Dawn Of War II

**Reverend Joe** · 07-19-2008, 16:43

Is it just me, or does anyone else kinda hate the Eldar? They're like Space Aryans.

And the Tyranids, honestly, are a bit too excessive for my tastes... I mean, an unstoppable swarm of bugs with near-infinite numbers that automatically prevent any reinforcements from coming to stop them... why would you introduce something like that unless you were desperate for an apocalypse?

**Kekvit Irae** · 07-19-2008, 17:58

Originally Posted by Reverend Joe

And the Tyranids, honestly, are a bit too excessive for my tastes... I mean, an unstoppable swarm of bugs with near-infinite numbers that automatically prevent any reinforcements from coming to stop them... why would you introduce something like that unless you were desperate for an apocalypse?

It worked for StarCraft.

**Reverend Joe** · 07-19-2008, 19:20

Originally Posted by Kekvit Irae

It worked for StarCraft.

True... but you must remember that 1) it was possible to bring in reinforcements to infected planets; you weren't just stuck with what was there, and 2) the Swarm did "win" in the end. Not exactly a happy ending there.

**Spino** · 07-21-2008, 00:04

Originally Posted by Reverend Joe

Is it just me, or does anyone else kinda hate the Eldar? They're like Space Aryans.

And the Tyranids, honestly, are a bit too excessive for my tastes... I mean, an unstoppable swarm of bugs with near-infinite numbers that automatically prevent any reinforcements from coming to stop them... why would you introduce something like that unless you were desperate for an apocalypse?

I love the Eldar! But I also love just about every race in WH40K. Every singe race/faction in the WH40K universe has some unsavory, unsettling, extremely politically incorrect side to them... that's why it's so much fun!

Orkz - Genetically engineered asexual mushroom people who live for nothing except combat, murder & mayhem (think homicidal soccer hooligans in space).

Eldar - An ancient, aristocratic, race of uber-intellectuals who treat all other species as inferior and therefore 'disposable'.

Dark Eldar - Eldar with an alarming obsession with terrorism, sexual deviancy & sadistic pursuits.

Tau - Militant Marxists/Daoists who are intolerant of anything and anyone that does not contribute to 'the Greater Good' (i.e. the Tau way of doing things).

Imperium - Jingoistic, crusading humans drenched in xenophobia & religious fundamentalism... add a dash of fascism for flavor.

Chaos - Humans corrupted by the mysterious daemonic powers of the Warp who live to sow... err, chaos!

Tyranids - Hive mind race whose sole purpose is to consume all life & add it to the collective biomass

Necrons - Machine race whose sole purpose is to exterminate all life...

What's not to like?!?

**Reverend Joe** · 07-21-2008, 00:16

I think what bothered me, actually, was their presentation in DOW as more sympathetic than I would like. I mean, I don't know very much at all about Warhammer 40k, but the DOW Eldar just seemed to Tolkienesque and not as (dis)likable as the rest of the races.

**Decker** · 07-21-2008, 02:17

It's the Nids. I read somewhere in the world of WH40K that the nids would spread over worlds just like that....

**Kekvit Irae** · 07-21-2008, 02:39

Originally Posted by Reverend Joe

I think what bothered me, actually, was their presentation in DOW as more sympathetic than I would like. I mean, I don't know very much at all about Warhammer 40k, but the DOW Eldar just seemed to Tolkienesque and not as (dis)likable as the rest of the races.

That's because WH40k (1987) is just a futuristic upgrade to WH Fantasy (1983).
I'm not kidding. Eldar are High Elves. Dark Eldar are Dark Elves. Orks are virtually indistinguishable from their WHF cousins. The exact same Chaos Daemon army used in WHF can also be used in 40k with almost virtually no changes. Etc, etc, etc...

**Abokasee** · 07-21-2008, 07:09

Originally Posted by Kekvit Irae

That's because WH40k (1987) is just a futuristic upgrade to WH Fantasy (1983).
I'm not kidding. Eldar are High Elves. Dark Eldar are Dark Elves. Orks are virtually indistinguishable from their WHF cousins. The exact same Chaos Daemon army used in WHF can also be used in 40k with almost virtually no changes. Etc, etc, etc...

They have made some steps to take the Fantasy bit out of 40k, removing the squats, shoving in the Tyranids and Tau (I can't really see there fantasy equiviliants), Witch Hunters and Demon Hunters are just "inflated" fluff/backround details, of the Empire and there inquisitors

**Kekvit Irae** · 07-21-2008, 11:01

Originally Posted by Abokasee

They have made some steps to take the Fantasy bit out of 40k, removing the squats, shoving in the Tyranids and Tau (I can't really see there fantasy equiviliants), Witch Hunters and Demon Hunters are just "inflated" fluff/backround details, of the Empire and there inquisitors

When the system first came out, it was just a copy of WHF. Then Games Workshop found out that it was their biggest cash cow, and decided to milk it for all its worth, even if it meant moving away from its Fantasy roots. Making 40k more 40k and less Fantasy, 40k Epic, Necromunda, Battlefleet Gothic, etc...
But the Eldar, the race in question, are pretty much copy-and-pastes from High Elves.

**lars573** · 07-21-2008, 16:32

Yeah. Space elves FTW!

Originally Posted by Abokasee

They have made some steps to take the Fantasy bit out of 40k, removing the squats, shoving in the Tyranids and Tau (I can't really see there fantasy equiviliants), Witch Hunters and Demon Hunters are just "inflated" fluff/backround details, of the Empire and there inquisitors

Much like Starcrafts Zerg and Protoss they are an aping of the Bugs and Skinny's from Starship troopers. So they don't really have one.

**drone** · 07-21-2008, 17:30

I thought tyranids (well, at least the genestealers) were a rip from Aliens. SpaceHulk introduced the 'stealers, although there was a small mention of them in the monsters section of Rogue Trader. They were popular, I figured they just expanded the idea from there. The fluff on them is very Borg-like now.