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(Redirected from Necron)
In the table-top wargame ''Warhammer 40,000'', the 'Necrons' are a mysterious robot-like race that have lain dormant and largely unknown by the other races of the universe for sixty million years, and are reemerging in the distant future of the ''Warhammer 40,000'' universe.[1] The Necrons have become known and feared for their ability to absorb physical punishment, as well as their enigmatic, yet powerful, weapons and technology (Gauss). Necrons are the most technologically advanced race in the Warhammer 40,000 universe and they are made out of living metal (necrodermis).
The Necrons first appeared as usable units for Warhammer 40,000 as 'Necron Raiders'. The rules for these were first published in ''White Dwarf'' Issue 217 towards the end of the lifespan of the second edition of ''Warhammer 40,000''.[2] At the time, only ''Necron Warriors'' and ''Scarabs'' were given game rules and the warriors were armed with ''Gauss-Flayer Guns''.[3][4] This was quickly followed up with an expanded army list in the following month's issue of the same magazine. The ''Necron Lord'' and ''Necron Destroyer'' were part of this slightly-expanded army list. At the time, the lord was armed with the ''Staff of Light'' while the destroyers were armed with ''Gauss-Cannons''.[5][6] The issue of ''White Dwarf'' also had the Necrons' first major appearance in a battle report in the article entitled ''Massacre at Sanctuary 101'', a battle between the Necrons and the Sisters of Battle. This particular altercation soon made its way into the background material as one of the first times the Imperium had encountered the Necrons.[7] The first Necron miniatures, all metal, were also released during this time. In fact, a free Necron Warrior was included with issue 217 of ''White Dwarf''. Other units to receive miniatures were the Necron Lord, Destroyer and Scarabs.[8]
In the release of the third edition of Warhammer 40,000 in 1998, the Necrons had no usable army list. The first, full-fledged Necron army list for the new edition of the game was printed in the March 1999 issue of ''White Dwarf''. This first army list was very restrictive, with the Necrons having mostly one choice per force organization category. The ''Necron Lord'', ''Necron Immortals'' and ''Necron Warriors'' were the only available HQ, Elites and Troops choices respectively. This early army list had two units for the Fast Attack selections, ''Necron Destroyers'' and ''Scarabs''. The latter were different from their current counterparts in that the original Scarabs were controlled individually and were not swarms on a single base as they are today. The ''Necron Immortal'' metal miniature was released at the same time as the publication of the army list.[9] In a later issue of ''White Dwarf'', Games Workshop further expanded the Necron army list by providing different equipment choices (wargear) for the ''Necron Lord''. Along with the ''Gaze of Flame'' and ''Scourge of Light'' upgrades, this was the first time that the ''Veil of Darkness'' wargear was added to the Necron Lord's available options.[10]
The Necrons received their first, full sourcebook with the release of ''Codex: Necrons'' in August 2002. The book featured a multitude of background information expanding upon the origins of the Necron race and expanded the scope of the Warhammer 40,000 history by several million years more.[11] A full army list was also introduced in the sourcebook, with heavily revamped rules for existing units and the introduction of new ones. New units introduced in the codex were ''Flayed Ones'', ''Pariahs'', ''Wraiths'', ''Heavy Destroyers'', the ''Necron Monolith'' and the infamous ''C'tan''.[12] New miniatures were produced and released alongside with the release of the codex. For the first time, Necrons received their first plastic miniatures kit in the form of the Necron Warriors boxed set, which contained enough parts to make twelve Necron Warriors and three Scarab bases with four Scarabs each. The boxed set was a first for Games Workshop, as it was the first time that transparent, coloured parts were included in a boxed set along with the standard polystyrene parts. The transparent, green rods in this case were meant to be used as part of the Necrons' gauss weaponry. The Necron Destroyer model was also revamped and made into a plastic kit. Whereas the old, metal version was essentially a Necron Warrior riding a flying platform, the new Necron Destroyer plastic kit featured a Necron Immortal torso mounted and merged with a floating platform. The other miniatures released for the army were metal, such as the Flayed Ones, Immortals, Pariahs, Wraiths and the Necron Lord.[13] Two more miniatures soon followed suit - the massive Necron Monolith, the largest miniature kit produced by Games Workshop at the time, and the Necron Destroyer Lord, a Necron Lord mounted on a Destroyer body.[14]
Little is known about the origins of the ancient race known as the Necrontyr. They were one of the earliest sentient race in the galaxy, older than even the ancient Eldar, appearing only a few million years after the birth of the stars. Their world was scourged by the radiation of the massive, violent star it closely orbited, cursing them to experience drastically short lifespans. The Necrontyr spent aeons expanding their technology in an attempt to extend their lives. Their technology developed Necrodermis, a "living metal", for constructing their ships with which they were able to leave their planet. These slow "tomb ships" full of cryonically frozen Necrontyr were sent to populate the stars over 60 million years ago. It was during their first difficult steps out into the wider galaxy that the Necrontyr first encountered the Old Ones. The differences between the two races were vast; where the Necrontyr had short painful lives, the Old Ones were blessed with incredible longevity, and where the Necrontyr were impatient, the Old Ones were infinitely understanding and patient beyond measure.
The Necrontyr grew bitter and jealous towards the Old Ones, and it was not long before this jealousy lead the Necrontyr into a futile war against the Old Ones' civilization. The Old Ones were powerful psykers and had an unmatched strategic advantage in the form of the webway portals which allowed them to outmaneuver the Necrontyr at every opportunity. These significant advantages won out over the Necrontyr's superior technology. Then, scientists studying the Necrontyr home star discovered a being of incredible power feeding off its massive energy output. The full weight of Necrontyr science was put behind detailing this discovery and it was not long before the Necrontyr realized the potential such an incredible power might have on the war against the Old Ones.
Being a huge mass of energy, without form, the Necrontyr forged necrodermis bodies for the C'tan to inhabit and as a result they were able to coax the C'tan into the material universe using 'The Star Bridge'. As the awesome power of the C'tan became material, the Necrontyr began to see these new beings not as guests, but as gods. The Necrontyr began to worship the C'tan as such, wanting them to destroy their hated enemies, the Old Ones. The first C'tan to pass into such a body was the Deceiver, a relatively weak but insidious and charismatic star god who always had many worshipers, as the Necrontyr empathized with it more easily than with the ineffable might of the others.
Soon after, the Necrontyr made contact with several more Star Gods, including the Nightbringer, the C'tan feeding off the Necrontyr's sun, and more than likely contributing to its malevolent radiation. He began to harvest the sweet tasting life force of the Necrontyr. It was only after considerable persuasion and pledges of servitude that the Necrontyr were able to bring to the Nightbringer's attention the Old Ones. The Death God found the Old Ones much more to his liking, and agreed to help the Necrontyr combat their hated enemies. Some time soon after, the Deceiver offered the Necrontyr a way to win the war: they would assume bodies of necrodermis, built for war, and live forever, unbound by their deformities.
