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Just as the title says I am rather new to 40K and I am having some difficulties killing the CCB. So I figure I would come here and see what you all can recommend as solutions. The only two stipulations to this are that I only run one Riptide and no broadsides. Mainly because I play only with friends so I figure one Riptide is enough and that I simply do not want to pay 50 dollars a model on those broadsides.

I have thought of a few solutions to this problem, but none particularly do I really feel confident in. The last game we played I simply was unprepared for the CCB and it was able to just come across the board and assault anything it wished. That chariot allocation of wounds along with 3+ save on the barge is just killing me, not to mention resurrection! So here is what I am thinking:

Solution #1: Simply have three crisis suit teams all with missile-pods as weapons. This solution is simple in that I just want to force as many saves as possible. I can make glancing hits on the barge at a very good range. This, however, requires much luck of the dice for a large part of my army to focus all firepower. Even if the CCB goes down, it gives time for scarabs and ghost arks to get right on top of me.

Solution #2: A crisis suit team with maybe a commander supporting fusion rifles. At melta range I can produce enough fire to hopefully penetrate the armour or downright kill it. If I can pen the armour then my missile-pod crisis suits in the back will have a much easier time putting it down. However, this requires me to get right ontop of the CCB and if I fail then that team can easily be assaulted. It seems like a lot of risk for the reward and then after I have a crisis suit team all with fusion tha might not find effect elsewhere.

Solution #3: Take a Hammerhead with longstrike and just pull the trigger and pray. It would be ID on the overlord and the barge can easily be penetrated. I like this solution as it only requires on unit to fire, but with the CCB having a 3+ save it can be stopped with little effort.

So what would you all recommend? Everything else in the Necron's arsenal is easy enough for me to deal with. I know they are getting a new codex soon, so maybe I am putting too much effort in a few weeks of pain, but it is bothering me how strong this one unit is. Though I am the one with a Riptide, so maybe I shouldn't be talking.

Hmm...

Mostly Ignore it, don't let it get near the Riptide, kill as much of the rest of the army as you can as he'll have sunk a sixth to a quarter of his points into it depending on what size of game you're playing. Here's the thing, Command Barges are essentially immune to the Shooting Phase, but they're also a little low on damage output for their points cost unless they're hitting their ideal targets. (important monstrous creatures and vehicles.)

And yes, Strength 10 low AP is the best answer for actual killing. Instant Death or a Pen with a bonus on the damage chart is basically your only hope of getting it to actually eat that one in three chance of actually being hurt and for it to mean anything. The best solution is anti-vehicle or S10 close combat, but you don't have that.

Plus side: It is open topped if nothing else.


I doubt you'll be able to make it useless, but you can certainly keep it from earning it's points back.

The first solution you proposed is probably the most reliable. If your group allows it, run your list a Farsight Enclave CAD with Tau Empire allies, if not try one CAD of each (which is perfectly legal). Attach a Buffmander to one of those missile squads and you have quite a potent Light Vehicle/MC killer. Give him the TL, ignores cover, and Monster/Tank hunter pieces of wargear and you'll be dishing out 12 TL S7 shots that reroll armor penetration against him at 36". Should be enough to put a dent in him. You can also attach another commander with 2 missile pods to the unit for a mini shooting deathstar. It's quite a potent unit against just about any MC, infantry or vehicle up to AV13 so there's not much to lose by taking it.

The melta squad seems like a good option, but he'll simply take all the hits on the Lord to avoid losing quantum shielding.

As Tau?

Hammer head it to death.

St10 ap 1 on chariot spells death as its open top and ap1
St10 on the guy will ID them.

though EL Occasionally happens

You can do it with too with darkstrider on a Lascannon adl IIRC too

Also Blast weapons off riptide Ions as they cannot reallocate blasts.

Or just mass Ap2 the sucker from the rear with drop suicide plasma melta suits.

 astro_nomicon wrote:
The first solution you proposed is probably the most reliable.

And also exactly what your opponent wants you to do.

One of the top benefits of having a Command Barge is having opponents who haven't realised they're not shooting enough at the rest of the army.

