allies. Disadvantage - low population - when compared to other races, small territory - easy to defend but also easy to quarantine, lack of combat and diplomatic experience - Tau have almost none combat experience or contacts with Necrons, Eldar or Chaos. And they where in great danger against one small Hive Fleet.

Overall: in case of all-out war - Imperium would win, the chances are 80% - 20% toward Tau. But as the time goes by the Tau chances are improving, unless they to get hit by someone.

**Nerivant**

Brother Coa wrote:
Mankind is existing 240,000 years in 40k, Tau are existing only for 6,000 ( but because of the warp Time effect we will say that information is maybe wrong when compared to the Tau side ).

Mankind has been in space for 37.000 years and have galactic empire that covers 90% of the galaxy ( of course the 2 neighbor planets might be up to 100LY away with few star systems between them ). Tau have been in space for just under 2000 years.

Fire Warrior that have 10 years of experience cannot match Imperial Guardsman with 10 years of experience. And they also cannot match Space Marines in experience.

from all what I have read:

IoM - high numbers, slightly better and practical tech, lot of specialized infantry and armor vehicles. Disadvantage - to many enemies - veteran forces to stretch, primary use of solders as meat shields, highly adaptable to corruption - thus losing entire worlds in process.

Tau Empire - high tech present almost everywhere, lot of specialized infantry and battle-suits, alien allies. Disadvantage - low population - when compared to other races, small territory - easy to defend but also easy to quarantine, lack of combat and diplomatic experience - Tau have almost none combat experience or contacts with Necrons, Eldar or Chaos. And they where in great danger against one small Hive Fleet.

Overall: in case of all-out war - Imperium would win, the chances are 80% - 20% toward Tau. But as the time goes by the Tau chances are improving, unless they to get hit by someone.

There is no time effect of the Warp Storms. People need to stop bringing that up.

A battle suit pilot is more than a match for a veteran Guardsman.

The Imperium can't realistically wage open war with the Tau. They can't open a completely new front to delegate resources to.

**nomotog**

Brother Coa wrote:
BeefCakeSoup wrote:
I think it is totally possible that the Tau have billions in their military. Their Empire is described as being small, but densely populated in the 40K universe.

I am agreeing with that, even we can raise 2/3 of our planetary population under arms for sure ( that's about 4.5 billions solders ).

But there is still one stage where Tau cannot compete with the IoM - experience.

Mankind is existing 240,000 years in 40k, Tau are existing only for 6,000 ( but because of the warp Time effect we will say that information is maybe wrong when compared to the Tau side ).

Mankind has been in space for 37.000 years and have galactic empire that covers 90% of the galaxy ( of course the 2 neighbor planets might be up to 100LY away with few star systems between them ). Tau have been in space for just under 2000 years.

Fire Warrior that have 10 years of experience cannot match Imperial Guardsman with 10 years of experience. And they also cannot match Space Marines in experience.

from all what I have read:

IoM - high numbers, slightly better and practical tech, lot of specialized infantry and armor vehicles. Disadvantage - to many enemies - veteran forces to stretch, primary use of solders as meat shields, highly adaptable to corruption - thus losing entire worlds in process.

Tau Empire - high tech present almost everywhere, lot of specialized infantry and battle-suits, alien allies. Disadvantage - low population - when compared to other races, small territory - easy to defend but also easy to quarantine, lack of combat and diplomatic experience - Tau have almost none combat experience or contacts with Necrons, Eldar or Chaos. And they where in great danger against one small Hive Fleet.

Overall: in case of all-out war - Imperium would win, the chances are 80% - 20% toward Tau. But as the time goes by the Tau chances are improving, unless they to get hit by someone.

At 10 years experience the firewarrior is in a crissus suit and they are a match for SMs. It's kind of surprising. They don't have the SM years of exprence, but they are competitive with each other. Give the advantage to who you want, but they are in the same weight class. You could actually look at it as an advantage. It only takes them ten years and one mech suit to combat someone with hundreds of years and relic armor. Good luck replacing that SM before the tau replace 10 times that number of firewarriors.

