Necrons

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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, Gauss weapons and technology.

Most Warhammer 40,000 armies are inspired by fantasy and popular culture to an extent, however the Necrons are notable for being a complex fusion of ideas from very dissimilar and very recognisable sources, yet the result is both original and unique with a strong identity of its own. The Necron concept draws heavily from Star Trek's Borg in both visuals and function (especially the Monolith & Warriors), and the overall feel as an army that is supposed to be soulless, relentless and unstoppable (which also fits with the undead theme). The Necron Warriors are also a nod to both the Terminator movies and the undead, including their look and their trademark "We'll be back" rule, while the elite Necron Immortal units are inspired by the Persian Immortals of the ancient Greco-Persian Wars. They also bear some similarity to the Cybermen from the Doctor Who mythos. As a Warhammer army, they fill in the role of the undead for Warhammer 40,000 and have a lot in common with the Tomb Kings of Warhammer Fantasy battle which are considered to be their analogous army in that fantasy universe.

Contents 1 Development history 2 History 2.1 The Necrontyr 2.2 C'tan 2.3 The Enslavers 2.4 Awakening 2.5 The Necrons in the 41st Millennium 3 Fighting the Necrons 4 Necron Forces & Weaponry 4.1 Necron Units 4.1.1 Necron Destroyers 4.1.2 Necron Flayed Ones 4.1.3 Necron Immortals 4.1.4 Necron Lord 4.1.5 Necron Warriors 4.1.6 Necron Wraiths 4.1.7 Necron Monoliths 4.1.8 Pariahs 4.1.9 Scarab Swarms 4.1.10 Tomb Spyders 4.2 Necron Weapons 4.2.1 Gauss Flayer 4.2.2 Gauss Cannons 4.2.3 Gauss Flux Arc 4.2.4 Particle Whip 4.2.5 Staff of Light 4.2.6 Warscythes 4.2.7 Necron Pylon 4.2.8 Variant Weapons 4.3 Necron Fleets 5 Living Metal 6 References 7 External links

[edit] 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 officially 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.^[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 wealth 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.^[1][12] New miniatures were produced and released alongside with the release of the codex. 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]

[edit] History

[edit] The Necrontyr

In the universe of Warhammer 40,000, little is known about the origins of the ancient race known as the Necrons. They were one of the earliest races seeded with the Old Ones, 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 Necrons spent eons 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 Necrons 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 harsh, competitive, imperialistic and impatient, the Old Ones were infinitely understanding and patient beyond measure.

The Old Ones tried to help the Necrons in their attempts to expand into the galaxy, but these benevolent efforts were seen as patronizing manipulation and rejected. The Necrontyr eventually grew bitter and jealous towards the Old Ones, and it was not long before this jealousy led the Necrontyr into a futile war against the Old Ones' civilization. The Old Ones had an unmatched strategic advantage in the form of the webway portals which allowed them to outmaneuver the Necrontyr at every opportunity. This significant advantage won out over the Necrontyr's lack of mobility. Then, scientists studying the Necrontyr home star discovered a being of incredible power feeding off its massive energy output. The Necrontyr then bent their studies towards bringing this being into a form which they could interact with.

[edit] 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 Nightbringer, an incredibly powerful being who found the sweet lifeforce of the Necrontyr far more to its liking than the tasteless energy of the star and massacred many to satiate its appetite. It was only after considerable persuasion and pledges of servitude that the Necrontyr were able to stop the Nightbringer long enough to bring to its attention the Old Ones and the other races in the galaxy.

Soon after, the Necrontyr made contact with several more Star Gods, including the Deceiver. The Deceiver, wasn't as strong as its fellow C'Tan and far more insidious being than its companions, was much more popular with the Necrontyr as it gained quick comprehension of the material universe and became relatively sophisticated, using guile and skill to achieve its aims. It had to send many worshippers to other C'tan as they began to grow jealous of his popularity. He offered the Necrontyr immortality and a way to win the war: they would assume mechanical bodies built for war, and live forever unbound by their deformities.

