Warhammer 40,000 Battle Report #33 – Necrons vs Tau Empire

The Tau are back in the spotlight, so today we dust them off and bring them to battle once more. The icy wastelands are being attacked by the forces of the Dagon Dynasty; can the Tau Empire claim the relic for the Greater Good?

The Armies

Vior’la Shi

Tau Empire – 2,000

Combined Arms Detachment

HQ

Battlesuit Commander: WARLORD (Hunter of the Skies); Drone Controller, 2x Marker Drones

TROOPS

Fire Warrior Team: five additional Fire Warrior Shas’la, Devilfish transport with Smart Missile     Systems and Disruption Pods

Fire Warrior Team: five additional Fire Warrior Shas’la, Devilfish transport with Smart Missile     Systems and Disruption Pods

Breacher Team: five additional Breacher Shas’la, Shas’ui, Guardian Drone, Devilfish transport     with Smart Missile Systems and Disruption Pods

ELITES

Ghostkeel: Fusion Cannon, Twin Fusion Guns

XV8 Crisis Team: two additional Crisis Shas’ui; 6x Plasma Rifle

Stealth Team: Fusion Gun

FAST ATTACK

Pirahnas: one additional Piranha; 2x Fusion Gun

Pathfinder Team: four additional Pathfinder Shas’la, Devilfish transport with Disruption Pods      and Sensor Spines

Drone Squadron: 5x Marker Drones

HEAVY SUPPORT

Hammerhead Squadron: two additional Hammerhead Gunships; Submunition Rounds, Blacksun Filters

Sky Ray Gunship: Blacksun Filter

Dagon Dynasty

Necrons – 2,000

-Decurion Detachment-

Reclamation Legion

Necron Overlord: WARLORD (Immortal Hubris); Warscythe, Veil of Darkness

Necron Immortals: five additional Immortals; Gauss Blasters

Necron Immortals: five additional Immortals; Gauss Blasters

Necron Warriors: three additional Necron Warriors

Necron Warriors: two additional Necron Warriors

Necron Warriors: two additional Necron Warriors

Tomb Blades: six additional Tomb Blades; Nebuloscopes, Shield Vanes

Judicator Battalion

Triarch Stalkers: one additional Stalker; Heat Rays

Triarch Praetorians: Rods of Covenant

Triarch Praetorians: Rods of Covenant

Deathbringer Flight

Doom Scythe

Doom Scythe

After Action Review

Man, what a bloodbath! When I set up the phalanx and looked across at the Tau forces arrayed against me, I expected to be in for a long fight. All that armor, protected by Jink and their cover bonuses, made me expect to chase a fleet of vehicles that simply would not die.

However, the Relic really does force a player’s hand. After the Necrons took First Blood, he simply could not let me walk away with the objective. Added to that was the fact that the Praetorians disabled part of his Infantry before they reached optimal position. The Doom Scythes’ strike against the Tau gunships seemed to be a final nail in the coffin, leaving their forces reeling with the Necrons in firm control of the table.

I think the Decurion Detachment makes a huge difference for the Necrons. I expected the big tipper to be the bonuses to Reanimation Protocols, but it was more about the additional special rules. Relentless allowed a charge or two that finished units that were reeling under the fire pressure, and Move Through Cover made a big difference in getting where I needed to be. Add this as my first game with Tomb Blades, and I quickly felt a power surge in my Necron forces.

I think the Tau would have benefited from a more concerted push against the objective early in the game. With that said, there were a lot of Necrons advancing on foot, and they didn’t have the firepower to destroy them all as the infantry left their transports. This would have left the Breachers and Strike teams dangerously exposed to more return fire, so it is difficult to say if this would have worked or not. Still, more aggression would have at least forced the Necrons to maneuver to deal with the threats, rather than marching directly on the objectives with all forces.

Have at it, armchair generals – what would you have done differently?