How to Dominate With Necrons!
You’ve been playing 40k for a while now. Maybe you’re running Space Marines and feeling a bit vanilla, or your Tau gunline’s getting predictable. You keep seeing these skeleton robots across the table, and they just won’t die. They keep getting back up, methodically advancing, and turning your carefully planned strategies into scrap metal.
Here’s the thing about Warhammer 40k Necrons – they’re not just another army. They’re the faction for players who understand that winning isn’t about flashy combos or alpha strikes. It’s about inexorable pressure, tactical patience, and the kind of staying power that makes your opponents question their life choices.
If you’re tired of armies that fold under pressure or want something that rewards strategic thinking over dice luck, it’s time we talked about the undying legions.
The Current State of Necrons: Why Now is Your Time
10th Edition’s Sweet Spot
The latest edition hit Necrons at exactly the right angle. While other factions got flashier updates, Games Workshop quietly made the death robots into one of the most tactically diverse armies in the game. Five distinct detachments that actually play differently? That’s not just variety – that’s strategic depth.
Combat patrol necrons and necron combat patrol boxes are flying off shelves because experienced players recognize value when they see it. The current meta rewards durability and board control, two things Necrons excel at without breaking a sweat.
The Dynasty System: Choose Your Fighter
Unlike armies with superficial sub-faction differences, Necron dynasties fundamentally change how you approach the game:
Sautekh under Imotekh the Stormlord brings that classic mid-range firepower doctrine. Over 80 tomb worlds worth of experience translates to steadfast morale and the kind of shooting phase that makes opponents respect your threat ranges.
Szarekhan offers balanced resilience against mortal wounds – crucial in a meta where everyone’s packing indirect fire and psychic shenanigans. The black and gold scheme isn’t just aesthetically pleasing; it represents the ancestral dynasty that’s been calling the shots since before your opponents’ factions existed.
Mephrit specializes in close-range gauss devastation. Former royal executioners know a thing or two about efficient killing, and their black and copper schemes deliver raw destructive force that punches well above its weight class.
Novokh goes full melee onslaught with blood-red armor that telegraphs exactly what they’re about. When positioned correctly, they turn the combat phase into a blender.
Maynarkh brings psychological warfare through terror tactics and necron flayed ones allies. Rust and bone colors reflect their borderline insanity – and sometimes crazy is exactly what the meta needs.
Character Synergies: The Force Multiplier Game
The Silent King’s Return
Szarekh isn’t just a centerpiece model – he’s a strategic pivot point. His triarch entourage buffs multiple units simultaneously, turning good positioning into devastating force multiplication. Recent competitive analysis shows he’s appearing in more tournament lists, and for good reason.
In practical terms: place him centrally, use his command protocols to coordinate advances, and watch mediocre units become genuine threats through strategic synergy.
Imotekh’s Storm Mastery
The necron overlord who’s never lost a logical battle brings storm-based ranged mortals that ignore cover saves. His command protocols turn your army into a precision instrument rather than a blunt weapon.
The updated 2024 Imotekh kit features living-metal scarab cloak details on a 40mm base – visual upgrades that reflect his enhanced tabletop presence.
The Specialist Support
Trazyn the Infinite offers the ultimate “gotcha” moment with his display piece replacement mechanic. Strategic players use this for last-second objective contests or saving crucial units from elimination.
Illuminor Szeras provides stat boosts to necron warriors and necron immortals – turning basic troops into genuinely threatening units through biotransference enhancements.
Unit Optimization: Building Around Strengths
The Warrior Core Philosophy
Necron warriors represent the ultimate expression of “death by a thousand cuts.” Gauss Flayers strip matter molecule by molecule, and mass reanimation protocols mean your opponent needs to commit serious firepower to achieve lasting results.
Optimal deployment: 20-warrior blobs with overlord support. The math works in your favor – even after taking casualties, the unit remains combat effective through multiple game turns.
Immortal Investment Strategy
Necron immortals cost more but deliver proportionally better results. Gauss Blasters offer superior range and strength compared to warrior loadouts, while Tesla Carbines provide crowd control against horde armies.
The decision matrix: Gauss Blasters against elite infantry and light vehicles, Tesla Carbines when facing Guard, Orks, or Tyranid swarms.
Destroyer Cult Dynamics
The necron destroyer units embody focused lethality. Skorpekh destroyers excel at infantry mulching, while lokhust heavy destroyer brings genuine anti-tank capability that threatens everything from Dreadnoughts to Land Raiders.
Ophydian destroyers add tactical flexibility through deep strike deployment and hit-and-run tactics. Position them to threaten backfield objectives or eliminate key support characters.
The Monolith Question
The necron monolith sparks heated debate among competitive players. It’s a points-heavy investment that draws massive attention but provides area denial and firepower projection that can anchor entire battle plans.
