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Well, my friend runs a Necron army and it has yet to lose it's Monolith, so I come to you Dakka, how can I destroy they thing? For AP weapons I only have a dev squad, dread with multimelta and a Vindicator, along with a few tacs. I also have a CC Termi squad that has TH/SS only.

Easiest way is Phase Out.

Other than that, maybe try putting that Dreadnought into a Drop Pod so it can try to melt it the first turn. Hopefully it will survive that turn and be able to assault it the next turn, because that is even more effective than the Multi-Melta.

If you can, get a LR for those TH/SS termies and race them up to it, then they should be able to handle it fairly well.

The Vindicator is good, but it would be more useful attacking the Necrons rather than wasting time on the Monolith. It should be kept out of range of the Monolith as well. If you get lucky and just Imobilize it instead, just stay out of range and problem is solved. All you really have to do is shake it each turn so it can't shoot you. Then it just floats around menacingly, but harmlessly.

I don't remember the LR at the moment, but the one with Assault Ramps obviously

Unless you have railguns there is no point trying to take out a monolith at range. Or in fact at all. If you happen to have a dreadnaught next to it, smack it up in combat, but dreads will almost certainly be better off going into warrior squads.

Really, just take out as many warriors as you can as quickly as you can. The Monolith is a huge points sink which means less necrons, take out the weakest ones (warriors) and the rest of his army, including the monolith will phase out.

If there are enough warriors in reserve killing a monolith can be mandatory.
Best way to do so as a SM are Dreads in CC, TH-Termies and Vindicators. Though chances on success are more than bad...
And don't try lascannons, it's a 5,5% chance to destroy it per HIT, so for reliable results you'd need about 12 Lascannon shots. Way too expensive to field those...

I suggest ignoring the Monolith. Your heavy shooting is best done elsewhere.

But if you are determined to kill it for bragging rights, then the Vindicator is your best bet (though at that range it can do the same to you).

The TH will be glancing on 6s but with so many attacks you should get a few glances in. (This is assuming ye play that 7th Weapon Destroyed = Immobilised; because in theory the Monolith can't be destroyed with Glancing hits)

Thanatos_elNyx wrote:

because in theory the Monolith can't be destroyed with Glancing hits)

How so? You roll a 6 for penetration, you roll another 6 on the damage table -2 for glancing hit gives you a 4 and add 1 for ap1 waepon and down goes the Monolith.

EDIT: "because in theory the Monolith can't be destroyed with Glancing hits (without other modifiers))"

Space Marines don't have a huge abundance of AP1 Weaponry

True, but with Vulkan they are all about Melta spam now. It's possible, just very very unlikely to destroy it through Glancing hits. That's why I suggested simple shaking it, stops it from shooting and makes it fly around aimlessly. Unless they have Necrons in reserve though, but then you just keep a Vindicator nearby

Well, actually, shaking it isn't too useful, as the Particle Whip can always fire (even if it's shaken or stunned)

EDIT: Oh, it can also still transport units while shaken/stunned too

NEVER shoot at a monolith. It's pointless. You probably won't kill it, and if you are shooting at it, it means you aren't shooting at anything else. The most important thing to remember is that the monolith reduces the Necrons' phase out count, so all you have to do is kill enough warriors / destroyers / heavy destroyers and you will phase them out.

The particle whip is nice, but honestly I wouldn't worry too much about it. The only currently viable Necron build is destroyer and heavy destroyer spam in my opinion. And even that is debatable.

Isnt a SM orbital bombardment str9 or 10? I konw its a one shot thing, but why not try it on the monolith if you just HAVE to blow it up. If not, I agree, just stay the hell away from the thing. Its really tough and CAN kick some major booty when in the right spots.

