Predicting M42 Events

[Clockwork-Knight]

One event that will be more important than the forces of Chaos rampaging around or xenos destroying and enslaving humanity will be more psykers emerging and causing catastrophic damage to the Imperium, calling worse beings than daemons, like the psychneuin or even the enslavers who did eradicate most life millions of years ago. And the Inquisition has not enough ships and ressources to capture or kill them all quickly enough.

No matter what happens, humanity is doomed. Either to become slaves to madness, killed, sifted and purged by cruel fiends from the stars, or fleshy warp gates for terrible warp wasps and jellyfish...

[Chem-Dog]

The overall trend can continue but I would get around the doomsday scenarios by having the various threats counter each other to some extent, buying the Imperium time. It would also show the Imperium's weakening in that it is no longer single handedly fending them off but is relying on others to do at least part of the work (as shown by the original diversion of Hive Fleet Leviathan onto the Orks of Octarius).

It's that or the Imperium has to bite the bullet and start some cooperative alliances with some of the more friendly xenos species, Tau, possibly Eldar and a good deal of the background-only species, if only to allow them to inhabit worlds which are untennable and potentially under attack from forces that aren't open to negotiations.

The 13th Black Crusade continues its drive towards Terra but is bogged down in ever increasing Imperial defenses as the Imperium strips borders to reinforce its core. Thus the two antagonists of Chaos and Imperium stalemate each other, though the Imperium buys this at the cost of sacrificing its borders.

Sure, contraction would be quite likely, many outlying regions abandoned to their own devices, left to predations of xenos and chaos alike or the Imperium employing a scorched earth policy on every world it can't hold.
Suddenly Kryptman's Cordon policy doesn't seem quite so radical....

The stripping of defenses elsewhere allows other races like the Tau, Tyranids, Necrons, Orks, Eldar, and Dark Eldar more opportunities to attack and erode the periphery of the Imperium.

Or negotiated territorial handovers turning "Allies" into buffer zones and speed bumps.

The vast numbers of the Tyranids is countered by the super technology of the Necrons (who want to harvest the sentients of the galaxy for their own purposes), the numbers of Orks, and the meddling of the Eldar with their secret artifact weapons (as mentioned in the latest Tyranid Codex).

Additionally the wholesale abandonment of entire systems, if not subsectors (if not sectors) would mean the Tyranids increasingly experience the situation of turning up for dinner only to find the buffet is closed. Especially if the Imperium employs a Scorched Earth policy.

In turn, the super technology of the Necrons is countered by the vast numbers of Tyranids that still swarm under some Tomb Worlds, and the Eldar also intervene against their ancient enemies with their psychic artifacts. Thus the two juggernaut threats of Necrons and Tyranids end up battering each other to a standstill, giving breathing space for other races.

Problem is I don't see it as being this easy, neither the Necrons or Tyranids are focussed enough to consider them blunting themselves on the other, they simply show up and maul whatever's nearby, to do this you'd have to bait Necron tomb worlds with sufficient morsels for the 'Nids to be tempted there BUT once that's done (glossing over the extremely callous use of life nedded to achieve this) yes they'll blast the crud out of each other with little or no reward for either side possibly creating a scenario where a Hive fleet disengages because it's energy expendiature is far greater than the final pay off can be.

The Tau make further inroads against the Imperium but their increasing size means they engage in more conflict with Orks, Tyranids, and other races, and puts them at risk of overextension.

Good point. given that the Tau haven't developed Warp Travel (or any of the variety of other FTL techniques used in 40K) the bigger the empire gets the more unweildy the administration gets yeilding two possible outcomes.
1: Centralised government struggles on causing huge delays and losses across the board as the central control cannot hope to react swiftly to each and every threat.
2: The Tau realise this technique is flawed and proceed to separate their teritory into individually governed sectors opening up the possiblilty of rogue elements gaining a foothold. The Tau'Va ideal begins to crack as embattled Fire warrior commanders start to think that, maybe, Farsight had a point.

The Orks continue battling everyone and acting as general spoiler for everyone else.

Yeah, don't see them changing ever.

The Dark Eldar continue to raid everyone and also act as a general spoiler.

Unless they notice that some of their favourite hunting grounds have been emptied/destroyed/repopulated....

