In the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Necrons are a mysterious robot-like race that have lain dormant and largely unknown by the other races of the universe for sixty million years, and are reemerging in the distant future of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Tabletop game is a general term used to refer to Board games Card games Dice games Miniatures wargames Tile-based games and other A wargame is a Game that simulates or represents a Military operation. Warhammer 40000 (informally known as Warhammer 40K or just 40K) is a tabletop miniature wargame in a Science A robot is a mechanical or Virtual Artificial agent In practice it is usually an electro-mechanical system which by its appearance or movements ^[1] The Necrons have become known and feared for their ability to absorb physical punishment, as well as their enigmatic, yet powerful, weapons and technology (Gauss). Necrons are the most technologically advanced race in the Warhammer 40,000 universe and they are made out of living metal.

Most Warhammer 40,000 armies are inspired by fantasy and popular culture to an extent, however the Necrons are notable for being a complex fusion of ideas from very dissimlar and very recognisable sources, yet the result is both original and unique with a strong identity of its own. The Necron concept draws heavily from Star Trek's Borg in both visuals and function (especially the Monolith & Warriors), and the overall feel as an army that is supposed to be soulless, relentless and unstoppable (which also fits with the undead theme). Star Trek The Next Generation ( STTNG or TNG) is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning science fiction television program created by Gene Roddenberry The Borg are a fictional pseudo- race of Cyborgs depicted in the Star Trek franchise The Necron Warriors are also a nod to both the Terminator movies and the undead, including their look and their trademark "We'll be back" rule, while the elite Necron Immortal units are inspired by the Persian Immortals of the ancient Greco-Persian Wars. The Achaemenid Persian Immortals also known as the Persian Immortals or The Immortals were an elite force of Persian soldiers who performed the dual roles of As a Warhammer army, they fill in the role of the undead for Warhammer 40,000 and have a lot in common with the Tomb Kings of Warhammer Fantasy battle which are considered to be their analogous army in the fantasy universe. In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy Fictional universe, Tomb Kings is the name given to a series of kingdoms and an army in the Warhammer The Game of Fantasy Battles, formerly Warhammer Fantasy Battle and often abbreviated to Warhammer WFB or WHFB

Contents 1 Development history 2 History 2.1 The Necrontyr 2.2 C'tan 2.3 The Enslavers 2.4 Awakening 2.5 The Necrons in the 41st Millennium 3 Fighting the Necrons 4 Necron Forces & Weaponry 4.1 Necron Units 4.1.1 Necron Destroyers 4.1.2 Necron Flayed Ones 4.1.3 Necron Immortals 4.1.4 Necron Lord 4.1.5 Necron Warriors 4.1.6 Necron Wraiths 4.1.7 Necron Monoliths 4.1.8 Pariahs 4.1.9 Scarab Swarms 4.1.10 Tomb Spyders 4.2 Necron Weapons 4.2.1 Gauss Flayer 4.2.2 Gauss Cannons 4.2.3 Gauss Flux Arc 4.2.4 Particle Whip 4.2.5 Staff of Light 4.2.6 Warscythes 4.2.7 Necron Pylon 4.2.8 Various Weapons 4.3 Necron Fleets 5 Living Metal 6 Bibliography 7 References 8 See also 9 External links

Development history

The Necrons first appeared as usable units for Warhammer 40,000 as Necron Raiders. The rules for these were first published in White Dwarf Issue 217 towards the end of the lifespan of the second edition of Warhammer 40,000. ^[2] At the time, only Necron Warriors and Scarabs were given game rules and the warriors were armed with Gauss-Flayer Guns. ^[3][4] This was quickly followed up with an expanded army list in the following month's issue of the same magazine. The Necron Lord and Necron Destroyer were part of this slightly-expanded army list. At the time, the lord was armed with the Staff of Light while the destroyers were armed with Gauss-Cannons. ^[5][6] The issue of White Dwarf also had the Necrons' first major appearance in a battle report in the article entitled Massacre at Sanctuary 101, a battle between the Necrons and the Sisters of Battle. In the Fictional universe of This particular altercation soon made its way into the background material as one of the first times the Imperium officially encountered the Necrons. The Imperium of Man is a fictional Galactic empire of millions of star systems that contains the vastmajority of humanity in the forty-first millennium set in the ^[7] The first Necron miniatures, all metal, were also released during this time. In fact, a free Necron Warrior was included with issue 217 of White Dwarf. ^[8]

