Necrons, top 3 armies or not?

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**Orock**

People are trying to convince me that necrons are not in the top 3 armies, like not even close, mid tier at best. Now naturally having a sense of humor I laughed and laughed. Here is a poll. Answer how you feel.

Personally I would rank the armies

Eldar
Necrons
Marines

everyone else.

Whats your opinion (emphasis opinion)

**Vaktathi**

They're certainly one of the top 3 armies, I don't know on what planet someone would argue they aren't, but I not one I live on.

**Fruzzle**

I think they are definitely in the top 3 (with marines and eldar) but there ''automatic'' power level is a bit lower.

With this I mean that it is easier to go ''wrong'' with necrons than it is with the other two. But what other army is supposed to take the top 3 spot if not crons? I can't think of any other army with the same inherent power level.

**vipoid**

I'd rank them below Marines and Eldar, but yeah.

One thing - might War Convocation be strong enough to displace them, or are they stronger than that?

**wuestenfux**

Well, Necrons are still top 3.
There are several top builds out there.

**BlaxicanX**

They aren't top 3 as they've yet to win a GT in 7th edition whereas Daemons, Eldar and SM all have (iirc).

They're definitely top 5 though.

**Vaktathi**

Fruzzle wrote:
I think they are definitely in the top 3 (with marines and eldar) but there ''automatic'' power level is a bit lower.

With this I mean that it is easier to go ''wrong'' with necrons than it is with the other two.

I'd almost say the exact opposite, the raw resiliency, speed, and flexibility of necron armies using their Decurion detachment (I've yet to encounter a Necron army with the new codex that didn't use it more than I think 2 times) makes them super hard to go wrong with, they can recover from almost anything and engage just about anything

vipoid wrote:
I'd rank them below Marines and Eldar, but yeah.

One thing - might War Convocation be strong enough to displace them, or are they stronger than that?

To be fair, that's a single formation with units from ostensibly three different armies

BlaxicanX wrote:
They aren't top 3 as they've yet to win a GT in 7th edition whereas Daemons, Eldar and SM all have (iirc).

They're definitely top 5 though.

Hrm, I dunno if I buy that logic. They may not have placed straight up first, but "first" place is highly variable, and can often be separated from a 5th or 8th place finish by a single dice roll. They've had a disproportionate presence in the top 15-25 places (which is probably a better overall metric) of every major event since February or March that I can recall.

**vipoid**

Vaktathi wrote:
To be fair, that's a single formation with units from ostensibly three different armies

Oh, indeed. But, I'm still curious as to whether it's stronger.

**Vaktathi**

vipoid wrote:
Vaktathi wrote:
To be fair, that's a single formation with units from ostensibly three different armies

Oh, indeed. But, I'm still curious as to whether it's stronger.

I'd probably rate it pretty equal, it'd be hard to say definitively I think, there's a ton of variables in there, and would depend on the points value (1500 is a world different than 1850 or 2000 there).

**BlaxicanX**

Vaktathi wrote:
Hrm, I dunno if I buy that logic. They may not have placed straight up first, but "first" place is highly variable, and can often be separated from a 5th or 8th place finish by a single dice roll. They've had a disproportionate presence in the top 15-25 places (which is probably a better overall metric) of every major event since February or March that I can recall.

True, but every factor you've just listed is true for the armies I've mentioned as well, yet 'crons are still the only ones in that category to have not won one yet.

**DaPino**

Vaktathi wrote:

vipoid wrote:
I'd rank them below Marines and Eldar, but yeah.

One thing - might War Convocation be strong enough to displace them, or are they stronger than that?
To be fair, that's a single formation with units from ostensibly three different armies

Does that really matter though? Allies are a thing and if army X+ army Y > Necrons then I definitely wouldn't rate Necrons top 3.
I might rate them "Top 3 armies to run in a pure no-allies list" tough. However, the fact remains that armies cannot easily be rated in a vacuum because it doesn't display the potential the army has on the board (because of allies).

**vipoid**

The other aspect is that I wouldn't really count Skitarii and Cult Mechanicus as 2 armies, but rather one army spread over 2 books because GW cash grab.

