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Orks: 1
Necrons: 0

Imperium: 1
nids: 0



Assume no other faction interference, just tau and what are left of eldar craftworlds (no dark eldar) which faction would come out on top?


Assume craftworlds are united, but still as they are, each led by their own council,

For tau, assume they are as they are, save the enclaves are working with/under the main faction again.

Eldar Void warfare supremacy > Tau.

Probably go with Eldar here. I’m not sure what the numbers look like, but all of the Eldar might actually have numbers over the Tau.

But what I think seals it is the psychic supremacy. The farseers are just going to pick the path that leads to victory. It’s a pretty big strategic advantage.

This is also a fight that the Tau can’t rely on a technologic advantage to win. At best they have parity.

Eldar. It's almost impossible to have a fight with eldar they don't want, and tau warp travel is notoriously slow. They would never be able to attack the eldar directly.

Definitely the Eldar. Just imagine if something like the Great Exodus happened within Tau Space (the event extinguished all suns within sixty light years!). I'm not sure exactly how big the Tau Empire is but I'd imagine this would take out most of it, or at least the core.

The Tau are already limited to a specific region of space, which makes them extremely vulnerable to something like this.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Great_Exodus
(It's from the timeline in the 6th ed rulebook)

Eldar, no question.

Any of the ~25% people who voted Tau want to explain themselves? Or other people want to play devil’s advocate?

To me this seems pretty cut and dry, but obviously some people disagree. But only with votes; all the posters so far are solidly Eldar.

Tau might give them trouble in a ground war but the Void war goes entirely to the Eldar. and that's the important one.

Tau worlds are far easier pickings if none can reinforce it and Eldar isolate and take them on planet by planet, working rounf to cut the core worlds off and the supply of food and such from the outer sections.
eventualy hitting the now weaker core worlds who have been probably starving for abit.

Eldar. I would list reasons, but all the ones I had were already covered. This one seems like a blow out.

I'm not sure exactly how big the Tau Empire is

Not very.

Tau Empire is smaller than Ultramar. And they still ain't done gak to Daddy Calgar.

Eldar. On the tabletop, in the fluff, in a cardboard box...

Eldar sceme centuries ahead manipulating entire civilisations in order to get it done. While the tau can't even build a half decent warp drive

 Psienesis wrote:

I'm not sure exactly how big the Tau Empire is

Not very.

Yea, I wasn't sure if sixty light years would be enough to cover the whole empire but it does look rather small from the in-universe maps. Either way, if six Craftworlds can extinguish suns within such an area, then the entire Eldar race combined would probably be capable of something even more devastating.

And 60 light-years might not sound like much on a galactic scale but it does cover a fairly large number of star systems. The Tau Empire seems pretty compact.

Some lists and maps from wikipedia, quite interesting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nearest_stars_and_brown_dwarfs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_star_systems_within_20–25_light_years

I Chose Tau because in the board game the Tau rely on technology to remove cover/jink saves. And the Eldar pretty much entirely rely on Jink/Cover saves.

Amplify this into a space battle, because I have no idea about Eldar fluff ships and never played Battle Fleet gothic but I would assume Tau could Hold their own.

Regardless, given time the Tau are the biggest threat to the imperium and the Eldar.

I voted Tau and now I will explain.

The Tau are renowned for technological advancement/ refinement in the face of their enemies. When they encounter a significant threat they will adapt to best deal with that threat.

Like the Imperium, the Eldar are stuck in a decaying cycle where they just try to maintain what they have and the way of warfare they developed Millennia ago.

What I believe would happen:
Eldar would win a lot at first due to numerical superiority but the combined research of the entire Tau empire would develop tactics and technology to counter the Eldar way of war.
In the end (even if most of the outer Tau worlds were lost), the Tau would prevail having developed a hard-counter to the Eldar.

Eldar Void warfare supremacy > Tau.

Oooooook......