The Necrontyr agreed to the process and their consciousness 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. With the assistance of the C'tan the Necrons won victory after victory against the Old Ones and had pushed the Old Ones to the brink of extinction. At this time the C'tan started to feed off each other under the the manipulation of the Deceiver. Before long there were only four of the C'tan in necrodermis bodies remaining (The Nightbringer, The Deceiver, The Dragon and The Outsider citation needed), the others having been devoured by their fellow gods.

The Old Ones, desperate to survive, cultured life forms with ever closer links to the warp. The Eldar were their proudest and most powerful creations during this period, and the first to create beings of power to fight the C'tan. This period came to be known as the "War in Heaven". During the war the Eldar war god Kaela Mensha Khaine, the most combative and powerful of the Eldar Gods, fought the Nightbringer and won a Pyrrhic victory. As the Nightbringer's necrodermis shattered, the Nightbringer exploded into shards of its deathly essence, which then shot into Khaine, permanently tainting him, while the Nightbringer simply transferred itself into another necrodermis body.

Curiously, the fear of death that all the species created by the Old Ones bear is attributed to the massive death toll inflicted by the feeding of the Nightbringer. Such is his appearance, that of a grim reaper, that he is deemed the source of the imagery used for death by many of the galactic races. Since the Nightbringer was defeated and subsequently hibernated while the Orks (referred to as the Krork in the reference materials) were still a young race, the Orks avoided much of his wrath and consequently have no fear of death.

There seems to be several almost contradictory explanations for the location of the Void Dragon. Though all sources point to the Dragon residing on Mars, there are two stories implying that the Dragon was banished and sealed there instead of hibernating voluntarily like the other C’tan.

In the Horus Heresy book Mechanicum, there is a story with questionable veracity about an alleged visit to Earth by the C'Tan known as the Dragon, in roughly the 1st millennium. The Emperor fought the C'tan and supposedly defeated it, binding it and banishing it to a vast chamber under the surface of Mars.

Other stories have postulated that the Old One Vaul (the Eldar forge god) created the Blackstone fortresses to destroy the Dragon and set off on a quest to this end. Though exactly what happened remains a mystery, this quest was meant to be generally considered to be a failure, but there is reference to the Dragon coming from the “Vaul Moon,” implying that Vaul may have at least succeeded in sealing the Dragon on Mars or forcing him into an early hibernation. This process began long before humanity was a race of any significance, rendering the proximity of his resting place to Terra coincidental.

These two explanations are not necessarily mutually exclusive, as the Dragon could have gone into hibernation voluntarily or been sealed away by Vaul initially, and then after escaping and fleeing to Terra the Emperor then defeated him again and resealed him in his existing prison. The only real evidence that the Dragon had just come out of hibernation before his battle with the Emperor is that he is described as being in a “weakened state” much like the Nightbringer when he initially awakes from his tomb.

Of the four remaining C'tan the Dragon has been officially confirmed to the strongest, having mastery of reality far beyond his brethren. The Outsider next to the Nightbringer took part in cannibalism of his race. This drove it to insanity and embedded within it a deep hatred towards the Eldar Laughing God. The Outsider attributed its actions to the deceptions of the Eldar's Laughing God, whom tricked the Outsider into killing its brethren in its mad attempts to kill the Eldar God^{citation needed}. Upon the advent of the Enslavers, rather than opting to hibernate it chose to leave the galaxy. Coincidentally or otherwise, it is the only character in Warhammer 40k other than the Tyranids to operate outside of the known galaxy. Notably, all Tyranid hive fleets have avoided tomb-worlds, although this could be due to the absence of any psychic signal being generated from these worlds.

The C'tan in question is not referred to by name, but is described as being hooded in a dark cloak, which brings to mind the Nightbringer's attire. In this version of events, loose reference was given to this C'tan being contained in some form of blackened sphere. The location of this sphere is unknown and may well be outside of the known universe, tying in these two divergent storylines. Fan supposition is that this is the fabled 'Vaul Sphere'.^{citation needed}

[edit] The Enslavers

Then the Enslavers appeared. The increased psychic link that the Old Ones had nurtured mirrored the destructive impulses of the warring races in the warp. Rage, hope and despair took their first steps to sentience, feeding on the raw emotion and mass influx of spirits resulting from the War in Heaven. These entities eventually became the Chaos Gods Khorne, Tzeentch, and Nurgle.

