40K Lore For Newcomers - What Is... The T'au Empire? - 40K Theories 

If you ever get transported to the 40k universe, the tau empire is prolly the safest faction you can join into

To me, the Tau are a pretty cool race in the universe. Despite not having the bling like the space marines, their lore and mechs are very interesting.

I love it that most of the people in comments watch Bruva Alfabusa

[INSERT ANTI-TAU RANT BY KITTEN HERE] KittenXShadowsun forever.[/sarc]

Are we gonna see the heartbreak scene between Kitten and Shadowsun in detail?!

Wait wait wait... They have poor eyesight, yet they can still excel in long range compared to the rest of 40k? WOT DA ZOG?!?!

I will admit I preferred the T'au Empire as a single source of doomed Nobelbright in a galaxy of Grim Darkness, a sad message that trying to do the right thing in 40k will eventually doom you....

good thing Kitten wasn't around to hear this

*_Challenge:_* Take a drink every time he says _"Tau."_

I do love that image at 8:26, it proves that Tau are equal to humans because they’ve invented fizzy drinks.

The irony of the Tau is that in any other setting humanity would be were the Tau are (generally) with another alien race being the imperium.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES BOI!!!! MY MAIN FISH-MEN ARE GETTTING SOME ATTENTION!!!!!!

Soo... Have you figured out what is within the Omega Vault? I bet Omegon himself...

Everything changed when the fire caste attacked...

Madalore said it right. The Supreme Kid was plsying favorites when making the T'au

I just realised, the T'au come from the Eastern Fringes and are sort of Asian, fml GW

Good vid dude :)

Is that the Warhammer 40k: Fire Warrior theme I hear in the background?

Love the channel! Been binge listening!!!

"For the Greater Good!" *In monotone* "The Greater Good."

AKA smart fish in a galaxy of edgelords.

The tau look at humans and see trillions living in squabble for 500 generations while a select few live better than any king of old Terra could have bet imagined. The tau are everything humans wish they were.

T'au, nicest race in the Galaxy by Default

If I ever get into 40k as a game, I'll play the T'au. It's them or the Eldar, the others makes me feel morally dirty. Edit: I would however play a custom faction made out of humans and aliens. Probably an Imperial Guard base, with some "Sisters of Battle" and a few T'au allies, or T'au themselves. They would be a faction opposed to the Imperium of man, labelled as heretics and traitors, but too inconsequential to be the focus of a war effort. I already have their backstory in mind... The Kins of Galamoore, once a relatively thriving kingdom made of several species living in harmony, fighting the occasional Orks invasion and its own rebel factions. The Imperium discovered them, conquered them, killed all the xenos and enlisted the humans in their war effort. The ecology of Galamoore became critically unstable without the variety of species maintaining balance, and turned into a cold, harsh death world. For a century the regiments served the Imperium, although they maintained secret ties with the xenos of their home planet, hidden deep underground. The new, harsh environment killed many, but made the survivors strong and unyielding. Many saw the Imperium as a necessary evil when it came to facing the true threats of the Galaxy, now that they were aware of them. However, after contact with the T'au, things changed. Seeing the T'au as a viable alternative, they began a slow, meticulous process of rebellion. Having to do with little to no support, the T'au being too far and quite unwilling to spit in the Imperium's face so directly, they executed a mass desertion, keeping with them a few precious ships and vehicles. Calling themselves the Kins of Galamoore, their objectives is now a mass exodus from their home planet to somewhere farther from the Imperium and closer to the T'au border. In time, become official allies of the T'au, knowing they wouldn't last long alone. But in the mean time their forces are busy either prospecting planets and systems, fighting off their pursuers and the monsters lurking in the depth of space, and protecting their home planet from retaliation as it house much of their civilian population.

The fact that gravity would screw Air caste Tau, due to their zero gravity evolution, the ships cocpits clearly need to have a sort of zero-g or inertia nullifying field generators, so that the gravity would not turn them into meat jelly and bone gravel...

