Loss of tail rotor is a big problem in any helicopter, especially since the vertical fin (which now must provide all your anti-torque) is often reduced in size to reduce blockage of the tail rotor to help increase tail thrust for better crosswind control.
The previous post that discusses the different problems depending on how much hardware is shed is correct, but only in the additional problems that a CG shift bring about, where the tail is immediately a lot lighter at the same time that the tail rotor thrust is entirely gone. For the rest of this discussion, let's assume that the tail rotor thrust is now zero, and no other problem is compounding.
The vertical fin can help in recovery from a loss of tail rotor thrust by providing some right thrust, but it will do almost no good until speeds of about 1.5 Vy, typically about 110 knots in a high speed helo (S-76, Black Hawk), maybe 80 knots is a slow Bell type machine, and maybe 60 knots in a light piston.
This is because the fin area is usually small, and it takes some forward speed for it to generate enough lift (side force) to be much help.
If you try to fly home at higher speed, the increased power you need means that you also need more anti-torque, so you might not make a powered flight situation work.
How do you know? I suggest that if you experience loss of tail thrust in cruise flight, (sharp right yaw in an American helo, left yaw in a French or Russian machine -- I will use the American convention below) get control of the yaw situation first. Lower the collective immediately enough to stop all yaw and allow a steady state descent. Carefully guard your airspeed, try to stay at a high speed autorotative glide speed (about 1.5 Vy in most helos). If all is going poorly, go to full auto and take your chances on the landing. If the glide looks good and yaw is well behaved, you MIGHT try to gently increase power to reduce the rate of descent, while maintaining speed. The aircraft will start to yaw right as power is applied, so you must cross control by applying left bank to keep the heading stabilized. You will probably have to go more nose down because you have much more drag, and you must watch for two big danger signs - excessive yaw like a flat spin, and loss of airspeed indications, where the pitot probe might give up working in the big sideslip. At the first sign of either danger sign, lower the collective pitch and the nose to get the torque down and the speed up.
For most helos, you will not be able to get to level flight because to torque you need will produce an excessive sideslip or even a flat spin (the ultimate problem in all this test pilot heroic stuff). Settle for a reduced rate of descent, since it really helps you extend your choice of landing areas. If you can get to as little as 750 feet per minute descent, and you are doing 100 knots, you can travel 3 miles from 1500 feet, almost 7 miles from 3000.
At the bottom, transition to a reduced collective flare, and make a part auto-part running landing. Don't increase the collective at touchdown unless you have decoupled the engines, as the sudden torque rise will create a big spin, and a real crack-up.
The skills needed to fly out of an anti-torque failure are not trivial, and most pilots are best served by thinking and performing an autorotation, period.
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