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I have enough money for a doomsday ark but im wondering if my money is better spent on a different model?
I've listed what i currently have and am wondering what is the best choice for a take all comers list*

*note: the most common armies i fight are MEQs and orks (I hate those green hordes)

So right now i have:

23 warriors

2 lords (one with a res orb)

1 cryptek

6 scarabs

5 lych guards with dispersion shield builds

So dakka members i need your advice

I wouldn't use it as a Doom Ark... I would use it as a Ghost Ark to support your Warriors.

BUT, I would probably spend the money on an Annihilation/Command Barge kit. Cheaper and more effective IMO.

Doomsday Ark is a pretty good model, very big shooting attack, but it's a bit expensive, and above all, competes for a very useful slot in the Necron force org.

Is it better than a Annihilation Barge, point for point? I don't think it is. Is it better than a Monolith, point for point? Again, I don't think so. Is it better than Tomb Spyders? Don't think so.

So, on its own it's a decent model, and fills something of a hole in the Necron list, but it's not good enough to take over the other options.

The default choice for Necrons has to be 3x Annihilation Barges. Taking a Monolith, or some Spyders works fine too. Just doesn't seem like any space for the Doomsday Ark.

Annihilation Barge.

Definitely Annihilation Barge. It'll give you an HQ that I don't currently see in your list, and give you the option of a Catacomb Command Barge, which is excellent, or an Annihilation Barge, which is also excellent. You just can't lose. In fact, I would recommend that the next two things you buy are Annihilation Barges. And at $33 US, they're a steal.

It's also a pretty easy kit to magnetize

I like the idea of getting an overlord and saving money but how good is the Annihilation barge as anti tank?
because that was the main reason i was getting the doomsday ark, to punch hole in tanks and scatter the enemies forces in the blast.

so maybe i should make my cryptek a harbringer of the storm with a voltaic staff? it seems to pack a good anti tank punch

The Annihilation Barge will average slightly better than 1 pen & 1 glance per round of shooting vs AV 11 (Rhinos, Razorbacks)

The Harbinger of the Storm's staff is too short-range. I personally prefer the Harbinger of Destruction's Str 8 Eldritch Lance.

Zomjie, I think you have a different problem.

23 warriors (299 points)
2 lords (one with a res orb) (~300 points assuming overlords)
1 cryptek (~55 points)
6 scarabs (90 points)
5 lych guards with dispersion shield (225 points)

So I show, with everything, you are clocking in at less than 1k points. Are you trying to build up to ard boyz level of around 2500 points? Are you only ever going to play 1k point games? I know you want a take all comers list, but at your points level there are many more variables.

For example, buying a command barge adds 90 points to your list. This is not very many points if you are building towards 1500 points, BUT it does come with a character as well that you could add in to hit a higher point level.

Meanwhile, the ark kit, providing that you use magnets and minimial irreversable changes, can alternate between the ghost ark, the doomsday ark, and a triarch stalker as your force expands.

I want to get up to 1500-2000 eventually

DevianID wrote:Meanwhile, the ark kit, providing that you use magnets and minimial irreversable changes, can alternate between the ghost ark, the doomsday ark, and a triarch stalker as your force expands.

I have seen a lot of Ark into Stalker conversions, but I haven't seen any that are magnetizable. If you could point me towards one, that would be awesome!.

On topic: I still think the OP is better off buying a Barge kit. He can almost get two for the price of an Ark kit and it is makes two of the best units in the codex IMO. And as his model list stands now, I wouldn't want to go much higher than 750-1000 points with 23 Warriors, which is a little low to be rocking a Doomsday Ark.

Zomjie, since you are looking at 1500+ points, perhaps we should plan out your next few purchases, so you can end up with the 1500 point army of your choice, not a good 1000 point army now with 200 or so points of units that dont work in your desired 1500 point list.

What I mean is this--if you want to run scarab farm eventually, that means you will want 9 or so spyders. If you take 9 spyders, then you wont have any annihilation barges or doomsday arks. Now, both the barge and the ark can make other units, BUT neither command barges or ghost arks are really necessary in a scarab farm list.

I think in the end though I will go with what Gornall suggested, in that 2 anni barges, with the character models and command barge options, is what I would do right now. However, if you want to run scarab farm with 9 spyders later on, keep in mind the anni barge wont fit in the FOC.

And Gornall, there is no tut for a swappable triarch stalker to ghost ark for me to direct you to, basicly its just a compromise. Keep the flaired edge of the ark ribs when you use the ribs as legs, and secure the ribs/legs in the engine intake with a non-perminate solution like bluetac and small pins.

It's main draw is obviously its tank busting power (along with killing every other thing it sees), but I don't use mine often enough. The Annihilation Barge can tank bust if need be, but only if its been softened up by Scarabs, which is what I do far more often.

