Resurrecting the Necrons Part II: This and that...

From Von in the comments from the previous post: "Do you actually like it/the new Necrons or not? I experience confusion in this matter. I feel that you're pointing out issues well but I lack any sense that a conclusion has been reached..."


Well, lets look at some of the units: 

Its a skimmer! Really!

One thing the codex did was give the Necrons some much-needed anti-tank firepower. While arguably they had it already in the form of gauss tormenting, the bounty of Heat Rays, Death Rays, and other nasty guns in the codex mean the Space Egyptians can crack open tanks with greater reliability all day long. Annhilation Barges, Command Barges, Triarch Stalkers (where's my model, GW? Oh right, you're still working on Tyranid Harpies) , and so on. It's almost an embarrassment of riches where that stuff is concerned, and it can be pretty daunting to pick and chose. At this point, triple A-Barges and Crypteks with Lances seem like auto includes for just about every list, which might lead to sameness as things go on. I'll still be sorely tempted to use the old Gauss Torrent of Fire principle to blow up armor, but I fully intend to give all the new shiny guns a try. 

It's also good that Warriors are cheaper, but now they have terrible armor save, and WBB was inexplicably nerfed to 5+. That's bad. Your rank n' file are less survivable now, so you'd better hide them. On the other hand, Immortals are now troops, retain their good saves and can sling tesla weapons, which is excellent. I have about 20 of those metal fellows above, and, being different enough from Warriors, they'll be filling Immortal duty sometime soon. 

Even hunched over, this model is actually Marine height.
We don't model for advantage, here. (we model for looks.)

Grievous here predates Hive Tyrant Grievous by a good few years, and represents something the Necrons still lack: good CC capability. In the old system he was adequate, swinging a Warscythe around and being a nuisance along with his retinue of Scarabs (which was often) or Pariahs (which was once). Now everyone but the C'tan (excuse me, C'tan Shards; how awkward is that to say?) are slow as molasses, which is fine for shooting but rubbish if you need to rush a bunch of Orks who crashed their jalopy close to the objective you're parked on. Of course, you should be shooting at them instead of getting into CC, but sometimes you just can't avoid it. 

Everybody has a staff that does something nowadays, but they don't even double as power weapons any more, do they? At least the Necrons got some personality in the form of notable characters and weird dynasties, but I still get the feeling they dropped the ball here as well. The codex just doesn't feel finished. For that matter Why were Flayed ones made even more of a waste of points, and yet got new models? Give them a higher initiative, let them assault as soon as they deep strike... give them something to make them worthwhile. Now Scarabs are powerful? Really? AND WHY IS EVERYTHING OPEN-TOPPED? WHAT ARE WE, ORKS?


Sorry, lost my composure there. In my defense, I'm on antibiotics thanks a a semi-annual visit from my friend, Mr. Sinus Infection. 


The long and the short of it is, Von, that on a scale of Tyranids to Blood Angels, the new 'Crons, for me, fall squarely in the middle. They changed the stuff I liked (not entirely for the bad or good), didn't do anything to the stuff I didn't like, and improved things I never thought they'd improve (Tomb Spiders? They're great now? really?). They did get rid of phase-out,  which is huge, but they also fucked up Destroyers (boo!). They got two transports, one of which is severely cool, but neither of which is phenomenal. 

If either the Night or Doom Scythe actually has a tail, it will look like this,
and I will instead mass-produce my insect Harpies in protest. I swear.

Also, I'm not really a fan of crescents and War of the Worlds scorpion tails, which some art director at GW apparently thinks are appropriate to stick on everything. Oh well, at least they're not spikes and skulls. 


So things are different, and sort of better, and sort of not. Game on!