Good voice work.

tau are my faviroute race in 40k purely because of the straight cheese DOW UA tau can perform with the fire warriors having the range of an artillery vehicle and are as spammable as guardsmen. not to mention if you can manage to get a strategic point or a relic after three buildings it is nigh impossible to take it back without dedicating your entire army to it. the ion cannons are ridiculous as well considering my main strategy is to wall off a section of my territory and build as many ion cannons as possible. after that line the walls with shasvr broadside elites and you can win easily through attrition as your ion cannons tear the enemy’s down. you can also use ion nukes to break any large army. in the lore they seem kinda weak but in DOW UA they are the biggest punch in the jaw ever due to the slow expansion but impenertable defenses and the longest range i swear they have the spookiest artillery as they have not only artillery vehicles but they have artillery infantry, air vehicles, elite infantry, structures and relic units.

I run my imperial knight house next to my tau fire caste and crisis Battlesuits. Works like a charm.

I thought I knew the Tau, but this was great to hear and I learned a few new things 😁

Question: due to your theory regarding commissar yarric and the possibility of the waaaaaagh field keeping him alive. Do you believe the field would also affect space marine chapters color schemes. Such as the blood angels moving faster, etc. When in combat with the orks?

Got a lore question here.. When you mentioned AI engrams, I presume you mean those mentioned in AI controlled battle suits? As I'm writing my Tau fluff I got curious if it would be possible to have a long gone ethereal within an engram as you mentioned AI "replicant"? Or is it only for lost warriors? Was thinking of using a droid/drone that's run by an Ethereal engram. i.imgur.com/Gt1OWH9.jpg Would that be lore friendly enough to proxy it as an Ethereal? :)

Not an expert regarding Tau lore but arn't Tau in general short lived? And does their short lives have something to do with their technological advances in such a short span of time?

all i can think about is how the toa symbol is the marathon symbol

Tau castes summed up in this one comment Earth Fire Air Water Atherials GO TAU! Yes, I am making fun of the Captain Planet theme.

I am actually starting a T'au army rn. Thinking about getting shadowsun and putting a custode, kitten, next to the rock she is standing on...

god damn its way too nice over there... PURGE THE HERECTICS!!!

Ah, the heady days of 2003 when that Fire Warrior video game soundtrack kicks in...

I know xenos are heresy, but have you seen that Tau brand recaf maker!? It has over 2000 settings and it recycles the cups.

the Greater good scene from hot fuzz is what the tau are all about

farsight:so uh....if you help me free my people we can help you? yvraine:if you let me identify your warp fuckery sword? deal gman:deal on principle you guys are awesome

The voice didn't sound...Tau enough. | 4:17 - At least the Kroot could be reasoned with, the Orks...can't. | 5:04 - Raven Guard? | Their tactics sound like the Inca way of doing things, why fight when you can use less violent means? (although that doesn't mean that they won't use it) | 9:20 - Actually, they have poorer close range vision and better long range vision, their vision extends a little more into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrum. | Which means that 5000 years means more generations than with humans, considering the lifespan. | 16:03 - They fill the combat roles that the Tau aren't that good at, such as melee combat and other roles.

5:44 every single time i have hot fuzz flashbacks

Is it cool to hate on the Tau or something? They sound no worse than the imperium, in some cases better actually, what with violence being considered a last resort and the general acceptance of other races. Also, 9:32. Abe's Odyssey didn't end well after all.

So, basically, they got real lucky on the scientific front. No rogue a.i., no nuclear war. At least not that we can see. I mean, 5000 years is still a long time, but not compared to other 40k races

Suddenly want to add a bunch of Kroot to my dark eldar raiding force.. Make them serve.. make them suffer!

Why does Aun'Va sound exactly like how I'd expect a dwarf to sound?

