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So I have now played 11 games all at the 1500 point value against Tau. Now I like to think of myself as a very good player but i just cannot seem to crack the new Tau and beat them before their vast amount of weapons leave nothing but a trail of melted Warriors, dead Immortals.... and vapourized everything..... So i guess my question is How can i beat the new Tau with my Necrons. I have fought against most of the Tau's forces now and i can say the only thing i can think of is killing off their troops and forcing them to table me to win. (which usually happens) Although not all my games have gone badly most end by turn 4. Games that went well for me (even though i still lost) were those on tables with a ton of terran blocking line of sight and just over all bad luck on my friends rolls. I have also had a few games where first turn i have popped every vehicle with just volume of 36" shooting from Crypteks, Stalkers, and other things just to deny them mobility. My closest game was when i used 2 Wraith groups and just managed to get into combat because the terran let me get close but even still there superior range gets me every time. What are the people of Dakka Dakka's thoughts... can Tau be beaten by Necrons??? (of course they can its just a matter of when lol)

It would help to know more about what each army is fielding, that way we could give more practical advice.

As both a Tau and Necron player, I can tell you there are 2 units that Tau has any fear of at all. Wraiths (with a DLord) and a shooty squad (such as Immortals or Storm Crypteks) with Vargaurd attached. The shooty squad negates the range advantage, but there is a lot of risk/reward with them. Wraiths assault and assualt well. Tau fear anything that is mildly fast and can do that.

Well i would tell you more about how each of us Set up but it is always different and we change up our lists a lot every time we play a game. (playing the same style of list over and over is kinda boring) He is a big fan of Outflanking Kroot though and that gives me a ton of issues, as well as a Riptide or 2 occasionally. (maybe used in 6/11 games) Another thing he likes to bring is that Fireblade guy who gives extra shots to his troops when rapid firing or w/e it is it does. I have found bringing 36" shooting is helping me a lot more just because i can hit him a little sooner with that then the vast amount of 24" stuff. Over all though we are both very good at changing our lists to the point where its difficult to expect what the other is going to field and how to counter it.

Flyers?

 Gangrel767 wrote:
Flyers?

Tau is not the army to bring fliers in against.

Playing against necrons the lists that give me the most trouble are wraiths with destroyer loards backed up by annihilation barges and doomsday arks. The wraiths are extremely hard to kill but need to be focused on at #1 priority. This leaves the tanks in the back field to shoot away and do a ton of damage. Because of the change to broadside railguns we need to get close to melta high armor vehicles and we can't do that when their are wraiths that will eat us alive. If you ever get your wraiths to the tau side of the table tau is done for.

I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but I think a Monolith might actually do quite well against Tau.

Army lists would be nice to see. In fact, a Monolith can be hard to pop by a Tau army.

Plus, its ability to Deepstrike (I know, I know...) and then unleash its Str8 AP3 pie plate could cause some big problems for the Tau's suits. And the Roomba Door would also be a problem for FWs.

Well if you have the models, you can always just run what is probably the most effecient 1500pt build in the game (for any army imo):
2 D Lords.
15 Wraiths
3 A Barges
2-3 x 5 Warriors in Nightscythes

You have to get through the storm of S5, but the Wraiths should eat his army if you can get even 1 squad across to him. The Barges shouldn't die particularly fast and can spend the entire game just chipping away at things. Scythes/Warriors give you a bit more firepower, but are mostly there to keep scoring alive until turn 5.

Pretty much what everyone here said is true. The Monolith can be a big problem for Tau as well as the Doomsday. If you have a both of these and a DLord with Wraiths, they can really give the Tau a hard time.

Just stay away from the flyers, Tau will destroy them before they get to shoot.

Powerguy wrote:
Well if you have the models, you can always just run what is probably the most effecient 1500pt build in the game (for any army imo):
2 D Lords.
15 Wraiths
3 A Barges
2-3 x 5 Warriors in Nightscythes

You have to get through the storm of S5, but the Wraiths should eat his army if you can get even 1 squad across to him. The Barges shouldn't die particularly fast and can spend the entire game just chipping away at things. Scythes/Warriors give you a bit more firepower, but are mostly there to keep scoring alive until turn 5.

this list would be nasty

my friend brought this but instead of dlors he has command barges.

I was using my super cheese farsight shadow sun bomb, 3 units of 10 kroot, and 2 riptides. He almost won!!!! I am sure against a standard tau army, this list would roll them hard core.

 Sushi636 wrote:
Pretty much what everyone here said is true. The Monolith can be a big problem for Tau as well as the Doomsday. If you have a both of these and a DLord with Wraiths, they can really give the Tau a hard time.

