How well-explored by the Imperium is the Milky Way?

[b1soul]

The Milky Way is estimated to contain 100–400 billion stars and more than 100 billion planets.

 

The Imperium of Man consists of around one million planets. I'm assuming these one million planets correspond to even fewer star systems.

 

Has the Imperium explored (or at least conducted detailed scans of) most star systems of the galaxy? Or are there still vast unexplored star fields of which the Imperium has little to no knowledge?

 

GW doesn't seem to handle scale well.

 

I think a plausible idea is that the Imperium is a highly porous, scattered empire, and there are vast swathes of unexplored space between more densely inhabited Imperial hubs. A lot of realdpace is unexplored because the Imperium tends to travel via Warp routes from one hub to another.

 

What do you guys think? Anything official on the subject?

[Red_Shift]

The closest reference I am aware of is in the battlefleet gothic rulebook, which indeed says as you suggest that the imperium is scattered clutches of systems with vast areas of either unexplored wilderness or alien empires. I think if you are looking for a percentage it will be a guess

 

Edit bfg rulebook

 

All human inhabited space is further broken down into sectors, which are most usually cubes of space roughly 200 light years to a side. Each sector is comprised of a number of sub sectors ranging from ten to twenty light years in diameter, centred on densely populated star clusters, important worlds, or meeting points of various trade routes through the warp. The areas between sub sectors and sectors - unexplored or uninhabited regions, alien empires, areas inaccessible by the warp etc - are known as wilderness space or wilderness zones and make up a far greater proportion of the galaxy than that controlled by humanity

[Marshal Rohr]

Codex Imperialis described the Imperium as being fairly small but galaxy spanning.

[Lay]

The Imperium of Man comprises a million inhabited worlds, stretching from the furthest reaches of the Eastern Fringe to the distant Halo Stars. Although this is a huge number of planets, it is as nothing when compared to the immense size of the galaxy itself. The Imperium is spread very thinly across space: its worlds are dotted through the void and divided by hundreds if not thousands of light years. It is therefore wrong to think of the Imperium in terms of a territory which extends across the galaxy. The truth is far more complex. The Imperium’s holdings are scattered far and wide by the vagaries of Warp travel and spatial drift. One inhabited system may be separated from its nearest neighbor by alien civilizations, unstable Warp storms, dimensional cascades or unexplored space. Indeed, Mankind’s ignorance of his environs far exceeds his meager knowledge, for humanity has yet to explore much of the galaxy. Who knows what ancient secrets lie undiscovered and undisturbed amongst the stars?

The pattern of human settlement throughout the galaxy owes much to the nature of space travel. All interstellar travel is undertaken using Warp drives that launch a spacecraft into the alternative dimension of Warp space. Within Warp space a ship can cover the equivalent of many thousands of light years within a relatively short time, dropping back into real space far away from its starting point. The unpredictable and turbulent nature of Warp space means that some parts of the galaxy are harder to reach than others. Some zones are eternally isolated by swirling Warp storms, dichotomic turbulence and violent currents within the ether. Other areas can only be reached by difficult and dangerous routes, or are accessible only during lulls in the fierce fluctuations of the Warp. Some parts of Warp space act as dimensional vortices, ensnaring spacecraft and tearing them apart with impossible forces. In others, time flows disjointedly with the material realm. Days become nanoseconds, minutes stretch into years, and the future spirals into the past."

 

- 5th edition Rulebook, pg 103:

[Finkmilkana]

This always makes me wonder how many necrons are actually out there. Since they didn’t really travel using the warp, their tomb worlds should not be distributed in the same way as the Imperium’s worlds. If we assume the Imperium controls a (very very optimistic) 1% of all systems and quite a few of of these independently contain necron tombs, then the overall number of necron worlds has to be truly staggering.

[RandyB]

This always makes me wonder how many necrons are actually out there. Since they didn’t really travel using the warp, their tomb worlds should not be distributed in the same way as the Imperium’s worlds. If we assume the Imperium controls a (very very optimistic) 1% of all systems and quite a few of of these independently contain necron tombs, then the overall number of necron worlds has to be truly staggering.

 

Never underestimate the power of coincidence. The percentage of Necron Tomb Worlds that are co-inhabited by the Imperium (especially the AdMech) is likely quite higher than a simple random distribution of each would suggest.