On a larger level, the Tau still have a lot to learn as a people. Like not trading people with dark elder, or throwing a party for necrons. Learning these lessons will be both a benefit and a curse.

**im2randomghgh**

Brother Coa wrote:
BeefCakeSoup wrote:
I think it is totally possible that the Tau have billions in their military. Their Empire is described as being small, but densely populated in the 40K universe.

I am agreeing with that, even we can raise 2/3 of our planetary population under arms for sure ( that's about 4.5 billions solders ).

But there is still one stage where Tau cannot compete with the IoM - experience.

Mankind is existing 240,000 years in 40k, Tau are existing only for 6,000 ( but because of the warp Time effect we will say that information is maybe wrong when compared to the Tau side ).

Mankind has been in space for 37.000 years and have galactic empire that covers 90% of the galaxy ( of course the 2 neighbor planets might be up to 100LY away with few star systems between them ). Tau have been in space for just under 2000 years.

Fire Warrior that have 10 years of experience cannot match Imperial Guardsman with 10 years of experience. And they also cannot match Space Marines in experience.

from all what I have read:

IoM - high numbers, slightly better and practical tech, lot of specialized infantry and armor vehicles. Disadvantage - to many enemies - veteran forces to stretch, primary use of solders as meat shields, highly adaptable to corruption - thus losing entire worlds in process.

Tau Empire - high tech present almost everywhere, lot of specialized infantry and battle-suits, alien allies. Disadvantage - low population - when compared to other races, small territory - easy to defend but also easy to quarantine, lack of combat and diplomatic experience - Tau have almost none combat experience or contacts with Necrons, Eldar or Chaos. And they where in great danger against one small Hive Fleet.

Overall: in case of all-out war - Imperium would win, the chances are 80% - 20% toward Tau. But as the time goes by the Tau chances are improving, unless they to get hit by someone.

I agree with most of that, especially the last part. If the IoM just waits, the Tau Empire will only get stronger and more high-tech.

However, there are three points I must contest.

1. The hive fleet they encountered was probably the most dangerous ever encountered. The tyranids were hyper-adaptive. It wasn't smaller just because it was smaller, it was smaller because instead of focusing on making more gaunts, it was making it's gaunts more adaptive, and by extension more powerful.

2. It is unfair to compare experience. The IoM does have much, much more experience, but the Tau short time in the galaxy has been during the most war-filled time in it's entire history, other than the Necrontyr vs. The Old Ones, and the Men of Iron.

3. if a FW with 10 years experience fought a guardsman with 10 years experience, the Fire Warrior would win (most of the time). With Fire warriors, they are promoted based on experience and training. This means that the Fire Warrior would be a Shas'vre (they are offered advancement every 4 years of field duty), meaning he would either be a commander's bodyguard (XV8 armour) or an XV8 team leader (XV8 armour). I know you meant on foot, but the FW would never be on foot unless he used an ejection system.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
P.S., +1 on the noticing that the Perdus Rift anomaly may have distorted time for the Tau.

**Brother Coa**

Did Tau slaughtered all civilians at Nimbosa?
Just asking...

**nomotog**

Brother Coa wrote:Did Tau slaughtered all civilians at Nimbosa?
Just asking...

Yes. They killed everyone.

**agnosto**

what's yer point? Each faction has commited atrocities. Heck, the IoM makes killing all aliens a priority.

**im2randomghgh**

agnosto wrote:what's yer point? Each faction has commited atrocities. Heck, the IoM makes killing all aliens a priority.

It is pretty much their motto. They devoted 1/3 of the Inquisition to it, even though subtlety is not necessary for dealing with planetary invasion. The only ordo that is actually necessary is the Ordo Hereticus because if someone is trading with aliens, it is HERESY, if someone is summoning a daemon, it is HERESY, so both the malleus and xenos branches are completely redundant.

**Nerivant**

im2randomghgh wrote:
agnosto wrote:what's yer point? Each faction has commited atrocities. Heck, the IoM makes killing all aliens a priority.

It is pretty much their motto. They devoted 1/3 of the Inquisition to it, even though subtlety is not necessary for dealing with planetary invasion. The only ordo that is actually necessary is the Ordo Hereticus because if someone is trading with aliens, it is HERESY, if someone is summoning a daemon, it is HERESY, so both the malleus and xenos branches are completely redundant.

