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Trying to hone in on a competitive 1000 point Necron force and having much difficulty, this is just another iteration that doesn't quite feel strong enough. What I'm finding is that the new Necron Codex is really strongest for 1500 point games or more. The detachments and decurion are the clear strengths of the new Dex, but I cant find how to properly harness it at 1000 points. Here is one of my 1000 point mock ups.


CAD

HQ - Overlord w/ Warscythe & Phase Shifter
HQ - Cryptek w/ Solar Staff
Elites - 5x Lychguard w/ Hyperphase Swords & Dispersion Shields
Transport - Night Scythe

Troops - 10x Warriors

Troops - 10x Warriors

Fast Attack - 6x Wraiths w/ Whip Coils

So, as a quick reply, my opinion is basically that the strength of Necrons in a low points cost game is their survivability. Anything that you can do to make them hard to kill is definitely the best choice. For that, you can go with a fairly basic decurion + annihilation nexus (yes it does fit) which will give decent fire power plus your 4+ re-roll on 1s RP. I think that the 4+ is actually a really important trait, especially at lower point games since fewer models will be on the board in general, so the longevity of each one is actually much more important and this is where Necrons really excel.

Truth be told, any auxiliary combination is fine, but I very much believe in the 4+ RP instead of the 5+, the difference overall is significant. Or you could even take a Judicator battalion to buff your Rec Legion with the stalker and give yourself some better melee units (Praetorians are nothing to scoff at), but you'd have to be very cautious with placement of the stalker and how you maneuver to keep him from dying turn 1 or 2.

Is the stalker really that vulnerable? Even with front and sides AV 13?

peteralmo wrote:
Is the stalker really that vulnerable? Even with front and sides AV 13?

As a vehicle based on AV, no. But since the army list basically revolves around buffing your MANY foot slogging infantry, the opponent is going to very quickly realize how much firepower they should be focusing directly at it. It usually gets killed very early on if they're smart. BS 5 warriors + Immortals + Tomb blades is very scary.

Of course.

I added everything up and I think you're over value
Overlord-80+20+25=125
Cryptek-65+15=80
Lychguard-125+25=150
Night Scythe-130
warriors-260
Wraiths-240+18=258
TOTAL:1003

Yeah, its not an organized tourny, just friendly play.

Ah. well if it was me, I would replace overlord with Orikan.
Already has phase shifter, gives rerolls of 1, and is stronger than overlord with warscythe when he empowers.
Your solar staff cryptek can keep him alive until he does.

Took the advice about the Decurion, here is a Decurion using Reclamation Legion (obviously) and Canoptek Harvest 1000 pts:


Reclamation Legion

Overlord (In Ghost Ark alone to protect from easy Warlord kill)

10x Warriors

10x Warriors (deployed outside Ghost Ark)
Ghost Ark

5x Immortals w/ Gauss Blasters

5x Tomb Blades w/ Shield Vanes & Nebuloscopes


Canoptek Harvest

3x Scarab Bases

1x Canoptek Spyder

6x Wraiths w/ Whip Coils

I'm liking this list more, but I think it could use a couple of tweaks.

First, I think you should reduce the wraith squad to 3 instead of 6 (they're basically just a tarpit now) and you may not need any whip coils due to their insane survivability.

Second, you should add 1 more tomb blade and then split that into 2 squads of 3. Give at least 1 squad particle beamers for the blast threat.

Third, if you still have points you could add models to the Immortal unit and use them as your overlord escort squad.

Two questions, if the Immortals are an escort for the overlord, should I not put him in the ark alone, and as such, deploy the warriors inside?

Also, your recommendations leave 110ish points free, should I get a second ark for the other warriors, or do you think those points are better spent elsewhere?

Okay, I had the points written out, but that was way too much detail for the site. At any rate, you can have 5 immortals and the extra tomb blades, plus particle beamers on all of them and you'll still be able to give the overlord anything 15 points or lower.

Where the Overlord starts is kind of up to strategy of the game, since you may want to give him a chance to pick the squad you want him in after deployment.

You might power up your overlord with some a phase shifter, warscythe, gauntlet of fire(which you can shoot from your ghost ark), and a veil of darkness. This can keep him alive even if the ghost ark booms or gets glanced out.
This still frees up 20 pts for another model for your immortals or tomb blades.

Parsalian wrote:
So, as a quick reply, my opinion is basically that the strength of Necrons is their survivability.

I took out in low points games for you since they really never have the killing power of the Eldar or say the Tau where you can literally get 150 shots on board that average out at around str 6

jakejackjake wrote:
I took out in low points games for you since they really never have the killing power of the Eldar or say the Tau where you can literally get 150 shots on board that average out at around str 6

This is true, but also not as big of a deal considering that the trade-off makes sense: you give up some fire power for what I believe to be a lot more surivability (proportionally). The whole point of necrons is that you don't need big strength of weapons, you just need the lots of weapons. Gauss + Entropic strike literally kill anything. We even have a few decent melee threats now (or at least solid tarpits). Just throw in a flyer to counter other flyers and support your troops properly and you'll go really far.

Maybe try something like this then? I definitely don't think points spent on making the footslogging Overlord more melee killy are worthwhile, going to bury him bare bones in the immortals and let them waste shots on them if that's what they want to do.

