Codex: Tau (3rd Edition) - Codex Compliant

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[@Avenger85438]

This exchange from Dark Crusade perfectly encapsulates the difference between the Tau and the Imperium. *Shais O'Kais:* _"Do the deaths of your soldiers mean so little to you? Are you that mad?"_ *Thule:* _"Do the deaths of yours mean so much to you, Alien? Are you that weak?"_

[@weldonwin]

Ironically, the T'au had one of my favourite melee kill animations in Dawn of War, where a Fire Warrior, finishes off an enemy by cocking their pulse rifle like a shotgun before blasting them six feet back

[@ToaArcan]

Ironic, given how the Tau and the Imperium had to work together in Kais' first outing. Kais probably walked away with a good deal of respect for the humans after that (Or at least, once he got out of therapy), and considered the next set of humies he encountered rather disappointing.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

@@weldonwin "Well, it's got a trigger, and I've charged it up, so I might as well use it."

[@asteroidrules]

I love lore bits like that, they show just how different the perspectives are between the different factions.

[@alisonpurgatory85]

‘You will not squelch our faith so easily, alien!’ ‘The Tau Empire would respect your faith, human, if you would only see reason!’ ‘Our faith is in the emperor of man, alien. To bow to you is heresy.’ ‘Then you follow the path... to destruction.’ ‘Better destruction than bondage’ ‘So says the slave to the free man’.

[@anniebae7049]

One of the coolest things about the tau, is every new codex they take some prototype systems and make them baseline, or relics, or fully removed (Like they were bad and didn't function) and add new prototype systems, going to show that the tau are always advancing their technology in even gameplay, and every new model is framed as a new model of something in game. A new stealth suit model, a new weapons platform model, a new aircraft model, its very flavorful and fun for the technology based faction to always keep getting new things and cycling things out that didn't function properly and so on. Like in the new codex the changes to the nova reactor rules were that they "finally stabilized the nova reactor." I like it a lot.

[@asteroidrules]

I particularly enjoy the lore for most of their Forgeworld models. While most factions have Forgeworld stuff that's rare ancient relics, the T'au have a series of battlesuits produced by Forgeworld that were basically all designed by this one Earth Caste engineer who saw Imperial titans and went a little crazy about trying to make his own.

[@giraton1]

@@asteroidrules wouldn't be surprised if that Earth caste member has the Tau equivalent of being on the spectrum.

[@Tech-Kaplan-Kali]

@@asteroidrules Defrauding funds ment for stealth suits, into putting biggest guns possible on mechs. Trully, greatest chad of tau military industrial complex.

[@asteroidrules]

@@Tech-Kaplan-Kali They literally named him Sho'Aun, which roughly translates to "insubordinate" for the amount of times he's ignored the Ethereal Council's orders.

[@asteroidrules]

@@giraton1 Frankly I feel he's more like the norm than the exception for the Earth Caste. Those guys are basically like ork mekboyz except they actually know what they're doing, and usually have an Ethereal reining them in, this particular case is just what the Earth Caste would do if left unsupervised.

[@vaniellys]

In Dawn of War, the old XV-15 model is used for regular troops while the new model, the big one, is used for squad leaders.

[@discokossan]

That's a cool detail

[@k-leb4671]

I actually had no idea for a long time that XV15 were completely superseded by XV25 in the tabletop _because_ of Dawn of War.

[@ausaralexander2627]

Another’s reason to love dawn of war

[@hellonearth-thehistoryofwa1270]

like the exodite show

[@SgtPotShot]

@@k-leb4671 I think the in universe was a few XV-15s get captured during Dawn of War, so they had to rush out the new 25s. Could be wrong, though.

[@mk-ultraviolence1760]

I think I am one of the few people (if one person) who actually thinks the goody-goody T'au lore is better than the current grimdark-ification over the editions.

[@ICantThinkOfAFunnyHandle]

I can understand why GW did it narratively, the whole "Descent into darkness" was an interesting progression for the T'au but also their youthful ignorance was fun

[@OmegablueWolf]

I liked it too and will constantly point out that the reports of steralization and other stuff conducted against humans as with EVERYTHING ELSE comes from a biased Imperial source, its likely not true and is just being spewed to scare potential defectors into remaining in the hellscape that is the Imperium.

[@dutchdoggo]

I liked it as well

[@loonardtheloonard]

Me too. I kinda like Tau being the "naive goody-two-shoes" in a grimdark setting

[@SixSidedVice]

Also in that camp. Tau as an existential threat to the Imperium because of a willingness to cooperate, extensive use of AI & (yes) utilitarianism pushed to a gross extreme is much more interesting than moustache twirling ethereals.

[@Chipperz1]

I got this codex when it first came out and one of the coolest bits was the small treatise on Tau language. Not so much because it was cool to see how it worked in universe (although it was), but because several of the words were J'karra (Mirror), Mal'caor (Spider), Or'es (Powerful), and Y'eldi (Winged One). These lined up very neatly with the Jakara, Malcadon, Orrus and Yeld - the four types of battle rigs Spyrers could use in Necromunda, released almost a decade earlier. It's never explicitly stated, but baby me put two and two together and the revelation that Imperial nobles were buying custom Tau battlesuits to hunt peasants blew my tiny mind.

