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Author Topic: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet  (Read 12459 times)

Offline lastspartacus

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Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« on: October 07, 2010, 06:10:28 AM »
So I just came into possession of about 3k points worth of necrons.

Necrons were my 40k race when I played, but the fleet suffers from a few problems to make it an interesting and long lasting fleet.

1.  People do not enjoy playing against Necrons.  Yes, they are very expensive, and even one destroyed ship can turn the battle.
But try telling your opponent to buck up, when you disengage after taking a couple casualties and most of their fleet lies burning or crippled, they won and should be happy!

2.  Necrons don't have any variety.  Its going to be pretty much the same fleet, time and time again.

3.  Necrons are no fun in campaigns.  No refits, no upgrades, no defences, nothing more than a glorified pirate to boot.



I'm looking to get rid of those three poitns.
I'm looking to formulate some house rules for the Necrons.  I don't want to go too far, Necrons are supposed to be the most advanced ships out there.  On the other hand, I would like to cut back a smidge and increase variety. 
So, as I work on a very rough draft PDF, does anyone have any advice right off the bat?

Offline lastspartacus

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2010, 05:39:26 AM »
Ok, here are some questions and thoughts.  Please address each point individually, it helps me.

1. I keep hearing the term 'Nightmare Field' thrown around, what is it?  Is that an old name for the Sepulchre?

2. Change Sepulchre to a simple -1 LD to ships within a certain range, like a mark of Slaanesh.

3.  Ok.  I was going to write about how I was going to fix the Tombship.  But going over Smotherman, yes, just a rough estimation, and hard to do special stuff like Crons, but I gave it way more than I feel the special stuff equaled, and I got this:
Entered in the base stats.  Gave it 6 shields as there was no place for Reactive Hull.  Gave it str28 batteries instead of 20 to represent always closing.  7 Lances to represent 6 special lances.  3 launch bays to represent 3 portals.
So end up with a ship with tons of extra goodies just in case the special Tombship abilities are worth more than I think, and I STILL end up with a ship that Smotherman says is only worth 425. 
So how is the Tombship overpowered for 500 points?

More to come, but first I need to be enlightened in this.

Offline Sigoroth

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2010, 01:20:43 AM »
Ok, here are some questions and thoughts.  Please address each point individually, it helps me.

1. I keep hearing the term 'Nightmare Field' thrown around, what is it?  Is that an old name for the Sepulchre?

Yes, it's a Sepulchre.


Quote
2. Change Sepulchre to a simple -1 LD to ships within a certain range, like a mark of Slaanesh.

I like it as is, the only thing I'd change is allowing to to be fired when on Lock On special order. Just as portals and SPG's should be able to as well.

Quote
3.  Ok.  I was going to write about how I was going to fix the Tombship.  But going over Smotherman, yes, just a rough estimation, and hard to do special stuff like Crons, but I gave it way more than I feel the special stuff equaled, and I got this:
Entered in the base stats.  Gave it 6 shields as there was no place for Reactive Hull.  Gave it str28 batteries instead of 20 to represent always closing.  7 Lances to represent 6 special lances.  3 launch bays to represent 3 portals.
So end up with a ship with tons of extra goodies just in case the special Tombship abilities are worth more than I think, and I STILL end up with a ship that Smotherman says is only worth 425. 
So how is the Tombship overpowered for 500 points?

More to come, but first I need to be enlightened in this.

The Tombship is definately not overpowered. Traditionally 2 Scythes are better than 1 tombship (even with Sepulchre). In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing the reintroduction of the Energy Drain weapon that they used to have, even if only for a Sepulchre equipped tombship. Again, have it able to be used while on Lock On, as all Necron special weapons should.

Offline lastspartacus

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2010, 08:45:39 AM »
Whats the energy drain do exactly?

And yes, I agree now, at least on paper, that the Tomship, if anything, is quite overcosted! @.@

That was an unexpected discovery.

Offline Sigoroth

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2010, 09:06:18 AM »
Energy Drain - 10 cm range, target ship takes Ld test. If passed, no effect. If failed, Tombship recovers 1 damage point, next turn target ship counts as crippled if not already OR as a drifting hulk if already crippled. Can't be used when crippled or on orders.

Offline lastspartacus

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2010, 11:26:49 PM »
Thats very interesting.  It always was interesting to me that necrons didnt have a regen option, considering what they are made out of.  Or nids for that matter.

So its only counts as, correct?  Pretty cool.  Id say if done to an escort have it only allow repair of a crit for free, say.  But definitly has promise, though it would be a pricey weapon.

I'm considering another option I know they used to have:  Scarab swarms.