Meanwhile, the Enslavers began to dominate the psychic races for their own agendas. They pushed their way into the real world, killing millions and entering the minds of any psychic living creature, which they drove to fight and die for them. The Old Ones' places of power fell to the horrors of their own creations. The Old Ones tried to save themselves by creating new races to defend their strongholds, but it was too late.

It should be noted that the Enslavers are NOT Chaos gods, but are more in line with a form of Warp wild-life, animalistic predators. Their tactics are simple: They find a suitable host and 'commandeer' its body. Running the host to its limit, the Enslaver will use the host to open a portal to the warp, allowing more Enslavers through, thus beginning the cycle anew.

Enslavers are one of the main reasons why warp-travel is so dangerous, and why psykers put their minds at risk every time they employ their abilities.

Though the enslavers were virtually no threat at all to the necrons and the C'tan who have no psychic powers whatsoever, the C'tan recognised that the enslaver plague was effectively destroying thier food source, the other living races. The C'tans solution to this problem was to construct gigantic tombs hidden beneath the surfaces of dead worlds and enter death-like sleep untill the plague was over and the galaxy was once again populated with lesser races to harvest like cattle.

[edit] Awakening

Now, many millions of years after the Enslaver Plague, the Necrons and their masters have finally awoken (by Pandora's box) 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. 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.

[edit] The Necrons in the 41st Millennium

At present, the Necrons are more of a shadowy presence than a full-fledged force. They strike from nowhere and without warning, slaughtering their enemies and departing before reinforcements can arrive. The origins of these attacks and their motives are unknown, though it is clear that the Necron forces in the galaxy are but the first glimpses of the full might of the Necron war machine. Of the four remaining C'Tan, only two are active: The Deceiver and the Nightbringer. The Deceiver has been active for much longer than the Nightbringer, infiltrating various cultures and manipulating events. The Nightbringer was later unintentionally awakened from its tomb on Pavonis by the Ultramarines of the 4th Company after they crushed a civil revolt on the planet. The other two are the Dragon and the Outsider; the former is rumored to be dormant, in stasis inside Mars and the latter, is inside the "Vaul Sphere" (a Dyson Sphere like construct, which Hive Fleet Leviathan is avoiding).

Necron scout ships recently bypassed the fleets and defenses protecting the Solar System, reaching the very surface of Mars (homeworld of the Adeptus Mechanicus) itself before being destroyed. The landing is linked to the resting place of the fourth C'tan, the Dragon, entombed deep beneath the Martian surface.(it is speculated that the great machine the tech-priests of mars worship is in fact the Dragon itself, as the Dragon was the C'tan known for being the master of technology, providing the Necrontyr with the Inertialess Engine for their starships and the Gauss Technology.) Understandably this casts doubt on the supposedly impregnable status of Holy Terra, and the incident remains a heavily-guarded secret within the Imperium.

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 will continue to fight or will phase out and return to their 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 speculated, 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, and Wystan Frauka, Previously of Inquisitor Ravenor's Employ.

[edit] Fighting the Necrons

Necrons are without a doubt the most technologically advanced race in the galaxy, their weakest Gauss weapons are able to obliterate some of the most powerful and well armored combatants such as a Space Marine Land Raider. The Necrons necrodermis makes them extremely tough and durable and allows them the recover from the most grievous wounds in a matter of seconds, even if enough damage is done to prevent self repair the damaged Necrons simply phase out and return to their tomb world to be repaired. It is fortunate thus far that the Necron forces fought have been harvesters or scouts rather than a full fledged invasion force, never the less even these small raids have been devastating and many leave no survivors. In the event of an all out Necron assault a defenders chance of survival or victory would be extremely slim bordering on impossible, the combination of survivability, fire power and technology is almost impossible to overcome. Even in the unlikely outcome of victory it would be at a horrific irreplaceable cost of lives and ultimately would be in vain as the Necron army would simply phase out repair and return to finish off the survivors.

