Necron Codex: Comprehensive Rules Breakdown

By Juan Lopez | March 24th, 2018 | Categories: Necrons, Tabletop Gaming News, Warhammer 40k

Are you ready for more info on the Stratagems, Warlord Traits, Relics, and point costs for the Necrons? Then come check out this comprehensive rules breakdown!

Thanks to winters SEO, we now have a bigger picture of what the Necron codex will contain. For this article, we will be focusing on the information that has not been covered by Warhammer Community (but a lot has been seen of the codex already with teasers from Warhammer Community) and the beta codex leak.

What that being said, let’s dive right in!

Stratagems

Most Stratagems will cost you 1CP and the are several very good ones.

Quantum Deflection: For 1CP, use this Stratagem when an enemy unit targets a vehicle in your army that has the Quantum Shielding ability. Before the hit, rolls are made and until the end of the phase, that chosen vehicle subtracts -1 from rolls made for Quantum Shielding ability.
Dimensional Corridor: For 1CP, tat the start of the Movement phase, pick an Infantry unit that is more than 1″ from an enemy model then remove it. Then, set it up again so that is it wholly within 3″ inches of a Dynasty Monolith and more than 1″ from an enemy model. That unit counts as having disembarked from the Monolith this turn and can move normally.
Stratagem for Triarch Praetorians: For 1CP, use this Stratagem before a unit of Triarch Praetorians from your army shoots in the Shooting phase of fights in the fight phase. Add +1 to hit rolls for this unit until the end of the phase.
Enhanced Reanimation Protocols: For 2CP, re-roll Reanimation Protocols.
Wrath of the C’Tan: For 2CP, after your C’Tan Shard makes a Power of the C’Tan attack, roll a die. You then automatically use the power rolled, even if it has already been used that phase.
Methodical Destruction (Sautekh): For 2CP, after a Sautekh unit from your army hasn’t inflicted an unsaved wound on an enemy unit, add +1 to all friendly Sautekh units that target that unit for this phase.
Mephrit Stratagem: Use this Stratagem before a Mephrit unit from your army attacks in the Shooting phase. Each time you make an unmodified hit roll over 6+, you can make one additional hit roll for that model with the same weapon against the same target. These additional hit rolls cannot generate further hits.
Self Destruction: For 1CP, use on a Canoptek Scarab Swarm. You can move a swarm in and then self-destruct. On a 2+, the explosion inflicts D3 mortal wounds on an enemy unit.

Powers of the C’Tan

The C’Tan now know 2 powers. Tesseract Vaults now know 4 powers. The Tesseract Vault now has a Temporal Forcefield which grants a 4+ invulnerable save.

Time’s Arrow now has an 18″ range. Also has the addition of: If you are a Tesseract Vault, add +1 to the result.
Antimatter Meteor: Has the addition of: On a 6, that closest visible unit now suffers D6 mortal wounds. If you are a Tesseract Vault, on 5 or 6, that enemy unit suffers D6 mortal wounds.
Seismic Assult: Addition of: Add +1 to the roll if you are a Tesseract Vault.
Transdimensional Thunderbolt: pick a visible enemy unit within 24″ of the C’Tan and roll a D6. You can only pick a character if it has more than 10 wounds. Add +1 to the result if you are a Tesseract Vault. On a 4+, the chosen unit suffers D3 mortal wounds. Then roll a D6 for every enemy unit within 3″ of that unit. On a 4+, the unit being rolled for suffers a mortal wound.

Relics

Time Splinter Cloak (Nihilakh): Once per battle, you can re-roll a hit, wound, or damage roll made for the bearer. In addition, roll a dice each time the bearer loses a wound and on a 5+ it does not lose a wound.
Gauntlet of the Conflagrator: can only be fired once per battle and automatically hits its target. Roll 1 D6 for each model in the target unit that is within 8″ of the bearer. That unit suffers a mortal wound on a 6+.
Orb of Eternity: for a model with a resurrection orb only. Once per battle, immediately after you’ve made a reanimation protocols roll, you can make reanimation protocols rolls for a friendly Dynasty Infantry unit within 3″ of the bearer. When making these rolls, add +1 to the result of each roll.

Lightning Field: The bearer has a 4+ invulnerable save. In addition, roll a D6 for each enemy unit that is within 1″ of the bearer at the start of the Fight phase. On a 4+, that unit suffers a mortal wound.
Nightmare Shroud: the bearer’s save characteristic is improved by +1. In addition, enemy units subtract -1 from their Leadership while they’re within 6″ of the bearer.
Veil of Darkness: Once per battle, at the end of any of your Movement phases, the bearer can use the Veil. When they, the bearer and one friendy Dynasty Infantry unit within 3″ of the bearer are removed and set up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9″ away from enemy models and within 6″ of the bearer.
Nano-Scarab Casket: replaces Phylactery. The bearer regains D3 lost wounds at the beginning of each of your turns rather than 1 from your Living Metal ability. In addition, the bearer regains D3 lost wounds at the beginning of your opponent’s turn. The first time the bearer is slain, roll a D6. On a 4+, the bearer is set up again at the end of the phase as close as possible to its previous position, more than 1″ away from enemy models, and with D6 wounds remaining.

Warlord Traits

Nihilakh: Your Warlord always fights first in the Fight phase.
Nephrekh: Skin of the Living God: your opponent must subtract -1 from hit rolls that target your Warlord.
Novokh: Each time you roll an unmodified hit roll of 6 in the Fight phase for a model in a friendly Novokh unit that is within 6″ of your Warlord, you can make an additional hot roll for that model with the same weapon against the same target.
Generic Warlord trait: reduced damage inflicted on your Warlord by 1.

Eternal Madness: You can re-roll failed wound rolls for your Warlord in the Fight phase if he charged, was charged, or performed a Heroic Intervention.
Immortal Pride: Units within 6″ of your Warlord auto-pass morale tests. In addition, your Warlord can attempt to deny 1 psychic power in the Psychic phase in the same manner as a psyker.
Thrall of the Silent King: Increase the range of all Warlord abilities on their datasheet by 3″.
Implacable Conqueror: You can re-roll failed charge rolls for friendly Dynasty units while they are within 6″ of your Warlord.
Honorable Combatant: If your Warlord targets the same enemy character with all their close combat attacks, add D3 to the Warlord’s attack characteristics until the end of the phase.

Points Changes

Transcendent C’Tan down 7 points. Now 225.
Nightbringer down 20 points. Now 210.
Wraiths are up 17 points. Now 55 points per model.
Heavy Gauss Cannon down 5 points. Now 27 points.
Destroyers down 13 points. Now 30 points per model.
Crypteks down 16 points. Now 70 points per model.
Deathmarks down 2 points. Now 18 points per model.
Destroyer Lord down 14 points. Now 110 points per model.
Overlords down 15 points. Now 86 points per model.

Tomb Blades down 10 points. Now 14 points per model.
Triarch Praetorians down 3 points. now 22 points per model.
Shieldvanes down 3 points. Now 3 points to equip.
Canoptek Spiders down 11 points. Now 65 points per model.
Doomsday Ark down 10 points. Now 193 points.
Heavy Destroyers down 13 points. Now 30 points per model.
Ghost Ark down 10 points. Now 160 points.
Doom Scythe down 15 points. Now 205 points.
Night Scythe down 14 points. Now 160 points.

Dynastic Traits:

There you have the latest on the Stratagems, Warlord Traits, Relics, and points changes you will see in the upcoming Necron Codex that is currently available for pre-order.

What do you think of the Necron Codex so far? Which Dynasty are you liking more? Are you feeling underwhelmed by the rules/points changes? Let us know in the comments below!