**Vaktathi**

DaPino wrote:
Vaktathi wrote:

vipoid wrote:
I'd rank them below Marines and Eldar, but yeah.

One thing - might War Convocation be strong enough to displace them, or are they stronger than that?
To be fair, that's a single formation with units from ostensibly three different armies

Does that really matter though?

If we're ranking armies by faction yes. Otherwise one could just consider "The Imperium" as one army. Space Wolves by themselves are thoroughly mid tier, but when you pair a TWC deathstar with a BA Sanguinary Priest and White Scars biker librarians, you can get a truly abominable top tier army, but nobody really considers that Space Wolves are otherwise top tier.

vipoid wrote:
The other aspect is that I wouldn't really count Skitarii and Cult Mechanicus as 2 armies, but rather one army spread over 2 books because GW cash grab.

There's a good point to be made there, though they don't seem too terribly complementary the way they've been set up otherwise.

**Sarigar**

I am not really even sure how to answer this poll. Is Necrons a top 3 army in regards to what? ITC, ETC, ATC, NOVA, Rulebook missions, top army book, pick up games, top 3 overall tourney finisher, etc....

At a local 18 person one day tourney, we had Demons, Eldar, Tyranids and Demonkin in the top four slots and there were at least 2 Necron armies present. We used Warzone Atlanta missions and army design, so how does that affect army playability?

Essentially, there are so many variables that have not been factored into your poll, the poll really couldn't tell me anything.

**King Pariah**

When not including allies? Yes, they easily take 3rd.

Allies included? Nope, pretty certain they're not in the top 3.

**vipoid**

Really? I thought Necrons were one of the armies that didn't really use allies.

**Mantorok**

The real question should be are Eldar still in top 3 with allies?

Also are we including FW models in this estimation? Cause I feel like that should be one of the stipulations.

**jreilly89**

Definitely. They may not have the killing powe other armies do, but their survivability and ability to camp objectives easily puts them in at least the Top 5, but I'd argue Top 3.

**luky7dayz**

I think they're tied for third with Tau, a lot of it comes down to chance. Riptides are pretty OP, and while the new changes were rather lacklustre they also haven't nerfed anything, so tau still has a huge gunline.

**Orock**

Sarigar wrote:
I am not really even sure how to answer this poll. Is Necrons a top 3 army in regards to what? ITC, ETC, ATC, NOVA, Rulebook missions, top army book, pick up games, top 3 overall tourney finisher, etc....

At a local 18 person one day tourney, we had Demons, Eldar, Tyranids and Demonkin in the top four slots and there were at least 2 Necron armies present. We used Warzone Atlanta missions and army design, so how does that affect army playability?

Essentially, there are so many variables that have not been factored into your poll, the poll really couldn't tell me anything.

Its rated off experience and common sense. So many others didn't have a hard time voting, especially after reading the in your opinion clause at the bottom. If you require further clarification, its in a vacume. No ally shenanigans that can push any army potentially to the tip with broken combinations.

**die toten hosen**

luky7dayz wrote:
I think they're tied for third with Tau, a lot of it comes down to chance. Riptides are pretty OP, and while the new changes were rather lacklustre they also haven't nerfed anything, so tau still has a huge gunline.

i would say that necrons are a very clear third if not second to eldar on the list, coming before space marines.

tau gunlines are strong but when you go up against an army that is both generally high model count with incredible durability like the necrons have then you run into issues.

I have played and watched numerous games against necrons, using my tau, and have never succeeded in focusing a full unit down in a turn and i run a fairly power list. dumped three riptides, the entire load-out of the stormsurge, and some fireblade firewarriors into a ten man necron warrior unit and managed to kill 3. beginning og next turn 2 of those three were brought back with a ghost ark.

Not even gonna bring up what his wraiths managed to do to my stormsurge.

**Dozer Blades**

I think they are top three and will be a very solid counter to Tau since they are so unkillable. You can have an army composed with a large percentage of multi wound T5 models with the equivalent of a 4++ FNP.