But if you're playing Orks rather often, Tesla weapons will rip mobs of Boyz apart, especially with the big one whose name escapes me with the Arc special rule.

Just my two cents.

DevianID wrote:Zomjie, since you are looking at 1500+ points, perhaps we should plan out your next few purchases, so you can end up with the 1500 point army of your choice, not a good 1000 point army now with 200 or so points of units that dont work in your desired 1500 point list.

Thats actually a really good idea, ill work on my list tonight and post it tomorrow for feed back

So reading up on the annihilation barge i see how three of them could be really powerful for their cost, so i will try to center a army around them

Doomsday Arks can be solid, but I really think to make them work, you need stalkers helping to make them twin-linked. With out that, they really fall into the "meh" catagory.

Okay, here's my take (and I am a cheap ):

A Necron Overlord is $18.25 US

An Annihilation/Command Barge is $33.00 US and includes the Overlord.

That means you're paying only $14.75 US for the barge itself, which is one of the best deals points-wise you can get in the codex, and easily the best deal you can get dollar-wise from GW in all of 40k.

Now that the dollar values have been stated, here is my point of view about the game value of the barges: I will simply ask you to find a Necron list over the 1000 point level, anywhere on Dakka, that does not include at least two barges (either Command, Annihilation, or both).

I can just about promise you that it won't happen, and if you do find one, then read the comments because I can assure you most of the comments/suggestions will tell the poster to add some barges. They are easy on your wallet, they fit into any list, they come pre-pinned so you can switch between the two modes, and they are both fantastic in-game.

I own three barges.... and i plan on buying a 4th today. Yeah im aware i can swap out the parts easily.... but i want to run 3x annihilation barges and 1x command barge.... yes they are THAT good.

Yeah...I ran some vassal games to try out the doomark, and I wasn't that impressed.
I'll try a few more, but so far it hasn't done much but fail to kill guys.

Maybe it would be better in a apoc game, due to its long range (and the greater number of meat...well, metal shields on the table).

Alright guys i think ill be picking up my annihilation barge today but here is my plan for my current list and what to expand them into
any feed back would be nice

with the addition of the annihilation barge i would run a 999 point list like this:

Anrakyr the traveller (converted from the overlord in the annihilation barge kit)
2 lords with res orbs
1 cryptek as harbringer of destruction w/ eldritch lance and gaze of flame

12 warriors (w/ lord)
11 warriors (w/ lord)

Lychgaurds w/ dispersion shields, the cryptek, and Anrakyr joing the unit

3 scarabs swarms

Annihilation barge

And then when i wanted to go for 1500 points i would make these changes:

+2 annihilation barges
+2 ghost arks
+5 immortals w/ guass cannons
change the warriors to
9 warriors w/ lord and ghost ark
9 warriors w/ lord and ghost ark
5 warriors

any opinons or improvments?

yeah, you don't seem to have that much antitank.
Replace the lord with HoDs. They aren't that useful with the warriors in the Arks.

Lords = close assault
Crypteks = Camping and hitting at range
Well that's the simplified way of putting it.

And I would give the immortals tesla carbines.
Blasters aren't that effective unless you have a phaeron, or something that can drop them close to the enemy

well my thoughts on the lords are that their res orbs will keep the warriors getting back up while the ghost arks replaces any that don't get back up
making it really hard to push them off objectives

but i recognize im lacking anti tank, any other ways besides changing my lords to fix it? I just want a few more ideas cuz im liking the idea of res orbs in the squads

Zomjie wrote:well my thoughts on the lords are that their res orbs will keep the warriors getting back up while the ghost arks replaces any that don't get back up
making it really hard to push them off objectives

but i recognize im lacking anti tank, any other ways besides changing my lords to fix it? I just want a few more ideas cuz im liking the idea of res orbs in the squads

But why would the warriors take damage? They will be in the ark. If you have them out of the ark you might as well increase their squad size.

CthuluIsSpy wrote:But why would the warriors take damage? They will be in the ark. If you have them out of the ark you might as well increase their squad size.

the ark is just transportation until they are on an objective, then the warriors disembark to hold the objective, and i want them to be able to hold that object

They can hold the objective just fine inside the ark unless it's placed on an upper floor of some ruins. If you take them out of the arc, all you are doing is exposing them.

Maelstrom808 wrote:They can hold the objective just fine inside the ark unless it's placed on an upper floor of some ruins. If you take them out of the arc, all you are doing is exposing them.

just realized the ark is open topped haha oops

so yeah HoD's it is but i still have 46 points left with the change
should i get 3 more scarab bases? because i already have the models and only 3 in my 1000 point army