Necrons – Warhammer 40k Guide

The Necrons, undying warriors of the galaxy. Awakened from eons of slumber, we are cold, calculating, and relentless in our quest for dominance over all living things.

With our gray metallic forms and advanced technology, we are the true inheritors of the galaxy, rising from the tombs to reclaim what is rightfully ours.

Eldar, Tyranids, Orks, or the Imperium of Man, it matters not. Our legions are vast and their firepower devastating, as we march forth with a chilling purpose. Seeking to reclaim a galaxy that once belonged to us.

Who Are the Necrons?

The Necrons are an ancient and enigmatic Xenos faction in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, known for their metallic bodies, advanced technology, and unyielding resolve.

Once a race of living beings, they underwent a horrific transformation into mechanical warriors, sacrificing their biological forms for immortality.

As masters of the galaxy’s secrets, the Necrons wield technology that far surpasses both the other Xenos species and the forces of the Imperium, including devastating weaponry and the ability to manipulate time and space.

Their culture is built on the principles of order and hierarchy, led by powerful Overlords and supported by legions of loyal warriors. As tomb worlds awaken across the galaxy, the Necrons are beginning to truly establish themselves as a threat to all life.

Necron technology is not merely advanced, it is often viewed as arcane, as it incorporates principles that can confound and overwhelm foes. They are a relentless force, seeking to reclaim their ancient dynasties and extinguish all life in their path.

What Are the Necron Army Strengths?

The Necron army is characterized by its resilience, firepower, and advanced tactics, making it a formidable force on the battlefield.

Necrons can regenerate losses and return to battle thanks to their Reanimation Protocols, allowing them to withstand punishing engagements.

Their units, such as Immortals and Warriors, are well-equipped with lethal ranged weaponry, allowing them to engage enemies from a distance.

Necron vehicles and constructs, like Monoliths and Doomsday Arks, provide heavy support and devastating firepower.

With advanced technologies, Necrons can reposition quickly and manipulate the battlefield, giving them a strategic edge.

However, Necrons can be vulnerable to overwhelming numbers in close combat and may struggle against highly mobile or fast-moving armies.

Their reliance on powerful, coordinated tactics can also falter if disrupted, leading to vulnerabilities if caught off guard.

Where Should Beginners Start?

If you’re starting your collection of Necrons as a beginner, consider these key models:

Necron Warriors: The backbone of any Necron army. Purchase a box of Necron Warriors to create a solid foundation, as their resilience and ranged firepower make them a crucial asset.

Overlord: An Overlord serves as a powerful leader, providing buffs to your units and enhancing your army’s effectiveness in battle.

Immortals: These elite warriors are tougher than standard troops and are equipped with better weaponry, making them versatile for both offense and defense.

Doomsday Ark: Adding this heavy support unit provides immense firepower and can help you control the battlefield, striking at enemies from afar.

How To Paint Necrons

Here are some creative paint ideas for new Necron players:

Color Scheme Ideas

Classic Necron

Base Coat: Start with a base coat of metallic silver, such as Leadbelcher, to capture their robotic essence.
Highlight: Highlight with a lighter silver to emphasize the armor plates.
Details: For accents, use green or turquoise for energy effects on weapons and gauntlets.
Wash: Finish with a wash of Nuln Oil to deepen shadows and enhance details, giving your Necrons a cold, metallic look.

Sautekh Dynasty

Base Coat; For a regal appearance, use a base coat of gold for armor and clothing.
Highlight: Highlight with brighter gold or silver to create depth.
Details: Use a deep green for the energy effects and glowing elements.
Wash: A wash of Agrax Earthshade can add an ancient, battle-worn feel to your models.

Mephrit Dynasty

Base Coat: Start with a base coat of a dark blue-green for armor.
Highlight: Highlight with a lighter blue or teal to emphasize details.
Details: Incorporate bright green for glowing effects and accents, capturing the essence of this dynamic dynasty.
Wash: Finish with a wash to enhance depth and give your Necrons a distinct and vibrant appearance.

Painting Techniques

Base Coating: Use metallic colors to reflect the Necron aesthetic, incorporating darker tones to give depth. A solid base coat provides a strong foundation for further detailing.

Drybrushing: This technique works well for highlighting the sharp edges and textures of Necron armor. Use a lighter metallic color to accentuate raised surfaces, creating a polished, battle-ready appearance.

Washes: Applying washes is crucial for adding depth and shadow to Necron models. Use Nuln Oil or Agrax Earthshade to emphasize the recesses in armor and weaponry.

Edge Highlighting: Define the sharp edges of armor and weapons with lighter colors to create striking contrasts, enhancing the definition of the models.

Contrast Paints: Use contrast paints for quick, impactful results on larger areas like armor or energy effects. This technique allows for depth without extensive layering, making it easier for beginners to achieve striking results.

