Necrons: The Lychguard Dilemma

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.

**sQUiDax**

Okay, so I would love to deploy Lychguard, but the dilemma is this: How do you get them into close combat without them being shot to bits? I mean, a 4+ invulnerable save is nice, but it's not impervious, the squad will get shot up before they get into close combat, which is a big loss considering they're 200 points minimum. Deep striking (with a veiltech) or Monolith-portalling will leave them open for a turn of enemy shooting.

so, does anyone who has deployed Lychguard have any wonderful insights into their effectiveness at getting into close combat?

Thanks

**Fafnir13**

Screen with warriors? Doesn't seem quite right though. Your lychguards should be protecting the warriors from the assault...
I did read an article involving Tyranid tactics where a group of genestealers was kept behind some termagants. When the enemy got close, there was enough of a gap between the gants to let the genestealers poor through.
I supoose a similar tactic would work. Conga line of warriors in front, probably with a rez-orbed lord thrown in to help them survive any shooting. They provide the lychguard cover saves, and the lychgaurd can slip between the warriors to assault once in range. If something does assault the warriors, the lychgaurd can counter assault on the next turn.
Might work out.

**lord_bobbington**

Or perhaps you can have them hijack a ghost ark, it's open topped so they can assault out of it when they get out.

**Shake Zoola**

lord_bobbington wrote:Or perhaps you can have them hijack a ghost ark, it's open topped so they can assault out of it when they get out.

Except you cant put lychguard in a ghost ark. It can only carry the units specified in its codex entry and lychguard arent on that lis unfortunately. Keep in mind that lychguard are T5 and have a 2+ basic save with RP so they will still be really hard to put down for good. Throw in a lord w RO and now you have a squad that is REALLY hard to keep down. You could try to port them through a mono (though if you dont deepstrike it this will take time) or have them hijack a night scythe and hope it gets to where you want it to go.

**Lotus**

There's no point in giving lychguard cover saves. They already have a 4+ invul save so a 4+ cover save is zero benefit. The only reason a shield of warriors would work is if your opponent was stupid.

Given how hardy they are, I'd use them anyway. If they get into close combat, great. If they don't, that's also great. It means tons of shooting was directed towards them instead of other units. Yes they're expensive, but the shooting required to take them down is even more so.

**NecronLord3**

4 Suggestions:

1.) Cryptek with a VoD.

2.) The Stormlord for the use of Nightfight.

3.) Monolith Portal

4.) 2 OverLords with Phase Shifters + 2 Royal Court members with 3+ Inv saves. Lords with Phase Shifter would be good or 2 Harbingers of Eternity with Time splinter coats.

Nothing in the Necron Codex is going to let you assault after using the VoD or Monolith portal but it could get you closer faster and have more units alive to assault.

Using the Phase Shifter Overlord and Royal court gives you 4 models to allocate wounds to with 3+ Inv saves. Downside is its a 1000+pt unit.

**schadenfreude**

Duel court, add 2 cyrpteks and 2 lord.

To wound rolls go off majority toughness. If it's not ap3 dump wounds on cypteks 1st.

If it's ap3 dump it on 2+ armor save lords

If it's ap2 dump the wound on a 4+ invo lychguard, or a cryptek if the unit has a cover save.

3+ cover saves is stupid expensive on lords, especially when the rest of the unit has a 4+ save. The are already going to be 75 points after weave, scythe, and mind shackle.

**NecronLord3**

You can't add two crypteks and two lords to one lychguard squad.

**schadenfreude**

Yea it's an either/or situation with 1 per court.

Weave lords/overlords are probably best for absorbing ap3 shots.

**Unit1126PLL**

I usually monolith port them to within 6" of an enemy unit with multiple heavy weapons, then try to run them closer.

The enemy unit will either move away (perhaps not far enough with difficult terrain being what it is) or get shot to bits by their own AT guns.

If they're shooting me with something lighter than an AT gun, be my guest - a heavy bolter wounds on 4+ and I get armor against it.

Also two Chronometron cryptecs help with the saves.

EDIT: And, of course, flavor to taste = personally I prefer a kitted overlord with the works (pretty much).

**-666-**

I've found using a Veiltek works best for me. Sure they can't assault the same turn they teleport but you can place them wherever you want them practically and their presence alone may give your opponent some concern.

**schadenfreude**

Maybe we are overthinking this a bit. Math hammer th/ss termies v lychguard with a res orb.

S4 Small arms v lychguard.

1/3 wound 1/3 fail armor save 1/2 fail res=1/18 hits drop a lychguard, up that to 1/27 shots for bs4

v th/ss

1/2 wound 1/6 fail armor saves=1/12 hits drop a th/ss termie or 1/18 for shots made at bs4

Las cannon wounds have a 1/3 chance of dropping a th/ss termie versus a 1/4 chance of dropping a lychguard.

krak has a 1/6 chance of dropping the termies versus a 1/4 chance of dropping a lychguard.

So unless the lychguard are beign pounded by ap3 weapons they are more durable than th/ss termies, and if they are the termies are hit by ap3 wounds the casualty rate goes from 16.5% to 25%.

**Goresaw**

Just becuase they spend 2-3 turns running up the table and don't kill back their point's doesn't mean they aren't worth their points.

If an enemy spends 2-3 turns firing their entire army into this heavily armored durable unit, thats 2-3 turns of them not firing at your annihilation barges/CCB/wraths, etc.

Plus any that the enemy does kill but gets back up is sort of a little gravy for you. Just keep placing your resurected models closer and closer to the enemy to get that little bit more movement for your inevitable charge.

I've seen what they do to an IG parking lot when they finally get there. Its not pretty.

**Lucre**

I've only heard of them advancing with the rest of your forces, acting as a counter charge or deterrent element. Often coupled with c'tan or wraiths and the usual necron shooting.

I can see them being alright in a nightscythe, but so many points finding themselves back in reserve would be no fun. You'd want a monolith or zandrek providing backup.

They don't seem really awkward to force down an opponents throat.

**NecronLord3**

They are a huge amount of points to use effectively. I saw it done at a local tournament where the Lychguard player came in 2nd but you have to have an army over 1850, IMO and entirely built around the Lychguard.

If you want a unit to absorb enemy fire use the Wraiths and Scarabs most armies are going to poor all fire into killing either of those choices and at half or more the cost of a Lychguard squad.

**WhiteWolf01**

Another thing to consider is taking your army except your lychguard and move in up against the enemy. Just have your lychguard sit in back out of LOS and wait until the right moment to veil them into the enemies presence. Not only does the enemy have to deal with the lychguard, they also have to deal with the scarabs, wraiths, giant warrior blobs, etc that are now in their face as well. Take solar pulses or Imotekh to shield the advancing units in the mean time as well.

**G. Whitenbeard**

I always run mine with a Veil-tek and an Overlord w/ MSS, Warscythe, Orb, and Phase Shifter

Deep striking is always a risk, but Lychguard can lock down an area like it's nobody's business.

Monolith portal is a good option as well.

I am curious to see how the arrival of Night Scythe kits will change how Lychguard are played. Could be a nice combination.

**NecronLord3**

I don't think it will help. It's an armor 10 tranport with no ability to unload passengers when moving flat out. I don't see it being useful except to put 5 warriors inside and tag objectives.