[@thesand]

Was about to note this too. Yeah it was a great detail

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

Ye. I think that's meant to be the implication back in the day, tau tech resold to the hive nobles probably through a third party like the demiurg, but alas, it's been quite a bit since that early Necromunda. Hopefully Spyrers make their return in Necro 2017?

[@ravensroost3224]

Holy crap i never realised that!

[@Chipperz1]

@@gratuitouslurking8610 God I hope so, I'm kinda waiting for them to come back! My favourite Necromunda campaign from when I was a wee child was running a single Malcadon with almost 750 credits worth of upgrades as the Predator... It was more balanced than it sounds - he might take three or four dudes out, but lost every mission because he just could not play the objective.

[@Chipperz1]

@@ravensroost3224 Yeah! It's never been explicitly stated even 20 years later, which is a level of subtlety I don't normally associate with GW! (or maybe they just forgot about it...)

[@jiriz0r]

The Tau had just come out when I started with 40k and I vividly remember when the FLGS owner advised me on what army to start with (I picked Chaos Marines) he warned me away from Tau because "most people don't like how anime they are". At the time I didn't understand because the only anime 12 year old me knew was Dragon Ball Z. But one of my first games was against the local Tau player and he painted up his Crisis Suits in a very snazzy white with blue, red and yellow accents. Yes, he painted them like the RX-78-2. So that's when I learned what Gundam was and now I have almost as much gunpla as I have warhammer. I'm addicted to multiple flavours of plastic crack. Please send help.

[@daneilfranklin]

bro.... mood.

[@solvdrage1456]

Can't help. Swamped by my Nids, Sisters of Battle and Gunpla.

[@shaderunner8220]

Ok, that colour scheme sounds sick though. Anyone making a gundam reference here my respect.

[@EDuarteVillanueva]

Fascinating how players confused something as clearly inspired by confucianism (as well as other eastern philosophies/religions) as the Tau for communism. Especially when the two oppose each other. In very simplified terms, confucianism seeks to preserve the status quo and social hierarchies (like caste systems), while communism seeks to upend the status quo and create a new, classless society.

[@MasterShake9000]

What are you smoking? “Greater Good” is literally a utilitarian concept written extensively on by Bentham. The “space communists” comes from the original presentation of the T’au as Soviets - IE an authoritarian society that served the Ethereals rather than the proletariat but got away with it by masquerading their utilitarian use of castes and “allied” alien races as a system of equality and brotherhood. This has literally nothing to do with Confucianism or any other eastern religion or philosophy. Copying anime aesthetics doesn’t make the Tau “Asian” any more than copying Viking tropes makes (some) Japanese anime “Nordic”.

[@jackodonail1980]

I mean, their original name was literally the Tao. Not a very subtle reference to Chinese civil philosophies.

[@EDuarteVillanueva]

@@MasterShake9000 First of all, thank you for your amazing response. Secondly, dude, a bunch of philosophers and mystics going around a war-torn country encouraging people and rulers to be more virtuous and do their jobs so that things can function properly is how confucianism started. Sure, the whole thing has some influences from Buddhism and Hinduism, but the core that the Ethereals are basically space confucians is there. Thirdly, the Tau are not Soviet in any way, shape or form. To be so, they would actually have to be communists and have worker councils called soviets. At no point do the tau describe themselves in anything resembling communist terminology and they are not seeking to create a classless society. Quite the opposite, the Ethereals have enforced a caste system where they rule, and the rest of the tau accept that because they've been told the Ethereals are wise and enlightened, and thus deserving of rule. Sure, their system isn't capitalist, but that doesn't make it socialist. Not even a socialist oligarchy because, again, the Greater Good is basically Space Confucianism minus the divine monarchy.

[@EDuarteVillanueva]

@@jackodonail1980 Exactly. GW isn't exactly subtle.

[@-VOR]

@@EDuarteVillanueva yes! Lol seems mastershake doesn't know what logical fallacies are yet loves to use them.

[@anotherzingbo]

The Tau were one of the things that happened while I was away from the hobby. It's kind of weird to think that they were introduced over 20 years ago now but they still wind some people up. Thanks for this slice of history!

[@AndrewMcColl]

I had a similar realisation this week reading the Warmachine MkIV announcement. That game's been around for 20 years now, too. No wonder my knees hurt and I make noises when I stand up.

[@zombiedad]

That has been my experience too

[@landotucker]

I've never really understood it, personally. It's a big galaxy. Plus there's things like orks that are downright comedic a lot of the time, but they fit in more?

[@zombiedad]

@@landotucker yeah. Partially because Orks have been there from the beginning and the Tau only for half the existence of 40k. I think of the tau as necessary but I have no interest in them

[@AndrewMcColl]

@@wombatgirl997 yep, it was announced just prior to GenCon and the first models for it were on sale there.