Pretty sure that since Valedor the Eldar have had the Fireheart which can be used to destroy the planet remotely. Can't really adapt to that much.

 Otto Weston wrote:
I voted Tau and now I will explain.

The Tau are renowned for technological advancement/ refinement in the face of their enemies. When they encounter a significant threat they will adapt to best deal with that threat.

Like the Imperium, the Eldar are stuck in a decaying cycle where they just try to maintain what they have and the way of warfare they developed Millennia ago.

What I believe would happen:
Eldar would win a lot at first due to numerical superiority but the combined research of the entire Tau empire would develop tactics and technology to counter the Eldar way of war.
In the end (even if most of the outer Tau worlds were lost), the Tau would prevail having developed a hard-counter to the Eldar.

Wat.

In order for anybody to reach Eldar tech they would need major advancement millennia beyond that of the Imperium's. It is physically impossible for the Tau to counter the Eldar as they lack any understanding of the Warp or any way to manipulate it. Not only can Eldar dictate every battle as they will appear anywhere they want, whenever they want- but Seers can manipulate the skeins of fate itself. As long as Chaos doesn't step in and assault the Seers' souls, they can physically rig the war into their favor completely.

Plus some of the most basic weaponry the Eldar use both on the ground and in-void battles fires warp rifts that are physically impossible to armor against- the only defense is void shields.

Do the eldar really have the ability to fight a full on war?

That is overlooked in the initial question, as it assumes Elder have the capability to unify their craft-worlds to attack a non-Slaanesh target.
Wonder if Tau can find a way to disrupt Soul-Stones and what effect that might have on this hypothetical battle.

nomotog wrote:
Do the eldar really have the ability to fight a full on war?

Well they're expected to fight the final battle against Chaos. Not to mention that the "dying race" is largely bs considering there's billions of them, and that's not counting their Wraithbone ghost legions.

 Ghazkuul wrote:

Amplify this into a space battle, because I have no idea about Eldar fluff ships and never played Battle Fleet Gothic but I would assume Tau could hold their own.

Tau ships are craptastic in BFG. When they invented new ships to improve their void capabilities, they began to make ships that are craptastic on a different level rather than make any advancement.

One the other hand, Eldar ships (especially Craftworld ships) are OP, maybe the second best after the Necrons.


I vote for Eldar as they are leagues ahead of the Tau in all respects. The war would end with an overwhelming Eldar victory before the Tau could pull their adaptation stunt, so that's out of game. Also, this adaptation doesn't really work nowadays (khm... Stormsurge anyone?).

nomotog wrote:
Do the eldar really have the ability to fight a full on war?

Yep, they do. With titan and everything. They just don't normally want to.

Ghazkuul wrote:I Chose Tau because in the board game the Tau rely on technology to remove cover/jink saves. And the Eldar pretty much entirely rely on Jink/Cover saves.

Amplify this into a space battle, because I have no idea about Eldar fluff ships and never played Battle Fleet gothic but I would assume Tau could Hold their own.

Regardless, given time the Tau are the biggest threat to the imperium and the Eldar.

Otto Weston wrote:I voted Tau and now I will explain.

The Tau are renowned for technological advancement/ refinement in the face of their enemies. When they encounter a significant threat they will adapt to best deal with that threat.

Like the Imperium, the Eldar are stuck in a decaying cycle where they just try to maintain what they have and the way of warfare they developed Millennia ago.

What I believe would happen:
Eldar would win a lot at first due to numerical superiority but the combined research of the entire Tau empire would develop tactics and technology to counter the Eldar way of war.
In the end (even if most of the outer Tau worlds were lost), the Tau would prevail having developed a hard-counter to the Eldar.

OK, I can see those points of view. Thanks for posting some minority opinions.

When they clash on the battlefield/table, the Tau do have some nasty tricks. I could see them winning some battles. Just not the war.

