Just had an enjoyable game playing Tau (me) against Necrons (my opponent) and I wanted to share. Sorry if it's a bit difficult to read; I'm not used to writing battle reports. Let me know if there's anything that would make it easier or more fun to read!
Also, sorry about a lack of pictures. These reports are never really planned! If people like, I'll start taking a few when we play.
Tau List (1998)
Necron List (2000?)
Game Type: The Emperor's Will (1 objective in each deployment zone)
Warlord Traits: The Overlord gained the ability to reroll his reserves. The Crisis Suit Commander gave -1 to enemy reserve rolls (so all of his flyers would need a 4+ with a reroll).
Terrain was nothing special. A few
LoS blocking buildings in each deployment zone. Craters and wreckage scattered across the board, with a large statue in the center.
He won the roll off and decided to go first. He kept his 14 warriors + Veiltek in the Night Scythe. He was cautious with his deployment, keeping most things in cover or out of
LoS. His Wraiths set up across my right flank. Both Annihilation Barges and the C'Tan hid behind a large building in the center of his deployment zone (I could only see 1 Barge). His 9 Warriors and Stormtek went in the Ghost Ark on my left flank. And his Destroyers and Immortals, who were joined by both the Lord and Overlord sat between the Ghost Ark and Barges.
I tried to take advantage of my superior range. I deployed everything further back than normal. The Broadsides went in a ruined building in the right corner, with clear
LoS across the table. 3 Devilfish, a unit of Pathfinders, a Hammerhead, and the Missile Suits joined them on my right. The last Devilfish, the plasma suits, and the last Hammerhead set up on my left flank, mostly out of
LoS. The other unit of Pathfinders hid in some wreckage in the center.
I stole the initiative and night fighting was in effect turn 1.
Tau Turn 1
Movement
The footslogging Fire Warriors all hopped into the Pathfinder's Devilfish. All vehicles moved slightly for a Jink save. All gun drones detach and move up.
The plasma suits jumped around the buildings, planning on taking down some Destroyers.
Shooting
Markerlights reduce an Annihilation Barge's cover save to 6+ (it was in ruins) and the Broadside team blows it up. The Hammerheads miss both of their shots against the only visible target.
Shooting from all the suits remove a Wraith and put down 1 destroyer, who stands back up.
Assault
All suits jump back out of
LoS.
Necron Turn 1
Movement
Everything moved straight towards me at full speed.
Shooting
Wraiths, C'Tan Shard, and Immortals run a few inches. The Heavy Destroyer takes a shot at a Hammerhead. I make my 4+ cover.
The Annihilation Barge shoots at my Pathfinders and kills two after saves. I pass morale.
No assault phase.
Tau Turn 2
Movement
Everything spreads out to prepare for his Doom Scythe. Two squads of Fire Warriors disembark roughly 24" away from his Wraiths. One devilfish immobilizes itself in a crater.
Shooting
The 4 remaining Pathfinders remove the cover save from his remaining Barge. The broadsides manage to hit, penetrate, and immobilize it (only a 3+ to explode
). At least its shields are gone...
The missiles can't see the weakened vehicle and shoot at the C'Tan, knocking off two wounds. With Markerlight help, the two Fire Warrior squads kill a Wraith and wound another.
The plasma suits put down all but one of his destroyers. The Hammerheads can't get a good shot at the Ghost Ark and I decide to take away his range and finish off the last Destroyer. The first railgun misses. The second shot hits and rolls a 1 to wound
. The heavy destroyer stands back up.
Assault
All suits jump back, thinking I was out of
LoS...
Necron Turn 2
Even with a reroll, only his Night Scythe comes in.
Movement
His Night Scythe moves straight in front of my right flank, hoping to survive a turn and disembark 14 warriors on turn 3.
Everything continues to move closer.
Shooting
His Ghost Ark sends one array after my Plasma Suits (he could just barely see them with a single gun) and the other after a nearby Devilfish. The Suits take 4 wounds, fail 3, fail morale, and proceed to run 18" straight off the board. Ouch!
The other side glances the Devilfish once.
The passengers unload into the Devilfish and wreck it (I failed 5 out of 5 cover saves). I pile out and pass pinning.
His C'Tan shard shoots a lascannon and some pot-shots at the Broadsides. I go to ground for a 3+ cover save. I'm planning to shoot the Night Scythe and I'll be firing snap-shots anyway...I fail my cover save and a Broadside goes down.
His Night Scythe and immobilized Barge shoot at my remaining pathfinders. The Barge whiffs and doesn't do anything. The Night Scythe kills 2 pathfinders and doesn't arc to anything it can hurt. I pass morale with my Pathfinders and Broadsides.
His Wraiths run 1" closer, roughly 12" away from my lines.
