Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

From our blog www.queencityguard.com

So Long To My 3ed. Necrons…

I know it may be a bit premature, but with rumors flying and better detail coming out almost weekly on the 5ed (6ed?) Necrons I think it is time to pour a little liquour on the ground for my Chrome Homies.

Now, a lot of players really won’t miss the current Necron Codex. It certainly had run its course and in the face of newer codexes, really falls flat from in the ability to customize certain builds and stay competitive. However, I’m here to tell you that the codex was wonderful in its simplicity, and starting out in 5ed it helped guide a Cincinnati Warhammer 40K NOOB

METALLIC GREATNESS.

1) Lack of Troop Options.
For a Noob this really an awesome thing. You get 1 troop choice and exactly 1 upgrade available taking your unit to a convenient 200pts per 10. Sergeant with different statlines? Nope? Shooting more than one weapon… Nope. Differing saves? Nope. Transport Nope. The Necron Warrior units simplicity was vital to a new player entering the game. You got exactly what you paid for and you played it in a basic format.

As a new player, instead of staring at which special weapon to use or figuring out a special rule (WBB aside) you spent time “Playing your army”. It allowed you to realize when your weapons were effective and when they weren’t. You couldn’t be snowed into thinking your Warrior unit was effective combat because you got off a combi-flamer round as you assaulted a horde of orks charging into HTH.

You learned how to move with your unit, you realized that despite WBB and Res Orbs you were vulnberable. Sit, Fire and figure out how to get outta Dodge city before you were assaulted.

2) Terrible Elites (and expensive – metal).
Terrible Elites goes hand in hand w/ Lack of troop option to make the current codex a winner. Heck, even if you wanted to try and field a unit of something, the net cost of 10 Pariahs or Flayed ones stayed your hand. So you were left to migrate back to your troops.

3) One Vehicle.
Sure AV14, Living metal is pretty much awesome. It was mobile terrain for your force as you tried to pull positioning. You could use it to move troops into more conducive areas of the battlefield. Net benefit was that you learned the effectiveness of mobility. I never spammed Monos, probably should have but felt that good players rarely looked at them to take out being much more interested in Phase out. Advent of the DOA armies served to reinforce this as well.

4) Simple FA choices.
Wraiths had a great stat line and hard as nails in HTH, Destroyer platforms really benefited from multiple units and Scarabs were great tarpits and providing cover as needed. The only issue with the FA choices is that they rarely could be used in conjunction with one another, totally lacking in any synergy. Wraiths worked well in 2 or 3 units of 3+ and Destroyers in 2 or 3 units of 4/5.

5) Ease of painting.
Lets be honest. Is there an army that you can get to the table faster and have look great? I bought a Necron Phalanx left over from the Apoc push for around $150 bucks. Assembled, painted and based in a weekend. While I am not a NOOB painter, I can see the attraction of this army to someone who is. It is tough to do really sexy necrons but they don’t have to be ultra original.

* assemble
* Prime Black
* Nickel metal spray (Krylon)
* Badab black
* Green Detail: Dark Angels Green, Goblin Green Highlight, Scorpion Green Highlight
* Sand and Paint the base. VIOLA… Necrons in weekend. NECRON GALLERY

6) Getting Pasted.
Nothing teaches you to play a game like getting pasted a few times and I was pasted a ton with my ‘Crons. Eventually I got better and even won a game or two. I considered it a good game if I was able to hold my own even the game was a late turn loss to a quality player. The difference between losing with Crons vesus a more complex codex (Space Marines) is that I learned more about the game. When I’d lose with Space Marines (my other starter army) I was often confused to the reason. Was it my play on the table or my inability to construct a unit/army in an efficient manner. The Necron simplicity took the issue of army construction mostly out of your hands allowing you to focus on your play. Reasons why I lost were more easily identified and correct for future games.

So the point of my rambling is that while the 3ed Necron codex is ready to be put out to pasture it serverd a purpose for me and a purpose for the game. The game needs an easy entry army. Not easy to win with, but easy to play, that doesn’t “overcomplicate” things until you get the basics down. As a more seasoned player now, I wouldn’t give up the options that are coming for the boys in metal. But maybe, just maybe….GW needs to consider how they introduce the game in simpler manner to new players as codices grow more complex.

The easy entry army is Space Marines; they've been in every starter set because, well, they were easy to enter with!

I don't see the core mechanics of the Necron army going away, and I doubt what you've got will be invalidated. They had so few choices already, there's not much to invalidate. I can understand there being a bit of a fond farewell to the Necrons codex, but I'm thinking it's more like Stockholm Syndrome than anything else!

Brother SRM wrote:The easy entry army is Space Marines; they've been in every starter set because, well, they were easy to enter with!

I don't see the core mechanics of the Necron army going away, and I doubt what you've got will be invalidated. They had so few choices already, there's not much to invalidate. I can understand there being a bit of a fond farewell to the Necrons codex, but I'm thinking it's more like Stockholm Syndrome than anything else!

I try and define ease of entry. I don't believe Space Marines is Easy entry due to the complexity in the codex, not availability of a cheap starter force.

The entire article is a lament at the loss of a codex which teaches 40K at a basic level (at the expense of variety in the codex) which for me proved a huge benefit. At no point am I concerned about my army being "invalidated" or the figures I own being less than useful. In the last paragraph I even state....

As a more seasoned player now, I wouldn’t give up the options that are coming for the boys in metal.

I haven't played them in over a year either since I moved to a BA force but I do have a fondness for them as I do believe they taught me the game basics. Maybe I just take longer to glean the complexity/layers in force organization and construction than most Noobs.

Very nice post.

I started with Eldar, and yea as a n00b, the options were completely overwhelming, as well as figuring out and remembering all the special rules.

Very steep learning curve, but the wins that come later after you figure it out are well earned.

So I understand the appeal of the simple to play army.

It does not sound like it took you any longer to learn than anyone else.

jgemrich wrote:
I try and define ease of entry. I don't believe Space Marines is Easy entry due to the complexity in the codex, not availability of a cheap starter force.

I think they're easier to learn than Necrons, if only because they don't have WBB which can be a little confusing to a new player. There's options for later on that are more complex, but tactical Marines, a captain, and a few rhinos are really easy to understand.