Implications for Necrons from the 2022 Q2 Balance Dataslate

[Lord_Ikka]

What are everyone's opinions on how Necrons will play with the new dataslate in effect? Now, Necrons had no changes from the last dataslate where we got our Core updates, but we also didn't get targeted with any specific nerfs or losses, so I'll consider that halfway towards a win. 

 

 

Personally, my view is the Custodes/Tau/Harlie nerfs help us out a lot- those armies losing some potency should give the necrons some new life. Indirect Fire nerf also will help our blocks of Warriors a little. 

 

What interests me is now the argument of flayers vs reapers in Warrior builds in regards to the new Armor of Contempt (AoC) rules. My thought is now that flayers are basically AP 0 against all power armored forces (due to AoC), reapers become better than them almost outright. You at least get a -1 AP against power armor, which isn't great but better than nothing. Anyone else have a thought about this now?

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

My hometown meta is power armor.

 

My crusade force (Mephrit-tactis client force) is built around shooting things with lots of gauss AP at close range for a -2, -3, or -4 (reapers or gauss immortals with Vengeful Stars) armor mod. Guess that's not ever getting any results ever again. Yeah, I have a squad of reapers, but opponents are going to be even more inclined to focus them down now because they're the only unit that poses an actual threat. Everything else (i.e. backline objective holder squads) might as well have squirt guns. 

 

In short, I'm not optimistic that the next time I play a game with my skelly bois, I won't get bodied even harder than usual. 

 

(The Iron Hands player in me is cackling. The Necron player is severely disappointed, and wants to know why GW couldn't have given a similar rule to the Monolith to make it even somewhat durable.)

[Tyriks]

Yeah I'm mostly just baffled why there aren't Necrons changes. We need a lot of help so I would say maybe it's too much for a dataslate.... but they made massive changes for power armor and Guard so that's no excuse. Just can't see why they'd ignore us again.

[Lord_Ikka]

Agreed- don't really know why Necrons weren't touched at all, but still glad that nothing was taken away (removing Core from Skorpekh or Flayed One for example). I can only assume that Necrons didn't get any changes because of two reasons-

1) There were more pressing changes needed to balance the game, such as nerfing Custodes/Harlies and buffing IG who have been in the dumpster for a long time and

2) Necrons have been playing decently at tournaments- not spectacular, but staying in the solid just-above 45% win rate (good game balance should have all factions hovering between 45 and 55% win rates). 

 

I don't agree with those reasons, but the other armies that got zero changes are interesting- GSC, Drukhari, Orks, AdMech, and CSM. Now, Orks/GSC/Drukhari/AdMech are all in the "normal" win rate percentage though they are higher generally than Necrons, but CSM are near the bottom. The implication is that CSM will be getting their new codex soon so they don't need a balancing before that (similar to how Knights/Chaos Knights technically lost their ObSec stuff because it will be in their new codices). My gut feeling is that the next balance update/CA will have some changes for the Necrons- we're not getting a new codex anytime soon and some of the current balance changes will most likely pull our win rates down (AoC is going to be a killer, except for possibly Novokh lists, which will probably be the only viable builds). 

 

One change needed is to just remove the Command Protocols restriction of being within 6" of a Character. Simple change, but removes Necrons from having to cluster around characters like Tyranids to get some buffs. That, combined with some decent points drops, could help a lot- unfortunately GW doesn't seem to want to do a lot to change Necrons faction-wide, so small changes like this may be our best bet. 

Edited April 15, 2022 by Lord_Ikka

[Malakithe]

I think one of the reasons there arent any real changes for Necrons is that the rules teams realize they would need to make massive sweeping changes across the whole faction. Army wide rules, unit sheets, weapons, points...Necrons honestly need that kind of change at this point.

[Marshal Mittens]

I imagine Necrons will also have an early 10e or a late 2.0 9e codex as well.

[Warsmith sargos]

I really think we should get army of contempt aswell.. like custodes.

At least we have ap 5 weapons... to bad its on d6 damage

[Guardsman Bob]

 

(The Iron Hands player in me is cackling. The Necron player is severely disappointed, and wants to know why GW couldn't have given a similar rule to the Monolith to make it even somewhat durable.)

So Necrons were my fall-back army in 9th with the Guard being a dumpster army. A regular stalwart player locally runs Death Guard and the new rules are no-fun against T5 power armor armies. I can’t understand how two books released at the same time has one getting a huge blanket buff while the other weaker book is left to rot. It might be time to box the Necrons again.

 

On a bright note I have unassembled Imperial Knights from four years ago.

Edited April 22, 2022 by Guardsman Bob