Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-79.134.161.49-20130225232452/@comment-6078851-20130327160408

this is a large part of the reason on why i mentioned in the primarchs thread about the imperium desparately needing allies. it's not just the imperium who needs allies, or at the very least a ceasefire, but all the major races of this galaxy because, as has been stated, no-one can stand alone against the tyranids.

as for the circumstances needed to initiate truces/allies/ceasefires - impending doom will be (should be) the biggest motivator, but i doubt most of the galaxy has enough knowledge on the tyranid race to realise that their doom is, as of now, impending. we (the audience) have far more information on the tyranid threat than any species of the galaxy.

in my opinion, when the tyranids have over-run half the galaxy will be when species start to realise that to stave off their impending doom they need to stop shooting at each other and start aiming exclusively at tyranids. however, by this time their doom will no longer be impending but inevitable.

as for leaders of these alliances or ceasefires - personally i would consider eldar farseers to be the greatest leaders in terms of combating the tyranids as a whole (imagine the tactical ability they would wield if they were the genuine military commanders of every military!), but i don't see any chance of anyone from the imperium allowing themselves to be directed by "filthy xeno allies".

if primarchs had returned i could envisage them taking direction (not for the greater good, but for simple survival) from eldar farseers and commanding their own troops without declaring where their orders came from, and if the emperor had returned to a physical form i can see him actually declaring, openly, alliance and co-operation. obviously if emps had returned he would command the imperium but i also think that the overall command of the 'anti-tyranid war' would be a joint council of emps with his remaining sons and eldrad with his farseer council.

i've not mentioned the tau because by the time tyranids have consumed half the galaxy the tau were also consumed, quite some time ago and (sorry shas'o) they were tasty, tasty, very very tasty. i've also not mentioned the necrons because i believe their hatred of the eldar would totally prevent them from working with them.

as for the orks, they would never honour a truce or ceasefire, let alone an actual alliance (except for a very few). and why would they? they would be participating in the fun-est war ever - the tyr-waaaagh-nid.

as always, these are only my opinions,interpretations and speculations so feel free to disagree/point out discrepences :)