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.

With the impending release of the necron battleforce, I've been thinking of amassing even more scarabs. While I realize Scarabs farms are a bit of a one trick pony (or in this case, a one trick dung beetle), I'm curious to know beyond spam as many scarabs and sypders as humanly possible. Should you fill up on spyders, or should some HS slots be used for the classic Barge? Do Vehicles even have a place in a scarab farm or are footcrons a better support army? Etc, etc

The current scarab farm I am running centers on a no-shooting approach. I use Immotek and Orikan with a chronometron, a Writhing worldscape Ctan, and 12 wraiths, 7 spyders, 10 scarabs. The idea is to engage the threats to the scarabs with wraiths, and to encourage your opponent to reserve thanks to turn 1 orikan + stormlord damage. This, in turn, gives you several uncontested movement phases, spawning phases, and since you dont shoot you dont care about losing your shooting phases.

Now, I am only 4 games in to testing, but so far I tied sisters in capture and control due to his getting lucky, beat battlewagon orks, beat space wolves, and barely lost to win-grenade land raider redeemer DCA from GK.

Orikan + ww c'tan should be enough to force the other side into reserve giving the farms more time to spawn scarabs

Reecius has had success (in multiple battle reports) by a scarab farm supported by a Warrior Phalanx build. The scarabs can seriously heatsink an opposing army allowing you to close into a range where you can bring the full strength of your gunline to bear on the opponent.

I use scarabs in an 1850 wraithwing that is, at this point, 13-2-0, but I don't take full advantage of the scarab farm mechanic; that being said, 2x6 wraiths and 10 scarabs backed up by a full spyder farm, under the shadow of night fighting (immotekh or 2x solar pulses) is a very difficult army to counter. Personally, I like Double barge lords because they complement the range and speed of wraiths and scarabs, allowing all your threats to be right there in your enemy's face. I also like 6 spyders and a monolith, so the spyders don't get left behind in the back field when the scarabs decide to take off.

I have never quite seen the point of solar pulses let alone 2. It might be the armies I play but typically stormlord rocks it out for a turn or 2 but by then you in cc or well within 24 in. Seems kinda waste..

I get by with 1 pulse in my list.
Anrakyr & MSS-DLord with 1 pulse-tek. 2 Pulses work well with scarab farm though because it can buy you extra turns of farming if you're not ready to launch.

Junk has it, if you are 'farming' scarabs then a strong shooting enemy will thin your scarabs as you build to a critical mass preventing you from getting the numbers you need, or kill your spyders + troops. For this reason I like Immotek. With a chronometron, he has a really good chance of 3 or more turns of nightfighting. You get a max of 5 turns with Immotek. Throw in a solar pulse if you really want the insurance.

I really see launching scarabs no later than turn 3 if you want them to be a factor in the game. With a full farm that's 37 bases assuming you kept them safely in the dark the whole time. Are you holding them back until turn 5?

Junk, I held them back versus a space wolf army that was castling. I could not send in my army without getting killed by every one of his units, but likewise he could not advance or the wraiths hiding behind a wall would get him. I advanced turn 5 for a turn 6 assault incase we went into extra turns, so I had 45 scarabs at that point, and even with his entire army I would not die by the game end.

My other games they assaulted something by t3 at the latest.