Hello Lordhat,
I have a few suggestions (both to show that I care and that I'm not afraid of 'Walls'o'Text' (TM Lordhat))
Imperials: The Imperial fleet is a lot more 'fleet-like' than most; I think it's worth saying that they work really well together (with a good variety of weapons), but when isolated, they struggle to cope individually as they also generally have less guns than other fleets. Also, they have one of the best ranges of battleships available. I suppose you could say a phalanx with Achilles leading it!
Chaos: Pretty good
. I would also mention that Chaos fleets (unlike the Imperium) work quite well when more isolated from each other; they are fast and have long range guns (compared with Imperial Navy) and so can redeploy or support beleaguered allies. Because of this, they seem to work well as 'warbands', too; a Chaos Lord and his squadron can work semi-independently of their Warmaster, following the Warmaster's goals or their own.... Chaos escorts generally fulfil roles that are hard to fill with Chaos cruisers.
Chaos Legions: I suggest that Chaos Legions are better than Space Marine fleets, especially as they are renegade superhuman soldiers who kept their massive fleets instead of giving them to the Imperial Navy!
Eldar: I'm surprised that no one mentioned the move-shoot-move versus move-move-shoot debate! In the official rules, Eldar are definitely advantaged because of their ability to avoid enemy firepower and lances (with holofields); however, they can be 'trapped against the sun' (that is, manoeuvred into a position that they are slow to move in), and can suffer terrain damage from a lack of shielding. I think that Sigoroth's Parthians may suggest that Eldar are more resilient then they are. Japanese horse archers are a good comparison too, with short ranged, powerful bows and speed (a history lesson!
).
Craftworld Eldar: These guys have some flexible weapons outlay options too, and are more resilient. And they get Yriel!
Orks: Pretty good, too. Orks are very fond of ramming! Also worth mentioning are some of their interesting upgrades, flying asteroids and Space Hulks!
Adeptus Mechanicus: They also suffer in one-off games with higher ship costs, so for ships that aren't generally more resilient than their Imperial Navy counterparts, they are quite a bit more expensive.
Dark Eldar: A good description. Don't forget the thematic description of (unfortunately for us) sadistic, slave-taking killers who use slaves to extend their lifetimes in the Webway.
Necrons: There have been some interesting suggestions on this forum about making Necrons less one-sided. Their lack of ordnance (at least until the most recent Codex) is a notable difference, as is the fact that if they move too fast they risk getting cut off and overwhelmed. Even more so than Eldar, I think Necrons are a fleet that benefits from out-manoeuvring the enemy. Sigoroth's description is quite apt, if you consider the chemical effects of free radicals (changing the chemistry of your body and your DNA is bad, and free radicals do that). Not sure about the containment field though, I think they have pretty free reign (except for their lack of Warp travel). From experience, Necrons hurt. Take lances against them.
Rogue Traders: I also feel the somewhat lacking interesting fleet options for battles. With allies, you can make good Expedition fleets though. I would suggest some house ruling about fleets is not a bad idea for Rogue Traders. Also, as a cautionary note, it is easy to misspell Rogue as Rouge. Could be quite funny if your vain and impressive Rogue Trader can't get past a customs outpost.
Space Marines: Well put. I would say too, though, they are designed for planetary assaults and they are good at them! They are like a skilfully wielded broadsword: crushing when they hit their target, but requiring the skill to get them there (contrary to popular belief, broadswords are not graceless hitting instruments, but are reasonably elegant battlefield weapons).
Tau: Firstly, I think that the Forgeworld status of the Protection fleet is not too bad a thing; Forgeworld is cheaper than standard Games Workshop (at least in Australia
), and resin isn't so bad to work with. Also, finding a store that stocks the ailing GW BFG range is a challenge. Secondly, the original Tau ships, whilst lacking aesthetic finesse, do show that in space it doesn't matter if your ships are pretty!
To me, the original Tau ships look like they could stand in as part of a Rogue trading fleet. I think that Sigoroth has described Tau well as well; they do have fearsome frontal firepower if manoeuvred into the correct positions, and their ordnance is flexible. You shouldn't be getting close enough for boarding, though! I always find it hard to board in normal games myself, but it depends on the opponent. I think someone who would play Tau would enjoy playing with a fleet that is piloted by a race only just able to compete with other powers; they require tricks and planning to get the edge over a war-hardened battlefleet of the Imperium (or to get some return points against a Slaanesh Chaos fleet; Tau don't have a good track record with Slaanesh).
Tyranids: A good start
. I think that Tyranids appeal to those who want to pilot a semi-realistic fleet of gribblies intent on eating other races! Their short range shouldn't matter if they are going to eat the enemy. Tyranids are a fleet that try to simulate the fact that a living ship (if it is even possible in open space, but that is another matter) would probably be quite slow and unmanoeuvrable. However, it also represents a supremely customisable fleet that gets cool stuff in campaigns, whilst being truly terrifying in a boarding action. I think they are best as a thematic campaign fleet, as even the opponent can do different things; self-destruction can be both effective and good for stories, if a little sad (but, an Imperial Admiral would say "Suck it up!" anyway).
Well, I hope that these comments are useful. If worst comes to worst, Imperials and Chaos are always a good match-up!
Thinking Stone