The advancement vs. static angle is one that I hadn’t considered. The Eldar are not inventing anything new. If (and I think this is a huge if) the Tau could pull something out, like some sort of super-toxin that ate wraithbone, they might be able to pull a last minute victory. Ironically, that possible outcome in the strands of fate would probably be why the Eldar came over to snuff the Tau. But honestly, If they were getting close to a breakthrough, I think the Eldar are going to put some overwhelming fire on the center doing the research. And with the stakes as high as they are, some of the nasty world-breaking toys might come out of the box.

Of course, if this was a tau based hollywood blockbuster, it would totally work out for the plucky underdogs. The noble military holds off the overwhelming alien forces hoping for a miracle. The scientists rapidly try to deliver it. After about 2 hours of explosions and lab montages (possibly with a romantic sub-plot, and another half hour w/ the director’s cut) they create the macguffin, all the aliens fall over dead, and the credits roll.

After the credits we see a web-way portal open up and the Dark Eldar show up, but that’s another thread.

Hrmm I voted Eldar because while Tau space vessels do pack a lot of fire power. the Eldar would have mastery over where and under what circumstances such space battles took place. Not as much mastery as some people here give 'em credit for, but still substantial. That said the Tau would certainly adapt and surprise the Eldar on occasion, perhaps even finding away to counter (at least some what) the psychic might of the oodles of farseers. As much as I detest the Tau and their greater good I do see this fight as not quite so one-sided; more like initial advantage Eldar, Tau adapt (maybe even finding a reliable way to deal with holo-fields... annoying little prats) and then surprise the Eldar but in the end, the Eldar still win hands down as they can be almost as genocidal and ruthless as the Imperium, have a vast psychic advantage, vastly better space mobility and despite the rapid advance of Tau tech the Eldar still hold that advantage too.

The Eldar would clean house in short order.

Tau adaptability relies on fighting slow wars of attrition against the ponderous Imperium, the haphazard Orks and the steady encroachment of the Tyranids. They wouldn't have time to adapt 'wrathbone eating viruses' (and I don't remember biotech being a forte of the blueskins), because every Craftworld attacking at once would sweep through Tau space so fast they'd be a nasty stain on the floor.

Eldar can match them in a shooting war and utterly own them in close combat, psychic and naval warfare.

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:
The Eldar would clean house in short order.

Tau adaptability relies on fighting slow wars of attrition against the ponderous Imperium, the haphazard Orks and the steady encroachment of the Tyranids. They wouldn't have time to adapt 'wrathbone eating viruses' (and I don't remember biotech being a forte of the blueskins), because every Craftworld attacking at once would sweep through Tau space so fast they'd be a nasty stain on the floor.

Eldar can match them in a shooting war and utterly own them in close combat, psychic and naval warfare.

I just pulled that invention out of nowhere. I was wracking my brain for something decisive enough to turn the tides, and frankly was grasping. Tau already have big enough guns to kill fragile Eldar, and have targeting stuff to help pin them down. So what else could they invent to turn the tides? Somehow attacking wraithbone, the core building block of most of the Eldar gear, was the only thing that came to mind.

Maybe some sort of lounge music that would disrupt the metal disciple that keeps them on the Path of the Warrior? Make their heads explode ala Mars Attacks?

Eldar void superiority would be so overpowering that the fight is not even a true fight

Don't tau lack any kind of high speed warp travel?

Eldar on the other hand with their gateways and populations based on giant spaceships are perhaps the most maneuverable of all the races in 40k.

Any kind of conflict fought by the tau would be entirely defensive in nature.

 Big Blind Bill wrote:
Don't tau lack any kind of high speed warp travel?

Eldar on the other hand with their gateways and populations based on giant spaceships are perhaps the most maneuverable of all the races in 40k.

Any kind of conflict fought by the tau would be entirely defensive in nature.

Indeed - they have slow Warp travel AND no FTL communications.

The Tau have now developed better warships some of which can even match Imperial Navy vessels - but trying to be defeanisve against the Eldar is a challenge in itself.