The Craftworld Eldar continue to intervene at crucial moments, acting as the straw that breaks a camel's back or the pebble that starts an avalanche, and perhaps with the use of artifacts or ancient previously forbidden pre-Fall weaponry (maybe recovered from Belial IV?) show they may be waning but they are still a power to be reckoned with. Is it a resurgence of an ancient power or is it the last glimmer of glory of a culture in its death throes?

Their interference decreases as they grow ever more cautious about comitting their dwindling numbers to battle. Prefering to act as sponsors for some of the younger races (I'm thinking Tau mainly).

Yeah, I don't really see Armageddon as a stalemate. The planet is never going to be the production center that it was, too much has been ruined, and rebuilding it will cost more than the received investment.

Armageddon, the first war, the planet was sacked by a Horde of Daemons led by Angron, the Imperium neutered any survivors, put them in work camps and rebuilt/repopulated the planet. It's not just the fact the planet is a production centre, it's a hub into which many other worlds feed their resources into the Imperium's war machine. Don't underestimate the amount of time and money the Imperium (a galactic empire with VERY deep pockets) is willing to spend on keeping one of it's Lynchpin world operative.

[SomeRandomEvilGuy]

the Imperium employing a scorched earth policy on every world it can't hold.

I don't think that this is likely to happen except against worlds being taken by either Tyranids or being turned into Daemonworlds. Anything else can be retaken, and if the Imperium rendering so many worlds useless could cripple its recovery should it emerge from its current plight.

Problem is I don't see it as being this easy, neither the Necrons or Tyranids are focussed enough to consider them blunting themselves on the other

I don't think that it's too difficult to imagine that the C'tan or certain Necron Lords may dislike the thought of their food be consumed by the Tyranids. The C'tan seem like fussy eaters - they may prepare sapient lifeforms to the largely dumb Tyranid creatures. Should they come into a protracted war, I don't see what the Tyranids could actually do in naval combat. The Necron fleet would be the most effective against Tyranid ones of any faction.

[Scribe of Khorne]

Chaos feasts as more and more desperate idiots turn to the dark powers for salvation..

If you just listened to us in the first place this would all be a moot point as a Chaos driven humanity would have the strength to win against the Xeno threats and we would be fine...

[El_Machinae]

Armageddon, the first war, the planet was sacked by a Horde of Daemons led by Angron, the Imperium neutered any survivors, put them in work camps and rebuilt/repopulated the planet. It's not just the fact the planet is a production centre, it's a hub into which many other worlds feed their resources into the Imperium's war machine. Don't underestimate the amount of time and money the Imperium (a galactic empire with VERY deep pockets) is willing to spend on keeping one of it's Lynchpin world operative.

I'm not
I just think it's only now a lynchpin due to tradition and bureaucratic inertia. And that it's only ever going to be a moneypit

[Iracundus]

It's that or the Imperium has to bite the bullet and start some cooperative alliances with some of the more friendly xenos species, Tau, possibly Eldar and a good deal of the background-only species, if only to allow them to inhabit worlds which are untennable and potentially under attack from forces that aren't open to negotiations.

I don't see this happening since the Imperium's entire religion is set up with human manifest destiny and xenophobia as its prime tenets. The Imperium also isn't a centralized nation with coherent foreign policy, and the deals it does strike with alien races are done on a case by case basis by local institutions or individuals (like Inquisitors).

Or negotiated territorial handovers turning "Allies" into buffer zones and speed bumps.

Again don't see this happening as even in negotiations with the Tau, it was more a "We'll kill you later" arrangement. The other major race that could negotiate, the Eldar, are also not interested in the Imperium's planetary real estate.

Problem is I don't see it as being this easy, neither the Necrons or Tyranids are focussed enough to consider them blunting themselves on the other, they simply show up and maul whatever's nearby, to do this you'd have to bait Necron tomb worlds with sufficient morsels for the 'Nids to be tempted there BUT once that's done (glossing over the extremely callous use of life nedded to achieve this) yes they'll blast the crud out of each other with little or no reward for either side possibly creating a scenario where a Hive fleet disengages because it's energy expendiature is far greater than the final pay off can be.

