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Thoughts on the Tau Empire
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Author:  Cuban Commissar [ Tue Nov 29, 2005 9:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
In general being a GW lurker means I have seen a lot of new stuff for the upcomming Tau Empire codex.

Now I'm not a Tau player nor ever intend to be.  I took a pill to prevent me from buying the really cool FW stuff.  But I'm curious what other players, especially Tau players, think of this new "marketing image" for the Tau.

Me personally I think this new view is a good thing. This image of a multicultural, multi species, empire that all contribute to it's defense allows for many modeling opportunities that would not exist if their was only a pure Tau army.  

GW can create just a few Xeno models without a need to develope a whole army.  I like the models that don;t have upgraded Tau weapons because they can used in multiple armies.  

So what to you guys think.
Author:  colonel_sponsz [ Tue Nov 29, 2005 10:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
I like the idea, even if I'm a Tau purist with my own army, but I'm afraid to say that I don't like the look of the new stuff I've seen both in terms of models and artwork.  On the flip side at least the Tau are getting developed.

Orde
Author:  Lion in the Stars [ Tue Nov 29, 2005 11:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
I agree with the Colonel.
Author:  CyberShadow [ Tue Nov 29, 2005 11:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
I must admit that I am a late convert to the Tau concept. Initially, I was not keen on the new race or the background and idea behind them. They seemed to be the Eldar in different suits initially.

They have developed beyond that however, and have become a force in their own right. I admit that I was wrong and that they do fill a unique niche. The Eldar are a group of specialists, while the entire Tau force deals in one primary principle of warfare. However, conversly, I do think that this could be their downfall. If the Tau Empire is expanded too far, and more auxilia races are brought in, there is a danger that the combined Tau force will begin to mirror the Eldar, in that each type of troop has a defined role and purpose on the battlefield.

However, I do think that the concept of a 'Dogs of War' force is overdue for 40K, and while the Tau do not necessarily represent that, they are interesting. Personally, I would like to see their development go more towards development of other aspects such as the drone technology.
Author:  Nerroth [ Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
I like the fact that from the beginning, the fluff reasoning for diverse army types (loads of alien auxiliaries in a Dal'yth force, plenty of Stealth and Broadsides for Sa'cea, heavy on the Crisis teams for Vior'la etc) allow players to base their particular army preference on solid background material, in Epic, BFG and 40K (and Inquisitor, too)

I've been a fan of the tau'va from the beginning, bt I'm a sucker for the good guys... and the Greater Good is as close as you can get in this universe! (Except from the PoV of my Biel-Tan, but the term has a very different meaning for them!)


Gary
Author:  MaksimSmelchak [ Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
Hi Luis and Gang,

I see the Tau as a potential unbalancing force in 28mm 40k, but I also don't play 28mm 40k so I don't have a lot of romm in which to speak. Not only that GW finally priced themselves out of my local market so I rarely even see 28mm 40k played anymore. War Machine and 15mm Flames Of War have taken over in my area.

With the current Tau background, I dont see that there's anyway that they won't end up conquering Imperial space. The only force more technologically advanced are the Eldar and the only other real threat are the Tyranids. The Tau also don't have a number problem like the Eldar and a combination of their mobile shooty ground forces and their star navy should take care of the 'Nids.

I haven't invested heavily in an Epic Tau army, but would like to when I get a better job.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.
Author:  Lion in the Stars [ Thu Dec 01, 2005 7:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
"Don't have a number problem like the Eldar" ?

There are at least a Dozen major craftworlds, plus minor ones, plus Exodite Worlds.  That sounds like the Tau will eventually outgrow the Eldar, but not for another thousand years or so.  The Necrons wipe the floor with Tau; unit for unit the Tau fleet sucks compared to the Imperial fleet; shoot, the Ultramarines alone control about as much territory as the Tau!
Author:  MaksimSmelchak [ Thu Dec 01, 2005 8:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
Hi Lion,

Quote (Lion in the Stars @ 01 Dec. 2005 (18:45))
"Don't have a number problem like the Eldar" ?
There are at least a Dozen major craftworlds, plus minor ones, plus Exodite Worlds. That sounds like the Tau will eventually outgrow the Eldar, but not for another thousand years or so.


I don't own the Tau book, but I thought that the limits of the Tau empire weren't known?

I thought that the Tau Empire is assumed to be roughly as large as the Imperial (human) Empire.

And I also thought that everyone outnumbers the Eldar including the Tau in great droves. I bet that even the Tau allies outnumber the Eldar. They're a culture in decline, right?

Quote (Lion in the Stars @ 01 Dec. 2005 (18:45))
The Necrons wipe the floor with Tau;


I can see this, but the Necrons have little in the way of numbers. They're another dead culture (pun intended) that will have to build up their numbers before they can be a true challenge to the other players in the universe.

Quote (Lion in the Stars @ 01 Dec. 2005 (18:45))
Unit for unit the Tau fleet sucks compared to the Imperial fleet;


Really?

One would think that rail guns rock. I've never played them in BFG.

*** What's their fleet (Tau) like in BFG? ***

Quote (Lion in the Stars @ 01 Dec. 2005 (18:45))
Shoot, the Ultramarines alone control about as much territory as the Tau!


