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Hi everyone

I’m currently converting a robotic Mechanicus army using the Necron Codex: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/228258.page But despite the fact that all the conversions look fantastic, I fear that it will play poorly when pitted against competitive armies which is what I often face.


(Warrior, Lord, Immortal)

Back when I started the project in January last year I choose to base the army on the Necron codex as it was the best choice for the theme.

Back then Necrons were a force to be reckoned with and were a common sight at tournaments but now with the 5th edition rules Necrons have a large number of issues with things such as anti-tank and combat, these have made them one of the most difficult armies to use in 40k.

Now everyone I know suggests that I ditch the Necrons and use another codex for the army, I would prefer to keep them as Necrons but to have the problems that they have at the moment for so long, since GW have yet to start work on a new codex I’m really unsure on what to do? I don’t want to convert an army just to lose games with it, so I’m looking for opinions on what I should do about the matter…

“Should I Use Another Codex For This Theme And If So Which Would Be Best Suited, Or Should I Find Someway To Use The Necron Codex?”

Very nice models.
Necrons is the army closest to your models.
On the other hand, you could think about a Techmarine with retinue?

stick with the necrons, still a great army if you know how to use them

Tau or eldar look like they could work aswell.

I'd suggest you use chaos space marines and have the robots be thousand sons. Your smaller robots can be either A: summoned demons (they burrow or teleport in) or B: one of the fast attack choices. The machine lord would be a sorcerer (psychic test? well, machines do risk getting possessed when you make them too smart.) the bigger machines can be terminators or dreads (this works even better, because again, the crazed rule represents the fact that machines get possessed in 40k when you make them too smart.)

What about Daemonhunters with an Inquisitor and Grey Knights?

The way I see I have two options available which is one of the two marine codexs each come with certain traits suitable for the theme...

Loyal Space Marines
PROS
Master Of The Forge: Can’t get anymore Mechanicus than that.
The Conversions: The robot conversions I’ve made so far are suitable for representing marines, scouts and terminators; I could even convert my destroyer conversions to be attack bikes or land speeders. (look at my log to see the models I’m referring to)
We're the Good Guys: Most people don’t realize that the Zanatorians are out to protect humanity; they just go about doing it the wrong way. By using the marine codex I can play for humanity at campaign weekends.
CONS
Leadership: Not only are the marines not fearless but each squad requires a veteran sergeant to boost leadership and robots don’t require squad leaders.
Toughness: Robots are stronger than a flesh and blood marine and there is nothing in this codex to represent this.

Chaos Space Marines
PROS
Good Units For Robots: Obliterators, Deamon Princes, Defilers, Dreadnoughts the list goes on for units suitable for representing machines.
Robots Don’t Know Fear: Most units in the chaos codex are either fearless or leadership 10 meaning I’m not forced to give each squad a leader adding to the fluff that there is only one man behind this army of machines.
Durability: A robot is bound to be harder to bring down than a space marine and with the mark of Nurgle this can be easily represented.
Weapons: Inferno Bolts and Sonic Blasters would allow me to use the models with the guass weapon and therefore remove the need to make the weapons exchangeable.
CONS
They’re The Bad Guys: Not much of an issue unless I play in a campaign.
Been There Done That: I already have a Death Guard army so using the codex could produce a similar play experience and I hate to have to armies that play the same, so this is a major downside.

It is clear that I will have to create an army using one of these codexs, though I most likely will try and still use them as Necrons now and then.

what about nids?

being as they are robots and not "vehicles" i think the monstrous creature rules work well

synapse could be the communication range ect.

Well, the sergeants could be robots that relay the signals from the commander. Because their AI is still rudimentary or something >_> The fall back is because of interruptions in the communication between between commander and troops... So they fall back to get... better reception? O.o

And on the durability of your robots. Necrons are made completely from living metal and they're still T4. I don't see why your robots, which aren't made of living metal, should be tougher than necrons.

I think that something like Iyanden eldar could work. Wraithlords, wraithguard, all with warlocks leading the way (techmarines). Not sure what other units you would use, but it should work.

Someones made a good point and I've added it to the PROS, the fact that with chaos I can use my guass looking weapon to represent sonic blasters or inferno bolts.

By the way I thought I'd post show you the image of the model and the two weapons I've made for it:

Well, nothing we can say can be more accurate then what your feeling tells you 0.o

when you made the army, were you thinking of making them good guys or bad guys?

There is nothing worse than been forced to play them as Adeptus mechanicus when you made them as necrons ( or vice versa for example)

LunaHound wrote:
Well, nothing we can say can be more accurate then what your feeling tells you 0.o

when you made the army, were you thinking of making them good guys or bad guys?

There is nothing worse than been forced to play them as Adeptus mechanicus when you made them as necrons ( or vice versa for example)

Like i mention they fight for humanity they're just not loyal to the imperium, I'm still building the Necron force I just want to create a 2nd force beside it to use until the new necron codex comes out.

There is a Adeptus Mechanicus Pre-codex by an Austrailan GW playtester I do beleive. It's actually pretty entailed and pretty good. From what I have seen from that codex, witchhunters would be the best exisitng codex to represent this army. The flagellents would be combat servitors, the penitent engines would be the giant robots, the inquisitors can maybe be made into techpreists.