tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41582254414966315482024-03-21T21:53:19.870-05:00The MateriumThe Materium is a blog site dedicated to the discussion of my gaming and artistic pursuits. This includes Warhammer 40k (especially Necrons, who inspired my blog title), board games, miniature painting, and other random topics. Enjoy!Aternoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10994937347147624702noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158225441496631548.post-39779615211770423622012-01-21T12:00:00.001-06:002012-07-23T10:43:23.075-05:00In Flames... TONIGHT at Emo's!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My ultimate favorite band, In Flames, is playing tonight at Emo's in Austin. Event starts at 6:30. For those of you not lucky enough to live in Austin, <a href="http://www.inflames.com/main.html">here's</a> a full list of their tour dates.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The concert was amazing! They played one of my favorites (Delight and Angers). Rockin good time. Some pictures below.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anders saying goodnight after a stellar performance</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm98ql8fmVRV6_NVBb56sDVYzktbS7xcSs3mOFWeCXT7wcCjecJOKDMv7_Qt49RZwHCJ7fOUl76B6p8GW4zUIsMaPzdlcEqk0sdMUcJmRinSG_nz8QP7PoISi8P7W7siHwPzwXaaPYQ9A/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm98ql8fmVRV6_NVBb56sDVYzktbS7xcSs3mOFWeCXT7wcCjecJOKDMv7_Qt49RZwHCJ7fOUl76B6p8GW4zUIsMaPzdlcEqk0sdMUcJmRinSG_nz8QP7PoISi8P7W7siHwPzwXaaPYQ9A/s400/photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Flames playing "Where the Dead Ships Dwell"</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Aternoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10994937347147624702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158225441496631548.post-54209449887294140942012-01-20T18:43:00.003-06:002012-07-23T10:43:33.867-05:00Necron FAQ is available!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My reactions to the recent Necron FAQ.</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ever-living does indeed allow you a Reanimation Protocol role if a unit is wiped out. Glad they cleared that up...</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">GW confirmed the near uselessness of the Dispersion Shield.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Whip Coils are weakened a bit since they occur before any other initiative boosting items. This one small clarification removes them as the answer-all for Necron assault.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Canoptek Spiders can still spit out Scarabs even if locked in CC. Nice...</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We got the Death Ray question answered.. Of course we all already knew the answer GW would give.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The ability for an Overlord to use his Sweep Attack and then assault has been confirmed. Not that we would want our Overlord getting into assault. F'ing I2!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Interesting that GW defined the firing arc for the Gauss Flayer Array but not the Gauss Flux Arc.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Mindshackle Scarabs can be used against a unit of one.. Sweet!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm really surprised that the facing of Arc'ed Tesla hits are resolved using the position of the shooter. That makes no sense at all.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Veil of Darkness can be used to arrive from reserve. This will be really nice if the 6e rumors concerning Deep Strike are true.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Solar Pulse is confirmed to cease Imotekh's storm.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Cryptek chronometron can be used to reroll Imotekh's Night Fighting roll. Eat it IG!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Royal Court members can benefit from Hunters from Hyperspace, however that unit can only Deep Strike if it has that rule. Lame!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">GW confirmed that only the optional war gear of the Crypteks needs to be unique to a Royal Court.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Score! You can attach one model from each Royal Court to the same unit.</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">FAQ can be found <a href="http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m2170012a_Necron_FAQ_Version_2_0_January_2012.pdf">here</a>.</span></div>Aternoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10994937347147624702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158225441496631548.post-89842068824967357522012-01-19T18:14:00.003-06:002012-07-23T10:46:31.221-05:00Warhammer 40k 6th edition rulebook leak and the possible impacts to Necrons<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The net is abuzz with rumors of a W40k 6e rulebook leak. Take with a heaping spoonful of salt.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Download the purported <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7nSXU_baCwTZmZiNmE5NDUtNTU1ZC00MGQ4LWJiYjAtZmRkZmQ1YzIwMWQz">6th edition Warhammer 40k rulebook</a> and <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7nSXU_baCwTOTUzNGVjNjItMWRiNi00MmVhLWIyNWUtNmY5Y2U5YmZkODA5">codex updates</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So what does this mean for Necrons? I have only scanned the document as I don't even know if it is real and I certainly don't want to spend much time on it. Below I explore the good, bad, and mixed impacts to Necrons.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Shooting after Assault</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywV8Y-6gPqXnFNNu49tPlErME89GowHHfnimLlL4QFL7sAB8jYxb5bQiG1wiZZDC8vcXIvIwdm0uw87bFrJx2F1vTJQAmRbuDqlDY4NVxfW-LBWqZP_TfNUbM96DsYLZXb8bpSSwly2E/s1600/Two+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="42" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywV8Y-6gPqXnFNNu49tPlErME89GowHHfnimLlL4QFL7sAB8jYxb5bQiG1wiZZDC8vcXIvIwdm0uw87bFrJx2F1vTJQAmRbuDqlDY4NVxfW-LBWqZP_TfNUbM96DsYLZXb8bpSSwly2E/s200/Two+Scarabs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b010 Scarabs (Mixed)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The biggest change to shooting is that it now happens after assault. This is H-U-G-E because units that want to pepper their target prior to assaulting will not be able to do so. For Necrons, I don't see this as a disadvantage. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This also goes hand-in-hand with an Overwatch ability. Unlike the version in Space Hulk it allows a shot at the enemy during their phase.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Evade</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4YRcUS7PbuveBmXolH2wAaN1tC4mIafOLpyLsR_myycPOADM0NfR2NxDo27MbtbjQHIvaJoJFzrDN75nsNjUvpnh-Agwn38s379ew_YCRikW8FZln06oX7WlnediNeMJbamnSQOSO7U/s1600/Three+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4YRcUS7PbuveBmXolH2wAaN1tC4mIafOLpyLsR_myycPOADM0NfR2NxDo27MbtbjQHIvaJoJFzrDN75nsNjUvpnh-Agwn38s379ew_YCRikW8FZln06oX7WlnediNeMJbamnSQOSO7U/s200/Three+Scarabs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b011 Scarabs (Not Bad)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There is a new attribute called </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Evade</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> that essentially bases shooting difficulty on size and movement (among other factors). This essentially makes it fairly easy to shoot at large vehicles and potentially harder to hit smaller, more agile targets. From a Necron point of view, this could be a good thing. Why? Because Necrons are generally better than middle of the road shooters and have several units that can </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>may be able</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> to advantage of the Jink rule.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b100 Scarabs (Very Good)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cover saves</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> seem a little bit less friendly in these rules. This is good news for any shooty army. Rules also seem to imply that cover is calculated on a model-by-model basis. This would make it impossible for units to get a unit-wide cover save by getting >50% of its models in cover.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Preferred Enemy</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTEa9GuEzJXvbLm67hp9o6fHkxUgrm1fEpyxRX-gRRON4V958yShT595is-JoZZoRlsf45z278DE2mcN4-yeqgGBKcnVL0fAOGZrqDEIYPfoug_viUZ6S2ougUjBd_b4CQKEa7JzoU7o/s1600/Five+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTEa9GuEzJXvbLm67hp9o6fHkxUgrm1fEpyxRX-gRRON4V958yShT595is-JoZZoRlsf45z278DE2mcN4-yeqgGBKcnVL0fAOGZrqDEIYPfoug_viUZ6S2ougUjBd_b4CQKEa7JzoU7o/s200/Five+Scarabs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b101 Scarabs (Great!)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Preferred Enemy</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> now affects shooting! Welcome back, Destroyers! 2+ on shooting.. Ohhh yeah!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdslPGKmwnwmmKtHDrlxVvzc4Rua6hiUIe2Y7h_Ndf78URV70msTs5Tn75iVPtKpxdgDulEcY8_awJCACfAW_txzTp8Tl1V-yyLD1d0f-SdvT_CjOj775rlB2kREhnLMqGaCDsaOKIfo/s1600/One+Scarab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdslPGKmwnwmmKtHDrlxVvzc4Rua6hiUIe2Y7h_Ndf78URV70msTs5Tn75iVPtKpxdgDulEcY8_awJCACfAW_txzTp8Tl1V-yyLD1d0f-SdvT_CjOj775rlB2kREhnLMqGaCDsaOKIfo/s200/One+Scarab.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b001 Scarab (Not Good)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Templates now cause <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Instant Death against Swarms</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. This is slightly different in that Scarabs would receive an additional wound only if they failed the save on the first. Generally, I think this is a bad thing but Scarabs were already weak against templates.