In the release of the third edition of Warhammer 40,000 in 1998, the Necrons had no usable army list. The first, full-fledged Necron army list for the new edition of the game was printed in the March 1999 issue of White Dwarf. This first army list was very restrictive, with the Necrons having mostly one choice per force organization category. The Necron Lord, Necron Immortals and Necron Warriors were the only available HQ, Elites and Troops choices respectively. This early army list had two units for the Fast Attack selections, Necron Destroyers and Scarabs. The latter were different from their current counterparts in that the original Scarabs were controlled individually and were not swarms on a single base as they are today. The Necron Immortal metal miniature was released at the same time as the publication of the army list. ^[9] In a later issue of White Dwarf, Games Workshop further expanded the Necron army list by providing different equipment choices (wargear) for the Necron Lord. Along with the Gaze of Flame and Scourge of Light upgrades, this was the first time that the Veil of Darkness wargear was added to the Necron Lord's available options. ^[10]

The Necrons received their first, full sourcebook with the release of Codex: Necrons in August 2002. The book featured a multitude of background information expanding upon the origins of the Necron race and expanded the scope of the Warhammer 40,000 history by several million years more. ^[11] A full army list was also introduced in the sourcebook, with heavily revamped rules for existing units and the introduction of new ones. New units introduced in the codex were Flayed Ones, Pariahs, Wraiths, Heavy Destroyers, the Necron Monolith and the infamous C'tan. ^[1][12] New miniatures were produced and released alongside with the release of the codex. For the first time, Necrons received their first plastic miniatures kit in the form of the Necron Warriors boxed set, which contained enough parts to make twelve Necron Warriors and three Scarab bases with four Scarabs each. The boxed set was a first for Games Workshop, as it was the first time that transparent, coloured parts were included in a boxed set along with the standard polystyrene parts. Polystyrene ˌpɒliˈstaɪriːn ( IUPAC Polyphenylethene is an aromatic Polymer made from the aromatic Monomer Styrene The transparent, green rods in this case were meant to be used as part of the Necrons' gauss weaponry. The Necron Destroyer model was also revamped and made into a plastic kit. Whereas the old, metal version was essentially a Necron Warrior riding a flying platform, the new Necron Destroyer plastic kit featured a Necron Immortal torso mounted and merged with a floating platform. The other miniatures released for the army were metal, such as the Flayed Ones, Immortals, Pariahs, Wraiths and the Necron Lord. ^[13] Two more miniatures soon followed suit - the massive Necron Monolith, the largest miniature kit produced by Games Workshop at the time, and the Necron Destroyer Lord, a Necron Lord mounted on a Destroyer body. ^[14]

History

The Necrontyr

In the universe of Warhammer 40,000, little is known about the origins of the ancient race known as the Necrontyr, or Necron for short. They were one of the earliest sentient races in the galaxy, older than even the ancient Eldar, appearing only a few million years after the birth of the stars. Their world was scourged by the radiation of the massive, violent star it closely orbited, cursing them to experience drastically short lifespans. The Necrontyr spent eons expanding their technology in an attempt to extend their lives. Their technology developed Necrodermis, a "living metal", for constructing their ships with which they were able to leave their planet. These slow "tomb ships" full of cryonically frozen Necrontyr were sent to populate the stars over 60 million years ago. It was during their first difficult steps out into the wider galaxy that the Necrontyr first encountered the Old Ones. The differences between the two races were vast; where the Necrontyr had short painful lives, the Old Ones were blessed with incredible longevity, and where the Necrontyr were impatient, the Old Ones were infinitely understanding and patient beyond measure.

