Where Are We Now?

The Tau are going to be the next codex! No, wait – sorry, it's Black Templar. Hold on, now I'm certain it's going to be Black Templar, Chaos Legions, then the Tau! Or was it Chaos Legions, then the Black Templar? Eldar...? Maybe.

Does this look familiar? Rumors have always been sort of a shell game, you never quite know where to place your money, and even if you follow along with a careful eye you're just as likely to be wrong as if you had shut your eyes the whole while and just guessed. I originally started this blog to talk about rumors, but I find it's the discussion of what could be, to be most interesting. Rumors give us a direction for that discussion, but as I've tried to show with my more speculative articles, they're not the only source of that direction.

The face of things to come?

Not since the Tastyfish round-up (which continues to be the 'go-to' source for raw Tau rumors), have we seen any legitimate shift in Tau information, not until the recent leak anyways. Of course we've had some bad reporting courtesy of Bell of Lost Souls, and some trolling care of 3PlusPlus, but there's been no legitimate movement. We have heard a lot about other armies though, specifically Black Templar, and it's now almost a certainty that they'll be next. But you know what? I'm okay with it.

I've already explained why I think the recent 6^th Ed leak is legitimate in my last post so I won't dwell on that subject further – you either buy it or you don't, and there are plenty of arguments for both. And while a new Tau codex might not be in the cards until 6^th Edition is in our hands, I think it'll be better for us in the long run. The leak shows a changing landscape, one that the Tau are uniquely positioned to thrive in. Shooting has been made a much less cumbersome, more lethal affair. Close combat is going to be less of a sure bet, the vehicles that once dominated the battlescape are going to be increasingly vulnerable (though still a vitally strategic component), and wound magic will be a thing of the past. To those who would cry foul, that the game would be made too complex, I have this to say; As an old school nerd, I've seen D&D go soft, I've seen classic video game franchises get streamlined, and I've even seen Black Wing Lair get nerfed – for once I'm relieved to see a franchise embrace it's complexity.

There are clues about our Tau in there too, and I mean more than just obvious updates to the rules. Along with the Rule Book leak, there was a document for Codex Updates as well. Inside was an update for every codex, save two – the Necrons, and the Black Templar. More over, the entry for the Tau was written in reference to the existing codex's wording. All of which paints a picture of a post 6^th Edition launch for our boys in blue, but also that it will indeed be the BT that are next up, just like the rumor mongers have been saying. As a counter-point however, within the rule-book itself are references to Tau equipment that do not fit the current profiles of the codex. Now, to me this looks like a rule book being prepared for the end market (and the products that will be in it), and a resource to help those play testing it now, use it with existing armies. Which could mean a Tau 5^th Edition release, or a very, very early 6^th Edition release. But this is all speculation on my part.

Information trafficking remains a dubious pass-time, but if you're like me, and you're irresistibly drawn to these things, I have four pieces of advice for you. Look for the source – in the end it doesn't matter where the rumor comes from (because lets face it, on the internet everyone is equally credible), but it lets you trace it's origin so that you know you're not chasing echoes. Look for corroborating sources, the more independent of one another the better. And when something really sticks out, see if you can justify it with established trends or themes. But above all, and as cheesy as it sounds, go with your gut.

Or, you could just stick with me! Thanks for reading folks!