Thats pretty much what I do as of right now with my boyz and LR. those things are so tough for CC Orks to take out its not even funny, and usually there is a nasty surprise waiting inside lol. Im in the process of building some big gunz, and 3 of them are going to be Zzap guns with the hopes, that they roll strong enough to do something

Thanks for the help guys, but I've tried the melta thing, they only roll 1d6 armour pen cause of the things crazy armour (Unless he is using an older codex and that rule doesn't apply anymore)

Zarake wrote:Thanks for the help guys, but I've tried the melta thing, they only roll 1d6 armour pen cause of the things crazy armour (Unless he is using an older codex and that rule doesn't apply anymore)

Nope its still there lol

Meh, shoot it full of railgun holes.

But hes a SM player...... blasted FISH HEAD!

Ahhhh the Mono... The key building block to any Necron army. But if that lucky shot occurs early, things unravel quickly

SM orbital is Str.10 AP1, but I don't have a unit that can do that, unless I use my captain as a Chapter Master. It's also had to avoid, because it keeps bringing his warriors back so they wont phase out. As for the Melta plan I've tried, but since that extra die goes away it is a pain...I tend to avoid the thing but he uses it as a screen for his lesser units.

In a space marine army what you want to do is time your assaults just right to force phase out. Necrons arn't fearless so if you win assault by a large number then chances are you can run down the unit you just beat.

However, if you do end up needing to take down a monolith you have only three good options, but lets go through some of the other options people have mentioned:

Melta: Even with AP1 your chance of destroying a monolith is 1.7% or 2.2% with a vulkan twin link per shot fired. Not good odds.

Dreadnought: For each swing at a monolith that has moved combat speed you have a 5.45% chance of destroying it. However, a monolith that hasn't moved or is immobilized has a 10.9% chance toi be destroyed per attack made.

Vindicator: First you must land the center hole over the monolith Lets say you have an 80% chance of that, if you do that then you also have a 8.7% chance of destroying it.

Lascannon: Has a 2.64% chance to destroy the monolith per shot fired

Chapter Master Orbital Bombardment: At an estimated 60% chance to hit you'll have about an 11.5% chance of destroying the monolith.

In other words: Kill all the other Necrons!

We're playing today, but the fact his Night Bringer was finished just brought my assult troops into a scarry situation.

The Bombardment always scattes 2D6" though and the BS isn't taken away from it. So, it's probably only worth using if they're crowded around the Monolith.


Didn't notice the shaken/stunned thing. Good thing it tried to drop near my guys scattered onto them and got redeployed by me because of the mishap table. Only to be placed ontop of a ruin on the other side of the field. Dangerous terrain roll was a one. It stayed there the entire game and I stayed out of range of it the entire game.

N0t_u:

Might want to look up the mobnolith rules, if it scatters onto enemy units, the units are moved and it gets deployed. It is that HUGE.

KingCracker wrote:But hes a SM player...... blasted FISH HEAD!

Smack it with a power weapon? Isn't that what assault terminators are for?

Every time I have wasted warboss or nob attacks on the monolith I have ended up regretting it. An entire assault I could have used to try and wipe out a squad of warriors.

But I keep attacking the thing, with the hope that it will die, and my friend will stop and think next time he uses it as a shield.

Unfortunetally my friend is smart and knows his odds are much better than mine and will enjoy watching me lose out on a usefull assault phase.

best way to kill monoliths= Ironclad dreadnoughts with seismic hammers, attempt to stun it so it can't move and then your str 10 +1 damage table can damage it easily as anything ever will.

but seriously,The Monolith is supposed to be a totally indestructible vehicle and it does a very good job of it, go for phase out. Necrons are lamely easy to SA(with I 2, )

asugradinwa wrote:N0t_u:

Might want to look up the mobnolith rules, if it scatters onto enemy units, the units are moved and it gets deployed. It is that HUGE.

That was true under 4th edition. In 5th, there is a deep strike mishap table.
Enemy models are impassable terrain.
If the monolith scatters onto impassable terrain it suffers a deep strike mishap.
Where the necron codex comes into play is if a 1 or 2 is rolled on the deep strike mishap table, the monolith isn't destroyed, it is placed back in reserve.
This is also noted in the latest INAT FAQ.

