Impressions of the Necrons, Part Two

Continuing onwards through the Necrons from the back to the front of the codex.  The first part is here.  Again, I'm going to save some of the analysis for the last post.  Well, I did Heavy Support, Fast Attack and Elites last time, so now on we go.

Let's look at the Designated Transports:

• Catacomb Command Barge - QS, Fast, Skimmer.  Mounts a Tesla or Gauss Cannon underneath.  Only carries an Independent Character, or in other words, a HQ unit, but not any of the Royal Court models (Character type, but no IC special rule).  Mentioning that because some posts online have talked about getting an Overlord type with Phaeron, pulling him out to lead a squad and putting a Warscythe Lord from the RC in it.  Otherwise, this is fun vehicle and definitely worth it for any Warscythe wielding IC.  Between the Sweep Attack rule (3 attacks with 4+ to hit, 3+ if only moving 6") and Symbiotic Repair (IC can take wound rather than Weapon Destroyed/Immobilized), this is a fairly hard to hit and hurt between 4+ flat out and AV13.  Definitely a threat that needs to be honored (~20% chance to kill a LR on a pass).  Like on the Annihilation Barge, you really don't care if you lose the underneath weapon.  The total cost is 180, which some might consider a bit much, but it seems fine to me, especially if this is a second Overlord to open the second Royal Court.
• Ghost Ark - QS, Gauss Flayer Arrays.  May only carry Warriors & Characters.  One of the controversial models in the codex, many look at the 115 points and say "Overpriced".  I agree that it does cost, but then so does a Land Raider and what do you get for what you pay?  In this case, the equivalent of two MSU Warrior squads in firepower from the arrays that can move and still shoot 24" since it is vehicle mounted, plus the ability to rebuild 1D3 Warriors per turn if needed, plus the ability to have the Warrior squad inside shoot (and assault if you want to).  So, I get something that replaces dead Warriors, plus shoots like ten Warriors?  Is AV13 with Living Metal?  115 doesn't sound like such a bad deal after all.  Another issue, the rebuilding ability requires dead Warriors since it can only refill the squad, not add models in excess of the original squad size.  For me, no big deal, have a foot squad as  a "bumper" or "bubble wrap" unit to take casualties first, but more about that in a later post.
• Night Scythe - This is the generic transport for everything.  No QS, AV11 all around, Aerial Assault, Supersonic, 15 models.  TL Tesla Destructor.  Again, since no model for this, we will have to wait and see how it looks.  One fun rule is that the "passengers" aren't really in the vehicle, they are in Reserve and disembark by Necron teleport from the vehicle.  Which means if the vehicle gets destroyed, the passengers aren't placed on the table or destroyed with it, they simply have to walk on the board as if they were in Reserves normally.  Limited use for some lists, but in those lists, you should see a lot of these.  IMO, as many as you can cram into the list.

Now the Troop units:

• Necron Warriors - The joe blow basic warriors.  They are five points cheaper and their armor saved dropped to 4+.  They can be bought in lots from five to twenty.  Complaints have been made about the lower armor save, but with the new WWB (Reanimation Protocols) rule, they have the exact same chance of saving as a 3+, except it is as a 4+ with an (almost) always on 5++ save.  In fact, in 4+ cover vs AP1-3, they have a better chance of "surviving" than MEQ.  Nothing special here, they only have the old Gauss Flayer (S4 AP5 RF) and it doesn't matter how many you have for getting special weapons since special weapons come from Crypteks, Lords, etc.  If you want to put a Rez Orb in with them, then you need 14-15 to make it cost effective, but more on that later.
• Necron Immortals - These guys lost their T5 when they moved from Elites to Troops as well as eleven points in cost!  Their Gauss Blaster went from Assault 2 to RF and you can choose for the entire squad to have Tesla Carbines (S5 AP- Assault 1).  Good solid troop choice.  Some people complain about the expense, but I don't have any problem running two of these, one Gauss and one Tesla in my lists.  The S5 is useful in an army that doesn't have ready access to special & heavy weapons.  Tesla, meh, Tesla is fun and is stronger vs infantry in the 12+"-24" range.  So, paying four points more per model for a gun with more S, better AP and armor save.  That can be useful.  I will note that it is marginal to include a Rez Orb here and only then in a full ten model squad.
  

