6th Ed Fluff Says Tau Saviours of Universe, Also New Rules

[Chimera]

It's easy to figure that one out as soon as you remember that the universe is totally screwed up. In a delightfully epic way. And it's partly because of the Old Ones, and partly because of Humanity. Three out of four Chaos Gods agree that human emotions are the tastiest.

LOL.

Well if you look at the fluff in recent years, the Ultramarines have been rather restrained in regards to the Tau, sometimes even tenuously allying with them. In the last Space marine Codex there is even a reference about Calgar allowing a Tau population to evacuate before he destroys the world to deal with a larger threat (I don't have my codex on hand, it may have been nid or necron). Ultramar is on the eastern fringe and yet they have rarely agressively gone after the Tau. It's almost as if they are wall not to keep the Tau from coming in but to keep the imperium away.

**SPOILER ALERT** if you haven't read Aurellian stop reading unless you don't care.

In Aurellian, when Lorgar has his vision of finally killing Gulliman, he triumphantly states that tUltramar like the imperium was going to burn and that his dream was over. Gulliman smiles at him. Loragr states that even then at that moment, Gulliman knew "something". Could this be the "something"?

The Tau have no psykers, therefore I would wage no navigators or astropaths. So they can either use the warp without them or have the tech to travel without the need for the warp. Maybe this is what the Emperor knew they would become. Maybe the Tau are the key.

I would gather that most Ultra successor's (clearly more than half the chapters out there) would side with the Ultras in regards to a split from the Imperium or at least it's governing authority. The Space wolves pretty much don't get along with terra and probably ignore them now anyway. The Dark Angels have their own agenda but I doubt they would be pleased about the Tau issue. The Blood Angels and successors are pretty much united agaijn, that they might as well be a legion to its own.

But what of the others? The Grey Knights are the Inquisition's errand boys so I doubt they would split. I wonder what this means for the Deathwatch? The Black Templars have made it almost a religion to prosecute war on xenos. Also the Imperial Fists being based on Earth makes things…awkward.

This also makes sense if you factor in the Golden Throne failing. Humanity will need to utilize alien technology to get around once that goes. Either that, or someone with forgotten knowledge pops up to do a service call. Maybe the signal will just weaken in the 41k and only the chapters that adopt alien technology will be able to get around past a certain point in realspace. That would effectively shrink humanity's sphere of influence in the galaxy. And I think I read the Emperor's consciousness somehow protects humanity from warp shenanigans. Hubris is a bitch.

Bad times: Schism, civil war, deteriorating technology. Dark age. Cool.

[Orbital]

If you read the BFG Armada book, it mentions tau being able to make short warp-hops. some one once explained it to me like holding a basketball underwater, and letting it go. I would imagine they use the resistance of the barrier between dimensions or whatever to propel their ships.

What's funny is: I think about this from a physics perspective and say "Yes, I suppose that'd work" and then consider things like whether or not exposing themselves to the warp could potentially infuse them with warp power... and what about their ships? How do they manage to do it? And then I suddenly remember... IT'S NOT REAL.

So much for growing up, huh?

[Desc440]

@Crantor: I'm not thinking of selling my stuff, but my army did hibernate through 4th ed, and may do so through 6th as well... I just hope that it won't be a perma-hibernation due to 6th tanking so bad that GW goes belly up, or just becomes irrelevant because barely anyone plays their games anymore.

[DavidJRawes]

I just hope that it won't be a perma-hibernation due to 6th tanking so bad that GW goes belly up, or just becomes irrelevant because barely anyone plays their games anymore.

I don't think we ever have to worry about this happening. I'm fairly certain GW could turn 40k into a giant game of "Jacks" and they would still turn a profit.

[Desc440]

I don't think we ever have to worry about this happening. I'm fairly certain GW could turn 40k into a giant game of "Jacks" and they would still turn a profit.

Perhaps, though with Warmahordes, Flames of War, Infinity, Malifaux and many others now viable alternatives to GW`s offerings, I don't think they can continue screwing around forever and hope to survive.

[Matt Varnish]

Anything "good" the tau have, for flying through the warp, is given to them by the Squats. Its even in the fluff, that Squats are the only race who can mechanically go faster than light. IE, not worry about the warp/daemons.

I'll tell you what, Im going to NOT BUY the new 40k rulebook if they havent advanced the year past 40999 like they have done for the past 12 mother -trucking years. I'll sell off everything if they don't have the balls to do it.

[Twinlinked]

Anything "good" the tau have, for flying through the warp, is given to them by the Squats. Its even in the fluff, that Squats are the only race who can mechanically go faster than light. IE, not worry about the warp/daemons.

I'll tell you what, Im going to NOT BUY the new 40k rulebook if they havent advanced the year past 40999 like they have done for the past 12 mother -trucking years. I'll sell off everything if they don't have the balls to do it.

i will offer you $8 for all your stuff. I'll even give you the money right now..

A.

[mysideofthemirror]

Don't make me start a bidding war!

[Twinlinked]

i think the idea of the tau becoming allies with humanity is a great idea. it will advance the story line, provide new and real decisiveness inside the Imperium.

the Whole 40k universe needs to move on to a new stage..

A.

[Twinlinked]

Don't make me start a bidding war!

are you offering $9? i'll offer $9.50..