Not all Tomb Worlds are lifeless. There are worlds described in the BL novels and Armageddon itself (with its Necron structures in its jungles) that have since developed eco-systems. These worlds are the ones likely to draw Tyranid attack. Also the Necrons can be pro-active in attacking the Tyranids in order to preserve their own harvest.

Their interference decreases as they grow ever more cautious about comitting their dwindling numbers to battle. Prefering to act as sponsors for some of the younger races (I'm thinking Tau mainly).

I don't see where this idea of diminishing interference is coming from. If anything, the sources seem to show the opposite as the situation gets worse. In the latest Tyranid Codex, Saim-hann is described as using ancient world burning weapons against the Tyranids. In either the BRB timeline or the Planetstrike timeline (I forget which offhand), Saim-hann and Biel-tan are described as intervening in the Leviathan vs. Octarius conflict.

I don't see the Eldar sponsoring anyone as they ultimately are just as self-centered as the Imperium. Also Xenology was just one in-character source and hence not a statement of objective fact of any Eldar-Tau link. Eldrad's own opinion in the 1st Tau Codex was also just the subjective in-universe opinion of one Eldar, not the race as a whole. The Tau may just be viewed as yet another in a long line of usurper races. In turn, the Tau may be dismissive of any Eldar advice and warnings and view the Eldar as superstitious mystics of an archaic fading culture, especially since the Tau don't really understand psychic power which forms the basis of Eldar technology.

[SgtTaters]

Eldar acting as sponsors would be neat in a 'let's look at it logically' sort of view, but it doesn't really fit their overall image, not every craftworld is Ulthwe.

'cause it seems like
Biel Tann- would rather kill things themselves than use a proxy. Love killing things by their own hand actually.
Saim Hann- would rather kill things themselves, when not maiming each other in duels. Biel Tann's favored tag team partner.
Iyanden- badly wounded but stable, Even the Dark Eldar feel bad for them. Famous for its powerful fleet and the hero Yriel.
Alaitoc- super ranger network is their eyes, ears and occasional bullet.

It's mainly Ulthwe that does the "You've activated my trap card, I summon Ghazkull in attack mode!" shenanigans. Ulthwe can continue to play around with the Tau.

Biel Tann would have a rising number of Exarch's, perhaps more visitations by Phoenix Lords in warring with Orks, Imperium, and assaulting Chaos planets. Something cool I can see happening is rising levels of Exarchdom, this concerns the elders but the youth find them to be heroic, untouchably cool figures.

Saim Hann's wildriders seem like a numerous and healthy bunch, while Biel Tann warriors are more like Samurai, Saim hann's more like Barbarians, each like to kill things in their own style.

[Chem-Dog]

I don't think that this is likely to happen except against worlds being taken by either Tyranids or being turned into Daemonworlds. Anything else can be retaken, and if the Imperium rendering so many worlds useless could cripple its recovery should it emerge from its current plight.

Ok yeah,there is that, but I'm being the devil's advocate here, things is bleak and the Imperium is slowly coming to realise the jig may be up. I'd be an **** and spoil it for everyone if I were the Imperium...It's my ball....

I don't think that it's too difficult to imagine that the C'tan or certain Necron Lords may dislike the thought of their food be consumed by the Tyranids. The C'tan seem like fussy eaters - they may prepare sapient lifeforms to the largely dumb Tyranid creatures. Should they come into a protracted war, I don't see what the Tyranids could actually do in naval combat. The Necron fleet would be the most effective against Tyranid ones of any faction.

Ah see we're talking about extraordinarily large "organisations" on an incredibly vast scale, yes individual hive fleets and tomb worlds might come to blows with potentially devestating results for both sides, but in the grand scheme neither side would probably even notice.
With regards to fleet action, the Tyranids do zerg rush so well even a space fleet that ignores the laws of physics might have a scrap on their hands

If you just listened to us in the first place this would all be a moot point as a Chaos driven humanity would have the strength to win against the Xeno threats and we would be fine...

yeah, with added tentacles where they're of no practical use (except for the odd occasion when a zoidberg impression is called for), no thanks! :P

I'm not
I just think it's only now a lynchpin due to tradition and bureaucratic inertia. And that it's only ever going to be a moneypit

With an attitude like that you should be running for High Lord of Terra

I don't see this happening since the Imperium's entire religion is set up with human manifest destiny and xenophobia as its prime tenets. The Imperium also isn't a centralized nation with coherent foreign policy, and the deals it does strike with alien races are done on a case by case basis by local institutions or individuals (like Inquisitors).