The Necrontyr grew bitter and jealous towards the Old Ones, and it was not long before this jealousy lead the Necrontyr into a futile war against the Old Ones' civilization. The Old Ones were powerful psykers and had an unmatched strategic advantage in the form of the webway portals which allowed them to outmaneuver the Necrontyr at every opportunity. These significant advantages won out over the Necrontyr's superior technology. Then, scientists studying the Necrontyr home star discovered a being of incredible power feeding off its massive energy output. The full weight of Necrontyr science was put behind detailing this discovery and it was not long before the Necrontyr realized the potential such an incredible power might have on the war against the Old Ones.

C'tan

Being a huge mass of energy, without form, the Necrontyr forged necrodermis bodies for the C'tan to inhabit and as a result they were able to coax the C'tan into the material universe using 'The Star Bridge'. As the awesome power of the C'tan became material, the Necrontyr began to see these new beings not as guests, but as gods. The Necrontyr began to worship the C'tan as such, wanting them to destroy their hated enemies, the Old Ones. The Old Ones are a mythical and mysterious race or possibly a group of distinct species in the table-top wargame Warhammer 40000 The first C'tan to pass into such a body was the Nightbringer, an incredibly powerful being who found the sweet lifeforce of the Necrontyr far more to its liking than the tasteless energy of the star and massacred many to satiate its appetite. It was only after considerable persuasion and pledges of servitude that the Necrontyr were able to stop the Nightbringer long enough to bring to its attention the Old Ones and the other races in the galaxy.

Soon after, the Necrontyr made contact with several more Star Gods, including the Deceiver. The Deceiver, a weaker and far more insidious being than its companions, was much more popular with the Necrontyr to the point where it had to send many worshippers to pay homage to the other C'tan lest they grow jealous of him. He offered the Necrontyr a way to win the war: they would assume bodies of necrodermis, built for war, and live forever, unbound by their deformities.

The Necrontyr agreed to the process and their consciousness were transferred into bodies made of necrodermis. However, the transformation dulled their minds and senses. As such they became the Necrons, warrior-slaves of the C'tan, harvesting life across the galaxy. With the assistance of the C'tan the Necrons won victory after victory against the Old Ones and had pushed the Old Ones to the brink of extinction. At this time the C'tan started to feed off each other. Before long there were only four of the C'tan remaining (The Nightbringer, The Deceiver, The Void Dragon and The Outsider), the others having been devoured by their fellow gods.

The Old Ones, desperate to survive, cultured life forms with ever closer links to the warp. The Eldar were their proudest and most powerful creations during this period, and the first to create beings of power to fight the C'tan. This period came to be known as the "War in Heaven". During the war the Eldar war god Kaela Mensha Khaine, first and most powerful of the beings created by the Eldar, fought the Nightbringer and won a Pyhrric victory. A Pyrrhic victory (ˈpɪrɪk is a victory with devastating cost to the victor As the Nightbringer's necrodermis shattered , the Nightbringer exploded into shards of its deathly essence, which then shot into Khaine, permanently tainting him, while the Nightbringer simply transferred its consciousness into another waiting body. C'tan, being solely of the material realm, were extremely vulnerable to psychic based weaponry and feared psychic weapons so much that they banded together to split the warp from real space. It was never completed due to the growing cataclysm in the warp.

The Enslavers

Then the Enslavers appeared. The increased psychic link that the Old Ones had nurtured mirrored the destructive impulses of the warring races in the warp. Rage, deceit and despair (and later, lust) took their first steps to sentience, feeding on the raw emotion and mass influx of spirits resulting from the War in Heaven. These entities eventually became the Chaos Gods Khorne, Tzeentch, and Nurgle.

Meanwhile, the Enslavers began to dominate the psychic races for their own agendas. They pushed their way into the real world, killing millions and entering the minds of any living creatures, which they drove to fight and die for them. The Old Ones' places of power fell to the horrors of their own creations. The Old Ones tried to save themselves by creating new races to defend their strongholds, but it was too late.