[@aidanfarnan4683]

I got so annoyed by my friends Farsight Enclave army that he used to bring to tournaments in this period and Fish of furry very hard with, that I made a specific Demon-hunter army named the "Tau-vaporator" that was just two five-man inquisitorial stormtrooper squads (each lead by a veteran sergeant with a plasma-pistol, and with two plasma-gun troopers per squad) and then the entire rest of the points cost spent getting as many Psycannons as a could into a 1500 point army. I was getting nearly 50 psycannon shot per turn, witch with a 36" range, strength six and AP 4 pretty much did the job for ruining both Devilfish and fire-warriors before they could get in range. It was also quite good at fighting nids and orks, but struggled with chaos space marines, Guard tank armies, and Necrons. Good times.

[@ironbomb6753]

Lol, that's hilarious 👍

[@ToaArcan]

Should be noted that the XV-15 was in many ways a superior system to the successor model. Lore-wise they were better at being stealthy, and on the tabletop they used basically the same statline (I had the 5e Codex and they let you use either model for Stealthsuit units), and, being smaller, were easier to hide in cover. The only downside to using 15s was that you had to do some pretty extensive customising to give them a Fusion Blaster, since they were metal models that only came with Burst Cannons. In-universe, the lore was that the Imperium had captured an XV-15 model, and the Tau leadership freaked out. Assuming that the Imperium would study their technology and thus be able to trump the Tau's stealth systems, they hurriedly rushed a replacement into production. The intended successor, the XV-22, was still in the prototype phase, and only wielded by a set few Commanders (most notably Shadowsun, but also Kais and Ores'ka from the DoW games). So they threw together the XV-25, and cut back on the use of XV-15s until they were phased out entirely. Of course, the Imperium, being the Imperium, destroyed the XV-15 they'd captured without a second thought, meaning that the 15 was retired for no reason. Also we're like five editions clear of that change and the XV-25 is still here, and the XV-22 is still in prototype. Shadowsun's got four arms now.

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

Oh, so that's why the XV-22 command suit was a Dawn of War hero exclusive and we've not seen it as a command suit like the Crisis! Interesting and neat!

[@nikoladedic6623]

XD That's a good story. Poor Mechanicum didn't get to study it.

[@Hozak]

The tau were my first army when I asked my brother to go to games Workshop for me and get a box of space marines so I could start my first army. He came back with a box of tau fire warriors because he thought they looked cooler.

[@BeesechurgerProductions]

I've always said that in any other setting, the Tau would be the imperialistic "Its best for you to join us, by peace or by force." empire the rest of the galaxy is banding together to fight. They're very reminiscent of WW2-era Japan in that regard, with the rigorous devotion to the state, the Spheres of Expansion very clearly designed to play off of the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere, and their mentality towards client nations sharing similarities to the Japanese treatment of the territory held by the last Chinese Emperor. The Tau are diplomatic only because its more cost-effective and resource savvy than just shooting everyone you meet, something I think is lost on a lot of people.

[@tarektechmarine8209]

oh and they can fight off space marines, that conquered nearly an entire galaxy but ey you need to push them up. They're basically what the emperor did on Terra.

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

It's why the 'space commie' jokes never really hit for me. Aeldari tend to lean closer to the mainland Asian aesthetic and spiritualisms of religions of the region as well, meanwhile the rapid expansionism and caste systems were pretty much a spot-on emulation of japan, with elements borrowed from both the Warring States and also it's imperialism. You'd think it'd be less subtle as they're the anime mecha faction but hey, nuances sadly tend to be lost easy for the same people who stan Black Templars as the true hero of the setting.

[@shaderunner8220]

@@gratuitouslurking8610 "Stan black Templars as the true heroes of the setting" made me choke, but you're right people like that do exist.

[@AndorianBlues]

If you're looking at other SF settings I've always said they're very similar to the Dominion in Star Trek. They're ruled by an elite who are worshipped as gods (The Founders/Ethereals) there's a group who advance their cause through diplomacy (the Vorta/the Water Caste), and when that fails the sect of efficient brutal warriors sweep in (the Jem'Hadar/Fire Caste). They freely allow other species into their empire as long as they follow the rules, but also aren't above genocide for those that refuse to comply. I think it's kind of funny how, arguably, the Dominion are one of the most evil factions in Star Trek whereas in 40K the T'au are considered the good guys by many.

[@asteroidrules]

One of my favorite lore bits from this codex is the detailed account it gives of a Ta'lissera bonding knife ritual. The bonding ritual is present as a rule in literally every edition of the Tau codex, and it's a pretty interesting little bit of lore as it's often described as the closest equivalent of "marriage" among Tau, a communal blood oath taken between multiple members of the same cadre (does that technically make Tau polygamists?), but the 3e codex is oddly enough the only codex that described this ritual in detail.

[@robertoluna6606]

My precious shooter-boys. I've been slowly trying to build up my own little Farsight Enclaves for a while now, I just love the prospect of making an army as diverse in term of member species as T'au lore allows me, it's just a shame the model range barely has any auxiliary forces by now.

