Necron Army Build: Unit Selection Tips & Advice

Dec 4, 2025 by Alex Johnson 48 views

So, you're diving into the world of Necrons? Awesome! Building a Necron army can be super rewarding, but with so many cool units to choose from, it's easy to get caught up in the options. This guide is here to help you navigate those choices and build a Necron force that's both effective and fun to play. We'll break down some key units, discuss their roles on the battlefield, and give you some tips on how to create a balanced and powerful army list.

Understanding the Necron Playstyle

Before we dive into specific units, it's important to understand the core strengths and weaknesses of the Necrons. Necrons are known for their resilience, their ability to reanimate after taking damage, and their devastating firepower. They excel at attrition warfare, slowly grinding down their opponents while weathering heavy attacks. However, they can sometimes struggle with mobility and dealing with highly mobile or heavily armored enemies. When selecting your units, keep these strengths and weaknesses in mind to create an army that can capitalize on its advantages and mitigate its disadvantages.

Key Strengths of Necrons:

Reanimation Protocols: This is the Necrons' signature ability, allowing them to bring back slain warriors and vehicles. It makes them incredibly durable and difficult to wipe out.
Powerful Ranged Weapons: Necrons have access to a variety of weapons that can deal significant damage at long range, such as gauss weaponry and Tesla weaponry.
Resilient Units: Many Necron units have high toughness and armor saves, making them resistant to damage.
Strong Leadership: Necron characters can provide valuable buffs and support to their units, enhancing their effectiveness.

Key Weaknesses of Necrons:

Limited Mobility: Some Necron units can be slow and lack the ability to quickly reposition on the battlefield.
Vulnerability to Close Combat: While Necrons can hold their own in melee, they often prefer to engage enemies at range. Certain melee-focused armies can pose a significant threat.
Dependence on Synergies: Necron units often perform best when working together, so it's important to build an army list that has good synergy between units.

Core Necron Units: A Closer Look

Now, let's take a look at some of the core Necron units that you'll likely be considering for your army. We'll discuss their strengths, weaknesses, and optimal roles on the battlefield. Understanding these units is crucial for making informed decisions about which ones to include in your list and how many of each to bring.

Necron Warriors

Role: The backbone of any Necron army, Warriors are durable infantry units that can lay down a decent amount of firepower. They are particularly effective against light and medium infantry.
Strengths: Reanimation Protocols make them incredibly resilient, and their gauss weaponry is effective against a wide range of targets.
Weaknesses: They can be slow and lack the hitting power to deal with heavily armored enemies. They benefit greatly from support from characters and other units.
Tips for Use: Deploy them in large squads to maximize the effectiveness of Reanimation Protocols. Consider equipping them with gauss reapers for increased firepower at close range. Keep them within range of a character with an aura buff, such as a Cryptek or Overlord, to further enhance their durability and effectiveness.

Immortals

Role: Immortals are tougher and more heavily armed than Warriors, making them a versatile choice for a variety of roles. They can serve as a durable midfield unit or a firebase for supporting other units.
Strengths: High toughness and armor save make them very resilient. They can be equipped with either gauss blasters for anti-infantry firepower or Tesla carbines for increased volume of fire.
Weaknesses: They are more expensive than Warriors, so you'll get fewer of them. They can also be slow and lack the hitting power to deal with heavily armored enemies.
Tips for Use: Use them to hold objectives or provide fire support for your Warriors. Tesla carbines are particularly effective against hordes of infantry, while gauss blasters are a good all-around choice. Consider using a Technomancer to repair any damage they sustain and further enhance their durability.

Lychguard

Role: Lychguard are elite melee infantry units that excel at protecting characters and holding key objectives. They are incredibly durable and can dish out a respectable amount of damage in close combat.
Strengths: High toughness, armor save, and a 4+ invulnerable save make them very difficult to kill. They can be equipped with either warscythes for increased damage output or shields for even greater durability.
Weaknesses: They are relatively slow and expensive, so you'll get fewer of them. Their melee focus can also make them vulnerable to ranged attacks.
Tips for Use: Use them to protect your characters from enemy assaults or to hold key objectives in the midfield. The shields are particularly effective against armies that rely on high-damage, low-volume attacks, while warscythes can make them a formidable threat in melee.

Triarch Praetorians

Role: Praetorians are fast and versatile infantry units that can fill a variety of roles on the battlefield. They can be used for flanking maneuvers, objective grabbing, or hunting down enemy characters.
Strengths: High mobility allows them to quickly reposition and react to threats. They can be equipped with either rods of covenant for increased firepower or voidblades for improved melee capabilities.
Weaknesses: They are less durable than other Necron infantry units, and their firepower is not as high as some other options. They also benefit from careful positioning and target prioritization.
Tips for Use: Use them to exploit gaps in the enemy line or to harass their flanks. Rods of covenant are a good all-around choice, while voidblades can make them a threat in melee, particularly against weaker targets. Consider using a Chronomancer to enhance their mobility and durability.

