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So I recently got to thinking about how to utilize Flayed Ones to the best of their abilities. I've read the other tactic which relies on writhing worldscape to potentially prevent a counter assault, but I decided to come up with another tactic which I think would be very powerful indeed. It is somewhat expensive so I would really only recommend it in games over 1500pts, but I'll let you be the judge of that. Here's what you need as a base:

Imhotek - for his Bloodswarm ability

Zahndrekh - for his plethora of abilities to grant counter-attack, stealth, and furious charge (anyone of these combined with the flayed ones imo would be just nasty). Also his rez orb will make your flayed ones more durable

Cryptek with a veil - so you don't have to reserve your flayed ones and can pop them down any turn you want inside your enemies lines without scattering assuming you are utilizing Imhotek's bloodswarm benefit. This also allows Zahndrekh to join the unit and deepstrike with them.

20 flayed ones

So for roughly 730pts you get a pretty durable unit that has adaptive combat tactics and can deepstrike without teleporting. Like I said: expensive, but compared to the other close combat alternatives in the codex I think it's a pretty solid 22 man unit. And with Imhotek's night fighting rules I think this would work great for a foot list as you move the rest of your necron hordes up and then use the veil when they are close enough to get involved if need be.

So what do you think? Also I'm curious to see what other people's ideas are for using flayed ones are as well.

Problem with the bloodswarm ability is that it is random. Id love to find a way to use flayed ones effectively but i dont see it happening in 5th ed... Maybe if you can assault after deepstriking, but until then they are pretty big fodder.

Crypteks cannot attach to flayed one units.

There has been a discussion in the Tremortek/Writhing Worldscape thread about using Flayed Ones, since they can easily chase things down when those things are in difficult terrain all the time and get hurt for trying to run.

CKO wrote:Crypteks cannot attach to flayed one units.

Ah damn, you're right. Guess I didn't read that part carefully enough. Well, the only other option I would think to get a veil in there is stick Obyron in and that is just getting way too expensive. Still it might be fun to play around with once. But yeah, the bloodswarm ability is random, I was just thinking that it would be a safe launching point to deepstrike since you don't scatter to get within the enemies ranks and let the havok ensue. But yes hopefully they will be better in 6E.

Flayed One's trump card is their deployment flexibility. This is going to make an opponent think hard when he is deploying, especially if you're going second (Necrons love being given second turn).

Opponents deploying first have to consider outflanking Flayed Ones, Deepstriking Flayed Ones, and Infiltrating Flayed Ones.