And yes, monoliths can be shaken or stunned, but the only weapon that can be destroyed is the gauss flux arc. The power matrix can never be destroyed so the monolith will always have a weapon available, the particle whip.

time wizard wrote:

asugradinwa wrote:N0t_u:

Might want to look up the mobnolith rules, if it scatters onto enemy units, the units are moved and it gets deployed. It is that HUGE.

That was true under 4th edition. In 5th, there is a deep strike mishap table.
Enemy models are impassable terrain.
If the monolith scatters onto impassable terrain it suffers a deep strike mishap.
Where the necron codex comes into play is if a 1 or 2 is rolled on the deep strike mishap table, the monolith isn't destroyed, it is placed back in reserve.
This is also noted in the latest INAT FAQ.

And yes, monoliths can be shaken or stunned, but the only weapon that can be destroyed is the gauss flux arc. The power matrix can never be destroyed so the monolith will always have a weapon available, the particle whip.

RAW, you are almost right. The Monolith's rules state: Because of the sheer mass of the Monolith, it is not destroyed if there are enemy within 1" when it arrives. Instead, move any models that are in the way the minimum distance necessary to make space for the Monolith.
So a Monolith scattering onto enemy models will still need to roll on the Deepstrike Mishap Table. A roll of a 1 or 2 would then result in the Monolith being deployed exactly where it scattered to, with the enemy models moving the minimum distance necessary to make space for it. Deepstrike Mishap Table results of a 3,4,5 or 6 will be handled like any other unit (the Monoliths special rule never comes into play, as it wouldn't be destroyed as a result of landing within 1" of an enemy model). Deepstrike Mishap Table results of 5 or 6 on turn 5 or later, will (according to RAW) also cause the Monolith to be deployed as normal.

Having said that, it is obvious that the rules are intended to allow the Monolith to deploy whenever it lands on enemy models. The sheer mass of the Monolith doesn't suddenly decrease if the result of the Mishap is not a destroyed Monolith! Anyone who would argue the Monolith not being deployed when landing within 1" of enemy models is clearly TFG in my book.

Wow im amazed no one has brought this up. Dont use vortex of doom much people?

Its the space marines portable rail gun all bundled up in a walking tank aka termie armour space marine libby.

Granted you could fail and there goes your libby but hes a hell of alot more dependable then a lascannon to down the thing.

Everyone says ignore it and go for a phase out, which usually is a good idea.

I say burn the fether to the ground

How to do: Dreads CC attacks are a win here, they should be able to kill it with ease.

Vindicators!: S10 means you can get a pen hit on a 5+, due to its stats you get +1 on the chart, meaning you need a 4+ to blow it up.
2 Vindicators should get this done quickly, once they have done that you can also start dropping pie plates on his army, which wont take long to finish off.

I dropped 4 vindicator shots on one monolith over 2 turns.
First turn, hit on scatter, 2 glancing results.
Second turn, both scatter, no damage.
Next battle I dropped the vindicator shots on his heavy destroyers and troops.
First turn, 4 of 6 heavy destroyers lost.
Second turn, heavy destroyer lost, warriors brutalized, fail morale, fall back.
Much more effective.

JD21290 wrote:Everyone says ignore it and go for a phase out, which usually is a good idea.

I say burn the fether to the ground

How to do: Dreads CC attacks are a win here, they should be able to kill it with ease.

Vindicators!: S10 means you can get a pen hit on a 5+, due to its stats you get +1 on the chart, meaning you need a 4+ to blow it up.
2 Vindicators should get this done quickly, once they have done that you can also start dropping pie plates on his army, which wont take long to finish off.

even eldar player like me, who has at my command Wraithcannons, Fire dragons, Witchblades and haywire grenades, I still aim for phase out. The monolith is just a really tough nut to crack... I think i'd only dedicate a unit to try and kill it if i couldn't target anything else.