Oh I quite agree, but it's one of the things that the Imperium would have to contemplate if they are ever going to see new years eve M42.999

Again don't see this happening as even in negotiations with the Tau, it was more a "We'll kill you later" arrangement. The other major race that could negotiate, the Eldar, are also not interested in the Imperium's planetary real estate.

As above, it's unpalletable but there MIGHT be hope, if only we could all pull together!

Not all Tomb Worlds are lifeless. There are worlds described in the BL novels and Armageddon itself (with its Necron structures in its jungles) that have since developed eco-systems. These worlds are the ones likely to draw Tyranid attack. Also the Necrons can be pro-active in attacking the Tyranids in order to preserve their own harvest.

Again, pebbles in a vast ocean.

I don't see where this idea of diminishing interference is coming from.

Simple numbers, the less people you have the less significant a force you can muster, you have to pick your fights more carefully and can't wade in to every scrap you'd like to. Sure the Eldar can use their dread world breaking weapons, but what if they all come with a curse like Prince Yriel's weapon? you'll run out of people that way too eventually.

I don't see the Eldar sponsoring anyone as they ultimately are just as self-centered as the Imperium. Also Xenology was just one in-character source and hence not a statement of objective fact of any Eldar-Tau link. Eldrad's own opinion in the 1st Tau Codex was also just the subjective in-universe opinion of one Eldar, not the race as a whole. The Tau may just be viewed as yet another in a long line of usurper races. In turn, the Tau may be dismissive of any Eldar advice and warnings and view the Eldar as superstitious mystics of an archaic fading culture, especially since the Tau don't really understand psychic power which forms the basis of Eldar technology.

The Tau are a little more accepting than that, they take on the Kroot in the hope of "civilising" their barbaric ways and they're familiar enough with Psionics thanks to their association with the Nicassar.
As for the Eldar, what's their aim? To go out in a blaze of glory blasting really cool guns at the endless horde of horror that lies before them in a headlong but ultimately futile charge OR permit stewardship to a (infinitely less corruptable) race of their knowledge in the hope of ultimately denying the great enemy they created and keeping all those Omega Guns safe from the minions of those self same dread powers (and the spiky cousins)?

Eldar acting as sponsors would be neat in a 'let's look at it logically' sort of view, but it doesn't really fit their overall image, not every craftworld is Ulthwe.

'cause it seems like
Biel Tann- would rather kill things themselves than use a proxy. Love killing things by their own hand actually.
Saim Hann- would rather kill things themselves, when not maiming each other in duels. Biel Tann's favored tag team partner.
Iyanden- badly wounded but stable, Even the Dark Eldar feel bad for them. Famous for its powerful fleet and the hero Yriel.
Alaitoc- super ranger network is their eyes, ears and occasional bullet.

It's mainly Ulthwe that does the "You've activated my trap card, I summon Ghazkull in attack mode!" shenanigans. Ulthwe can continue to play around with the Tau.

Biel Tann would have a rising number of Exarch's, perhaps more visitations by Phoenix Lords in warring with Orks, Imperium, and assaulting Chaos planets. Something cool I can see happening is rising levels of Exarchdom, this concerns the elders but the youth find them to be heroic, untouchably cool figures.

Saim Hann's wildriders seem like a numerous and healthy bunch, while Biel Tann warriors are more like Samurai, Saim hann's more like Barbarians, each like to kill things in their own style.

I think the cultural differences can be over stressed here but there will logically come a time where attrition has it's way and the eldar will have to stop being Nations and start being a Race, either each individual Craftworld's population will dwindle until the craftworld cannot be maintained or whole craftworlds will wink out of existance in sequence. The last ones left may be of a single craftworld or a a rag-tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest.....

