Monday, November 29, 2010

Nightmare Build

The first of the three builds that Fritz has put up on his blog. All three are very different to the sort of lists that Stelek has shown and this may help explain why Fritz made the suggestion of reserving Warriors while Stelek uses the same deployment every single time. Keep in mind Stelek does use alot of hyperbole...
So this is a build that I used to use extensively in 4th edition and now adapted for 5th edition play- the nightmare build. Making extensive use of flayed ones, pariahs, and tomb spyders backed by the golden one it is all about synergy and fun. Note the word fun and the inclusion of a C'Tan. I don’t think I have to point out that this is a fun/themed list to give you some variety in your Necron games, and not a “competitive” list. Props to Fritz for making the differentiation, this isn't the only great thing about the article, with another to follow soon. The goal of this army is to scare your opponent with non-competitive list and make them run away crying like little children. Nothing is funnier than seeing Space Marines consistently run away turn after turn.

Pariahs’ are the lost child of the Necron codex. ‘Cron players so want to do something with their souless ability but struggle based on the over the top point cost, 0-1 limitation, and the fact that they aren’t Necrons. This theme builds on them and gives you a reason to put them down on the table. So here is the list at 1750 points…

The List
To sum it up there is a C'Tan, Lord, Pariah, Flayed Ones, Warriors and Spyders... there is a complete absence of long range anti-tank in this list. 
Deployment…
Regardless of the mission the army needs to stick together and work as a core unit- think of a Roman legion formation marching and fighting as one giant block. Tomb spyders are in the front with a second rank of flayed ones, pariahs, and the C’Tan. Behind them is the lord and your two warrior groups.

If you are familiar with Necrons right away you are asking yourself what is in the list to pop all those spamy razorbacks that are going to be coming your way.

Nothing! But hear me out…

In the best of cases you have ranks of destroyers and maybe even a heavy destroyer group mixed in. With this build we just don’t have the points for them, and to take a single group of min destroyers isn’t going to do anything so we just aren’t going to bother trying to stop the opponent from crashing out ranks- but remember the idea of sticking together. The second thing that Fritz has done that deserves props... the inclusion of something to illustrate what he is talking about.


You want to deploy where you can enter and be in terrain. In the front ranks the spyders will begin pooping out scarabs swarms that get into cover and now you have a T6 unit with a 3+ cover save. Position them so a “net” is cast around the rest of your units granting them a 4+ cover save.

At the start of the game your warriors and pariahs move to the front to get the 24” range of shooting so maybe you can get lucky at immobilizing a vehicle. With shooting for the first few turns you can even go to ground for the 3+ cover save- keeping units alive is important for now. Keeping the P’s up is key so be ready to attach the lord and pop off solar pulse to cut down on a round of shooting if needed.

As those legions of razorbacks come forward why would they with superior shooting? they will hit your wall of tomb spyders with two options. Crash through and tank shock or stop just before and rapid fire. If they crash through you are fearless or LD 10 and if they get out and rapid fire you take it with the T6 or WBB rolls. By now the interwebz should understand the importance of staying inside steel coffins. If they move up to then assault next turn through your ranks, then you assault the transports first and swarm for the emergency disembark. Hold the line and take the crash. A bunch of 5 man squads that have jumped out of Razorbacks charging into Necrons... way to assume the other guy is a complete idiot. Plus there are all those other equally good lists.

Now when those marines get out for whatever reason they are in the pariah bubble- LD 7 as you hit them with the C’Tan powers, visage of the flayed ones, and the shroud of the lord. Mob those units and pile in the assault. Once you are in the assault, you are then protected from shooting so you want to encourage that as soon as possible… and a good opponent will know this and will avoid combat. Especially, with the C'Tan in your list.

Wraith wing, destroyer wing, and the nightmare build can all give you some new fun and different games while we wait for that new ‘dex, especially if you are playing the battle mission books and variant missions.

- Fritz from Fritz 40K in Necron Nightmare Build

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