Offline Admiral_d_Artagnan

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2010, 10:55:46 PM »
Also had Scarabs before IIRC.

Offline lastspartacus

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #7 on: October 13, 2010, 12:27:03 AM »
General fleetwide ideas for comment:

Inclusion of Scarab ordnance.  Scarabs would be 15cm fighters that could also, when attacking a ship, make one strike as if it were a boarding torpedo.  Make them pricey options.  Make it so that they 'cling' to a ship, aka are not removed at the end of the phase, rather function like a hostile CAP, and must be totally cleared by turrets.

Remove the turning ability from necron AAF.

Remove the number of solar pulses from the fleet, keeping it on perhaps 1 ship, and making a high points escort class with only a solar pulse, that does not squadron.  

Addition of some variant of an energy drain weapon.

Fleetwide 5+ reactive hull saves, standard.

Perhaps change lightning arcs from always closing to left column shift.

Thoughts?

Edit:

Along with addition of scarab bays to the fleet, fixed directions on the particle whips, all lightning arcs become l/r/f if they werent so already.

Portals become only way necrons can make HnR attacks, for simplicity.

Scythe and Tombship weapon redistribution to make them slightly better at hitting multiple targets, and worse at directiny fire at a single target.

jackal weaponry changes to str2 batt and front firing particle whip.

Dirge weaponry drops to str2 battery.
« Last Edit: October 14, 2010, 12:13:08 AM by lastspartacus »

Offline lastspartacus

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2010, 05:51:36 AM »
Havnt done points yet, but otherwise, here you go.

Sparty's Devilishly Clever Necrons

Necron Special Rules

Lightning Arc
Advanced necron weapon batteries seek out the enemy with coiling lightning tendrils.
Necron weapons batteries always benefit from a left column shift.

Starpulse
Unchanged

Guass Particle Whip
Unchanged

Portals
Necrons do not use normal teleportation technology, and may not make normal HnR attacks.
Instead, they may make teleport attacks up to the number of portals equipped on the ship

Sepulchre
An ancient evil rests here, of incalculable malice and presence, beyond the comprehension of mortal understanding.  Necron technology harnesses fear incarnate into a palpable 'nightmare field' stretching for thousands of kilometers of space.
Vessels within 30cm suffer -1LD.  One per fleet.

Harvest Beam
A nearly unique design of impossible science, used by the necron's dark lords to slowly absorb the stars themselves.
Applied outside its original purpose, it is still a potent but unruly weapon to steal the life from enemy vessels.
Power is forcibly pulled from the drives of the target vessel, and if its  crew cannot regulate and cut the flows of power to combat the inexorable pull, they will find their ship's vitality stolen until the plasma drives can replenish.
Capital ships that fail an LD check suffer Energy Drain, and behave as crippled at the start of the opponent's turn, and drifting hulk if already crippled.
10cm range, front arc.  Target ship must be have no shields up.  Necron ship gains an HP on a successful drain.  Escort vessels hit are destroyed outright.
Can't fire if firepower is reduced for any reason.

Reactive Hulls:
All necron ships are defended by reactive hulls, rather than shields.  They always recieve a 4+ save from damage, though with no negatives to firepower.  When under BFI orders, Necron reactive hull saves become 2+, however the compromise of their stealth features for energy increase causes -1 to their armor until their next turn.
Additionally, Necrons that choose to attempt repairs in their End Phase do so on 4+ rather than 6+, but the extra repair energies cause -1 to their armor until their next turn.

Boarding Actions:
Necrons are very powerful and technologically sophisticated.  However, the warriors inside Necron vessels are slow to respond to threats, those that are not in statis usually situate around key points such as portal chambers.  Therefore Necron ships roll 2d6 when involved in a boarding action, using the lowest result.

Inertialess Drive:
Insead of normal AAF, necrons roll one D6x10cm.

Disengaging:
Necrons may disengage without testing.  Necrons may fire on their own hulks to keep them from falling into enemy hands.

Ordnance:
Necron ships make use of Scarab Swarms, manufactured by the thousands in factory complexes aboard their ships.
Given time, their gauss-enhanced mandibles will make a ruin of the most heavily armored ship systems.
Scarabs function as fighter markers, with an exception.  When Scarabs come in contact with an enemy ship, treat scarabs as boarding torpedos against the ship's weakest armor.  A scarab marker is not removed until the ship is destroyed, it penetrates the ship's armor and initiates a hit and run attack, it is removed by the controlling player to bring out more ordnance, or it is destroyed by a turret.  The ship suffers an attack run from whatever scarabs remain at the end of every ordnance phase.
Speed: 15cm.

