No expansion without equilibrium. No conquest without control. Pursue success in serenity. And service to the tau'va. With pride. -- Shas'o T'au Shi'ur

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Warhammer 40,000 Introduction

The_Mastodon Blog

It is THE 41st millennium. For more
than a hundred centuries the Emperor has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth.
He is the master of mankind by the will of the gods, and master of a million worlds by the might of his
inexhaustible armies.
He is a rotting carcass writhing
invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of
the Imperium for whom a thousand souls are sacrificed every day, so that he may
never truly die.

YET EVEN IN his deathless state, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance.
Mighty battlefleets cross the daemon-infested miasma of the warp,
the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the Astronomican, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor's will. Vast armies give battle in his name on uncounted worlds.
Greatest amongst his soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, bio-engineered
super-warriors. Their comrades in arms are legion: the Imperial Guard and
countless planetary defence forces, the ever vigilant Inquisition and the
tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus
to name only a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough
to hold off the ever-present threat from aliens, heretics, mutants - and worse.

TO BE A man is such times, is to be
one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruellest and most bloody
regime imaginable. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has
been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and
understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace
amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and laughter of thirsting dark gods.

Idea for Tau Hero in multiplayer, Dawn of War II Retribution.

The_Mastodon Blog

Tau XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Commander,Hero choice (use the "Command" Crisis Battlesuit model from TLS)
(Could replace Lord General Commander for Imperial Guard): default weapon 1 plasma rifle, abilities: Jumpjet (35 energy).

Upgrades: weapons:

Command plasma rifle 120/25:
effective against infantry and heavy infantry, increases the commander's range damage, grants
ability “Shas'ar'tol Command” which grants ranged damage boost to nearby allies(including the commander) (50 energy cost, lasts 15 seconds) (tech 1).

Burst Cannon 150/35: effective against
infantry and heavy infantry, grants ability "Over-drive" increases
rate of fire and suppresses infantry for time of duration (45 energy cost,
lasts 15 seconds) (tech 2).

Airbursting Fragmentation Projector (AFP for
short, grenade launcher) 140/30: very effective against infantry, grants
ability “Bombardment” Fires 3 shells on an area of choice at once(kind of like Heretic grenade launcher barrage) (40 energy cost) (tech2).

Fusion Cannon 150/50: effective against heavy
infantry and vehicles (has a 10% chance to snare enemy vehicles, can be fired on the move) (Fusion guns are Tau equivalent to Imperial Melta guns)(tech 2).

Upgrades: Armor:

'Energy shield' 150/25: increases
health and energy and gives the commander a shield on his shield
hardpoint(Read: left arm) grants shield ability which creates a shield around
the commander draining energy instead of health (basically like in TLS but can take more damage before disabling - like the Force Commander's Iron Halo) (tech 1).

'Iridium plated Shield' 175/35: greatly
increases health and health regeneration, grants the heavy jump ability
which stuns and damages enemies on impact (tech 2).

'Twin-linked' 200/40: increases health and energy,
makes a duplicate to his shield hardpoint of whichever weapon the commander has
equipped (tech 3).

Upgrades: Inventory:

Shield Drone 100/20:
Adds a shield drone to the commander's bodyguard, grants shield ability which generates a large shield decreasing incoming ranged
damage for a short period of time (50 energy cost, lasts 40 seconds) (Works like the Lord General - Commissar upgrade - Refractor field but grants a larger field of shielding) (tech 2).

Marker drone 130/25:
Adds a Marker drone to the Commander's bodyguard, grants ability - Mark
target which increases damage taken on an enemy unit (45 energy cost, lasts 35
seconds.) (Should work exactly like the Tech Marine's "Mark Target" ability) (tech 2).
(Drones which are attached to the Commander's bodyguard will follow him into the air when he makes a jump and over obstacles)

Heavy Gun Drone Squadron (Could replace Catachan Devils squad)(tech 1) 400/35: 4 Models of Tau Heavy gun drones makes up for the squadron having a formation with some room between each model. (possibly use some Eldar squad formation like the Warpspider's). Abilities: "Overdrive" increases rate of fire and suppresses infantry for time of duration (55 energy cost).

Upgrades: 'Advanced Anti-Grav engines' 90/20. Increases health and grants the "boost" ability which increases speed of squadron for a short time (does the same as the Force Commander's sprint ability, Use the 'sprint' thumbnail for ability icon)(tech 1).