Any theories on where the Ethereals evolved from? Do the other T'au follow willingly or are they compelled to follow the Greater Good? If they have an organ that can compel obedience, what happened with the Farsight enclaves? Surely they've encountered Ethereals since they broke away.

I must say Inquisitor, but do I sense hints of Tau propaganda? Lol Great Video! Can’t wait to see more :)

didnt they also have some Demiurg Brotherhoods joining them

I want a T'au burrito.

I knew all of the other races the tau use but who are the ones above the kroot in the picture Haven’t seen them before

Don't really understand why the Tau were created as a faction outside of "good guys." Would make sense had they a larger empire but they are so dang small compared to everyone else.

I have a theory for you Alpheos and omacon and not twins but triplets that why the hydra has 3 heads

So when will the AI turn on the Tau? That would be interesting story line.

Is there any mention in the lore of why the eye holes on their helmets are vertical rather than horizontal? Are they camera lenses? is there a screen on the inside of the helmet? That just sounds like something to go wrong.

the fire caste stand ready

Aww... :'( Your video featured a Demiurg ship, AND the face of a Demiurg in it, but you didn't talk about them? They're the ones which gave the tau the technology for their Ion cannons (IIRC), and they made minis for them in battlefleet Gothic, who worked with tau. That's actually more inclusion then humans have ever had in their armies.

And Kitten's heart is still broken 💔.

Maybe we could get the mechanics to turn them into servitors, then they would actually be of use... -Kitten

Has anyone considered how useful putting the emperor in a tau robot that keeps personality amd memory intact

FOR THE GREATER GOOD

Nut

12:03 @Acidglow ( RU-vidr ) is that you?

yay i have kitten and an army of his brothers they love the tau... ... ... on the ends of their guardian spears :)

So is Alucard of Hellsing Ultimate fame a blood thirster of Korne?

Farsight Enclaves ftw

I guess as a human I would stay loyal to the Emperor, but would not mind sharing a planet with the X’au. The planet could be a trading hub, and if they respect me, I would respect them and their allies. Plus they would like the type of Xenos you want on YOUR SIDE if you suddenly have to deal with a hostile 3rd party of aliens or Orcs. If the Emperor ever awoke from his stasis on his Golden Throne I think he would like the T’au. They can be like annoying hippies, but they know how to fight. Plus they are good with tech and great at trading and negotiating. When the unholy universe holds so many threats, it’s nice to know that there are allies willing to fight for the greater good. Plus their mentality might help tame or tone down the worse of the human colonies or hives out there. We are not to abandon our humanity, not at all. That is heresy! But it’s ok to borrow and adapt a few Xenos cultural or technical traits if it helps in the long run. So call off the Inquisition, Interrogators, or Guardsmen. There guys are ok.

Soo they're mind controlled by a bunch of different species? Reminds me of Halo's Covenant.

They are anime in SPACE!

THE GREATER GOOD

Not sure I like the idea of them having relatively poor eyesight. In biology, there is a direct correlation between sight (or rather the brains ability to process optics) and intelligence. Humans don't have amazing eyes, but our brains do a shit ton of processing on the given data, more so than species like Eagles which have the superior eye. Also, sight is very fundamental to the sciences, for example, despite everyone's belief that ancient China was a very advanced civilisation, it actually suffered in terms of advancement. Why? Because they invented China Ceramic... which meant they did not invent glass and never invented ways to process glass which never became a way to correct vision... this meant there was a point in time where European scholars had around 20 years of extra "sight time" they could devote to study before their eyes gave out. Had China also had the glass advantage, they would have been more advanced. Good eyesight is also a trait found in social and intelligent (curious) animals, for example, dolphins, squid, dogs and cats (despite cone vs rod ratios meaning they see colours differently if at all - sharpness or image quality is still good) and apes. Animals with poor eyesight tend to be much more timid (less curious - which is not a trait of scientifically minded race) and often (though not always) less intelligent like pigs, bulls and moles... In short, poor eyesight directly opposes to the Tau lore of them being an advanced, scientifically minded race.

