The OTHER Ancient Enemy

by | Sep 22, 2013

Got to play with a bunch of folks at an Independent Characters' event yesterday and it was a lot of fun. I played in two games; a 1500 mano-a-roboto slugfest vs. Necrons and then in a Zone Mortalis team game (Eldar & Ravenwing vs. Plague Marines and Necrons). Got thoroughly trounced in both by necrons - I haven't played against them that much, so it was a real learning experience.


I'm struggling with ideas for how to deal with necrons as a generic force. I was prepared for the massed gauss fire but struggled with their improved armor (ok so i need to bring more melta/lance). Additionally got my first taste of Mindshackle Scarabs in a duel between the necron lord and my Avatar.

First time I've ever seen the Avatar suicide!

So the array of abilities brought to the table by necrons present some difficulty for Eldar.

  1. Resurrection and Regeneration. That 5+ roll (4+ with Res Orb) is a real bitch. A blob squad of 20 warriors + Res Orb lord and backed up by two Ghost Arks presents real difficulties for the Eldar. Eldar are great at shooting, but when half to two thirds of your wounded enemies are getting back up every turn, that neutralizes your advantage. On top of that, necron guns outrange you, so you will be taking casualties too, even with Battle Focus.
  2.  AV 13. Granted that the 13 only counts until you get a pen, it becomes all that more important for you to bring lance and whatever S9 weapons you can. Since the only real S9 in the arsenal is the Fire Prism, I suppose it would be more efficient to start loading up on lances in your defender guardian squads. Also, an Icarus Lascannon in an Aegis Defence Line seems mandatory to deal with the obnoxious necron flyers. 
  3. Mindshackle Scarabs. I have no answer to this one. In old school Dungeons & Dragons this would be called a Save or Die situation. For 15 points your lord can not only negate the attacks of a LD10 character, it also makes that character inflict attacks on itself. It's not psychic, so you can't stuff it with Deny the Witch. Devastating! 
  4. The dread 3+ invulnerable save. Wraiths. Lords with Phase Shifters. These things suck. The answer to this seems to be the same as the answer to TH/SS termies; massed fire. Of course it's a lot harder to pull that off when your 3+ is buried in a mob of guys that get back up every time you kill them. 
The ideas I have to deal with the above include Crimson Hunter Exarchs (for knocking off armor, downing flyers and skimmers and picking off the occassional character with Precision Shot), the aforementioned lascannon, and dark reapers. Reapers with starshot might be the most effective means of dealing with AV13 and/or keeping the horde trimmed, and throwing them behind the Aegis would probably help, ignoring jink and all. The only real problem is they are expensive and a HUGE target.

So how do you folks deal with necrons? I'm curious...