[@awordabout...3061]

THIS. I want my kroot bird-men fighting alongside vespid bugmen, intelligent jellyfish, mind-flaying fungal worms and felinid stealth-commandos! I want a glorious mishmash of all the races the Tau have annexed, to give a creative outlet to those industrious little elves in the deep bowels of GW's design fortress making a few new things now and then as a change from Primaris Lieutenant #74

[@johnnybigbones4955]

I remember the introduction of the Tau. I was excited about the new background and models (they looked super cool!) but didn't like their powerful shooting and annoying Jump-Shoot-Jump abilities. Their heavily armoured skimmers were also tricky for my footslogging orks to deal with. But by now, I'm a big fan. Probably my favourite Xenos race in the 40K universe. I wish the model range focused less on giant suits and more on interesting xenos factions to combine with the Tau as a group. I'm making a mantic Forgefathers Demiurg force to ally with my Kroot and Tau for Grimdark Future.

[@EDuarteVillanueva]

That sounds really cool! I would really like the inclusion of the Gue'vessa, but we definitely need more xenos.

[@someirishguy1662]

A tau army with various alien races from sci fi would be so cool

[@k-leb4671]

Yeah I miss the previous greater focus on allied xenos they'd have. Now the Kroot and Vespid are so irrelevant and no new xenos have been added.

[@luketfer]

@@EDuarteVillanueva They sort of tried it with the Vespids and apparently because they rules for them were kinda bad...nobody bought them...which is why they moved away from the whole 'enclave of xenos races' they started with. Which is, as you and others in this comment groups have said, a damn shame. There's so many minor xenos races that they could have included to really make it stand out from the Imperium of being a Star Trek (kind of) style 'federation of species'.

[@johnnybigbones4955]

@@luketfer Yeah I think the problem was also that the vespid minis were not really great. They were metal at first and now finecast, and the poses were never that good despite the designs being alright. I'm thinking about getting some anyway, because to me the more xenos in the federation the better :D

[@BoisegangGaming]

T'au Nick of Play On Tabletop took down the Silent King using Aun'shi, which is the biggest "hold my sake" moment I've seen lol

[@mongoliandude]

Yooo for real? Which episode is this?

[@BoisegangGaming]

@@mongoliandude One of the more recent ones. Will link it when I find it.

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

I didn't rewatch through it but after a cursory search it may be 'T'au Empire vs Necrons. New Codex Firepower vs Those That Destroy Gods. 40k in 40m'

[@BoisegangGaming]

@@gratuitouslurking8610 that sounds right.

[@BoisegangGaming]

@@mongoliandude kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ-6q6t3nsaDb5Y This should be the right episode.

[@falloutboy9993]

I know a lot of Warhammer fans did not like the T’au and probably still don’t. But them being the young, optimistic and naïve race is a great I counterpoint to the rest of the setting. Because they are the “good guys”, it gives a perspective to the rest of the universe and makes it look even more grimdark.

[@Vinterloft]

Exactly, 40K used to be almost entirely a comedy setting where everything was a Black Metal album cover turned up to 11, stupid derpy Orks or snobby uptight space elves. The only faction that felt "realistic" were the Tyranids, but they offered only an animalistic and instinctual side to the setting. Tau and Necrons both filled important roles here. Not saying Necrons are realistic but the whole "we woke up something we shouldn't" was creepy at the time. Tau was the first race that seemed like a logically evolved organic society you could believe in if it was in a sci-fi setting like Star Trek rather than a grimderp science fantasy like 40K. And it's given the whole setting more legitimacy.

[@LordProteus]

@@Vinterloft I really wish they'd bring back the old "Silent, Unfathomable, Ancient Evil" versions of the Necrons as a splinter of the Necrons that serve splintered C'tan who have regained their independence and now seek to reclaim their fractured essence from the rest of Necron-kind. Turning the Necrons into what they are now, while not bad, has taken away something special from the setting.

[@Chipperz1]

Absolutely - a good light makes the darkness so much more pronounced...

[@FishySpiderGuy]

@@LordProteus There are still fallen dynasties and tomb worlds that operate in this way, with the shards growing powerful enough to control the systems and protocols of the world as well as its inhabitants.

[@Scrombo2]

I don't like the Tau much, ill make no secret of that but, my only problem with them being young and optimistic but also represented as the morally good faction, 40k is either pure parody, or a setting born of the necessity of survival in the worst circumstances and a pure good faction that hasn't had to go through a fraction of what the others have, kind neuters both of those options imo, (I'm sorry of that's the 40th time you've heard that today)

[@LeafseasonMagbag]

I’ve always liked that T’au, to a fault, enforce a pretty strict advancement hierarchy. Pretty much _all_ Fire Warriors begin as infantry and ranking up basically means getting increasingly more powerful mech suits.

[@mongoliandude]

I’ve always found this practice fascinating among the Fire Caste, as you would have expected the T’au to take a more pragmatic approach and assign and promote warriors based on aptitude rather than like this.

[@powertogame5558]

@@mongoliandude They kind of do. All Fire Caste start out as low-ranking soldiers and become eligible for promotion as they gain experience, but they can reject promotion if they believe they serve the Greater Good best at their current position, or a superior can deny promotion under the same idea, which can also be challenged by the soldier if he or she believes their superior is stemming their contributions to the Greater Good by denying promotion. There is no shame in serving at a low rank, they are merely serving the Greater Good as best as they can. An old fire warrior being a basic trooper is not seen as a washout or failure, but simply as being where he/she needs to be.