Finally, the HQ units:
Note that all of the HQ models have the "Ever-living" rule which means they get WBB no matter what.

• Named HQs -  This is a varying lot that have their uses for several different lists, more than I want to get to in this listing.  In many cases, the choice of a named character determines either the type of list or aspects of that list to establish a synergy.  For example, if you take Orikan the Diviner, then you are almost forced to take a C'Tan Shard with Writhing Worldscape, although there is a dispute over the interaction of those two special rules.  Which is one reason I'm not going to get into them in detail.  Note that not all of the characters are Overlords and thus do not have access to a Command Barge or a Royal Court, Orikan being one of those that does not.  Actually, a quick check is that if the HQ has access to a Command Barge, then it can have a Royal Court.
• Overlord - Your generic no name leader that replaces the old Necron Lord.  Allows access to a Royal Court.  Has a number of options available as far as gear.  Can take a Command Barge.  Can buy the Phaeron rule which gives him and any unit he is attached to the Relentless USR.  I'm going to skip most of the wargear, mainly because IMO it is overpriced.  (It amuses me when I see one player complaining about how Immortals "aren't worth the price" when they are spending 60 points for a 2+/3++ save on a generic Overlord!)  The first the Warscythe and the Rez Orb.  The Warscythe is pretty much demanded if you want to play Sweep Attack ninja and it doesn't hurt to have a S7 power weapon buried in a squad for CC, but paying to give up a 12" S5 AP3 Assault 3 shooter makes it a points decision for that IMO.  The Rez Orb is a whopping 30 points, but in the right units it can be good to have, if you have the points.  I haven't tried the Mindshackle Scarabs yet, but they look decent.
  
• Destroyer Lord - Nice little guy, I really have no complaints against him, except taking him loses the opportunity for a Royal Court., works real well together with Wraiths.
  
• Royal Court - Each Overlord can have 0-5 Necron Lords and 0-5 Crypteks as their "Royal Court".  I'll treat each of these separately in the next couple of bullets, but in general you can deploy these as a single unit or use them to act as a "sergeant" in your squads.  Both ways have their uses, but IMO the superior one is to split them up, mainly because the points are tight.  Although I did run one with three Lords, three Crypteks, a Rez Orb and three Eldritch Lances, which made it kind of a nifty AT unit with nine 12" S5 AP3 shots and three 36" S8 AP2 shots.  The three Lords give the unit T5 as long as there are as many of them as Crypteks.  These
  
• Necron Lord - Same stat line as an Overlord except W1 instead of W3.  Almost all the same wargear options - at the same prices!.  So if 60 points for 2+/3++ is questionable for a W3 model, why would you ever spend it for a W1 model?  Otherwise these guys can be kitted out with Warscythes, Mindshackle Scarabs (which look nifty, but I haven't used them yet), & Rez Orbs.
• Crypteks - Same stat line as a Warrior.  Mainly these guys are bought for special gear.  I don't think the extent of the gear's usefulness has been tested yet.  While you can only have one piece of special gear per Royal Court (so max two per army), you can take either the base Staff of Light (12" S5 AP3 Assault 3) or one of the various Staves for 0-10 points.  A popular one is Destruction Crypteks who bring the 36" S8 AP2 Assault 1 Eldritch Lance (which isn't a Lance).  Solar Pulse and Veil of Darkness are two obvious choices, but one of the cheapest ones has been considered useless, the Eternity Cryptek with a Chronometron.  Yes, the stave stinks, but the ability to reroll one D6 every phase is not something to be sneered at.  Put him with Imotekh and you can reroll his ongoing Night Fighting if you need to.  Or a hit, or a wound, or a saving throw.  Another cheap one is the Storm Cryptek with Lightning Field.  The stave gives 12" S5 AP- Assault 4, Haywire (vehicle glance on 2-5, vehicle penetrate on 6) and the LF means that every unit that assaults the Cryptek or his unit eats D6 S8 AP5 hits.   Not sure if they apply to the CC results, but still it will make an opponent wary, especially if it is attached to a big unit out front.