Which Race Was The Most Technologically Advanced At Their Peak?

[Waxfadge]

So out of all the 40k races which one do you think was the most advanced at their peak and when did they peak?

Comparing the eldar pre-fall, the necrons just now with gauss guns that the imperium think are theoretically impossible and metals bodies that heal themselves. Humans in the dark age of technology where their inventions where so advanced they almost destroyed the entire race. Or perhaps humans peaked during the great crusade with the primarch project. Even the Tau at present have hover tanks and things that seems to be on par with the current eldar.

What does everyone think?

[Lothlanathorian]

Are we talking races with codices, or any and all races to exist in the 40K universe?

[Waxfadge]

Just codex races.

[Chrisb3]

Necrons could destroy the galaxy with their celestial orrery? It must be them. Luckily they would rather rule it and not send random stars flying around.

[Waxfadge]

Personally i always thought it was humans with the primarch project. The genetic engineering that was done is unlike anything any other race has done. They also could have destroyed the universe as well during the great crusade had they decided to destroy planets rather than claim them. Just my opinion though.

[Lothlanathorian]

They could not have destroyed the universe. Nothing in 40K takes place or has any effect on anything outside of the Milky Way. And, while the Primarch Project was impressive, the Necrons can snuff out any star in the galaxy without leaving their couch via the Celestial Orrery and the Eldar (currently used by the Dark Eldar) had a means of stealing entire stars away into pocket dimensions to use as a power source. Mankind isn't quite that impressive.

[Iron_Lord]

Humans during the Dark Age of Technology had some impressive stuff, including star killing weapons, later rediscovered by the Apostles of the Blind King (renegade techpriests) during the Occlusiad.

In Into The Maelstrom's short story Children of the Emperor we find that they also engineered humans to survive various unusual environments- in this case, a high gravity planet- they're now four-legged.

[Kakapo42]

At the moment I'd probably put my vote down for the Necrons, although as has been said the Tau already have some impressive stuff, and they still haven't reached their peak, so who knows what they might invent later on...

[Lothlanathorian]

Well, the Tau have yet to peak, so all they have is potential. If they were to get written out of 40K, then they'd have peaked where they are now. So, until they are in a decline (like every other race), the Tau are the one army that can't be argued over.

[lantzkev]

My own personal bet would be betwee necron and eldar

[Mikial]

Given how quickly the Tau have developed, and the fact that they haven't reached their peak yet, I'd say they will have the prize assuming they don't all get eaten by the Nids.

[Lothlanathorian]

Given how quickly the Tau have developed, and the fact that they haven't reached their peak yet, I'd say they will have the prize assuming they don't all get eaten by the Nids.

So, since they haven't hit their peak yet, you want to contribute to a thread about races with the highest technology peak with a post about how they haven't hit their peak? You, sir, should be a politician. You have managed to appear to be answering the question while doing nothing of the sort.

Also, since the Tau's current technological level would be, technically speaking, their peak, then they are the least technologically advanced race in 40K that has a codex.

[MyNameDidntFit]

Also, since the Tau's current technological level would be, technically speaking, their peak, then they are the least technologically advanced race in 40K that has a codex.

Tell that to the Tyranids who have no technology at all

[Lothlanathorian]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo /Vader

Not sure how I'd go about classifying them. They are the biological equivalent of the 'grey goo' scenario.

[Hendarion]

Personally i always thought it was humans with the primarch project. The genetic engineering that was done is unlike anything any other race has done. They also could have destroyed the universe as well during the great crusade had they decided to destroy planets rather than claim them. Just my opinion though.

The Primarch project was after the Dark Age of technology, so that surely wasn't the peak of technology you had been asking for in the first place. What you are talking about in that quote is more social advance than technological. But what is "socially advanced" depends on the society you live in. If you believe the Imperium it always had been xenophobyia. If you believe the old Eldar it had been selfishness and hedonism. If you believe the new Eldar it would be self-control. If you ask the Tau it will be communism or mind-control. If you'd ask the Orks will be strength. Each race and society has its own definition for that. And if you ask me, creating the Primarchs to conquer the galaxy was a megalomaniac intolerance and desire to rule the galaxy in despotism.

[burning crome]

well the answer is the old ones surely??? but i suppose that cheating since the've got no codex unless your counting codex orks (the brain boy devolving into grots). Necrons are the most advanced at present but the eldar did have so very impressive stuff at their high, so much so the necrons still avoid them.

[Lionsprey]

at their peak?
probably
Necrons
Old ones
Eldar
competing for the first to third place.

[Lord Damocles]

Personally i always thought it was humans with the primarch project. The genetic engineering that was done is unlike anything any other race has done.

The Old Ones say 'Hi'.

well the answer is the old ones surely???

The Necrontyr had 'superior technology' to the Old Ones (Codex: Necrons (3rd ed.), pg.24, 'War in Heaven'). Post biotransference, the Necrons had 'utter supremacy in the material universe' (Codex: Necrons (3rd ed.), pg.25, The Fall of the Necrontyr').

[eldargal]

Remember the OP specified code races. Otherwise yes, Old Ones.

Well prior to the new Necron book, what was laughingly referred to as the Necron background would have had them more advanced of the codex races. Now, with them actually hiding from Eldar retribution instead of being unassailably awesom and going to sleep 'cos they could, I would say they were probably roughly equal.

There is also the issue that we know much more about Necron technology at its peak than we do about the Eldar Empire at its peak, which makes an accurate comparison rather difficult.

[mdman1]

Of the codex races I'd say Necrons or Eldar. I'd favour the Necrons because the Eldar had 60 million years to hone their necron-killing tech yet didn't (though admittedly they lost most of their tech in the Fall).

DAoT humans should also get a honourable mention. They moved the Solar system to the other side of the galaxy, injected Titan with some sort of technobabble that gave it the same gravity as Earth and a DAoT AI warp jumped an entire planet.

Don't forget the Slaughtersong, a DAoT warship that one-shoted a Great Crusade era Word Bearers strike cruiser with its primary laser cannon.

If we assume "Slaughtersong" from Daemon World is an example of a Technology Age military vessel, then some titbits are availiable about them.

Centrally controlled Drone fighters with high level teleportation tech. If you've seen DoW, y'know how they reinforce via teleporting weapons? Thats how good.

Technologies presumably within the gamut of the Technology age Imperium, i.e. vastly more common than they are at the moment.

Vortex weaponry, missiles, space based torpedos, grenades, warp missiles. Micro-warp drives, jump inside your shield/hull type FTL missiles. Potentially this could mean warp capable fighters etc.

Take the modern Imperium, strip all the Adeptus mechanicus nonsense away, all the jury-rigged, half understood crap away.

High level AIs (who all went insane later BTW) advanced self repair systems on most major war machines.

All the exterminatus weapons the Imperium has, but with easier access, at the very least a doubling in the capabilities of the current Imperium, and throwing in a bunch of Artificial intelligences about to go insane.