The Necrontyr agreed to the process and their souls were transferred into bodies made of necrodermis. However, the transformation dulled their minds and senses. As such they became the Necrons, warrior-slaves of the C'tan, harvesting life across the galaxy for souls to feed them. With the assistance of the C'tan the Necrons won victory after victory against the Old Ones and had pushed the Olds Ones to the brink of extinction. At this time the C'tan started to feed off each other. Whether this was started by the Eldar Laughing God or the Deceiver isn't clear. But before long there were only four of the C'tan remaining, the others having been devoured by their fellow gods.
The Old Ones, desperate to survive, created the Eldar and the Krork amongst other races. These new psychic races brought new life to the cause of the Old Ones, during what came to be known as the "War in Heaven". During the war the Eldar war god Kaela Mensha Khaine fought the Nightbringer and won a Pyhrric victory. As its necrodermis body broke, the Nightbringer exploded into shards of its deathly essence, which then shot into Khaine, permanently tainting him, while the Nightbringer simply transferred its conscious into another waiting body. It is not known if this war occurred before or after the Eldar became a space-faring, technologically advanced race. However according to the Necron Codex the psychics were able to push back the Necrons, but their overuse of the warp would bring trouble as a result. C'tan in fact feared psychic weapons so much that they banded together to make a device that could split the warp from real space. It was never completed due to The Enslavers.
The War in Heaven and countless years of slaughter saw the war going badly for the C'tan. The Old Ones forces were beating the Necron's forces on all sides. Through use of the Old Ones' webway (a psychic road of sorts that runs throughout space), their forces would pop out from unknown locations to strike with overwhelming psychic force. But the C'tan device was almost finished.
Then the Enslavers appeared. The peaceful warp creatures had discovered the feelings of the young psychic races, and become blood thirsty. They pushed their way into the real world, killing millions and entering the minds of any living creatures, which they drove to fight and die for them. The Old Ones' fortress fell as their own webway was used against them. The Old Ones tried to save themselves by making new races to fight for them. One of these races is hinted at being the Orks. This however wasn't enough and the Old Ones seem to have died off or fled to other galaxies.
As for the C'tan they found the galaxies teeming with psychic energy and almost every lifeform trying to kill/fight everything. They lost almost all their food. In a final attempt to survive, the C'tan cleansed several worlds of life so the Enslavers could not attack them there and went to sleep to await a time when the psychic storms would end. Thus the C'tan have slept until now.
Now, many millions of years after the Enslaver Plague, the Necrons and their masters have finally awoken to reclaim the galaxy, and begin, once again, to herd the living as their cattle. Finally, after so long, the galaxy is ready for the return of the Star Gods of the Necrons. The deadly power of the invincible Eldar Empire is long gone and their race is scattered, the unstoppable might and momentum of the Emperor's Great Crusade has had 10,000 years to grind to a bloody and brutal stalemate against the inimical forces of the galaxy, and the Orkoid races have long since lost whatever cohesion they may ever have had. Even the Tyranids have shown an aversion to the Necrons, as well they might; since Necron metal could not be absorbed and digested, Tyranids could neither replenish their losses against the Necrons or engineer organisms designed to fight them. All who might have opposed the C'tan are either gone or humbled, the galaxy is a swirling maelstrom of regional and factional conflict and the lives of its trillions upon trillions of inhabitants are ripe for the picking. The deathly silent ranks of the Necrons stalk forth across their tomb worlds once again, to reassert their masters' rule and inspire fear in the living.
At present, the Necrons are still a shadowy presence rather than a fully-fledged force. They strike out of nowhere and without warning, slaughter their enemies and leave before any major reinforcements can arrive. The origins of these various attacks and their motives are unknown, though it is evident that the current Necron forces in the galaxy are only harvesters, rather than the full might of the enormous Necron war machine. Of the four remaining C'Tan only two are known to be active, the Deceiver, has been active for a lot longer than the Nightbringer, who also intentionally awakened the Nightbringer from its tomb on Pavonis as it knew it needed more Necron Forces to take the current war-torn galaxy. The other two gods are the Void Dragon and the Outsider.
The Necrons seem to be able to attack anywhere: Necron scout ships once passed by the fleets and defenses protecting the Solar System unnoticed, reaching as far as the orbit of Mars (homeworld of the Adeptus Mechanicus) before being gunned down. Even then, the wreck of the last vessel managed to land on the surface, the speculated reasoning behind this is that one of the four remaining C'tan, the Void Dragon, is entombed deep beneath the martian surface and is worshiped by the Adeptus Mechanicus as the Ommissah or Machine God. Understandably this casts doubt on the impregnable status of Holy Terra, though this incident is a heavily guarded secret within the Imperium, which has only rarely captured a single Necron body, weapon, or craft in an attempt to learn their secrets; this is extremely difficult to accomplish as entire Necron forces simply vanish into thin air when retreating and take their "dead" with them, although it is not completely certain where the "phased out" bodies disappear to.
The Necron forces originate from uncharted tomb-worlds. Their phase technology allows them to swiftly deploy anywhere in the galaxy. In defeat they "phase-out" and return to the tomb-world for repairs. Any Necrons that have fallen in battle can either be repaired there and it will continue to fight or it will phase out and return to its tomb world to be rebuilt by the Tomb Spyders there. Very rarely does anything remain of the Necrons after an attack regardless of whether it was successful or not.
Other than direct battle, the Necrons have infiltrated the Imperium to an unknown extent. Their elite anti-psyker troops, the Pariahs, are a cross-breed with human genes and it is as yet unknown if the Necrons developed the Pariah project by themselves or with the help of Imperial traitors (or possibly even Adeptus Mechanicus). It is known, however, that the C'tan had the Pariah gene placed in the human genepool several million years ago. This has since manifested itself in the agents of the Culexus temple, specialist anti-psyker assassins and Untouchables such as Alizebeth Bequin, one of Inquisitor Eisenhorn's entourage. Rumours are also rife that the "Machine Spirit" the Adeptus Mechanicus worships as a god is in actuality the dormant Void Dragon.
Main articles: Weapons, equipment, and vehicles of the Necrons
Most Necrons are tall, skeletal figures made of a living metal, or in some rare cases they are a polymer-type material, which provides excellent protection in battle and also has the special self-repair effect, which means even heavily damaged Necrons can quickly return to the battle. Psychologically the Necrons are a shadow of their former selves, it is unknown how much independent thought they are capable of. However, some do retain sentience especially the Necron Lords[1], also the Necron in Xenology says that some of the Necrons have retained memories, including itself, however the Necron Lords are the only Necrons the Imperium is sure to be sentient.
Another interesting phenomenon is that when a battle has turned strongly against the Necrons, the entire army will simply vanish from the battlefield. This even includes "dead" Necrons (those who have not yet repaired themselves) and those already engaged in close combat. Because of this, enemy forces like the Imperium have had great difficulty in obtaining Necron artifacts or "corpses" to analyze.
