This is the complete encyclopedia of every Necron unit in Warhammer 40,000. The Necrons are an ancient race of deathless metal warriors who once ruled the galaxy as the Necrontyr. After transferring their consciousness into living metal bodies 60 million years ago, they slumbered in tomb worlds — and now they are awakening. This guide covers every unit in the Necron range, organised by battlefield role.
HQ / Character Units
Overlord
The Overlord is the supreme commander of a Necron dynasty, a towering metal lord wielding a Voidscythe or Staff of Light. Overlords are master strategists who have spent millions of years perfecting the art of war. On the tabletop, they provide powerful aura abilities that buff nearby Necron units and are formidable combatants in their own right.
Royal Warden
The Royal Warden serves as the Overlord’s enforcer and lieutenant, ensuring discipline among the reanimating legions. Armed with a relic Gauss Blaster, the Royal Warden allows nearby units to fall back and shoot, providing crucial tactical flexibility. It is one of the most efficient support Characters in the Necron army.
Lord
Necron Lords are lesser nobility who command smaller detachments of the dynasty’s forces. They are skilled warriors though less imposing than Overlords, typically wielding a Staff of Light or Voidblade. Lords provide Resurrection Orb access and solid if unspectacular combat performance as a budget HQ choice.
Cryptek (Chronomancer)
The Chronomancer is a Cryptek specialising in the manipulation of time. Armed with an Aeonstave and Chrono-technology, the Chronomancer can grant nearby units an invulnerable save, effectively bending time to deflect attacks. It is one of the most popular Necron support characters for its defensive buff.
Cryptek (Technomancer)
The Technomancer is a Cryptek specialising in nanotechnology and repair. It enhances Reanimation Protocols for nearby units, bringing destroyed models back to life more reliably. The Technomancer can also be accompanied by a Canoptek Cloak for increased mobility or a Control Node that buffs Canoptek constructs.
Cryptek (Psychomancer)
The Psychomancer is a Cryptek specialising in fear and psychological warfare. It wields an Abyssal Lance and projects nightmarish illusions that debuff enemy units, reducing their Leadership and combat effectiveness. While less commonly seen than the Chronomancer or Technomancer, it provides unique debuff utility.
Cryptek (Plasmancer)
The Plasmancer is a Cryptek who commands living lightning, unleashing devastating electrical storms upon the enemy. Armed with a Plasmic Lance, the Plasmancer excels at dealing mortal wounds at range. It is accompanied by Cryptothralls — mindless attendants that serve as bodyguards and melee deterrents.
Skorpekh Lord
The Skorpekh Lord is a terrifying melee Character mounted on three insectoid legs, wielding a massive Flensing Claw and Enmitic Annihilator. It was driven insane by the Destroyer Cult’s obsession with extermination. The Skorpekh Lord buffs nearby Destroyer units and is a devastating close-combat threat.
Lokhust Lord
The Lokhust Lord is a Destroyer Cult commander mounted on an anti-gravity platform, wielding heavy ranged weaponry and a Phylactery for self-healing. It provides buffs to Lokhust Destroyer units and combines decent shooting with respectable durability. A solid choice for Destroyer-heavy army builds.
Illuminor Szeras
Illuminor Szeras is a named Cryptek character obsessed with perfecting biotransference. He can permanently enhance a Core unit each turn, boosting their Strength, Ballistic Skill, or Toughness. He is also a competent fighter with his Eldritch Lance. Szeras brings unique buffing capabilities that reward careful planning.
Imotekh the Stormlord
Imotekh is the Phaeron of the Sautekh Dynasty and one of the greatest Necron strategists in the galaxy. He generates additional Command Points and can call down devastating lightning storms on enemy units. His strategic abilities make him one of the most powerful named Characters in the Necron codex.
Trazyn the Infinite
Trazyn is an eccentric Overlord of the Nihilakh Dynasty who collects artefacts, specimens, and historical curiosities from across the galaxy. On the tabletop, he can replace himself with another friendly Character model when destroyed and carries a Tesseract Labyrinth that can trap enemy Characters. A fun and thematic character choice.
Anrakyr the Traveller
Anrakyr is a restless Overlord who wanders the galaxy awakening dormant tomb worlds and uniting Necron dynasties. He can seize control of enemy vehicles, turning their own guns against them. His Mind in the Machine ability makes him a unique threat against mechanised armies.
Orikan the Diviner
Orikan is a Chronomancer of legendary power who can predict the future and manipulate the flow of time. During battle, he can transform into a devastating empowered form with dramatically increased stats when certain conditions are met. He is the most powerful individual Cryptek character available.
Battleline / Troops
Necron Warriors
Necron Warriors are the backbone of every tomb world’s legions — endless ranks of deathless soldiers armed with Gauss Flayers or Gauss Reapers. They are durable, benefit heavily from Reanimation Protocols, and come in units of 10–20. Large Warrior blocks supported by a Technomancer are exceptionally difficult to remove from objectives.