The only strategy that has had any real impact on the Necrons in the Warhammer 40,000 universe is to discover the location of Necron tombworlds and sending in a strike force armed with an extremely powerful explosive, planting it in the Necron pyramids and completely annihilating them. This strategy has several drawbacks,the first of which is the ability to discover the location of Necron Tomb Worlds, in the Necron Codex there is a recount of a battle in which Space Marines fired bolter rounds which were tagged and allowed them to follow the Necron warrior after it had phased out to its Tomb World. The Space Marines were able to then deploy a strike team which managed to destroy the Tombs with a nuclear device at the cost of almost all but a few of the strike team being wiped out. This strategy is however highly unpractical as Necrons frequently strike without warning and after achieving their objective disappear without a trace often before the defender can even send out a signal for help, meaning that it would be extremely difficult for specialized tracker armed units to arrive in time to tag a Necron. Another reason that attempting to hunt down the Necron Tomb Worlds would be difficult is that the amount of them is unknown, there could be thousands of Necron Tomb Worlds. None of the current races have the resources to be able to hunt thousands of Tomb Worlds and destroy them. The final reason is that it is unknown that destroying these Tombs actually gets rid of the Necrons, it is possible that the blown apart Necrons are simply teleported and repaired at a different facility.

Necrons have no organic parts and are machines, which means that they do not need to eat, sleep, rest or feel emotions such as fear and despair. A Necron will never run away, disobey an order or betray its masters (although they won't run, they will retreat if it is logical in the current situation). This makes them an extremely challenging opponent to face.

[edit] Necron Forces & Weaponry

Necrons are tall, skeletal figures made of a living metal which provides excellent protection in battle and also has a 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. It is mentioned that some Necrons may have retained memories. In any case, the Necron Lords are the only Necron that are known as being sentient.^[1]

Another phenomenon is the unusual withdrawal of Necron forces. If the Necron are greatly losing a battle, their entire force will vanish in a mist. 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.

In the Warhammer 40k story, the names and terms that describe the Necron forces and their weapons, all come from the other 40k races and not 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 itself and other Necrons like it have infiltrated the Inquisition and have had a great deal of control within it. A Necron also spoke to a Pariah during the attack on Lorn V when the 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. The Pariah formerly known as Thomas Macabee, during the Dark Crusade, worked as the spokesman for the Necron Force, often exchanging banter with the enemy commander.

[edit] Necron Units

"Ther number is legion their name is death" In the game, Necrons are powerful due to their devastating Gauss weapons and other powerful Wargear, such as Warscythes, The Staff of Light etc {with the release of 5th ed Necron Gauss weapons lost the effectiveness they had in previous editions} and their ability to self-repair. Their biggest weaknesses is their low number of unit types and high points cost. If three-quarters of a Necron force is defeated, the Necrons will disappear from the battlefield and lose the battle.^[1].

[edit] Necron Destroyers

• Destroyers are Necron Warriors (specifically Immortals) 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. There is a Heavy Destroyer variant, which is armed with the more powerful Heavy Gauss Cannon which is useful for destroying foes with the heavier armor. In Game terms the Necron destroyer is by far one of the army's most powerful units and because of the gauss technology they are ideal for taking out vehicles as well as infantry.

[edit] Necron Flayed Ones

• Flayed Ones are Necrons who retained their minds after being transferred to their metal bodies, and have been driven insane by the endless solitude in the tombs. They adorn themselves with bloody pieces of skin in a horrible parody of the living. In such a state, they are a terrifying sight to behold. Enemy fighters lose their nerve by just looking at the Flayed Ones. They are quite capable melee fighters, with claws and blades that can flay a man alive in seconds. Flayed Ones also frequently serve as scouts. They can sneak ahead of the main Necron force or even bury themselves in the ground.

