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.

Hello all!

I've recently gotten back into the hobby and started a Necron army. As the title suggests, I've been playing vs. a friend's Tyranids- all 1000 pt games.

What he's been doing recently that's really throwing me off is dropping 20 termagants w/ devourers and a unit of warriors (all kitted out for assault, apologies that I don't know the actual biomorph names) in mycetic spores on the 2nd or 3rd turn. The 60 str4 shots from the devourers seem to do considerable damage, and the assaulting warriors on the following turn generally obliterate whatever they've charged. Things get thrown into disarray fairly quickly.

As it stands, I have very limited access to heavy weaponry. My list is not at all optimized (considering I'm just fielding what I own right now), but was hoping to seek veteran expertise before I went further with army building. How should I aim to deal with mycetic spores (and similar units)? I will note that I'm not terribly fond of the Ghost ark model, meaning I'd prefer avoiding those if possible.

MS's probably just want to be left alone if you can help it. They have 6 Wounds (memory) and are T6, one thing to note on MS is they can only shoot the nearest unit, and I believe (memory again) they are only BS2, so will miss alot. Also check his FOC becuase most weapons on MS cost points.

Also note MS can not move (at all), and they can not score objectives (but they can deny objectives - and grant line breaker).

I'd turn attention to the actual units. Warriors are T4, W3, so if you have any STR 8 weapons go for 1 shotting them, if not you should really look at getting some (if you can't afford models at the moment see how your oponent feels about proxying something of a simular size, even if its made out of cardboard). Gaunts are best taken care of with high amount of shots, or blast weapons.


Sounds like your both running none competative lists, so don't go overboard with a counter army, or you will both fall into super competative lists at somepoint.

[Edit] - Sounds like he might be using the Warriors to give Gaunts synapse. If so make the Warriors priority to force the gaunts into testing for Instinctive behavior and they also lose fear.

Do you know what weapons (Or the benifits he is gaining from them) he is using? Even CC warriors are only OK, I find they just get caught up for 3 turns in combat...

What are you running in your list and what other models have you got?

 Nem wrote:
MS's probably just want to be left alone if you can help it. They have 6 Wounds (memory) and are T6, one thing to note on MS is they can only shoot the nearest unit, and I believe (memory again) they are only BS2, so will miss alot. Also check his FOC becuase most weapons on MS cost points.

Also note MS can not move (at all), and they can not score objectives (but they can deny objectives - and grant line breaker).

I'd turn attention to the actual units. Warriors are T4, W3, so if you have any STR 8 weapons go for 1 shotting them, if not you should really look at getting some (if you can't afford models at the moment see how your oponent feels about proxying something of a simular size, even if its made out of cardboard). Gaunts are best taken care of with high amount of shots, or blast weapons.


Sounds like your both running none competative lists, so don't go overboard with a counter army, or you will both fall into super competative lists at somepoint.

[Edit] - Sounds like he might be using the Warriors to give Gaunts synapse. If so make the Warriors priority to force the gaunts into testing for Instinctive behavior and they also lose fear.

Do you know what weapons (Or the benifits he is gaining from them) he is using? Even CC warriors are only OK, I find they just get caught up for 3 turns in combat...

Unfortunately, this is incorrect.

A Spod has 3 wounds, T4, and a 4+ save...but Nem is correct just ignore the spod. Get out of 6" range and you don't have to worry about it.

However, regarding gants. Best way to dislodge them is to get rid of their synapse. If his warriors are in range plow them over with your rapid fire gauss. Warriors are only T4 with a 4+ save so just volume fire can rip them to shreds. Once you've done that gants are easy. Make them lose 25% and a morale will make them flee.

Otherwise, if the warriors haven't arrived yet, take those Telsa weapons your Immortals carry to work and that'll cut through them like butter.

For gaks and giggles, you can take some Ether Crystals. S8 makes T4 pods go bye bye.

Are you using an ADL? A quad gun can put some damage into the gants on his own turn, then the rest of your warriors shouldn't have a problem with the rest. And ignore the pod unless he's upgraded it.

Thank you all for the help so far.

It sounds to me like the best plan is to dump everything I can on the warriors in an attempt to kill them.

I think I might be a little limited by point limitations, because a full (or nearly full unit) of Warriors that he also drops with a Tyranid Prime will not die in one turn of my shooting- at least not without heavy weapons fire.

Regardless, should I just try and get the hell away from the gants and take out the warriors ASAP? It sounds like that's the way to go.

Taking out the warriors is key. Without synapse, before the gants can do anything, move/shoot/assault they have to pass a leadership test on an abysmally low leadership. If they fail, they flee and are completely useless. Taking out the synapse is the key to defeating that combo. Like others have said, pump everything into the warriors, and the gants will break away.

Necrons have insane shooting abilities and neither of those units are hard to take out; Barges are an obvious choice. There are deployment and movement tactics to help against Deep Striking also that are worth looking up; put units that can take the charge or that are expendable on front of the units you don't want getting charged for instance.

Mike94656 wrote:
Taking out the warriors is key. Without synapse, before the gants can do anything, move/shoot/assault they have to pass a leadership test on an abysmally low leadership. If they fail, they flee and are completely useless. Taking out the synapse is the key to defeating that combo. Like others have said, pump everything into the warriors, and the gants will break away.

This is not quite accurate.

