So, which is going to be in the lead and who will be dead last? To what degree do you think number will affect the game?

I say, in order: Orks, Space Marines, Chaos, Eldar

I think the pop will have a significant affect early on, but not a huge one as time goes on.

Space marine,Orks,Chaos,eldar in that order.

I am willing to bet money that the top faction will be Space Marines. I think it'll be:

Space Marines, Orks/Chaos, Eldar

SM, CSM, Orks, Eldar

Those Eldar are reallllly going to have to strike a deal/manipulate one of the other factions to get an edge...which would also sorta be lore appropriate if the faction council pulls it off.

Orks, Space Marine, Chaos, Eldar

Free to play will make the ork pop explode at launch and if the games good will probably stay ahead , Eldar will sadly be last unless unless we get all the Vanu players from PS2 ... what you were thinking it too

2 Amaseks for this gentleman. FTP orks are brilliant decision and I guess that there is alway will be lot's of them, acting in total correspondence with fluff. Eldars - yes - it will be lest of them, due to delicacy, and ( I hope) some complicated gimp-style gameplay.
Just hope tha SMs and CSMs will have equal quantity, but still iconic SMs will dominate, acting in PUG groups and steam-rolled by hardcore guilds playing dark-side.

P.S. But hey, Eldar are the only faction who will probably have boobs. This can dramatically increase population, even if they will be twinks.

I think Orks are pretty much going to be the largest faction, if not, Space Marines, whoever is not the largest from those two would come in second, after that, Chaos Space Marines and Eldar.

Wery likely to be so.

ork for the first months will be the most numerous: f2p and player who want to test and look the game will be the biggest %.

For those who didn't see it already, there's a poll on the forum about this exact topic. Basically it says right now 75% SM, 15% Eldar and 10% Orks. I don't hope it's going to be like this in the actual game, Space Marines totally outnumbering everyone. And Orks should have at least some good leaders for the randoms.
Poll:http://forum.eternalcrusade.com/threads/faction-poll.125/