Warhammer 40k Forum and Wargaming Forums banner

How do I combat Necrons?

3119 Views 13 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  Vorag of Strigos
After another humiliating defeat at the hands of yet another Necron army I find myself caught between two possible courses of action. The first, it to learn from my mistakes and field more units to combat Necrons. The second option however, is to just not fight Necrons ever again and eliminate the possibility of losing to them ever again.

My opponent was equipped with the following:

Necron Lord x 1
Immortals x 10
Necron Warriors x 10
Necron Warriors x 10
Annihilation Barge x 1
Canoptek Wraiths x 5
Scarabs x 4
Canoptek Spider x 1
Tomb Blades x 6
Destroyer Squad x 3

Whilst I was equipped with:

Company Master x 1
Librarian x 1
Tactical Squad x 10
Deathwing Knights x 5
Deathwing Terminators (Storm Bolters) x 5
Dreadnought with Lascannon
Devastator Squad with Plasma cannons x 5
Ravenwing Command Squad x 3
Ravenwing Attack Squad x 3

The game began with almost no cover due to no other tables being available, what little cover there was I positioned neutrally along with our objective markers. I got initiative and went first, I moved in order to position my troops in the best positions available to gain objectives whilst seeking what little cover was possible.

I lost the game spectacularly due to objectives being constantly contested and my Ravenwing never making it to the objective I sent them to. Secondly the casualty rate was catastrophic due to the fact that my troops were completely annihilated.

Casualties:

Necron

6 Necrons Warriors
1 Canoptek Wraith
1 Scarab (Later rebuild by the Canoptek Spider)

Dark Angels

3 Ravenwing Command
3 Ravenwing Attack Squadron
5 Devastator Squad
1 Dreadnought
5 Deathwing Terminators
4 Tactical Squad

My Ravenwing were gunned down before they could even make it to cover despite my opening salvo taking out the majority of the Necron Warriors. My Deathwing Knights never made it to the battle due to deep strike mishap and my Terminators suffered a mishap and were positioned in perfect range of the Immortals and Necron Warriors. My Tactical Squad were set upon by Canoptek Wraiths and I only held out due to my psyker gaining an invulnerable save on the Perils of the Warp table. My Devastator squad however were wiped out by the Destroyer Squad and my Dreadnought fell to scarabs.

It seems impossible to win against Necrons so I ask you all as experienced players. How the hell do I fight Necrons and stand any sort of chance of winning?
See less See more
1 - 2 of 14 Posts
If what you said is his army he is not going decurion... it is almost there though. The majority is, but that barge and destroyers make it have to be CAD or Unbound. Make sure his list isnt using rules it shouldn't be. He would have a canotec harvest and reclamation legion but then no hq for the barge or troops to make it work.
Remember formations are counted as detachments in there own right. Unless he goes decurion, but then everything he buys in that detachment would have to be bought from that list given. He can not say that because he has X Y and Z units in his army he counts as having those rules but can freely add heavy support choices or whatever to that army. 1HQ unit in that list means he had to go CAD or Unbound. If he went Unbound he would not get the decurion bonus, EVEN IF he took the reclamation legion and harvest he looks like he took What could have made one.

I would not recommend the knight as he will just gauss it down. Vindicator are always good for fighting them but you will need a 3 or so as they will be priority targets for him. At S10 Ap2 it will both ignore armour and take the reanimation down by 1 (what if he isnt decurion would be 6s).
As said killing that spider is a big thing if he has gone decurion. But if not then splat those wraiths with the demo cannons and they are instant death if they fail the 3++ then reanimate on -1. Though the wraiths aren't always your best target because of that save, it depends how clustered they are.
Otherwise removing whole squads of immortals, warriors or tomb blades will stop him holding objectives.

Either way, new marine and dark angels books look to be coming in the next month or so. So you might end up with some fancy new toys like grav guns to eat those wraiths up with.
See less See more
My plasma cannons worked a treat, but the stupid reanimation of a 4+ and some took rerolls which Im not sure if its legit or not. One round two plasma shots killed 10 Warriors and they all got back up...
If the army was as you described then he is a dirty cheat!
You only get the 4+ reanimation protocols for units in a Decurion Formation. As said above his army could not be Decurion because he only had 1 HQ choice in the form of a Lord, what would have had to be his Reclamation Legion, so could not have taken the Destroyers or Barge.

Decurion Formation
Reclamation Legion
Necron Lord x 1
Immortals x 10
Necron Warriors x 10
Necron Warriors x 10
Tomb Blades x 6

Canoptek Harvest
Canoptek Spider x 1
Canoptek Wraiths x 5
Scarabs x 4

But to take an
Annihilation Barge x 1
He would need to make it an Annihilation Nexus. So would need a 2nd Barge and a Doomsday Ark.

To take Destroyer Squad x 3 it would need to be a Destroyer Cult. This means 3 squads of 3 minimum Destroyers and 1 Destroyer Lord.

HOWEVER to take what he did if you were remembering correctly he would have
Necron CAD
HQ
Necron Lord x 1

Troops
Immortals x 10
Necron Warriors x 10
Necron Warriors x 10

Fast Attack
Tomb Blades x 6

Heavy Support
Annihilation Barge x 1
Destroyer Squad x 3 (Though this would be 3 Destroyers as a squad or a 2 and 1 squad as he would have to many Heavy Support otherwise).

Canoptek Harvest
Canoptek Spider x 1
Canoptek Wraiths x 5
Scarabs x 4

This would mean he only gets the 5+ reanimation.

The reroll of animations comes from the Overlord in a Reclamation Legion. It is for anyone in 12" of the Overlord if they roll a 1 for reanimation. Or he could have a Resurrection Orb what allows 1 turn for rerolling all failed reanimation protocol for him and his unit.
Remember as well he needs to keep that Spyder in 12" of the things he wants to give a special rule at the start of his movement phase (so can't move him close, give them the buff and have them dash away) to such as Reanimation Protocols. This is important as he is a monstrous creature so only has 6" move. While the Wraiths and Scarabs are Beasts, so have 12" move. So each turn the units bought with that Spyder are faster and will be getting held back by him if they want to keep the bonuses. Also remember the formation is not a unit. So he can't do things like Look Out Sir for the Spyder or choose to take the wounds on other models who are closer. It also means that if you wish and can see the Spyder with your units, you can shoot it, even if you have other models in the way. Sure he gets a cover save if he is slightly obscured of 5+, but with a 3+ save normally, unless you fire melta or plasma style weapons at him, he is getting a better save than that cover save anyway. So rack up a load of heavy bolters and let rip if you want.
It also means if you charge it in combat, unless you have also engaged the other units with a disorganised charge that you would be able to direct all attacks on it.
See less See more
1 - 2 of 14 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top