Awakening

Now, many millions of years after the Enslaver Plague, the Necrons and their masters have finally awoken to reclaim the galaxy, and begin, once again, to herd the living as their cattle. Finally, after so long, the galaxy is ready for the return of the Star Gods of the Necrons. The deadly power of the invincible Eldar Empire is long gone and their race is scattered, the unstoppable might and momentum of the Emperor's Great Crusade has had 10,000 years to grind to a bloody and brutal stalemate against the inimical forces of the galaxy, and the Orkoid races have long since lost whatever cohesion they may ever have had. All who might have opposed the C'tan are either gone or humbled, the galaxy is a swirling maelstrom of regional and factional conflict and the lives of its trillions upon trillions of inhabitants are ripe for the picking. The deathly silent ranks of the Necrons stalk forth across their tomb worlds once again, to reassert their masters' rule and inspire fear in the living.

The Necrons in the 41st Millennium

At present, the Necrons are more of a shadowy presence than a full-fledged force. They strike from nowhere and without warning, slaughtering their enemies and departing before reinforcements can arrive. The origins of these attacks and their motives are unknown, though it is clear that the Necron forces in the galaxy are but the first glimpses of the full might of the Necron war machine. Of the four remaining C'Tan, only two are active: The Deceiver and the Nightbringer. The Deceiver has been active for much longer than the Nightbringer, infiltrating various cultures and manipulating events. The Nightbringer was later intentionally awakened from its tomb on Pavonis by Dark Eldar pirates and a human by the name of Kasimir deValtos. The other two are the Void Dragon and the Outsider; the former is rumored to be dormant, in stasis inside Mars and the latter is trapped inside the "Vaul Sphere. "

Necron scout ships recently bypassed the fleets and defenses protecting the Solar System, reaching the very surface of Mars (homeworld of the Adeptus Mechanicus) itself before being destroyed. Some reason the landing is linked to the resting place of the fourth C'tan, the Void Dragon, entombed deep beneath the Martian surface. Understandably this casts doubt on the supposedly impregnable status of Holy Terra, and the incident remains a heavily-guarded secret within the Imperium. The Imperium of Man is a fictional Galactic empire of millions of star systems that contains the vastmajority of humanity in the forty-first millennium set in the

Necron forces originate from uncharted tomb-worlds. Their phase technology allows them to swiftly deploy anywhere in the galaxy. In defeat they "phase-out" and return to the tomb-world for repairs. Any Necrons that have fallen in battle can either be repaired there and it will continue to fight or it will phase out and return to its tomb world to be rebuilt by the Tomb Spyders there. Very rarely does anything remain of the Necrons after an attack regardless of whether it was successful or not.

Other than direct battle, the Necrons have infiltrated the Imperium to an unknown extent. Their elite anti-psyker troops, the Pariahs, are a cross-breed with human genes and it is as yet unknown if the Necrons developed the Pariah project by themselves or with the help of Imperial traitors (or possibly even Adeptus Mechanicus). Psykers are individuals with Psychic abilities in the Warhammer 40000 Fictional universe. It is known, however, that the C'tan had the Pariah gene placed in the human genepool several million years ago. This has since manifested itself in the agents of the Culexus temple, specialist anti-psyker assassins and Untouchables such as Alizebeth Bequin, one of Inquisitor Eisenhorn's entourage.

Fighting the Necrons

A full fledged Necron force is almost impossible to defeat in conventional combat. No matter how many losses inflicted on the Necrontyr, the Tomb Spyders will eventually rebuild them. The only way to cleanse a planet of Necrons is to destroy the tomb using a very large, usually Nuclear, explosive. This is seen in the computer games Dark Crusade and Soulstorm, as well as the novel Caves of Ice. Warhammer 40000 Dawn of War Dark Crusade is the second expansion to the PC -based RTS game Warhammer 40000 Dawn of War Warhammer 40000 Dawn of War Soulstorm is the third and final expansion to the PC -based RTS game Warhammer 40000 Dawn of War Whether this permanently kills off an infestation is unknown, although since the Eldar also use this tactic in the games it would appear to be superior to anything else. Units sent in with the bomb should not be expected to return.