Mind you if you actually do eliminate it on turn one it'll be worth it to see your opponent's expression when spending that many points on making it invincible didn't pan out.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Desubot wrote:
though EL Occasionally happens

On the plus side, a 1 wound, 1 hull point AV 11 barge is far more manageable.

 Desubot wrote:

Also Blast weapons off riptide Ions as they cannot reallocate blasts.

Whoa, wait chariots can't reallocate wounds from blasts? I completely missed that when reading the BRB. That doesn't seem so bad then when I can just overcharge my Riptide's ion for a strength 9 ordnance blast onto the chariot itself.


In that case I believe my army will run Farsight Enclave primary. I can run two teams of crisis suits with missile-pods, a hammerhead, and then a Riptide to deal with the CCB when need be. However, looking at everyone's advice I think ill just focus on the rest of his army right away to take out the other threats as they are much easier to handle and ignore the CCB until it becomes a problem.

How good are Vectored Retro-Thrusters? I am thinking worst case is I get into assault and can sacrifice a few drones to hopefully jump away.

Its only a ST9 hit and you have to get through the av13 first.

You should take a combination including a hammer head long strike.

it also has a VERY good chance per turn.

Needing retro meens you don goofed as a tau player.

Yes, looking over Longstrike's rules he has an extremely good chance of assigning what is effectively instant death no matter what to the barge, with only it's invulnerable save as a defence.

Have him hunt, buy seeker missiles so that's not all he's contributing to your army whilst waiting for it to die, and remember the Riptide as a backup.

Also, as a measure of last resort: You know those jettisonable drones some vehicles have? Overlords only have three attacks. He only has to miss with two of his attacks and you've tarpitted him for a turn. Definitely a gamble, but amusing if it pans out.

changemod wrote:
Yes, looking over Longstrike's rules he has an extremely good chance of assigning what is effectively instant death no matter what to the barge, with only it's invulnerable save as a defence.

Have him hunt, buy seeker missiles so that's not all he's contributing to your army whilst waiting for it to die, and remember the Riptide as a backup.

Also, as a measure of last resort: You know those jettisonable drones some vehicles have? Overlords only have three attacks. He only has to miss with two of his attacks and you've tarpitted him for a turn. Definitely a gamble, but amusing if it pans out.

Bad idea

If they get into combat and stick around then you are not shooting him during your own turn.

That would be bad times.

 Desubot wrote:
Bad idea

If they get into combat and stick around then you are not shooting him during your own turn.

That would be bad times.

Potentially worthwhile to back everyone out of Sweeping range. Like I said, just a small trick of last resort to make him waste a turn.

Yeah, but you can be shooting everything else while his 300+ pt model is derping on some drones

 astro_nomicon wrote:
Yeah, but you can be shooting everything else while his 300+ pt model is derping on some drones

Then proceeding to assault you his turn unmolested.. (or am i miss reading this. yeah assaulting him on your own turn after shooting and somehow surviving would be nice but if they lose or get sweeped thats a free d6" move closer to your anti tank)

 Desubot wrote:

 astro_nomicon wrote:
Yeah, but you can be shooting everything else while his 300+ pt model is derping on some drones

Then proceeding to assault you his turn unmolested.. (or am i miss reading this. yeah assaulting him on your own turn after shooting and somehow surviving would be nice but if they lose or get sweeped thats a free d6" move closer to your anti tank)

Free consolidation is the biggest genuine downside, yes... Though if I was trying this it would be because I was about to be sweeped next turn anyhow.

As a Tau general I can tell you that I combat MANY things with the simplicity of positional dominance. Having units that can be anywhere I need them when I need it is awesome. Rear arcs are much easier to get this way, you can pull people in four directions and away from each other so they cant support one another and of course the Necrons have impressive short range firepower but aren't especially long ranged, so if you can play the position game, it sure makes it easier to weather things like that.

Think about playing the position game a little bit more. I have a LOT to say on that on my blog. I feel that you can use a MUCH wider range of units (which you seem to want to do given the friendly nature of your group and of course finances Im sure) if you get good at this. The Tau Empire is good at this.