[edit] 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. Immortals are fully capable of taking down vehicles with their Gauss weapons as well.
• In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, they are described as dealing excellent damage to vehicles and normal damage to other unit types; for game mechanics reasons, units in Dark Crusade tend to be specialized against particular unit types.

[edit] 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. Necron Lords are ranked in staged levels of importance, ranging from strike force level bronze lords, to platinum-level overlords.

• The Necron Destroyer Lord is another version of the Necron Lord. It is a necron lord with a destroyer lower body.

[edit] Necron Warriors

• Necron Warriors are the backbone of the Necron army. They provide strong fire support with their Gauss Flayers. Their living metal bodies allow them to sustain massive damage and continue functioning. Though being the "foot soldier (Or the troop)" of the Necrons, their Gauss weaponry allow them to take on many stronger opponents, including vehicles.

[edit] 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. They are armed with several vicious surgical tools on the end of their spinal cord.

[edit] Necron Monoliths

• Monoliths are massive weapons platforms that the Necrons bring into battle. Shaped like pyramids, these have the power to rip even the most powerful Imperial tanks to shreds, with one huge gauss crystal-powered Particle Whip weapon on the top and 12 other smaller, Gauss Flux Arc weapons on the sides, it also has a portal which can teleport several Warriors to the battlefield. It can also teleport other Necrons around the battlefield, as well as augment their resurrection capabilities

[edit] 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 gives the bearer a negative 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" or in other cases "Blanks." Some become Culexus Assassins, who are used by the Imperium to combat enemy psykers. It is possible that it was the C'tan (Most likely The Deceiver) who originally put the "Pariah Gene" in humanity's gene pool and have merely been waiting for the proper time to make use of it and make Pariahs.

[edit] 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 and are difficult to destroy.They 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 armored of vehicles and have even been known to completely destroy Baneblades. Tomb Spyders produce these scarabs but with the expense of the Tomb Spyders' health.

[edit] Tomb Spyders

• Tomb Spyders are large, spider-like robots that hover over the field 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. They also have a particle projector which is as strong as a staff of light with 30" range.

[edit] 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 (effectiveness against vehicles has been dramatically reduced with 5th edition). 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 (phase out)^[1].

[edit] 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]

[edit] 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.

[edit] Gauss Flux Arc

• Gauss Flux Arcs are mounted on vehicles, and are primarily defensive weapons in battle. Being superior to the Gauss Blaster and boasting a better rate of fire, the Gauss Flux Arc is an excellent weapon for combating infantry. Due to its modest strength, however, they find it more difficult to penetrate heavier vehicle armor.

[edit] Particle Whip

• Particle Whips are the primary weapon systems on the monoliths, and Necron tomb ships. They seem to be powered by a large crystal made of an unknown material, and are capable of taking down entire units of troops in single shots. The weapon fires an ionised particle beam at a target, along which flows an immensely powerful bolt of 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, its application can vary. The ground based version carried by the Monolith is primarily a tactical weapon, while larger variants wielded by Necron spacecraft require immense amounts of energy to fire, but are capable of crippling capital-size ships or decimating strategic targets.

[edit] 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 ranged attacks. The Staff of Light is a highly effective assault weapon, functioning in a similar way to modern Imperial power weapons. As much a status symbol as a weapon, only a Necron Lord will ever carry one and it symbolizes its authority (not that symbolism is really needed by a soulless army of automatons; regardless it's impressive and powerful).

[edit] Warscythes

• Warscythes are the strongest melee weapon that the Necrons have at their disposal. Made from the same material as the C'tan 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 easily cut through energy fields. Pariah-carried versions have a built-in Gauss Blaster as well. The blades do not allow armour saves or invulnerable saves, making them extremely dangerous.

[edit] Necron Pylon

• Pylons are enormous ground based defense platforms that are capable of taking down spacecraft and ground units alike. 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. In the video game Dark Crusade, they are explained as cosmic radiation beacons that even kill the bacteria, harvesting the entire biomass of the scourged planet.