It should be noted that the terms for the weapons and Necrons that follow are given to them by their opponents, and not by the Necrons themselves. Aside from the C'tan, the Necrons rarely communicate to non-Necrons; only the C'tan known as the Deceiver has been observed infrequently communicating with non-Necrons. One exception to this is the "Thing in cell 1" from Xenology, this is revealed to be a Necron, and it also speaks to Shasam, revealing itself as a Necron who still retains memory, it mentions at the time that it, and other Necrons like it have infiltrated the Inquisition and have had a great deal of control within it. Besides this, there has been only one other recorded incident where a Necron has spoken to a human. It was during the attack on Lorn V that a Pariah made contact with the invading forces. There is only one other similar incident, during the online article ''The First Pariah''. In this article an unknown Necron entity gives instructions to an ex-Culexus Temple Assassin (who doesn't really count as a human anymore).
In the game, Necrons are powerful due to their devastating Gauss weapons and other powerful Wargear, such as Warscythes, The Staff of Light, and other weapons as well as their ability to self-repair. Their biggest weaknesses are their low number of unit types and high points cost, not to mention the fact that they vanish if three quarters of their force are defeated[1].
★ 'Destroyers' are Necron Warriors fused to fast and agile hovercraft platforms. Equipped with Gauss Cannons and sophisticated targeting systems which enable them to fire while moving, Destroyers are ideal for hit-and-run attacks or disrupting enemy flanks. They also come in a 'Heavy Destroyer' variant, which is armed with the more powerful Heavy Gauss Cannon, useful for destroying foes with the heaviest armor.
★ 'Flayed Ones' are Necrons who retain some of their original consciousness and have been driven mad by their ageless imprisonment. They are quite capable melee fighters, with claws and blades that can flay a man alive in seconds. They usually adorn themselves with still wet pieces of skin and hide from their latest victims. In such a state, they are a terrifying sight to behold, so much that sometimes enemy fighters lose their nerve by just looking at them. Flayed Ones also frequently act in a manner similar to scouts, sneaking ahead of the main Necron force or even burying themselves in the ground, and use either method to gain the element of surprise during a battle. (See also Xipe Totec for the cultural reference.)
★ Those favored Necrontyr who were among the first to give up their flesh and embrace the metal were rewarded by being 'Immortals'. They are more durable, heavy variants of the Warrior and they wield Gauss Blasters, calibrated for maximum effectiveness against infantry. However, being armed with gauss weapons, Immortals are fully capable of taking down vehicles. One exception is that on the game they are described as being best against vehicles (likely for balance, as making the Immortals more effective against a wider variety of targets would make them overpowered and additionally make other Necron units redundant).
★ 'Necron Lords' are the commanders of Necron forces, chosen due to being one of the few Necrons to retain sentience. They are formidable foes on the battlefield, being quite adept with both ranged and close combat weaponry. Due to their special position as "leaders" in the Necron forces, they are often equipped with special gear. This gear often increases the effectiveness of other Necrons around the Lord, such as augmenting their healing factor, or allowing them to teleport to crucial points in a battle; other gear carried can increase the Lord's survivability or his prowess in battle. Necron Lords are also some of the few Necrons who keep pieces of memory remaining from their previous lives.
★ The Necron 'Destroyer Lord' is the upgraded version of the Necron Lord, the Lord's torso is attached to the body of a Necron Destroyer.
★ 'Necron Warriors' are the backbone of the Necron army. They are numerous and provide strong fire support with their Gauss Flayers. Their "living metal" bodies allow them to sustain massive damage and continue functioning.
★ 'Wraiths' are one of the more sophisticated Necron units. They lack legs or a lower body (except for the spinal cord) and hover over the battlefield, moving at supernatural speeds. They are fearsome close combat warriors, and they can phase in and out during their flight, becoming ghostly figures (thus the name ''wraith''). This phase shift ability allows them to move through solid objects or even to avoid damage. It has been suggested that Wraiths were murderers or psychopaths before their steel imprisonment.
★ 'Pariahs' represent the true horror of a Necron-ruled galaxy. They are created by fusing Necron technology with human victims who bear the "Pariah gene" (a rare and unusual genetic defect which causes the bearer to be completely bereft of any Warp presence). Each Pariah is a formidable warrior, and wields a deadly warscythe. They radiate an unnatural aura that severely unnerves their enemies, especially psykers. Interestingly, since Pariahs are partly human, they are unable to self-repair, unlike other Necrons.
★ Within the Imperium, Humans bearing the Pariah gene are also known as "Pariahs", but are also referred to as "Untouchables". Some become Culexus Assassins, who are used by the Imperium to combat enemy psykers. It is unknown whether the C'tan somehow control this temple or intend to do so in the future, for all its members are a product of their plans. It is possible that it was the C'tan who originally put the Pariah gene in humanity, waiting for it to evolve to the point where they could use it to make Pariahs.
★ Countless small, beetle-like robots called 'Scarabs' often appear on the battlefield; these clouds of Scarabs are termed ''Scarab Swarms'' by their opponents. These swarms rely on sheer numbers to make themselves difficult to destroy, and are useful for disrupting enemies who are caught unaware. They can be upgraded with "disruption fields" which warp reality around their numerous claws. Large numbers of Scarab Swarms upgraded with "disruption fields" can tear apart even the most heavily armoured vehicles under a hailstorm of attacks.
★ 'Tomb Spyders' are large, spider-like robots which are normally tasked with maintaining the Necron tomb complexes. They sometimes appear on the battlefield, where they make resilient fighters who have limited ability to augment the healing factor of the "living metal" on nearby Necrons. They also can use their internal systems to manufacture Scarabs in the midst of a battle.
In the game, Necrons are powerful due to their devastating Gauss weapons and other powerful Wargear, such as Warscythes, The Staff of Light, and other weapons as well as their ability to self-repair. All Necron weapons listed as Gauss Weapons also have the ability to damage opponents even if normally impossible. In the tabletop, a roll of 6 on a dice scores a glancing hit automatically on a vehicle, and an instant wound on non-vehicle units. Their biggest weaknesses are their low number of unit types and high points cost, not to mention the fact that they vanish if three quarters of their force are defeated[1].
★ 'Gauss Flayers' are the most basic Necron weaponry. They feature a single Gauss tube that is charged and releases a burst of electromagnetic energy. This electromagnetic blast is calibrated towards disrupting the molecular bonds of a target. As each 'layer' is exposed, it is broken apart and stripped away, accounting for the 'flayer' name of this weapon. Other Gauss weapons use exactly the same method of destruction, however due to their higher strengths the process is much more rapid. [1]
★ 'Gauss Cannons' are one of the most powerful weapons wielded by the Necron armies. Its high strength and armour-piercing characteristics allow this weapon to cut down swathes of light infantry, as well as damage even the heaviest tanks due to the "Gauss Weapons" rule. Its high rate of fire allows it to pummel tanks until a critically damaging hit is scored.
★ 'Heavy Gauss Cannons' are an anti-tank variant wielded by Heavy Destroyers. Sacrificing firing rate for a single high-strength shot, the Heavy Gauss cannon is almost guaranteed to destroy lighter armoured vehicles with a single shot, and hardly need rely on the "Gauss Weapons" rule to damage heavier fighting vehicles.
★ 'Gauss Flux Arcs' are mounted on vehicles, and are primarily defensive weapons in battle. Being slightly better than a flayer, they have limited killing potential. Whilst the flux arc can cut down smaller troops, it will be ineffective against vehicles and heavy infantry.