[KingDeath]

The Imperium: The Imperium of Man continues to lose worlds to it's many enemies, but unlike all other factions it can actualy trade space for time ( which in turn can be used to prepare for total war ). They will continue to concentrate their defence on the more strategicaly important worlds while smaller and less important planets are left to fight on their own.
Still, a million worlds aren't easily lost and even if all goes wrong the Imperium will most likely soldier on for centuries or even millenia, thanks to it's huge size.

Chaos: The 13. Black Crusade, despite it's sucesses, will ultimately not reach Terra but Abaddon has, at least for the time being, a beachead in realspace. The Cadian Gate will continue to be a bloody battlefield for a long time and since the gates of hell are broken, many smaller warbands will ravage the Imperium.

Orks: WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!! as usual.

Eldar: They haven't changed much for 10000 years. I doubt that they will start now.

Tau: They will anex further worlds but stay a regional power. After all the number of alien planets which can be assimilated into the Tau Empire within a certain amount of time is limited. The increasing Tyranid presence in tauspace will also mean that more resources have to be diverted to combat the Great Devourer.

[Iracundus]

Simple numbers, the less people you have the less significant a force you can muster, you have to pick your fights more carefully and can't wade in to every scrap you'd like to. Sure the Eldar can use their dread world breaking weapons, but what if they all come with a curse like Prince Yriel's weapon? you'll run out of people that way too eventually.

One could use that argument for the Eldar race as a whole ever since the Fall, yet the dire circumstances of the galaxy force them to intervene nonetheless and seemingly at increased frequency. The Eldar are caught in a "damned if you do and damned if you don't" situation where there are so many threats to be averted that they must act even though they are few in number. The alternative, of not acting, would be even worse if those bad futures come to pass.

The Tau are a little more accepting than that, they take on the Kroot in the hope of "civilising" their barbaric ways and they're familiar enough with Psionics thanks to their association with the Nicassar.

Note however in all these relationships it is the Tau in the superior position, assuming the "blue alien's burden" of civilizing the barbarians. This is fundamentally different from your proposal of the Tau being the ones accepting tuition or guidance. The Tau are convinced of the superiority of their own ideology, and there is nothing suggesting they would accept the advice of what amounts to a galactic "has-been" race, couched in superstitious mystical terms.

As for the Eldar, what's their aim? To go out in a blaze of glory blasting really cool guns at the endless horde of horror that lies before them in a headlong but ultimately futile charge OR permit stewardship to a (infinitely less corruptable) race of their knowledge in the hope of ultimately denying the great enemy they created and keeping all those Omega Guns safe from the minions of those self same dread powers (and the spiky cousins)?

Given what we know of Eldar pride and stubborness, it is more likely the former. See the example of some super weapons, the Akliamor, (WD 236) for how the Eldar, despite knowing the more rational choice would be to keep the Akliamor, which they originally fought to secure, nonetheless activate it to spite and punish the humans. To satisfy a short term emotional urge, they choose the less logical rational choice.

On a larger scale, the same could be said of the Eldar race as a whole. They hang around in the galaxy despite the neighborhood falling apart, when they could abandon the galaxy and attempt to start afresh elsewhere. Instead they choose to remain and fight the "good fight" and "rage against the dying of the light."

I think the cultural differences can be over stressed here but there will logically come a time where attrition has it's way and the eldar will have to stop being Nations and start being a Race, either each individual Craftworld's population will dwindle until the craftworld cannot be maintained or whole craftworlds will wink out of existance in sequence. The last ones left may be of a single craftworld or a a rag-tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest.....

Like the Eldar version of Battlestar Galactica.

[War Angel]

The Orks continue battling everyone and acting as general spoiler for everyone else.

I see the Orks and Tyranids battling each other and the vast numbers of either only
having significance to each other. If they haven't allready the Hive Fleets will enter
areas with large Ork empires and their advance will be slowed. Giving the other races
both valued time and less places to devote resources too. Letting two enemies fight
each other and technically winning either way without having to spend resources to do so.

The orks will never leave, and their constant presence will be a never-ending drain upon coffers. imo, anyway.

This could be a great Imperial strategy. Just keep sufficient forces there to avoid losing.
Every Ork on Armageddon is an Ork that's not somewhere else.