Immortals
Immortals are the elite infantry of the Necron dynasties, former nobility who retained more of their sentience through biotransference. Armed with Gauss Blasters or Tesla Carbines, they have superior Ballistic Skill and Toughness compared to Warriors. Immortals are a versatile battleline choice that balances shooting output with durability.
Elite Units
Lychguard
Lychguard are the royal bodyguards of the Necron nobility, sworn to protect their lords unto death and beyond. Armed with Warscythes (massive damage output) or Hyperphase Swords and Dispersion Shields (durability with invulnerable saves), they are the premier melee infantry in the Necron army. A Lychguard bodyguard wall is a classic competitive build.
Deathmarks
Deathmarks are elite snipers and assassins who phase in from other dimensions to eliminate priority targets. Armed with Synaptic Disintegrators, they can Deep Strike and deal additional damage to Characters. While niche, Deathmarks provide targeted removal that the rest of the Necron army sometimes lacks.
Triarch Praetorians
Triarch Praetorians are ancient warriors who serve the Triarch — the supreme ruling council of the Necron race — rather than any individual dynasty. They wield Rod of Covenant or Voidblades and Particle Casters, and have the Fly keyword. They are fast, hard-hitting melee infantry that operate independently of dynasty mechanics.
Flayed Ones
Flayed Ones are Necrons afflicted with a mind-virus that compels them to tear the flesh from living beings and drape it over their metal bodies. They infiltrate the battlefield, appearing behind enemy lines in a frenzy of slashing claws. On the tabletop, they excel at Deep Striking onto objectives and shredding light infantry in melee.
Cryptothralls
Cryptothralls are mindless Necron constructs that serve as bodyguards for Crypteks. Each pair provides protection to their accompanying Cryptek, intercepting attacks and retaliating with Scouring Eye ranged attacks and Scythed Limbs in melee. They are cheap, efficient bodyguards that come in the Cryptek kits.
Skorpekh Destroyers
Skorpekh Destroyers are terrifying tripod-legged melee killing machines driven by the Destroyer Cult’s insatiable need to exterminate all life. Armed with Hyperphase weapons, they hit incredibly hard in close combat and are one of the most efficient melee units in the Necron codex. A staple in competitive Necron lists.
Hexmark Destroyer
The Hexmark Destroyer is a lone assassin armed with six Enmitic Disintegrator Pistols, capable of unleashing a devastating fusillade upon arrival from Deep Strike. It specialises in wiping out small support units and light infantry that wander too close. A quirky but effective niche unit for objective clearance.
Ophydian Destroyers
Ophydian Destroyers are serpentine Destroyer Cult warriors that tunnel beneath the battlefield and erupt from the ground to ambush their prey. They are fast, hit hard in melee, and can arrive from Deep Strike. They fill a similar role to Skorpekh Destroyers but trade raw power for mobility and board presence.
Fast Attack
Canoptek Scarab Swarms
Scarab Swarms are tiny self-replicating beetles that surge across the battlefield in vast numbers. They are the cheapest unit in the Necron codex and are used primarily for screening, holding objectives, and tying up enemy units. Scarabs can also be respawned by Canoptek Spyders, making them a persistent nuisance.
Canoptek Wraiths
Canoptek Wraiths are terrifying phase-shifting constructs that pass through solid matter as if it were not there. Their ability to ignore terrain and models when moving makes them exceptionally fast and impossible to screen against. Armed with Whip Coils or Particle Casters, Wraiths are one of the most versatile and powerful Necron units.
Tomb Blades
Tomb Blades are jetbike-mounted Necron warriors that dart across the battlefield delivering rapid fire. Armed with Twin Gauss Blasters, Twin Tesla Carbines, or Particle Beamers, they are fast and durable for their cost. Tomb Blades are effective harassers and objective-grabbers that exploit their speed advantage.
Triarch Stalker
The Triarch Stalker is a towering tripod construct piloted by a Triarch Praetorian. Armed with a Heat Ray, Particle Shredder, or Twin Heavy Gauss Cannon, it provides both firepower and target-marking — enemy units hit by the Stalker become easier for the rest of your army to hit. A versatile fire-support platform.
Heavy Support
Lokhust Heavy Destroyers
Lokhust Heavy Destroyers are Destroyer Cult warriors mounted on anti-gravity platforms carrying enormous weapons. Armed with a Gauss Destructor or Enmitic Exterminator, they provide devastating anti-tank firepower. Each model operates independently, making them flexible heavy fire-support options that can be positioned to cover multiple firing lanes.
Doomsday Ark
The Doomsday Ark is a massive floating gun platform built around a Doomsday Cannon — one of the most powerful weapons in the Necron arsenal. When stationary, the Doomsday Cannon fires at maximum power with high Strength and Damage. The Ark also carries twin Gauss Flayer Arrays for anti-infantry work, making it a versatile heavy choice.
Annihilation Barge
The Annihilation Barge is a skimmer armed with a Twin Tesla Destructor, unleashing sheets of crackling electrical energy. It excels at clearing hordes of infantry with its multiple shots and Tesla ability to generate extra hits on 6s. It is an affordable and effective anti-infantry platform in the Necron army.
