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Is it possible to make an effective necron army without destroyers?

 Techpriestsupport wrote:
Is it possible to make an effective necron army

I can stop you right there and say no. :p

Anyone have a useful answer?

 Techpriestsupport wrote:
Is it possible to make an effective necron army without destroyers?

If no Super Heavy allowed, then defintely a no.

Otherwise, try get your hand on the new Forge World "Canoptekh Construct". That might be your saviour.

 Techpriestsupport wrote:
Is it possible to make an effective necron army without destroyers?

Yes, with 3 tvaults.



Place the tvaults on objective markers and play reclaim a lost empire on them, until you run out of CP. You can play it multiple times, because its outside of a phase. The cloakteks will restore wounds on them. If the rumors are true that the tvault goes up in points this list will no longer be possible.

 Techpriestsupport wrote:
Is it possible to make an effective necron army without destroyers?

These are my non-casual lists that don't have Destroyers, they all have Titanic units in them, part of that is pts being really tight when you're bringing a 500 pt model. I've used all these lists against other people's competitive lists and have beaten some handidly and gotten handidly beat other times. Destroyers are good anti-TEQ and anti-MEQ, with a CP they're good anti-vehicle and anti-monstrous creature, the amount of diversity the unit brings is hard to replace, but the Tesseract Vault is able to spew out mortal wounds in six different varieties based on the enemy you're facing and can spit out a lot of S7 AP- shots as well which does okay against most things which makes it an almost equally versatile choice, the Vault does suffer against gunlines if you're not bringing the Deceiver, but it is much more devastating against some lists. AFAIK many modern competitive Necron lists actually don't bring Destroyers because they're bringing 3 Vaults. The Seraptek has two different melee profiles which makes it very versatile, building lists around one of those is a good idea if you don't have/want to use Destroyers. DDAs are amazing, it just so happens that when I include a DDA I almost always also include Destroyers, building a list around 3 DDAs and a crap-ton of Tesla Immortals is also a fine list, if not quite as good as a version of that same list, but with a unit (or three units) of 6 Destroyers.

In short: yes, Destroyers are amazing, but Vaults are better and DDAs are almost as good. The Seraptek Heavy Construct can also catch a lot of people off guard for now, which makes it pretty good.

Vaults are super heavy vehicles that are like 10x the cost though, so of course they are better.
DDA are pretty nice. Pretty much the only good long range fire support unit we have.
I mean, we have Heavy Destroyers and Triarch Stalkers, but those aren't that good.

So my I am getting back in after not having played since 6th, my wife is joining me and she really wants to play necrons. While I am aware that Necron's aren't the most competitive we have been working on a list for her. I was just looking for some opinions on this list that we made based on what she has.

Wraiths should be ran naked, IMO. I'd also recommend proxying the Ghost Ark as a Doomsday Ark and seeing if you can remove the overlord from one of those command barges so he can be used on foot.

Deathofclubs wrote:
So my I am getting back in after not having played since 6th, my wife is joining me and she really wants to play necrons. While I am aware that Necron's aren't the most competitive we have been working on a list for her. I was just looking for some opinions on this list that we made based on what she has.

Spoiler:

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Necrons) [52 PL, 968pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Dynasty Choice: Dynasty: Mephrit

+ HQ +

Catacomb Command Barge [9 PL, 169pts]: Gauss Cannon, Warscythe

Catacomb Command Barge [9 PL, 169pts]: Gauss Cannon, Warscythe

+ Troops +

Immortals [8 PL, 170pts]: 10x Immortal, Tesla Carbine

Necron Warriors [6 PL, 120pts]: 10x Necron Warrior

Necron Warriors [12 PL, 180pts]: 15x Necron Warrior

+ Dedicated Transport +

Ghost Ark [8 PL, 160pts]

++ Outrider Detachment +1CP (Necrons) [51 PL, 1032pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Dynasty Choice: Dynasty: Novokh

+ HQ +

Destroyer Lord [7 PL, 131pts]: Artefact (Novokh): The Blood Scythe, Phylactery, Warlord, Warscythe

+ Elites +

C'tan Shard of the Nightbringer [12 PL, 210pts]: Power of the C'tan: Cosmic Fire, Power of the C'tan: Transdimensional Thunderbolt