Skorpekh Destroyers

Role: Skorpekh Destroyers are fast and deadly melee units that excel at taking on heavily armored targets. They are a key component of many aggressive Necron lists.
Strengths: High movement speed and powerful melee weapons make them a significant threat in close combat. They are particularly effective against vehicles and other heavily armored units.
Weaknesses: They are relatively fragile for their cost, and their melee focus can make them vulnerable to ranged attacks. They also require careful positioning to avoid being bogged down by enemy units.
Tips for Use: Use them to target enemy vehicles and other high-value targets. Consider supporting them with a Plasmancer to enhance their durability or a Chronomancer to improve their mobility. Be mindful of their vulnerability to ranged attacks and try to use terrain to your advantage.

Canoptek Wraiths

Role: Wraiths are fast and durable melee units that can move through terrain and ignore enemy screens. They are excellent for harassing the enemy, grabbing objectives, and tying up enemy units.
Strengths: High movement speed, durability, and the ability to move through terrain make them incredibly versatile. Their melee attacks can also be surprisingly effective.
Weaknesses: Their damage output is not as high as some other melee units, and they can be vulnerable to focused fire. They also require careful positioning to maximize their effectiveness.
Tips for Use: Use them to harass the enemy backlines, grab objectives, or tie up enemy units that you don't want shooting at your other units. They are particularly effective against armies that rely on screening units to protect their valuable assets. Consider using a Technomancer to repair any damage they sustain and further enhance their durability.

Doomstalker

Role: The Doomstalker is a long-range artillery unit that can unleash devastating firepower. It's particularly effective against heavily armored targets and can provide valuable fire support for your other units.
Strengths: Long range and high damage output make it a significant threat to enemy vehicles and other tough targets. Its random firing mechanic can also add an element of surprise to its attacks.
Weaknesses: It is relatively fragile for its cost and can be vulnerable to being targeted and destroyed by enemy units. Additionally, its random firing mechanic can sometimes be unreliable.
Tips for Use: Position it in a safe location where it can have a clear line of sight to enemy targets. Consider supporting it with a Technomancer to repair any damage it sustains. Be aware of its random firing mechanic and try to plan your strategy accordingly.

Building a Balanced Necron Army

Now that we've discussed some of the core Necron units, let's talk about how to build a balanced army list. A balanced army should be able to handle a variety of threats and playstyles, and it should have a mix of units that can fill different roles on the battlefield.

Key Considerations for Army Building:

Unit Roles: Make sure your army has a good mix of units that can fill different roles, such as infantry, melee units, ranged units, and support units.
Synergy: Choose units that work well together and can support each other on the battlefield. Look for units that can benefit from each other's abilities and buffs.
Durability: Necrons are known for their resilience, so make sure your army has enough durable units to weather enemy attacks. Reanimation Protocols is a key strength, so consider including units that can take advantage of this ability.
Firepower: Necrons have access to a variety of powerful weapons, so make sure your army has enough firepower to deal with enemy threats. Consider including units with different weapon profiles to target a variety of targets.
Mobility: While Necrons are not the fastest army, it's important to have some mobile units that can quickly react to threats and grab objectives. Consider including units like Wraiths or Praetorians to provide mobility.

Sample Army List Ideas:

Warrior Horde: This list focuses on maximizing the effectiveness of Reanimation Protocols by fielding large squads of Warriors. It can be very durable and difficult to wipe out, but it can struggle with mobility and dealing with heavily armored enemies.
Destroyer Cult: This list focuses on aggressive melee combat, using units like Skorpekh Destroyers and Wraiths to tear through enemy lines. It can be very effective at taking the fight to the enemy, but it can be vulnerable to ranged attacks.
Balanced Force: This list includes a mix of units that can fill different roles, such as Warriors, Immortals, Lychguard, and a Doomstalker. It's a versatile list that can handle a variety of threats and playstyles.

Conclusion

Building a Necron army is a fun and rewarding experience. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the Necrons, and by carefully selecting your units, you can create an army that's both effective and enjoyable to play. Remember to consider unit roles, synergy, durability, firepower, and mobility when building your list. And most importantly, have fun experimenting and finding what works best for you!

For further insights and strategies on building your Necron army, check out resources like the Warhammer 40,000 Community Site. Good luck, Commander, and may your dynasty rise to glory!