C’tan Powered – A Casual Necron Army Update

Posted on by Dolch

Dolch here folks!

I’m giving you an update on my Necron List, and how it has changed through the year, as well as how the Minitorum Field Manual (and Chapter Approved) has changed things.

Sweet big beautiful biffy!

Last year I went into a whole section of my history in wargaming and what kind of player I tend to be. You can read that here (it hasn’t changed). Basically, I want to win with cool tricks and a list that I can call my own, and I’m not really a tournament gamer.

Fast Necrons 2k Points (December 2018)

Necron Nihilakh Spearhead Detachment

Novokh Outrider Detachment

For a point total of 1995 1839 (after CA 2018)

I was debating on adding another Doomsday Ark or filling out the fast attack choices with more scarabs, destroyers, and wraiths.

What did I do?

C’tan Powered 2k Points (Jan – Nov 2019)

Necron Sautekh Air Wing Detachment

Necron Sautekh Spearhead

Necron Sautekh Outrider

For a point total of 1993
I stumbled upon a deal for the Doom Scythe, and that pretty much set my course for the year. As with many hobbyists, I’m on a budget. Also, the promise of Sisters of Battle at the end of the year curbed many of normal excesses.

As you can see, I ended up dropping the Wraiths. They just didn’t do the kind of damage that I wanted. Aside from giving them Reanimation Protocols for a turn, there wasn’t a good way to buff the unit. (A chronic issue with Necrons).
The Transcendent C’tan also has been lackluster… mostly because of the randomness of the Fractured Personalities. I needed one more heavy support choice to fill out the Spearhead Attachment (I just couldn’t bring myself to build and paint another Doomsday Ark/Ghost Ark). I looked at replacing him with other options, like a pair of Annihilation Barges or even some Canoptek Spyders… but nothing seemed to fit.

I still only have 6 Command Points for the whole army… this was definitely an issue as I needed them for both Amalgamated Targeting Data (Mortal Wounds in an Area) for the Triple Doom Scythes AND Extermination Protocols for the Destroyers. Methodological Destruction (+1 to hit with all of your Sautekh units after wounding it once) is something that I sometimes burn two Command Points on. I would do if I got the top of the first turn (ie, when I still have all of my shooting) and absolutely need to kill that one thing.

Dakka Dakka

Speaking of Metholodological Destruction, I did switch all of my detachments to the Sautekh Dynasty. This is mostly for a personal narrative reason… I didn’t like running different Dynasties in the same army. Beyond that, having the main gun of the Doomsday Ark being an Assault weapon instead of Heavy was very useful in the mid and late game. I found that I was often moving the arks to the mid-field to handle infantry (with the Gauss Flayers).

How does this army do under Chapter Approved/Munistorum Field Manual 2019?

A whole bunch of the list didn’t change. There wasn’t a nerfing of either the Doom Scythe or the Doomsday Ark, which is honestly a net positive. The Cryptek didn’t change. Scarabs didn’t change. Neither did the Destroyers, but Heavy Destroyers are now cheaper than regular Destroyers! That is an interesting development!

Now for the things that did change. The Destroyer Lord is 15 points less than how I was running him before. The Transcendent C’tan dropped 20 points… wow! The Deceiver dropped 45 points! He did increase a bit in CA 2019, but seemingly undeserving of it! The Nightbringer dropped 25 points, on top of the drop he got last time around. Dang!
So, a savings of 105 points on this list… It is now 1888.

There were also some changes in units that I had considered including.
Each Wraith dropped 6 points (on top of a ton of points last time). Annihilation Barges are now 10 points cheaper. Even the Cannoptek Spyder is 20 points cheaper!

Current limbo champions.

Many of the named characters received a second round of price cuts (something that I’m a huge fan of… I’m already playing Sautekh, who get the lion’s share of characters in the codex.)

In particular, Orikan the Diviner dropped another 15 points… just 15 points more than the Cryptek I currently have in the list (plus, his becoming effectively a C’tan at the end of the game fits with the flavor of the list!)

Another character that is a possible inclusion is Immotekh, the Stormlord who dropped another 20 points. He doesn’t really have any targets for his My Will Be Done as the list as it stands. Though the additional Command Point will be very welcome.

Our time has come…

So what will the new list look like?

I suspect I’ll stay with Sautekh as my Dynasty (at least until Psychic Awakening comes around to us.)
A squad of Heavy Destroyers rolling around with a Destroyer Lord is an interesting idea… but I don’t have 3 Heavy Destroyers (and the budget is still headed towards purer pursuits.
The low number of command points has been a headache… I see why so many 6Doom lists start with a Battalion Detachment. I’ll probably go that direction, under the leadership of Orikan and/or Immotekh… that means my list will not be as fast as it once was. I’ll also add a few Tesla Immortals. I’m definitely keeping the Deceiver and the Nightbringer in the list, but maybe the Transcendent C’tan won’t make the cut.

Thoughts? Which points change has you the most excited? What options should I consider? Let me know?

Until then,

Best Blitzes!

Dolch

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secondhandhsop

3 thoughts on “C’tan Powered – A Casual Necron Army Update”

  1. Heavy Destroyers dropping to a usable price really opens up a more predictable match.
    For all of 8th D-Day Arks were Necrons most effective Anti-Tank, Unfortunately the D6 Shots D6 Damage is way too swingy and you will have games that you just roll 1 and 2s for shot or damage. This makes having a Solid list impossible as it is too dependent on High rolls for both Shots and Damage.

    Heavy D’s take out the Shots per D6 and being Infantry they can get cover and will be harder to kill with mass shots that normally fall the Ark. I would still run the (now Cheaper) Ghost Arks as a mid field bully unit that stops Charges and such from hitting and tying up your important units. They are just 10 points more then running 10 Warriors for more Wounds, Higher T and Fly they are perfect to add some speed to give head aches to your opponent.

    Making room for the Deceiver I think is not a bad choice in any list. Being about to adapt to your opponents deployment is pretty critical in 8th as how killy even so called “non competitive” lists are. Since the redeploy happens AFTER you know who gets first turn you can move up for the kill in rapid fire range or hide away juicy targets if you get second.

    Other then that with everything going down for most armies the same % I feel there will not be that much of a change as all armies will field a bit more stuff. A sound piece of advice with this point drops is with more units on the table for both armies the thought of getting Reanimation Protocols to ever go off is a dream that will not happen often if at all.

    Reply

    1. Yeah,
      Heavy Destroyers are really an option now. As important as getting cover saves, Heavy Destroyers can benefit from My Will be Done, meaning that they hit on a 2+ rerolling ones. Add to the fact that they can still move and get strength 9 shots… I think that there is a place for them in most lists now.
      I’m not sure if having them in a unit with 5 Destroyers or as a unit unto themselves is the better option…
      I do know that Extermination Protocols is a bit of a waste for Heavy Destroyers.
      I love redeploying with the Deceiver. It puts my opponent a bit on the defensive… they have to plan for me to use it offensively or defensively. Whatever choice they make in their deployment, I can counter at least some aspect of it.

      Necrons will have more stuff on the table, but you are right… so will almost everyone else. Necrons need stratagems or abilities that interfere with an opponent’s target priority. Maybe something along the lines of “Spend 2 CP, once one of your units has lost wounds during your opponents shooting phase. Until the end of this turn, the unit cannot be the target of ranged weapons.” Or even rewording the Monolith stratagem to allow the unit to make reanimation protocols out of phase.

      Reply

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