Flayed Ones [8 PL, 170pts]: 10x Flayed One

+ Fast Attack +

Canoptek Scarabs [2 PL, 39pts]: 3x Canoptek Scarab Swarm

Canoptek Scarabs [2 PL, 39pts]: 3x Canoptek Scarab Swarm

Canoptek Scarabs [2 PL, 39pts]: 3x Canoptek Scarab Swarm

Canoptek Wraiths [9 PL, 202pts]
. 2x Canoptek Wraith (Transdimensional Beamer): 2x Transdimensional Beamer
. Canoptek Wraith (Whip Coils): Whip Coils

Canoptek Wraiths [9 PL, 202pts]
. 2x Canoptek Wraith (Transdimensional Beamer): 2x Transdimensional Beamer
. Canoptek Wraith (Whip Coils): Whip Coils

++ Total: [103 PL, 2000pts] ++

Are these the only models you have? Its very light in the anti vehicle department, aside from attempting to lock them up in CC with Wraiths.

 Techpriestsupport wrote:
Is it possible to make an effective necron army without destroyers?

You'd be hard pressed without them. Destroyers make up most of your multi damage dealers and without them you'll struggle against anything with more than a few wounds.

You could compensate with a few other units like DDA, but decent sized units of destroyers with Extermination Protocols is too good to pass up.

 NurglesR0T wrote:

 Techpriestsupport wrote:
Is it possible to make an effective necron army without destroyers?

You'd be hard pressed without them. Destroyers make up most of your multi damage dealers and without them you'll struggle against anything with more than a few wounds.

You could compensate with a few other units like DDA, but decent sized units of destroyers with Extermination Protocols is too good to pass up.

It's regularly argued that you can't make an effective necron army full stop.

The two list cores that are most regularly built off of with any feign of success are:
1) three Doomsday arks + a unit of 6 destroyers
2) three tesseract vaults

Normally option 1 has a second unit of destroyers and normally both options bring wraiths. Troops in option 1 is three units of ten imortals (normally all Tesla, but one Gauss is an option). If option two takes troops then it'll often be 3 units of 5 imortals.

I lost a game against Nids with my new Supreme Seraptek list with Wraiths instead of Flayed Ones. My opponent Seized and caused some major damage to my Construct, his Genestealers were unexpectedly tough which led to me getting shot to pieces by his Dakkafexes and Hiveguard. I thought my Immortals would be safe on the second floor of a ruin, but that actually just led to them getting charged without the option of Overwatch, poor choice.


I lost a game with my Nephrekh Vault list against a buncha boyz with lootas and Grots and some sneaky boyz. I got first turn, put three C'tan in my opponents face and killed two characters, then lost 900 pts worth of C'tan. Didn't properly wrap my Cryptek in Wraiths so he got killed. Running out of CP isn't much fun, especially not halfway through T1.


I won a game against a Crimson Fists newb with my Novokh Destroyer list. It used to be a Spyder spam list but I chose to cut 6 Spyders to get down to 1500 which made my list too strong against his Tac Marine spam list. Maybe I discouraged from getting 30 Tactical Marines so that's kind of nice even if my list wasn't.


I lost a game against a buncha boyz with lootas and Grots and a couple of jets with my Mephrit Night Scythe list, I moved my Night Scythes poorly, miscalculated my opponent's charge range and forgot to shoot with a unit of Immortals. Game was over T1 as he tagged all my Immortals and destroyed my TBs and two Night Scythes.


I won a game against an Aquila Strongpoint list with a bazillion Horrors and zombies with my 3x DDA 3x Destroyer list. My opponent put the Strongpoint on one side and most of his army on the other side. Strongpoint died T1 and all the Horrors and Zombies were useless against my ranged army with fly.

For those who've been waiting, The Cryptek with Canoptek Cloak goes on pre-order next weekend...

I know its pure speculation, but what formation(s) you think guys think Necrons might be getting.

I'm not familiar with formations from previous game editions. Was there a common formation? Which units were in it?

Doctoralex wrote:
I know its pure speculation, but what formation(s) you think guys think Necrons might be getting.

I'm not familiar with formations from previous game editions. Was there a common formation? Which units were in it?

I'm pretty sure that Games Workshop stated that the formations in the Vigilus campaign book will only be for those who participate in it, and we know that Necrons aren't in it atm. So I wouldn't expect any formations to be coming.

Doctoralex wrote:
I know its pure speculation, but what formation(s) you think guys think Necrons might be getting.

I'm not familiar with formations from previous game editions. Was there a common formation? Which units were in it?

Unless they slip some into chapter approved I've heard we aren't getting any. The formations are in the vigilous book and several factions aren't represented. Including necrons. I could be wrong though. Maybe there are a few pages someplace in the book for factions not involved fluffwise?