It's that or the Imperium has to bite the bullet and start some cooperative alliances with some of the more friendly xenos species, Tau, possibly Eldar and a good deal of the background-only species, if only to allow them to inhabit worlds which are untennable and potentially under attack from forces that aren't open to negotiations.

Imperial and Eldar forces would still be "allies of convience."
The deal made by Eldrad and Creed would likely still be in effect.

Also iirc I remember a writting stating that an Eldar foresaw an alliance being made on a world
in the Eastern part of the galaxy. It had many races coming together to fight the Tyranids.
I have no idea what the name of it was.

Additionally the wholesale abandonment of entire systems, if not subsectors (if not sectors) would mean the Tyranids increasingly experience the situation of turning up for dinner only to find the buffet is closed. Especially if the Imperium employs a Scorched Earth policy.

Take all useful personel and supplies then light a match on the entire world.
This would also have the effect of having a greater number of Imperial troops in a smaller area.
Reducing the effect overextention would have.

Saim Hann- would rather kill things themselves, when not maiming each other in duels. Biel Tann's favored tag team partner.

Coming soon to Pay Per View: Biel Tann & Saim Hann vs. whoever...in a steel cage.

[El_Machinae]

This could be a great Imperial strategy. Just keep sufficient forces there to avoid losing.
Every Ork on Armageddon is an Ork that's not somewhere else.

Maybe! Though I think that the cost to the orks of "going to Armageddon" is relatively cheaper than the human cost of defending Armageddon (on a per ork basis). As well, there're now endemic indigenous orks that can never be properly cleansed.

Finally, I don't know how much the orks 'lose' by having some of their boys go out and fight at Armageddon. What else would those boys be doing?

[Chem-Dog]

One could use that argument for the Eldar race as a whole ever since the Fall, yet the dire circumstances of the galaxy force them to intervene nonetheless and seemingly at increased frequency. The Eldar are caught in a "damned if you do and damned if you don't" situation where there are so many threats to be averted that they must act even though they are few in number. The alternative, of not acting, would be even worse if those bad futures come to pass.

Yeah, there's a fulcrum point though where to do the thing you know must be done means sacrificing everything and perhaps the next bad future isn't the worst upcoming bad future you can avert.
And if we're saying the Eldar are as willful and capricious as they are said to be would they see the point in self sacrifice for a bunch of mon keigh and various other lesser races that they generally believe ain't worth spit?
Personally I like to think their murcurial nature is down to their ultimately alien motivations, like women, they don't make sense and it's YOUR fault

Note however in all these relationships it is the Tau in the superior position, assuming the "blue alien's burden" of civilizing the barbarians. This is fundamentally different from your proposal of the Tau being the ones accepting tuition or guidance. The Tau are convinced of the superiority of their own ideology, and there is nothing suggesting they would accept the advice of what amounts to a galactic "has-been" race, couched in superstitious mystical terms.

I'd say the Tau are savvy enough to know that when the big boys come offering some some advice, to at least hear them out, yes they are extremely self confident but they ain't arrogant. That's the Eldar's bag.

Given what we know of Eldar pride and stubborness, it is more likely the former. See the example of some super weapons, the Akliamor, (WD 236) for how the Eldar, despite knowing the more rational choice would be to keep the Akliamor, which they originally fought to secure, nonetheless activate it to spite and punish the humans. To satisfy a short term emotional urge, they choose the less logical rational choice.

Better to deny it to all if you can't use it perhaps? But craftworld Eldar are ALL about denying those sorts of emotional urges, I'd say that we're applying human motivations and logic to something that isn't human and coming up with a very slanted view.

On a larger scale, the same could be said of the Eldar race as a whole. They hang around in the galaxy despite the neighborhood falling apart, when they could abandon the galaxy and attempt to start afresh elsewhere. Instead they choose to remain and fight the "good fight" and "rage against the dying of the light."

One craftworld's looking into escaping into the webway IIRC. But other than that slim and ultimately perilous chance what other option do they have?

Like the Eldar version of Battlestar Galactica.

he-he, I couldn't resist

Take all useful personel and supplies then light a match on the entire world.
This would also have the effect of having a greater number of Imperial troops in a smaller area.
Reducing the effect overextention would have.

It'd also be a colossal waste of resources, but that's Exterminatus for you, when nuking an entire planet is the lesser of two evils.