★ 'Particle Whips' are the primary weapon systems on the monoliths, and Necron tomb ships. They are powered by a large Gauss crystal, and are capable of taking down entire units of troops in single shots. The weapon relies on firing an ionised particle beam at a target, along which flows an immensely powerful bolt of Gauss energy. Upon contact with solid matter, the reaction is profoundly destructive, often obliterating the point of impact and severely damaging the surrounding area. Depending on the size and power source of the Particle Whip, it's application can vary. The ground based version carried by the Monolith is primarily anti-infantry, while larger variants wielded by Necron spacecrafts require immense amounts of energy to fire, but are capable of crippling capital-size ships. Tomb Spyders can wield a lighter version of this weapon, although it's range and power are extremely limited compared to their larger counterparts.
★ 'The Staff of Light' is a weapon that is only carried by the Necron Lord. It has great melee potential, and is even capable of a limited burst of ranged attacks. While not terribly powerful, it offers a solid weapon for defense and gives the Necrons their first real melee weapon.
★ 'Warscythes' are the strongest melee weapon that the Necrons have at their disposal. Made from the same material as the Necrons themselves, it has the capacity to carve holes in tanks and cut straight through the thickest of bunker walls. Carried only by Pariahs and Lords, it is a weapon that is seldom employed in standard combat, but they can't be underestimated as they can cut through most energy fields, rendering all kinds of saves useless against them. Pariah-carried versions have a built-in Gauss Blaster as well.
★ 'Pylons' are enormous ground based defense platforms that are capable of taking down spacecraft and ground units alike. The pylons have been seen erected on only the most desolate of worlds, suggesting that they are installed in the last stages of a planet's harvesting. The Necrons also seem to teleport them into position along with very large attack forces, to act as super-heavy siege weapons, often being employed against Titans and fortresses. They could also be markers of some sort, and are commonly recorded as sending out signals and energy into the deepest regions of the galaxy.
A hit from a Pylon's energy weapon is sufficient to breach almost any manner of physical shields and energy fields, instantly slaying infantry and inflicting catastrophic damage on all but the most durable of vehicles.
★ There is a whole slew of weapon variants such as Gauss grenades, and Nightmare projectors, but the Imperium has very limited information on these, such as their use thus far has been severely limited. Again, this points to the Necrons being a harvesting force, rather than a pure invasion force.
While Necron forces are usually land-based, Necron space vessels are not unheard of and are quite possibly much more common than people realize. They are probably simply not seen and so the Necrons seem to have the terrifying ability to appear out of nowhere. There are more than two dozen records of Necron space contacts in the Imperial archives, and there are accounts of other races battling Necron fleets.
Necron mastery of physical technology is beyond anything the galaxy has ever seen and surpasses even that of the highly advanced Eldar. Their ships are stunningly fast and agile, equipped with propulsion systems which are capable of travelling interstellar distances without entering the Warp. This is achieved, as far as is known, by making their ships unbound by inertia, allowing them to accelerate almost instantly and infinitely, which explains why Necron ships are often seen to be visibly decelerating upon reaching the site of battle. This also protects them from many of the practical problems and dangers of warp travel. All Necron ships are well-armored, equipped with self-repair systems and utilize an advanced stealth technology which makes them invisible to enemy targeting systems, granting Necron vessels surprising staying power overall. Necron naval weaponry is frighteningly devastating; one necron ship is more than a match for a small imperial fleet while larger necron ships have been known to cripple entire fleets with a single shot and are known to by-pass many conventional defense systems, such as void shields and even Eldar holofields, and strike with an unearthly accuracy.
In every battle so far, the Necrons could only be defeated by superior numbers, and engaging Necrons on even terms proved to be suicide. Fortunately, all of the Necron fleets encountered so far were small task forces that usually disengaged and phased out like their land-based counterparts rather than putting up a full fight. However, their frequency seems to be increasing and the possibility of a massive Necron attack is dreaded by the Imperium as well as other sentient races. Even as a raiding force, they are a serious threat since they are fully capable of outmaneuvering most other fleets (probably with the exception of Eldar and their dark kin). This often leads to catastrophic losses for enemy fleets and forces them to stall for reinforcements to arrive, at which point the Necrons simply phase out again.
See here for a list of known Necron spacecraft.
'Living Metal' is the basis of Necrontyr technology. It is extremely durable and can dynamically restructure itself to change shape or to adapt to an outside effect, as well as having the capability to mend itself when damaged. The physical shells that contain the C'tan are made from it, so called 'Necrodermis' as are the Necron metal bodies (including starships and vehicles) and some of their weapons. The C'tan Phase Sword and C'tan Phase Knife also utilise similar technology. Literally, the name means "corpse skin" (from Greek νεκρος (as discussed earlier), and δερμις ''dermis'').
'The C'tan' are encased in Necrodermis upon their creation, resulting in a trapping of a horrific amount of energy. On the battlefield, if this Necrodermis is somehow ruptured or broken, either by means of weaponry or accident, the C'tan encapsulated inside the Necrodermis will escape, resulting in a massive release of this energy. This creates a damaging explosion with a large radius, damaging Necron and enemy alike. The Necrodermis has the capacity to absorb energy and use that energy to repair itself, allowing it to house the energies of C'tan.
★ Codex: Necrons, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-190-7
1. Codex: Necrons, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-190-7
2. Necron Raiders - Background, , , , White Dwarf,
3. Necron Rules, , , , White Dwarf,
4. A Desperate Mission - Scenario: Imperial Guard vs. Necrons, , , , White Dwarf,
5. Necron Onslaught, , , , White Dwarf,
6. The Valley of Death - Necrons Background, , , , White Dwarf,
7. Massacre at Sanctuary 101 - Battle Report: Sisters of Battle vs. Necrons, , , , White Dwarf,
8. New Releases - Necrons, , , , White Dwarf,
9. New Releases - Necrons, , , , White Dwarf,
10. Chapter Approved: Necrons, , , , White Dwarf,
11. Index Xenos: Resurgent Evil - The awakening of the Necrontyr, , , , White Dwarf,
12. Chapter Approved:
Codex: Necrons designers' notes, , , , White Dwarf,
13. Necron Awakening: A look at the Warhammer 40,000 Necron miniatures released this month., , , , White Dwarf,
14. Turn One: New Releases - Necrons, , , , White Dwarf (US),
15. Codex: Necrons, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-190-7
16. Codex: Necrons, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-190-7
17. Codex: Necrons, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-190-7
18. Codex: Necrons, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-190-7
★ Weapons, equipment, and vehicles of the Necrons
★ Necrons and C'tan @ the Unofficial Warhammer 40,000 Encyclopedia
★ Xenos Imagnifier - Imperial map of the galaxy highlighting Necron encounters.
★ NECRONS_BR Brazilian fan
The Cover of the Current Necron sourcebook, 'Codex Necrons'.
In the table-top wargame ''Warhammer 40,000'', the 'Necrons' are a mysterious robot-like race that have lain dormant and largely unknown by the other races of the universe for sixty million years, and are reemerging in the distant future of the ''Warhammer 40,000'' universe.[1] The Necrons have become known and feared for their ability to absorb physical punishment, as well as their enigmatic, yet powerful, weapons and technology (Gauss). Necrons are the most technologically advanced race in the Warhammer 40,000 universe and they are made out of living metal (necrodermis).