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywV8Y-6gPqXnFNNu49tPlErME89GowHHfnimLlL4QFL7sAB8jYxb5bQiG1wiZZDC8vcXIvIwdm0uw87bFrJx2F1vTJQAmRbuDqlDY4NVxfW-LBWqZP_TfNUbM96DsYLZXb8bpSSwly2E/s1600/Two+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="42" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywV8Y-6gPqXnFNNu49tPlErME89GowHHfnimLlL4QFL7sAB8jYxb5bQiG1wiZZDC8vcXIvIwdm0uw87bFrJx2F1vTJQAmRbuDqlDY4NVxfW-LBWqZP_TfNUbM96DsYLZXb8bpSSwly2E/s200/Two+Scarabs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b010 Scarabs (Mixed)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Close combat to hit rolls are certainly more cut throat; penalizing the unskilled a bit more. From a Necron "middle of the road" point of view this doesn't have much impact.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sweeping Advances</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywV8Y-6gPqXnFNNu49tPlErME89GowHHfnimLlL4QFL7sAB8jYxb5bQiG1wiZZDC8vcXIvIwdm0uw87bFrJx2F1vTJQAmRbuDqlDY4NVxfW-LBWqZP_TfNUbM96DsYLZXb8bpSSwly2E/s1600/Two+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywV8Y-6gPqXnFNNu49tPlErME89GowHHfnimLlL4QFL7sAB8jYxb5bQiG1wiZZDC8vcXIvIwdm0uw87bFrJx2F1vTJQAmRbuDqlDY4NVxfW-LBWqZP_TfNUbM96DsYLZXb8bpSSwly2E/s1600/Two+Scarabs.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b010 Scarabs (Could Be Better)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was hoping to see </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sweeping Advance</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> removed from the 6e rules but that does not appear to be the case. Instead, Necrons have a better chance of fighting off a sweeping advance since it is a straight up 5+ if you lose a Morale check in combat and have a lower Initiative score. This is a 1/3 chance of survival. I see this as good an bad. Consider a I3 unit that is rolling to sweep an I2 unit. In the 5e rules the I2 unit would have a 10/36 chance of survival. It only gets worse for the I2 unit as the opponents Initiative goes up. Given this, it's a slight advantage for Necrons, but its unlikely to change a Necron player's strategy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Surrounded</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdslPGKmwnwmmKtHDrlxVvzc4Rua6hiUIe2Y7h_Ndf78URV70msTs5Tn75iVPtKpxdgDulEcY8_awJCACfAW_txzTp8Tl1V-yyLD1d0f-SdvT_CjOj775rlB2kREhnLMqGaCDsaOKIfo/s1600/One+Scarab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdslPGKmwnwmmKtHDrlxVvzc4Rua6hiUIe2Y7h_Ndf78URV70msTs5Tn75iVPtKpxdgDulEcY8_awJCACfAW_txzTp8Tl1V-yyLD1d0f-SdvT_CjOj775rlB2kREhnLMqGaCDsaOKIfo/s200/One+Scarab.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b001 Scarabs (Not Good)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Another change that could impact Necrons in a negative way is another kind of sweep. It is called </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Surrounded</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> and causes destruction of the unit when Broken (falling back) units are within 12" of a enemy models. Ouch.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Heavy"</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTEa9GuEzJXvbLm67hp9o6fHkxUgrm1fEpyxRX-gRRON4V958yShT595is-JoZZoRlsf45z278DE2mcN4-yeqgGBKcnVL0fAOGZrqDEIYPfoug_viUZ6S2ougUjBd_b4CQKEa7JzoU7o/s1600/Five+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTEa9GuEzJXvbLm67hp9o6fHkxUgrm1fEpyxRX-gRRON4V958yShT595is-JoZZoRlsf45z278DE2mcN4-yeqgGBKcnVL0fAOGZrqDEIYPfoug_viUZ6S2ougUjBd_b4CQKEa7JzoU7o/s200/Five+Scarabs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b101 Scarabs (Fingers Crossed)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There is a comment on page 117 that the term "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Heavy</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">" refers to a Super-heavy with only one structure point. Could this imply that the Monolith gets a -3 on the vehicle damage table in 6th edition? This could make up for the Living Metal travesty... It also gives a multi-targeting (6) which could really make its weapons much more fierce! (Crosses fingers) Seriously, if GW does this for Necrons I will </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>might</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> consider toning down my hatred of the new Necron codex.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tank</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdslPGKmwnwmmKtHDrlxVvzc4Rua6hiUIe2Y7h_Ndf78URV70msTs5Tn75iVPtKpxdgDulEcY8_awJCACfAW_txzTp8Tl1V-yyLD1d0f-SdvT_CjOj775rlB2kREhnLMqGaCDsaOKIfo/s1600/One+Scarab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdslPGKmwnwmmKtHDrlxVvzc4Rua6hiUIe2Y7h_Ndf78URV70msTs5Tn75iVPtKpxdgDulEcY8_awJCACfAW_txzTp8Tl1V-yyLD1d0f-SdvT_CjOj775rlB2kREhnLMqGaCDsaOKIfo/s200/One+Scarab.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b001 Scarab (Not Good)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While we're on the subject, the vehicle damage table no longer gives an advantage for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">AP1</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> except for nullifying the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Tank bonus</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. I'd say this hurts other races more than it does Necrons but it isn't a huge advantage. With nearly all of IG vehicles with the Tank advantage, they are going to be a problem for nearly everyone without a lot of AP1 weapons.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Damage upgrades</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4YRcUS7PbuveBmXolH2wAaN1tC4mIafOLpyLsR_myycPOADM0NfR2NxDo27MbtbjQHIvaJoJFzrDN75nsNjUvpnh-Agwn38s379ew_YCRikW8FZln06oX7WlnediNeMJbamnSQOSO7U/s1600/Three+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4YRcUS7PbuveBmXolH2wAaN1tC4mIafOLpyLsR_myycPOADM0NfR2NxDo27MbtbjQHIvaJoJFzrDN75nsNjUvpnh-Agwn38s379ew_YCRikW8FZln06oX7WlnediNeMJbamnSQOSO7U/s200/Three+Scarabs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b011 Scarabs (Good)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Another interesting change is that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">multiple damaged rolls</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> of the same type can get upgraded to the next level. For example, if a vehicle that is already Immobilized gets Immobilized again, then it is bumped to the next level becoming Wrecked. This also works with Weapon Destroyed, but takes a bit longer (i.e. no more weapons to destroy). This makes Living Metal a [wee] bit more valuable and enemy vehicles more fragile.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Blasts</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywV8Y-6gPqXnFNNu49tPlErME89GowHHfnimLlL4QFL7sAB8jYxb5bQiG1wiZZDC8vcXIvIwdm0uw87bFrJx2F1vTJQAmRbuDqlDY4NVxfW-LBWqZP_TfNUbM96DsYLZXb8bpSSwly2E/s1600/Two+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="42" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywV8Y-6gPqXnFNNu49tPlErME89GowHHfnimLlL4QFL7sAB8jYxb5bQiG1wiZZDC8vcXIvIwdm0uw87bFrJx2F1vTJQAmRbuDqlDY4NVxfW-LBWqZP_TfNUbM96DsYLZXb8bpSSwly2E/s200/Two+Scarabs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b010 Scarabs (Mixed)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Blasts</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> now do full damage to vehicles regardless of where the center is, but they are severely penalized on the damage table (-3). This is really not a huge impact to Necrons given their lack of high ST templates. Wash..</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Flyers</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTEa9GuEzJXvbLm67hp9o6fHkxUgrm1fEpyxRX-gRRON4V958yShT595is-JoZZoRlsf45z278DE2mcN4-yeqgGBKcnVL0fAOGZrqDEIYPfoug_viUZ6S2ougUjBd_b4CQKEa7JzoU7o/s1600/Five+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTEa9GuEzJXvbLm67hp9o6fHkxUgrm1fEpyxRX-gRRON4V958yShT595is-JoZZoRlsf45z278DE2mcN4-yeqgGBKcnVL0fAOGZrqDEIYPfoug_viUZ6S2ougUjBd_b4CQKEa7JzoU7o/s200/Five+Scarabs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b101 Scarabs (Great!)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Flyers</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> are always EV6 which could be a real boon for Necrons. This means that BS4 would need a 6 to hit them! AV11 Scythes are looking better and better.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Critical Hits</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4YRcUS7PbuveBmXolH2wAaN1tC4mIafOLpyLsR_myycPOADM0NfR2NxDo27MbtbjQHIvaJoJFzrDN75nsNjUvpnh-Agwn38s379ew_YCRikW8FZln06oX7WlnediNeMJbamnSQOSO7U/s1600/Three+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4YRcUS7PbuveBmXolH2wAaN1tC4mIafOLpyLsR_myycPOADM0NfR2NxDo27MbtbjQHIvaJoJFzrDN75nsNjUvpnh-Agwn38s379ew_YCRikW8FZln06oX7WlnediNeMJbamnSQOSO7U/s200/Three+Scarabs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b011 Scarabs (Good)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Critical hits</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> represent a massive blow to a unit such as the explosion of a vehicle. Wounds from these hits are automatic and only allow invulnerable saves and our favorite save... Reanimation Protocols. This rule seems to show up everywhere. For example, it could make transports a bit more risky since an explosion causes a critical hit to embarked models on a roll of 1. Since Necrons seem to have a better resistance to this than everyone else and it has the possibility of impacting transports, I gave it three Scarabs.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Deep Strike</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTEa9GuEzJXvbLm67hp9o6fHkxUgrm1fEpyxRX-gRRON4V958yShT595is-JoZZoRlsf45z278DE2mcN4-yeqgGBKcnVL0fAOGZrqDEIYPfoug_viUZ6S2ougUjBd_b4CQKEa7JzoU7o/s1600/Five+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTEa9GuEzJXvbLm67hp9o6fHkxUgrm1fEpyxRX-gRRON4V958yShT595is-JoZZoRlsf45z278DE2mcN4-yeqgGBKcnVL0fAOGZrqDEIYPfoug_viUZ6S2ougUjBd_b4CQKEa7JzoU7o/s200/Five+Scarabs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b101 Scarabs (Great!)