Canoptek Doomstalker
The Canoptek Doomstalker is a spider-like walker armed with a Doomsday Blaster — a scaled-down version of the Doomsday Cannon. It can fire Overwatch more effectively than most units and provides area-denial with its threatening presence. A cost-effective heavy support choice for Necron armies that want anti-vehicle firepower on a budget.
Canoptek Spyder
Canoptek Spyders are large construct-guardians that maintain tomb world defences and can fabricate Scarab Swarms mid-battle. They provide Scarab replenishment, light anti-tank shooting with Particle Beamers, and can heal damaged vehicles. A Spyder paired with Scarab Swarms creates a self-sustaining screen that is difficult to remove.
Transport
Ghost Ark
The Ghost Ark is the Necrons’ dedicated transport, capable of carrying up to 10 Necron Warriors. More importantly, it repairs D3 destroyed models in an embarked or nearby Warrior unit each turn. The Ghost Ark’s combination of transport capacity, healing aura, and twin Gauss Flayer Array firepower makes it a cornerstone of Warrior-heavy lists.
Night Scythe
The Night Scythe is the Necrons’ flyer and airborne transport, carrying troops through a dimensional portal. It can transport up to 10 infantry models and deploys them via its Invasion Beam. Armed with a Twin Tesla Destructor, the Night Scythe provides air support while delivering units to critical positions on the battlefield.
Lords of War / Super-Heavy
Monolith
The Monolith is an iconic Necron war engine — a massive floating pyramid armed with four Gauss Flux Arcs and a devastating Particle Whip. It can teleport friendly Necron Infantry through its Eternity Gate portal, making it both a weapons platform and strategic transport. The Monolith is one of the most recognisable vehicles in all of Warhammer 40k.
Tesseract Vault
The Tesseract Vault is a massive floating prison containing a captured C’tan Shard. The imprisoned star god unleashes devastating powers through the Vault’s containment arrays, making it one of the most destructive units in the Necron army. It is extremely expensive in points but provides unmatched offensive output.
Obelisk
The Obelisk is a colossal floating Necron construct designed primarily for anti-aircraft and area-denial roles. Its Gravity Pulse ability can drag enemy aircraft from the sky, and its Tesla Spheres provide all-around firepower. While less commonly used than the Monolith or Vault, it fulfils a unique defensive niche.
C’tan Shards
C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer
The Nightbringer is a fragment of the C’tan known as Aza’gorod, the god of death. It is the most devastating melee unit in the Necron army, capable of destroying virtually any target in close combat. Its Reap of the Nightbringer ability inflicts devastating damage, and its C’tan powers provide additional ranged mortal wound output.
C’tan Shard of the Deceiver
The Deceiver is a fragment of the C’tan known as Mephet’ran, the master of lies. Unlike the Nightbringer, the Deceiver specialises in misdirection and redeployment — it can move itself and friendly units before the game begins. This strategic flexibility makes it valuable in armies that rely on positioning and board control.
C’tan Shard of the Void Dragon
The Void Dragon is a fragment of the most powerful C’tan, Mag’ladroth, who is imprisoned beneath Mars. On the tabletop, the Void Dragon is devastating against vehicles, dealing bonus damage to mechanical targets. Its Voltaic Storm ability strips wounds from vehicles at range, and it is a formidable melee combatant against all targets.
Transcendent C’tan
The Transcendent C’tan represents a shard of one of the lesser-known star gods, manifesting with semi-random powers that vary each game. It provides a more affordable C’tan option compared to the named shards while still delivering powerful mortal wound output and melee capability. Its unpredictability can be both a strength and a weakness.
Other Notable Units
Convergence of Dominion
The Convergence of Dominion consists of three Starstele pylons that are deployed on the battlefield as terrain-like units. They project a command-and-control network that extends aura abilities and can channel devastating energy beams. While niche, they provide unique area-control capabilities that reward defensive playstyles.
Catacomb Command Barge
The Catacomb Command Barge is a flying throne that carries an Overlord into battle above the heads of the rank-and-file. It combines the Overlord’s command abilities with a fast, durable platform armed with a Gauss Cannon or Tesla Cannon. The Command Barge is one of the most efficient HQ choices in the Necron army, providing speed, firepower, and leadership.
Doom Scythe
The Doom Scythe is the Necrons’ dedicated fighter aircraft, armed with a devastating Heavy Death Ray that cuts through vehicles and heavy infantry. It also carries Twin Tesla Destructors for anti-infantry work. The Doom Scythe provides air superiority and heavy firepower but is fragile once targeted by dedicated anti-air units.
Canoptek Reanimator
The Canoptek Reanimator is a spindly walker that projects a Reanimation Beam, improving Reanimation Protocols for a targeted Core unit. While its concept is powerful, its fragile profile and need for line of sight make it challenging to use effectively. It works best when hidden behind terrain and supporting large Warrior or Immortal blocks.