'Add Heavy Marker drone' 100/30: Adds a Marker Drone to the squadron, (if possibly to attach one burst cannon to the Marker drone model as seen here Forgeworld.co.uk ) grants abilities: "Mark target" increases damage taken on enemy unit (like Tech Marine Mark target ability but not quite as powerful) (tech 2).


XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Team (Could replace Ogryn squad)(tech 2) 500/70: 3 Models of Tau XV8 Crisis Battlesuits (default battlesuit model from TLS).
Default weapons: 3 plasma rifles (one of each model) (plasma gun type weapon) effective against infantry and heavy infantry.

Abilities: Jumpjet (35 energy cost, 10 seconds recharge time)(same effect as Assault Marine squad)

Upgrades: Flamer 80/20: Adds 1 flamer to the Crisis team (removes any other weapon upgrade, like Tactical squad weapon upgrades), effective against infantry in cover and buildings.

Burst cannon 90/30: Adds 1 burst cannon to the Crisis Team (removes any other weapon upgrade), effective against infantry grants ability "Over-drive" increases rate of fire and suppresses infantry for time of duration (no energy cost, 60 seconds recharge time, lasts 20 seconds).

Fusion cannon and Missile pod 120/40: Adds 1 Fusion gun to the Crisis team (the fusion gun have a 10% chance to snare enemy vehicles) and 1 missile pod(the missile pod is inactive, usable with ability) (removes any other weapon upgrade), grants ability "Anti Armor missiles"(also adds the missile pod model to each Crisis Battlesuit in the team) (55 energy cost) Target enemy vehicle to fire a missile barrage (like in TLS) (damage stats should be determent via in-game play tests) (suggested damage stats 2x the damage of 1 Tactical Missile Launcher missile)

"Ta'ro'cha" (Three minds one purpose) 150/35 (tech 3): Increases the Crisis team's health and increases plasma rifles armor piercing, grants the "Three minds one Purpose" ability (charged by taking damage). While active the Squad takes less damage, does more damage and in the chance one of the team members falls the remaining team members will fight harder improving the bonuses granted by the ability (active 25 seconds).

Both the Crisis Battlesuit Commander and the Crisis Battlesuit Team counts as 'heavy infantry', they are unshakable but anti armor weapons have an increased accuracy against them (like terminators), however Crisis Battlesuits do not break cover.

XV89 Crisis Battlesuit team (tech 3) Forgeworld.co.uk (Use the "Armored" XV8 Crisis Battlesuit model from TLS) 500/110 (3 Team members, 1 with a Fusion Cannon and 2 with a Plasma rifle)
Abilities:
'Jumpjet': (35 energy cost, 10 seconds cooldown time).
'Blacksun Filter': increases ranged accuracy for all team members for 25 seconds (30 energy cost, 45 seconds cooldown).
Upgrades:
Anti Armor Missile pods: Equip each team member with a Missile pod, grants ability: 'Fire anti armor missile" fires a volley of anti armor missiles at a targeted enemy vehicle (55 energy cost, 60 seconds cooldown).
Path of Kauyon: Permanently increases the team's ranged damage, replaces one plasma rifle with a burst cannon and grants the 'Overdrive' ability which temporarily increases the team's rate of fire and makes the squad suppress enemy infantry for time of duration. (55 energy cost, active 20 seconds, 60 seconds cooldown).

The values of GDI

The_Mastodon Blog

Welcome to the Global Defence Initiative Commander.
Since 1995 the Brotherhood of Nod has increased their influence on the world, with corruption, media manipulations and terrorism. They seek to spread and advance the dangers of Tiberium, and by doing so also dooming the world.
The GDI is the only force standing in their way, employing large formations of battle tanks and infantry to defend and secure the globe. Over the decades the war for Tiberium dominance has advanced both factions, The Brotherhood has come to rely on hit-and-run tactics and stealth, deploying their sophisticated Stealth Generators to literally make their units vanish. (On the contrary is no match for GDI's advanced sensor arrays!)
GDI instead relies on massive force and super-heavy vehicles to destroy the enemy.
Don't just choose GDI for our military dominance but for our way of life, fighting to preserve freedom for the people and our world!


The Global Defence Initiative fights to preserve the free world. We fight to rid our world of Tiberium a dangerous and hostile alien substance that threatens our very existence. Think of tomorrow Commander think of the world in ruin, imagine no children running around and playing, streets empty and houses abandoned, imagine a world in chaos and disarray. This is what's going to happen if Kane and his fanatically brotherhood succeeds, together we might just stand in their way to prevent this chaos from becoming complete.

