A Guide to Necron Units
HQ
Necron Lord-
The Necron Lord is the only HQ choice for the necron army other than some very expensive special characters that will be detailed later on. Simply looking at the necron lord's stats would give you the impression that he is simply an average HQ for any army, but that is a misconception. The necron lords real power lies not in his stats, but in his special abilities and wargear. Every necron lord in your army can take up to 100 points in wargear which makes them a lethal force.
Some of the necron lord's more notable wargear is the Destroyer Body, (
allows the necron lord to have the abilities of a destroyer except for its weapon
) the Lightning Field, (
hurt enemies in close combat with the necron lord and his squad
)the Phase Shifter, (
gives the necron lord a 4+ invulnerable save
) the Resurrection Orb (
allows units around the necron lord to make a we'll be back roll when one normally wouldn't be allowed
) and the best of all the Veil of Darkness. (
allows your necron lord and his squad to teleport anywhere on the field instead of moving
)
Pros
Great Special Abilities
Very versatile leader
Decent over all stats
Cons
Not incredibly tough
Can be instantly killed by STR 10 weapons
My Overall Rating
The Necron lord is a great HQ choice for his point value and has so many special abilities that many people advise taking 2 necron lords into battle so you can fully utilize their wargear.
Elites
Pariahs-
A pariah is one of the over all most powerful necron units, but this power comes at a price. While they dominate at close combat, (
their Warscythes ignore armor saves and they have a toughness and strength of 5
) they have the exact same firepower as their less costly counter part the immortal. Their special abilities make up for their lack of ranged fire power and their leadership lowering ability makes a good combination with the flayed ones terrifying visage special ability. The pariah seems to be the perfect unit, but there's a catch, they aren't official necrons so they miss out on all of the special abilities that make necrons such a good army. (
teleportation, we'll be back and other like perks for "official" necrons
)
Pros
Great in close combat
Lots of good special abilities
Cons
Not "official" necrons
not exceptional at ranged combat
My Overall Rating
The Pariah has the lots of power but without necron special abilities they most likely won't be seeing much fighting due to their lack of mobility. However if you need a good defense against a close combat oriented army pariahs are the way to go.
Immortals-
An immortal is a nice unit to have in a tough spot. Their toughness of 5 makes them hard to kill and their gauss blasters can do a fair amount of damage and ignore the armor save of many of the lesser races. The major plus to the immortal is that they do have access to the necron special abilities so they are extremely hard to kill and can teleport around with a necron lord.
Pros
Very hard to kill
Good at ranged and close combat
Are able to use necron special abilities
Cons
Not quite as tough as a pariah
Nothing special about them
My Overall Rating
Immortals are nice to have around, but for the extra point you might be better off just taking a couple extra warriors. Also if you have too many immortals the enemy will find it easy to make you phase out. Immortals are really just a matter of preference.
Flayed Ones-
For a Strictly close combat unit the flayed ones leave a lot to be desired. They have almost the exact same stats as a warrior with increased initiative and attack minus the gauss flayer. The only extremely good ability the flayed ones have is their terrifying visage ability which makes them almost impossible to hit in close combat. However this ability relies on your enemy failing a leadership save so unless you have a squad of pariahs around to lower the enemy's leadership, high leadership units will be close to immune to this ability.
Pros
Good special ability
Ok at close combat
Cons
Low Stats for a close combat unit
Good ability depends on enemies leadership
My Overall Rating
The flayed ones are useful in the right circumstances, but in a battle against tough high leadership enemies they won't stand a chance. I personally like the flayed ones because they are good against Tau, Tyranids and other races like that.
Troops
Necron Warrior-
Necron warriors make up the bulk of a necron army. As a basic troop choice they are the most powerful in the warhammer 40k universe. If you wish to win with a necron army you will need a fair number of these units simply to prevent your army from phasing out. As a unit they have a fair amount of firepower and will be able to hold their own against most other units. The necron warrior's main weakness is their average stats. They have the same stats as a space marine, so large weapons will wreck havoc on squads of necron warriors.
Pros
A great basic troop choice
Able to kill most other units
Cons
High point cost
Not all that strong
My Overall Rating
The necron warrior is an above average troop choice and you should plan on taking a lot of these into battle to prevent you army from phasing out. Another reason to have necron warriors in your army is due to the monoliths special ability which allows your necron warriors in reserve to teleport right to the battle front.
Fast Attack
Necron Wraith-
The Necron Wraith is the necron army's most valuable close combat unit. They have a 3+ invulnerable save so power weapons and other annoyances won't have any effect on them. The will almost always attack first and have 3 attacks so they will be able to score a large number of deadly hits. They are also "official necrons" so they can be teleported right into close combat by a necron lord.
Pros
A great close combat unit
Extremely fast and deadly
Cons
Low WS for a close combat unit
Only one wound
My Overall Rating
The necron wraith is a great close combat unit that, with the help of a necron lord, will be able to quickly get to the battle front and wreck havoc on the enemy.
