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In the Table-top Wargame '' Warhammer 40,000 '', the Necrons are a mysterious race of skeletal warriors that have lain dormant in their stasis-tombs for millions of years. They are ancient beyond reckoning, pre-dating even the Eldar . Yet, they are beginning to awaken, for the galaxy is ripe for harvest.


HISTORY


A scant few million years after the birth of the stars, the Necrontyr race clung to their short lives from the radiation scourging of their massive and violent star. The Necrontyr spent aeons expanding their technology in an attempt to extend their lives. They used slow-burning tomb ships, full of cryogenically frozen Necrontyr to populate the stars. When they encountered the Old Ones , the other sentient race of the Galaxy at the time, the Necrontyr were angered to learn that the Old Ones were practically immortal. The Necrontyr started a war against the Old Ones to exterminate them as a reminder of their own failings. When it came down to a war between the Old Ones psychic abilities and mastery of the webway portals, and the Necrontyr's technology, the Necrontyr lost, and were almost exterminated. In a desperate attempt to survive, one of the Necrontyr scientists noticed that there were strange readings over the homeworld's star. The C'tan had been discovered.


The Necrontyr


Not a lot is known about the origins or the natural history of the ancient race known as the Necrontyr. They seem to be one of the earliest sentient races in the galaxy. What little that is known portrays a bitter race, confined to their homeworld and cursed by drastically short lifespans due to a perilously close orbit around their sun.

The Necrontyr were desperate to free themselves from their tortured lives, and dedicated their scientific advance to two endeavours: studying their sun in search of a defence against its wrath, and planning an escape to another, more hospitable world.


Necrodermis


The living metal developed by the ancient and long dead Necrontyr, originally invented for use in constructing their ships. It is a metallic substance that appears to grow and heal as if it were part of a living organism.


The Old Ones


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, where the Necrontyr were impatient, the Old Ones were infinitely understanding and patient beyond belief.

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' civilisation. The Old Ones were worlds beyond the Necrontyr in terms of technology, and the attacks by the lesser race were easily shrugged off. But a new discovery about the Necrontyr home star would change this drastically: the discovery of the first C'tan.


The C'Tan


The scientists studying the Necrontyr home star had 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 realising the potential implications such an incredible power might have on the war against the Old Ones. It was not long before other similar beings were discovered, and they were collectively called the C'tan, literally "Star Gods" in the language of the Necrontyr.

The scientists at last managed to communicate with the beings using signals many years long - long enough to be noticed by such a high level of sentience. Using new technologies of living metal, the Necrontyr crafted material bodies for the star vampires, and they invited the C'tan to possess and animate their new material forms.

As the awesome power of the C'tan became material, the Necrontyr began to see these new beings not as guests, but as gods. This suited the C'tan well, as in their material forms they had discovered a new delicacy to absorb, that of the living soul, and the flow of power from the Necrontyr towards their new gods was a welcome thrill.


Transformation

When told of the Necrontyr's troubled existence, and their struggled war against the Old Ones, the C'tan were quick to formulate a plan. Using their mastery of physics, the C'tan would fashion new, immortal bodies for the Necrontyr, forged from a living metal similar to that which the C'tan material bodies were composed of. This way the Necrontyr would get their prize of immortality, and would become an unstoppable force against the Old Ones.

Of course, the C'tan had a hidden agenda. As the Necrontyr entered their immortal bodies, their living essence would escape them, to be easily lapped up by their hungry gods.

In one swift action, the entire Necrontyr race was effectively destroyed, replaced with legions of skeletal robots, who lost the last dregs of their individuality shortly after their transformation. These new beings, from then on known as Necrons, were ideal minions for the C'tan, and served only to herd the star-gods' cattle, so that they could feed on all life in the galaxy.


The Enslavers


During the terrible wars between the C'tan and the Old Ones that followed the grave birth of the Necrons, the Enslavers poured forth into the galaxy, and caused the deaths of many billions of lives. The C'tan, beings of pure physical energy, had no understanding of the Warp , and the onslaught of psychic beings was something they had no ability to oppose. Of course, the Enslavers posed no direct threat to the Necrons or the C'tan, but they were killing the C'tan's cattle in droves, and the star gods and their legions were forced into hiding to wait out this plague.


Awakening

Now, many millions of years after the Enslaver plague, the Necrons and their masters finally awaken to reclaim their galaxy, and begin once again to herd the living as their cattle. The deathly silent ranks of the Necrons stalk forth across countless worlds, to reassert their masters' rule, and once again inspire fear into the living.