Yes, but the Ultramarines are stuck with cruddy leadership from a dead space vampire.

Sooner or later, cruddy leadership will take down even the best of warriors.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.
Author:  Xisor [ Thu Dec 01, 2005 8:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
Quote (Lion in the Stars @ 01 Dec. 2005 (18:45))

The Tau fleet unit for unit is whupped by the Imperials? I see absoluetely no evidence for that, at all.

Hero vs Lunar, Hero is the better ship.

Explorer vs Dictator(10pts difference), Explorer is wildly better giving their intent as carriers.

Barracuda vs IN Fighters: Okay, the IN Win that one.

Mantas vs IN Bombers: Mantas every time.

Defenders vs Cobras/Swords: IN are better as escorts, but Defenders used akin to cruisers(where they should be) are far far better.

Orcas vs Swords/Firestorms: IN ones are faster/more heavily armed, Orcas are dirt cheap, win for the Tau.

Merchant vs Dauntless: True, the IN win here easily, the Merchant is simply a poor ship. However, the Merchant does have distinct benefits that if it were correctly costed/correctly statted(ie 4->6HPs to 6->8HPs).

Ship for ship in the CPF, it should be balanced, perhaps even more so than the IN fleet(no Emperor Retribution price swapping sillyness).

Allies & Mercs:
Demiurg: Excellent battlecruisers and battleships for the fleet, certainly not outdone by any Imperial Equivalent.

Kroot: A win there, they're utterly useless.

Nicassar: Decent ships, either a points reduction or FP4 broadsides are needed though.

Again, I don't see how the Tau are intrinsically worse. At all.

On side for the Tau Empire book, I'm all set for it. Hopefully the fluff in it will be decent, the army list looks set to be good. I'm not too overwhelmed by the new artwork or models, but I think there'll be excellent potential in them, hopefully all adding nicely to my army. What I really want to know is all the more 'in depth' in and outs of the fluff. If they're good, I'll love it, if they're bland like Black Templars then I'll be disappointed.

Xisor
Author:  Cuban Commissar [ Thu Dec 01, 2005 8:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
In the fluff the Tau empire is about 12 - 20 worlds or systems. ?So on the Imperial scale they are a knat fly.

But the Tau are expanding at a fast rate; manifest destiny or something...:D

The real power of the Tau is that thay are new and they are adapting. ? Unlike any other race in the 40K universe they are advancing in technology. ?They also do not "conquere" but include many cultures they encounter.

so they have the greatetst potential of any race in 40K. At least in fluff terms.

They remind me a lot of the the Empires of the East, Persia and such, that exsisted on the frontier of the Roman Empire. ?Rome was never able to conquerer them and in time always had to deal with threats from Central and Eastern Europe, like the Goths.

The other thing about the Tau is that it gave an army for those people who really wanted a real "Good Guy" army.

Now I consider my Space Marines "Good guys" but that is only compared to the horrors I defend against, the Eldar (yes I consider them evil they would wipe us out in a heart beat if they had the chance :p), Chaos, and ths Orks.
Author:  Xisor [ Thu Dec 01, 2005 8:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
Some marines are "good", most are "gits", but it's still quite subjective, as for being 'good for marine standards', I'd wager Salamanders and Space Wolves rank quite highly.

However, the Empire is ~200 Light Years in diameter, 8 major Septs, and I think it was ~90 Worlds from before the 3PE. After the 3rd Phase had consolidated(ie after the EoT campaign), we'd extended to 132.6% of the starting size.

What the exact implications of it are, are unknown, 32.6% up on diameter, population, volume, worlds, waystations???

Xisor
Author:  Lion in the Stars [ Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
Hmmm... I guess they've fixed the Tau since Armada came out then.  I was never impressed with their stats, and there are very few people in my area that play BFG.

One craftworld is at least the size of a Major Sept, and I'd assume that there are many more craftworlds than the big 4 (shoot, there are at least 3 more mentioned in passing in the 3rd ed Eldar 'dex)
Author:  Mojarn Piett [ Sat Dec 03, 2005 10:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
Maybe I'm just an old cynic. But to me the Tau attitude of "There are two ways of doing things. First, there is our way. And then there is the wrong way." does not differ that much from Imperial doctrine. They are just better at packaging it.  :/
Author:  MaksimSmelchak [ Sun Dec 04, 2005 12:11 am ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
Hi Guys,

The Tau do seem to be remarkably arrogant, but their empire seems much less corrupt than the Space Vampire-run Imperial forces and they're certainly not as xenophobic as the Imperial faction.

Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.
Author:  Cuban Commissar [ Sun Dec 04, 2005 2:55 am ]
Post subject:  Thoughts on the Tau Empire
Quote (MaksimSmelchak @ 03 Dec. 2005 (23:11))
The Tau do seem to be remarkably arrogant, but their empire seems much less corrupt than the Space Vampire-run Imperial forces and they're certainly not as xenophobic as the Imperial faction.

But it's all wrapped up in a nice surger coating.

Never underestimate the power of marketting.
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