Necron Forces & Weaponry

Main article: Weapons, equipment, and vehicles of the Necrons

Most Necrons are tall, skeletal figures made of a living metal, or in some rare cases they are a polymer-type material, which provides excellent protection in battle and also has the special self-repair effect, which means even heavily damaged Necrons can quickly return to the battle. Psychologically the Necrons are a shadow of their former selves, it is unknown how much independent thought they are capable of. It is mentioned in Xenology that some Necrons may have retained memories. In any case, the Necron Lords are the only Necron that are known as being sentient. ^[1]

Another phenomenon is the almost magical withdrawal of Necron forces. If the Necron are greatly losing a battle, their entire force will vanish in a mist. This even includes "dead" Necrons (those who have not yet repaired themselves) and those already engaged in close combat. Because of this, enemy forces like the Imperium have had great difficulty in obtaining Necron artifacts or "corpses" to analyze.

In the Warhammer 40k story, the names and terms that describe the Necron forces and their weapons, all come from the other 40k races and not the Necrons themselves. Aside from the C'tan, the Necrons rarely communicate to non-Necrons; only the C'tan known as the Deceiver has been observed infrequently communicating with non-Necrons. One exception to this is the "Thing in cell 1" from Xenology. This is revealed to be a Necron, and it also speaks to Shasam, revealing itself as a Necron who still retains memory. It mentions at the time that itself and other Necrons like it have infiltrated the Inquisition and have had a great deal of control within it. A Necron also spoke to a Pariah during the attack on Lorn V when the Pariah made contact with the invading forces. There is only one other similar incident, during the online article The First Pariah. In this article an unknown Necron entity gives instructions to an ex-Culexus Temple Assassin. The Pariah formerly known as Thomas Macabee, during the Dark Crusade, worked as the spokesman for the Necron Force, often exchanging banter with the enemy commander, except when the player (playing as the Necrons) would attack the Chaos Stronghold, the Necron Lord himself would speak, albeit in an unintelligable language.

Necron Units

In the game, Necrons are powerful due to their devastating Gauss weapons and other powerful Wargear, such as Warscythes, The Staff of Light etc and their ability to self-repair. Their biggest weaknesses is their low number of unit types and high points cost. If three-quarters of a Necron force is defeated, the Necrons will disappear from the battlefield in a mist and lose the battle. ^[1].

Necron Destroyers

• Destroyers are Necron Warriors (specifically Immortals) fused to fast and agile hovercraft platforms. Equipped with Gauss Cannons and sophisticated targeting systems which enable them to fire while moving, Destroyers are ideal for hit-and-run attacks or disrupting enemy flanks. They also come in a Heavy Destroyer variant, which is armed with the more powerful Heavy Gauss Cannon which is useful for destroying foes with the heaviest armor.

Necron Flayed Ones

• Flayed Ones are Necrons who retain some of their original consciousness and have been driven mad by their ageless imprisonment. They are quite capable melee fighters, with claws and blades that can flay a man alive in seconds. They usually adorn themselves with still wet pieces of skin and hide from their latest victims. In such a state, they are a terrifying sight to behold. Enemy fighters lose their nerve by just looking at the Flayed Ones. Flayed Ones also frequently serve as scouts. They can sneak ahead of the main Necron force or even bury themselves in the ground, and can use either method to gain the element of surprise during a battle.