Maybe! Though I think that the cost to the orks of "going to Armageddon" is relatively cheaper than the human cost of defending Armageddon (on a per ork basis). As well, there're now endemic indigenous orks that can never be properly cleansed.

Necromunda survives quite well, thank you very much

[FlashGordon]

Its probably just because it is called 40k not 41k

[Iracundus]

Yeah, there's a fulcrum point though where to do the thing you know must be done means sacrificing everything and perhaps the next bad future isn't the worst upcoming bad future you can avert.
And if we're saying the Eldar are as willful and capricious as they are said to be would they see the point in self sacrifice for a bunch of mon keigh and various other lesser races that they generally believe ain't worth spit?
Personally I like to think their murcurial nature is down to their ultimately alien motivations, like women, they don't make sense and it's YOUR fault

Who ever said they were sacrificing for other races? They are fighting for the galaxy that they see as still theirs. It is just the galaxy now swarms with so many potential bad futures to avert that the Eldar have to act in order to keep themselves alive. This may erode their strength further in the future, but at least there is a future.

I'd say the Tau are savvy enough to know that when the big boys come offering some some advice, to at least hear them out, yes they are extremely self confident but they ain't arrogant. That's the Eldar's bag.

The Tau are arrogant. They believe their new fangled Greater Good philosophy (which really isn't that ideologically different from other races' ideas of the greater good for their own race) is somehow superior and that all others should serve it. They have encountered the "big boys" before and have underestimated or refused to listen each time. They encountered Orks (who initially had superior spaceships) and almost had their fleet wiped out. Then they encountered humans and despite being told that all humans belonged to this vast Imperium, and despite "negotiations" with them as in the 1st Tau Codex, still engage in "realpolitik" and annexations of human worlds.

The Tau are the new kids on the block who believe they know better than all the other people already there. That isn't the type of mindset that is likely to accept advice.

Better to deny it to all if you can't use it perhaps? But craftworld Eldar are ALL about denying those sorts of emotional urges, I'd say that we're applying human motivations and logic to something that isn't human and coming up with a very slanted view.

The Eldar rationalized it but as we see in the 2nd edition Eldar Codex from the Eldar POV, the Warlock Karhedron wonders whether the Eldar are sometimes so willing to accept what the seers say and go to war because they are fundamentally bored with their peaceful Craftworld life.

The Eldar are fundamentally not very alien, once you know their motivations and their past. They only seem alien to the Imperium because the vast majority of humans know nothing about the Eldar (and the Eldar aren't exactly forthcoming about sharing).

One craftworld's looking into escaping into the webway IIRC. But other than that slim and ultimately perilous chance what other option do they have?

Leave the galaxy in their Craftworlds in realspace, like giant arks. Their Craftworlds are already virtual self contained worlds.

[For mankind]

I would prefer an more unexpacted outcom of the events going on, real world history somtimes developes completly unpredictabel, althoug everything makes sense afterwards!

For exampel: Lets say the tyranids finally overrun ultramar, and the blue marines retreat, with million of refugees, into the Tau Emipre, and form some kind of split blue empiere, blue marines and blue xenos, figthing side by side, while not trusting each other, an alliance where everyone knows it won't last for long.

Oh and I would hate it if the forces of chaos would just expand further on, they are chaos space marines, there should be houndreds of their generals/lords/whatever just waiting for their chance to execute their own plans.

Who knows maybe mankind flees from the figthing by an massive exodus to the fringe areas of the galaxy, while the core would turn into an massiv complete cluster fu**k.

And if the emperor dies, who know what happens, maybe terra and the whole solar system just dissapers, or a new warp god is born, and then there is a warp storm aquvialent to the eye of terror, where terra ones was....
And the new homeworld of the empire becams Ultra Tau!!!

Pure nonsens and speculations, but ways better than: "chaos wins, empire loses, xenos do whatever they do", come on this is the far futere plus magick and deamons! when there is a time and place for somthing unexpacted to happen it is there!

[mob16151]

I only want one thing in M42. Can the Golden throne please break down now?

It opens up a lot of new game play avenues.


Edit: And a breakout attempt by the hyper violent Bargehsi. (sp?)