THE NECRONS IN THE 41ST MILLENNIUM

Today, the Necrons are still a shadowy presence rather than a full-fledged force. They strike out of nowhere without warning, wreak havoc and leave before any major reinforcements can arrive. The origins of the various attacks and their motives are unknown. Not a single Necron could be captured for inspection yet; entire Necron forces simply vanish into the air without a trace and take their dead with them.

Nowhere in the galaxy is beyond the reach of the Necrons, as demonstrated by the Mars incident, where five Necron starships passed through the considerable Imperial fleet guarding the Solar System undetected. They were already in the low orbit of Mars by the time the planetary defenses of the Adeptus Mechanicus homeworld could finally register the attack. Although four of the Necron ships were destroyed, the final one managed to land and deliver its unknown content. The fact that five ships managed to penetrate one of the most heavily guarded planets in the heart of the Imperium has dire implications about the previously undoubted impregnability of Holy Terra itself, so this incident is one of the tightly guarded secrets of the Imperium.

What actually happens is that Necron forces strike out of various uncharted tomb-worlds, using their phase technology to rapidly deploy their forces anywhere in the galaxy. When defeated, they simply "phase-out" and return to the tomb-world for repairs. Every Necron fallen in battle can be repaired and re-animated in a tomb-world, so they never actually sustain casualties (although it is possible to destroy these complexes). With more and more Necron awakening from their millennia-long slumber, they are apt to pose a great threat to the whole galaxy.

Other than their military assaults, the Necrons have infiltrated the Imperium to an unknown extent. Their elite anti-psyker troops, the Pariah, are a cross-breed with human genes and it is yet unknown if the Necrons developed the Pariah project by themselves or with the help of Imperial traitors (or possibly even Adeptus Mechanicus). But it is known 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.

Necrons are effectively, the souls/consciousnesses of sentient beings (the Necrontyr) trapped in advanced "liquid-state" metallic robotic bodies. Due to being of an extremely high technological level (possibly millions of years ahead of humanity), they are relatively unaffected by conventional EMP weaponry. Whether this is due to radiation shielding or non-electronic components is not currently known. They apparently use portable power cores and teleporters (apparently made up of a greenish crystalline substance) for each Necron soldier.


GAMEPLAY AND TACTICS

In combat, the Necrons are unyielding war machines that bring swift death to their prey. Armed with Gauss weapons that flay an opponent atom by atom and that can penetrate even the heaviest armor, the Necrons have fierce firepower. Also, the Necrons have a remarkable ability to repair themselves, a Special Rule known as "We'll Be Back!" that allows dead troops to re-animate themselves on the field and join the battle. This gives the Necrons incredible staying power in a battle, which makes them an enemy dreaded by all races in the world of Warhammer 40,000. It is often said amongst commanders of more orthodox armies that the Necrons are an unfairly powerful force on the battlefield, due to the fact even a basic warrior can tear through the strongest tanks in the game. However, their strengths are balanced by their limited variety of units and equipment, by their high point costs per unit and most notably their "Phase Out" rule, which causes Necrons to automatically retreat and lose any battle if 75% or more of their army has been destroyed.


NECRON FORCES & WEAPONRY


Necron Characteristics

Necrons are a 'dead' race, forged by the ancient Necrontyr (whose essence is now contained within Necrons) and their Star Gods. Most Necrons are tall, skeletal figures made of living metal. Besides being the equivalent of a Space Marine's power armor, this special material also has the ability to mend itself and allows fallen Necron units to rejoin the battle. This self-repair mechanism is not without limitations, however. A fallen Necron unit needs to be in the vicinity of an operational unit of the same type, and those struck down by heavy weapons are often damaged beyond self-repair.

Necrons also have an unique behaviour about casualties: Whenever a Necron army loses more than the three-quarters of its fighting force, all Necron units immediately retreat, vanishing into the air even in the middle of a fight. They leave no indication of their presence behind, fallen troops and scattered equipment will disappear so swiftly that the victors are often left wondering about what exactly happened. This maneuver is called Phase Out and is sometimes the only way to defeat an attacking Necron force.