[Marshal Rohr]

There will only be so many planets that can sustain colonization, so it makes sense the races of the galaxy all end up in the same places.

[Honda]

Finkmilkana, on 25 Dec 2018 - 05:02 AM, said:http://bolterandchainsword.com//public/style_images/carbon_red/snapback.png

This always makes me wonder how many necrons are actually out there. Since they didn’t really travel using the warp, their tomb worlds should not be distributed in the same way as the Imperium’s worlds. If we assume the Imperium controls a (very very optimistic) 1% of all systems and quite a few of of these independently contain necron tombs, then the overall number of necron worlds has to be truly staggering.

 

Never underestimate the power of coincidence. The percentage of Necron Tomb Worlds that are co-inhabited by the Imperium (especially the AdMech) is likely quite higher than a simple random distribution of each would suggest.

 

 

I would agree with this point.

 

Keep in mind that at some point, before the Necrons went full toaster, they were biological entities. Whether or not we (humans) and the pre-toasters are similar or not, we'll probably never know.

 

That being said, when they were alive, they were very likely "humanoid" looking, probably oxygen breathers, dependent upon sources of fluid H2O, which we could then infer a higher percentage of coexistence for a given volume of space because humans value those same resources.

 

I would probably also offer for thought the fact that the "Old Ones" that the Necrontyr were in conflict with were also oxygen breathers, reinforcing the idea that they were in conflict over similar types of resources.

 

I'm basing that logic on the argument that, humans and crystals don't engage in open conflict because what each values doesn't conflict and their sphere's of influence don't intersect to any significant degree (sci-fi <Horta reasons> not withstanding).

 

Now all that theorizing doesn't have any real basis for fact, but it is one possibility.

 

I do agree that  there is a whole lot of the galaxy we (the Imperium) don't have a clue about.

[Bryan Blaire]

I think a plausible idea is that the Imperium is a highly porous, scattered empire, and there are vast swathes of unexplored space between more densely inhabited Imperial hubs. A lot of realdpace is unexplored because the Imperium tends to travel via Warp routes from one hub to another.

 

What do you guys think? Anything official on the subject?

It isn't even a question or subject to speculation that this is what the Imperium is, it actually says that in the basic lore in the 40K rulebook (and has for almost 30 years).

 

“The Imperium stretches across the galaxy. At its heart is Holy Terra, the cradle of Humanity and the starting point of an empire that contains countless trillions of souls. Despite its great size, the Imperium is spread thinly across this immense expanse; its worlds are dotted through the void and often divided by hundreds, if not thousands, of light years. It is therefore wrong to think of the Imperium in terms of a single, united territory; it is rather a sprawling and often hopelessly disconnected domain.”

“Yet despite constant calamities, the Imperium did notjust endure, it grew. Each year, hundreds of new planets were added to the fold, even while others were lost. Unstoppable in its momentum, the Imperium churned on. Explorator fleets were launched like clockwork from every forge world. Relentlessly, they sought former colonies or new planetary systems to exploit. The end result was a strange paradox. Even while crumbling at the edges, losing planetary systems by the score to sedition, xenos invasion,or galactic phenomena, the Imperium continued. Colonies lost since the dawn of space travel were still being discovered each year.”

While the text has changed from Edition to Edition, it's been that same basic idea practically from the start of the game.

[b1soul]

That's great to hear. BL books tend to make the galaxy feel too small IMO.

 

Wish they'd set a story in current 40K about discovering a new advances alien race or a non-Imperial human polity. It seems that stuff is limited to the Great Crusade era.

[Stofficus]

That's great to hear. BL books tend to make the galaxy feel too small IMO.

 

Wish they'd set a story in current 40K about discovering a new advances alien race or a non-Imperial human polity. It seems that stuff is limited to the Great Crusade era.

 

It comes up as anecdotes from time to time. Usually the fluff developing Imperial Guard, Space Marine & Inquisition characters who exist only as background or slight fluff pieces usually involve "Involved in the charting of/ settling of/ purging of *insert alien race/new territory here*" 

 

Since modern 40k revolves around the tabletop game quite truly to a fault at times, there isn't much room or interest to develop these "lesser known" areas, because the main characters are all involved in the big setpiece slugging matches which involve factions who have miniatures.

