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Hello everyone, I am just starting up warhammer 40k as a new hobby, and I have never played another game like it before. I am starting off with a necron army (because necrons are awesome) and I am looking for some tips on it!

So I have compiled a list, here it is:

HQ: 120pts
Necron Overlord - Resurrection orb (I am thinking about swapping this for a Tachyon or Tesseract)

Royal Court: 155pts
x2 Necron Lord - Warscythe & Sempiternal weave (for both of them)
Cryptek (Harbringer of the Storm) - Voltaic staff & Lighting field

Troops: 130pts
x10 Necron Warriors (2 units of 5)

Elites: 95pts
Deathmarks

Total Points: 500

So that's the list. If anyone could tell me what's good or bad about it that would be great, because I've never done this type of thing before!
Thanks.

Overlord 90 pts
5x warrior 65 pts
5x warrior 65 pts
Annihilation barge 90 pts
Annihilation barge 90 pts
Annihilation barge 90 pts

490 pts.

Uhm, drop one of the lords (you cant put 2 royal court members in 1 unit, and if you put any of them with the deathmarks they cant deepstrike!)

Also dont bother with the Tacyhon or Tesseract in low point games, they are one trick ponies, but the res orb will benefit you on multiple occassions in the game, im sure.

If i were you id drop 1 lord, and then give the other lord a res orb. (so you have your overlord with orb in 1 unit of warriors, and then your normal lord with orb in the 2nd unit of warriors) and then stick the harbringer of the storm with the overlord

Ok, I like your idea M0, but what should I do with those extra 30pts? Get some tomb blades maybe?

30 points gets you 1 tomb blade with shield vanes or particle beamer, not really worth it.

Id say give your overlord some stuff, or beef up your warrior units. Also id say drop the warscythe because with only 3 small units getting into close combat as necrons is a big dissatvantage.

Oh also, the sempiternal weave is more important on your overlord then on your lord.

Ok, I have an idea. Give my overlord a warscythe so I can get some close combat going (plus w/the cryptek's lighting field that will be good). Then I'll have another 20 pts (my other lord still now has res. orb), so I could maybe get a tomb blade for maneuverability? Or something else for my lord perhaps?

 Head_Kills wrote:
Ok, I have an idea. Give my overlord a warscythe so I can get some close combat going (plus w/the cryptek's lighting field that will be good). Then I'll have another 20 pts (my other lord still now has res. orb), so I could maybe get a tomb blade for maneuverability? Or something else for my lord perhaps?

Tomb Blades are most usefull in minimum squads of 3, and they really need shield vanes (4+ armor save is just not good enough) and for 5 points getting your BS to 5 is also very advisable. If you want to run one then you can try it out ofcourse, but id advise to atleast give it shield vanes.

As for the lightning field, it only works when you get assaulted, so its a defensive item. Id use those last points for a sempiternal weave on your regular lord if you can afford it.

Overlord+warscythe+resorb
5x warrior
5x warrior
Heavy destroyer
Annihilation barge
Annihilation barge



I ran this list for an escalation league and won EVERY stinking game at the 500 level - and I'm a very average player. Tabled a CSM player who was running a DP (no wings so that did help a lot but still) Not a whole lot can deal with av13 at 500 points.

I strongly recommend consider Marthike's list or take something like that. For example:

1 Necron Overlord (HQ) @ Warscythe; Mindshackle Scarabs

1 Royal Court (HQ) @ 60 Pts
1 Harbinger of Despair #1 @ Abyssal Staff; Veil of Darkness

6 Necron Warriors (Troops)

5 Necron Warriors (Troops)

1 Annihilation Barge (Heavy Support) Tesla Cannon

1 Annihilation Barge (Heavy Support) Tesla Cannon

Models in Army: 15

Total Army Cost: 498

Both Overlord and Cryptek join 6-men warriors squad and jump across the table using Veil of Darkness while A-Barges kill everything with their cannons. Another squad just sits in cover scoring a home objective.

Ok well I already own some deathmarks, warriors, cryptek, and a lord (waiting for the overlord). I think I'll just change the cryptek to Harbringer of despair w/the veil of darkness and the abyssal staff. I'll also give both lords res. orb and semp. weave.

I'll try that out, I mean its my first army, I need to try different things out to see what works for me.

Thanks a TON for the fast responses, it saved me from buying a second lord (just picked up my lord like 10min ago). It also gave me an idea as to how to remodel my list. Depending on how the deathmarks work for me I might switch them w/an annihilation barge (but I already have the deathmarks, so mine-as-well try it out).

Thanks again.

There is no reason to take the abyssal staff, without death marks it is going to wound vs ldr.. it is lackluster at best. The staff of light will give you more fire power than abyssal.

Dropping the A staff and one AB would allow you to hop your DM around. With HtH this will make them fairly useful.. more useful than a second AB... that's debatable but will let you use more of your models.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Hmm, you might have to cut a warrior instead if you want to run that... you would want the A staff if you were running the tek with the DM. D&D for the win.

Yeah I would have to drop a warrior and the veil of darkness for an AB, so I don't know if that is worth it because I like the veil for my tek, for deepstriking a warrior unit w/the overlord wherever. And then the other warrior I can use to hold a point, or use for a pinch maneuver w/the tek deepstriking to the other side of the target. And I like the DM for deepstriking in, marking a high value target (HQ most likely) and scoring a wound on a 2+, very nice.

Now I just had a thought. So if I put the tek w/my DM, if I use the veil of darkness to deepstrike somewhere, do I get to mark an enemy unit w/my DM every time I deepstrike? Because then I could eventualy score a wound on a 2+ for ALL their units, hehe.