All major tournaments say that the phase shifter save doesnt transfer to the barge.

The 3++ save on the barge is not cheating perse, but its not the norm. It is much harder to deal with if thats how you guys play it. Note, blasts always hit the barge. Use the blast template from the tide, hope for a pen.

Also, of course a hammerhead forces a tough choice on a cron player.

Haywire grenades?

Why do blasts always hit the barge? What rule causes this?

 Thaylen wrote:
Why do blasts always hit the barge? What rule causes this?

The chariot rules.

As a necron player, the CCB biggest weakness is being tarpitted. Except for HoW it has very low damage output and in CC the opponent can pick which part of the chariot they want to swing at so the Overlord is susceptible to all the low S hits he'll be taking (he only has 3 wounds even with 2+/3++). Not only that but when he does fall over he is such a huge model that its easy to block off where he can stand up with your consolidate move thus denying him Ever-Living.

My advice is to take kroot blobs

 CrownAxe wrote:

 Thaylen wrote:
Why do blasts always hit the barge? What rule causes this?

The chariot rules.

As a necron player, the CCB biggest weakness is being tarpitted. Except for HoW it has very low damage output and in CC the opponent can pick which part of the chariot they want to swing at so the Overlord is susceptible to all the low S hits he'll be taking (he only has 3 wounds even with 2+/3++). Not only that but when he does fall over he is such a huge model that its easy to block off where he can stand up with your consolidate move thus denying him Ever-Living.

My advice is to take kroot blobs

You would need QUITE a lot of em as you dont get to consolidate off it.
Its going to be very difficult with Tau for CC

 Desubot wrote:

 CrownAxe wrote:

 Thaylen wrote:
Why do blasts always hit the barge? What rule causes this?

The chariot rules.

As a necron player, the CCB biggest weakness is being tarpitted. Except for HoW it has very low damage output and in CC the opponent can pick which part of the chariot they want to swing at so the Overlord is susceptible to all the low S hits he'll be taking (he only has 3 wounds even with 2+/3++). Not only that but when he does fall over he is such a huge model that its easy to block off where he can stand up with your consolidate move thus denying him Ever-Living.

My advice is to take kroot blobs

You would need QUITE a lot of em as you dont get to consolidate off it.
Its going to be very difficult with Tau for CC

You don't need to kill the CCb, you just need to tarpit it. If kroot get the charge a CCB should be locked in combat for several game turns

You'd also need an ethereal close there otherwise you'd get running pretty quickly.

 CrownAxe wrote:

 Thaylen wrote:
Why do blasts always hit the barge? What rule causes this?

The chariot rules.

As a necron player, the CCB biggest weakness is being tarpitted. Except for HoW it has very low damage output and in CC the opponent can pick which part of the chariot they want to swing at so the Overlord is susceptible to all the low S hits he'll be taking (he only has 3 wounds even with 2+/3++). Not only that but when he does fall over he is such a huge model that its easy to block off where he can stand up with your consolidate move thus denying him Ever-Living.

My advice is to take kroot blobs

If he takes the new relic, he gets reroll 1s, which can make it more problematic.

 Lord Commissar wrote:
All major tournaments say that the phase shifter save doesnt transfer to the barge.

The 3++ save on the barge is not cheating perse, but its not the norm. It is much harder to deal with if thats how you guys play it. Note, blasts always hit the barge. Use the blast template from the tide, hope for a pen.

Also, of course a hammerhead forces a tough choice on a cron player.

We actually decided that the 3++ save does not apply to the chariot. With this change it was a -massive- shift in power from my viewpoint. My missile pods suddenly could easily glance it to death when I got lucky with the dice.

I also had no idea about the blast template rule, as I accidentally skipped that line. Reminds me to re-read the BRB as much as possible and as slow as possible as a new player.

So if a Chariot is open topped... Does a flame template hit the rider with No Escape?

No, as there is noone embarked on it.

The CCB isn't a vehicle with a single passenger on it. It's one model.