Pre-Battle Research and PlanningShas’el Sav’lynu [lit. Steadfast in the Future] scratched his head as he walked away from the Virtual Reality station in the Sept’retha
[here the Colonial Library]. Long VR-sessions always gave him a headache.
The discovery of a Necron Tomb complex on the planet had come as a horrible surprise to the colony. Initial combat reports indicating
they were a totally different kind of threat. Ethereal Or'sha'is [lit. Powerful Wind/Storm] was certainly wise to have suggested looking beyond
just the immediate Shas’retha [Fire Caste military academy] records.
Having again encountered the Human military’s mantra that “Amateurs argue Tactics while Professionals discuss logistics” in his VR research,
Sav’lynu was glad that Aun’o Or'sha'is had also brought with him the four new Kass’l [Troop Dropper(?) or Orca] of the 5th Orbital
Transport Squadron. They were certainly going to make it easier to deploy the battle worn Crisis Suits of the Colonial Defense Force.
But with a new foe threatening the Tau, tactics were also going to be important.
Research on the TacComs historical archive had certainly offered tactical advice in plenty, but surprisingly few records of actual combat.
Certainly an almost complete dearth of after action combat reports from Tau encounters with the Necron.
An almost ominous silence. Sav’lynu mentally reviewed his options:
(1) Set up troops on overwatch to ensure defensive fire at Necron infantry appearing out of Portals. Well that would suit him,
although not a commonly used tactic against adversaries previously encountered on the Colony World.
(2) Keep formations in close supporting positions but ensure that they are not intermingled.
(3) There appear to be few barrage weapons in the Necron arsenal so it might be possible to deploy units in more closely interlinked
positions. Although the C’tan Deceiver and some other large war engines could produce devastating barrages.
(4) Deploy scout screens to protect formed positions. The legendary performance of the Sept Pathfinders would likely have ensured
this happened anyway. Although with the threat of teleporting pyramid portals those screens may well get pulled in tighter than usual.
(5) Destroying portal carrying enemy units seemed obvious but trying to ensure that the weight of fire was either sufficiently
overwhelming to take out all of a formation or light enough to ensure that they did not re-position [if broken] would be a challenge.
Hitting formations with Portals that had already been used might finesse this.
(6) Try to maximize AT fire in preference to relying on heavy Titan Killing weapons. Well that would be easy, the colony world
was still woefully short of the sophisticated TK weaponry.
(7) As much as possible keep heavy weapons in reserve for use against infantry targets. The Living Metal armour on Necron
vehicles seems to be immune to MW fire.
(8) Destroy any Necron infantry formations that get trapped on the battlefield. The Kor’vattra [Air Caste/Fleet]
Tiger Shark squadron with their Kor’vesa [Air Helpers or Tau Drones] would be the ideal force to be tasked with
that job. Deploying XV88 Broadside Suits from Orcas might also fit the bill.
(9) Keep focused on the objectives of the engagement. The tendency of broken Necron forces to ‘phase out’ (leaving the battlefield)
means that denying the enemy victory conditions and counting the survivors would be a path to victory.
Maintain a strong patient presence on the battlefield would suit his leaning towards the Kauyon [patient hunter] Tau mantra.
Winning the logistics battle might just see those Orcas of the 5th OTS landing on objectives late in the battle.
(10) Aiming to break the main enemy force [BTS formation] later in the engagement [turn 3 or 4] might just secure a victory.
(11) Spreading tactical objectives was recommended by several commentators because Necron’s on the battlefield
(as opposed to teleporting elements) are slow. Keeping the enemy at arms length with scouts and outmaneuvering
them to grab objectives certainly seemed possible.
(12) The inherently more capable battlefield strategic mobility of his Tau forces [strategy rating 3 cf 2 for Necrons] should
allow more flexible placement of his own stealth troops and some more immediate action to combat developing Necron threats.
Mulling the list over Shas’el Sav’lynu had a few thoughts of his own as well.
Recent tactical exercises with a second concealed ring of scouts may well force teleporting Necrons to attack away from their otherwise
preferred target. [‘Defensive Teleporting’ by stealth suit formations placing them behind a portal formation within their 10 cm scout ZOC].
The newly configured Stealth Suits [re-roll and failed Blast Markers when Teleporting in] certainly improved that option.
Carefully selected coordinated fire missions should ensure that Pylons and the other smaller Necron War Engines get silenced in a timely manner.
Organising to also get other engines get placed under close observation at the same time should get the most out of his Pathfinders.
[Markerlight one target, pop-corn it with indirect guided missile fire, and cover other engines with a scouting ZOC].
A wry smile stole over Sav’lynu’s face as he remembered the archived Gue'la [Human] survey report he had found in the Gue'vesa [Lowest Helper,
Human members of Tau Society] records. An original archeology survey of a Necron Tomb Complex found on the Fen’dal’ton Continent.
Imperial Survey Report 2014.04.25.ANZAC
Although he was not a specialist it seemed to Sav’lynu that there was a dominant obsession with groupings of four.
Four groups of four sided pyramids hovering in the mid-ground behind four infantry formations.
Four open four-armed death-ray “pylon” structures backing the whole assemblage.
Looking closer there were four Lords and four clusters of blade weaponed elite troops.
Four gun mountings on the hovering war engine. Four four-sided boundary markers on
the large tomb complex and a total of four larger centre spires that looked for all the world
like Kinetic Barrier projectors from the Exodus War project.
Shas’el Sav’lynu stepped into the hanger space that was serving as a temporary workspace for the Tau Kavaal [Strike Group].
A ripple of awareness swept the echoing volume but the Fio [Earth Caste] workers and their Shas [Fire Caste] colleagues stuck
resolutely to their tasks. Not for them the Gue'la [Lit. Lowest Beings, i.e. Humans not aligned with the Greater Good] habit
of jumping up and waving their hands around, Sha’is’cha Lit. gas movement action].
A lot of work was being done bringing old Broadside Drones out of storage and arming them for battle.
Another cluster of activity buzzed around the looming Kass’l [Troop Dropper, Orca] of the Orbital Transport Squadron. They would
be lifting with the last Nars’al [Lit. small stone, so less than a kilogramme] on their Shas’ka [Fire Caste Strike] across the planet.