[@tharkwarrior]

I still think of the Tau as "the New Guys". They are stylistically different from all the Imperium forces. We should have more distinct alien factions. But it's been 20 years....

[@nekrataali]

They've been in the game longer than they haven't 😬

[@ThatGuyW3s]

I have legit been waiting for this vid since Codex Compliant began

[@ThatGuyW3s]

Perfection

[@JennFaeAge]

Of course the shot of the dog basically makes this the best video in the series

[@andrewrice418]

One of my most cherished memories of 40K comes from playing Tau in 3rd edition when the dice gods smiled upon me. One of my Fire Warrior unit had just been assaulted by my friends Space Wolf Terminator Assault squad. There I was thinking well... there goes that squad and already planning hot plasma vengeance upon them for my upcoming turn when the unthinkable happened. From the 20 something lightning claw attacks coming my way, remarkably a plucky lone Gun Drone survived. Not only that, it then proceeded to bonk one of the terminators on the head, resulting in a hit, a wound, and a failed armour save. I lost the game (Space Wolves in combat range against Tau, of course I lost the game) but did not let my friend forget how he allowed a space wolf terminator to be killed in close combat to a lowly Gun Drone.

[@grahamcarpenter5135]

The Tau seem more based on 21st century warfare compared to the Astra Militarum using 20th-century warfare. Whereas the AM rely on infantry masses, tank columns, and heavy artillery, the Tau use unmanned drones, mobility, highly-trained marksmen and strongly emphasize long range weapons. At least, I don't remember many bayonet charges happening in 21st century warfare.

[@Greycatuk]

I quite liked that Orky Boi 😊 Also, well done for using NO cutaways to Hot Fuzz #TheGreaterGood

[@barghestandfae9570]

Another awesome codex compliant guys Love it. Tau are a fun army, always feel guilty when i run some reaver jetbikes down their backline but hey that be the game.

[@ironbomb6753]

Right on, your opponent can adapt, or die. And die, and die....

[@1986fritzthecat]

I remember when this first came out, they felt like such a massive departure from the games style. I really liked them, and felt it brought alot of new players to the game

[@HenRab1]

It always blows my mind that 40K has now existed longer with T'au in the lore than without. 14 years between 1987 and 2001, now 22 years of Greater Gooding.

[@bobartsmith236]

Brought the codex when it first came out and I was in my teens, so this makes me feel very nostalgic and old. Thanks ?

[@andrewdodd3408]

I ALWAYS have time for the Greater Good, these have been my 40k Bois since I pre-ordered their Limited Edition Army Deal with the Special Edition Ethereal with the Crossed Rods/Wands/Whatever you want to call them. always have loved the play style, the aestetics the well EVERYTHING, they were hugely different to the Dark Angels Deathwing that I played (and still have) pre 2001.

[@Vinterloft]

YES. That Ethereal. The 4th edition army box. After taking a long break and coming back to the game, I had to find out what that Ethereal was since I forgot all about buying that box and I didn't even at the time know he was limited edition. Apparently the six-pronged backpack is a drone controller. I use the 3rd edition metal Ethereal more now since symbols of office/ drone controller isn't optimal but it's a fun model.

[@andrewdodd3408]

@@Vinterloft I'm talking about the army box that was released on the day Tau were first ever released in 2001.

[@Vinterloft]

@@andrewdodd3408 The only limited (as in, never re-released) Ethereal they ever did was the 4th edition army box set one with the drone controller, are you thinking about the one holding two symbols of office cross-armed in front of his chest or maybe Aun'Shi? The latter wasn't special edition, he was just killed off

[@AtreiusLux]

Love the OG Gundam suits standing in for Tau. Used to collect Tau myself (Tron themed) but have since sold them, cut out the middle man and took up Gunpla again. Which is ironically cheaper by comparison!

[@Vinterloft]

I just cringe seeing any kind of mech holding an actual rifle with mechanical fingers. Integrated into the arm or underslung is the only way.

[@tarektechmarine8209]

@@Vinterloft meh, fingers are far more useful then you'd think. but that does bring up what else are you using them for. Gundam had actual reason to have real hands as weapons, ammo, fuel, cost, time and training are all factors. Gundams are more like massive soldiers rather than actual mechs.

[@maxbrooks5468]

I really like some of those early T'au models, and you're right that it is a cool touch that the newer ones represent an improvement in their weapons technology. Thanks for another brilliant video guys!

[@GreatgoatonFire]

The only Army I collected even a tiny bit of. I remember just murdering a Dark Eldar troop transport in a 500 mini tournament

[@Vinterloft]

Dark Eldar had a rough time against Tau, almost as bad as Tyranids had of a time against Eldar in 2nd edition. Could seriously wipe out an entire Tyranid army on turn 1 with pop-up attacks if you had 3 Falcons/ Fire prisms and some Vypers.