• A hit from a Pylon's energy weapon is sufficient to breach any manner of physical shields and energy fields, instantly slaying infantry and inflicting catastrophic damage on all but the most durable of vehicles.

• Pylons are the only Necron unit not to appear in the Necron Codex, but instead appear in the Apocalypse Codex.

[edit] Variant 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.
• Of note is the weapon that is sometimes seen mounted on Tomb Spyders, referred to as a "Particle Projector" by Imperial forces, it releases a pulse of energy resembling sickly green lightning. The effect is profoundly different than weapons like the Gauss Flayer or Blaster: rather than "stripping down" a target, this weapon causes spontaneous molecular distortion and breaks the targets subatomic bonds so rapidly as to cause a deadly, if small Gauss-charged explosion. The Particle Projector seems to be a dedicated anti-infantry weapon, rather ineffectual against armor.

[edit] 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 and the Adeptus Mechanicus. Their ships are stunningly fast and agile, equipped with propulsion systems which are capable of traveling 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 use an advanced stealth technology which makes them invisible to enemy targeting systems, granting Necron vessels surprising staying power overall. Indeed, these vessels are so dangerous that they once reached deep into the heart of the Imperium, landing on Mars before being gunned down by the planetary defense system. 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 ships with a single shot and are known to bypass many conventional defense systems, such as void shields and even Eldar holofields, and strike with an unearthly accuracy.

In every battle so far 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.

Recently, there has been one notable full-blown encounter with a Necron ship the size and shape of a planet called "The World Engine". It is unknown if it was a tomb world moved by incredibly advanced and arcane technology, or a starship of planetery proportions. The World Engine possessed weaponry which could scour all life from a planet without actually destroying it, as well as defensive shields that could withstand the combined firepower of Imperial Navy and Space Marine fleet elements. When conventional boarding actions such as drop pods and teleportation also failed, it finally took a Space Marine Battle Barge traveling at full speed to ram it and punch through the shields. The entire Astral Knights chapter was on board, and they spent hours fighting down to the last man to cripple the massive ship. In the end they managed to disable the shields but were completely overrun, scoring a Pyrrhic victory as the World Engine succumbed to planet-killer cyclonic torpedoes launched by the remaining Imperial ships. The final tally of the engagement was two worlds sterilized of all life, countless Imperial vessels destroyed by Necron ship-to-ship weapons and the loss of an entire Astartes chapter.

It is yet unknown if the World Engine was the only one of its kind, however its presence sheds some light into the old Ork claim of encountering a Necron vessel which dwarfed even their massive space hulk. It seems certain by the stories that have survived throughout the ages about the first great war against the Necrons that they had many horrible weapons at their disposal. However no one knows how many of these are still functional since, as is usual when facing Necrons, only a few of those who encounter them live to tell the tale.

[edit] Living Metal

Living Metal (also called Necrodermis) 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 to resist it, as well as having the capability to mend itself when damaged. The physical shells that contain the C'tan are made from it, as are the metal bodies of Necron troops and vessels (including starships and vehicles). It can be imbued with gauss or phase technologies and thus incorporated into some of the Necron weaponry, the C'tan Phase Sword and C'tan Phase Knife also use similar technology. Literally, the name Necrodermis means "corpse skin" (from Greek νεκρος as discussed earlier, and δερμις dermis).

The C'tan are encased in Necrodermis upon their physical manifestation, 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 blast with a large radius, damaging nearby Necrons and enemies alike. When a C'tan is destroyed in this manner its essence will return to a Necron tomb world and reform into its god-like form of pure energy, before taking on a new Necrodermis shell.

As a side note, the idea that it can mend itself and reshape itself is another nod to the Terminator franchise, as it is like the polymimetic liquid metal alloy that some Terminators utilise, particularly the T-1000, who, again like the Necrons, is made out of the liquid metal.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Necrons and C'tan @ the Unofficial Warhammer 40,000 Encyclopedia
• Xenos Imagnifier - Imperial map of the galaxy highlighting Necron encounters.
• Count Necrons Count Necrons Project - To see how many Necron players and models are out in the galaxy

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