[horizon]

Corsair Eldar vs Tau CPF
scenario : raiders, 750 vs 1500

Eldar MMS v1.9 used with note that all armour is 4+ (instead of 5+ for capital ships, frigates).
Tau CPF: Emissary with grav hooks in place of port/starboard Railguns), getting two Wardens).

I'm the Eldar.

Corsair Eldar
Tuniliev Moonshadow
Eclipse Class Cruiser - Shroud of Frost
3x Aconite Class Frigate - Arith Kian
3x Nightshade Class Destroyer - Bennan Baharr
3x Hemlock Class Destroyer - Oriosa Novar

Tau CPF
1x Emissary + Kor'O and Aun'el
4x Protector Class Cruiser
3x Castellan Class Frigate
3x Castellan Class Frigate
2x Castellan Class Frigate
2x Warden Class Destroyer

The Tau fleet deployed facing the sunward (short) table edge.

Formation looked somewhat like this

WW----------------CCCx
-----Prot1-----Prot3
-------------Em
-----Prot2-----Prot4
CC-----------------CCCy

So, a pretty fluffy setup with Emissary plus high ranked officers.

Tau -1ld for 5 turns. (They had good Ld rolls though).

#1
With the Eclipse, Aconites and Hemlocks I enter from the south parking next to the two Castellans, Nightshades enter from North. Nightshades batteries fail to hit Wardens, but its six Torpedoes sear into Protector(1) crippling it in an instance, reduced to 2 hits. The south Protector also becomes crippled and sees its bridge smashed. Bombers remove the two Castellans.

Prot1 tries to disengage but fails. Prot3 & 4 use come to new heading, Emissary dives behind both. CCCx turns with Protectors, CCCy turns south. Shooting from Wardens destroy a Nightshade (bfi).

#2
The Eclipse reloads and moves behind Protector2. Aconites move north and 2 engage Wardens but fail to hurt them, the other Aconite fails to hurt Protector 1. Hemlocks move quick down the board and unleash Pulsar power plus some batteries on Castellans-y. Six hits later (4 sixes with Pulsars!) all three Castellans are dust. The Eclipse inflicts further hit on Protector 2. Bombers do damage to Protector 1.

Protector 3 & 4 turn further, Emissary in protection. Castellans-x do same. Protector 1 fails disengage, Protector 2 goes on and manages to destroy a Hemlock. The two Wardens move on and destroy an Aconite.
Manta's fail to do damage.

#3
Eclipse, reloads, follows Protector 2 but misses with Pulsars. Bombers fail to damage Protector 1, 2 fighters protective pattern. Nighsthades try to hurt Wardens but cap fighter (overlooked!) removes missiles (dumb action). Hemlocks slip behind Protector2. Aconites move back.

Protectors 3 & 4 turn horizontal to long table edge. Emissary still in wake, directly behind Protector3. Castellans-x turn inward and launch missiles at Eclipse, destroying1 fighter, evading another. Eclipse doesn't brace, missiles inflict 1 hit and critical hit on prow pulsars which are not repaired (ouch). Wardens lock on to Eclipse but roll badly. Protector2 disengages.

#4
Hemlocks move forward down shield on Castellans-x, Aconites destroy 1 of the Castellans. Nightshades launch missiles at Protector3, all 4 torps miss, move on to Emissary and inflict 2 hits, crippling the ship. Eclipse fails reload and fails repair...uh oh.

Protectors 3 & 4 lock on and destroy an Aconite and remaining Nighsthades (2 failed bfi tests on Ld10..). Emissary doesn't disengage.

#5
Hemlocks and Aconite move next to Emissary and destroy the vessel, warp drive implosion and all ships survive...phew-ie. Eclipse bombers inflict a hit on Protector 3, fighters on cap. Eclipse repairs Pulsars.

A pod shot from Castellans is thwarted bu Aconite holofield, nothing else. Manta's too far away.

#6
Remaining Eldar (1 Eclipse, 2 Hemlocks, 1 Aconite) fly away and disengage.

Victory Points
Corsair Eldar: 580 victory points.
Destroyed Emissary + command, 2 crippled Protectors, destroyed Castellan squadrons CC+CCCy.

Tau CPF: 236 victory points.
Destroyed Nightshade squadron, Crippled Aconite squadron.

Conclusion
Interesting game!

The Corsair had a great start, crippling two Protectors and destroying a Castellan squadron. Next turn destroying a whole Castellan squadron with my Hemlocks was good as well. I made some mistakes as sending a torp wave into a cap fighter, should've splitted wave. I was also to eager. Initially I moved Nightshades back, Aconites as well to setup a new run but I forgot that and ditched in melee. Bad choice which costed me entire Nightshade squadron and almost the Aconites.

The Tau were at a real disadvantage, the Protectors only engaged in turn 4 with their weaponry. In turn 4 numbers started to count and Tau started to gain the game back in. My bad thing was I failed to eliminate the two crippled Protectors, alas they didn't hurt me but it would've been more clear if I destroyed them. Tau Manta's had a bad field day overall. Eldar turrets being succesive.

I think if I had stayed on the board for another turn the Tau would've netted it.

[Temar]

Hi horizon, I was wondering if I could ask for your thoughts and opinions on the Tau fleet now you seem to have faced them a few times.
My regular opponent fields Tau while I run a cruiser heavy Chaos Fleet. I haven't encountered any problems I couldn't overcome yet but I find it's always useful to have other people's views and advice in case of future hiccups.

Temar

[horizon]

I think with Tau the doctrine should be easy for most fleets. Get in close and hurt them. With the Imperial Navy you have benefits of a 6+ prow which negates a lot of missile power. Chaos has tremendous long range to surpress their carriers early on. Lacking a 5+ prow means that they should have some fighters on CAP. IN as well but they can ditch it if needed.
Eldar are fast enough to evade but should be wary about bomber swarms hunting them down. A Void Stalker around is always usefull. Nightshade torps can be worrying enough for Tau to deploy barracuda's instead of Manta's.

All in all you need to get in close as fast as you can. Get behind their prow arc.

Yet, a cunning played Tau fleet will make your path one of a lot of hurting.

[Temar]

Thank you for your thoughts, like I said- I haven't had to much trouble so far but I don't want to rest on my laurels as it were. I may do what you have been doing and take the opposite side for a battle or two to get some more ideas that way.

Very nice bat rep by the way

[Delthan]

Just wait til I get more cruisers boy.... and a Demiurg attachment ^-^