Development history
The Necrons first appeared as usable units for Warhammer 40,000 as 'Necron Raiders'. The rules for these were first published in ''White Dwarf'' Issue 217 towards the end of the lifespan of the second edition of ''Warhammer 40,000''.[2] At the time, only ''Necron Warriors'' and ''Scarabs'' were given game rules and the warriors were armed with ''Gauss-Flayer Guns''.[3][4] This was quickly followed up with an expanded army list in the following month's issue of the same magazine. The ''Necron Lord'' and ''Necron Destroyer'' were part of this slightly-expanded army list. At the time, the lord was armed with the ''Staff of Light'' while the destroyers were armed with ''Gauss-Cannons''.[5][6] The issue of ''White Dwarf'' also had the Necrons' first major appearance in a battle report in the article entitled ''Massacre at Sanctuary 101'', a battle between the Necrons and the Sisters of Battle. This particular altercation soon made its way into the background material as one of the first times the Imperium had encountered the Necrons.[7] The first Necron miniatures, all metal, were also released during this time. In fact, a free Necron Warrior was included with issue 217 of ''White Dwarf''. Other units to receive miniatures were the Necron Lord, Destroyer and Scarabs.[8]
In the release of the third edition of Warhammer 40,000 in 1998, the Necrons had no usable army list. The first, full-fledged Necron army list for the new edition of the game was printed in the March 1999 issue of ''White Dwarf''. This first army list was very restrictive, with the Necrons having mostly one choice per force organization category. The ''Necron Lord'', ''Necron Immortals'' and ''Necron Warriors'' were the only available HQ, Elites and Troops choices respectively. This early army list had two units for the Fast Attack selections, ''Necron Destroyers'' and ''Scarabs''. The latter were different from their current counterparts in that the original Scarabs were controlled individually and were not swarms on a single base as they are today. The ''Necron Immortal'' metal miniature was released at the same time as the publication of the army list.[9] In a later issue of ''White Dwarf'', Games Workshop further expanded the Necron army list by providing different equipment choices (wargear) for the ''Necron Lord''. Along with the ''Gaze of Flame'' and ''Scourge of Light'' upgrades, this was the first time that the ''Veil of Darkness'' wargear was added to the Necron Lord's available options.[10]
The Necrons received their first, full sourcebook with the release of ''Codex: Necrons'' in August 2002. The book featured a multitude of background information expanding upon the origins of the Necron race and expanded the scope of the Warhammer 40,000 history by several million years more.[11] A full army list was also introduced in the sourcebook, with heavily revamped rules for existing units and the introduction of new ones. New units introduced in the codex were ''Flayed Ones'', ''Pariahs'', ''Wraiths'', ''Heavy Destroyers'', the ''Necron Monolith'' and the infamous ''C'tan''.[12] New miniatures were produced and released alongside with the release of the codex. For the first time, Necrons received their first plastic miniatures kit in the form of the Necron Warriors boxed set, which contained enough parts to make twelve Necron Warriors and three Scarab bases with four Scarabs each. The boxed set was a first for Games Workshop, as it was the first time that transparent, coloured parts were included in a boxed set along with the standard polystyrene parts. The transparent, green rods in this case were meant to be used as part of the Necrons' gauss weaponry. The Necron Destroyer model was also revamped and made into a plastic kit. Whereas the old, metal version was essentially a Necron Warrior riding a flying platform, the new Necron Destroyer plastic kit featured a Necron Immortal torso mounted and merged with a floating platform. The other miniatures released for the army were metal, such as the Flayed Ones, Immortals, Pariahs, Wraiths and the Necron Lord.[13] Two more miniatures soon followed suit - the massive Necron Monolith, the largest miniature kit produced by Games Workshop at the time, and the Necron Destroyer Lord, a Necron Lord mounted on a Destroyer body.[14]
History
The Necrontyr
Little is known about the origins of the ancient race known as the Necrontyr. They were one of the earliest sentient race in the galaxy, older than even the ancient Eldar, appearing only a few million years after the birth of the stars. Their world was scourged by the radiation of the massive, violent star it closely orbited, cursing them to experience drastically short lifespans. The Necrontyr spent aeons expanding their technology in an attempt to extend their lives. Their technology developed Necrodermis, a "living metal", for constructing their ships with which they were able to leave their planet. These slow "tomb ships" full of cryonically frozen Necrontyr were sent to populate the stars over 60 million years ago. It was during their first difficult steps out into the wider galaxy that the Necrontyr first encountered the Old Ones. The differences between the two races were vast; where the Necrontyr had short painful lives, the Old Ones were blessed with incredible longevity, and where the Necrontyr were impatient, the Old Ones were infinitely understanding and patient beyond measure.
The Necrontyr grew bitter and jealous towards the Old Ones, and it was not long before this jealousy lead the Necrontyr into a futile war against the Old Ones' civilization. The Old Ones were powerful psykers and had an unmatched strategic advantage in the form of the webway portals which allowed them to outmaneuver the Necrontyr at every opportunity. These significant advantages won out over the Necrontyr's superior technology. Then, scientists studying the Necrontyr home star discovered a being of incredible power feeding off its massive energy output. The full weight of Necrontyr science was put behind detailing this discovery and it was not long before the Necrontyr realized the potential such an incredible power might have on the war against the Old Ones.
C'tan
Being a huge mass of energy, without form, the Necrontyr forged necrodermis bodies for the C'tan to inhabit and as a result they were able to coax the C'tan into the material universe using 'The Star Bridge'. As the awesome power of the C'tan became material, the Necrontyr began to see these new beings not as guests, but as gods. The Necrontyr began to worship the C'tan as such, wanting them to destroy their hated enemies, the Old Ones. The first C'tan to pass into such a body was the Deceiver, a relatively weak but insidious and charismatic star god who always had many worshipers, as the Necrontyr empathized with it more easily than with the ineffable might of the others.
Soon after, the Necrontyr made contact with several more Star Gods, including the Nightbringer, the C'tan feeding off the Necrontyr's sun, and more than likely contributing to its malevolent radiation. He began to harvest the sweet tasting life force of the Necrontyr. It was only after considerable persuasion and pledges of servitude that the Necrontyr were able to bring to the Nightbringer's attention the Old Ones. The Death God found the Old Ones much more to his liking, and agreed to help the Necrontyr combat their hated enemies. Some time soon after, the Deceiver offered the Necrontyr a way to win the war: they would assume bodies of necrodermis, built for war, and live forever, unbound by their deformities.
The Necrontyr agreed to the process and their souls were transferred into bodies made of necrodermis. However, the transformation dulled their minds and senses. As such they became the Necrons, warrior-slaves of the C'tan, harvesting life across the galaxy for souls to feed them. With the assistance of the C'tan the Necrons won victory after victory against the Old Ones and had pushed the Olds Ones to the brink of extinction. At this time the C'tan started to feed off each other. Whether this was started by the Eldar Laughing God or the Deceiver isn't clear. But before long there were only four of the C'tan remaining, the others having been devoured by their fellow gods.