Necron Destroyer-
The necron destroyer has a lot of power and is one of the two necron long range units. Its gauss cannon has a range of 36" and can pierce the armor of almost every unit in the game. Necron destroyers count as jetbikes so they are extremely mobile and will be able to perform hit and run attacks with a great deal of success.
Pros
Long range
Mobile
Cons
High point cost
Fairly Easy to Destroy
My Overall Rating
The necron destroyer is an ok fast attack choice but for the extra 15 points heavy destroyers pack a much large punch. These units will be able to slaughter basic troop units with ease, but they will draw large amounts of enemy fire and aren't able to survive for a long time.
Scarab Swarms-
Scarab Swarms have the lowest point cost, toughness and strength of any necron unit. However in close combat they can be an incredible annoyance to the enemy simply because of their high number of attacks and wounds. The problem with scarabs is getting them into close combat. The can move fast, but if they get into the range of any basic troop unit they will be slaughtered.
Pros
Annoying
Fast
Cons
Easy to kill
Low WS
My Overall Rating
Scarabs are good in close combat, but impossible to get into close combat for an extra six points warriors are a much better choice.
Heavy Support
Tomb Spyder-
The tomb spyder is good only because of its special abilities. In close combat it won't hit often due to its low WS and if you chose to give it a staff of light it will only hit on a 5+. As you can see neither of these are particularly good stats. What makes a tomb spyder so good is their ability to create scarab swarms and their ability to repair necrons close to them. If they create scarab swarms it becomes almost impossible for the enemy to destroy the tomb spyder because the scarabs are part of its squad. The tomb spyder also allows necrons to make we'll be back rolls more often, which is a great benefit.
Pros
Great Special abilities
Hard to kill
Cons
Low WS/BS
My Overall Rating
It's worth having a couple tomb spyders in your army simply for their great special abilities. Although some people might use them in close combat their low stats could lead to a fairly premature death if you take this path. For their point cost tomb spyders are a decent addition to any army.
Heavy Destroyer-
The Heavy destroyer is the long range weapon of the necron army. If you plan on fighting armies with long range tanks, you need heavy destroyers. Their heavy gauss cannons can punch holes in all but the toughest of vehicles and are decent against high armor troops as well. However, against low point/low tech armies (
tryanids, some imperial guard, etc.)
they will be a huge point sink. At most they can take out one unit per turn, which is nothing if your enemy has hundreds of units.
Pros
Very powerful weapons
Good movement rate
Cons
High point cost
Low rate of fire
My Overall Rating
The heavy destroyer is a must against high-tech armies, but otherwise it's a point sink that will be next to useless. To make the most out of the heavy destroyer use it for hit and run attacks and as an anti-tank unit.
Monolith-
The monolith is one of the most feared necron units in warhammer. Not only is it almost impossible to destroy it has loads of special abilities and two supper powerful weapons. Its two best special abilities are that it can allow necron warriors in reserve to teleport to its location and enter the playing field on the front lines and that it can allow units close to it to re-roll their we'll be back rolls making them incredibly hard to kill. Its gauss flux arches allow it to attack all enemy units around it a large number of times and its particle whip can kill off heavily armored units with ease. Only plan on using your monolith in high point games though because otherwise it's incredibly high point cost will make it easy for the enemy to phase you out.
Pros
Impossible to kill
Great special abilities
Great weapons
Cons
High point cost
My Overall Rating
If you can afford a monolith take one except against the Tau. Their rail guns will turn your ultra-high point cost monolith into a smoking hulk. Otherwise your enemy will be hard pressed to find holes in this vehicles armor.
Special Characters
C'tan Nightbringer-
The nightbringer is the more powerful C'tan available to the necron. Along with high stats and special abilities nightbringers also have high point costs. Their special abilities allow them to dominate in close combat and move quickly. Their powerful weapon will wreck havoc on enemy troops if the C'tan can get close enough to use it with out being blown out of the sky. As one of its special rules enemies can target it no matter what so it will take multiple hits from the enemies most powerful weapons and likely explode while still around your troops.
Pros
Very powerful
Good special abilities and attack skills
Cons
High point cost
Will draw lots of heavy enemy fire
My Overall Rating
The nightbringer is very powerful, but his high point cost will leave you vulnerable to phasing out and he will draw a ton of enemy fire. Not even the mighty C'tan can withstand 9-10 hits with a las-cannon. However in large games against enemies without a lot of heavy weapons the nightbringer is definitely worth considering.
Deceiver-
The deceiver is ignored by many because he lacks the overall power that most necrons have, but in a necron army he plays a vital role. Most necrons lack the ability to be extremely tactical they rely more on brute strength than on cunning and speed. The deceiver adds a tactical element to the necron army and his special abilities can be used to confuse and annoy your enemy. If you use his special abilities constantly he will be well worth his point value. However, he still has the same weaknesses as the nightbringer
Pros
Great special abilities
Good stats
Cons
Will draw lots of enemy fire
Doesn't have a ranged attack
High point cost
My Overall Rating
The deceiver is a very tactical leader and if you make good use of his powers he will be worth his point cost. He is slightly less powerful than the nightbringer so try and protect him from the most devastating enemy fire.