Hot new Necron faction rules are here in their new 40k codex, plus the McPick two custom dynasty combos are back for 9th Edition as well.
First, let’s check out the main Necron Dynasties and then the custom Dynasty rules. In the last edition, there were some clear winners as far as Dynasties went, so hopefully, it’s a little more interesting of a decision to make this time around.
TL;DR If you want to check out the rest of the Codex rules not on this page we got you covered below:
- Necron Rules and Dynasties
- Warlord Traits and Stratagems
- Overlord Codes, Relics, and Secondaries
- New Unit Datasheets
Let’s dive into the Codex rules:
Necron Faction Specific Rules
First up there are unique structure rules for the Necrons.
The Royal Court is regarding warlords, basically, if there is a “higher-up” unit in your army then you must choose them as the warlord. From top to bottom it goes The Silent King, Phaeron, Overlord, Lord, and finally any choice below them. This a slight hindrance, but ultimately it is fluffy, and isn’t too much of a pain.
Dynastic Agents and Star Gods is all about taking units in the codex without the ability to be in a Dynasty. Essentially you can take an Agent or a C’tan without breaking your Dynasty. You can also only take one C’tan per detachment you are running. Again slight hindrance, but nothing too bad.
So this is very interesting. This is a lot to talk about but here are the main talking points.
- For every model that died, add a D6 to the pool for each wound the model had
- Each roll of a 5+ is counted as a success
- You can only modify the roll by +1/-1 (still a 4+ reanimation isn’t bad!)
- Models brought back aren’t counted toward Morale
For example, If you have a squad of three Skorpekh Destroyers and two die, once your opponent is done with shooting at them with a unit, you’ll total up the total wounds of all dead models. In this case, there are six wounds. Roll 6D6 and count each 5+. If you have enough 5+ dice to match the full wound any of the re-animating models, you can bring them back.
Necron Dynasties
It’s important to keep in mind, just like above, Dynastic Agents and C’tan Shards don’t get affected by these.
There are six total Necron dynasties this time around and each of them seems pretty decent. Let’s check out three from the list.
Mephrit Extends the range of your weapons. Even if just by three inches, that can make a big difference. Especially when you also get extra AP at half range. The other thing to consider is it adds 1.5″ to your rapid-fire range as well. So when you Rapid Fire you get double shots and an extra -AP, not too bad. If you’re always playing against armies with tons of tanks and armor, this would be worth trying out.
Sautekh looks like it will be all about the big units, with two rules being beneficial for large units with Rapid Fire. Rerolling morale can be useful if you’re playing large blobs of Crons, hopefully, that can save them from all running off the board. Maybe you roll that miraculous 1 on the reroll when you really need to. Extending Rapid Fire to 18″ can be super awesome for large units as well. This means you won’t have to get your Warriors and such quite so close to unleash a devastating volley. Lastly, getting both command protocols in the Conquering Tyrant could really make a difference.
Novokh is more specialized for Close Combat. If you love playing a little bit different Necron army with tons of CC troops, you basically have no choice but to pick this Dynasty. Don’t think we’ll see this one get a ton of play, but adding 1 to the charge rolls and adding AP is a nice little power spike. Especially now with all the terrain rules and having to declare and make it to all targets, who knows maybe the inch makes the difference.
Custom Dynasty Rules
There are two sets of rules and in order to make your Dynasty, you choose one from each list. Let’s check out the options
The first list you choose from when making a Dynasty is Dynastic Traditions. Let’s look at three of our favorites.
Unyielding is just a 6+ Invulnerable save on each unit with this code. Super solid, you will consistently get the value of this, because your units are going to get hit by some heavy hitters pretty much every game.
Butchers is another simple one. If you are playing a melee-focused list and make your own Dynasty this is almost a must, +1 to charges isn’t insane but it’s helpful.
Immovable Phalanx is a neat option if you want to play a gun line style list. If a model doesn’t make a Normal Move, Advanced, or Fall Back, they get +1 to armor saves against 1 damage attack. An interesting caveat is that you can still charge, so there’s also a chance you take this with a melee list, but most likely not.
The second list you choose from when making a Dynasty is Circumstances of Awakening. Let’s look at three of our favorites.
Healthy Paranoia is pretty decent, adding 3 inches to ranged weapons is always nice, not to mention the inch and a half to rapid-fire.
Relentlessly Expansionist allows each of your units can make a 6-inch normal move at the start of the first battle round, before the first turn. This one is insane. You get to do this after seeing who goes first, so you can reposition and hide units, or get them in a better position to start shooting! You can also just get 6 inches closer to each objective. This will be extremely strong in competitive.
Interplanetary Invaders allows your Vehicles to fall back and shoot at -1. They can also fire Heavy weapons at enemies within the engagement range without penalty. This is pretty good for any vehicle heavy list. Sometimes the best way to stop vehicles is to lock them in combat, this just makes that all the harder for your opponents to do.
Pretty neat rules so far that will have far-reaching effects on your Necron Army overall.
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What do you think about these Dynasties and rules? Are the changes fair and warranted? Which change has you most excited?
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About the Author: Andrew Schrank
Andrew Schrank
Job Title: Miniatures & Warhammer Hobby Staff Writer
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About Andrew Schrank: Over the past 15 years, Andrew has played all the games, including tabletop and video games, and immersed himself in the associated lore. Andrew joined the Spikey Bits team in 2018 and covers the Warhammer hobby and tournament scene, along with the latest in tabletop miniatures, each week.
Aspiring diplomat, Lord of Fluff, and Master of Ice Hammer, He loves Star Wars, Chaos Undivided, and Gundam. During his free time, he hunts Platinum trophies on PS5 and reads international news. On weekends, Andrew plays commander and cEDH games, often with unique strategies that push the limits.
He believes each day presents a new opportunity to grow and be challenged.