Necrons Lore and History

The Necrons are the ancient, undying lords of the galaxy — a civilisation of skeletal metal warriors who ruled the stars sixty million years before humanity’s ancestors descended from the trees. Once the Necrontyr, a race of short-lived flesh-and-blood beings cursed with brief, cancer-ridden lifespans, they made a desperate bargain with the star gods known as the C’tan that would transform them into immortal machines at the cost of their very souls.

The process of biotransference — the transfer of Necrontyr consciousness into living metal bodies of necrodermis — was orchestrated by the C’tan, who fed on the life energy released during the process. The Silent King, Szarekh, who had brokered the deal, realised too late that the C’tan had consumed his people’s souls along with their flesh. This betrayal led to the War in Heaven, a conflict of such magnitude that it shattered the C’tan into shards and devastated the galaxy.

Following their pyrrhic victory over the C’tan, the Necrons entered the Great Sleep — a hibernation lasting millions of years, intended to allow the galaxy to recover and new civilisations to rise that might serve as vessels for the Necrons’ restoration. Now, in the 41st Millennium, the Necrons are awakening from their Tomb Worlds across the galaxy, reclaiming territories they consider rightfully theirs. The Silent King himself has returned, warning of the Tyranid threat and seeking to unite the fractious Necron dynasties.

Necron society is rigidly hierarchical, organised into Dynasties ruled by Phaerons and Overlords. The Szarekhan Dynasty, the Silent King’s own, claims supremacy over all others, though in practice many dynasties pursue their own agendas. The Nihilakh are territorial expansionists, the Novokh are bloodthirsty warriors, and the Mephrit wield devastating solar-powered weaponry. The enigmatic Crypteks — Necron scientists and techno-sorcerers — maintain the dynasties’ incredible technology, including Resurrection Protocols that allow Necron warriors to repair themselves and return to battle even after apparent destruction.

Necrons in the Current Meta

Necrons are a durable, versatile army with strong competitive presence thanks to their Reanimation Protocols — the signature ability that allows destroyed models to return to their units each turn. This mechanic makes Necron units incredibly resilient over the course of a game, particularly when holding objectives where every model that returns represents ongoing scoring pressure [VERIFY].

Tournament-successful Necron lists often leverage the efficiency of Warriors in large blocks, Lychguard for durable melee, and devastating C’tan Shards that provide mortal wound output and board control. Overlords and Crypteks provide essential support abilities that enhance the army’s already formidable staying power. Various dynasty detachments offer competitive angles from aggressive melee to ranged dominance [VERIFY].

The Necrons’ competitive challenges include relatively slow movement on most units and dependence on maintaining unit coherency for Reanimation to be effective. However, their combination of resilience, solid firepower, and flexible list-building options makes them a consistent performer in tournaments across all skill levels. For the latest rankings, visit our faction tier list.

Collecting Necrons

Necrons are consistently ranked as one of the best armies for new collectors. Their metallic, skeletal aesthetic is straightforward to paint — a silver spray, a wash, and glowing green energy effects produce tabletop-ready models quickly. The army also features an excellent range of models from basic Warriors to imposing vehicles and characters.

Begin with the Necrons Combat Patrol for outstanding value — Necron starter products typically offer excellent points-per-pound ratios. Essential expansions include additional Warriors (the backbone of most lists), Lychguard or Immortals (elite infantry), and a Doomsday Ark or Ghost Ark for vehicle support. Named characters like the Silent King provide stunning centrepiece models.

The beauty of Necron collecting is the speed of painting. A Leadbelcher spray basecoat followed by a Nuln Oil wash gets you 80% of the way to a finished model. Add Tesseract Glow technical paint for the energy effects and you have a striking army with minimal effort. For collectors who want to push further, techniques like oxide weathering and glowing OSL effects can elevate Necrons to display-quality. See our Necron painting guide for the full process.

Painting Necrons

Difficulty: Beginner-Friendly

Necrons are arguably the easiest army to paint in all of Warhammer 40,000. The skeletal metal bodies require just a metallic spray and a wash to look great, and the glowing energy effects that define the Necron aesthetic can be achieved with a single technical paint. A complete Necron army can be painted to a high tabletop standard faster than almost any other faction.

Key paints: Leadbelcher spray (basecoat — this one product does 70% of the work), Nuln Oil (all-over wash), Tesseract Glow (energy effects — rods, eyes, weapons), Runelord Brass (gold details on characters), Abaddon Black (weapon casings), Nihilakh Oxide (optional verdigris weathering). That’s genuinely all you need for a great-looking army. Six paints for an entire faction.