 Head_Kills wrote:
Yeah I would have to drop a warrior and the veil of darkness for an AB, so I don't know if that is worth it because I like the veil for my tek, for deepstriking a warrior unit w/the overlord wherever. And then the other warrior I can use to hold a point, or use for a pinch maneuver w/the tek deepstriking to the other side of the target. And I like the DM for deepstriking in, marking a high value target (HQ most likely) and scoring a wound on a 2+, very nice.

Now I just had a thought. So if I put the tek w/my DM, if I use the veil of darkness to deepstrike somewhere, do I get to mark an enemy unit w/my DM every time I deepstrike? Because then I could eventualy score a wound on a 2+ for ALL their units, hehe.

you dont get another mark when you use the veil to deepstrike from the board. The only way to mark multiple units with 1 group of deathmarks is grand illusion (C'tan abillity).

Ok, thanks for telling me.

I don't know all the tricks with necrons but the list I posted will build up into a very powerful army.

The only thing I don't like about your build marthike is that it is very barebones. Like the overlord doesn't have a res. orb or anything. Also, having a tek with the veil of darkness is VERY useful from what I can assume (auto deepstrike). I could see taking one AB instead of my DM (not 3 AB's though), but I already have my DM, so I'll try it out with them first.

Head_Kills, I understand your desire to use DMs, but honestly speaking they are a sort of one-trick-pony. Even with a despair-tek or two all they can do more or less reliably is murder one unit of infantry. Of course if you enemy heavily relies on this unit it can make a game but against MSU or mech armies DMs are just usless. I personally would use them only in 1750+ points games where I can put them in Night Sythe and attach two 'teks with Abyssal Staves.

AstraVlad wrote:
Head_Kills, I understand your desire to use DMs, but honestly speaking they are a sort of one-trick-pony. Even with a despair-tek or two all they can do more or less reliably is murder one unit of infantry. Of course if you enemy heavily relies on this unit it can make a game but against MSU or mech armies DMs are just usless. I personally would use them only in 1750+ points games where I can put them in Night Sythe and attach two 'teks with Abyssal Staves.

So what you are saying is that once they stop wounding on 2+ their rapid fire snipers become useless? Please explain that to me.

 M0ff3l wrote:

So what you are saying is that once they stop wounding on 2+ their rapid fire snipers become useless? Please explain that to me.

Let's look:
5 DMs rapid firing at 5 Tactical Marines fire 10 shots with 6,7 hits causing 3,3 wounds. Tacticals make their 3+ saves and loose 1 man. It even is not enough to force them pass Ld test. Next turn Marines shoot and charge DMs (they are in 12'' range if they are rapid firing) and story in over.

AstraVlad wrote:
Head_Kills, I understand your desire to use DMs, but honestly speaking they are a sort of one-trick-pony. Even with a despair-tek or two all they can do more or less reliably is murder one unit of infantry. Of course if you enemy heavily relies on this unit it can make a game but against MSU or mech armies DMs are just usless. I personally would use them only in 1750+ points games where I can put them in Night Sythe and attach two 'teks with Abyssal Staves.

Ok, I'll say this for the third time. I ALREADY own a DM unit, so why should I not at least try it out with them, before I go and spend another 40 bucks on an AB?

AstraVlad wrote:

 M0ff3l wrote:

So what you are saying is that once they stop wounding on 2+ their rapid fire snipers become useless? Please explain that to me.

Let's look:
5 DMs rapid firing at 5 Tactical Marines fire 10 shots with 6,7 hits causing 3,3 wounds. Tacticals make their 3+ saves and loose 1 man. It even is not enough to force them pass Ld test. Next turn Marines shoot and charge DMs (they are in 12'' range if they are rapid firing) and story in over.

fine lets completely ignore precsision shots and the other sniper rules.

 Head_Kills wrote:
why should I not at least try it out with them, before I go and spend another 40 bucks on an AB?

It's your game, do as you wish . But I also recommend to test everithing with a proxy before buying. GW stuff is very expensive...

AstraVlad wrote:

 Head_Kills wrote:
why should I not at least try it out with them, before I go and spend another 40 bucks on an AB?

It's your game, do as you wish . But I also recommend to test everithing with a proxy before buying. GW stuff is very expensive...

How would I test w/a proxy. I've never heard of this, sounds cool.

 M0ff3l wrote:

fine lets completely ignore precsision shots and the other sniper rules.

In my practice that rarely make any difference. Your mileage may vary.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Head_Kills wrote:

How would I test w/a proxy. I've never heard of this, sounds cool.

For example I want to test LandSpeeders in DA army but I don't own them. But I have Deffcoptas from old starter kit so I tell my friends: "This Coptas are LandSpeeders for this game, OK?". And everithing is OK. Or my friend take a carton box and tells me that it is a LandRaider for today and this is OK too because LRs are too expensive to buy them blindly. And so on.

For example I want to test LandSpeeders in DA army but I don't own them. But I have Deffcoptas from old starter kit so I tell my friends: "This Coptas are LandSpeeders for this game, OK?". And everithing is OK. Or my friend take a carton box and tells me that it is a LandRaider for today and this is OK too because LRs are too expensive to buy them blindly. And so on.

 Head_Kills wrote:

Ahh I gotchya. Hey, my friends and I have had a question. Is there a difference between a spacemarine army, and like an Ultramarines army? Or is it just the chapter colors?

Today and for two next weeks -- just the colors. But who knows what we will see in the upcoming codex..?