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So when 'crons first came out, they were pretty much devoid of personality. They were slaves of the Star Gods, and the Eldar pantheon had a large role in making the C'Tan cannibalize each other. In the last book, the 'Crons betrayed the C'tan and enslaved them instead. The Eldar gods sort of got retconned out of the story. The 'cron leader types got a lot more personality including often-zany forms of pseudo-insanity. The C'tan became slightly more abstract with only small pieces of them be comprehensible to mortal minds.

I haven't read the new book, and I lack the funds for it. What are some of the major changes to fluff? Where do 'crons sit right now as far as having personalities? How about the C'Tan? How Lovecraftian have the star gods become this book?

Basically, I'm contemplating dipping into Necrons at some point, but I don't particularly want an army of personality-less robots. I mean, I do, but not at the upper levels of command.

The named character do have defined characters if I remember correctly. I've flipped through it a couple times, they are all reasonably defined

The new fluff is much better, in my personal opinion. Actually having personalities is much cooler, as I have a lot of respect for Anrakyr, The Last Silent King, Obyron, and the named HQ from The World Engine that I'm currently reading. Being able to connect with them as characters makes it so I can become immersed in the faction more and enjoy them as an army.

As far as the Ctans go, I like how they retconned the fluff. Being metal tyranids led by Star Gods was boring. Having a humanoid regenerative metallic robot say to a Space Marine "We've killed our Gods..." gives me shivers. But for real, they're shards of their former beings being imprisoned by the Necrons, and are released when needed for battle.

Overall, I love the new fluff. The Necrons are scattered and dilapidated, but are slowly reawakening their empire and joining together to rebuild their place among "their" galaxy.

The major lore changes in this book was regarding the reason Necrons went to sleep. In the last book the necrons went to sleep mainly because the galaxy was in ruins, now they did so because the necron legions were decimated.

It is confirmed that the remaining necrons, sleeping and awake are as numerous as the IoM.

Much of the book focuses on describing different necron factions and their colours and detailing differences between necron units. Warriors and canoptek are still minless robotic constructs respectively, while other units seem to have gained the more personality. Immortals sort of remember their former selves but are shackled to their overlords will which enhances their more merciless qualities. More elite units seem to have more of a personality.

But yeah, they are moving more in the direction of having a culture and whatnot. the new book is light on lore, instead focusing on differences between dynasties, though A LOT of it focuses on dynastic colours.

The major differences between the Warddex and the most recent codex are fairly minor;

Dolmen Gates have been retconned - rather than being the only long-range FTL the Necrons have, they are now how Monoliths Deep Strike.

Tomb Blades are no longer mindless drones flying preprogrammed paths, the Warrior in charge still has battlefield decision-making capabilities.

There is a very nice map of the galaxy that shows where the major Necron dynasties claim territory. Unsurprisingly, most of them are in Ultima Segmentum, at the opposite end of the galaxy from the Eldar homeworlds.

There's some nice stuff on designing dynastic glyphs as well, and a handful of new sample dynasties, though nothing earth-shatteringly new.

Ratflinger wrote:
The major lore changes in this book was regarding the reason Necrons went to sleep. In the last book the necrons went to sleep mainly because the galaxy was in ruins, now they did so because the necron legions were decimated.

What do they say managed to decimate the legions?

Ratflinger wrote:
Much of the book focuses on describing different necron factions and their colours and detailing differences between necron units. Warriors and canoptek are still minless robotic constructs respectively, while other units seem to have gained the more personality. Immortals sort of remember their former selves but are shackled to their overlords will which enhances their more merciless qualities. More elite units seem to have more of a personality.

Forgive me, i do not know a great deal about the Necrons. When you say that the Immortals sort of remember their former selves, what were their former selves? Another kind of being that has been given a metal body (I guess similarish to a cyberman from doctor who) or the immortal being are a seperate race or tribe of people that have been captured and brainwashed?

Ratflinger wrote:
But yeah, they are moving more in the direction of having a culture and whatnot. the new book is light on lore, instead focusing on differences between dynasties, though A LOT of it focuses on dynastic colours.

