[FioVre Mark]

After asking the few fluff questions I have on Tau Online, I noticed people seem to make a lot of references to game stats and the like when answering them. When I tried to make head or tail of specific little bits of fluff (e.g. just how resilient battlesuit armour is to SM power armour) in the past by comparing the game stats, I have been constantly reminded that fluff is completely separate from game stats/rules and thus I shouldn't compare them for such a purpose.

So which is right? Can you compare different game stats/rules to answer a fluff-based question? Or do we have to stick to the well-known concept that fluff should never be answered accurately by using game stats?

[thedog90]

Game stats are (mostly) made to even out the game-play. While GW may make up fluff, they will usually deviate from it if they have to in order to keep the game fair.

To answer your question, I'd accept an answer that is proved by game stats unless there's fluff that says otherwise. Basically, only use the stats if you can't find your answer anywhere else.

[Das Boogie Man]

I would say, the rules actually bear little relation to the fluff, they are simply a mechanic to represent what is actually happening in a balanced way. You can even see it for yourself.

the classic example, a Heavy Bolter and a Burst Cannon
Heavy/Assault 3 doesn't literally mean that they fire 3 shots and are the same. The burst cannon is a multibarrelled monstrosity with a rate of fire of 1000+ rpm while the Heavy Bolter (from many sources) has a rate of fire similar to an M2 .50cal machine gun (they even sound similar)

Or the often quoted Space Marine stats vs Fluff
In the fluff, SM are quoted to be the ultimate badass, Fearless, Painless, Bulked up Marksman super hero who are capable of shredding Necron warriors with their bolters (no mention of WBB)or ripping Eldar Avatars limb from limb. Thankfully, their stats are much more tame in comparison but the point stands.

Granted, the fluff is considered to be extremely exaggerated at times but one should not use the rules as a direct comparison.

[FioVre Mark]

Aye, and thats what I've believed since the beginning, it's just like thedog above said about unless there is a specific mention in one of the novels, theres no official fluff regarding lil things like camparison of different armours or strengths of different weapons or what weapon could damage what vehicles from the right angle, etc.

It's just random lil bits of fluff like that that I like to know out of curiousity, and because I'm the fluff freak that I am.