No assaults.
Tau Turn 3
Movement
I unload a third unit of Fire Warriors and prepare to torrent the Wraiths away. If I kill them quickly, I can also send the Fire Warriors after his Night Scythe.
Everything else moves. Drones hop in front of my Broadsides and Fire Warriors, just in case the Wraiths live.
The Fire Warriors on my left flank move to shoot at the Destroyers.
Shooting
The Broadsides can't roll a 6, even with twin-linked guns. The Missile Pods manage 3 hits, which result in 2 penetrates. He tries to evade and fails both saves. I roll a 6 and the Night Scythe is gone. It crashes into an empty crater.
With tons of markerlight hits, two squads of Fire Warriors finish off the Wraiths. The Drones, Devilfish burst cannons, and the remaining Fire Warriors deal the last two wounds to the C'Tan shard.
The final Fire Warrior squad finishes off the Destroyers.
A lucky hammerhead shot hits and penetrates his Ghost Ark. He fails his jink save and it explodes, killing 3 warriors who all stand back up!
The other hammerhead hits his Annihilation Barge but only glances it, despite Quantum Shielding being gone.
Assault
The remaining suits jump back behind a building, ready for his Doom Scythe.
Necron Turn 3
His Doom Scythe comes on and his 14 warriors + Veiltek walk on the table near his objective.
Movement
His Doom Scythe lands right in front of a Hammerhead. There is a nice line of 5 Fire Warriors behind it, and another Hammerhead roughly 12" away.
His 9 warriors and stormtek move within 12" of my other Hammerhead. His Immortals advance, finally in range to shoot (they were really far back).
Shooting
His Immortals unload into my center Pathfinders, wiping the unit out.
His smaller unit of warriors unloads into the Hammerhead and wreck it. Once again, 3 glances and I fail all 3 jink saves.
His Doom Scythe hits my other Hammerhead and 5 Fire Warriors. He doesn't even glance Hammerhead and he kills all 5 Fire Warriors. I pass morale.
No assaults.
Tau Turn 4
Movement
All 4 sets of drones start heading towards his objective to contest. My depleted Fire Warrior squad jumps into a Devilfish and moves towards my objective.
I try to block the rear of the Immortals with a Devilfish, preventing them from moving back towards their objective.
Everything else moves towards the left side of the board as I've completely wiped out the Necrons on my right.
Shooting
8 Twin-Linked missiles go towards his Doom Scythe. 0 hit. The Broadsides, on the other hand, manage 2 hits and both penetrate. He evades and passes 1 jink save. The other shot rolls a 4 and explodes the Doom Scythe. Woo!
Fire Warriors gun down his Stormtek and 5 more Necrons warriors in some hot warrior-on-warrior action. They pass morale and 2 warriors stand back up, but the Cryptek stays dead.
8 Gun Drones and a Devilfish manage to remove the final hull point on the Annihilation Barge.
The single hammerhead fires a large blast into his 14 warriors and veiltek, putting down 4 after cover saves. 3 stand back up.
Assault
The missile suits jump a large 11" towards his objective.
Necron Turn 4
Movement
In a game-deciding move, he teleports his warrior squad right in front of my Hammerhead. They scatter a few inches, but are fine.
He believed that I could shoot him off his objective over the next 1-2 turns (he was probably right). His plan was to destroy the Hammerhead, survive my shooting for a turn, and teleport back on top of his objective on turn 5.
His smaller warrior squad and immortals move towards my Fire Warriors.
Shooting
His Immortals kill 4 Fire Warriors and the smaller unit of Necron Warriors take down 1 more. I fail morale and run off the board.
His block of Warriors glance the Hammerhead to death.
Tau Turn 5
Movement
Potentially the last turn of the game, I disembark my Fire Warriors onto my objective.
Everything else moves to shoot at his large block of Warriors.
Shooting
The remaining pathfinders, 2 full Fire Warrior Squads, the Missile Suits, a few gun drones, and a few Devilfish manage to wipe out all of his warrior squad. The Cryptek does not stand back up.
Necron Turn 5
He shifts around and starts shooting. He inflicts massive casualties on a Fire Warrior squad, killing 6 or 7 with his Immortals. I pass morale.
His few remaining warriors run for cover, but don't quite make it.
We roll for it and the game continues.
Tau Turn 6
The missile suits finish off his Warriors and the gun drones completely surround his Immortals. The broadsides pick off an immortal or two.
At this point, we just goof off. I can clearly keep him from his objective, or at least contest it until turn 7. Even if he could somehow wipe out 4 units and grab his objective, I have my objective, First Blood, and Linebreaker.
I charge his squad with all 8 gun drones and get wiped out. Oh well.
Victory for the Tau 5-0!