Gauss Weapons

Necron weapons are dreadful devices known as Gauss weapons. While their inner workings are beyond any technological understanding, they seem to work at molecular level, rapidly stripping a target down to its constituent atoms. Their fierce firepower can be lethal for infantry and vehicles alike; it is recorded on more than one occasion that an infantry-carried Gauss weapon punched through the armor of a heavy tank. Heavier Gauss weapons also exist, and are easily the equivalent of any Imperial Lascannon . While they are named 'Gauss' weapons by the Imperium, they are not gauss weapons as we know them, and instead function on some esoteric principle well beyond our comprehension to vaporise a target. In one Black Library novel, the sound of Necron Warriors shooting were noted as being similar to that created by the tearing of cloth.
  • Gauss Flayer: Standard equipment for Necron Warriors, Gauss Flayers are long-barreled rifles with an axe attached to their tip. Their most striking feature is a transparent tube running the length of the barrel, with green arcs of unearthly energy crackling within. Gauss Flayers are rapid fire weapons and can be fired while moving, although they are more efficient if used stationary. Their firepower seems to match Space Marine Bolters , which, combined with their Gauss technology, makes them quite capable weapons.

  • Gauss Blaster: Gauss Blasters closely resemble double-barreled Flayers, but their increased firepower can penetrate standard infantry armor with ease. Carried by elite Necron Immortals, they are designed to be fired while moving, and lose none of their efficiency (unlike the Flayers).

  • Gauss Cannon: A heavy Gauss weapon designed mainly against light vehicles or masses of armored infantry, Gauss Cannons are mounted on agile Necron Destroyers. Its high rate of fire, long range and firepower make the Gauss Cannon a lethal threat to any but most heavily armored units.

  • Heavy Gauss Cannon: The anti-vehicle variant of Gauss Cannon. They are mounted on Heavy Destroyers, and while they have a limited rate of fire, a single shot from a Heavy Gauss Cannon can punch through even the dreaded Terminator Power Armor or heavy vehicle armor.

  • Gauss Flux Arc: Mounted on Necron Monoliths for close-range fire support, the multi-barreled Gauss Flux Arc combines the firepower of a Gauss Blaster with an incredibly high rate of fire.


Necrons have also some non-Gauss weapons at their disposal, but they are far less common.

  • Staff of Light: Carried by Necron Lords both as a symbol of rank and a formidable weapon, the Staff of Light can shoot devastating energy blasts comparable to a Gauss Blaster, although it has a shorter range with a higher rate of fire and firepower. It can also be wielded as a close combat weapon by the Necron Lord and will function like a Power Weapon .

  • Warscythe (with built-in Gauss Blaster): One of the most powerful close combat weapons in the galaxy, Warscythes are made of ''Necrodermis'' and imbued with Phase technology. A Warscythe can cut through anything, even energy fields, and is therefore an unstoppable weapon in the hands of a skilled wielder. Warscythes are sometimes wielded by Necron Lords instead of a Staff of Light while the Pariah, Necron elite of the elite, carry even deadlier variants with built-in Gauss Blasters.

  • Particle Projector: Sometimes mounted on Tomb Spyders, the Particle Projector is the equivalent of a Staff of Light.

  • Particle Whip: The primary weapon of Necron Monoliths, the Particle Whip is a weapon of mass destruction. While both its range and firepower can't match a Heavy Gauss Cannon, the lightning of green energy shot by the Particle Whip creates a huge explosion and can eliminate multiple foes at once. The energy is particularly dense in the lightning arc itself, hence a direct hit from a Particle Whip is often lethal for infantry and vehicles alike.



Necron Units

  • Necron Lord: Necron Lords are the commanders of Necron forces. They are formidable foes on the battlefield, being quite adept with both ranged and close combat weaponry. Necron Lords are also one of the few agile units of an otherwise cumbersome army.


Besides all of these, Necron Lords carry various special equipment which can change the tide of the battle. For example, ''Resurrection Orb'' augments the self-repair systems of nearby Necrons, allowing them to repair themselves even if they were taken down by heavy weaponry. ''Veil of Darkness'' is also another piece of equipment worth mentioning, since it allows the Necron Lord and one other squad of Necrons to teleport anywhere on the battlefield. This is a very powerful ability and is unique to Necrons.

  • Pariah: The "elite of the elite" of the Necron army, Pariahs are a fearsome sight on the battlefield. They are created by modifying humans who carry the "Pariah Gene", a gene that may be implanted into humanity's genetic makeup by the C'Tan which gives the carrier no presence in the Warp. As such, Pariahs lack the self-repair systems of other Necron units but they are otherwise as durable as any Necron and more agile than most. Pariahs carry the best infantry weapons Necron technology has to offer. They are fearless in battle and due to their unnatural status as warp 'voids' cause unrest among enemy ranks, greatly decreasing morale. Pariahs are specifically designed to hunt down psykers and any psyker in the vicinity of a Pariah needs to fight the urge to turn back and flee.


