Freaky Flayed One
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Late night brainstorming - muddled as it is, but I've been meaning to try and put out some vague semblance of rules for these guys for a few days now and finally figured out something that wasn't 100% half-assed. Only 75%.
First, I had to understand their niche. While the concept is amazingly cool (In my opinion), the models were pretty up in the air for their time, given Phase Out and lack of WBB.
So as I tried to develop an understanding of why they worked the way they did and what a logical (EXTERMINATE, EXTERMINATE) response the Necron Dynasties would have to put them in a suitable battlefield rule, this is what I came up with:
Living metal is an obviously complex material. It is unintelligent in that is does not have any true capacity to think logically, but behaves in a way that is "smart" - holding and repairing shape, even from almost nothing. Adapting, etc. IMO, Living Metal is a material that can retain the bulk of its characteristics while temporarily making shifts in its quantum properties. Whereas we have ferromagnetic fluids being developed for body armor that can stop a bullet with an electric impulse, or materials that are normally loose like cloth but becomes hard enough to stop a projectile when exposed to the blunt force of a bullet, "Living Metal" responds to otherwise destructive inputs (Strong kinetic force, extreme heat, etc.) in the same way. This is handwavium, but as good Mr. Clarke said, any properly advanced science can be considered magic. It's really just a way to explain how Living Metal can survive or adapt (See: Old Monolith rules) to weapon properties.
Secondly - The metal has a memory, like materials we've developed in the present day. It holds its shape according to what the engram of the host believes it to be. Like how a Space Marine connects to his suit through the black carapace, the Living Metal / Necrodermis IS the carapace of the Necron. The reason that Necrons can not continually self-heal is that upon receiving sufficient damage, there's is too much "static", too little "memory" to go off of, and at this point, the Tomb World/Ship transports the material back to the forges where the engram will be found on-file and downloaded back into the body. Same reason Flayed Ones change shape - the host's image of itself changes. Same reason C'Tan look different, it adapts to their personal desires. Same reason when they receive too much damage - too much "static" for the Necrodermis to retain its shape - the structure collapses and the housed C'Tan's energies explode outwards / transported / whatever the current fluff is.
The problem here is that a Pariah isn't an engram. According to fluff it is a biological component, a part inextricable (as far as we can tell) from the brain of the host. So the best you can do is hotwire the brain (or whatever region the gene permutation is dependent on, given that the Necrons developed it they must understand it) and house that cyborg within a Necrodermis shell. But once that brain is gone - poof. Finite resource. An extremely precious, and sought after finite resource.
So, having developed a basic logical understanding of Living Metal, this is my idea:
Necron Pariah
In the many billions of humans souls that sparkle out in the void, there is one in every several billion that devours the surrounding light like a black hole - a ravenous pit of nothingness in the Materium. A plan set in motion in ancient days by the Deceiver and Void Dragon in their efforts to combat the growing psychic warrior-races of the Old Ones, these rare individuals have become only more valuable as the new and overwhelming psychic threat of their pawns and toys, after millions of years of seclusion and hibernation from the Necrons - have created a more powerful and volatile Warp than had ever been imagined. As new Tomb Worlds awaken, the most capable rapidly harvest any Pariah they can find in a grand design to once again, inexorably, conquer the galaxy and the Warp. It may take a million years more to see this plan's full potential, but the Necrons have time beyond imagining on their side.
These new creations are the vanguard against the worst of the psychic threats. They destabilize and sow terror among the ranks of the Necrons' enemies, crippling troops and sorcerers alike. Though they may look and move like their Necron creators, make no mistake - behind the hollow gaze of a Necron Pariah is a malevolent intelligence, a burning hatred of souls and life that extends beyond even the Necrontyr of old. They are anathema to the spark of life, and they will extinguish this flame wherever they find it.
WS4 BS4 S5 T5 W2 I4 A3 Ld10 Sv3+
Unit Type: Elite (Unit of 3-10)
Wargear: Pariah Warscythe (Warscythe with built-in Assault 1 Staff of Light)
Pariah Gene - All enemy units within 6" of unit are considered to have an LD 7, unless it would otherwise be lower.
At the start of every turn, any unit within 6" and has a toughness value must make a leadership test. If failed, their initiative, WS, and BS are halved.
Unit's DTW roll is increased by 1+.
Unit gains: Shrouded, Zealot (Hatred: Living [Against any unit with Toughness Value]).
The Great Work: As irreplaceable tools of the Necron's Great Work, the Necron Pariah has been gifted with a Necrodermis that regenerates vastly faster than its Necrontyr iteration.
Unit Gains: IWND (4+).
So far, they suffer pretty badly from the same problem as Lychguard in that they're foot-slogging meatshields. I imagine the best tactic would be to drop them in from a Night Scythe, close enough to hopefully cripple a nearby enemy with a bad roll. In the absence of that, playing musical chairs with wound-allotment and banking on IWND, it'd be a pretty kill-or-be-killed game the moment they hit the ground. They just keep walking forward, taking pot shots with an SoL, and you have to decide between dumping enough firepower into the unit to definitively wipe a few out, or deal with faster / blastier Necron units.
Should they reach enemy lines, they'll hit harder, but less, than Wraiths and still lack an invulnerable save.
Lychguard retain their job as bodyguards and have that invulnerable save (Paying extra for a shield when your duty is largely to protect. Dah fudge.)
Praetorians retain superior manueverability.
Both retain the ability to not die for as long as the dice gods love them.
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