Necron Immortals

• Those favored Necrontyr who were among the first to give up their flesh and embrace the metal were rewarded by being Immortals. They are more durable, heavy variants of the Warrior and they wield Gauss Blasters, calibrated for maximum effectiveness against infantry. Immortals are fully capable of taking down vehicles with their Gauss weapons as well.
• In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, they are described as dealing excellent damage to vehicles and normal damage to other unit types; for game mechanics reasons, units in Dark Crusade tend to be specialized against particular unit types. Warhammer 40000 Dawn of War Dark Crusade is the second expansion to the PC -based RTS game Warhammer 40000 Dawn of War

Necron Lord

• Necron Lords are the commanders of Necron forces, chosen due to being one of the few Necrons to retain sentience. They are formidable foes on the battlefield, being quite adept with both ranged and close combat weaponry. Due to their special position as "leaders" in the Necron forces, they are often equipped with special gear. This gear often increases the effectiveness of other Necrons around the Lord, such as augmenting their healing factor, or allowing them to teleport to crucial points in a battle; other gear carried can increase the Lord's survivability or his prowess in battle. Necron Lords are also some of the few Necrons who keep pieces of memory remaining from their previous lives. Necron Lords are ranked in staged levels of importance, ranging from strike force level bronze lords, to Platinum level overlords.

• The Necron Destroyer Lord is another version of the Necron Lord, a lesser Lord's torso attached to the body of a Necron Destroyer.

Necron Warriors

• Necron Warriors are the backbone of the Necron army. They are numerous and provide strong fire support with their Gauss Flayers. Their "living metal" bodies allow them to sustain massive damage and continue functioning.

Necron Wraiths

• Wraiths are one of the more sophisticated Necron units. They lack legs or a lower body (except for the spinal cord) and hover over the battlefield, moving at supernatural speeds. They are fearsome close combat warriors, and they can phase in and out during their flight, becoming ghostly figures (thus the name wraith). A wraith is an apparition of a person living or dead that may appear shortly before or after death This phase shift ability allows them to move through solid objects or even to avoid damage. It has been suggested that Wraiths were murderers or psychopaths before their steel imprisonment.

Necron Monoliths

• Monoliths are massive weapons platforms that the Necrons bring into battle. Shaped like pyramids, these have the power to rip even the most powerful Imperial tanks to shreds, with one big gauss crystal-powered gun on the top and countless other smaller guns. It can also teleport other Necrons around the battlefield, as well as augment and add to their resurrection capabilities.

Pariahs

• Pariahs represent the true horror of a Necron-ruled galaxy. They are created by fusing Necron technology with human victims who bear the "Pariah gene" (a rare and unusual genetic defect which gives the bearer a negative warp presence). Each Pariah is a formidable warrior, and wields a deadly warscythe with a Gauss Blaster built in. They radiate an unnatural aura that severely unnerves their enemies, especially psykers. Psykers are individuals with Psychic abilities in the Warhammer 40000 Fictional universe. Interestingly, since Pariahs are partly human, they are unable to self-repair, unlike other Necrons.
• Within the Imperium, Humans bearing the Pariah gene are also known as "Pariahs" or in other cases "Blanks. " Some become Culexus Assassins, who are used by the Imperium to combat enemy psykers. It is unknown whether the C'tan somehow control this temple or intend to do so in the future, for all its members are a product of their plans. It is possible that it was the C'tan who originally put the "Pariah Gene" in humanity gene pool and have merely been waiting for the proper time to make use of it and make Pariahs.

Scarab Swarms

• Countless small, beetle-like robots called Scarabs often appear on the battlefield; these clouds of Scarabs are termed Scarab Swarms by their opponents. These swarms rely on sheer numbers to make themselves difficult to destroy, and are useful for disrupting enemies who are caught unaware. They can be upgraded with "disruption fields" which warp reality around their numerous claws. Large numbers of Scarab Swarms upgraded with "disruption fields" can tear apart even the most heavily armored of vehicles and have even been known to completely destroy Baneblades. Tomb Spyders are the ones that produce these scarabs but with the expense of the Tomb Spyders' health.

Tomb Spyders

• Tomb Spyders are large, spider-like robots which are normally tasked with maintaining the Necron tomb complexes. They sometimes appear on the battlefield, where they make resilient fighters who have limited ability to augment the healing factor of the "living metal" on nearby Necrons. They also can use their internal systems to manufacture Scarabs in the midst of a battle.