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Deep Strike</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> is really improved in this version. Units ignore scatter if they teleport 18" or more away from an enemy unit. That's a VERY nice reprieve for the 36" square Monolith and pretty awesome for all other Necron Deep Strike units. Think of DS'ing a Doom Scythe.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ramming</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdslPGKmwnwmmKtHDrlxVvzc4Rua6hiUIe2Y7h_Ndf78URV70msTs5Tn75iVPtKpxdgDulEcY8_awJCACfAW_txzTp8Tl1V-yyLD1d0f-SdvT_CjOj775rlB2kREhnLMqGaCDsaOKIfo/s1600/One+Scarab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdslPGKmwnwmmKtHDrlxVvzc4Rua6hiUIe2Y7h_Ndf78URV70msTs5Tn75iVPtKpxdgDulEcY8_awJCACfAW_txzTp8Tl1V-yyLD1d0f-SdvT_CjOj775rlB2kREhnLMqGaCDsaOKIfo/s200/One+Scarab.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b001 Scarab (Could Be Bad)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ramming</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> seems a LOT more deadly in this version (causing Critical Hits) and I see nothing that gives Skimmers the advantage that they had before... Great news for Orks, but a bit scary for Necrons.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Flat Out</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdslPGKmwnwmmKtHDrlxVvzc4Rua6hiUIe2Y7h_Ndf78URV70msTs5Tn75iVPtKpxdgDulEcY8_awJCACfAW_txzTp8Tl1V-yyLD1d0f-SdvT_CjOj775rlB2kREhnLMqGaCDsaOKIfo/s1600/One+Scarab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdslPGKmwnwmmKtHDrlxVvzc4Rua6hiUIe2Y7h_Ndf78URV70msTs5Tn75iVPtKpxdgDulEcY8_awJCACfAW_txzTp8Tl1V-yyLD1d0f-SdvT_CjOj775rlB2kREhnLMqGaCDsaOKIfo/s200/One+Scarab.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b001 Scarab (Scary)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now this is really scary.. From the rules it sounds like a unit of say... Genestealers can move up to three times their move during the Move/Assault phase even if not assaulting? Hmm.. This could be a bit of a misunderstanding.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Multi-Targeting & Stationary Units</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3wUvUx3YmeAdGIpoDKtF0yD2eJtwLoYc804YRWs3rTUrjb3hTx8lMzfOXkDq3Nw7C4IAndp1HBq9fAvx8ICsrs4gAVQNF3GW7Ufy3nMKQrtVecEvp1VvPlK1m7Yel50l88A-SVNhYI4/s1600/Four+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3wUvUx3YmeAdGIpoDKtF0yD2eJtwLoYc804YRWs3rTUrjb3hTx8lMzfOXkDq3Nw7C4IAndp1HBq9fAvx8ICsrs4gAVQNF3GW7Ufy3nMKQrtVecEvp1VvPlK1m7Yel50l88A-SVNhYI4/s1600/Four+Scarabs.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0b100 Scarabs (Hmmmm)</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is a really amazing change but also very confusing. It deserves more than the cursory check that I gave it. It allows units to take more than one shooting actions. One of them is divide fire. They can also shoot multiple times. Stationary units gain the advantage of doubling their fire.. Wow! Can anyone say, "Tesla"? I'm wanting to give this five Scarabs but I'm just not sure.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In general, there are several things that I really like about these rules.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<ol style="font-family: Times;">
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Consolidation of vehicle damage (and rules in general) across the board (i.e. for regular and Apocalypse games)</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Units can now be immobilized and stunned. I'm not sure how this will play out but it is interesting to say the least.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Tactical retreats; Robbing opponents of victory points offers a new tactical options.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Though it could be unbalancing, I generally like Evade; larger and stationary objects should be easier to hit.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bidding process to starting the game adds a lot of flavor.</span></span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, do I think these rules are legit? Probably not. I think these are either the result of a fan with far too much time on his hands or a very early draft from GW. I don't know why GW would be doing page layouts (picture blocks) so early. That said, it is interesting that the document appears to have been produced prior to the Necron release and seems to jive so well with it. We'll see...</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Real or not real, here's a shout out to its author: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"Nice work!!!"</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Obviously there are things I missed so your responses are welcome.</span><br />
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</div>Aternoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10994937347147624702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158225441496631548.post-21943940219280799412012-01-08T12:33:00.001-06:002012-07-23T10:46:59.953-05:00Alternate rules for Necron Doomsday Cannon<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As you know if you have ready my blog, I'm not exactly happy with the Doomsday Cannon. Not only does it fail to live up to its name but it doesn't have a very clear role in most armies. Don't let the AP1 fool you, it lacks 'ordinance' so you don't get the extra die roll on armor penetration. It can be useful as an anti-elite weapon, but is arguably less effective than the Medusa (ST10, AP2), albeit only 36" range. The AP2 on the Medusa still ignores FNP but the ST10 allows instakills for baddies like an Ork Warboss. The Medusa weighs in at 135 points whilst the Doomsday Ark breaks the scale at 175.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m2003416a_99120110014_DoomsdayArk01_445x319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m2003416a_99120110014_DoomsdayArk01_445x319.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In true GW spirit, the November 2011 issue of White Dwarf had this to say about the Doomsday Cannon.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In aspect, the Doomsday Ark appears deceptively fragile; its structure is skeletal and lacks the armor plates of more conventional battle vehicles. But to obsess on this apparent fragility is to overlook the Doomsday Ark's true purpose and potential. It is not a battle tank, intended to sit in the midst of a battle line, to give and receive punishing blows. Rather, the Doomsday Ark is nothing less than an enormous self-propelled doomsday cannon - a weapon that can <u>win a battle with but a single shot</u>. The cannon itself is a wonder of super-technology, <u>easily eclipsing the primitive energy weapons of the Imperium</u>. Even fired at low power the doomsday cannon is a fearsome weapon; when firing at full effect, its searing energy beams burn brighter than any kind of plasma weapon.</span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well GW, I think you missed the mark a little. Though the Doomsday Cannon boasts incredible range (72"), it definitely falls short of "eclipsing the primitive energy weapons of the Imperium".</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the same issue of White Dwarf, Mat Ward adds insult to injury in a story told by Tom Walton, one of the Citadel designers.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On the Doomsday Ark ... there is an enormous energy source mounted beneath the main barrel to power the primary weapon. In fact, when Mat first saw the sheer size of the doomsday cannon I was designing, he decided to make its rules even more powerful!</span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Soo, did Mat consume too much Bugman's Ale and forget to make those rule changes? ...Or perhaps the first version was no better than a typical battle cannon. Only the Bugman knows for sure.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So what should the rules look like for the Doomsday Cannon? I've been thinking about this for some time and although I would not expect any players to adopt these as house rules (nor am I likely to find anyone that allows me to use these for myself), it is fun to dream.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Weapon<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Range<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Str<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<td style="border-left: none; border: 1.0pt; border: solid black; mso-border-alt: .5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-alt: .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 33.0pt;" valign="top" width="33"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">AP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<td style="border-left: none; border: 1.0pt; border: solid black; mso-border-alt: .5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-alt: .