 

Fantasy Flight Games, with their various 40k RPGs, did wonders for painting pictures of what lesser alien races or unknown regions might look like, as they set all of their products in specific sectors or subsectors and then fleshed them out in accordance with the guidelines provided by the well established layout of the galaxy. However, that partnership is now over, and time will tell if we ever see anything like that 40k again. 

[BassWave]

That's great to hear. BL books tend to make the galaxy feel too small IMO.

 

Wish they'd set a story in current 40K about discovering a new advances alien race or a non-Imperial human polity. It seems that stuff is limited to the Great Crusade era.

 

You should read Dan Abnett's Eisenhorn series, as well as the Ravenor spinoff series. Those books do a good job expanding the 40k universe.

[Dracos]

A thriving Squat civilization must be hiding somewhere in then”between” ;)

[Finkmilkana]

I would agree with this point.

 

Keep in mind that at some point, before the Necrons went full toaster, they were biological entities. Whether or not we (humans) and the pre-toasters are similar or not, we'll probably never know.

 

That being said, when they were alive, they were very likely "humanoid" looking, probably oxygen breathers, dependent upon sources of fluid H2O, which we could then infer a higher percentage of coexistence for a given volume of space because humans value those same resources.

 

I would probably also offer for thought the fact that the "Old Ones" that the Necrontyr were in conflict with were also oxygen breathers, reinforcing the idea that they were in conflict over similar types of resources.

 

I'm basing that logic on the argument that, humans and crystals don't engage in open conflict because what each values doesn't conflict and their sphere's of influence don't intersect to any significant degree (sci-fi <Horta reasons> not withstanding).

 

Now all that theorizing doesn't have any real basis for fact, but it is one possibility.

 

I do agree that there is a whole lot of the galaxy we (the Imperium) don't have a clue about.

While there is obviously some overlap, I would only fully agree if it was only about ‚fully colonized systems‘. But since it’s about ‚charted systems‘, I’m not sure how far the correlation goes. It also just seems more apt to assume that there are still vast undiscovered necron hordes out there, because it keeps them alive as a „possibly apocalyptic threat“ instead of „just another xenos empire“. In the end if probably depends on how much they actually know about the uninhabited systems.

[Marshal Rohr]

Eh, I like my Necrons to be just another Xenos empire. No faction except chaos should threaten the Imperium.

[Black Knight]

Honda, on 25 Dec 2018 - 4:40 PM, said:

I would agree with this point.

Keep in mind that at some point, before the Necrons went full toaster, they were biological entities. Whether or not we (humans) and the pre-toasters are similar or not, we'll probably never know.

That being said, when they were alive, they were very likely "humanoid" looking, probably oxygen breathers, dependent upon sources of fluid H2O, which we could then infer a higher percentage of coexistence for a given volume of space because humans value those same resources.

I would probably also offer for thought the fact that the "Old Ones" that the Necrontyr were in conflict with were also oxygen breathers, reinforcing the idea that they were in conflict over similar types of resources.

I'm basing that logic on the argument that, humans and crystals don't engage in open conflict because what each values doesn't conflict and their sphere's of influence don't intersect to any significant degree (sci-fi <Horta reasons> not withstanding).

Now all that theorizing doesn't have any real basis for fact, but it is one possibility.

I do agree that  there is a whole lot of the galaxy we (the Imperium) don't have a clue about.

 

 

 

I thought the Necrons were only biological on their home planet, they were dying with no way to escape the radiation of their star. Thats why they were despirateand were uplifted by the C'tan and then they spread out. Or am I wrong there?

 

And the reason the Admech and Necrons seem to be on the same planets was that they both need the same base materials, resources so the admech settled on planets that the Necrons chose eons earlier because of the same raw materials.

[Arkangilos]

 

Honda, on 25 Dec 2018 - 4:40 PM, said:

I would agree with this point.

Keep in mind that at some point, before the Necrons went full toaster, they were biological entities. Whether or not we (humans) and the pre-toasters are similar or not, we'll probably never know.

That being said, when they were alive, they were very likely "humanoid" looking, probably oxygen breathers, dependent upon sources of fluid H2O, which we could then infer a higher percentage of coexistence for a given volume of space because humans value those same resources.

I would probably also offer for thought the fact that the "Old Ones" that the Necrontyr were in conflict with were also oxygen breathers, reinforcing the idea that they were in conflict over similar types of resources.

