Some great new Necron 40k rules combos are here with 10+ new Warlord Traits and over 30 new Stratagems in their 9th Edition codex.
Were talking a closer look at the new Warlord Traits and Stratagems rules in the new 9th Edition Necron codex. In the last edition, there were some clear winners as far as Stratagems went, but now all bets are off in 9th!
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 Warlord Traits
The standard list and Dynasty specific traits are separated so let’s check out some of the standard warlord traits first.
Honorable Combatant allows for the warlord to get 2 bonus attacks when fighting an enemy character. This is okay, Necron characters are decent in melee but not amazing, this boost may help them get the upper hand against other factions characters.
Implacable Conqueror gives Core units within 6 inches charge re-rolls. This is good but would have been way better if it affected non-core units too. Rest in peace Flayed Ones re-rolls.
As for the Dynasty specific Warlord Traits, two stand out to us:
Sautekh gets Hyperlogical Strategist which lets you roll a d6 each time you spend a command point and one a 5+ you get it refunded. These types of effects are always strong in competitive games as CP and make or break games.
Nephrekh gets Skin of Living God which makes all attacks against your warlord -1 to hit. This is very good. Considering how important Overlords are now to Necrons with the new Codes, you want them to stay alive as long as possible, even more so than previous editions. This makes that happen.
Necron Stratagems
So it looks like there are new groupings of stratagems now in 9th Edition, as these all fall into the following categories:
- Battle Tactic
- Epic Deed
- Requisition
- Strategic Ploy
- Wargear
Here are some of the new Necron Stratagems we took a closer look at:
Techno-Oracular Targeting seems super strong. For only a single CP, you can get some serious mileage out of it. Imagine having a vehicle or character with a high-damage weapon shooting at a greater demon and wounding on 4s. Well, know you can make it an auto wound!
Dimensional Corridor remains mostly unchanged and allows you to pick up and redeploy one of your Infantry units near a Monolith which can be pretty strong. Redeploying and moving units across the board will always be a strong option.
The Deathless Arise is great when your Reanimation Protocols fails. It requires a Technomancer but having the option to get a second Reanimation protocol roll is probably worth it.
Hand of the Phaeron lets you upgrade an Overlord to a Phaeron and get double value out of My Will Be Done. Overall it seems super worth it for only 2 cp before the battle. Definitely worth the consideration.
Sometimes your Scarabs are just outclassed, well, almost always. But sometimes it is too much and in those cases, Self-Destruction lets sacrifice a Scarab model to get in some guaranteed mortals. If Scarabs are played, this will almost certainly be as well. Which they probably will be considering how good of an advancing/distraction unit they are overall.
Burrowing Nightmares allows you to “warp” out a destroyer unit and redeploy them. This also seems super strong. It will certainly require constant thought from your opponents if you are playing the Ophydian Destroyers.
Malevolent Arcing is a flavor win, but its also just good. Being able to have normal shots and at any time suddenly deal AoE mortals around a target for a single CP is very good. Especially when an enemy is death-balling or has lots of characters near each other.
Solar Pulse marks a unit and any time you would shoot at the unit the don’t get the benefit of cover. Given how much shooting emphasis you can have in a Necron army, this can make or break your attempt to kill a troublesome enemy unit in cover.
Empyric Damping is a 1 CP 50-50 psychic deny. This is actually super strong in the right fight. Orks with a huge, buffed spell? Nope, 50-50 deny the extra buffs don’t matter. Is a big Magnus smite coming? 50-50 it. For a single CP, this is extremely strong.
Reclaim a Lost Empire allows one of your infantry units that are performing an action to shoot without failing the action. This is great to just help squeeze out that little bit of extra firepower you may need in a battle round.
So there they are, great options for any Necron general trying to reclaim thier lost territory from the upstart races in M41!
What do you think about these Traits and Stratagems? 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.
