What’s wrong with the Eldar?

[MachineGod]

Why can’t the imperium and Eldar get along? It seems like they both want the same thing (destroy chaos)

[TheAceOfSpodes]

They do indeed want the same thing, but it kind of goes back to the Age of Strife, and the birth of the Imperium, as to why they fight.

Basically, the Age of Strife was awful. Mankind's golden age empire collapsed, almost every planet was left to its own resources to survive. All interstellar government collapsed. During this time, mutants ran rampant, and xenos races plundered human worlds. It left a rather traumatic scar on the psyche of mankind, and going forward, they became deeply xenophobic. The default policy of mankind became "destroy any xenos that could represent a threat to mankind".

And then the Eldar dislike mankind because they view mankind as savages with no control over their emotions, and kind of blame them for the rise of Chaos. So to the Eldar, they're always the right ones, doing the right thing. If that means destroying a human ship, its the right thing. Its either their way, or the highway. And by highway I mean they'll kill everyone.

So when the guys who hate xenos encounter the guys who think they're the only correct ones in the galaxy, its kind of an unstoppable force vs immovable object situation. Conflict almost inevitably occurs.

Despite that, there are numerous occasions where the Eldar and Imperium cooperated. For example, a Harlequin and Yvraine were essential to the success of the Celestinian Crusade. And then saved Guilliman from being captured and imprisoned by Huron Blackheart.

[Balm]

Eldar are beacons for Chaos in realspace, and are only really safe in the webway. If an Eldar is on your world it means Slanesh will probably try to mess with it to get at them. So, the Eldar need to go for humans to be safe.

They do collaborate to give chaos the D on occasion, but never works out in the end.

[jonoliveira12]

Eldar are too racist to work together with anyone, for prolonged periods.
No, this is not a joke.

[jonoliveira12]

Originally posted by Balm:

Eldar are beacons for Chaos in realspace, and are only really safe in the webway. If an Eldar is on your world it means Slanesh will probably try to mess with it to get at them. So, the Eldar need to go for humans to be safe.

They do collaborate to give chaos the D on occasion, but never works out in the end.

Not true, as Exodites live on actual worlds, sometimes with huge human populations on them, and manage to stay hidden (mostly in forests and other hard to access places), often for millennia.
The trick is binding their soul with the worldsoul, so they become very hard to track.

The issue with the Eldar, is they almost always do the racism, and piss off whatever other species listened to them in the first place. They literally value one of their lives, than trillions of yours.
Sure, they have a valid excuse for this, but would you take that trade?

[Martialis]

Originally posted by jonoliveira12:

Eldar are too racist to work together with anyone, for prolonged periods.
No, this is not a joke.

Well, so are most humans in the 40K universe.

It seems like in most of these games the reason for conflict with the Eldar is that other humans destroyed their craft world a while ago which was their shining paradise home and now they are all about taking revenge on any other humans they meet.

Dark Eldar are just mean agents of chaos who are full of hatred and a desire to inflict pain, so there is nothing more to it than that.

[REhorror]

The Eldar, the smart ones, do get along with the Imperium

It is not an official alliance because it is a burden for both races (mostly for Imperials).

[~ Fabulous ~]

The Tallarn Dessert Raider have secret alliance with Biel-Tan craftworld eldar

[Capt. Slappy]

because the eldar are xenos scum, enough said.

[BÆRD]

Originally posted by TheAceOfSpodes:

And then the Eldar dislike mankind because they view mankind as savages with no control over their emotions, and kind of blame them for the rise of Chaos.

I'n no W40k history buff...but that's rich coming from "Space Elves". Didn't their decadence literally give birth to a Chaos god Slaanesh?

[Toaster Maximus]

Originally posted by BÆRD:

Originally posted by TheAceOfSpodes:

And then the Eldar dislike mankind because they view mankind as savages with no control over their emotions, and kind of blame them for the rise of Chaos.

I'n no W40k history buff...but that's rich coming from "Space Elves". Didn't their decadence literally give birth to a Chaos god Slaanesh?

Yes back when they did whatever they wanted, so are more space monks now. But most humans and such don't know that humans did run into some nasty xenos right off that colored their views of them hence why every alien is just called xeno unless theyyknow better due to their work, the normal guardsman does not really care that each xeno is different just not like them so kill and make the place pure again. remember a small mind is a blessing has one of the thoughts of the day go

Edit: Blessed is the mind to small for doubt, but are other thoughts like that one needless to say humans are not encourage to think just do

[Washboard]

Sounds like its time to purge a xeno-loving heretic.

[Coldhands]

Originally posted by BÆRD:

Originally posted by TheAceOfSpodes:

And then the Eldar dislike mankind because they view mankind as savages with no control over their emotions, and kind of blame them for the rise of Chaos.

I'n no W40k history buff...but that's rich coming from "Space Elves". Didn't their decadence literally give birth to a Chaos god Slaanesh?

Yes. Half the reason the craft world Eldar dislike non-Eldar so much is that they’re ashamed their race, the most advanced and enlightened people in the galaxy for millions of years, dropped the ball so hard on the whole Slaanesh thing. Their massive pride and ego, ingrained after so long on top, makes them super defensive and touchy about it.

[Sliscus]

Same reason that the Imperium won't work with that T'au despite that the T'au are a tiny empire that the Imperium could easily ignore if there was a non-aggression pact in place.

they see the other as a savage child race that's playing with powers far beyond what they could ever hope to master.

[Sliscus]

Rational Imperial: "You know, we expend a lot of resources fighting craftworld Alderi. perhaps we should try diplomacy to minimise wasted resources on both sides and then use those resources to fight enemies like Chaos, the Greenskins, and the Tyranids. As none of our goals align. So by cooperating with this one Xenos faction, we can better fight other enemies of humanity!"

Slalamander Space Marine: " That's a lot of words to say 'please turn my planet into a burning world' but you do you, traitor."

[jonoliveira12]

Originally posted by Sliscus:

Rational Imperial: "You know, we expend a lot of resources fighting craftworld Alderi. perhaps we should try diplomacy to minimise wasted resources on both sides and then use those resources to fight enemies like Chaos, the Greenskins, and the Tyranids. As none of our goals align. So by cooperating with this one Xenos faction, we can better fight other enemies of humanity!"

Slalamander Space Marine: " That's a lot of words to say 'please turn my planet into a burning world' but you do you, traitor."

More like "foolish imperial".
Treaties with the Eldar usually break, and it is usually teh Eldar breaking them.

I love the Eldar, they are my main army, but they really are space racist elves, with delusions of supremacy.