Tau

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The Tau are a playable race in Warhammer 40k. When first discovered by humanity, the Tau were a barbaric and primitive people. Then their planet was trapped in a warp storm for a few thousand years and they emerged from the other side as a unified species, led by the mysterious Ethereal caste and devoted to the concept of the "Greater Good". The Tau were originally developed because Games Workshop felt their setting needed an optimistic race, making the Tau the least grimdark faction in the game. Recent fluff (or at least Dawn of War fluff, which is of dubious canonicity) has them gleefully arbitrarily sterilising humans that come under the rule of the Tau Empire, and it says something about 40k that despite this they're still the friendliest race in the setting.

They are a technologically advanced race, and have some of the most powerful ranged weaponry in the game. Tau units in general are rather weak in close combat, so they rely on alien auxiliaries such as the Kroot and Vespids who have joined the Tau Empire to bolster their strengths in this area. Fire Warrior veterans and commanders go to war wearing advanced battlesuits, allowing them to field even more firepower. Tau air units are among the best in the game, with aircraft superior to or equal to Imperial Guard equivalents, including a stealth fighter, multipurpose heavy fighter, a superheavy fighter with guns that can one-shot a titan, and their own Titan-equivalent (which is a small starship).

Tau unit designs were somewhat inspired by Asian culture and Japanese mecha. As a result, /tg/ declares the Tau are weeaboo (Contrasting with the Imperium, a completley un-japanese/animelike nation ruled by an Divine Emperor with legions of fanatical warriors which beleive that glory awaits those who die in battle in his name with officers carrying swords, infantry engaging in fanatical charges, suicide missions are considered a proper way to end ones military career, officers have a tendancy of high ranking officers to wear dress uniforms comprable to those from 18th/19th cenutry Europe and the most powerful vehicles fielded by the Imperium are Giant Humaniod Mecha). Their devotion to the philosophy of the Greater Good often leads to them being labelled as communists, too.

A theory is that the Tau was created by the Eldar as a means to force the most greatest source of problems and anwser to doing what the Eldar are normally supposed to do, smack Chaos and Necrons as well as handling the Mon-keighs from causing their usual problems of purging all xenos. This is hinted at the book Xenology where the Ethereal Caste was an creation by the Eldar where they implanted a pheremone from a bug queen to them. There is a slight flaw to their plan as there is now a splinter Enclave lead by Farsight who is very much weeaboo due to his use of the Dawn Blade and preference to go up close with swords and pulse rifles. Another problem is their proximity to the Ultramarines and Orks as well as Tyranids. They will need another mircale by the Eldar if they want to live.

Notable Tau

• Faptau
• Shadowsun
• Shlicktau

Gallery

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  A Tau Fire Warrior, the basic infantry unit.

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  And another one.

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  This Battlesuit-clad Tau demonstrates his mastery of Weeaboo Fightan Magic. Also DYNAMIC ENTRY!

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  The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer's entry on Tau players.

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  surrender... never shall the tau