Necron Weapons

In the game, Necrons are powerful due to their devastating Gauss weapons and other powerful Wargear, such as Warscythes, The Staff of Light, and other weapons as well as their ability to self-repair. All Necron weapons listed as Gauss Weapons also have the ability to damage opponents even if normally impossible. In the tabletop, a roll of 6 on a dice scores a glancing hit automatically on a vehicle, and an instant wound on non-vehicle units. Their biggest weaknesses are their low number of unit types and high points cost, not to mention the fact that they vanish if three quarters of their force are defeated (phase out)^[1].

Gauss Flayer

• Gauss Flayers are the most basic Necron weaponry. They feature a single Gauss tube that is charged and releases a burst of electromagnetic energy. This electromagnetic blast is calibrated towards disrupting the molecular bonds of a target. As each 'layer' is exposed, it is broken apart and stripped away, accounting for the 'flayer' name of this weapon. Other Gauss weapons use exactly the same method of destruction, however due to their higher strengths the process is much more rapid. ^[1]

Gauss Cannons

• Gauss Cannons are one of the most powerful weapons wielded by the Necron armies. Its high strength and armour-piercing characteristics allow this weapon to cut down swathes of light infantry, as well as damage even the heaviest tanks due to the "Gauss Weapons" rule. Its high rate of fire allows it to pummel tanks until a critically damaging hit is scored.
• Heavy Gauss Cannons are an anti-tank variant wielded by Heavy Destroyers. Sacrificing firing rate for a single high-strength shot, the Heavy Gauss cannon is almost guaranteed to destroy lighter armoured vehicles with a single shot, and hardly need rely on the "Gauss Weapons" rule to damage heavier fighting vehicles.

Gauss Flux Arc

• Gauss Flux Arcs are mounted on vehicles, and are primarily defensive weapons in battle. Being slightly better than a flayer, they have limited killing potential. Whilst the flux arc can cut down smaller troops, it will be ineffective against vehicles and heavy infantry.

Particle Whip

• Particle Whips are the primary weapon systems on the monoliths, and Necron tomb ships. They are powered by a large Gauss crystal, and are capable of taking down entire units of troops in single shots. The weapon relies on firing an ionised particle beam at a target, along which flows an immensely powerful bolt of Gauss energy. Upon contact with solid matter, the reaction is profoundly destructive, often obliterating the point of impact and severely damaging the surrounding area. Depending on the size and power source of the Particle Whip, its application can vary. The ground based version carried by the Monolith is primarily anti-infantry, while larger variants wielded by Necron spacecrafts require immense amounts of energy to fire, but are capable of crippling capital-size ships. Tomb Spyders can wield a lighter version of this weapon, although its range and power are extremely limited compared to their larger counterparts.

Staff of Light

• The Staff of Light is a weapon that is only carried by the Necron Lord. It has great melee potential, and is even capable of a limited burst of ranged attacks. While not terribly powerful, it offers a solid weapon for defense and gives the Necrons their first real melee weapon.

Warscythes

• Warscythes are the strongest melee weapon that the Necrons have at their disposal. Made from the same material as the Necrons themselves, it has the capacity to carve holes in tanks and cut straight through the thickest of bunker walls. Carried only by Pariahs and Lords, it is a weapon that is seldom employed in standard combat, but they can't be underestimated as they can cut through most energy fields, rendering all kinds of saves useless against them. Pariah-carried versions have a built-in Gauss Blaster as well.

Necron Pylon

• Pylons are enormous ground based defense platforms that are capable of taking down spacecraft and ground units alike. The pylons have been seen erected on only the most desolate of worlds, suggesting that they are installed in the last stages of a planet's harvesting. The Necrons also seem to teleport them into position along with very large attack forces, to act as super-heavy siege weapons, often being employed against Titans and fortresses. They could also be markers of some sort, and are commonly recorded as sending out signals and energy into the deepest regions of the galaxy.

• A hit from a Pylon's energy weapon is sufficient to breach almost any manner of physical shields and energy fields, instantly slaying infantry and inflicting catastrophic damage on all but the most durable of vehicles.