The Old Ones, desperate to survive, created the Eldar and the Krork amongst other races. These new psychic races brought new life to the cause of the Old Ones, during what came to be known as the "War in Heaven". During the war the Eldar war god Kaela Mensha Khaine fought the Nightbringer and won a Pyhrric victory. As its necrodermis body broke, the Nightbringer exploded into shards of its deathly essence, which then shot into Khaine, permanently tainting him, while the Nightbringer simply transferred its conscious into another waiting body. It is not known if this war occurred before or after the Eldar became a space-faring, technologically advanced race. However according to the Necron Codex the psychics were able to push back the Necrons, but their overuse of the warp would bring trouble as a result. C'tan in fact feared psychic weapons so much that they banded together to make a device that could split the warp from real space. It was never completed due to The Enslavers.
The Enslavers
The War in Heaven and countless years of slaughter saw the war going badly for the C'tan. The Old Ones forces were beating the Necron's forces on all sides. Through use of the Old Ones' webway (a psychic road of sorts that runs throughout space), their forces would pop out from unknown locations to strike with overwhelming psychic force. But the C'tan device was almost finished.
Then the Enslavers appeared. The peaceful warp creatures had discovered the feelings of the young psychic races, and become blood thirsty. They pushed their way into the real world, killing millions and entering the minds of any living creatures, which they drove to fight and die for them. The Old Ones' fortress fell as their own webway was used against them. The Old Ones tried to save themselves by making new races to fight for them. One of these races is hinted at being the Orks. This however wasn't enough and the Old Ones seem to have died off or fled to other galaxies.
As for the C'tan they found the galaxies teeming with psychic energy and almost every lifeform trying to kill/fight everything. They lost almost all their food. In a final attempt to survive, the C'tan cleansed several worlds of life so the Enslavers could not attack them there and went to sleep to await a time when the psychic storms would end. Thus the C'tan have slept until now.
Awakening
Now, many millions of years after the Enslaver Plague, the Necrons and their masters have finally awoken to reclaim the galaxy, and begin, once again, to herd the living as their cattle. Finally, after so long, the galaxy is ready for the return of the Star Gods of the Necrons. The deadly power of the invincible Eldar Empire is long gone and their race is scattered, the unstoppable might and momentum of the Emperor's Great Crusade has had 10,000 years to grind to a bloody and brutal stalemate against the inimical forces of the galaxy, and the Orkoid races have long since lost whatever cohesion they may ever have had. Even the Tyranids have shown an aversion to the Necrons, as well they might; since Necron metal could not be absorbed and digested, Tyranids could neither replenish their losses against the Necrons or engineer organisms designed to fight them. All who might have opposed the C'tan are either gone or humbled, the galaxy is a swirling maelstrom of regional and factional conflict and the lives of its trillions upon trillions of inhabitants are ripe for the picking. The deathly silent ranks of the Necrons stalk forth across their tomb worlds once again, to reassert their masters' rule and inspire fear in the living.
The Necrons in the 41st Millennium
At present, the Necrons are still a shadowy presence rather than a fully-fledged force. They strike out of nowhere and without warning, slaughter their enemies and leave before any major reinforcements can arrive. The origins of these various attacks and their motives are unknown, though it is evident that the current Necron forces in the galaxy are only harvesters, rather than the full might of the enormous Necron war machine. Of the four remaining C'Tan only two are known to be active, the Deceiver, has been active for a lot longer than the Nightbringer, who also intentionally awakened the Nightbringer from its tomb on Pavonis as it knew it needed more Necron Forces to take the current war-torn galaxy. The other two gods are the Void Dragon and the Outsider.
The Necrons seem to be able to attack anywhere: Necron scout ships once passed by the fleets and defenses protecting the Solar System unnoticed, reaching as far as the orbit of Mars (homeworld of the Adeptus Mechanicus) before being gunned down. Even then, the wreck of the last vessel managed to land on the surface, the speculated reasoning behind this is that one of the four remaining C'tan, the Void Dragon, is entombed deep beneath the martian surface and is worshiped by the Adeptus Mechanicus as the Ommissah or Machine God. Understandably this casts doubt on the impregnable status of Holy Terra, though this incident is a heavily guarded secret within the Imperium, which has only rarely captured a single Necron body, weapon, or craft in an attempt to learn their secrets; this is extremely difficult to accomplish as entire Necron forces simply vanish into thin air when retreating and take their "dead" with them, although it is not completely certain where the "phased out" bodies disappear to.
The Necron forces originate from uncharted tomb-worlds. Their phase technology allows them to swiftly deploy anywhere in the galaxy. In defeat they "phase-out" and return to the tomb-world for repairs. Any Necrons that have fallen in battle can either be repaired there and it will continue to fight or it will phase out and return to its tomb world to be rebuilt by the Tomb Spyders there. Very rarely does anything remain of the Necrons after an attack regardless of whether it was successful or not.
Other than direct battle, the Necrons have infiltrated the Imperium to an unknown extent. Their elite anti-psyker troops, the Pariahs, are a cross-breed with human genes and it is as yet unknown if the Necrons developed the Pariah project by themselves or with the help of Imperial traitors (or possibly even Adeptus Mechanicus). It is known, however, that the C'tan had the Pariah gene placed in the human genepool several million years ago. This has since manifested itself in the agents of the Culexus temple, specialist anti-psyker assassins and Untouchables such as Alizebeth Bequin, one of Inquisitor Eisenhorn's entourage. Rumours are also rife that the "Machine Spirit" the Adeptus Mechanicus worships as a god is in actuality the dormant Void Dragon.
Necron Forces & Weaponry
Main articles: Weapons, equipment, and vehicles of the Necrons
Most Necrons are tall, skeletal figures made of a living metal, or in some rare cases they are a polymer-type material, which provides excellent protection in battle and also has the special self-repair effect, which means even heavily damaged Necrons can quickly return to the battle. Psychologically the Necrons are a shadow of their former selves, it is unknown how much independent thought they are capable of. However, some do retain sentience especially the Necron Lords[1], also the Necron in Xenology says that some of the Necrons have retained memories, including itself, however the Necron Lords are the only Necrons the Imperium is sure to be sentient.
Another interesting phenomenon is that when a battle has turned strongly against the Necrons, the entire army will simply vanish from the battlefield. This even includes "dead" Necrons (those who have not yet repaired themselves) and those already engaged in close combat. Because of this, enemy forces like the Imperium have had great difficulty in obtaining Necron artifacts or "corpses" to analyze.
It should be noted that the terms for the weapons and Necrons that follow are given to them by their opponents, and not by the Necrons themselves. Aside from the C'tan, the Necrons rarely communicate to non-Necrons; only the C'tan known as the Deceiver has been observed infrequently communicating with non-Necrons. One exception to this is the "Thing in cell 1" from Xenology, this is revealed to be a Necron, and it also speaks to Shasam, revealing itself as a Necron who still retains memory, it mentions at the time that it, and other Necrons like it have infiltrated the Inquisition and have had a great deal of control within it. Besides this, there has been only one other recorded incident where a Necron has spoken to a human. It was during the attack on Lorn V that a Pariah made contact with the invading forces. There is only one other similar incident, during the online article ''The First Pariah''. In this article an unknown Necron entity gives instructions to an ex-Culexus Temple Assassin (who doesn't really count as a human anymore).
