Eldar is the only race I can really root for. Chaos, Orks, Tyranids, Necrons and Dark Eldar all represent the "bad guys" in my mind seeing as they are the races that fight for a cause other than simple survival. The Imperium has long since lost any shred of humanity they once sought to protect and persist simply through sheer weight in firepower. The Tau clearly guard some dark secret because NOBODY in the 40K universe can be as nice as they appear to be (my bet lies in Chaos influence at the highest ranks). This leaves the Eldar.
While any of the non "bad guy" races stares utter doom in the face from day to day, for the Eldar it is more or less a reality offset only through millenia of machinations. They never fight a war for any reason save prolonging their own species and the end they forsee is almost certainly worse than that in store for any of the rest. They fight a hopeless battle not for their mortal lives but for the very survival of their souls against chaos. Unlike the imperium, Eldar aren't given the privledge of simply being enslaved by the Dark Gods and face metaphysical extinction. In spite of a truly desperate struggle, their warrior still stand resolute, knowing that if they fall to any of their more hated enemies even their souls will be spent.
While any of the non "bad guy" races stares utter doom in the face from day to day, for the Eldar it is more or less a reality offset only through millenia of machinations. They never fight a war for any reason save prolonging their own species and the end they forsee is almost certainly worse than that in store for any of the rest. They fight a hopeless battle not for their mortal lives but for the very survival of their souls against chaos. Unlike the imperium, Eldar aren't given the privledge of simply being enslaved by the Dark Gods and face metaphysical extinction. In spite of a truly desperate struggle, their warrior still stand resolute, knowing that if they fall to any of their more hated enemies even their souls will be spent.