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 226.85pt;" valign="top" width="227"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Type<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Doomsday Cannon MkII<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1.0pt; border-bottom: solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1.0pt; border-right: solid black; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: .5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 52.95pt;" valign="top" width="53"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">72”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1.0pt; border-bottom: solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1.0pt; border-right: solid black; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: .5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 33.7pt;" valign="top" width="34"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1.0pt; border-bottom: solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1.0pt; border-right: solid black; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: .5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 33.0pt;" valign="top" width="33"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1.0pt; border-bottom: solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1.0pt; border-right: solid black; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: .5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 226.85pt;" valign="top" width="227"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Heavy-5, Tesla, Arc<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Doomsday Cannon MkIII<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stationary<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Combat Speed<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1.0pt; border-bottom: solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1.0pt; border-right: solid black; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: .5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 52.95pt;" valign="top" width="53"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">72”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">24”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1.0pt; border-bottom: solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1.0pt; border-right: solid black; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: .5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 33.7pt;" valign="top" width="34"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1.0pt; border-bottom: solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1.0pt; border-right: solid black; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: .5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 33.0pt;" valign="top" width="33"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1.0pt; border-bottom: solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1.0pt; border-right: solid black; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: .5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 226.85pt;" valign="top" width="227"><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Heavy-1, Large Blast, Null-space<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Heavy-1, Blast, Null-space<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: 1.0pt; border: solid black; mso-border-alt: .5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 153.9pt;" valign="top" width="154"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Doomsday Cannon MkIV<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Stationary<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Combat Speed<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1.0pt; border-bottom: solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1.0pt; border-right: solid black; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: .5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 52.95pt;" valign="top" width="53"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">72”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Heavy-1, Large Blast, Dissonance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Heavy-1, Blast, Dissonance</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the MkII variant, I explored of a true Tesla horror. Though it moves away from Blast, it makes up for it with 5 shots of ST10 Tesla goodness with the ability to Arc..</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Damn nasty. Damn fun! It is probably a bit much to ask for ST10, but I thought it would be very useful (even with AP-) against vehicles if there was a chance of an Arc.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the MkIII variant, I improved the ST to 10 and increased the AP of the combat speed firing version. In addition, I added "null-space" to the weapon type. This gun really lives up to the "super-technology" comment made by GW. Null-space weapons do the same level of damage to vehicles regardless of where the blast marker lands. For example, if the blast template drifts such that the center is no longer over the tank, it still does full damage as the null-space technology affects the entire blast range equally (unlike primitive explosive/blast weaponry).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the MkIV variant, I simply replaced Null-space with Dissoance (which offers Entropic Strike) but otherwise it's similar to MkIII. This allows the gun to "soften" tanks as they fire. Small change, but very deadly. If you miss your mark a little, no problem since it will strip some of the armor away each time. In this way, it acts like the Harp of Dissonance.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I honestly think that <i>any</i> of these variations would be a nice addition to the 6e version of the Necron codex.. allowing the Doomsday Cannon to truly live up to its name.</span>Aternoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10994937347147624702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158225441496631548.post-8361051856219980132011-12-03T20:35:00.001-06:002012-07-23T19:06:13.801-05:00These are not the droids we were waiting for... A Necron Codex Review (part 4 of 4 - The Rules)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The Rules Verdict</span></u></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4YRcUS7PbuveBmXolH2wAaN1tC4mIafOLpyLsR_myycPOADM0NfR2NxDo27MbtbjQHIvaJoJFzrDN75nsNjUvpnh-Agwn38s379ew_YCRikW8FZln06oX7WlnediNeMJbamnSQOSO7U/s1600/Three+Scarabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4YRcUS7PbuveBmXolH2wAaN1tC4mIafOLpyLsR_myycPOADM0NfR2NxDo27MbtbjQHIvaJoJFzrDN75nsNjUvpnh-Agwn38s379ew_YCRikW8FZln06oX7WlnediNeMJbamnSQOSO7U/s1600/Three+Scarabs.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">0b011 Scarabs</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><GRUMPY_OLD_NECRON_PLAYER_MODE=ON></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Rules summary</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Though the Necrons are likely to be more competitive in
tournaments, their overall internal balance is problematic and they will likely
still struggle against GW’s favorites, the Blood Angels, Space Wolves, and Grey
Knights. I would have given the
rules 0b100 Scarabs if it weren’t for the annoying nerfs. In the Necron codex, Mat continues his
gimmicky rules… full of ‘gotchas’ and caveats. Finally, it is hard to tell what Necron strengths are. Strap on your seat belt.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Initiative 2? WTF!?!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We really need to start here. Even if you love the new codex, you know you flipped through
it, eyes widening as you saw each and every I2. Ouch! Need I
say more? I don’t think many of us
thought that we could actually get worse at close combat. Close combat is all-important in the 5<sup>th</sup>
edition rules and I don’t expect that to change in 6<sup>th</sup> edition. Fortunately there are a couple units
that are fearless and the Wraiths have Whip Coils.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We Probably Won’t Be
Back<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of my big fears was that Mat would replace WBB with FNP
straight up thus loosing one of the Necrons’ most iconic abilities. The new implementation is called
Reanimation Protocols and does a fair job of preserving the flavor of WBB while
minimizing some of the complex rules of WBB. (Although it should be said that all GW really needed to do
was to clarify some rules to make the old WBB viable.) There are three issues with RP. (1) The way the ‘Ever Living’ rule is
written makes things needlessly complex.
Mat could have just made a couple statements about how ICs are different. (2) Though WBB can now ignore close
combat attacks that ignore armor saves as well as AP1 and AP2, the save is now
a 5+. At first it seems rather
balanced but then you realize that Res Orbs, the item that provides for a 4+
save, is 30 points and must be attached to the unit to provide the benefit. I don’t think many people will be
spamming these. Finally, unlike
the superior Feel No Pain, Resurrection Protocols are not enacted until after
the Morale check. When you
consider how many Space Marine chapters have access to Feel No Pain, who would
you say is more resilient to damage given Necron Initiative 2? RP doesn’t do much good for you when
you’ve been swept. (3) It’s not available
for the (new) most useful Necron units such as the Wraith and Scarabs. So, in summary, this is likely to
become one of those sidelined capabilities that Necron players forget to even
roll and then shrug when they realize it.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Invulnerable Saves
aren’t meant to be ignored… (except
by Grey Knights)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We all saw this coming. The mighty Warscythe (and C’tan CC attacks) no longer ignore
invulnerable saves. I really
enjoyed seeing the faces of my opponents when I told them that they don’t get
an invulnerable Save and even enjoyed their banter when they told me how unfair
it was. Now I have to tell them
that they were right? [Crosses
arms] Thanks, Mat.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Nikola Tesla would have something to say...</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Tesla sounded so cool when the rumors were circulating. Now I'm quite disappointed. Though there is a chance that a full unit of Immortals could dish out 30 ST5 AP- hits, the law of averages tells us that it will probably only be about 13. Though this provides a range of 24", it is a bit underwhelming. I think I would have been happier with a 5 or 6 roll, where a 5 provided one extra hit and a 6 two. Oh well.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(un)Living Metal and
Quantum Shielding<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The old Necron vehicles (actually, "vehicle") could survive a pounding by the enemy. It could shrug off attacks by monstrous creatures, metla, ordinance and other powerful abilities because the enemy was only ever allowed to roll one die for armor penetration. Not so with 5e Living Metal. Its version only allows saves against attacks resulting in crew shaken or stunned. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With nearly everything Open Topped, like
the Arks and Barges, Living Metal is likely to go unused due to the +1 to
penetration rolls. Quantum
Shielding is very unique but being that it only covers the sides and front of
the vehicle, is extremely weak to assault. Finally, the Scythes don’t even have an option for Quantum
Shielding making them extremely fragile.