[@RustBot42]

Very nice video covering one of my oldest loves in the hobby. Haven't kept up with them through the following editions at all, but they've come a long way now, haven't they? It's kinda like running into an old classmate again now that you're both adults, and reminiscing on how you used to be inseparable as kids, and all the shenanigans you'd get up to. I guess what I'm saying is, I really enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Thank you.

[@garymcgregor5951]

"Pleasing the Algorithm" should be the name of a Techno-Funk ban!

[@jasonvorhes765]

I played them when they came out and never knew they could shoot under skimmers. I was such a rube.

[@farseeraradrel4808]

It might be an unpopular opinion, but I actually like the Tau as more "goodies" than the Imperium, because it shows that the Imperium is effectively the worst imaginable regime that Humanity has ever known, which is something fans and authors tend to forget. Sure, they're a dictator and have some dark spots, but let's be honest, you're probably living with a better salary working for the Earth Caste as an assistant than you are working as a Servitor. -No, your empire doesn't need to exterminate every alien civilization you see to exist, the Tau have allies and auxiliaries (and sure, some of them are likely indoctrinated like the Vespids, but others like the Demiurg, Nicasaar, or basically the Kroots are in for a better cake). You're just doing it because you're terrified and hateful for no valid reason. -No, every IA you create will not instantly come over and destroy you if you conceive and control it well (although the Leagues of Votaan have joined the party in proving that bots make cool). You're just terrified because the one you're DaRk AgE oF tEcHnOlOgY had rebelled for reasons you can't remember, so you can't fix it because you're too frightful to try. We have an entire page at the beginning of each Corebook to remind us that "To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruellest and most bloody regime imaginable." so I'm happy the Tau (and to some degree, the Eldars NO I AM NOT BIASED, YOU ARE !!!) create this contrast.

[@tarektechmarine8209]

I don't like tau, because they're tau. Plus it was already ruled out in 40k in totality that true ai will eventually reach an end point with humanity, making either hostile or not helpful to it's creators. And yes, if you could give ai a human learning it can learn to hate and therefore rebel akin to any teenager just powerful enough to control how much air you get to breath. The reasoning is there, I say this considering I do think magos/techpreists actually do understand what a machinespirit and many other things actually work and function except that the resources, logistics, constant warfare have hindered progress to be able to put it into even planet wide practice. The cover of the mechanicus is that they use dogmatic language not because they have a worse understanding than tau but rather they understand it that way. Example, if you say pos your mind immediately think 'piece of shit' but to me that means 'pussy' but more rude. That being said I don't think anyone else will take that viewpoint because mine is a realistic one that takes into account that the ships can be repaired by onboard techpreists that almost certainly have to engineer solutions out of rubbish materials or everyone is lost to space.

[@badasbob4761]

The emotional blackmail pup was cruel. Liked immediately of course.

[@SirBrasstion]

My main issue with the Tau is how everything has to be dragged into or paralleled by a tiny corner of the Eastern Fringe. They could've found a way to reliably jump long distances through stable warp routes, meaning their empire resemble a sea-faring one with septs all over the galaxy near Imperial trade routes. But no. It's an ever growing little bubble that should've encapsulated Macragge by now.

[@vyanesh6487]

Oml that bit at the very end was so cute

[@Cal40k]

I faintly remember all those multicoloured Kroot appearing as a single squad in a White Dwarf battle report. There was a little story alongside it about them eating something chaos-y that ended up mutating them and making them switch sides mid-battle.

[@135forte]

Can't believe you didn't mention that FSE fought *alongside* Orks according to that Codex. The bit about the Imperium negotiating with the T'au is pretty sweet too.

[@MathMasterism]

It’s interesting that in this early iteration Farsight’s faction seemed to be treated as the “bad Tau” or at least the “loose cannon Tau”. Probably a direct reference to Char’s faction from Mobile Suit Gundam. But ever since the Tau have been “grimmdarked” Farsight has seemingly taken the 4th Ed Tau mantle of being the good(ish) guys of Warhammer. Heck his faction has a somewhat relaxed caste system and has humans, kroot, and Vespid all living together. A fact that no doubt would make any Ecclesiarch foam at the mouth at the mere thought of.

[@lmackenzie89]

Smart missiles anyone? Who needs line of sight? Broadsides with twin linked rail guns and smart missile systems were OP. Absolutely crazy fun to play.

[@DemonOfGadara]

I just love codex compliant. Also I can't be responsible for making a good doggo sad, so I engage with this video :)

[@IdioticSynergy]

Tonite on Snib Gear: James railguns a guy, Hammond gets vored by kroot and Jeremy steals a tau stealth suit

[@burningchrome8622]

i hope that cute dog makes a speedy recovery from its adorible spots

[@hanng1242]

5:15 You are right - it is less like Communism as we saw in the Soviet Union, and much more the the Juche system currently existing in North Korea. Calling the Ta'u "commies" sugar-coats how totalitarian their political system is.

[@TheCoates1980]

I’m here to make the dog happy. Please be happy good doggo

[@jmagowan12]

I remember back in 5th edition facing off against the tau in our school club and those fights almost ended our friendship. xD

[@lotsofspoons]

Just finished watching this via Patreon and now it's live! Great video :D

[@alfadasfire]

Cute doggo! Also I didn't realize the t'au where this old. thought they were like 15 y/o at most but no, over 20 already. Time flies

[@avatarkc]

T'au are the one army where every time I've lost on the table to them, it makes me want to play as them.