[Bonzai]

Over the next thousand years?

Imperium
Continued setbacks, and resources get erroded more and more. Even worse, the Golden throne is starting to have black out periods. The tech priests are doing all that they can, but it's a losing battle. The Beacon will go out soon. There is talk in the highest levels of removing the emperor, and replacing him with the most powerful psychics available.

Eldar
They continue to stuggle on. A few pheonix warriors lost to the ages re-apear, as well as some rediscovered secrets. However these are small flashes in an otherwise dark universe. The first ghost world is discovered.... A craftworld entirely operated and piloted by wraith constructs, and lead by Wraith Seers. Is this what the future holds for the Eldar Race?

Orks
Orks continue on as they always do. Only major notes? Ghazghul is dead, having being killed by Yarrick in a suicide gambit that takes them both out. The Octavian war is over, the Orks having won, and a new, ENOURMOUS warboss is gaining momentum for a Waaagh the likes they have never seen in memory.

Tau
Two monumental events happen in the Tau Empire. 1st, is that with the continuous induction of human colonies into the empire, they now have access to Psyker genes, and finally have navigators. An extensive breeding program in instated, and the Air Caste has rights to conscript any human showing signs of psychic talent. This allows them to further expand and travel between their colonies, and more importantly, hold them. For now, only Ultramar, Hive fleets, and Ork Waaghs seem to be halting their advance.

The second is that the Tau went through a brief civil war. The Etherials had the Farsight enclaves destroyed in the name of unity, and the greater good. Histories portray him a derranged, power hungry madman, and is a cautionary tale told to small children.

Dark Eldar
Vect is starting to show his age, and assassination attempts become more and more frequent. Someday, some young upstart will get lucky, and all of Comaragh will be caught in utter anarchy.

Tyrannids
Hive fleets continue to plague the Eastern Fringes. However the galaxy ending mother fleet speculated on never appeared. The Imperiums tactics and methods at fighting them have improved, and automated boarding torpedos loaded with virus bombs have greatly improved their kill rate. In addition, the awakening of more and more Necron tomb worlds has also stalled out the hive fleets advances. If anything, it seems like there are less fleets arriving now, but there are many more scattered splinters.

Necrons
The Ctan have awoken, but they are not a unified force. Thus far unwilling to work together, they have each claimed a quadrant as their territory, and have begun carving out and expanding their own empires. They are one of the gravest threats the Imperium faces. The fact that they are divided is the only reason the Imperium has been able to handle them and keep them some what contained. Whole sub sectors are now quarintined.

Chaos
The legions continue their slow decline, though renagade warbands continue to form from the astares. They continue to have victories and set backs. For the chaos gods, victory isn't a goal. Only constant war, death, and change. So the eternal war continues. Abadon is around still, though desperately fighting to remain in control of himself, as the chaos gods attempt to take over.

[Morty]

For me the only signifcan event's that would happen is that on the exact start of the melenium the planet killer activates the eastern Monalith instantly converting it and abbadon into a deamon prince. the tiraninds continue there push on tera and the impore realises that it is the astronomican that is drawing them in a last dich atempt to save the hart of the empire a desperst paln is started and sol starts to show signes of transforming into a red giant and swalowing the planit, otherwise it just more of the same as every one gets bogged down fighting everyone elce and for every advance in on sector another sector is lost.

[Poseidal]

I think the cultural differences can be over stressed here but there will logically come a time where attrition has it's way and the eldar will have to stop being Nations and start being a Race, either each individual Craftworld's population will dwindle until the craftworld cannot be maintained or whole craftworlds will wink out of existance in sequence. The last ones left may be of a single craftworld or a a rag-tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest.....

The Eldar Craftworlds are like the Greek city-states. So Athens would remain separate from Sparta for the longest time; and the Craftworld cultures are likely even more different (I wish GW did more visually for this, even if they're functionally identical).

The main 'decline' Eldar fluff is usually done with Iyanden thanks to recent events. The other main craftworlds (and Iyanden did before the Tyranid attack) just seemed to be getting bigger and bigger.

I would probably say most of the Craftworlders become nebulous around the bigger craftworlds while the smaller ones vanish, which seems to be the trend we're currently seeing.