Seeking Advice for Dealing With Necrons

[Commander Dawnstar]

I'm sure there have been other threads concerning this issue in the past, but I've just started regularly playing 40k again in the last fortnight (I haven't played since 4th) and it would appear that I'm likely to be fighting Necrons quite a bit in the weeks to come. I've played two games against the same Necron player thus far in my GW's new campaign and both have ended in defeat - enjoyable games but still somewhat discouraging. It feels nigh impossible to cause any meaningful damage to anything that isn't a vehicle (Exorcists handle those just fine) and my losses have essentially come down to the Necrons steadily thinning my numbers while my return fire has minimal impact on their troops. In light of that I'm really just looking for any tactics, unit suggestions or even suggestions of allies that might give me a better chance.

 

The list I've been coming up against thus far is something to the effect of:

 

HQ:

 

Necron Lord w/Voidreaper, Phase Shifter, Phylactery (Accompanies the Lychguard)

Cryptek w/Gauntlet of the Conflagregator (Accompanies the Lychguard)

Cryptek w/Chronometron (Accompanies the Immortals)

Cryptek (Accompanies the Warriors)

 

Note: I have learned today that this list is actually illegal and that my opponent is probably still using the previous Codex's rules for Royal Courts. He'd either have to drop two Crypteks or run one as his mandatory HQ and take a Necron Lord to complete a Royal Court formation with his Overlord and other two Crypteks. I'll certainly be bringing this up with him next week but I really doubt it's anything but a mistake.

 

Elites:

 

5 Lychguard w/Hyperphase Swords and Dispersion Shields

Shard of the Nightbringer

1 Triarch Stalker with Particle Shredder

 

Troops:

 

10 Immortals

10 Warriors

 

Heavy Support:

 

Annihilation Barge w/Tesla Cannon

Doom Scythe

 

The latest list I used, and my pre-game attempt at rationale, can be found here.

 

Like I said, my Exorcists have a good record of dealing with his vehicles (My penetrating hits have almost invariably been lethal) but then tend to become utterly ineffectual as the Lychguard are unconcerned by their fire (3++/4+) the Immortals have the Chronometron to protect them from ranged fire (5++/5+) and even the Warriors can usually find some cover to supplement their Reanimation Protocols. Snowballing off this has been a real lack of decent targets for my Melta-armed Dominions as their ideal targets are either hanging back deep behind enemy lines or being dealt with by the artillery, and there's no easy way for them to pull their weight when Reanimation Protocols leaves them with a sub-40% lethality rate against Warriors without cover. It doesn't help that every ranged weapon in the Necron list is capable of threatening Rhinos/Immolators and the C'tan has an unerring habit of drawing the Strength D 'Time's Arrow' or the Lascannon with Tesla when it goes to roll for powers. The Doom Scythe, a new and unexpected addition, also made a right mess of my units when it brought its weaponry to bear.

 

I feel like my addition of a Grey Knight contingent drew mixed results but showed some promise. The Dreadknight single-handedly took down the Nightbringer and would have dealt with the Overlord in short order had he not been lucky enough to roll Eternal Warrior as his warlord trait, but the Terminators died almost immediately to the Doom Scythe and Staff of Light fire while the Librarian clung on ineffectually for a few turns doing precious little with his Divination powers after the loss of the Dreadknight. They brought some much needed punch, and would have brought more had the Terminators actually survived to do something, but it felt as though the vast majority of my threat was removed from the board once they were dealt with.

 

Basically I'm just wondering if you guys have any advice for dealing with Necrons or examples of what you've done against them because I'm struggling to see just how Sororitas are really meant to deal with an enemy who cares very little for their firepower and either outfights or just plain ignores them in melee combat (In my limited experience). Any suggestions would be really appreciated.

 

(The game we played today was Maelstrom and I was reasonably competitive early on, but beyond turn three I essentially had one unit with which to contest objectives)

[*Furyou Miko]

He also needs two Overlords if he wants to run a Royal Court and a CAD.

 

Having run into the same problems, the solution is one of quantity over quality. Our traditional high-volume S8AP1 tactic just doesn't have high enough volume, because of carrier costs mostly.

 

I have stopped using Exorcists entirely against Necrons. They just can't reliably put enough wounds on target to kill 'crons, and Dominions are enough to take down their vehicles.

 

I've swapped over to Heavy Bolter Retributors. They scythe through Warriors, wounding on 3+ and ignoring their armour save (so they only get their RP), are marginally less effective against Immortals, and turn Dispersion Shields into a waste of points (the 'guard are paying to keep their save, when the HBs let them have it anyway)

 

I'd also suggest dropping a couple of Sisters from each squad to upgrade the Rhinos to Immolators for more early-game firepower.

[Naminé]

My experiences vs Decurion and new Necrons have been more favourable, but it's almost impossible to damage them through shooting. CC is where it's at and Seraphim are great at pinning down a unit until something meatier can smash into it. Sweeping advances are great :P

 

Having said that, even with CC you will need to wolfpack enemy units to kill them. At least your troops have obsec, so if he is using CAD kill these troops first. Necrons can't kill quick but they win through outlasting you.

 

Furko's suggestion about heavy bolter Rets is a good one (Heavy flamer rets can work too)

[Duke Danse Macabre]

I have to agree With Namine, Seraphim squads, Celestine, Flamers everwhere, multi melta transports to get close and pop his armour, An Allied SR with Jacobus and Repentia inside would also help and top it off with 2 squads of Heavy Bolter Retributors.

 

that should see you to a speedy victory.

[Sinthos117]

Penitent Engines are also great in this matchup.  Once they get into close combat, the necron player has to commit CC beat sticks to deal with just one, let alone a unit of three.

[sedibear]

Penitent Engines are also great in this matchup.  Once they get into close combat, the necron player has to commit CC beat sticks to deal with just one, let alone a unit of three.

 

This is true! You'll need a way to survive til you get into melee, though. My first 2 games against Newcrons, they shot the Engine on turn 1 with Doomsday Arks. :P

 

CC isn't as good as it used to be when dealing with Necrons, because of the change to Reanimation, they get to strike back instead of falling over.

 

Bring the AP4 hurt, it's going to cause problems for them. Seraphim, too.