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So I'm starting up Necrons and would like some ideas for a list. I have 2 copies of Forgebane and 1 start collecting Necrons boxes worth of minis. Thus far I have only built one group of immortals with heavy guass cannons and a cryptek.

What would be a decent list to put together with this stuff? I want something that can do well, but not destroy my opponents fun as well and nor am I a tournament player. I haven't played 40k since 6th ed. and from the looks of it I'm basically starting from square one.

You are off to a good start, unfortunately you dont have any anti tank units like DDAs, (heavy) destroyers, triarch stalkers. I think the DDA is the best anti armor unit necrons have, it also works well against hordes. Here is a possible 1.5k list from units you already have, and with two DDAs. This list should do pretty well against pretty much anything that isnt a tournament list. Lychguard can use warscythes as well for the same points, they do more damage, but dont have a 4+ inv. Tesla immortals are very good against hordes.

I am also starting necrons and picked up a box of lychguard. Are they more competitive with the swords and 4+ inv or with the scythes?

Its up to you to decide if you want them to be better at offense, or better at defense. Also, with scythes they can do more damage to vehicles (even more with the S+1 stratagem), not so much with swords/shields, those are better against infantry.

Lychguard unfortunately really... aren't that great. They're melee, but require tricks or expensive other units to actually get INTO melee.

So from that list you will have:
6 Wraiths (I would just build them stock with a 2p coint glued into the back of the base to stop it tipping over all the time!)
10 Praetorians or Lychguard (I would go Praetorians and personally I didn't build them with staffs)
5 Immortals built with Gauss
10 Immortals or Deathmarks unbuilt (I would go Tesla Immortal)
12 Warriors
2 Cryptels with Cloak
An Annihilation Barge & Overlord / Catacomb Command Barge (Magnetise this)
3 Scarab bases

So far therefore you have the makings of a relatively fast army. Praetorians and Wraiths are fast and good in combat whilst you can fill out your toops with 10 Warriors and a Sqad of 5 & 10 Immortals.
As for what next:
I would get another box of Immortals to fill out that second squad (they really work better as 10 man squads)
Grab yourself a Doomsday Ark and magnetise it (the easiest way it to have the gun in the top, there are a fair few Google images out there)
Cryptek on foot. You'll rarely ever need 2 Cypteks with Cloak so consider converting 1 to be on foot only. You will have spare back-body pieces from the Lychguard.
The rest depends on what Playstyle you want to use. I wouldn't suggest an assault army personally as Necrons are quite bad at it - Wraiths are good at tying up things in particular, but they are expensive and I always prefer to take Destroyers for virtually the same cost.
I definately suggest scouring Ebay for more Scarabs however. I am a massive fan of using Scarabs in my back line and surrounding my Nightbringer (which I bring every game, he never fails me)

What not to get:
Don't build Lychguard - seriously it's just a waste. They look nice but you'll regret bringing them even in the friendliest of games - regardless of setup
Flayed ones - cost too much and made with failcast.

Does anyone else want to throw in their experience with lychguard? I just built 5 with warscythes and was planning on running them with a lord/overlord with the teleport artifact.

Facisminthe41m wrote:
Does anyone else want to throw in their experience with lychguard? I just built 5 with warscythes and was planning on running them with a lord/overlord with the teleport artifact.

Lychguard is a one-hit wonder.
We have a player here (not very experienced) who always tries a first-turn charge of 10 Lychguard (all with scythes) with Overlord and veil.
It often works but the Lychguard usually gets sacked in return.
I'd stay away from it...

Facisminthe41m wrote:
Does anyone else want to throw in their experience with lychguard? I just built 5 with warscythes and was planning on running them with a lord/overlord with the teleport artifact.

I just came back after a leave of absence myself, and have 10 Lychguard. Im a more defensive-minded player, and I prefer the Swords/Shields; without the 4+ Invuln save, they die very quickly and are totally not worth their points. With the Invuln save, they have some staying power (watch out for Mortal Wounds!) and work great, IMHO, as life-extenders. In other words, I look at a unit of five as giving a <DYNASTY> CHARACTER 10+ more wounds through Guardian Protocols for 140 points. (10+ because you get RP with them, and when they come back, they bring 2 more wounds with them). They are a lot of fun with any Cryptek or Technomancer <DYNASTY> CHARACTER you want to keep alive because he makes their RP roll a 4+.

If you want to do the VoD thing with them, I would suggest Novokh Dynasty. You want to make sure when they swing, they hit. Also, if you VoD you almost have to run the Shields, because if you do fail that charge roll (or charge into a unit you won't wipeout), you will sit there and get mowed down by shooters (or return attacks). Novokh Overlord with Warscythe + Eternal Madness with a unit of Lychguard + MWBD on the Charge is a beast. The LG at that point are 10 Attacks, hitting on 2+(MWBD) and re-rolling misses (Novokh), and wounding T4 units on 2+ with AP-3 from the swords. (You can make a tie-up variation of this unit by substituting in a Cryptek with VoD instead - it doesn't hit as hard, but it's hard to kill).

Ive tried the LG with Nephrekh Dynasty to get that Advance 12" movement (5 base + MWBD + Dynasty) to close the gap quicker or add mobility to them by ignoring units/characters and it works...ok-ish. They are pretty good at causing pandemonium in the ranks because they can just keep "phasing" past units to get to enemy characters.

All in all, I personally like the Lychguard. I have not played in the competitive environment so I don't know if I can get them to work right now or not. I know they need a points reduction to make them better, but they have their uses now as well.

Lychguard are OK when supported by other threats. if you have three big blobs of wraiths pushing up the field, your opponent is unlikely to bother shooting the lychguard, which gives them time to get up the field.

Basically, if you go all out on combat units, then bring them along but don't bother splashing them into a balanced force.