I'm basing that logic on the argument that, humans and crystals don't engage in open conflict because what each values doesn't conflict and their sphere's of influence don't intersect to any significant degree (sci-fi <Horta reasons> not withstanding).

Now all that theorizing doesn't have any real basis for fact, but it is one possibility.

I do agree that there is a whole lot of the galaxy we (the Imperium) don't have a clue about.

 

 

I thought the Necrons were only biological on their home planet, they were dying with no way to escape the radiation of their star. Thats why they were despirateand were uplifted by the C'tan and then they spread out. Or am I wrong there?

 

And the reason the Admech and Necrons seem to be on the same planets was that they both need the same base materials, resources so the admech settled on planets that the Necrons chose eons earlier because of the same raw materials.

From what I remember they already had an empire by that point, and that’s why dynasties already controlled the territories they are in

[Tyriks]

 

 

Honda, on 25 Dec 2018 - 4:40 PM, said:

I would agree with this point.

Keep in mind that at some point, before the Necrons went full toaster, they were biological entities. Whether or not we (humans) and the pre-toasters are similar or not, we'll probably never know.

That being said, when they were alive, they were very likely "humanoid" looking, probably oxygen breathers, dependent upon sources of fluid H2O, which we could then infer a higher percentage of coexistence for a given volume of space because humans value those same resources.

I would probably also offer for thought the fact that the "Old Ones" that the Necrontyr were in conflict with were also oxygen breathers, reinforcing the idea that they were in conflict over similar types of resources.

I'm basing that logic on the argument that, humans and crystals don't engage in open conflict because what each values doesn't conflict and their sphere's of influence don't intersect to any significant degree (sci-fi <Horta reasons> not withstanding).

Now all that theorizing doesn't have any real basis for fact, but it is one possibility.

I do agree that there is a whole lot of the galaxy we (the Imperium) don't have a clue about.

I thought the Necrons were only biological on their home planet, they were dying with no way to escape the radiation of their star. Thats why they were despirateand were uplifted by the C'tan and then they spread out. Or am I wrong there?

And the reason the Admech and Necrons seem to be on the same planets was that they both need the same base materials, resources so the admech settled on planets that the Necrons chose eons earlier because of the same raw materials.

From what I remember they already had an empire by that point, and that’s why dynasties already controlled the territories they are in

Necrons had an empire but lost most of it fighting the old ones when they were still organic. Their current territories are based on what they won back after biotransference. They definitely did build their original empire while organic, though.

[Elzender]

About the Necrons, maybe the blackstone and its anti-warp properties might have some influence on the coincidence of human- and necron-inhabited planets? If warp is becalmed or contained by it, I can see the blackstone-rich sectors/planets (whether naturally or by Necron colonization) being relatively calm places to jump out of the warp, so Imperial/Mechanicum vessels would tend to arrive there.

[Trevak Dal]

Now, even though the Imperium is wide spread, that's more to do with the Dark Age of Technology Humanity spreading so far and wide, Faith of the Heart style, with Generation Ships and sublight travel being the means for...millennia (sadface).

 

Humanity seems to be a lesser version of Orks (which are humanoid, gangbanger fungus monster/cockroaches), and we breed incessantly (probably pisses the Eldar off to no end, they should really start a breeding program)

 

Rogue Traders are the ones who write the map and push back the darkness. There was a hiccup back in the first Imperial Civil war (and second Imperial Civil war with Goge Vadire, and the whole Beast situation).

 

But they still go out into the black, finding new worlds, rediscovering lost fragments of humanity gone since before Old Night.

[Kinstryfe]

I think I recall it being said in places as well that a lot of the worlds that are likely to be colonized now/sustain life are due to being worlds that Aeldari or other Xenos had already started terraforming in the distant past. It would make sense that they would have terraformed in clusters, thus humans squatting on those worlds would be in the same relative clusters. Humanity are basically just hobos on a galactic scale.

[Lord_Caerolion]

 

 

Honda, on 25 Dec 2018 - 4:40 PM, said:

I would agree with this point.

Keep in mind that at some point, before the Necrons went full toaster, they were biological entities. Whether or not we (humans) and the pre-toasters are similar or not, we'll probably never know.

That being said, when they were alive, they were very likely "humanoid" looking, probably oxygen breathers, dependent upon sources of fluid H2O, which we could then infer a higher percentage of coexistence for a given volume of space because humans value those same resources.