When to take it: Games where you expect prolonged firefights and need a central rallying point. When to skip it: Mission types emphasizing mobility and multiple objective control.
Detachment Deep Dive: Tactical Applications
Awakened Dynasty: The All-Rounder
This detachment adds Strength 1 to character-led units while providing robust command protocols. It’s the Swiss Army knife approach – flexible enough for any mission type, powerful enough to compete at serious levels.
Optimal builds focus on warrior masses with overlord support, supplemented by specialist units for specific battlefield roles.
Annihilation Legion: Aggressive Positioning
Destroyer cult and flayed ones get re-roll charges plus fight-phase buffs, transforming Necrons from a traditionally defensive army into a legitimate assault threat.
The key insight: use teleportation and advance moves to establish favorable combat positions, then rely on reanimation protocols to maintain pressure even after taking casualties.
Canoptek Court: Board Control Mastery
Units within Power Matrix auras gain extra Objective Control and precision, emphasizing Canoptek swarms and Cryptek support for territorial dominance.
This detachment rewards players who understand positioning, timing, and resource allocation over pure damage output.
Hypercrypt Legion: The Chess Master’s Choice
Wide redeployment capabilities and deep-strike tricks enable high-mobility plays that catch opponents off-guard. Think three-dimensional chess with teleporting skeleton robots.
Advanced players use this for assassination runs, late-game objective swaps, and forcing opponents into reactive rather than proactive strategies.
Advanced Tactics: Beyond the Basics
Threat Range Management
Gauss weaponry creates unique threat profiles. Even basic Gauss Flayers can threaten Space Marine armor, while Heavy Gauss Cannons pose legitimate risks to main battle tanks.
The tactical implication: establish overlapping threat ranges that force opponents into suboptimal positioning. They either cluster and become vulnerable to blast weapons, or spread out and lose mutual support.
Reanimation Protocol Timing
10th edition mechanics heal D3 wounds per unit during Command phases, with surplus wounds resurrecting models. Understanding this timing creates tactical opportunities.
Advanced application: deliberate unit positioning to maximize healing efficiency while maintaining battlefield effectiveness.
The Necron Battleforce Philosophy
A proper necron battleforce balances staying power with damage output. Too defensive, and you lose board control. Too aggressive, and you sacrifice the faction’s core strength.
The golden ratio: 60% durable core units, 25% specialist damage dealers, 15% support characters and utility pieces.
Meta Analysis: Current Positioning
Tournament Performance
Recent competitive data shows Necrons placing consistently in tournament top cuts without dominating headlines. They’re the quiet achievers – winning through superior positioning and resource management rather than flashy combos.
Matchup Considerations
Strong against: Armies relying on chip damage or gradual attrition. Space Marines, Tau, Guard infantry lists.
Challenging matchups: High-mobility armies that can avoid sustained engagements. Eldar, certain Chaos configurations.
Skill matchups: Mirror matches and other elite armies where tactical execution determines outcomes more than inherent advantages.
Hobby Considerations for Competitive Players
Paint Schemes for Recognition
Tournament play demands easily recognizable units. Necron color schemes naturally support this – metallic bases with dynasty-specific accent colors create clear visual hierarchy.
Pro tip: Use consistent basing materials across all units. Desert themes complement the Egyptian aesthetic while providing neutral battlefield appearance.
Magnetization Priority
High-value units benefit from weapon magnetization. Lokhust heavy destroyers, necron immortals, and character models see the most benefit from swappable loadouts.
Transport Solutions
Necron models are generally sturdy, but proper foam protection prevents paint damage during tournament travel. Their angular geometry fits standard pluck foam arrangements well.
Building Your Optimal List
Core Requirements
Every competitive Necron list needs reliable troops, character support, and specialized damage dealers. The exact proportions depend on your chosen detachment and local meta considerations.
Universal includes:
- 2-3 warrior units for board presence
- 1-2 character force multipliers
- Dedicated anti-tank capability
- Board control elements
Points Allocation Strategy
Necrons reward careful points investment over maximum unit count. Elite armies demand tactical precision, making every unit selection crucial for overall army performance.
Budget breakdown: 35-40% troops, 25-30% characters, 20-25% specialists, 10-15% utility.
The Long Game: Why Necrons Reward Patience
This isn’t an army for players seeking instant gratification. Necrons reward strategic thinking, positioning awareness, and the kind of tactical patience that wins tournaments.
You’re not trying to table opponents by turn three. You’re controlling board state, applying steady pressure, and forcing your opponents into increasingly desperate positions until their army simply can’t function effectively.
Warhammer 40000 necrons represent the thinking player’s faction – sophisticated enough to challenge experienced tacticians, resilient enough to forgive minor positioning errors, and powerful enough to compete against any opponent when properly deployed.
Ready to join the undying legions? Your tomb world awaits, and the galaxy won’t reclaim itself.