  • Immortal: Those Necrontyr who were among the first to give up their flesh and embrace the metal are rewarded by being Immortals. Though they are very tough and thus can usually hold up on their own in melee, they are cumbersome fighters and are primarily intended for ranged combat. Their excellent accuracy and powerful Gauss Blasters are more than enough for this job.


  • Flayed One: 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, and are a terrifying sight to behold, so much that sometimes enemy fighters lose their nerve by just looking at them.


Flayed Ones are also able to infiltrate enemy lines before a battle and move through rough terrain with ease. Necron commanders may choose to 'teleport' Flayed Ones into the battle, in which case they will emerge out of the ground to catch their enemies by surprise.

  • Warrior: Necron Warriors are the backbone of Necron army. They are numerous and provide a strong fire support with their superb Necron accuracy and Gauss weapons. As is usual with Necrons, Warriors can take a high amount of punishment but they suffer in close combat due to their cumbersome nature. Also, Warriors can use Monolith portals (see below) to teleport into the battle.


  • Wraith: Wraiths are one of the more sophisticated Necron units. They lack legs or a body (except for the spinal cord) and hover over the battlefield. They are incredibly fast, matching the speed of a jetbike, and they can phase in and out during their flight, becoming the ghostly figures that earns them their name. This phase shift ability allows them to move through solid objects or impassable terrain while granting them protection against almost any kind of attack (since the projectile/beam/chainsword has a chance to harmlessly slip through the Wraith). They are deadly melee fighters, striking with speed and strength.


  • Destroyer: Destroyers are Immortals fused to fast and agile hovercraft platforms. Equipped with Gauss Cannons and sophisticated targeting systems which enables them to fire while moving, Destroyers are ideal for hit-and-run attacks or disrupting enemy flanks.


  • Scarab Swarm: Scarab Swarms are formed by countless beetle-like robots, called Scarabs. Despite the fact that they lack self-repair systems and are not nearly as tough as other Necron units, the sheer number of Scarabs in a swarm makes them hard to eliminate. Scarab Swarms usually take front positions, rapidly flying towards enemy lines to cover them in a mass of biting, stinging robots. Alternatively, they can burrow deep underground or be dropped from high-altitude, appearing suddenly among enemy ranks. Although not very lethal against even lightly armored infantry, they can create confusion when needed and are also capable of being equipped with Gauss devices called ''disruption fields'' to wreak havoc on enemy vehicles.


  • Tomb Spyder: Giant, arachnoid robots, Tomb Spyders are more support units than fighters. Although they can be deadly thanks to their massive size, they are not built for war. Tomb Spyders have special onboard systems to boost the self-repair capabilities of nearby Necrons, allowing them to repair themselves even if no operational unit of the same type is in the vicinity. (Note that at least one such unit must still be on the battlefield.) Also, Tomb Spyders that are not engaged in combat are capable of manufacturing Scarab Swarms on the field.


  • Heavy Destroyer: Destroyers carrying Heavy Gauss Cannons are called Heavy Destroyers, and are primarily used as swift anti-vehicle platforms.



  • Monolith: The only vehicle and powerhouse of any Necron army, the Monolith is a sight to behold. Shaped like a huge black pyramid with a green crystal core at the top, the Monolith usually enters the scene by teleporting into the battle. It then slowly hovers over the battlefield, its numerous weapons causing mayhem while the ''living metal'' armor plating easily fends off counter-attacks.


Monoliths are equipped with multi-barreled Gauss Flux Arc Projectors at all sides, raining Gauss energy down on the enemies who dare to venture too close. Its power core at the top is capable of condensing energy into a bolt of lightning and firing the majestic Particle Whip. The Monolith is the most durable land vehicle in the galaxy. Its armor plating rivals that of a Land Raider and is made of Necron living metal, which is not only self-repairing but capable of instantaneously altering its structure to resist incoming attacks. This causes a decrease in the effectiveness of many weapons, making the Monolith very hard — in some cases even impossible — to destroy. Taking down a Monolith is no small feat and usually cannot be accomplished with anything less than a concentrated anti-vehicle weaponry fire or artillery barrages.

Besides being a "flying fortress", the Monolith is also a support vehicle for the Necron army. Each Monolith has a portal through which reserve forces of Warriors can teleport into the battle. The Monolith can also utilize its power core to teleport any Necron squad from the battlefield towards itself, which will increase their chance of self-repair as an additional benefit.


Necron Fleets

While Necron forces are usually land-based, Necron space vessels are not unheard of, though are quite possibly much more common than people realise, and simply not seen. This is supported by the Necrons' terrifying ability to appear almost anywhere. There are more than two dozen records of Necron contacts in space in Imperial archives, and accounts of other races battling Necron fleets also exist.