Necron Critical Chart
2 Prow Systems Offline- duh, and lightning cant shoot out of damaged arc.
3 Starboard Systems Offline- duh
4 Port Systems Offline- duh
5 Stabilizers Damaged- Ship may not turn until repaired
6 Drive Damaged- Reduce movement by -10cm until repaired
7 Relic Disabled- Sepulchre or Harvest Beam taken offline until repaired.  If neither apply, ship suffers +1 damage.
8 Specialist AI Failure- Ship may not go on special orders until repaired
9 Reactive Command Failure-ship may not make reactive hull saves until repaired
10 Command Core Damaged- Reduce ships LD by -3 until repaired
11 Hull Breach- +D3
12 Bulkhead Collapse- +D6

Necron Fleet

Cairn class tombship
Battleship12, 25cm, 45, reactive hull, 6+ armor, 3 turrets
Lightning arc 30cm 20 L/R/F
Particle whip 45cm 6 L/R
Star pulse
Portal 5
May take an artifact
'Guardian' variant may Particle whips for 4 scarab nodes on port and starboard, for a total of 8.

Scythe class harvest ship
Cruiser8, 30cm, 45, reactive hull, 6+ armor, 2 turrets
Lightning arc 30cm 10 L/R/F
Particle whip 45cm L/R
Portal 2
May take a Sepulchre

Shroud class light cruiser
Cruiser4, 35cm, 90, reactive hull, 6+ armor, 1 turret
Lightning arc 30cm 10 L/R/F
Portal 1
Same special rules
Does not suffer negatives to armor for BFI or repairing criticals

Ghoul class factory ship
Cruiser4, 35cm, 90, reactive hull, 6+ armor, 1 turret
Lightning arc 30cm 3 L/R/F
Launch bay 2 scarabs Starboard
Launch bay 2 scarabs Port
Portal 1

Jackal class escort
Escort1, 35cm, 90, reactive hull, 6+ armor, 1 turret
Lightning arc 30cm 1 L/R/F
gauss particle whip 1 30cm Front

Dirge class escort
Escort1, 45cm, 90, reactive hull, 6+ armor, 1 turret
Lightning arc 30cm 3 L/R/F

Periapt class escort
Escort1, 25cm, 90, reactive hull, 6+armor, 0 turret
Star pulse

Thats it for now.  stay tuned for the necropolis and world engine.

Mind in the Machine:

A necron Lord must lead a fleet of 1500 points or more.
Platinum level Necron Lord- +2LD and 2 rerolls
Gold level Necron Lord- ld9 and reroll
« Last Edit: February 06, 2011, 10:58:18 PM by lastspartacus »

Offline lastspartacus

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2010, 04:06:06 AM »
Edits.  Cleared up alot of book keeping.  No more scarabs sticking around clinging to your ship.  Balanced out the variance of the ship classes.

Still unsure if escorts should be moving around at 50cm.  Still unsure whether or not to allow turning when necrons go AAF.

Pretty solid on Special relics on the battleships.

Offline RCgothic

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #10 on: November 23, 2010, 05:39:34 PM »
I quite liked the scarabs hanging around! Very Matrix Reloaded. :D

Offline lastspartacus

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #11 on: November 23, 2010, 10:26:10 PM »
I liked it too, but I figured people might find it confusing.  I'll consider returning it :)

Offline lastspartacus

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2011, 03:52:43 AM »
Some big changes.  I set into this hoping to reduce the ships in cost.  I still intend this, slightly, though I still feel prices should be kept high and model count lower than your average fleet.  Firepower has decreased somewhat, defense has increased somewhat, with the tactical thinker of wether or not to brace or repair damage.

Decided to get rid of most of the variants, they weren't needed.  Especially after reading that necrons possessed few ship classes because the few they did had advanced to near perfection. 

Considering ditching any extra VP rules entirely, as they dish out a lot of VP purely for being as pricey as they are.
« Last Edit: January 04, 2011, 03:55:14 AM by lastspartacus »

Offline Gron

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2011, 08:50:24 AM »
I fancy the idea of scarabs holding on to their target. Act as fighter yes, but remaining in play as a hostile CAP will pose problems (launch limit etc). Instead they should cause a hit n run like a-boats thus removing the marker and keeping it simple. Maybe making them resilient (basically t-hawks) or ignoring effects of gas/dust and BM's as their hull adapts to the surrounding and so on.

Offline Lex

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Re: Dynamic Intriguing Necron Fleet
« Reply #14 on: January 04, 2011, 11:09:40 AM »
Also allow the necron to deploy "dormant" scarabs which should act like a "minefield", and be activate by proximity of enemy vessels.....