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 TheCustomLime wrote:
Doesn't really roll of the tongue as well as "Space Communist" I must say.

"Space Communists" is perfectly fine to describe, say, Eldar Craftworlds, the Ad-Mech, or even those "we-share-everything" Space Marine Brotherhoods or Wyches Covens.

Just a bit odd in combination with the far and away most capitalist, entrepreneurial, mercantile and anti-egalitarian faction in the 40K-setting.

 Zweischneid wrote:

 TheCustomLime wrote:
Doesn't really roll of the tongue as well as "Space Communist" I must say.

"Space Communists" is perfectly fine to describe, say, Eldar Craftworlds, the Ad-Mech, or even those "we-share-everything" Space Marine Brotherhoods or Wyches Covens.

Just a bit odd in combination with the far and away most capitalist, entrepreneurial, mercantile and anti-egalitarian faction in the 40K-setting.

I think the reason why it's often used with Tau is because of the American tendency of labeling anything with socialist aspects as communist. Plus, Poe's Law and all that.

Deadnight wrote:
Tau aren't communists they're more akin to the British empire. Just replace 'ethereal' with 'tea' and it all makes sense

You are amazing. Have an exalt.

 Co'tor Shas wrote:

Deadnight wrote:
Tau aren't communists they're more akin to the British empire. Just replace 'ethereal' with 'tea' and it all makes sense

You are amazing. Have an exalt.

Tau= Reform era today's China= Advancing tech, free market and other races seen as the same as the tau themselfs rather than anything else, that's the closest to communism they are, "Deng xiao ping theory" space communists if you will.
Kroot are the cambodians, due to names like "Ankor Prok, also explains loyality to the Tau like their loyality to China.

Nazi Germany also had state companies and so did imperial Japan, the Imperium could be like that too, only a few IG regiments were based on USSR.

 CrashCanuck wrote:
As others have said, Tau are the commies in their philosophy, the IG are a more direct allegory to the Soviet Union, at least in terms of how they conduct war.

You must mean: at least in terms of how the Soviet Union's conduct of war isoften perceived in the west.
In RL, the Soviet (and by extension: Russian) tactical doctrine does not make use of mass infantry. Unlike the IoM, Russia does not have the population required to carelessly waste human life. Their basic idea of a large scale offensive consists of: A massive artillery bombardment followed up by an assault of main battle tanks directly supported by small infantry squads in armoured fighting vehicles. Air support is provided in the form of gunships to destroy threatening enemy ground targets and jetfighters to achieve local air superiority. In the meanwhile spetsnaz and airborne troops take out the enemy command chain and sabotage supply lines.
The IG idea in the same situation is more like: throw bodies/vehicles/whatever we have at the enemy until they drown in bodies and die.

In more technical terms: Soviet/Russian doctrine sacrifices tactical flexibility and adaptability for strategic and operational flexibility and adaptability; tactical personnel are trained as relatively inflexible executors of specific, detailed orders, while the operational-strategic level of Russian military doctrine is where most innovation takes place.
This is the direct opposite of US doctrine which does the exact opposite.
IG doctrine on the other hand does not even show the slightest hint of flexibility and adaptability on any level, but instead shows extreme stubborness to hold the line and give up even an inch of ground, even if that would be more tactically or strategically sound. The IG can be better compared to the WWI western front armies. Massive infantry attacks supported by massed artillery and fighting for every inch of land. The DKoK come even complete with trenches...

IG: Space Nazis ( Kill those who are different from our arbitrarily determined standard)
SM: Space Nazis^2 ( geneticaly engineered supermenschen to wipe out vile subhumans and the like, der Führer would get a heart attack out of joy.)
Chaos: The biggest pyramid scheme in history.
Eldar: Tolkien elfs, except even more annoyingly smug
DE: Hellraiser cosplayers
Orks: Hooligans after their 20th+ beer and some severe braindamage
Tyranids: Locusts, investment bankers. Out to deprive hard working, workers of their hard earned imperial corpse starch. Only constant vigilance will offer protection! BE VIGILANT CITIZEN!
Tau Empire: Glorious workers paradise where everyone works his/her 14 hour shifts with a smile on his face and a happy song about glorious Etheral caste on his/her lips.

Why the hell do people call BA vampires when they don't heal from killing & don't live forever? That is DE

KingDeath wrote:
IG: Space Nazis ( Kill those who are different from our arbitrarily determined standard)
SM: Space Nazis^2 ( geneticaly engineered supermenschen to wipe out vile subhumans and the like, der Führer would get a heart attack out of joy.)
Chaos: The biggest pyramid scheme in history.
Eldar: Tolkien elfs, except even more annoyingly smug
DE: Hellraiser cosplayers
Orks: Hooligans after their 20th+ beer and some severe braindamage
Tyranids: Locusts, investment bankers. Out to deprive hard working, workers of their hard earned imperial corpse starch. Only constant vigilance will offer protection! BE VIGILANT CITIZEN!
Tau Empire: Glorious workers paradise where everyone works his/her 14 hour shifts with a smile on his face and a happy song about glorious Etheral caste on his/her lips.

All of these are very funny.