I would probably also offer for thought the fact that the "Old Ones" that the Necrontyr were in conflict with were also oxygen breathers, reinforcing the idea that they were in conflict over similar types of resources.

I'm basing that logic on the argument that, humans and crystals don't engage in open conflict because what each values doesn't conflict and their sphere's of influence don't intersect to any significant degree (sci-fi <Horta reasons> not withstanding).

Now all that theorizing doesn't have any real basis for fact, but it is one possibility.

I do agree that there is a whole lot of the galaxy we (the Imperium) don't have a clue about.

 

I thought the Necrons were only biological on their home planet, they were dying with no way to escape the radiation of their star. Thats why they were despirateand were uplifted by the C'tan and then they spread out. Or am I wrong there?

 

And the reason the Admech and Necrons seem to be on the same planets was that they both need the same base materials, resources so the admech settled on planets that the Necrons chose eons earlier because of the same raw materials.

From what I remember they already had an empire by that point, and that’s why dynasties already controlled the territories they are in

 

 

Their initial colonization was done through sub-light transports, so very slow going. When they started the war against the Old Ones, they got pushed back constantly, until the discovery of the C'Tan, which allowed them to start actually fighting back, and then the biotransference, which allowed them to start winning. The majority of current Necron domains would have been won after biotransference, and not necessarily limited to terraformed worlds, given that they no longer require atmosphere, etc, it's far easier for them to colonise planets based entirely on strategic value, not having to worry about "but can we breathe there".

Their initial colonization was done through sub-light transports, so very slow going. When they started the war against the Old Ones, they got pushed back constantly, until the discovery of the C'Tan, which allowed them to start actually fighting back, and then the biotransference, which allowed them to start winning. The majority of current Necron domains would have been won after biotransference, 

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

I expect there would be human settlements trom pre Imperial times still yet to be discovered, and xeno “civilisations” aswell. It’s possible that some Xenos societies have risen and fallen, during the ten thousand years that the Imperium has existed, I mean the T’au were discovered by an Imperial expedition at a prehistoric/cave person stage in their development, and under the protection of a warp storm, emerged as the T’au empire we no know after a couple of centuries.

[Arkangilos]

 

 

 

 

 

Honda, on 25 Dec 2018 - 4:40 PM, said:

I would agree with this point.

Keep in mind that at some point, before the Necrons went full toaster, they were biological entities. Whether or not we (humans) and the pre-toasters are similar or not, we'll probably never know.

That being said, when they were alive, they were very likely "humanoid" looking, probably oxygen breathers, dependent upon sources of fluid H2O, which we could then infer a higher percentage of coexistence for a given volume of space because humans value those same resources.

I would probably also offer for thought the fact that the "Old Ones" that the Necrontyr were in conflict with were also oxygen breathers, reinforcing the idea that they were in conflict over similar types of resources.

I'm basing that logic on the argument that, humans and crystals don't engage in open conflict because what each values doesn't conflict and their sphere's of influence don't intersect to any significant degree (sci-fi <Horta reasons> not withstanding).

Now all that theorizing doesn't have any real basis for fact, but it is one possibility.

I do agree that there is a whole lot of the galaxy we (the Imperium) don't have a clue about.

I thought the Necrons were only biological on their home planet, they were dying with no way to escape the radiation of their star. Thats why they were despirateand were uplifted by the C'tan and then they spread out. Or am I wrong there?

 

And the reason the Admech and Necrons seem to be on the same planets was that they both need the same base materials, resources so the admech settled on planets that the Necrons chose eons earlier because of the same raw materials.

From what I remember they already had an empire by that point, and that’s why dynasties already controlled the territories they are in

Their initial colonization was done through sub-light transports, so very slow going. When they started the war against the Old Ones, they got pushed back constantly, until the discovery of the C'Tan, which allowed them to start actually fighting back, and then the biotransference, which allowed them to start winning. The majority of current Necron domains would have been won after biotransference, and not necessarily limited to terraformed worlds, given that they no longer require atmosphere, etc, it's far easier for them to colonise planets based entirely on strategic value, not having to worry about "but can we breathe there".