Necron Units
In the game, Necrons are powerful due to their devastating Gauss weapons and other powerful Wargear, such as Warscythes, The Staff of Light, and other weapons as well as their ability to self-repair. Their biggest weaknesses are their low number of unit types and high points cost, not to mention the fact that they vanish if three quarters of their force are defeated[1].
Necron Destroyers
★ 'Destroyers' are Necron Warriors fused to fast and agile hovercraft platforms. Equipped with Gauss Cannons and sophisticated targeting systems which enable them to fire while moving, Destroyers are ideal for hit-and-run attacks or disrupting enemy flanks. They also come in a 'Heavy Destroyer' variant, which is armed with the more powerful Heavy Gauss Cannon, useful for destroying foes with the heaviest armor.
Necron Flayed Ones
★ 'Flayed Ones' are Necrons who retain some of their original consciousness and have been driven mad by their ageless imprisonment. They are quite capable melee fighters, with claws and blades that can flay a man alive in seconds. They usually adorn themselves with still wet pieces of skin and hide from their latest victims. In such a state, they are a terrifying sight to behold, so much that sometimes enemy fighters lose their nerve by just looking at them. Flayed Ones also frequently act in a manner similar to scouts, sneaking ahead of the main Necron force or even burying themselves in the ground, and use either method to gain the element of surprise during a battle. (See also Xipe Totec for the cultural reference.)
Necron Immortals
★ Those favored Necrontyr who were among the first to give up their flesh and embrace the metal were rewarded by being 'Immortals'. They are more durable, heavy variants of the Warrior and they wield Gauss Blasters, calibrated for maximum effectiveness against infantry. However, being armed with gauss weapons, Immortals are fully capable of taking down vehicles. One exception is that on the game they are described as being best against vehicles (likely for balance, as making the Immortals more effective against a wider variety of targets would make them overpowered and additionally make other Necron units redundant).
Necron Lord
★ 'Necron Lords' are the commanders of Necron forces, chosen due to being one of the few Necrons to retain sentience. They are formidable foes on the battlefield, being quite adept with both ranged and close combat weaponry. Due to their special position as "leaders" in the Necron forces, they are often equipped with special gear. This gear often increases the effectiveness of other Necrons around the Lord, such as augmenting their healing factor, or allowing them to teleport to crucial points in a battle; other gear carried can increase the Lord's survivability or his prowess in battle. Necron Lords are also some of the few Necrons who keep pieces of memory remaining from their previous lives.
★ The Necron 'Destroyer Lord' is the upgraded version of the Necron Lord, the Lord's torso is attached to the body of a Necron Destroyer.
Necron Warriors
Necron Warriors wielding Gauss Flayers and with some Scarabs at their feet
★ 'Necron Warriors' are the backbone of the Necron army. They are numerous and provide strong fire support with their Gauss Flayers. Their "living metal" bodies allow them to sustain massive damage and continue functioning.
Necron Wraiths
★ 'Wraiths' are one of the more sophisticated Necron units. They lack legs or a lower body (except for the spinal cord) and hover over the battlefield, moving at supernatural speeds. They are fearsome close combat warriors, and they can phase in and out during their flight, becoming ghostly figures (thus the name ''wraith''). This phase shift ability allows them to move through solid objects or even to avoid damage. It has been suggested that Wraiths were murderers or psychopaths before their steel imprisonment.
Pariahs
★ 'Pariahs' represent the true horror of a Necron-ruled galaxy. They are created by fusing Necron technology with human victims who bear the "Pariah gene" (a rare and unusual genetic defect which causes the bearer to be completely bereft of any Warp presence). Each Pariah is a formidable warrior, and wields a deadly warscythe. They radiate an unnatural aura that severely unnerves their enemies, especially psykers. Interestingly, since Pariahs are partly human, they are unable to self-repair, unlike other Necrons.
★ Within the Imperium, Humans bearing the Pariah gene are also known as "Pariahs", but are also referred to as "Untouchables". Some become Culexus Assassins, who are used by the Imperium to combat enemy psykers. It is unknown whether the C'tan somehow control this temple or intend to do so in the future, for all its members are a product of their plans. It is possible that it was the C'tan who originally put the Pariah gene in humanity, waiting for it to evolve to the point where they could use it to make Pariahs.
Scarab Swarms
★ Countless small, beetle-like robots called 'Scarabs' often appear on the battlefield; these clouds of Scarabs are termed ''Scarab Swarms'' by their opponents. These swarms rely on sheer numbers to make themselves difficult to destroy, and are useful for disrupting enemies who are caught unaware. They can be upgraded with "disruption fields" which warp reality around their numerous claws. Large numbers of Scarab Swarms upgraded with "disruption fields" can tear apart even the most heavily armoured vehicles under a hailstorm of attacks.
Tomb Spyders
★ 'Tomb Spyders' are large, spider-like robots which are normally tasked with maintaining the Necron tomb complexes. They sometimes appear on the battlefield, where they make resilient fighters who have limited ability to augment the healing factor of the "living metal" on nearby Necrons. They also can use their internal systems to manufacture Scarabs in the midst of a battle.
Necron Weapons
In the game, Necrons are powerful due to their devastating Gauss weapons and other powerful Wargear, such as Warscythes, The Staff of Light, and other weapons as well as their ability to self-repair. All Necron weapons listed as Gauss Weapons also have the ability to damage opponents even if normally impossible. In the tabletop, a roll of 6 on a dice scores a glancing hit automatically on a vehicle, and an instant wound on non-vehicle units. Their biggest weaknesses are their low number of unit types and high points cost, not to mention the fact that they vanish if three quarters of their force are defeated[1].
Gauss Flayer
★ 'Gauss Flayers' are the most basic Necron weaponry. They feature a single Gauss tube that is charged and releases a burst of electromagnetic energy. This electromagnetic blast is calibrated towards disrupting the molecular bonds of a target. As each 'layer' is exposed, it is broken apart and stripped away, accounting for the 'flayer' name of this weapon. Other Gauss weapons use exactly the same method of destruction, however due to their higher strengths the process is much more rapid. [1]
Gauss Cannons
★ 'Gauss Cannons' are one of the most powerful weapons wielded by the Necron armies. Its high strength and armour-piercing characteristics allow this weapon to cut down swathes of light infantry, as well as damage even the heaviest tanks due to the "Gauss Weapons" rule. Its high rate of fire allows it to pummel tanks until a critically damaging hit is scored.
★ 'Heavy Gauss Cannons' are an anti-tank variant wielded by Heavy Destroyers. Sacrificing firing rate for a single high-strength shot, the Heavy Gauss cannon is almost guaranteed to destroy lighter armoured vehicles with a single shot, and hardly need rely on the "Gauss Weapons" rule to damage heavier fighting vehicles.
