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could nids actually eat necrons or would it be a situation of no eating just killing

I think yes because metal is organic and they eat the ores of a planet

Metal is not organic. Organic is a term that, to put it simply, refers to substances that contain carbon.

That said, yes, Tyranids do consume metal. They aren't interested in just biomass and organic compounds, they are interested in all resources.

Isnt necrodermis a kind of super ignore the rules metal though?

Maybe. It is certainly a high tech alloy. Could be indigestible to tyranids.

Tyranids wouldn't eat them because they are indigestible and they can't eat them because they'd just teleport back to the base if damaged badly enough.

I think the issue would come up in that the necrodermis that the Necrons use is a kind of living metal, that the machines themselves brace for impact of shots in order to reduce its effectiveness and actively repairs fallen Necrons. So while a Tyranid could try to eat a Necron vehicle or run of the mill troop, the metal itself would actively try to fight the Tyranid in the process, and possibly from within. That said if somehow a Tyranid could assimilate the necrodermis into the greater Tyranid race it could face the problem of the Necrons possibly exerting control over any Tyranids that were made of the living metal.

To give an example, a Tyranid eats a chip that allows us to control insects (I'm simplifying here), that chip gets replicated exactly in new Tyranids, theoretically we might be able to control Tyranids that are simple enough for the chip to override their Hive Mind

 Azure wrote:
I think the issue would come up in that the necrodermis that the Necrons use is a kind of living metal, that the machines themselves brace for impact of shots in order to reduce its effectiveness and actively repairs fallen Necrons. So while a Tyranid could try to eat a Necron vehicle or run of the mill troop, the metal itself would actively try to fight the Tyranid in the process, and possibly from within. That said if somehow a Tyranid could assimilate the necrodermis into the greater Tyranid race it could face the problem of the Necrons possibly exerting control over any Tyranids that were made of the living metal.

To give an example, a Tyranid eats a chip that allows us to control insects (I'm simplifying here), that chip gets replicated exactly in new Tyranids, theoretically we might be able to control Tyranids that are simple enough for the chip to override their Hive Mind

That's what I thought as well. That living metal has mind a mind of it's own, and would probably tear it's way out of the poor bug that ate it.

Tyranids are very adaptable. It's likely that, if they haven't already, they'd adapt to consuming the Necrons. Keep in mind that the various minerals and bits of biological matter that the Tyranids consume no longer resemble their former state. They are melted down and digested together into a completely new, alien material that is then used to create more Tyranids. It's unlikely that if Tyranids are capable of breaking down Necrodermis that it would retain any of its original properties. It would be broken down the same as any material and dissolved into the biological soup.

Iron is one of the most important elements for life. I don't see it as much of a stretch for tyranids to adapt to be able to consume and utilize living metal.

 Darth Bob wrote:
Tyranids are very adaptable. It's likely that, if they haven't already, they'd adapt to consuming the Necrons. Keep in mind that the various minerals and bits of biological matter that the Tyranids consume no longer resemble their former state. They are melted down and digested together into a completely new, alien material that is then used to create more Tyranids. It's unlikely that if Tyranids are capable of breaking down Necrodermis that it would retain any of its original properties. It would be broken down the same as any material and dissolved into the biological soup.

that was generally my thinking

Also, since it's in codex fluff that it's known that Hive Fleets have diverted their paths to avoid necron tomb worlds, it can be assumed to be because the Hive Fleet sensed there either

A) is not enough material of value to assimilate
B) cannot assimilate the material

If i remember well, Tyranids need some inorganic matters, but not in huge quantity like biomass. A Tomb World probably have very few biomass, so the trip wouldn't be worth it.
Kinda like with daemons, if they don't view the prize as worth it, they won't fight. They ignored the daemons, until they started to corrupt and destroy the planet's biomass.

So i vote yes to eating necrons! Might be dangerous for a little ripper, but a pyrovore would make necron-soup.

 Darth Bob wrote:
Tyranids are very adaptable. It's likely that, if they haven't already, they'd adapt to consuming the Necrons. Keep in mind that the various minerals and bits of biological matter that the Tyranids consume no longer resemble their former state. They are melted down and digested together into a completely new, alien material that is then used to create more Tyranids. It's unlikely that if Tyranids are capable of breaking down Necrodermis that it would retain any of its original properties. It would be broken down the same as any material and dissolved into the biological soup.

You cannot "eat" it. It's impossible to destroy, consume or basically do anything that permanently removes the metal. Eat a Necron, he gets teleported away. Empy stomach, sad Tyranid

 Sigvatr wrote:

 Darth Bob wrote:
Tyranids are very adaptable. It's likely that, if they haven't already, they'd adapt to consuming the Necrons. Keep in mind that the various minerals and bits of biological matter that the Tyranids consume no longer resemble their former state. They are melted down and digested together into a completely new, alien material that is then used to create more Tyranids. It's unlikely that if Tyranids are capable of breaking down Necrodermis that it would retain any of its original properties. It would be broken down the same as any material and dissolved into the biological soup.

You cannot "eat" it. It's impossible to destroy, consume or basically do anything that permanently removes the metal. Eat a Necron, he gets teleported away. Empy stomach, sad Tyranid

Unless the tyranid gets teleported as well.
So...confused tyranid at a crunchy all-you-can-eat buffet

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:


Unless the tyranid gets teleported as well.
So...confused tyranid at a crunchy all-you-can-eat buffet

Scarabs at the base be like "Oh no, not THIS again!" *throws Tyranid at Tyranid pile*

They can't be teleported, though, as they aren't Necrons and the homing mechanism only work for anything Necron

Something I always wondered about Necron phase out, what happens when the Tomb World itself is being attacked.