Necron’s used to be known for their resilient armor, but are now somewhat fragile.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Teleportation<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Necrons are supposedly the masters of time and space yet
have just as much trouble with Deep Strike as younger races? Isn’t there something wrong with this
picture? Not only did we see a
serious nerf with the Monolith’s Deep Strike ability, the Veil of Darkness (and
Monolith) can no longer teleport out of close combat should a Necron unit (other than the Canoptek folks) survive more than one round of CC. Only one power can still teleport out
of CC and that is a special piece of wargear available only to a named
Overlord. One huge improvement with Necron teleportation is that the Monolith can pull units from anywhere on the board as well as from reserve.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">HQ’s</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Overlords are pretty much the old Lords but they have a
lot more fun wargear options than before and the Phaeron ability will certainly
be popular with the Relentless upgrade it provides. Many of their wargear options seem great until you remember
that you are initiative 2 and might not get to even use it. Mindshackle Scarabs are an
exception of note. Allowing Necrons to take over the mind of their enemy for the purpose of attacking one of their own unit, those little
bugs may very well be their close combat saving grace.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There are also several named lords and as I already mentioned, the
Tomb Kings theme is very dominant here. I won’t go into each of the HQ’s but
their powers are very broad.
Imotekh, for example, has the ability to make the entire battlefield
follow Night Fighting rules.
Orikan can make alter the battlefield terrain. Etc.. The only
one I think it completely useless is Illuminator Szeras. He can upgrade the Toughness, BS, or
Strength of a single unit of Warriors or Immortals. Well whoop-dee-doo.
Several of the Lords also have what seems like powerful close combat
abilities, but lack power weapons and still only have Initiative 2. In general, HQ’s in a Necron army are
going to fulfill support roles in armies and occasionally hop on a Catacomb
Command Barge for sweep attacks.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Destroyer Lords, with their Preferred Enemy (Everything!) is going to be pretty great. I wonder if Mat left out the Phase Shifter option on purpose. Probably so... Arg! These guys are almost amazing.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Royal Courts<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Royal courts can consist of 0-5 Lords and 0-5 Crypteks. These guys act as independent
characters but can be split from the HQ at the beginning of the game. Like with Space Wolves, these guys don’t
take up a FO slot.</div>
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Crypteks have a lot of useful powers and are likely going to
be popular in most lists due to their synergistic nature. They are, however, somewhat confusing
and gimmicky at times. In fact, I found the
whole Cryptek section very confusing. I think I have it all worked out now (thank you Internet), but in typical GW
fashion there was a buzz on the forums about what is meant by that little
*starred* bit on page 90 of the 5e codex.
I think we all shook our heads at that one.</div>
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The standard Lord is a bit of a nerf from its former
self. It is stripped of all but
one of its Wounds and but still has access to a lot more wargear. One thing that is kind of nice is that
at 35 points you can really spam these guys, using them to embed a power weapon
in your squads. Like with the HQ’s,
many of their close combat abilities are somewhat limited at I2. But, they do have Mindshackle
Scarabs!! I wonder what 5 of these
guys, all with MS, could do…
[ponders]</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Troops</i></div>
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When I read the rumors, I was floored to hear that Necron
Warriors were becoming less Elite.
Of course the truth is that the Immortals simply became the new Warriors
and inherited their stat line (except for their guns which are better than the
old/new Warriors). Both got a
drastic point reduction. This is
all well and good until you realize the huge shooting gap this left in the
Elite slot. Even with relentless,
it will take a couple squads of Immortals to dish out the same firepower as the
old Immortal at 24”. The good news
is that they are more than half off.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catacomb Command Barge<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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The sweeping attack is certainly interesting and it will
help to protect the unit, which is quite possibly the backbone (no pun
intended) of your entire army. One of the more most interesting abilities of the barge is that it allows for sweep attacks. This is great if the Overlord it carries has a Warscythe. Unfortunately many of the named Overlords are not equipped with them. Finally, the Symbiotic Repair ability sounds useful in the case where you are using the CCB as an attack chariot of sorts. I
expect this vehicle to be quite useful to next generation Necron players... Especially with lots of Rune Priests around.</div>
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<i>Ghost Ark</i></div>
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If you get past the gimmick of the ark, this dedicated transport has a lot of potential. Not only does it have two Flayer Arrays, but it is Open Topped allowing the Warriors inside to shoot out of it. Not bad. It is rather expensive for a dedicated transport, but I don't see Warriors leaving this unit until absolutely necessary. Another feature of the Ghost Ark is that it can repair up to D3 Warriors per turn. Just like you my first thought was "hey my second WBB is back" (no pun intended). Then I realized that on a roll of 1 the Ark takes a glancing hit with no saves allowed. WTF! At 115 points, that is a bit risky for my tastes, even with Living Metal. This is nice by it is aThe bad news with this vehicle is that it can only carry Warriors and other IC's. No Immortals allowed. Sorry.</div>
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<i>Night Scythe</i></div>
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The Night Scythe is the dedicated transport for virtually everything else in the army. It is MUCH more fragile than its Ghost Ark sister, but can go supersonic. Still, with AV11 and no Quantum Shielding, this is a risky investment. Good news (since it is supersonic) is that if it is destroyed, the 'payload' returns to reserves. No firing points either, by the way.</div>
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<i>Deathmarks<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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To fill the gap left by the old Immortals we have the Deathmarks. These units seem to be causing quite a bit of discussion on the fanboy forums. Their usefulness remains to be seen but weighing in at a point more than the old Warrior models, they certainly are not bargain shopping. Still, they do have a rapid fire Sniper rifle and that saying something. I'm not sure what its saying, but I'm sure it's something very confusing.</div>
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Praetorians<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On the surface the Lychguard seem powerful. They have some resilience to shooting
attacks and their shield is a nice touch, but it has a major flaw. (This is one of those damn caviats I
spoke of earlier.) Their
Dispersion Shield only works with shooting attacks that use its 4+ Invulnerable
save. This means that only AP1 and
AP2 shooting attacks have a chance of bouncing.
