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Necron's are infamous for it's reanimation protocols on all of their multi model infantry units.


TLDR: Slightly overcomplicated, but in essence, when a model is killed it is instead replaced with a token. On a green or black side depending on success with RP roll. Green side are "Reanimating" and will return at the beginning of your turn, however they can be targeted by your opponent and can be flipped to black side(really dead). Reanimating tokens are basically models that share the Toughness, Wounds and Save characteristics of the model and melee attacks automatically hit them. They can be targeted seperately when allocating attakcs as if the unit is seperated into models that are still alive and the ones that are reanimating. When last model of the unit is slain, they are not removed, and instead the they stay as corpses and can be resurrected with Resurrection Orb.

Pros of RP
- If you survive alpha strikes with any models left you can recover 1/3 of it most of the time(1/2 with Cryptek, 3/4 with Cryptek+RO,5/6 with Cryptek+EO)
- A single surviving model can hold a point away from enemies and regain the entire unit back.
- It's a very powerful rule when the entire unit can't be destroyed in a single turn(smaller games)
- Can be used to gain distance.
- Forces opponents to focus fire a single unit down, making every unfinished unit a distraction for them.
- Multiwound models regain their full wounds, making it better on multi wound models.
- Good for Fluff

Cons of RP
- Any experienced player will deny any use of RP by killing unit by unit.
- It's overpowered in low points games.
- Stratagems that support it are over priced and often useless. (2CP for reroll 1's?)
- Supporting characters (Cryptek, Resurrection Orb, Repair Barge) are also overpriced.
- Infantry is overpriced because of it.
- Necron's only troop choices are such overpriced infantry(cheapest troop they can field are 5 immortals for 75pts).
- RP is nullified when the unit dies.
- Resurrection orb doesn't resurrect.
- Characters can't have the rule and must use a stratagem.


Reanimation Protocols:(current) Roll a D6 for each slain model from this unit (unless the whole unit has been completely destroyed) at the beginning of your turn. Do not roll for models that have fled the unit. On a 5+, the model's reanimation protocols activate and it is returned to this unit with its full compliment of wounds, otherwise it remains inactive (although you can roll again at the start of each of your subsequent turns). When a model’s reanimation protocols activate, set it up in unit coherency with any model from this unit that has not returned to the unit as a result of reanimation protocols this turn, and more than 1" from enemy models. If you cannot do this because there is no room to place the model, do not set it up (you can make Reanimation Protocols rolls for this model again in subsequent turns). (Codex: Necrons)

Reanimation Protocols:(Proposed version) Each time a model is slain, roll a D6; on a 4+, the model is replaced with a token on green side.(Token is double sided with one side green and the other black), on a fail place the token on it's black side instead. Green side token are replaced with the model at the beginning of your turn. Do not place tokens for models that have fled the unit. When a model is returned to the unit, it returns with its full compliment of wounds. When replacing the token with a model they must be as close as they can to the token while in coherency with any model from this unit that has not returned to the unit as a result of reanimation protocols this turn, and more than 1" from the enemy models. If you cannot do this because there is no room to place the model, do not set it up(Flip to black side). Tokens represent corpses of the necron models and thus are treated as part of the unit. Green sided tokens(reanimating models) can be destroyed by shooting or assaulting and when attacking reanimating tokens with melee attacks, do not roll, the attack hits automatically. When targeting a unit with Reanimating tokens for attack, the attacker can choose to allocate attacks to either the living(heh) models or the reanimating token : Reanimating tokens share it's model's Toughness, Wounds and Save characteristics and any special rules. Black sided tokens represent corpses.(corpse tokens) and they cannot move and are discarded when the unit moves out of coherency with them. Reanimating tokens or Corpse tokens are not removed when the last model of the unit is slain.


Reasoning for decisions.
Why 4+? RP is 5+ that can be repeated with artefacts and or Ghost Ark(repairbarge). 33%+66%*33%= 55%. 50% is less than that and I think it's a fair change considering the next point.

Why targetable? RP is unfair in smaller games, and more so if you have a large unit. By making them seperately targetable, your opponent has a way to counter the rule(instead of negating it entirely).

Why double sided tokens, what's the black side for if they are dead? I'll explain that in the next section.


RP related rules.

Cryptek's Technomancer: Add 1 to all Reanimation Protocol rolls for models from <DYNASTY> units within 3" of any friendly <DYNASTY> CRYPTEKS. (Unchanged)

Resurrection Orb(artefact for Overlord, Lord, or command barge): If this model has a resurrection orb, once per battle, at the end of your movement phase, all tokens wholly within 3" can attempt to be resurrected. For each token wholly within 3" of the model with the artefact, roll a D6. On a 5+ the model returns as close as possible to the token and 1" away from enemy models and wholly within 3" of the model with the artefact.