[@Akabane101]

Just started working on a T'au army, and I love videos like this that showcase the faction in it's early stages! Thank you for making it! :)

[@zachjones2443]

Your videos truly are something that gets me through my day to day. Working 12 hour shifts and training MMA 4 hours a day, I find it hard to shut off before bed but you guys settle me heaps, thank you

[@RubyGalaxyYT]

Tau were one of the first armies that I seriously made, I really love the Mechs and Fire Warriors. Love the video, took me down memory lane.

[@StevenKull]

Yay, finally they do Tau! I love how when ever a fan of 40k actually looks into the Tau they somehow immediately want to play them. It's happened twice with my friends and now Wib, must be those eitherials

[@Powoga]

4:02 And then they did basically the same thing with the Necrons. And the Dark Eldar. The grim darkness of the far future is just not a good time to make friends. Or vassals, or mind-controlled slaves, or whatever it is the T'au actually do. Also surprised that there are no Vespids in this codex. Unless you just didn't mention them.

[@AndorianBlues]

Vespid were introduced in 4th.

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

@@AndorianBlues It honestly really sucks that it feels like they haven't progressed the Vespids much from back then either. GW really needs to step up so the tau's auxillaries can function as standalone armies that can unite akin to agents of the Imperial with a tau force or something akin to a drukarii raiding party.

[@18120polls]

Oof, we're now talking about the first book i bought.... in the vintage warhammer series. I feel so old =(

[@CthulhusDream]

love these videos, thanks guys!

[@mzjalic324]

The surprise guest appearance by Astrotrain absolutely delighted me, thank you for that

[@triangulan]

Ah! glad to see you pointing out how they aren't Space Communists! The memes are fun, but it does slightly irritate me, for precisely the reasons you mention. I had a friend who theorised that they were actually more modelled on the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere (or more accurately, on the propaganda image of that idea, rather than the actuality of just being a justification for Japanese Imperialism in the 1940s).

[@GazpachoTabletop]

Still got a big box of unpainted Tau from like 15 years ago

[@Kjellbot]

the tau were such a breath of fresh air when they were first released. a whole new style of faction for the game! the galaxy was always said to be a big place but here it was really shown. that said, i do wish they had gone for less of a gundam style of units and more of a flying saucer style. leaving the giant robots to the imperium and the eldar instead would've been interesting.

[@Vinterloft]

Yeah back in 2nd. ed. I played Eldar despite disliking their snobbiness because they made more sense than all the other factions except Tyranids and I didn't want to play Tyranids because a lot of the models sucked. But Tau made me sell my Eldar immediately, finally something you could implant into something like Star Trek without anyone batting an eye. I always wished 40K was a bit more science fiction rather than science fantasy.

[@LordProteus]

New Factions GW could bring to the game. Men of Iron, Yu'Vath, Rak'gol, Slaugth, The Harrowing, Malice.

[@thebarnet89]

I once killed a buntch of genestealers with an ethereal in close combat it was a surprise

[@legateelizabeth]

I admire your restraint of not once using the Hot Fuzz clip. You know the one. Also the amount of love the Farsight Enclave but are lukewarm on the Tau gets makes me just a little bit sad. Because they're big melee Tau who aren't really part of the Tau, meaning that the Tau that people like... are functionally not the Tau. Which makes me sad, because I really like the Tau.

[@tarektechmarine8209]

Also, they've managed to become faster than space marines which means they will win in melee and that they can tank bolters, despite being weaker, slower, and having no depth perception. Why not just use drones then?

[@kekonator8262]

These vids are so damn fun, i painted up an outcast group of Tau working together with backworld humans and sharing equipment, having a very run down, patchwork feel to them. Tau are auch a fun species and thank you guys for this video, awesome as always ❤️❤️

[@Azoth86730]

Ah yes, the utopian good guys with a caste system based on strict eugenics as pages 8 and 9 of Codex: Tau as well as WD 262 Index Xenos: For the Greater Good elaborate on x) I'm surprised how you didn't talk about White Dwarf 266 (UK)/ 265 (US) Chapter Approved 2003-2004 - Kroot Mercenaries army list by Andy Hoare which was also available on GW website in PDF as well as Anghkor Prok - Kroot Master Shaper as Kroot special character HQ, and how Kroot Mercenaries were an Order army during the Eye of Terror - 13th Black Crusade global campaign of Summer 2003 as they appeared on the website. Kroot Mercenaries army list was pretty much a standalone Kroot army forbidding the player from taking any Tau, and other armies except for a few could take them as mercenaries as well other than running pure Kroot army. And also Tau Human Auxiliaries (Gue'vesa) by Andy Hoare as Chapter Approved unit from 2003 on GW website avaiable in PDF.

[@smitty7510]

Every time I see you guys' videos it's so good

[@wokehammer40k]

one of the books my childhood gaming group started with! and was luckily enough to find a copy at a thrift store a while back! great vid!