The Global Defence Initiative

In the 41st Millinium There is Only Quotes.

The_Mastodon Blog 2 comments

Warhammer 40.000 Quotes:

"A mind without purpose will wander in dark places"
"Blessed is the mind too small for doubt"
"Knowledge is power, guard it well"
"The truely wise is always afraid"
"A man who has nothing can still have faith"
"Victory needs no explanation, defeat allows none"
"Only in death does duty end"
"A moment of laxity spawns a lifetime of heresy"
"Thought begets heresy; heresy begets Retribution"
"The Loyal slave learns to love the lash"
"Only he is all"
"Fear not the witch to live"
"For those who seek perfection there can be no rest on this side of the grave"
"A wise man does not fear, a man afraid does not think"
"Heresy grows from idleness"
"Serve the Emperor today; tomorrow you may be dead"
"It is better to die for the Emperor than live for yourself"
"Cowards die in shame"
"Only the akward question; the foolish ask twice"
"Wisdom is the beginning of fear"
"That was then, this is now"
"His will be done"
"Know the Mutant; kill the mutant"
"Fear denies faith"
"Purity of purpose"
"The diffrences between heresy and treachery is ignorance"
"Carry the Emperors will as your torch, with it destroy the shadows"
"A suspicious mind is a healthy mind"
"Life is the Emperor's currency, spend it well"
"A small mind is a tidy mind"
"Truth begets hatred"
"Thou shalt not"
"If a job is worth doing it's worth dying for"
"Nobody is innocent, there is merely varying levels of guilt"
"Fear is not my faith is strong"
"Purge the wicked"
"To admit defeat is to blaspheme against the Emperor"
"Even a man who has nothing can still offer his life"
"Tolerance is sign of weakness"
"Brave are they who know everything yet fear nothing"
"Death be thy compass"
"Cease and repent"
"Examine your thoughts"
"Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair is a illusion of the mind"
"Ruthlessness is the kindness of the wise"

Emperor be with you this day.

VR Defender V3K

The_Mastodon Blog

This is the best Tower Defence Game there is. I just recently figured out how to complete it Newgrounds.com if this is your first time playing, I recommend you read the instructions and start on the easy level.
My personal hints: Flamethrowers are very powerful
Un-upgraded turrets are very weak remember to upgrade your turrets,
There is 50 levels. The 51st level The Super Virus will send all it's toughest Viruses against you, and then itself
You have to freeze the Boss Virus with the Ice Turrets to lock it in place so you can shoot it, it has very high health so you must use the Ice Towers to defeat it.
Note: I got an level 5 Light Tower. :p
Good luck and may you have as much fun as I did, this is truely the only TD game I like.

Tau Introduction

The_Mastodon Blog

Young and ambitious, united in their purpose, the Tau seek to bring enlightenment and unity to those who will join them. While the Imperium crumbles and is beset on all sides, the Tau Empire grows stronger and stronger. In the Eastern Fringe, far from the power of Terra, world after world has fallen to their dynamic advances. Yet there are those who fail to see the benefits of becomming part of the Tau Empire. Any resistance is swept aside, whether it is philosophical or physical, for the Greater Good can overcome any obstacle.

At the forefront of this rapid expansion are the warriors of the Fire Caste. Unfettered by Mankind's superstition and fear of technology, the Fire Warriors go to battle carrying weapons of immense power, encased in battlesuits that can withstand the fiercest attacks. Stealth and Pathfinder teams scout out the foe for the hunter cadres to engage, using swift movement and immense firepower to destroy their foes from afar.

At the Heart of the Empire are the Ethereals, spiritual rulers of the Tau. Though rarely seen their presence is felt on every Tau world. Many other races are part of the Tau Empire, such as the Kroot - mercenaries whose speed and strength make them natural fighters. other aliens, some coerced or conquered, lend their own abilities to the Tau united in their cause to bring the Greater Good to other worlds and peoples.

The Tau

The_Mastodon Blog

The Tau are a relatively new race in the galaxy. The Tau empire is based on 'The Greater Good' their blueprint for a better existence. led by the mysterious Ethereals, the Tau expand their empire in all directions. Unfortunately, all the other races of the galaxy do not want to join the Tau empire, and conflict is inevitable.

Although they prefer diplomacy, the Tau at war are a force to be reckoned with; squads of disciplined Fire Warriors hold the line while their feral allies, the Kroot mercenaries, charge the enemy. When the frontal assault fails, the Tau have their superior firepower and the highly advanced Crisis battlesuits to fall back on.