I'm down with the Tau.

Is it true that they were tricked by the Eldari when fighting the Tyranids?

So lets compare: - The T'au Empire only gets to be hidden from the main galactic power (Imperium) for 6000 years. - The Imperium/humans get the galaxy handed to them because the main galactic power (Eldar) Fcked themselves to death. - The T'au Empire gets the Ethereals (weak brainwashing mortals) in their time of need to form their Empire. - The Imperium/humans get the Emperor (one of, if not the, strongest being in the entire setting) in their time of need to form their Empire. Who has plot-armor again? ... The Imperium, the Imperium has the most plot-armor by far.. :P And don't even get me started on Kaldor Draigo and the like... Sad thing is that most people interested in W40K actually don't know actual T'au lore and just start judging them because some jerk wrecked their army on TT :/ For example, here is 2 basic facts that most people get wrong: 1) About canon T'au physiology : "It had no nose, instead breathing through a slit that ran from the middle of its forehead to level with the lower edge of its eyes." (Black Leviathan by Ben Counter, in Damocles, p. 219). So YES, the slit on the blueberries faces are used to bloody breathe... there's plenty of evidences for such a thing in the novels. And yes, I know that "Xenology" says otherwise, but I consider the more recent novels more canon. It's actually a good way to know if someone actually read the novels instead of simply going to the Lexicanum (that transmit the Xenology info). 2) T'au blood is RED! Phil Kelly stated "It’s been red from the first ever account of the sacred ta’lissera blood bond. We tried different coloured blood for our alien races - Orks had green blood at one point - but it just didn’t look right on the miniatures, nor in the art." www.warhammer-community.com/2017/06/28/farsight-the-author-speaks/

Hot Fuzz voices: The Greater Good.

Okay, seriously. What's with all the hate towards the Tau I'm seeing in the comments? I'm not saying they're perfect, but considering the universe they live in, they're still one of the nicer races. At least they are not trying to exterminate anyone who isn't one of them and they're technology can still keep improving, since they still understand how things work, not like the imperial factions who have long since forgotten and if something breaks, it's not very likely they'll ever get it to run again.

Tau are my favorites

Wait... if they have bad eye sight, how do they have the advantage at range?

What is... The Tau Auxiliaries? Or at the very least, the Kroot!

Are the Tau going to punt you out of a window as well? But seriously I greatly enjoy your content.😈

...so they have 14 worlds and no one can take them down. really

I thought it was the Weaboo Empire, strange

3:08 "hundreds of thousands dead", you mean tuesday??

But can the tau fight in melee?

but tHEY CAN’T EVEN FIGHT IN MELEE

TL;DW Version: Space commies... space commies with great aim but would suffer massive casualties if an entire battalion fought a single squig in hand-to-hand (hand-to-claw?) combat.

Let the T'au hate commence. I enjoy them personally but can understand why some might not. But still I feel they get undue amounts of hate.

some of them look like thanos

THEY DON'T EVEN FIGHT IN MELEE!

hey man, not trying to be rude, but had you think on changing the intro and music? it's extremely repetitive to this point. just a constructive opinion

the tau could conquer the galaxy with their doctrine

I’m surprised a species that’s famous for shooting things with plasma has poor eyesight. You’d think those tactics would develop to compliment good eyesight and poor physical strength.

If you're a Filipino who ever is reading this If you replece U from TAU to O you get TAO which means people/person in Tagalog

let's make this into a drinking game. everytime there's something ending in 'AU like TAU...drink #onlythebrave

So this is the Kroot video you were talking about.

TAU TAU AAU TAU TAU TAU TAU TAU TAU TAU TAU TAU

But they don't even melee

ethereals are tau version of the emperor

another video on tau..just pile that on with the rest....

The T'au, aka. the blueberries.