Decurion
Reclamation Legion

Overlord

5x Immortals w/ Gauss Blasters

10x Warriors
Ghost Ark

10x Warriors
Ghost Ark

3x Tomb Blades w/ Shield Vanes, Nebuloscopes & Particle Beamers

3x Tomb Blades w/ Shield Vanes, Nebuloscopes & Particle Beamers


Canoptek Harvest

3x Scarab Bases

1x Canoptek Spyder

3x Wraiths

It looks like a good list.
I had trouble with killing Wraithknights spam when I ran a similar list, but as far as a TAC list, it works out.

Wraithknight is a great example of a hard counter to this, but with a lot of caveats. At 1000 points a 300 point model may be a deterrent for some. Also the Knight really has a very small rate of fire, and only at BS 4, sure if he connects with his two shots something will die. And finally at toughness 8 and now gargantuan I'd argue that there is very little out there that can kill him easily now, making me wonder why I'm not putting him in more of my eldar lists lol. For faster armies they can dance around him, necron not so much lol.

Parsalian wrote:

jakejackjake wrote:
I took out in low points games for you since they really never have the killing power of the Eldar or say the Tau where you can literally get 150 shots on board that average out at around str 6

This is true, but also not as big of a deal considering that the trade-off makes sense: you give up some fire power for what I believe to be a lot more surivability (proportionally). The whole point of necrons is that you don't need big strength of weapons, you just need the lots of weapons. Gauss + Entropic strike literally kill anything. We even have a few decent melee threats now (or at least solid tarpits). Just throw in a flyer to counter other flyers and support your troops properly and you'll go really far.

They kill anything but not fast enough to table an opponent as opposed to some other armies.

If you get tabled by necrons or marines you played very badly. In the movement phase at the least you got totally outclassed. That's the way I see those armies. They are a LOT more survivable that is true. I have loved them so far.



Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Mantorok wrote:
Ah. well if it was me, I would replace overlord with Orikan.
Already has phase shifter, gives rerolls of 1, and is stronger than overlord with warscythe when he empowers.
Your solar staff cryptek can keep him alive until he does.

Isn't he str 7 when he empowers? That's the same strength his toughness and wounds do go higher though

Yes, not to mention that statistically he won't empower until turn 4.

He also gets boosts to his BS and WS 5, initiative 4 as well.
Running him with the lychguard with dispersion shields, the 4+ RP with reroll 1s is good for keeping him alive until he empowers.
Its sacrificing the early game for a stronger endgame.
I wouldn't run him now that your running your current list.
Decurion makes him unacceptable at such a small point value.

Makes sense.

As stated orikan is a late game power play, and really what you want there is to keep your deahstar together to use the solar staff your overlord should be carrying, weathering the rediculous fire you will take the turn after you crush your first unit and then split up if necessary to address many units at once as opposed to over killing one unit. Also as stated above he works way better in larger games where you can afford a royal court and all the buffs/extra equipment.

That being said what about the humble tomb blades(not so humble now with our new codex)? They are fairly cheap, incredibly fast to snag objectives, and pretty survivable. I would try to run 2 units in a 1000 point game. Other than that I would round out with the harvest to control the cc(the only real way to wipe a necron unit). This should give you mobility, survivability, and enough fire power to be threatening. I usually run 1-2 ghost archs and at least one squad of warriors on foot. The plan is the men on foot eat bullets and occasionally fire back, the ghost archs run behind for cover and replenish the warriors. Pretty great combo when running one big 20 man squad.

I'd write what I think is a good combination within 1000 but I'm at work currently and without my codex.

peteralmo wrote:


Reclamation Legion

Overlord (In Ghost Ark alone to protect from easy Warlord kill)

10x Warriors

10x Warriors (deployed outside Ghost Ark)
Ghost Ark

5x Immortals w/ Gauss Blasters

5x Tomb Blades w/ Shield Vanes & Nebuloscopes


Canoptek Harvest

3x Scarab Bases

1x Canoptek Spyder

6x Wraiths w/ Whip Coils

This is the best list at 1k points IMHO. I've been playing a campaign and currently we are at 1250 points each.

I ran something very similar to this at 1k and it was unbeaten. No crazy dice rolls or tactical genius necessary, its just an insanely tough list.

One thing though your Overlord may not embark on the Ghost Ark. But don't worry, he doesn't need any help surviving, his only function is to give the rest of your list rerolls on their Everliving rolls of a 1 and of course to meet the requirements for the Decurion.


If you need to counter Wraith Knights at 1k Wraiths are ironically your best choice. Although you might need more than 6 to kill one reliably. Above 1k the Destroyer Cult formation is worth looking into for all your 'big nasty' killing needs.

Thanks for the great feedback.

 XT-1984 wrote:
One thing though your Overlord may not embark on the Ghost Ark.

This is actually not accurate. the Ghost Ark rules state that it can only carry necron warriors, or Necron characters with the infantry unit type. The caveat is that he can't start in the ghost ark during deployment if he's not attached to the unit since it's a dedicated transport. The only thing that can start inside of it is the unit that took it. He'd be able to embark on the transport once his turn 1 started, but not when deploying units.

That's what I thought also. Thanks for confirming it. Just deploy him next to an empty ark, turn one hop in and off you go.