Another preview/teaser by GW and STILL NO word on Necrons. No new leak except the nerf...Im 75% sure we will get ignored in this CA.

Darsath wrote:

Doctoralex wrote:
I know its pure speculation, but what formation(s) you think guys think Necrons might be getting.

I'm not familiar with formations from previous game editions. Was there a common formation? Which units were in it?

I'm pretty sure that Games Workshop stated that the formations in the Vigilus campaign book will only be for those who participate in it, and we know that Necrons aren't in it atm. So I wouldn't expect any formations to be coming.

There will, however, be more campaign books in the future. At least one of them should have Necrons in it.

Knowing GW's apparent contempt for us though, they'll probably suck.

I have a question.
The spindle drone is not aligned, is it possible to play it in necron?

60pts of tax suits me perfectly for my 3rd troop

Edit : thx p5freak .

Poulpy wrote:

I have a question.
The spindle drone is not aligned, is it possible to play it in necron?

60pts of tax suits me perfectly for my 3rd troop

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/766533.page

Poulpy wrote:
I have a question.
The spindle drone is not aligned, is it possible to play it in necron?

60pts of tax suits me perfectly for my 3rd troop

Edit : thx p5freak .

They're hideously weak for a unit that can only be included in Auxiliary Support Detachments. Even if they're 44 pts (so just above what would be 2 PL, they'll be pretty bad I'm sure. No ObSec even though they're troops, -1 CP per unit, no Fly so they can get used as hostages, no AP on melee attacks, their pistols are stupidly weak at worst and meh at best, who's going to kill two and leave two alive? You're going to ignore them and then kill them all at once when you feel like it. I'd pay something like 4 pts per model for these, I think they'd be an auto-include in Necron lists around 0 pts, I don't think they'd be used in any other faction even if they were free.

Still better than Monoliths, wasting 1 CP and 60 pts is better than wasting 120 pts, but it's a close call! Hopefully the Spindle's will get an HQ and ObSec and some other good stuff in the future, they'd be okay in a few Necron armies if they had the Necron faction keyword, if Blackstone Fortress counted as everything then that would work.

Poulpy wrote:
I have a question.
The spindle drone is not aligned, is it possible to play it in necron?

60pts of tax suits me perfectly for my 3rd troop

Edit : thx p5freak .

If you want to lose your dynasty trait, sure. If you don't care then I guess you can do that.
If you want to keep your dynasty trait, they would have to be in a separate detachment.

I really don't see the point of Blackstone fortress units in regular games. They seem out of place and aren't that good.

In sautek dynasty it is not a problem for HQs and immortal tesla in a battalion.

I prefer to pay a tax of 60pts rather than 85 pts. But it is not possible, they can not be included in a battalion, just in auxiliary.

A picture of the campaign book has been leaked...as expected no formations for necrons

ImPhaeronWeasel wrote:
Another preview/teaser by GW and STILL NO word on Necrons. No new leak except the nerf...Im 75% sure we will get ignored in this CA.

Not according to the latest WC article: https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/12/03/3rd-dec-chapter-approved-matched-playgw-homepage-post-1/

"As well as missions, we’ve taken the opportunity both to enshrine some Big FAQ rules in print as well as taking a look at points. As before, this review is pretty wide-ranging, but there are a few highlights…

Take the Necrons as an example – cool units like Triarch Praetorians have had a hefty reduction in points, making them a much more viable choice in a Necron army, and offering aspiring Overlords an interesting tactical option for their matched play forces."

So we've got at least something.

 Avatar 720 wrote:

ImPhaeronWeasel wrote:
Another preview/teaser by GW and STILL NO word on Necrons. No new leak except the nerf...Im 75% sure we will get ignored in this CA.

Not according to the latest WC article: https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/12/03/3rd-dec-chapter-approved-matched-playgw-homepage-post-1/

"As well as missions, we’ve taken the opportunity both to enshrine some Big FAQ rules in print as well as taking a look at points. As before, this review is pretty wide-ranging, but there are a few highlights…

Take the Necrons as an example – cool units like Triarch Praetorians have had a hefty reduction in points, making them a much more viable choice in a Necron army, and offering aspiring Overlords an interesting tactical option for their matched play forces."

So we've got at least something.

Well then stupid me!

This aounds more like reductions but still im going for a 50% chance of symbolic/no reductions

To be fair, you posted yesterday and the article only appeared today

I mean, i could get down on cheaper Praetorians. Depending on price, i'd run a few to snag backfield objectives and bully ranged units.

Edit: but what i reeeeeaaaaalllly want is cheaper Lychguard....and fixed transports.