Annihilation Barge vs DDA

[jgascoine011]

I am trying to write a necron list and i originally had 2 annihilation barges in it.

However I am looking at the DDA and it just seems so much better for such a small increase in points. Its about similar in dealing with MEQ but also has a great big gun on it

 

Normally i hate the random number of shot and generally find that against something like knights, after you roll to hit, wound and their invun they are getting like maybe 1D6 damage. And while they are probably awsome against laind raiders....how many people are playing land raiders lol. However I play deathguard and the plague burst crawlers are one of the few good units, and they are worse than the DDA

 

So my question is, how is the DDA performing and is it worth upgrading the barges to DDAs?

[NTaW]

The DDA is a premier Necron unit right now, there's not many things we can take that rival its utility. Even just adding one to my list made a noticeable difference in overall effectiveness.

 

Barges are good but their anti-infantry utility seems to be outdone by Tomb Blades.

[Tyriks]

I agree with NTaW. To add on a little, it's hard to compare them. The DDA is far, far superior at vehicles hunting. It's really the best anti armor in our codex. However, if you're looking at making a lot of use of the flayers, you'll be somewhat disappointed.

 

Either you are pushing forward to make sure the flayers have a target in range, in which case you can't make use of the anti-armor gun, or you're going to get to fire the flayers once or twice a game because you put the DDA somewhere hard to get to so it can fire across the board in peace.

 

So if you are looking for anti infantry I'd stick with the AB or pick up some Tomb Blades. If you're fine with the flayer arrays being wasted points something like 60-80% of the time and just want to sink some ships, take the DDA. As you said, the random shots is annoying (my least favorite thing about Necrons, in fact, is that every single anti armor option we have is super unreliable or you can't bring enough of them for them to do their jobs), but when you do roll a few 6s you'll feel bad for your opponent.

[Beatnik cryptek]

As is the grandiously misnamed "annihilation barge" isn't really comparable to a DDA, it's really "apples and oranges". The main point of the barge is it's pretty cheap for a vehicle that has it's stats and can fly. It's good at some things a DDA is just too expensive for. Have it take an objective and hold it. If the enemy deep strikes some light cheap infantry to take it they'll have to face it's guns. If the objective is in cover so much the better. Quantum armor makes it harder to kill with long range anti tank stuff.

 

Throw a few scarabs around it to make enemy deep strikers deploy out of pistol range if you can afford it and the objective is worth it.

 

Yes a DDA ark can do this too at a bigger points cost, say 40 or 47 more depending on the underslung weapon, and even tho the ambitiously labled Tesla destructors get less shots and no AP vs the gauss array bristling from the DDA it has much higher strength and you get 3 hits on a to hit of 6+. If you can work in a +1 to hit it gets even better.

 

For the minimum cost difference between a DDA and an AB you can grab 3 scarabs to go with the barge and run interference for it. A ring of them around the barge holds deep strikers a couple inches away, they can charge a unit getting too close and tie it up in the next fire phase.

 

Unless you have a set of loaded dice the barge ain't going to be busting much heavy armor unlike a DDA, and it'll problay kill a lot less monstrous creatures too. Hard targert killing is what a DDA rules at.

 

The barge is in no way a must have unit but it can fulfill a role in a necron army. If it keeps the enemy's butt off an objective for a turn and gives you the victory point that wins you the game it was worth it.