Do the fallen Necrons teleport to another Tomb World? or do they finally are destroyed along their planet in the case their enemy is victorious?

 Sigvatr wrote:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:


Unless the tyranid gets teleported as well.
So...confused tyranid at a crunchy all-you-can-eat buffet

Scarabs at the base be like "Oh no, not THIS again!" *throws Tyranid at Tyranid pile*

They can't be teleported, though, as they aren't Necrons and the homing mechanism only work for anything Necron

Well, the necron bitz are in the tyranid and assumingly have digested a bit, so technically they would beam out as well.
If it does just leave their stomach, that has to be the most ingenious weight loss plan ever.

Remember, that Necrons also self destruct if they cannot be teleported away for repairs, as I recall. So there is a good chance that remnants of necrodermis will remain behind to be absorbed. Also, Tyranids do tend to avoid Necron tomb worlds, but only because there is always more readily available food in the area. If there is no other more rich source of food though, then Necrons can be assured a visit.

 Tyran wrote:
Something I always wondered about Necron phase out, what happens when the Tomb World itself is being attacked.

Do the fallen Necrons teleport to another Tomb World? or do they finally are destroyed along their planet in the case their enemy is victorious?

Depends.

If that Tomb World belongs to the same dynasty of necrons - yes

If that Tomb World belongs to a different dynasty, and they have not given permission to use their accommodation - no.

In fact, destroying a Tomb World is usually the only way to permanently remove a Necron threat.

 Tyran wrote:
Something I always wondered about Necron phase out, what happens when the Tomb World itself is being attacked.

Do the fallen Necrons teleport to another Tomb World? or do they finally are destroyed along their planet in the case their enemy is victorious?

Damaged Necron bodies phase out back to the reanimation chambers in the Tomb until they can be repaired. Necron bodies unable to phase out destroy themselves, the "soul" of the Necron still goes back to the tomb and waits in the reanimation chambers until a new body can be constructed.

Destroying the tomb's master program, which is some kind of highly advanced AI or computer controlling monitoring and maintaining the tomb, would (i think) either deactivate all the Necrons inherent to that tomb, or at least prevent them from rebuilding themselves properly or something. I can't think of an instance in fluff where that happens, but other Necrons will get into the master program to take control of all the Necrons of that tomb rather than destroy them, so I imagine you could shut down a tomb simply by destroying the master program.

Really? My source must be faulty then.
Well, that system certainly seems silly.

The necrons or the system?

Don't Tyranids view the Necrons as rival predators like the Chaos Daemons?

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Really? My source must be faulty then.
Well, that system certainly seems silly.

How the master program works you mean?

Thaszar the Invincible "convinces" the master program of Zapennec to give him control of the dudes there. The master program of another dynasty becomes somehow more aware through radiation, declares itself the "Sarkoni Emperor" and launches a crusade to assimilate other neighboring tomb worlds. So it seems to be a kind of AI that controls (to some extent) the tomb.

Reanimating and phasing out probably isn't under it's direct control. Other things like waking from stasis or small wars to keep the tomb world safe from local threats it controls directly unless an Overlord is awake and in command.

The master program functioning like our modern computers, having a single, physical hard drive is conjecture.

No, that necrons are bound to a specific world. You'd think that a dynasty with multiple worlds under it's control would copy the master program to different worlds, to serve as back ups in case one goes kaput.

Remember that most Tyranid "eating" is done by Rippers, Haruspexes, Pyrovores etc as a form of pre-digestion, and then ultimately everything is thrown in the reclamation oceans to be rendered down to paste.

Living Metal or not, a Necron "body" is going to have trouble with the reclamation pools (everything does). Much more likely that the body is teleported out before it gets to that stage though.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
No, that necrons are bound to a specific world. You'd think that a dynasty with multiple worlds under it's control would copy the master program to different worlds, to serve as back ups in case one goes kaput.

I wouldn't be surprised if Necron fleets took their reanimation chambers with them, or at least an extra set.

on the issue of wether necron pieces are left behind:

Either you linked the wrong image, or there's something I can't see there.

Necron parts that are prevented phasing out don't self-destruct. That rumour came about because of a minor fluff wibble in the designer's comments on the third edition Chapter Approved army list.

Every other source has Necrons either phasing out, or remaining in situ. The only times, in studio/BL fluff, that Necron stuff has remained in situ were when either A) a doohickey was used to prevent it phasing out (such as in the scenario proposed in the original 1998 release), or when the Necron device was actually still part of a functioning structure that was buried deep (Nightbringer).

The closest other example would be the character in Hammer and Anvil who was reworked with Necron cybernetics and escaped because her mindshackle scarab borked when confronted with her true faith. In that case, she DID phase out back to the tomb complex, squishy bits and all... but then simply walked out again. Since she was stuck on a dead world anyway, the cryptek who enslaved her wasn't too bothered about recalling her again and again.

look at the base...

The Shrouded Lord's picture depicts a model with a necron skull and a necron spine half-buried in the base. Unfortunately it is very difficult to see in the picture due to the angle, but I know it is there as I have the model.