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I know about the Farsight Enclave, but I'm talking about the Tau Empire as a whole. Because I've been reading that Chaos really doesn't pay them any mind because they barely have a warp presence. So that the Tau as a whole doesn't know about Chaos. But I saw this image in the Tau Codex of the Fire Caste fighting the Death Guard, so I was wondering that now in 8th Edition current stuff, are the Tau finally getting exposed to Chaos and the Empire finally knows that they exist, not just the Farsight Enclave?

Tau have "known" about Chaos since their inception. There is mention of Farsight allying with csm in the 3rd ed codex. Daemons were just considered another alien race to them.

Then you have the Fourth Sphere expansion. This is where they were truly exposed to the warp and chaos. They don't really talk about it.

 Grimtuff wrote:
There is mention of Farsight allying with csm in the 3rd ed codex.

That's not remotely true. The Dawn blade is used to fight what are presumed to be daemons when Farsight first finds it.

 Gael Knight wrote:

 Grimtuff wrote:
There is mention of Farsight allying with csm in the 3rd ed codex.

That's not remotely true. The Dawn blade is used to fight what are presumed to be daemons when Farsight first finds it.

Nope. From Farsight's entry-

Tau codex 3rd ed page 51 wrote:...These Tau mercenaries have fought alongside Kroot (unsurprisingly), Tarellians, Human Renegades, Eldar, The accursed Traitor Legions and even Orks...

 Grimtuff wrote:

 Gael Knight wrote:

 Grimtuff wrote:
There is mention of Farsight allying with csm in the 3rd ed codex.

That's not remotely true. The Dawn blade is used to fight what are presumed to be daemons when Farsight first finds it.

Nope. From Farsight's entry-

Tau codex 3rd ed page 51 wrote:...These Tau mercenaries have fought alongside Kroot (unsurprisingly), Tarellians, Human Renegades, Eldar, The accursed Traitor Legions and even Orks...

Nope.

That's from an imperial communication that is going off second hand information as it explicitly says that it is a rumour.

Yeah.... no.

The entire piece involves investigating the rumour of the Farsight Enclaves. Or are you saying they don't exist, right? Because it's just rumour. If nothing was true in that background piece then what is the point in it existing?

The info in-universe comes from Rogue Traders and other such associates. I'd like to think they know the difference between a loyal and Chaos marine. It is written like all of the other in-universe investigation pieces, all of which turned out to be true.

What is so hard to swallow about Tau mercs fighting alongside CSM? You can draw one of two conclusions. They either didn't know their true nature (like with Urien Rakarth) or knew exactly what they were and just allied with them out of nescessity.

 Grimtuff wrote:
Yeah.... no.

The entire piece involves investigating the rumour of the Farsight Enclaves. Or are you saying they don't exist, right? Because it's just rumour. If nothing was true in that background piece then what is the point in it existing?

The info in-universe comes from Rogue Traders and other such associates. I'd like to think they know the difference between a loyal and Chaos marine. It is written like all of the other in-universe investigation pieces, all of which turned out to be true.

What is so hard to swallow about Tau mercs fighting alongside CSM? You can draw one of two conclusions. They either didn't know their true nature (like with Urien Rakarth) or knew exactly what they were and just allied with them out of nescessity.

The T'au are unreasonably optimistic about making friends and gaining new members of the Greater Good. HOWEVER, it's unreasonable to think that Chaos Space Marines would willingly ally with the T'au or that such an alliance would work well for more than five minutes. It's more likely that CSMs and T'au forces were spotted on the same battlefield, both fighting against a third foe and the incorrect conclusion was drawn that they were fighting together. It's like laughing at/with someone. We're not fighting AGAINST you, but we're also not fighting WITH you. That would probably change the moment the third party was defeated.

Also, anything tagged as a rumor is a rumor. It's unreliable, even if it comes from someone like a Rogue Trader. The codexes are full of "rumors of..." or "reports of..." anecdotes that offer flavor, but not proof.

Am I the only one that thinks it's absurd that Farsight would be seen fighting alongside Orks? Farsight HATES Orks!!!!

 EmpNortonII wrote:
Am I the only one that thinks it's absurd that Farsight would be seen fighting alongside Orks? Farsight HATES Orks!!!!

Indeed. Its one of those "hahahah...no" moments.

 EmpNortonII wrote:
Am I the only one that thinks it's absurd that Farsight would be seen fighting alongside Orks? Farsight HATES Orks!!!!

The almighty D̶o̶l̶l̶a̶r̶ Teef rules the decisions of many a Blood Axe. If those Tau wanted to ally and paid them enough, or the other way around as "Dats wot da propa 'Umie armies do!" they would offer their services to them.

 Grimtuff wrote:


The almighty D̶o̶l̶l̶a̶r̶ Teef rules the decisions of many a Blood Axe. If those Tau wanted to ally and paid them enough, or the other way around as "Dats wot da propa 'Umie armies do!" they would offer their services to them.

That's not remotely the problem in this scenario. One of the defining bits of Farsight's character is how his wars with multiple different Ork Waaaghs went down. They quite literally make him what he his. To have Farsight then turn around and ally with what is essentially his blood enemy is lunacy.

 Kriswall wrote:


The T'au are unreasonably optimistic about making friends and gaining new members of the Greater Good. HOWEVER, it's unreasonable to think that Chaos Space Marines would willingly ally with the T'au or that such an alliance would work well for more than five minutes. It's more likely that CSMs and T'au forces were spotted on the same battlefield, both fighting against a third foe and the incorrect conclusion was drawn that they were fighting together. It's like laughing at/with someone. We're not fighting AGAINST you, but we're also not fighting WITH you. That would probably change the moment the third party was defeated.

Alpha Legion in particular would do it.

To be honest it'd be pretty easy for Chaos forces to rock up, point at the Imperium/enemy X has a common enemy and have a short lived alliance with the Tau. Not all Chaos Space Marines look the same, could just say they've split off from the oppressive Imperium and want to help people/be free/insert lie here. Doesn't have to last long.

Sterling191 wrote:That's not remotely the problem in this scenario. One of the defining bits of Farsight's character is how his wars with multiple different Ork Waaaghs went down. They quite literally make him what he his. To have Farsight then turn around and ally with what is essentially his blood enemy is lunacy.

I suppose it could've happened before some of those wars and as such he wasn't so embittered against them?

Sterling191 wrote:

 Grimtuff wrote:


The almighty D̶o̶l̶l̶a̶r̶ Teef rules the decisions of many a Blood Axe. If those Tau wanted to ally and paid them enough, or the other way around as "Dats wot da propa 'Umie armies do!" they would offer their services to them.

That's not remotely the problem in this scenario. One of the defining bits of Farsight's character is how his wars with multiple different Ork Waaaghs went down. They quite literally make him what he his. To have Farsight then turn around and ally with what is essentially his blood enemy is lunacy.

No, I did not know that about Farsight ().

It might not literally be him, the armies of the Enclaves can fight without him. Given enough circumstances I can see them allying with Orks- especially Blood Axes, (who operate as mercs to everyone, including humans) but not for long term. It would be an uneasy alliance (stranger things have happened in other works of fiction) that wouldn't last long, but if that's what it takes to survive...

"Tau as a whole," is a sweepingly large group, and no answer to this question likely makes sense. If you mean the T'au leadership, then yes, they probably do know about Chaos, though they probably aren't as well informed about its nature as the more mature races. As for the greater T'au population, I can't imagine that their leaders see any benefit to teaching them about such things, and as such, they're probably largely ignorant.