For those wanting to push beyond the basics, glowing OSL effects (Object Source Lighting) transform Necrons from good to spectacular. Paint the energy areas white, apply your chosen glow colour (green, blue, or orange), then carefully drybrush the glow colour onto surrounding metal surfaces to simulate light emission. Dynasty-specific colour variations are achieved by changing the energy colour — Szarekhan use green, Mephrit use orange, Nihilakh use blue-green. Weathering with Typhus Corrosion adds millennia of age to the ancient warriors. For a comprehensive step-by-step process, visit our Necrons painting guide.

How to Play Necrons

Necrons play as a slow, grinding army that wins through attrition and inevitability. Your key mechanic is Reanimation Protocols — at the start of each Command phase, you roll dice for each destroyed model in a unit, and on a 5+ they stand back up. This makes Necron units incredibly persistent, especially in large squads where the Protocols have more chances to trigger.

The ideal Necron strategy revolves around holding the centre of the board with durable units while your heavy hitters — C’tan Shards, Doomsday Arks, and Lokhust Heavy Destroyers — provide devastating firepower from mid-range. Avoid splitting your army too thin; Necrons are strongest when they can concentrate Reanimation Protocols on key units.

Key Tactics

Castle and advance — Move your Warrior blobs forward together with an Overlord or Royal Warden nearby for re-rolls and fall-back-and-shoot abilities.
Screen with Scarabs — Canoptek Scarabs are cheap and fast, perfect for holding objectives and screening your valuable units from charges.
Deep strike threats — Flayed Ones and Deathmarks can deep strike to grab distant objectives or eliminate key enemy support characters.
Use Command Protocols — Each battle round activates a different Command Protocol [VERIFY], giving your army situational bonuses. Plan your protocol sequence to match your battle plan.

Best Necron Units

Necron Warriors

The backbone of any Necron army. In squads of 20, their Reanimation Protocols become extremely efficient, and their gauss flayers provide reliable anti-infantry firepower. Take them with gauss reapers for a more aggressive, close-range build. They are cheap, durable, and benefit enormously from Overlord re-rolls.

Lychguard

Elite bodyguards armed with either warscythes (offensive) or hyperphase swords with dispersion shields (defensive). The shield variant is particularly strong, offering a 4+ invulnerable save that makes them incredibly tough. They excel at protecting your HQ units and holding key positions.

C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer

One of the most devastating melee characters in Warhammer 40k. The Nightbringer deals massive damage and has abilities that deal mortal wounds to nearby units [VERIFY]. Its main weakness is its high points cost, but it can single-handedly destroy enemy units and swing games.

Canoptek Wraiths

Fast, durable, and deadly in melee with a 4+ invulnerable save and the ability to move through terrain. Wraiths are your best mobile threat, capable of flanking enemies and tying up dangerous ranged units in combat. They’re a staple of competitive Necron lists.

Lokhust Heavy Destroyers

Your premier anti-tank option, armed with gauss destructors that can cripple vehicles in a single volley. They are fragile but deadly, best used behind cover where they can fire without being targeted easily. Essential for dealing with enemy armour.

Related Armies

If you enjoy Necrons, you might also like these armies:

Tyranids — Necrons and Tyranids are ancient rivals with dramatically different approaches to galactic domination.
Eldar — An ancient enmity between the Necrons and Aeldari stretches back millions of years.
Ossiarch Bonereapers — The Ossiarch Bonereapers are the Age of Sigmar equivalent, sharing the Necrons’ undying, disciplined warrior aesthetic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the Necrons?

The Necrons are an ancient race of skeletal robots who once ruled the galaxy as the Necrontyr. Sixty million years ago, they transferred their consciousness into living metal bodies called necrodermis, and now awaken from tomb worlds to reclaim their galactic empire.

Are Necrons good for beginners?

Necrons are one of the best armies for beginners in Warhammer 40k. Their Reanimation Protocols bring destroyed models back to life, their Warriors are cheap and resilient, and their simple, durable playstyle is very forgiving of mistakes.

What are the strengths of Necrons?

Necrons excel at durability and attrition thanks to Reanimation Protocols, which let destroyed models stand back up. Their gauss weapons reliably damage any target, and powerful characters like the Silent King and C’tan Shards are devastating in combat.

What are the weaknesses of Necrons?

Necrons are generally slow-moving with limited mobility options. Their basic Warriors have mediocre ballistic skill, and their reliance on Reanimation Protocols means they suffer against armies that can wipe out entire units in one volley.

How much does a Necrons army cost?

A Necrons army is affordable to start with the Combat Patrol box (around £85/$150) providing about 500 points. A full 2,000-point army typically costs £300-£450 ($400-$600), with Warriors being inexpensive and versatile core troops.

What are Reanimation Protocols?

Reanimation Protocols are the Necrons’ signature ability, representing their self-repairing living metal bodies. At the start of each turn, destroyed Necron models in a unit have a chance to reassemble and return to the fight, making Necron units extremely persistent.