[@Oculas2003]

Just occurred to me now but its funny how K'ais in the Fire Warrior game had to have a sword as a melee weapon, when the Tau are so bad at it....

[@kindatzeentchy5152]

Now that's a hostage situation. Holding my heart hostage with this cute doggo! Well played.

[@SlapInTheFaceForMora]

My first codex back in the day! Still have it around somewhere... I might not have played Tau for years, but the first codex is always special.

[@Starman_Dx]

Ah, Commander The Coolest Tau, otherwise known as Farsight. Glad to see him. I think I want to collect another Coolest Tau Enclave army.

[@newgamer85]

Fast attack was the most lethal thing in the book. Back in the day the vehicle had armour value and rear armour almost always was 10. So a pack of gun drones deep strick in with the new unheard of spicy strength 5 weapon. This would eat armour alive and give you a ton of mini speed bumps for your enemy to clean up on the way to your gun line.

[@doctoradventure413]

I think that the discussion about the creation of the tau has made me appreciate them a lot more than reading their actual lore

[@CocoHutzpah]

Collect a Farsight Enclaves army. Master the Mont'ka. Make your enemies look stupid for bringing a knife to a gun fight.

[@walterhaider869]

Vulcan: "I want to pet the creature" Guardsmen: "the dog?" Vulxan: "Yes, I need to boop that snoop"

[@KabinMiniatures]

I remember when this Codex came out, I had been into the hobby for about a year and it was cool to see a brand new army added to the lore 👍

[@michaeljames1334]

these are my favorite warhammer videos hands down. i love your video style so much.

[@JackwagonInc]

I COMMAND THE ALGORITHM TO SPREAD THIS VIDEO IN THE NAME OF THE GREATER GOOD

[@torganya]

The lack of 'Greater Good' references from Hot Fuzz vexes me....

[@dutchdoggo]

When i started the hobby in 2018 Tau were my first love, and they still are, i love my hooved blue mecha bois

[@PleasantKenobi]

God bless that dog.

[@Schuschu1]

The lowest point of my hobby career was when I lost a squad of BA terminators to fire warriors in melee back in 3rd ed. I’ll never forget that!

[@kevinhayes3672]

The alogorithim requires engagement, also Wibs little comic was awesome!

[@CrisTianDoesArt]

Damn you and your dog-related tricks. Also super glad you did this one, love the fish people

[@nicholasstark4771]

Great episode, thank you very much! :-)

[@davidkerr885]

God - 2001?! very first white dwarf I ever bought was the month the Tau came out, I'd been introduced to Space Hulk and Hero Quest a couple months before by a family friend but it was buying that White Dwarf (and a 20-man box of Catachans with change from a £20 note! It was still like a months worth of pocket money at the time) was my first real inroad into 40k. Tau weren't really my cup of tea but I can remember the excitement of others quite vividly, the fact that it was a whole new army, the totally different aesthetic really created a buzz that seemingly took off again in a whole new way when the Fire Warrior game came out on the PS2 in 2003. My first ever trip to Warhammer world was showing the game off on one of those crappy old boxxy tvs on the store counter a couple of months before it came out...

[@Vinterloft]

And then Necrons came out pretty soon after. Golden age of 40K. Except for the whole 3rd edition being the current edition thing. Man was that a huge downgrade from 2nd.

[@garethwood8332]

For an Ork that is a really profound statement. Guess he had his thinking squig on.

[@Dementat]

I don't want a tau army but I really want to go watch the Appleseed OVA

[@Enixon869]

Funny enough, the current Crisis suit kit actualy comes with a bonding knife so now they actually ARE strapping valuable ceremonial object to their walking tanks

[@TheDirtysouthfan]

The Riptide kit does too!

[@mulchmeat9715]

Love that KZbin considers this Battletech lol.

[@Smeghead76]

Didn't the T'au start to get smacked with the -grimderp- grimdark hammer because people were complaining about how _non_ grimdark they were?

[@bruno17289]

Yep, however later they added a sub faction called the Farsight Enclave(is that their name?). That are Tau that use melee and that split of from the Ethereal caste. They are unironically the only good faction on the verse.

[@willowpackerthestoryteller135]

This video takes me back, as the back cover of Codex Tau 4th edition was the very first 40k I ever read almost 15 years ago. Still got a soft spot for the blue buggers, back when they were still just the lone utopians in the dystopic galaxy.

[@jisei-alexis]

how dare you remind me that this addition to the game i was present for was over 20 years ago.

[@OPTTWoodrow]

Issue 262 was my first ever issue of white dwarf, it really was something that gripped me immediatley.

[@sonicwingnut]

Yeah I kinda feel the same about a Farsight Enclaves army.. too big a pile of shame right now, must resist..

[@stewroo]

Their generic ochre colour scheme and railgun like weaponry always gave me more of a GDI from command and conquer vibe. Rather than the Gundam aesthetic they're so often derided for. I've just found your channel and I'm really enjoying these book breakdowns. Great editing and chemistry, subscribed.

[@EdBurke37]

I always forget how long ago the Tau were added to the game. I could've sworn it was much more recent.