Just stay away from the flyers, Tau will destroy them before they get to shoot.

I would say that really depends. Skyfire&interceptor add up really quick, when placed on multiple units.

EDIT: In fact, Broadsides can't even take both Skyfire&interceptor on the same Model, as they can only take one support system, per model.

Theorius wrote:

my friend brought this but instead of dlors he has command barges.

I was using my super cheese farsight shadow sun bomb, 3 units of 10 kroot, and 2 riptides. He almost won!!!! I am sure against a standard tau army, this list would roll them hard core.

He probably would have won if he took the D.Lords instead of the Surflords. The D.Lords are a massive combat multiplier for the Wraiths.

 azazel the cat wrote:

Theorius wrote:

my friend brought this but instead of dlors he has command barges.

I was using my super cheese farsight shadow sun bomb, 3 units of 10 kroot, and 2 riptides. He almost won!!!! I am sure against a standard tau army, this list would roll them hard core.

He probably would have won if he took the D.Lords instead of the Surflords. The D.Lords are a massive combat multiplier for the Wraiths.

maybe but the wraiths didnt live to assault, doubt the dlords gonna make them live any longer.

Theorius wrote:

 azazel the cat wrote:

Theorius wrote:

my friend brought this but instead of dlors he has command barges.

I was using my super cheese farsight shadow sun bomb, 3 units of 10 kroot, and 2 riptides. He almost won!!!! I am sure against a standard tau army, this list would roll them hard core.

He probably would have won if he took the D.Lords instead of the Surflords. The D.Lords are a massive combat multiplier for the Wraiths.

maybe but the wraiths didnt live to assault, doubt the dlords gonna make them live any longer.

Yeah, a 2+ save to absorb volume of fire, while using LOS! to pass AP 1-2 Wounds can make Wraiths live A LOT longer.

Theorius wrote:

 azazel the cat wrote:

Theorius wrote:

my friend brought this but instead of dlors he has command barges.

I was using my super cheese farsight shadow sun bomb, 3 units of 10 kroot, and 2 riptides. He almost won!!!! I am sure against a standard tau army, this list would roll them hard core.

He probably would have won if he took the D.Lords instead of the Surflords. The D.Lords are a massive combat multiplier for the Wraiths.

maybe but the wraiths didnt live to assault, doubt the dlords gonna make them live any longer.

Aside from the whole 2+ save on the D Lord to tank all that S5 shooting ...

I expect Wraithwing to eat a Firesight bomb, if you Deep Strike within range to take out Barges or Wraiths then he will be into assault straight away (you aren't going to kill the Wraiths that fast) and if you deploy normally he can chip away at Drones with the Barges and just zerg the Wraiths straight at you.

Powerguy wrote:

Theorius wrote:

 azazel the cat wrote:

Theorius wrote:

my friend brought this but instead of dlors he has command barges.

I was using my super cheese farsight shadow sun bomb, 3 units of 10 kroot, and 2 riptides. He almost won!!!! I am sure against a standard tau army, this list would roll them hard core.

He probably would have won if he took the D.Lords instead of the Surflords. The D.Lords are a massive combat multiplier for the Wraiths.

maybe but the wraiths didnt live to assault, doubt the dlords gonna make them live any longer.

Aside from the whole 2+ save on the D Lord to tank all that S5 shooting ...

I expect Wraithwing to eat a Firesight bomb, if you Deep Strike within range to take out Barges or Wraiths then he will be into assault straight away (you aren't going to kill the Wraiths that fast) and if you deploy normally he can chip away at Drones with the Barges and just zerg the Wraiths straight at you.

2+ save? or 2++ save? a 2+ save means nothig to plasma and fusion. NEVER DEEPSTRIKE THE BOMB!! (well i saw one case where deepstrike was worth it, but generally never)

Hows does Obyron help against Tau? The FAQ states that attacks that happen on of after Obyron's initiative do not generate bonus attacks.

Tau hate speed and melee.

Scarab farms are a great way to shut the guns down. Use one to take the hits from overwatch and then wipe them with Wraiths etc... while you revivify the scarabs (with the Spyders). Against Fire Warriors who have Photon grenades and support fire, there's no point in not doing a Disorganized charge against them.

To make sure the enemy cannot escape you, you need another unit that can be there when the hit comes. Flayed Ones are able to infiltrate OR deep strike in. Good brackets to keep the Tau where you want them.

Obviously deployment is going to matter, but you might try it out...

Here's kind of an example of what I might try. Again this is in a void of not knowing what you own or he owns so...