The Orb of Eternity(Relic upgrade of Resurrection orb): The Orb of Eternity replaces the bearer's resurrection orb. If this model has the Orb of Eternity, once per battle, at the end of your movement phase, all tokens wholly within 3" can attempt to be resurrected. For each token wholly within 3" of the model with the artefact, roll a D6. On a 4+ the model returns as close as possible to the token and 1" away from enemy models and wholly within 3" of the model with the artefact. (Cryptek doesn't effect this)

Repair Barge (Ghost ark ability): You can no longer make reanimation protocol rolls for any slain models from units embarked on a Ghost Ark. At the end of each of your Movement phases, <DYNASTY> Warrior unit within 3" of any friendly Ghsot Arks, may attempt to repair black tokens. Roll a D6 for each black tokens and on a 5+ the model returns. (doesn't work on completely destroyed units)

Enhanced Reanimation Protocol(2CP stratagem): Use when a unit with Resurrection Protocol is targeted in a phase but before any to hit dice are rolled. Until the end of the phase, models that pass the RP roll are not removed, instead of replacing them with Reanimating tokens. (might be a bit busted with Cryptek making it 3+ FNP...)

Resurrection Protocol(1CP stratagem): Unchanged. (for now)


Resurrection Orb, and effects similar to it, will actually "resurrect" instead of re-reanimating. Notice how it's used at the end of movement phase instead of after units are returned with RP. In exchange for bringing back dead models, the unit has to stand still and wait for their resurrecting ones. And since it's a powerful effect if it applied a whole unit, it affects models wholly within the aura instead.

Resulting Reanimation maths. 1/2 Reanimating(FNP that disables Overwatch and Fight back), 2/3 with Cryptek, RO is now flat 1/3 reinforcement, EO 1/2.

You'll need to bring a token for each of your infantry models, but I think it's a small price to pay for fluffier and more viable RP.

It seems a bit over complicated tbh. I like the 4+ instead of 5+ and once it’s failed you can’t try again.

If I were rewriting RP I’d move it to the morale phase, before morale checks. Roll RP for any model that was killed that turn and return them to the unit within coherency. Any that can’t be placed automatically fail. Morale checks would be done after RP rolls, so reducing the chance of losing models to morale. This might not be viable with the whatever the new morale mechanics end up being in 9th Ed. Though.

Strategems/orbs etc would need to be looked at. Possibly +1 to the RP roll, or reroll RP etc.

I agree with the above that it does seem a tad complicated. I like where your head is at though! The tokens in particular are a fun idea as it keeps the players engaged with the tabletop instead of off in the abstract rules land.

My own proposed idea for RP is a bit simpler: bump it up to 4+, make it take effect only on the turn the unit died, and allow dead models to return to other units.

That way as long as there are ANY warriors/immortals ect you have to worry about their comrades coming back, but only for one turn as roughly 50% will do so. We can then figure out the orbs and other stuff from there.

I would change the RO rule to "use at the end of movement, once per turn: select a <DYNASTY> INFANTRY unit with 'reanimation protocol' that was destroyed earlier in the battle. Roll d6 for each model in the unit; for each +5, place a model from destroyed unit wholly within 3" of this model, 9" away from enemy units. Count as entering from reserves. If you cannot place, destroyed. Count the number of models placed in this manner - this number is its starting number going forward (units failing RO RP are removed from play and cannot be brought back via natural RP in ensuing turns).

This removes the need for token system, rids the mechanic of potential to be abused for setting up guaranteed charge, etc. Give it more restrictions on where the new unit can be set up, and remove the one time use.

So in essence, the new RO rule would work in tandem with existing RP rules and it's primary counters (i.e completely destroying a unit at a time), but it's mechanics would limit the number of units you can bring back in a single turn. There are also other things to worry about such as needing to loosen up its bubblewrap to open up as much space for the RO, etc.

I think RP itself is OK, it's just that the support mechanisms for it are weak and we pay too much for it.

Having untis be unkillable is too much, but rarely getting to use the rule sucks too.

I'd leave it as is, but change Res Orbs so they can be triggered immediately after a unit has been wiped out. That way our support structure will be vital. Also change the strat that lets you reroll ones to just reroll fails or +1 to Rp for a unit.

An extra con is that needing to roll for every casualty on every subsequent turn until your unit is wiped makes for an extra layer of unnecessarily complicated bookkeeping.

I wrote some experimental rules once where Reanimation Protocols worked like the Tomb Spyder in Dawn of War or the Convergence reconstruction engines in Warmachine where you have Ghost Arks and Tomb Spyders collecting corpses from units and returning them to play via their own abilities rather than having units do it themselves so you have a few centralized tallies to track rather than needing to track every unit, the whole thing is deterministic, and the other person needs to overwhelm the reanimation system by killing more things than you can return to play or kill the reanimator units, but the lethality of 8e and the ease of just offing the vehicles means it probably wouldn't work without a larger overhaul.

A more radical change I like would be something like this: Every time a model with RP is slain place a token(or just lay the model on its side). The token moves as part of its former unit. When an enemy moves within 1“ of a token, remove the token. At the start of your turn, roll for every token. On a 6 it is returned to its unit. If the unit is completely destroyed place the revived models where the unit was destroyed.
Cryptek and RO stay the same. Maybe nerf the Cryptek to: reroll 1s 2s and 3s instead of +1
The Pros and Cons of this
- RPs strength is the same regardless of points
- It makes counter play more interesting. Instead of just throwing more firepower at a unit you have to plan your future movements to deny enemy tokens.
- It changes the playstyle of Necrons where they grind down their enemies turn by turn by regenerating while all of your losses are permanent.
- There shouldnt be a problem with melee because you have to completely wipe the enemy anyway before you can move to destroy all the tokens.
- It reduces RPs raw power
- More RP rolls per turn.