Gauss Flux Arc
★ 'Gauss Flux Arcs' are mounted on vehicles, and are primarily defensive weapons in battle. Being slightly better than a flayer, they have limited killing potential. Whilst the flux arc can cut down smaller troops, it will be ineffective against vehicles and heavy infantry.
Particle Whip
★ 'Particle Whips' are the primary weapon systems on the monoliths, and Necron tomb ships. They are powered by a large Gauss crystal, and are capable of taking down entire units of troops in single shots. The weapon relies on firing an ionised particle beam at a target, along which flows an immensely powerful bolt of Gauss energy. Upon contact with solid matter, the reaction is profoundly destructive, often obliterating the point of impact and severely damaging the surrounding area. Depending on the size and power source of the Particle Whip, it's application can vary. The ground based version carried by the Monolith is primarily anti-infantry, while larger variants wielded by Necron spacecrafts require immense amounts of energy to fire, but are capable of crippling capital-size ships. Tomb Spyders can wield a lighter version of this weapon, although it's range and power are extremely limited compared to their larger counterparts.
Staff of Light
★ 'The Staff of Light' is a weapon that is only carried by the Necron Lord. It has great melee potential, and is even capable of a limited burst of ranged attacks. While not terribly powerful, it offers a solid weapon for defense and gives the Necrons their first real melee weapon.
Warscythes
★ 'Warscythes' are the strongest melee weapon that the Necrons have at their disposal. Made from the same material as the Necrons themselves, it has the capacity to carve holes in tanks and cut straight through the thickest of bunker walls. Carried only by Pariahs and Lords, it is a weapon that is seldom employed in standard combat, but they can't be underestimated as they can cut through most energy fields, rendering all kinds of saves useless against them. Pariah-carried versions have a built-in Gauss Blaster as well.
Necron Pylon
★ 'Pylons' are enormous ground based defense platforms that are capable of taking down spacecraft and ground units alike. The pylons have been seen erected on only the most desolate of worlds, suggesting that they are installed in the last stages of a planet's harvesting. The Necrons also seem to teleport them into position along with very large attack forces, to act as super-heavy siege weapons, often being employed against Titans and fortresses. They could also be markers of some sort, and are commonly recorded as sending out signals and energy into the deepest regions of the galaxy.
A hit from a Pylon's energy weapon is sufficient to breach almost any manner of physical shields and energy fields, instantly slaying infantry and inflicting catastrophic damage on all but the most durable of vehicles.
Various Weapons
★ There is a whole slew of weapon variants such as Gauss grenades, and Nightmare projectors, but the Imperium has very limited information on these, such as their use thus far has been severely limited. Again, this points to the Necrons being a harvesting force, rather than a pure invasion force.
Necron Fleets
While Necron forces are usually land-based, Necron space vessels are not unheard of and are quite possibly much more common than people realize. They are probably simply not seen and so the Necrons seem to have the terrifying ability to appear out of nowhere. There are more than two dozen records of Necron space contacts in the Imperial archives, and there are accounts of other races battling Necron fleets.
Necron mastery of physical technology is beyond anything the galaxy has ever seen and surpasses even that of the highly advanced Eldar. Their ships are stunningly fast and agile, equipped with propulsion systems which are capable of travelling interstellar distances without entering the Warp. This is achieved, as far as is known, by making their ships unbound by inertia, allowing them to accelerate almost instantly and infinitely, which explains why Necron ships are often seen to be visibly decelerating upon reaching the site of battle. This also protects them from many of the practical problems and dangers of warp travel. All Necron ships are well-armored, equipped with self-repair systems and utilize an advanced stealth technology which makes them invisible to enemy targeting systems, granting Necron vessels surprising staying power overall. Necron naval weaponry is frighteningly devastating; one necron ship is more than a match for a small imperial fleet while larger necron ships have been known to cripple entire fleets with a single shot and are known to by-pass many conventional defense systems, such as void shields and even Eldar holofields, and strike with an unearthly accuracy.
In every battle so far, the Necrons could only be defeated by superior numbers, and engaging Necrons on even terms proved to be suicide. Fortunately, all of the Necron fleets encountered so far were small task forces that usually disengaged and phased out like their land-based counterparts rather than putting up a full fight. However, their frequency seems to be increasing and the possibility of a massive Necron attack is dreaded by the Imperium as well as other sentient races. Even as a raiding force, they are a serious threat since they are fully capable of outmaneuvering most other fleets (probably with the exception of Eldar and their dark kin). This often leads to catastrophic losses for enemy fleets and forces them to stall for reinforcements to arrive, at which point the Necrons simply phase out again.
See here for a list of known Necron spacecraft.
Living Metal
'Living Metal' is the basis of Necrontyr technology. It is extremely durable and can dynamically restructure itself to change shape or to adapt to an outside effect, as well as having the capability to mend itself when damaged. The physical shells that contain the C'tan are made from it, so called 'Necrodermis' as are the Necron metal bodies (including starships and vehicles) and some of their weapons. The C'tan Phase Sword and C'tan Phase Knife also utilise similar technology. Literally, the name means "corpse skin" (from Greek νεκρος (as discussed earlier), and δερμις ''dermis'').
'The C'tan' are encased in Necrodermis upon their creation, resulting in a trapping of a horrific amount of energy. On the battlefield, if this Necrodermis is somehow ruptured or broken, either by means of weaponry or accident, the C'tan encapsulated inside the Necrodermis will escape, resulting in a massive release of this energy. This creates a damaging explosion with a large radius, damaging Necron and enemy alike. The Necrodermis has the capacity to absorb energy and use that energy to repair itself, allowing it to house the energies of C'tan.
Bibliography
★ Codex: Necrons, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-190-7
References
1. Codex: Necrons, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-190-7
2. Necron Raiders - Background, , , , White Dwarf,
3. Necron Rules, , , , White Dwarf,
4. A Desperate Mission - Scenario: Imperial Guard vs. Necrons, , , , White Dwarf,
5. Necron Onslaught, , , , White Dwarf,
6. The Valley of Death - Necrons Background, , , , White Dwarf,
7. Massacre at Sanctuary 101 - Battle Report: Sisters of Battle vs. Necrons, , , , White Dwarf,
8. New Releases - Necrons, , , , White Dwarf,
9. New Releases - Necrons, , , , White Dwarf,
10. Chapter Approved: Necrons, , , , White Dwarf,
11. Index Xenos: Resurgent Evil - The awakening of the Necrontyr, , , , White Dwarf,
12. Chapter Approved:
Codex: Necrons designers' notes, , , , White Dwarf,
13. Necron Awakening: A look at the Warhammer 40,000 Necron miniatures released this month., , , , White Dwarf,
14. Turn One: New Releases - Necrons, , , , White Dwarf (US),
15. Codex: Necrons, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-190-7
16. Codex: Necrons, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-190-7
17. Codex: Necrons, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-190-7
18. Codex: Necrons, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-190-7
See also
★ Weapons, equipment, and vehicles of the Necrons
External links
★ Necrons and C'tan @ the Unofficial Warhammer 40,000 Encyclopedia
★ Xenos Imagnifier - Imperial map of the galaxy highlighting Necron encounters.
★ NECRONS_BR Brazilian fan
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