Ho-hum… The Praetorians,
though have one less attack are Fearless and much faster. The Rod of Covenant is not bad either (though only has a 6”
range). These guys are probably a
better bet but I guess we'll see. Either way you go they are only Initiative 2 so ... there you go. Blah.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">C’tans Shards<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Well, if they are going to nerf the C’tans then they might
as well let us take multiple and give them amazing powers. These guys lost some Strength and Toughness, but now have some impressive abilities that complement other powers from HQ and Crypteks. I expect many a list to be built around their abilities. The bad news is that the unstoppable power of the Deceiver, with his ability to 'bounce' from one combat to another is gone. In addition, they no longer ignore invulnerable saves. Though very powerful, they are no longer the answer-all to counter assault. They live up to at least the second part of their name.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flayed One Pack<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I was really excited about the possible changes to the
Flayed Ones. What a
disappointment. Although these
guys got double the squad size and a cost reduction, they don’t really fill any
useful role in the army except for flanking (possibly). They do get an additional attack but their Save is no better
than a Warrior. Finally, they lost
Terrifying Visage. I don’t expect
to see too many of these guys on the battlefield.</div>
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<i>Triarch Stalker<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Again the model has a damn driver in it, but the rules are actually impressive on this bad boy. I very much approve of the Targeting Relay. That will, no doubt, come in quite handy for medium range shooty lists. Twin-linked Tesla? Yes, please. The confusion I have on this is the choice of the name ‘Stalker’. I thought we already had one up on Forgeworld. And, NO Mat, you are not allowed to put a saddled Necron on back of the Tomb Stalker.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Canoptek Wraiths<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">These guys live up to their name now.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Though they no longer have Reanimation
Protocols (WBB), they are wicked in combat.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With a squad size of six, they can generate 24 ST6 Rending
attacks on the assault.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Not only
that but they have Whip Coils which force opponents in base-to-base to
Initiative 1.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Nice!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One … oddity with these guys: the
Transdimensional Beamer.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sure,
I’ll take a Heavy gun that prevents me from assaulting and forces me to sit
here and be shot at.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">WTF? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> think the only time these will get
used is in an attempt to take advantage of the Wraiths’ second wound for
purposes of would allocation.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Canoptek Scarabs and Entropic
Strike<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Holy crap! I
almost choked on my Ozarka when I read about Entropic Strike and Scarabs. Wow! These little guys are a huge thumbs up for me. You have the same exact stats with the
bugs, but you also get Entropic Strike, which allows you to reduce the armor of
models hit by them. Wow! I want a pet Scarab! GW, get on it! Though they lost Jet Bike, they gain an
18-24” assault range with the Beasts rule. They are going to be more vulnerable to blasts so cover is
going to be critical. One thing I
just know is going to be a problem: entropic damage allocation. Hmm… I’m just going to love explaining that to a player with a
bunch of Nob Bikers.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tomb Blades and the
Nebula-noo-six-oscope<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Tomb blades still have me a little confounded. They look like they could be descent
but then I see what else is available in the fast attack slot and I wonder
why I would take them. They have a
rather weak gun and even though they are Relentless, they only have a ST5 AP-
rapid fire with a pretty low chance of rolling a 6. The Particle Beamer seems an obvious choice for these
guys. I suppose it remains to be
seen how useful they will be. I
feel I must comment about the Nebuloscope. Now here’s an example of totally useless upgrade for the
base model. When your main weapon
is the Twin Linked Telsa, a lower Balistic Skill is actually an advantage. I can see it being useful with the
Particle Beamer.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pseudo-Destroyers<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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The Destroyer, the mainstay of all of us who stuck with the
Necrons through the 5<sup>th</sup> edition travesty is now Jump Infantry? [Big Sigh] They didn’t stop there. They changed the gun from ST6 AP4 Heavy-3 36” to ST5 AP3
Assault-2 24”. Though I appreciate
the MEQ killing power of AP3, the reduction in range is a serious issue. Combine that with the loss of ST5 AP4
Assault-2 power of the Immortals, which are now Rapid Fire, and you have a HUGE
problem. They did inherit
Preferred Enemy (everything) but I don’t see how that helps these guys at
all. The last think you want them
doing is getting into close combat… though it is a lot more likely to happen
with the range reduction. Finally,
the Heavy Destroyer unit is no more.
It is combined with the Destroyer unit. This creates some serious internal balance issues. Once again most of the powerful Necron
units can be found in the Fast Attack slot (Wraiths, Scarabs and Destroyers)
and one of our key methods of taking down armor is also Fast Attack. You can upgrade up to three of the
Destroyers with the Heavy Gauss Cannon.
I don’t think this will be a popular option considering that the
differing ranges of the two guns. Ok, but the extremely overpriced Heavy Destroyers of old got a big price cut,
right? Nope. Sorry. It is only 5 points cheaper than 3e to get a ST9 AP2 Heavy-1
gun. The good news is that the
basic Destroyer cost has been reduced by a whopping 10 points. Not bad but I’m still not happy with
this change.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What happens when you turn a Ghost Ark upside-down? The Doomsday Ark seems quite powerful at first, ST9 AP1 Large Blast. Then you start thinking about it. It’s not ordinance so its usefulness against vehicles is limited. There are WWI inspired Imperial Guard tanks that can deal out more death than that. I even read a crazy quote from Mat himself that said he felt he had to make the Doomsday Cannon even more powerful when he saw the model that the design team had created. Mat could have done something interesting with the Doomsday Ark by making the blast marker ignore the half damage when the marker doesn’t land over a vehicle. This would possibly justify its cost.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'Annulations' Barge<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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The Annihilation Barge certainly can dish out some hurt (at medium range) for a
reasonable point cost, but they certainly are not a replacement for the
Destroyers of old. Plus you cannot
take them in squadrons. I’m not
quite sure where they fit into lists.
Twin-linked Tesla is great but unreliable. The Destructor’s Arc capability is useful but it is only
used once per shooting phase, not for each shot.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Monolith travesty<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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The new Monolith is a shadow of its former self. Let’s tally the differences. The Monolith’s teleportation power is
severely weakened. It can still
deep strike but can no longer ignore enemy models when it arrives on the
battlefield. This is a serious
nerf because of the shear size of the Monolith model. At 36” square inches, it is going to be much more difficult
to Deep Strike this bad boy. By
why would you want to? Living Metal sucks now. [Sigh] Ok, so let’s say that the new Monolith
successfully Deep Strikes and survives the onslaught of Melta that is sure to come. We can
assault out of it right?
Nope. The new rules for the
Monolith says that units coming through its portal act as if they are emerging
from a vehicle that moved at combat speed. [Hangs head] So
what did they do to make it better?
Well, the Monolith can now teleport units from reserves as well as from
anywhere on the battlefield. It can also teleport any non-vehicle model (not just so called 'Necron' units as in 3). That’s pretty nice. It is at least going to be useful to pull units out of harm's way. In
addition, it can use the portal to force nearby models to make a Strength check
or be removed. It’s powerful, but
has a limited range. For such an
expensive unit that can no longer ignore enemy units on Deep Strike, this is a
pretty useless power... unless someone tries to block the door.</div>
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The Monolith
can also fire all its weaponry when it moves. Does that mean I can Deep Strike the Monolith and fire the
Gauss Flux Arc?!?! Yes, but the
Gauss Flux Arc is now ST4 AP5 Heavy-3 and individually targets up to four units
using standard turret rules.
Shit! So, I suppose the
Monolith will be relegated to its role as heavy support. Nope. It also looses its ability to allow second WBB rolls and its
Particle Whip is now ST8 with no AP1 hole. WTF, Mat? I
still remember the first time I fielded the Monolith. I proudly sat it down on the table during deployment while
my opponent said, “Wow! What is that?!” to which I proudly replied “You’re
looking at the toughness tank in the game. Remember it well.”
Damn you, Mat! I guess that
title now belongs to the Land Raiders with Fortitude, which I might add, the same friend that asked that question now uses. [Grimacing look]</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Doom Scythe and its Death Ray. Unless the 6<sup>th</sup> edition rulebook somehow makes
these flyers much harder to hit, this is going to be one of those vehicles that
everyone talks about and no one uses.
The ‘Death Ray’? Seriously,
Mat? What is Mat’s faddish with
powers that work by drawing a line from point A to point B? Get over it. It’s a line. Maybe he can make the next power he thinks of use an arc and then GW can sell protractors. They can call them 'Protractors of Doom'. The Death Ray sounds impressive but it has limited range and the Doom
Scythe is a nice big target. There
goes 175 points down the drain.
The Night Scythe seems a little more useful, serving as a dynamic portal
for Immortals and many Elites and it only costs ya 100 points. Not too bad but still quite
fragile. What’s funny about this
is that it is one of the only new vehicle that is not Open Topped yet it is the
one that could most benefit from it.
Alas…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Canoptek Spyders (why did Mat add ‘Canoptek’ to everything?)
are extremely useful in the 5e codex.
Not only are they capable of farming Scarabs, they have the Gloom Prism
which guards against psychic powers.