Termigaunts will move into cover and fire at units if they fail thier test.

Hormagaunts will try to run at the closest enemy unit and assault it with an extra attack on the charge (+2 attacks)...


They can flee if they fail leadership from getting shot up, or losing assault though.

A monolith would insta-gib both spore and warriors

Particle Whip ftw

Immortals with blasters would wound on 3's and deny their armour saves too

Despairteks with abyssal staves do bad things to Ld6 gaunts.

Ghost arks, 13 all around, 5+ Jink, living metal, open topped. 15-30 gauss flayer shots.

SoloFalcon1138 wrote:Are you using an ADL? A quad gun can put some damage into the gants on his own turn, then the rest of your warriors shouldn't have a problem with the rest. And ignore the pod unless he's upgraded it.

Quad-gun isn't going to do squat. 4 S7 shots will kill 3ish gants....30 points! YAY! Only 17 more to go....

Mike94656 wrote:Taking out the warriors is key. Without synapse, before the gants can do anything, move/shoot/assault they have to pass a leadership test on an abysmally low leadership. If they fail, they flee and are completely useless. Taking out the synapse is the key to defeating that combo. Like others have said, pump everything into the warriors, and the gants will break away.

Sniping synapse isn't super important. As was mentioned the gants will just lurk, and anything with feed will get more powerful. You probably aren't going to be running them down with I2 troops either.

Ravenous D wrote:Ghost arks, 13 all around, 5+ Jink, living metal, open topped. 15-30 gauss flayer shots.

Solid advice.

Basically, the alpha strike of the gants is unstoppable, so all you can do is mitigate the damage. You can throw warriors in ghost arks, you can leave them in reserve in nightscythes, just plain leave them in reserve so you hopefully show up behind the alpha strike pod. Another idea is to build a "bunker" out of an Aegis Defense Line. When the gants line up to shoot you, you go to ground and laugh as you see the fire bounce off a 2+ cover save and a 5+ resurrection protocol save. After you weather firestorm your best bet is locking them in melee, 1 S3 attack is a lot less scary than 3 S4. If you manage to catch them without synapse with some necron warriors on the charge, you should be able to break them.....might not be able to run them down though, they are I4 to your I2. Shooting them with massed gauss and/or tesla fire will kill them fairly fast as well, and any template or blast weapons are gravy, as they come out of those pods fairly tightly packed.

The melee warriors are something different thought. They are going to be 40-50 points each, and the 4+ save protects them from a lot of gauss/tesla fire. You really need S8 to kill these things efficiently. Eldritch lances work, and I'm sure there are a few other things kicking around. Wraith are solid for fighting them in melee, as the 3+ invul protects from the boneswords fairly well. If necessary, don't be afraid to sacrifice a small unit to slow them down. Vehicles are also largely immune to the damage they throw out, so Ark, Scythes and barges are all solid as well. Try to kill them ASAP though, cause if they start winning combats and running down necron warriors....games can go south in a hurry.

If your enemy keeps repeating the same tactic, ie, dropping DSing nasties onto you, I'd think about immediately charging with wraiths and a royal court of CC-kitted lords. Expensive, yes, but Zandrek could give a royal court furious charge, making them strength 8. 5 lords with an overlord on the charge with whip coils meaning you hit first, plus MSS, will slaughter the 60-strong unit of whatever very quickly.

How are you attaching 5 Lords to a unit of Wraiths?
(or do you mean charge with two units: one of Wraiths + D.Lord to tie the enemy up, and then one Royal Court Disco Inferno, with Zahndrekh giving the RCDI furious charge?)

It appears you may need to make an investment or two to help you win. Monoliths make warriors shake in their "boots" if they had boots and ghost arks laugh at devourers on gaunts, you may not like the model but they are a fantastic transport at 13 on the front and side, its 11 in the back you heathens please read quantum shielding rules. Crypteks with eldrich lances will help you considerably and you can make out your court with a box of kit bashed lychguard

Also wraiths into T. warriors tends not to swing in your favor because the weight of attacks on your side does not outweigh number of wounds and attacks back from the warriors.

Personally as a necron player tyranids are a very difficult enemy for me because of # wounds and high toughness MC that will come up on you

Gryphius wrote:
Thank you all for the help so far.

It sounds to me like the best plan is to dump everything I can on the warriors in an attempt to kill them.

I think I might be a little limited by point limitations, because a full (or nearly full unit) of Warriors that he also drops with a Tyranid Prime will not die in one turn of my shooting- at least not without heavy weapons fire.

Regardless, should I just try and get the hell away from the gants and take out the warriors ASAP? It sounds like that's the way to go.

That's actually illegal. Primes can't attach to squads arriving via mycetic spore thanks to the rediculous FAQ..

 Zande4 wrote:
That's actually illegal. Primes can't attach to squads arriving via mycetic spore thanks to the rediculous FAQ..

Oh wow. Pretty BS but I'll let him know.

Out of everything here, it seems like Ghost Arks are a really smart way to go. However, I did recently purchase two Night Scythes- I figure those should leave the warriors protected until I decide to deploy them.

That does, of course, leave other targets on the ground to be alpha'd down or seriously threatened by the warriors- so Arks may be the best option. One final question about units in spores- Zoanthropes. Is there anything I can do to protect my vehicles beyond praying the dice gods?

Give them cover saves via terrain or Solar Pulses?