Nemesor Zhandrek
15 Flayed Ones
15 Flayes Ones
8 Warriors in a Night Scythe
4 units of 5 Warriors
5 Harbinger of Destruction
2 units of 8 Canoptek Scarabs
5 Wraiths
2 units 3 Canoptek Spyders (1 x Gloom Prism and 1 TL Particle Beamer per unit)

Zhandrek can nerf the Tau wargear that grants them a special rule. At the same time he grants the Scarabs one, to seriously hand out a beatdown by making them Furious charge or just Hit and run for when something big and scary decided its wants a piece. He can also make the infiltrating Flayed Ones really mean.

6 Monstrous creatures is a load for any back end unit to come fight.

Just an idea.

Anyone wants to see my competitive Wraithwing Tesla-spam necrons take on a competitive triple-Riptide Tau army in a battle report?

 jy2 wrote:
Anyone wants to see my competitive Wraithwing Tesla-spam necrons take on a competitive triple-Riptide Tau army in a battle report?

I am so looking forward to this

 jy2 wrote:
Anyone wants to see my competitive Wraithwing Tesla-spam necrons take on a competitive triple-Riptide Tau army in a battle report?

Sure, we're always up for a jy2 run Necron batrep.

Ok, some tactics against Tau.



You really need speed and mobility if you are going to take on the Tau. Whatever it takes to minimize the amount of shooting he can take against you. In this regards, I think wraiths with a D-lord are a wonderful unit against the Tau. Highly resilient, especially with a Lord in there, and really fast, you can really stick it to them by Turn 2. Just make sure to take advantage of LOS-blocking terrain if you can. I highly recommend you run at least 1 unit of max wraiths. Anything less and they won't survive. They will, however, soak up a lot of firepower, which is a good thing. This allows the rest of your army some time to shoot down his units.

Some tips:

1. The sweet spot for Tau shooting is 15", because if you get inside their rapid-fire range, they are firing 3 shots instead of 2 due to their Ethereal. You really want to minimize the amount of time you spend inside this sweet spot as that is where all the major "killing" will happen.

2. For Immortals, it's better to go with Teslas instead of Gauss against the Tau. That is because you can fire and hit more from outside of their "sweet" spot.

3. Do not think your wraiths will survive a "direct" confrontation against the Tau. They will get shot to bits. Instead, they need support. Go after the flanks and take advantage of any LOS-blocking terrain whenever possible. If necessary, hold them back a turn in order to wait for your shooty units to get within shooting range and then go all out. It is not a prerequisite that wraiths must always play as aggressive as possible. Play smart and back them up with your shooting.

4. Tau now have problems against AV13 so don't be able afraid to use them. Ghost arks and annihilation barges can be effective. Whittle them down with shooting.

5. PLAY THE MISSION! Don't get caught up in trying to kill the Tau. Exploit their main weakness, which is getting to the objectives. Make sure to place your objectives either out of LOS or out of range of the majority of his shooting. Then throw your "distractions" at him - wraiths, scarabs, barges, whatever. The goal is to have him focus in on your "toys" while you get into position to take the objectives, a strategy I like to call Positional Dominance.

This thread makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

 jy2 wrote:
Anyone wants to see my competitive Wraithwing Tesla-spam necrons take on a competitive triple-Riptide Tau army in a battle report?

YES YES YES!!!!

 jy2 wrote:
Anyone wants to see my competitive Wraithwing Tesla-spam necrons take on a competitive triple-Riptide Tau army in a battle report?

yes i do!!!!

 jy2 wrote:

5. PLAY THE MISSION! Don't get caught up in trying to kill the Tau. Exploit their main weakness, which is getting to the objectives. Make sure to place your objectives either out of LOS or out of range of the majority of his shooting. Then throw your "distractions" at him - wraiths, scarabs, barges, whatever. The goal is to have him focus in on your "toys" while you get into position to take the objectives, a strategy I like to call Positional Dominance.

Quoted for truth

Ok, the battle is set for tomorrow. Get ready for the fireworks.

My prediction? Necrons are going to open up a can of whoop-a$$ that will have the Tau unable to sit down for a week!

 jy2 wrote:
Ok, the battle is set for tomorrow. Get ready for the fireworks.

My prediction? Necrons are going to open up a can of whoop-a$$ that will have the Tau unable to sit down for a week!

NNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, but I am going to show you why a good, balanced necron army is such a fearsome army, especially when piloted by a good general. Necrons can always find a way to win, even when they are taking a huge beating. I've won games that I should not have and despite being thoroughly dominated, I managed to find a way. That is the advantage of necrons, the rulers of the Movement phase.

BTW, my opponent no longer runs his Farsight bomb. Rather, he is running a more balanced Tau army with Eldar allies!