Their initial colonization was done through sub-light transports, so very slow going. When they started the war against the Old Ones, they got pushed back constantly, until the discovery of the C'Tan, which allowed them to start actually fighting back, and then the biotransference, which allowed them to start winning. The majority of current Necron domains would have been won after biotransference,

That’s the old lore. New Lore has them reigning supreme before their war with the Old Ones, and they had a series of succession wars, which led to them making the Old Ones their enemies to unify their dynasties. Then they started losing because the Old Ones mastery of the warp, so they had another series of civil wars, which then led them to the C’Tan

 

“sixty million years before the 41st Millennium, the Necrontyr race reigned supreme over the Galaxy. However as their great empire grew ever wider and more diverse, the unity that had made them strong was eroded and bitter rebellions known as the First Wars of Secession erupted as entire realms fought for independence. The Triarch - the ruling council of Necrontyr - realised that only the threat of an external enemy would bring unity once more and saw the Old Ones as the perfect subjects for the wrath of their race. Already jealous of the Old Ones' seemingly eternal life spans, the Necrontyr went to war with the Old Ones, the separatists abandoned their rebellion, and the War in Heaven began.[4b]“

[Tyriks]

 

 

 

 

Honda, on 25 Dec 2018 - 4:40 PM, said:

I would agree with this point.

Keep in mind that at some point, before the Necrons went full toaster, they were biological entities. Whether or not we (humans) and the pre-toasters are similar or not, we'll probably never know.

That being said, when they were alive, they were very likely "humanoid" looking, probably oxygen breathers, dependent upon sources of fluid H2O, which we could then infer a higher percentage of coexistence for a given volume of space because humans value those same resources.

I would probably also offer for thought the fact that the "Old Ones" that the Necrontyr were in conflict with were also oxygen breathers, reinforcing the idea that they were in conflict over similar types of resources.

I'm basing that logic on the argument that, humans and crystals don't engage in open conflict because what each values doesn't conflict and their sphere's of influence don't intersect to any significant degree (sci-fi <Horta reasons> not withstanding).

Now all that theorizing doesn't have any real basis for fact, but it is one possibility.

I do agree that there is a whole lot of the galaxy we (the Imperium) don't have a clue about.

I thought the Necrons were only biological on their home planet, they were dying with no way to escape the radiation of their star. Thats why they were despirateand were uplifted by the C'tan and then they spread out. Or am I wrong there?

And the reason the Admech and Necrons seem to be on the same planets was that they both need the same base materials, resources so the admech settled on planets that the Necrons chose eons earlier because of the same raw materials.

From what I remember they already had an empire by that point, and that’s why dynasties already controlled the territories they are in

Their initial colonization was done through sub-light transports, so very slow going. When they started the war against the Old Ones, they got pushed back constantly, until the discovery of the C'Tan, which allowed them to start actually fighting back, and then the biotransference, which allowed them to start winning. The majority of current Necron domains would have been won after biotransference, and not necessarily limited to terraformed worlds, given that they no longer require atmosphere, etc, it's far easier for them to colonise planets based entirely on strategic value, not having to worry about "but can we breathe there".

Their initial colonization was done through sub-light transports, so very slow going. When they started the war against the Old Ones, they got pushed back constantly, until the discovery of the C'Tan, which allowed them to start actually fighting back, and then the biotransference, which allowed them to start winning. The majority of current Necron domains would have been won after biotransference,

That’s the old lore. New Lore has them reigning supreme before their war with the Old Ones, and they had a series of succession wars, which led to them making the Old Ones their enemies to unify their dynasties. Then they started losing because the Old Ones mastery of the warp, so they had another series of civil wars, which then led them to the C’Tan

“sixty million years before the 41st Millennium, the Necrontyr race reigned supreme over the Galaxy. However as their great empire grew ever wider and more diverse, the unity that had made them strong was eroded and bitter rebellions known as the First Wars of Secession erupted as entire realms fought for independence. The Triarch - the ruling council of Necrontyr - realised that only the threat of an external enemy would bring unity once more and saw the Old Ones as the perfect subjects for the wrath of their race. Already jealous of the Old Ones' seemingly eternal life spans, the Necrontyr went to war with the Old Ones, the separatists abandoned their rebellion, and the War in Heaven began.[4b]“

None of that conflicts with what Lord_Caerolion said. The Necrons built an empire, started a war with the Old Ones, lost that empire, and after biotransference built a new empire. Their current domains are still not indicative of what they held before biotransference.