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Looking for a few good men or women to guide me in the appropriate uses of the Necron Monolith's Power Matrix special rule. During a nail-biting Grey Knights vs. Necrons match, two problematic questions arose (I don't need to tell you that they would've decided the game.). First, can a Monolith activate its portal function (second option, see below) to teleport a Necron unit within 18" to its portal in the same turn that it has arrived via deep strike? Second, while it is a given that the Monolith cannot shoot its gauss flux arc (a Heavy weapon) and discharge its particle whip (an Ordnance weapon) in the same turn, can the Monolith fire its gauss flux arc AND use the portal function of the Power Matrix in the same turn?

Not all of you will have your 3rd edition Necron codex lying around, so here's the unabridged text of the rule:

"Power Matrix: The Necron Monolith is capable of focusing incredible, unearthly energies. The power matrix cannot be disabled by a 'weapon destroyed' result and may be used even if the Monolith moves, or is shaken or stunned.

"The Monolith may use its matrix in one of the following ways each Necron turn:
1. In the Shooting phase it may discharge the matrix's energy as a particle whip.
or
2. In the Movement phase it may use its portal to bring units held in reserve into play, or allow entire Necron units to phase out and re-enter play by emerging from the Monolith portal as if they were disembarking from an access point on a transport vehicle. The access point is the portal at the front of the model.
The Portal is used in the Necron Movement phase as follows:
] If a unit of Necron Warriors is eligible to enter play from reserve (see the Necron Warriors entry) then they must emerge from the portal even if you would prefer to fire the particle whip. Only one unit of Warriors can enter play from each Monolith in a single turn. The Necron player can decide which.
] If there are no eligible reserves, and a Necron unit (specifically Warriors, Immortals, Flayed Ones, Destroyers, Heavy Destroyers, or Wraiths and any Necron Lord that has joined such a unit) is at least partially within 18" of the Monolith -even if they are in close combat- they may phase out and re-emerge from the portal. Any models in the unit that, although eligible to self-repair, failed their 'We'll be back' roll at the start of the turn and were removed, may re-roll once as they emerge from the portal. If you intend to use the portal in this way during a turn then leave models that failed to self-repair on their sides until the end of the Movement phase. A unit phasing out to re-emerge from the portal may not move before phasing out."

There is a *lot* of unnecessary information here, but I have a duty to report the entire rule. My Grey Knight opponent and I were trying to figure out just how the power matrix worked, and he supposed that since the deep striking Monolith arrives at the beginning of the Movement phase, and it can't otherwise move, it has no business trying to use another function during that same Movement phase. As for the other problem, I just didn't fire the gauss flux arc that turn. (But I wanted to.)

Anyone got some easy answers for me with good reasoning/evidence behind them? I'd rather not start every game by dicing off over these- last game it was the difference between snatching a Lord and Warriors out of charge range of Terminators and having that same Necron unit swept. (And I'm sure I'd want to use those flux arc projectors some time in the future.) Thanks in advance!

From the rules that you ahve put forth it doesn't seem as though there is anything keeping the Lith from doing this. The description states "in the movement phase" so it's not limiting it to a certain time during the meoemnt phase nor in place of moving. You left out key wording that supports being able to do this...


"...access point on a stationary transport vehicle (even if the Monolith moved)"

So this assumes that moving and using this function is perfectly legal.

Thank you, BlueDagger. I assume you're talking about both questions? Also, that 'key wording' you quote is not present in my 3rd edition Necrons codex (published 2002?). Should I assume that there was a reprinting of the Necron codex, that added/removed clarifying/confusing wording?

Con Carne wrote:Thank you, BlueDagger. I assume you're talking about both questions? Also, that 'key wording' you quote is not present in my 3rd edition Necrons codex (published 2002?). Should I assume that there was a reprinting of the Necron codex, that added/removed clarifying/confusing wording?

The answer is yes to both questions, and yes there was an update to the codex. Check your table of contents page; If you have the latest edition there will be the words "Second Printing" Just above the mailing addresses for the various GW centers.

EDIT it seems you have the latest printing, Carne. The Second Printing no longer has the text you 'left out'. Still, you may use the portal even if the Monolith has DS that turn, the TP'd unit simply may not move after emerging from the portal.

Thank you both. On a related note: at first I dismissed the 5th edition Necron FAQ as unhelpful (it contradicts one or two clearly stated rules in the codex in an attempt to answer a question), but I found a text example of deep striking a Monolith then immediately using the portal function of the Power Matrix:

Page 3 of the mind-numbingly long Codex: Necrons FAQ:

"Q. If a Monolith held in reserve becomes available, what happens to any squads of Warriors also held in reserve?

"A. When rolling for regular reserves that include a Monolith and one or more squads of Necron Warriors that are using their reserves special rule, roll for reserves as normal. If the Monolith is available, it can enter the table following the normal reserves rules as described in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. If any one the squads of Warriors also become available, one must now be deployed via the Monolith's portal ability. If one or more of these squads become available, but there are not enough Monoliths on the table (yet) to allow them all to move onto the table, the units that cannot enter will be delayed, as described in the Deep Strike Mishap table."

So if some Grey Knights player doesn't want you to teleport your Lord & Warriors out of Terminator charge range and uncomfortably close to a 2-man Tactical squad parked on an objective on the same turn your Monolith deep strikes...calmly tell him to stow it and check out the precedent. Thank you all for your time!

Hold on a minute now. What's this bit about in your last post? Did he have warriors in reserve at the time of the deepstrike? Were they in normal reserve or special reserve? I think you have more questions that you have not actually answered.

Kitzz, I appreciate your effort to help me, but Warriors coming in from reserves were not the issue. I had none coming in; I only wished to know whether I could activate the Power Matrix to teleport a unit within 18" to the Monolith on the same turn that the Monolith arrived from deep striking.

My citation of the Necron 5th Edition FAQ ("one [unit of Warriors in reserve] must now be deployed via the Monolith's portal ability") is only relevant in that the FAQ described a situation where the Monolith arrived from Deep Strike and immediately used the portal function of its Power Matrix. The rules establish a precedent for the case I mentioned above; therefore, I have the power to teleport a unit of, say, Flayed Ones within 18" to the front of the Monolith on the same turn that the Monolith arrives.