Are Necrons a civilisation? What I mean is apart from the army that goes out, back on home worlds are their families, necrons enjoying life playing games, farming, socialising etc.?

Immortals are the former standing army of the Necron empire.

The different kinds of Necron are based on their prior place in society.

Warriors were made from all the farmers, slaves, bureaucrats and telephone cleaners.

Immortals were made from the soldiers.

Lychguard were made from the Lords' bodyguards.

Praetorians were made from the Triarch's bodyguards.

Crypteks were made from the scientists and engineers.

Lords were made from ministers, governors and the like.

Overlords were made from royalty - kings, queens, princes and so on, with the dynastic emperors being the Phaerons.

The Triarch sat above the Phaerons, kind of like the United Nations except with absolute power.

To use analogy,

Joe Bloggs would be a Warrior.

Private Rogers would be an Immortal

The Captain of the Queen's Guard would be a Lychguard.

David Cameron would be a Lord.

Prince Charles would be an Overlord.

Queen Elizabeth II would be a Phaeron (Well, Phaerakh)

Richard Feynman would be a Cryptek

And there are no real world equivalent to the Triarch Praetorians, other than perhaps the UN Peacekeepers.

And there are no real world equivalent to the Triarch Praetorians, other than perhaps the UN Peacekeepers.

Yeah, If the UN had a standing army and armed each member with a gun containing a peice of the heart of a star, they would be praetorians. Praetorians are pretty badass.

On another note , there are some cool stories in the new Codex. I believe Szeras came inot possession of a Culexus assassin, vivisected it, and then sent a note to the inquisition asking for more. He now has a hit squad after him.

Triarch Praetorians would be Triarch Praetorians if they were armed with stone knives and the Mk2 club. :p

If you opt to analogise the Dynasties as states within the US rather than countries, the Praetorians are the CIA.

CIA with jetpacks and small spider legged mechs.

Christopher300 wrote:

Ratflinger wrote:
The major lore changes in this book was regarding the reason Necrons went to sleep. In the last book the necrons went to sleep mainly because the galaxy was in ruins, now they did so because the necron legions were decimated.

What do they say managed to decimate the legions?

Ratflinger wrote:
Much of the book focuses on describing different necron factions and their colours and detailing differences between necron units. Warriors and canoptek are still minless robotic constructs respectively, while other units seem to have gained the more personality. Immortals sort of remember their former selves but are shackled to their overlords will which enhances their more merciless qualities. More elite units seem to have more of a personality.

Forgive me, i do not know a great deal about the Necrons. When you say that the Immortals sort of remember their former selves, what were their former selves? Another kind of being that has been given a metal body (I guess similarish to a cyberman from doctor who) or the immortal being are a seperate race or tribe of people that have been captured and brainwashed?

Ratflinger wrote:
But yeah, they are moving more in the direction of having a culture and whatnot. the new book is light on lore, instead focusing on differences between dynasties, though A LOT of it focuses on dynastic colours.

Are Necrons a civilisation? What I mean is apart from the army that goes out, back on home worlds are their families, necrons enjoying life playing games, farming, socialising etc.?

I do not have the book with me, but it is stated rather early. That after conquering the galaxy, the silent king decided to called for mass hibernation due to the legions being decimated.

Immortals were, like mentioned, the Necrons soldiers before the biotransference. They remember the thrill of battle and whatnot, but the obedience protocols imposed on them enhance their more ruthless qualities, turning them into killing machines.

And regarding culture, no, there are not really necron families and whatnot. The common people got turned into necron warriors. They are a race structured in dynasties, their culture focused on conquest. Though the nobles have distinct personalities and quirks, the species know little other than total war these days.

And as a side note. What I really like about the Necrons is that they feel like the Imperium of old that almost succeeded. They conquered the galaxy and even smashed the gods of this world into pieces, yet ultimately they failed. They lost dominance of the galaxy and their very identity.

Oh! Oh, I missed that question.

The Necron legions were decimated by the C'tan when the Necrons decided to turn them into pokemon.