Though I don’t think this codex really hit on the same level of
anti-psychic themes in 3e, I’m glad to see that bit there. Anything that might make a Space Wolf
or Grey Knights player frown is ok in my book. Pitty this is the only anti-Warp power in the book.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Once again, Necron players need to grab for straws to knock
down vehicles and heavies, not withstanding Scarabs. In this
codex the particular straw of interest is the Eldritch Lance and Cryptek
spam. Even in this uninspiring
fluff I don’t think the idea was to have 10 Crypteks in a list. It certainly isn’t my vision of the
Necrons. Necrons are, by no means,
the most powerful medium range shooting army. I believe that title is still well within the hands of the
Grey Knights… Necrons are now forced to use a careful
combination of powers, entropic strikes, and unconventional long ranged attacks
to overwhelm any enemy with Gauss goodness.</span></div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So maybe someone can fill in the blank for me. "Necrons are the best at ______." Not so easy, is it?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://materium.blogspot.com/2011/11/these-are-not-droids-we-were-waiting.html">Part 1 - Review Summary</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://materium.blogspot.com/2011/12/these-are-not-droids-we-were-waiting.html">Part 2 - The Fluff</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://materium.blogspot.com/2011/12/these-are-not-droids-we-were-waiting_01.html">Part 3 - The Models</a></span></span></div>
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</div>Aternoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10994937347147624702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158225441496631548.post-70735651064344814692011-12-01T23:32:00.001-06:002012-07-23T19:05:34.814-05:00These are not the droids we were waiting for... A Necron Codex Review (part 3 of 4 - The Models)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The Models Verdict</span></u></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">0b010 Scarabs </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Models summary<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Is anyone really surprised that they get 0b010 scarabs based
on my review of the fluff? I
already dislike the ‘Tomb Kings in Space’ theme of this codex release and the GW
has certainly done due diligence enforcing this theme with the models.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is purely a personal preference thing for me, but I
just don’t like having that much “bling” on the models. I think it takes away from the horror
factor and turns them into beings that can somehow be reasoned with.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rowboat power<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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The absolute literalism with the Arks really bothers
me. GW really wanted to make them
look like boats… with Rowers and even a Cocksman!! Row! Row! Row! They were quite successful; they look ridiculous. They look much lower tech than they
should as machines from millennia past. The Barges aren't much better. Instead of rowers, these vehicles are equipped with Necron robotic paddlers.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<i>Drones be damned!</i></div>
The more I look at them, the less the boat theme bothers me, but one
thing I will not get past is the idea that all vehicles must have a driver
and/or crew open on the model. The
Arks have them, the Barges have them, and rest assured that the Stalker and
Scythes will have them too.
Personally, I believe that if GW were designing all the models from
scratch, the Monolith would have a throne right one top. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if they
put a sphinx on there somewhere. Meow! Damn, Mat! [Rolls eyes]</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Energy orb here,
energy orb there, energy orbs everywhere<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Ok, so what is up with the new ‘energy orbs’ that seem to
show up everywhere? They are on
their heads, on their backs, on their guns; hell, they even have them coming
out their ass. (Yes, I’m
serious. Just look at the back of
the Deathmark model.) Tone it
down, GW. The crystals and rods
were better but if you are going to use the orbs, one is enough.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The new “Pariahs”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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The new Elites (Lychguard and Praetorians) look interesting,
but still have a bit too much bling.
Why is there a backbone on that shield? It may not look that cool but I’m sure it gives us a 3++
like the Space Marine Stormshield, right?
Right? Damn. Sorry to diverge from the model review. The Lychguard, Praetorians, Overlords,
and Crypteks are a good example of the Tomb Kings theme taken a little too
far. The crowns and chin pieces
are just too much.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flaked Ones<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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On to the Flayed Ones…
Other than being metal, what was wrong with the old models? Not only do the new ones have no
internal consistency (backwards legs on one, backpack thing on another, etc),
but they look like Mexican Day of the Dead idols. In fact, I can’t help but picture a big sombrero on the new
Flayed One with skulls hanging around his neck.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">C’tan Shards<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I never really liked the Deceiver model. I always thought he looked like an evil
Ronald McDonald. I figured that they would use this move to shards as an
opportunity to revamp/add to the C’tan models. Not so. They
just redid them as Finecast and dropped them on the shelf. Disappointing… Seems to be the case with all the
models that went Finecast. Glad
they left the Nightbringer alone though.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The next wave<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Unfortunately, it looks like one of the models I liked the
most (the Necron Wraith) is going to get redone based on the artwork in the new
codex. I really liked that model
and the artwork that went with it.
I think the Wraith was probably the most ominous and scary model in the
old codex. [Shakes head]</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Didn’t you like
anything?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Gee, is there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anything</i>
you like? Why, yes! I really do like the Deathmarks and the
Immortals. I am happy to see them
go plastic with most of the models and I do think that the Immortals got an
upgrade. The Deathmarks just look
cool. I also like the artwork that
depicts them in the codex. The one
criticism I have is the lack of green rods. I like the green rods much better than the new gauss rods on
the Immortals (and other models).
It seems to work well on the Deathmarks though.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://materium.blogspot.com/2011/11/these-are-not-droids-we-were-waiting.html">Part 1 - Review Summary</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://materium.blogspot.com/2011/12/these-are-not-droids-we-were-waiting.html">Part 2 - The Fluff</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://materium.blogspot.com/2011/12/these-are-not-droids-we-were-waiting_03.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Part 4 - The Rules</span></a></div>
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</div>Aternoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10994937347147624702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158225441496631548.post-91765218716444016052011-12-01T22:55:00.001-06:002012-07-23T19:05:05.587-05:00These are not the droids we were waiting for... A Necron Codex Review (part 2 of 4 - The Fluff)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The Fluff Verdict</span></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">0b001 Scarab</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Summary<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In summary, the Necrons are a shadow of what they once
where. Very little was carried
forward from a fluff perspective.
Many will say (and have already said) that the 3e Necrons were very
constrained and one-dimensional.
I, for one, think that was part of their charm. Unfortunately for us, the Necron enigma
is gone. Mat Ward has destroyed the Necron fluff.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In the third edition codex, most Necrons had completely lost
their previous, mortal personality.
They were essentially mindless automatons working to fulfill the will of
their Star Gods, the C'tan. Though perhaps
this limited the story arcs for Games Workshop, it painted the Necrons as a
silently advancing implacable force; one that would not stop at any cost. Consider that picture of the
half-cleaved Necron ominously crawling forward.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs17/i/2007/217/3/1/Crawling_Necron_by_GoodImPope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs17/i/2007/217/3/1/Crawling_Necron_by_GoodImPope.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It doesn’t get to be any more of a mind f—k than that! [Shudders]</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The dominant 3e enigmatic, Lovecraftian horror, Terminator,
and super-tech themes are all removed or muted in the 5e Necron codex. Those were supplanted by new themes
that I think can be summarized by ‘Tomb Kings in Space meets 1950’s scifi
horror’. Fans are often divided
about the prevalence of the Tomb Kings in the 3e codex but I believe it only
ever came through in model design and naming… Scarabs, Monolith, etc. Other than that the influence was
subtle. There were actually
several influences from several areas outside of Egypt. Mesopotamia gave them the
Immortals. Greek myth gave them
the Centaur-like Destroyers. Nearly
ever major ancient religion had a trickster god like the Deceiver. The list goes on…</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So what does this Tomb King theme mean for the Necrons in 5e,
besides political infighting that rivals daytime television? Well, there are certainly a lot of
head-dressings and other Egyptian bling on the models (see my review of the
models) but they also have significantly more personality. (That’s not a good thing in my
Necronomicon.) Though the rank and
file Necron is still considered mindless, there are several named lords (or
“overlords” as they call them now) with personalities they carried over from
their previous mortal life (tainted by the long sleep as they may be). The fact that the Necron leadership
still maintains their basic personality does not bother me. What does bother me is how far Mat Ward
took it. The Necrons are no longer a single integrated race with enigmatic
agendas. They are fragmented,
divided into several unique, independent dynasties linked to the warring kingdoms
of their prior mortal lives. Each
dynasty is radically different but most want to conquer the galaxy and restore
their empire. Mat knows, that
theme hasn’t been overused. [Slaps
forehead] The codex is page after
page of stories of tomb worlds waking up in a flawed state, becoming destroyed
by the Tyranid hive fleets, Imperium counterattack, Eldar tracking, natural
catastrophe, or simply not waking up at all. And what happens after they wake? Pages 24-27 is basically a sad sob story of Necrons getting
their butts kicked (or almost kicked) by the Imperium, Eldar, and Orks. Arg! There are a few occasional victories there but they seem
more on the edge of a knife.</span></span></span><br />
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For those of you who have already purchased a codex, take a
look at pages 18 and 19. In that
two-page art we see Necrons in a battle with GW’s favorite angels, the Adeptus
Astartes. Who is winning that
battle? Come on Mat, this is the
Necron codex! Think I’m
crazy? Look at page 52 in the old
codex. Not only is the art better,
but who do you think is winning that battle? [Smirk]</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flayer’s Curse and
Destroyer Madness<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Two other culprits in my distaste for the new codex are the
Flayer’s Curse and the Destroyer madness.