Except that having Inquisitors specialized for certain threats, with a military wings specialized to face certain threats, means that they're better at rooting it out and dealing with it.

**nomotog**

agnosto wrote:what's yer point? Each faction has commited atrocities. Heck, the IoM makes killing all aliens a priority.

Oh Oh I know this one. Nimbrosa marks a possible turning point in tau culture. They start out all wide eyed and busty tailed looking to united the universe and spread the GG. They take delight in finding alien cultures and new unexplained things because they see the opportunity in everything first. Then they meet the IoM and things start going down hill. They get nervous. They start looking at the bad side of new people and places. Seeing them as a threat rather then an opportunity. Brightsword killed everyone at nimbrosa. Rather then seeing the opportunity to add these humans, he saw them as a threat that needed to be eliminated.

**im2randomghgh**

nomotog wrote:
agnosto wrote:what's yer point? Each faction has commited atrocities. Heck, the IoM makes killing all aliens a priority.

Oh Oh I know this one. Nimbrosa marks a possible turning point in tau culture. They start out all wide eyed and busty tailed looking to united the universe and spread the GG. They take delight in finding alien cultures and new unexplained things because they see the opportunity in everything first. Then they meet the IoM and things start going down hill. They get nervous. They start looking at the bad side of new people and places. Seeing them as a threat rather then an opportunity. Brightsword killed everyone at nimbrosa. Rather then seeing the opportunity to add these humans, he saw them as a threat that needed to be eliminated.

Brightsword is an extremist. He and O'Shovah. Do not judge a species based on them. That would be like calling all humans evil due to Hitler.

**nomotog**

im2randomghgh wrote:
nomotog wrote:
agnosto wrote:what's yer point? Each faction has commited atrocities. Heck, the IoM makes killing all aliens a priority.

Oh Oh I know this one. Nimbrosa marks a possible turning point in tau culture. They start out all wide eyed and busty tailed looking to united the universe and spread the GG. They take delight in finding alien cultures and new unexplained things because they see the opportunity in everything first. Then they meet the IoM and things start going down hill. They get nervous. They start looking at the bad side of new people and places. Seeing them as a threat rather then an opportunity. Brightsword killed everyone at nimbrosa. Rather then seeing the opportunity to add these humans, he saw them as a threat that needed to be eliminated.

Brightsword is an extremist. He and O'Shovah. Do not judge a species based on them. That would be like calling all humans evil due to Hitler.

It's a warning sign. (Doesn't have to do with them being evil or not.) A sign that the tau can be corrupted by war and that they need to watch themselves so they don't turn into the next IoM.

**Grey Templar**

im2randomghgh wrote:
nomotog wrote:
agnosto wrote:what's yer point? Each faction has commited atrocities. Heck, the IoM makes killing all aliens a priority.

Oh Oh I know this one. Nimbrosa marks a possible turning point in tau culture. They start out all wide eyed and busty tailed looking to united the universe and spread the GG. They take delight in finding alien cultures and new unexplained things because they see the opportunity in everything first. Then they meet the IoM and things start going down hill. They get nervous. They start looking at the bad side of new people and places. Seeing them as a threat rather then an opportunity. Brightsword killed everyone at nimbrosa. Rather then seeing the opportunity to add these humans, he saw them as a threat that needed to be eliminated.

Brightsword is an extremist. He and O'Shovah. Do not judge a species based on them. That would be like calling all humans evil due to Hitler.

true enough, but I see it as a possable turning point for the Tau.

they will soon realize that their "Greater Good" is just going to get them killed.

the Greater Good may live on, but it will live on in being the Survival of the Tau race.

40k is a fight where weakness is extinction. the Tau's philosophy will eventually get them talking to the wrong faction and that faction will turn on them and the Tau will be wiped from the Galaxy, unless they harden up.

**iproxtaco**

The Imperium has more than enough resources to annihilate the Tau. They are small and insignificant, NOTHING compared to the resources the Imeprium uses to fight the other infinitely more important and powerful threats it faces on a day to day basis.
That's Tau fans wishfully thinking that their race is significant, making things up when the obviously when crunch time comes, they will be destroyed.