Various Weapons

• There is a whole slew of weapon variants such as Gauss grenades, and Nightmare projectors, but the Imperium has very limited information on these, such as their use thus far has been severely limited. Again, this points to the Necrons being a harvesting force, rather than a pure invasion force.

Necron Fleets

While Necron forces are usually land-based, Necron space vessels are not unheard of and are quite possibly much more common than people realize. They are probably simply not seen and so the Necrons seem to have the terrifying ability to appear out of nowhere. There are more than two dozen records of Necron space contacts in the Imperial archives, and there are accounts of other races battling Necron fleets.

Necron mastery of physical technology is beyond anything the galaxy has ever seen and surpasses even that of the highly advanced Eldar. In the Fictional universe of Warhammer 40000, the Eldar are a race of Elf -like humanoids Their ships are stunningly fast and agile, equipped with propulsion systems which are capable of travelling interstellar distances without entering the Warp. This is achieved, as far as is known, by making their ships unbound by inertia, allowing them to accelerate almost instantly and infinitely, which explains why Necron ships are often seen to be visibly decelerating upon reaching the site of battle. This also protects them from many of the practical problems and dangers of warp travel. All Necron ships are well-armored, equipped with self-repair systems and use an advanced stealth technology which makes them invisible to enemy targeting systems, granting Necron vessels surprising staying power overall. Indeed, these vessels are so dangerous that they once reached deep into the heart of the Imperium near Mars before being gunned down by planetary defense system. Necron naval weaponry is frighteningly devastating; one necron ship is more than a match for a small imperial fleet while larger necron ships have been known to cripple entire fleets with a single shot and are known to by-pass many conventional defense systems, such as void shields and even Eldar holofields, and strike with an unearthly accuracy.

In every battle so far engaging Necrons on even terms proved to be suicide. Fortunately, all of the Necron fleets encountered so far were small task forces that usually disengaged and phased out like their land-based counterparts rather than putting up a full fight. However, their frequency seems to be increasing and the possibility of a massive Necron attack is dreaded by the Imperium as well as other sentient races. Even as a raiding force, they are a serious threat since they are fully capable of outmaneuvering most other fleets (probably with the exception of Eldar and their dark kin). In the fictional universe of Warhammer This often leads to catastrophic losses for enemy fleets and forces them to stall for reinforcements to arrive, at which point the Necrons simply phase out again.

See here for a list of known Necron spacecraft.

Living Metal

Living Metal is the basis of Necrontyr technology. It is extremely durable and can dynamically restructure itself to change shape or to adapt to an outside effect, as well as having the capability to mend itself when damaged. The physical shells that contain the C'tan are made from it, so called Necrodermis as are the Necron metal bodies (including starships and vehicles) and some of their weapons. The C'tan Phase Sword and C'tan Phase Knife also use similar technology. Literally, the name means "corpse skin" (from Greek νεκρος (as discussed earlier), and δερμις dermis).

The C'tan are encased in Necrodermis upon their creation, resulting in a trapping of a horrific amount of energy. On the battlefield, if this Necrodermis is somehow ruptured or broken, either by means of weaponry or accident, the C'tan encapsulated inside the Necrodermis will escape, resulting in a massive release of this energy. This creates a damaging explosion with a large radius, damaging Necron and enemy alike. The Necrodermis has the capacity to absorb energy and use that energy to repair itself, allowing it to house the energies of C'tan. when a C'tan is destroyed in this manner the sheer energy of the C'tan will return to a necron tomb and reform into its god-like form again

Bibliography

• Chambers, Andy; Haines, Pete, McNeill, Graham, and Hoare, Andy (2002). Andy Chambers is a British author and game designer best known for his work for Games Workshop. Codex: Necrons, 3rd Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-190-7.  

References

See also

• Weapons, equipment, and vehicles of the Necrons

External links

• Necrons and C'tan @ the Unofficial Warhammer 40,000 Encyclopedia
• Xenos Imagnifier - Imperial map of the galaxy highlighting Necron encounters.

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