Necrons

How Necrons play

Necrons are the durability-and-recovery army. Reanimation Protocols mean models you kill come back, which changes the fundamental arithmetic of the game: an opponent has to kill a Necron unit faster than it repairs, and partial damage is frequently wasted damage. That single mechanic makes Necrons one of the most forgiving armies to play.

The roster is unusually complete. Necrons have good shooting, adequate melee, genuine anti-tank, real durability and access to some of the game's strangest units — C'tan Shards, Canoptek constructs, teleporting monoliths. There is very little a Necron list cannot do if it is built to.

They are slow, though. The army advances rather than manoeuvres, and its answer to being outpositioned is usually to be too tough to remove rather than to reposition.

Building a Necrons army list

Reanimation rewards larger units. A ten-model squad recovers meaningfully; a five-model squad frequently just dies. Where the option exists, bigger is usually better.

Necrons have strong Battleline options and the duplicate limit doubles for Battleline datasheets — six copies at Strike Force rather than three. Check which units your detachment makes Battleline before fixing the list.

Necrons FAQ

How do Reanimation Protocols work?

Destroyed models return to Necron units during the battle, meaning damage that does not wipe a unit outright is partially undone. It is the faction's defining mechanic and the reason they are so forgiving.

Are Necrons good for beginners?

Yes. Reanimation forgives mistakes, the units are durable, and the army has answers to most problems. The one caveat is that some datasheets carry a lot of rules text.

What is the weakness of a Necron army?

Speed, and high-damage weapons. Reanimation helps least against attacks that destroy models outright, and the army struggles to reach objectives a faster opponent has already taken.