A Crisis suit is a match for a Space Marine only because he's in a Crisis suit. He can have a single year of experience, that suit is what makes him powerful, not his pitiful 10 years of battle.

Why is it unfair to compare the Tau and Imperium on experience? Is it because the Tau are so massively out-classed, therefore it's unfair because the Tau are at a disadvantage? Lol. It's entirely fair. The Tau may have fought during one of the most destructive periods in history, but those few isolated wars are a trip to the park compared to the average day on the Cadian Gate. They are naive and inexperienced.

Sorry, only the Ordo Hereticus? Not the Ordo Malleus? Responsible for protecting humanity from Daemons and Chaos? Or the Ordo Xenos, responsible for dealing with aliens which more often than not have malicious intent towards humans?

**nomotog**

Grey Templar wrote:
im2randomghgh wrote:
nomotog wrote:
agnosto wrote:what's yer point? Each faction has commited atrocities. Heck, the IoM makes killing all aliens a priority.

Oh Oh I know this one. Nimbrosa marks a possible turning point in tau culture. They start out all wide eyed and busty tailed looking to united the universe and spread the GG. They take delight in finding alien cultures and new unexplained things because they see the opportunity in everything first. Then they meet the IoM and things start going down hill. They get nervous. They start looking at the bad side of new people and places. Seeing them as a threat rather then an opportunity. Brightsword killed everyone at nimbrosa. Rather then seeing the opportunity to add these humans, he saw them as a threat that needed to be eliminated.

Brightsword is an extremist. He and O'Shovah. Do not judge a species based on them. That would be like calling all humans evil due to Hitler.

true enough, but I see it as a possable turning point for the Tau.

they will soon realize that their "Greater Good" is just going to get them killed.

the Greater Good may live on, but it will live on in being the Survival of the Tau race.

40k is a fight where weakness is extinction. the Tau's philosophy will eventually get them talking to the wrong faction and that faction will turn on them and the Tau will be wiped from the Galaxy, unless they harden up.

I think it's the other way. If the tau abandon the GG then they are doomed a slow death. It's only by embracing the possibilitys, that they can hope to do anything. Sure they might lose, but they are guaranteed to lose if they abandon their hopes and dreams.

**im2randomghgh**

Grey Templar wrote:
im2randomghgh wrote:
nomotog wrote:
agnosto wrote:what's yer point? Each faction has commited atrocities. Heck, the IoM makes killing all aliens a priority.

Oh Oh I know this one. Nimbrosa marks a possible turning point in tau culture. They start out all wide eyed and busty tailed looking to united the universe and spread the GG. They take delight in finding alien cultures and new unexplained things because they see the opportunity in everything first. Then they meet the IoM and things start going down hill. They get nervous. They start looking at the bad side of new people and places. Seeing them as a threat rather then an opportunity. Brightsword killed everyone at nimbrosa. Rather then seeing the opportunity to add these humans, he saw them as a threat that needed to be eliminated.

Brightsword is an extremist. He and O'Shovah. Do not judge a species based on them. That would be like calling all humans evil due to Hitler.

true enough, but I see it as a possable turning point for the Tau.

they will soon realize that their "Greater Good" is just going to get them killed.

the Greater Good may live on, but it will live on in being the Survival of the Tau race.

40k is a fight where weakness is extinction. the Tau's philosophy will eventually get them talking to the wrong faction and that faction will turn on them and the Tau will be wiped from the Galaxy, unless they harden up.

Well the only faction I can actually see the Tau trusting is the Eldar, and as long as the Tau are friendly, and the Eldar see no futures in which the Tau attack them.

**iproxtaco**

Which will never happen considering the Tau will try to incorporate the Eldar into the Greater Good, which the Eldar will resist, until they are destroyed.

**Nerivant**

iproxtaco wrote:Which will never happen considering the Tau will try to incorporate the Eldar into the Greater Good, which the Eldar will resist, until they are destroyed.

The Eldar trick the Tau into thinking they already follow the Greater Good.

Or something. It's probably more likely than we think.