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 everyone. Attached are pictures of what I have so far completed for BFG! My Chaos and Imperial fleets.
So far in our group theres another imperial fleet and a necron fleet.
I figure the imperial games will be pretty straight forward but my first game against the necrons using my chaos was a blood bath in the crons favour.
I plan on starting an eldar fleet and know this is an even worse matchup against crons but was curious if anyone here has any advice? Necrons, in general, seem to be devastating. Is there any way to take them down a peg?

Thanks,

You're gonna get your teeth kicked in vs Crons pretty much no matter the fleet. However, remember that when it comes to tabulating who wins a game that damaged/destroyed Necron ships are worth far more victory points than a ship normally is. Its actually possible to get tabled by a Necron fleet and still win because you killed/crippled a couple of their ships. IIRC its something like 3 times their actual point cost(half that if the ship is crippled) so unless you did nothing you are actually likely to win.

Necrons were balanced with the campaign rules in mind as well. IE: They are extremely slow to repair and build so a Necron fleet will eventually get whittled down over time.

BFG is really meant to be played as a campaign, not just stand alone pickup games, and certain factions really show it.


Edit: Looked it up.

At the end of a game, including normal Victory
points, count up the Necron losses using the
following modifiers:
• Any capital ship that disengages with no
damage whatsoever counts as 10%
destroyed.
• Any capital ship that disengages with any
damage at all or any raider that
disengages counts as 25% destroyed.
• Any capital ship that is crippled counts as
50% destroyed.
• Any capital ship that is destroyed but not
left as a drifting hulk counts as 200%
destroyed.
• Any capital ship that is destroyed and left
as a drifting hulk counts as 300%
destroyed.

This all applies even if the Necron ships are alive and on the field at the end of the game. So if any of the necron ships disengage with any damage they give up 25% of their point value. Crippled, 50%. Actually destroyed, but not a drifting hulk. 2 times its point value. Drifting hulks are worth 3 times their point value.

A drifting Scythe class cruiser is worth 825 victory points! Or 550 points if it got exploded. That cruiser kill will completely offset 3+ imperial cruiser deaths, or a cruiser plus a battleship.

Do as much damage as possible to the capital ships. If the Necron fleet has a Cairn class, a couple scythes, and some escorts vs a Battleship and 3ish cruisers plus escorts, just taking out both the Scythes and damaging the Cairn could easily make it impossible for the Necron player to win.

Necrons do have their limitations as well.

1) They're nigh invulnerable when on special orders BUT that also shuts down their special weapons (portals starpulse etc) and half their conventional firepower too.

2) They're not actually that tough when not braced, especially against lance fire.

3) Don't forget that without shields, you can launch teleport attacks freely.

4) They have relatively limited ability to protect themselves from ordnance, especially torpedoes

5) Don't overlook boarding actions. Not always easy to set up but a successful boarding action against a necron capital ship can generate game-winning levels of points in one go.

Good things have been said above!

But with Eldar vs Necrons: no chance. As much as I like the original rules this setup is just skewed. Necrons negate everything Eldar have can unlike other fleets Necron catch Eldar with utter ease.

In this case I reall recommend the Eldar MMS v2.0 house rules.

 horizon wrote:
Good things have been said above!

But with Eldar vs Necrons: no chance. As much as I like the original rules this setup is just skewed. Necrons negate everything Eldar have can unlike other fleets Necron catch Eldar with utter ease.

In this case I reall recommend the Eldar MMS v2.0 house rules.

That is on purpose, remember the necrons and eldar have been fighting each other for 65,000 years. they have learned to counter each other. BFG more than any other GW game really focuses the forces behavior based on the lore.

BFG is really meant to be played as a campaign, not just stand alone pickup games, and certain factions really show it.

Completely disagree, i never play campaigns and our pickup games have been a lot of fun including throwing necrons into the mix. i currently still have my tzeench themed chaos fleet. i have gifted my necrons and grey knights to others. We have regular players that play imperial navy, tau, necron and khorne allied chaos forces. with another player looking at imperial navy and space marines.

Oh sure!!!

One off games are a lot of fun!

Oh you can have fun for sure. Just realize that the game was balanced with campaigns in mind and certain factions are a little busted outside of it.

Except from the Necron Vs Eldar setup all games/fleets are pretty well balanced.

But I don't think the game used the campaign for balance. Especially as it was a last minute addition.

This is great info.
I realize that necrons are definitely a challenging fleet to play against. And the Eldar not being able to use holofields against them makes their armour paper thin. But I was just thinking that maybe a fleet of hemlocks and nightshades in small squads might make an impact?

If you focus fire pulsar lances on capital ships, they’ll either brace and you go in with ordinance or they don’t and the lances pummel them. One ship at a time? And every ordinance phase just scatter all the escorts in multiple directions? Of the crons are bracing then they can’t all ahead full and catch you? Maybe?

My problem playing against them with Chaos was that I couldn’t use my range to my advantage. And really, my two shields and armour five were practically a joke. I figured armour four wouldn’t be much different!

I’m willing to give it a try in our next game at least.

That's the spirit!

Using hemlocks and Nightshades is always good.

Focus all on one capital ship. Than disengage, ha.

Thanks for all the advice. I issued the challenge to the necron player on friday and now we’re playing tomorrow. Got these painted up for the big game. Still need some tidying up but I think you get the idea.

Hemlocks to lance and get him to brace and then batteries after. Scatter every ordinance phase.

Wish me luck!

Have fun and good luck!

Well the games went ok!
The first game I destroyed two escort squads in turn one, and then basically was destroyed in the following three turns.

The second game though! Turn three we engaged and I destroyed his “shroud” cruiser. Which then destroyed four surrounding escorts! The following turns saw my eclipse destroyed and two hemlocks. The following turn I destroyed four escorts and crippled his scythe. We called the game at that point since he was down to two ships (an escort and a crippled scythe) amd he couldn’t win.

I’m happy with that..

Nice one.