Necron technology is beyond anything the galaxy has ever seen, surpassing even Eldar. Their ships are stunningly fast and agile, equipped with propulsion systems which are capable of traveling interstellar distances without entering the Warp. This is achieved, as far as is known, by somehow 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 utilize some sort of advanced stealth technology which makes them difficult to detect for enemy targeting systems, granting Necron vessels surprising staying power overall. Although still devastating, Necron naval weaponry does not seem to match the raw power of some Imperial designs, they are however known to by-pass many conventional defense systems and strike with an unearthly accuracy.

In every battle so far the Necrons could only be defeated by superior numbers, and engaging Necrons on even terms proved to be suicide. Fortunately, all of the Necron fleets encountered so far were small task forces and usually disengaged and phased out like their land-based counterparts, rather than putting up a full fight. But 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, as they are fully capable of outmanoeuvring most other fleets (probably with the exception of Eldar and their dark kin) to pick fights on an even footing. This often leads to catastrophic losses for enemy fleets and forces them to somehow stall with an utterly inferior fighting force for overwhelming reinforcements to arrive, at which point the Necrons simply disengage.

Known Necron space vessels are:

  • ''Cairn'' class Tombship: Largest Necron ship encountered so far, the Tombship is a terrifyingly well-armed craft easily capable of defeating any Imperial battleship. Equipped with various heavy weapon batteries for both long and short range attack, Tombships can wreak havoc while absorbing a disheartening amount of return fire. They are also known to sometimes carry special vaults called ''Sepulchres''. These mysterious devices wear down the minds of enemy crews, causing unrest throughout the ship and disrupting the chain of command. Also, Sepulchre-equipped Tombships seem to be able to shoot down incoming ordnance much more easily than their normal counterparts.


Fortunately for all races, Tombships have so far only been met on seven occasions, always serving as flagships. While thought to be the largest vessel serving the Necrons, some Orks talk about another class of Necron battleship larger yet, dwarfing one of their mighty space hulks. Knowing Orkish behaviour, however, it would not be surprising if this was simply the ramblings of fleeing greenskins attempting to salvage some shred of 'dignity'. However the potency of Necron miltary might in the past combined with the short time they have made their presence know means that this should not be dismissed

  • ''Scythe'' class Harvest Ship: Designated as cruisers of Necron fleets, Harvest Ships are a common sight in any Necron force. Their sleek lines make them appear lightly built, but this is highly deceptive as many pilots found out the hard way. Harvest Ships are incredibly resilient for their size and have an impressive amount of firepower, carrying weapon systems similar to that of a Cairn Tombship. With speed, resilience and firepower, the Harvest Ship is a match for any but the largest Imperial craft.


  • ''Shroud'' class Light Cruiser: More of an infiltration and recon vessel than a warship, Shroud Light Cruisers are still formidable foes. However, their most striking feature is their hyper-advanced stealth and sensor systems. Shrouds can pass through minefields undetected while scanning enemy formations and relaying information to the rest of the Necron fleet, giving the Necron commanders an important advantage. The five Necron vessels that infiltrated the Adeptus Mechanicus homeworld in the Mars Incident were all Shroud Light Cruisers.


  • ''Jackal'' class Raider: Necron Raiders are designated to be the equivalents of Imperial escort ships and are a common sight in any Necron fleet like their Imperial counterparts. Small and very agile vessels, Raiders are usually utilized as fighter support for larger Necron ships. Jackal is the slightly larger variant of the two known Raider classes.


  • ''Dirge'' class Raider: The Dirge class is the smaller variant of Necron Raiders. While lacking the firepower of Jackals, they are one of the fastest vessels in the battlefield, capable of outstripping almost any other ship in existence in a straight line.



POSSIBLE INFLUENCES

The Necrons are highly reminiscent of the cyborgs in '' Tomb Kings army in that, among other things, the Necrons despise psychic powers while the Tomb Kings embrace it and are very skilled at it (psychic powers being the 40,000 counterpart to magic). Both armies, however, carry strong skeletal and ancient Egyptian appearances. Their background also has many similarities to the Cthulhu Mythos , with tales of ancient, malevolent gods awaking after eons of slumber to plunge the universe into neverending darkness. There is also a lot of debate about whether or not they are based on the popular Doctor Who villians The Cybermen who share an extremely similar background to them, including having given up their human bodies for metal and being encased in tombs for a long period of time before being awakened. The basic appearance of the Necrons, although not their background, can be traced back to the "Chaos Androids" released by Games Workshop for their Space Crusade game.


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