 Co'tor Shas wrote:

KingDeath wrote:
IG: Space Nazis ( Kill those who are different from our arbitrarily determined standard)
SM: Space Nazis^2 ( geneticaly engineered supermenschen to wipe out vile subhumans and the like, der Führer would get a heart attack out of joy.)
Chaos: The biggest pyramid scheme in history.
Eldar: Tolkien elfs, except even more annoyingly smug
DE: Hellraiser cosplayers
Orks: Hooligans after their 20th+ beer and some severe braindamage
Tyranids: Locusts, investment bankers. Out to deprive hard working, workers of their hard earned imperial corpse starch. Only constant vigilance will offer protection! BE VIGILANT CITIZEN!
Tau Empire: Glorious workers paradise where everyone works his/her 14 hour shifts with a smile on his face and a happy song about glorious Etheral caste on his/her lips.

All of these are very funny.

That is not possible. Everyone knows Germans completely lack humour because 'Das ist not efficient!'
Also, the Führer would get a heart attack from the Salamanders

Oh forget it... It is freaking hilarious

Zweischneid wrote:Tau have 25% of their adult population dedicated to free trade and commerce (Water Caste)
The Imperium of Men has about 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% of their adult population dedicated to free trade and commerce (Rogue Traders)

If Tau are Communists, then what is the IoM?

The IoM knows to read the fething Manual first? Like "eternal war" = don't dedicate 25% to free trade > lets get ready to rumble > dedicate 250% to war

Iron_Captain wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:

KingDeath wrote:

<snip>

All of these are very funny.

That is not possible. Everyone knows Germans completely lack humour because 'Das ist ineffizient!'

Also, the Führer would get a heart attack from the Salamanders

Oh forget it... It is freaking hilarious

Small upgrade.



The 'unfun' explanation is:

IG = Empire State troops
SM = Empire Knightly orders
AS = Bretonnia
Ork = Orcs
Eldar = High elves / wood elves
DE = Dark Elfs
Necrons = Undead/Tomb Kings
BA = Vampiric knights
SW = Knights lupus
UM = knights pantera
DA = knights of the sun
Tyranids = Ogre Kingdoms/skaven
Tau = Mercenaries / fishmen ..cathay
Kroot = Lizardmen
CSM = chaos/beastmen
CD = CD

Ad mech = Dwarves

Take the common Fantasy races and put them into space. Done.
Replace scrolls with SHV/MC, replace magic with psi and you are there....

When these sorts of debates comes up, the most pressing question that always comes up is which of the various 40k factions compares with the characters of the hit 80's tv show Alvin and the Chipmunks. This is my list, hopefully to settle the matter once and for all.

Space Marines: Alvin, lead singer and most popular of the chipmunks, whose mischievous antics often cause pain and misery for the band and those around them.

Imperial Guard: Simon, the quietest and least popular chipmunks, but the pillar on which the band's success rests, who must save the three chipmunks from Alvin's schemes.

Orks: Theodore, the youngest chipmunk, whose innocent worldview and happy demeanor can overcome the banal existence of a superstar.

Emperor: Dave, the surrogate father of the chipmunks and manager of their band, upon whom falls the thankless task of keeping his charges out of harm and on time for gigs.

Sisters of Battle: The Chipettes, constant rivals to the chipmunks, as the only females of their species in either setting.

Tau and Eldar: The new cg chipmunk movies, whose plastic soulless characters have forever ruined the priceless Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise.

Necrons: The original 60's chipmunks television show, with bad animation, terrible voice acting, and nonsensical plots.

Dark Eldar: What happens when you google Chipettes with safe search off.

Tyranids: The Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise itself, eternally hungry and never-ending.

Chaos: Hanna Barbara and its endless hosts of shoddy cartoon characters, always ready to sweep over the noble legions of DIC entertainment and its stalwart cartoon chipmunks.

 1hadhq wrote:

Eldar = High elves / wood elves
Ad mech = Dwarves

There's nothing Wood Elfy about Eldar anywhere. Sure, they grow their own gardens up there in the skies, but there's no *nature* there. At all. For Wood Elves you need to go to Exodar. Also, I hope people realize that Eldar/Ljusalver (Ljusalfheim) have always been isolationist, semi-evil, bastards. The only point in history where they weren't evil was before christinanity (prior to which they certainly weren't good) and the short stunt in GW's Fantasy Battles world.
Ad Mech are hardly Dwarves. Not only are they actively trying to deny that they were born human, but what they are trying to be are robots. Space Dwarves actually do exist in WH40K, that's where the Imperium got their most impressive and least reproducible technology from. Space Dwarves sadly got eaten by the 'nids.

 Mahtamori wrote:

 1hadhq wrote:

Eldar = High elves / wood elves
Ad mech = Dwarves

There's nothing Wood Elfy about Eldar anywhere.

Eldar aspects maybe? Wood elf gods of nature - Eldar incarnations of Khaine maybe? The concept, not the specific god.
And the aspects, lots of elements used, seems close to the concept of spirits of the wood elves.

Also, I hope people realize that Eldar/Ljusalver (Ljusalfheim) have always been isolationist, semi-evil, bastards. The only point in history where they weren't evil was before christinanity (prior to which they certainly weren't good) and the short stunt in GW's Fantasy Battles world.

Ad Mech are hardly Dwarves. Not only are they actively trying to deny that they were born human, but what they are trying to be are robots.

Both love Mining. Most of the small people in Myths do, but in 40k there seems only one choice left without the Option in the following quote beneath.

Space Dwarves actually do exist in WH40K, that's where the Imperium got their most impressive and least reproducible technology from. Space Dwarves sadly got eaten by the 'nids.

Joined 40k when those were redacted. So no real space dwarves...