In 5e, the Flayed Ones have a condition that drives them to feast on
flesh. This was the last curse,
nay virus, infected onto many Necrons when the C’tan Flayer was destroyed. Other Necrons avoid these Flayed Ones
for fear of becoming infected. There
is even a whole dynasty that is devolving into Flayed Ones. It makes me wonder if the Necrons are
actually on the rise or not. This
fluff is absolute excrement.
Thanks, Mat! The Destroyer
madness is described as a nihilistic hatred of all things living and the desire
to destroy them all. Sound
familiar? For those old school
Necron players out there, Mat created the Nihilakh Dynasty. In the new codex and in Fall of Damnos,
Destroyers are despised by the Necron leadership because of their complete
embrace of the machine having given up their limbs for a mount. This is considered abhorrent, as most
Necrons seem to want their flesh back.</div>
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There are a few Necron worlds mentioned in the new codex
that imply (or overtly state) that the Necrons are looking for host bodies with
whom the can use to reverse the process of biotransference. This is certainly interesting, but I personally prefer the
idea that Necrons are omnicidal because of mortal jealousy.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dead plot points<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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There are several other fluff changes including a Necontyr
civil war, more details on the war against the Old Ones, the betrayal and
subsequent destruction of the C’tan.
Though I’m not thrilled at the loss of the C’tan, I can see the issues
with 3e codex’s representation of physical gods on the battlefield. Still, I don’t know the reason for
this. Plus, I guess the story arcs
around the Void Dragon on Mars (along with the mysterious and super-stealthy
Necron landing there) and the Outsider in the Dyson Sphere are now dead plot
points. One of the stupidest fluff
additions is the story of the Celestial Orrery, a representation of every star
in the galaxy, which can destroy the stars much like Zeus’ clay models on
Olympus. Don’t worry, Imperium,
the Necrons at Thanatos consider themselves the gardeners of creation, using
only to prune worlds thus preventing the galaxy from becoming “overgrown”. [Rolls eyes] The Enslavers are no longer the reason the Necrons
retreated. Mat needed another
reason for them to go into hibernation since the C’tan weren’t around to
consume life energy. Now it is the
threat of the Eldar that pushed them into their great slumber. Whatever… I was eager to learn more about the Enslavers.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Necron technology<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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The truth is that I can live with Mat raping the Necron
codex in the way I have already described. What I cannot stand is what he did to the Necron
technology. In the 3e codex,
Necrons used faster-than-light travel.
In fact, they were the only race that had that ability. Knowing this, they were working on the
Great Project, one that promised to separate the materium from the immaterium
thus irreversibly weakening the younger races that are dependent on the
warp. [This story is what actually
inspired the title of my blog site, by the way.] Now with 5e, the Necrons are bearers of slow ‘torch ships’ due
to their lack of warp mastery.
There is no mention of FTL.
Instead, high-speed travel for Necron seems to be reliant on the warp,
using so called ‘Dolman Gates’ which provide a path through the webway. Also
gone are the Pariahs whose anti-psychic powers were a key step in the Great
Project. LAME! <u>Seriously, did Mat Ward even read the old Necron codex? I have my doubts.</u> If you read the section of fluff related to Necron Warriors you will learn that
they are now corroded, oily, jerky, and stumble around a lot. I think Mat’s taking the walking dead
theme a little too seriously here.
I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry. Excrement. Also
silly is the idea that computer brains of Necrons are slow. Huh? Are you telling me that the computer brains of an ancient
super-tech race are … slow? What
really throws me is the bit about the Tomb Blades. They need ‘preprogrammed flight paths’ that only a
genius-level intellect could figure out.
So let me get this straight.
Because the ‘computer’ in the Necron brain is too slow and unskilled,
there is a different ‘computer’ in the Tomb Blade bike that allows it to
compensate. So why don’t they just
use those computers in the brains of their soldiers? Better yet, just make them drones. <ERROR></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Masters of time and
space, my ass</i></div>
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As masters of time and space, Necrons of course, transport
themselves using… big boats. This has been a sore spot for me for
some time but I guess I have gotten a little used to the idea. Though I think the Arks are absurd, I
supposed the idea of making them repair ships does make it an easier pill to
swallow. With the Night Scythe,
the theme of a pocket dimension is better than a traditional transport as well. In this case the fluff wasn’t quite as
bad as the rumors suggested. That
said, the rules to back up the Necron’s technology are woefully lacking.<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Some 5e charm<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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With all its terrible hackneyed fluff, the 5e codex does
have some charming moments. For example,
there is the story of Necrons giving Orks a Doomsday Ark to placate them. There’s an interesting ‘laugh out loud’
moment to be had there. (See
799.M41 on page 24.) Also great
are the letters from Trazan scattered throughout the codex. Those made me laugh. Finally, I also like the idea of the
Null Field Generators that seem to counter psychic powers. Pitty they only show up in a few places
in the rules. This harkens back to
the old Necrons. More please!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://materium.blogspot.com/2011/11/these-are-not-droids-we-were-waiting.html">Part 1 - Review Summary</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://materium.blogspot.com/2011/12/these-are-not-droids-we-were-waiting_01.html">Part 3 - The Models</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://materium.blogspot.com/2011/12/these-are-not-droids-we-were-waiting_03.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Part 4 - The Rules</span></a></div>
</div>
</div>Aternoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10994937347147624702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158225441496631548.post-83834118330888192012011-11-30T22:15:00.001-06:002012-07-23T19:04:51.020-05:00These are not the droids we were waiting for... A Necron Codex Review (part 1 of 4 - Summary)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><u>A Disclaimer</u></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have been an avid fan of Necrons for several years now.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What I say in this blog may be
considered offensive to some, annoying to others, and probably meaningless to
more.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">f you love
the direction of the new Necron codex or know nothing of the old codex, you
might want to pass on reading my review.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The review below is rather long (divided into four parts),
covering my opinions on the models, fluff, and rules. Though I make many a snarky and cynical comment in this
blog, these are my opinions...
nothing more.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So you’re still reading. Well, welcome aboard.
If you don’t agree with me I hope I can at least wrench a smile from
ya.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Note:</b> When I use the terms '3e' and '5e', I am referring to the
third and fifth edition Necron codices.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The Overall Verdict</span></u></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">0b010 Scarabs </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It’s official, we’ve been ‘Warded’.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The good:</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
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<ul>
<li style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Necrons get quite a few new units</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Necrons are likely to be more competitive</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some old favorites (Scarabs, Wraiths) are now amazing</span></span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The bad:</span></span></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A complete reboot of the Necron fluff resulting in dead plot arcs and spoiled enigmas (Mat Ward's influence is obvious)</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ridiculous looking models straight out of ancient Egypt</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Severe nerf of iconic Necron units and abilities</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Necrons have lost much of their uniqueness including a move to the so called ‘mechanized era’</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Somewhat gimmicky special powers; internal balance issues</span></span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Though the codex has some flavor and might to make the
Necrons more competitive in a tournament, the reboot of the Necron
fluff is likely to make this a disappointing release for long time Necron
players. For them it may be time
to move on to other things... For
those that haven’t yet played Necrons or only knew them in passing, it may be worth checking out.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So what’s my plan?
Though I’m one of the old school Necron players, I have also made some serious
investments in Necrons (time and cash).
Players like me have a choice: move on or make the best of it. I’m, for one, am still struggling with
that decision. Perhaps Mat Ward,
the primary author of the codex, will get eaten by a Flayed One. One can hope. Monitor this blog and you’ll find out what I decided.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some people are saying that it is unlikely we will see the
performance of this army until 6th edition comes out. I will believe it when I see it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm writing separate in-depth reviews of the fluff, models, and rules. Stay tuned.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://materium.blogspot.com/2011/12/these-are-not-droids-we-were-waiting.html">Part 2 - The Fluff</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://materium.blogspot.com/2011/12/these-are-not-droids-we-were-waiting_01.html">Part 3 - The Models</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://materium.blogspot.com/2011/12/these-are-not-droids-we-were-waiting_03.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Part 4 - The Rules</span></a></div>
</div>Aternoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10994937347147624702noreply@blogger.com0