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View Full Version : A case for Necron Tomb Blades.



Maelstorm
03-12-2013, 10:54 PM
Tomb Blades are an odd duck parked smack in the middle of a Tomb Lords coveted Fast Attack slot.

A Jet Bike unit (24” Move with Jink!) with Toughness 5, a 4+ save and Reanimation Protocols. Tomb Blades come standard with a single twin-linked Tesla Carbine (24”, S5, Assault 1 Tesla) and can swap for a free single Twin Linked Gauss Blaster (24” S5, AP4, Rapid Fire, Gauss) – Both of which can be found on a bog-standard Necron Immortal for less points. The 3rd weapon option is a Particle Beamer (BS 5, 24” range, Strength 6 AP 5 Blast) for an increased base cost. The other upgrade options are Stealth, Ballistic Skill 5 and a 3+ save.

Hmmm… Fun weapon options plus Stealth, BS5 and a 3+ save. But wait – together that adds up to 55 points per model, or 275 points for a unit of 5! How can we make the best of a potentially expensive unit…

For my force: 5 Tomb Blades with Particle Beamers and the Nebuloscope (BS 5) = 175 points. This gives the Necron commander a unit with something the entire Necron Codex is woefully short on – accurate Blast Weapons!

A standard Blast weapon will get a direct hit 33% of the time, with BS 4 the average deviation for the other 66% of the time = 3” on a 3” Blast template! By kicking the BS up to 5 their average deviation drops to 2”, which when dropped on a unit will stay closer to the center of mass. Now you are dropping 5x Strength 6 Blast templates on squishy troops (‘Nids, Orcs and Tau) or soft vehicles - always a good thing! Move 12” over any obstacle and shoot 24” or scoot 24” (improving your Jink Save) and reposition out of danger and set-up for the next turn of shooting.

Combined with 5 Destroyers (the Necrons best MEQ killers) in the Fast Attack Slot, 5 Tomb Blades help create a fast-moving, balanced force that will have more options against a larger variety of armies.

Important Tactical Note: For Tomb Blades, Destroyers and Annihilation Barges - the Necron Commander MUST keep these units 24" away from the opponents forces at all times to reduce return fire. Moving them closer than 24" to the enemy does not give you any advantage in damage output, but significantly reduces their survivability! Always scoot further away and shoot!!

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz246/bbrine01/TBDark2_zps1f4640fc.jpg
One of GW's best designed and easiest to put together kits - These were actually fun to paint!

My apologies in advance to >Deadlifts gaming budget!! :D

Deadlift
03-13-2013, 12:31 AM
Lol good little article. I had been reading elsewhere about tomb blades and was already weakening to the idea. The necron fast attack slot offers so many choices its easily the best part of our codex. We also have the FW book coming soon too so I am at the moment holding fire and just adding 3 Annilation barges. I think it just proves how good a codex ward wrote when you have as much choice as we do.

I take it, it's best to sub assemble the models and paint before sticking the pilot in etc.

Maelstorm
03-13-2013, 10:07 AM
I take it, it's best to sub assemble the models and paint before sticking the pilot in etc.

It was easy to paint them completely built. The pilot is almost suspended in place and easy to hit at all angles!

YorkNecromancer
03-13-2013, 03:22 PM
Loved the Tomb Blade rules when I first read them, and was going to get some. Then I saw the models.

I don't care how good the rules are, I'm not spending money on anything that looks that damn wonky.

Especially when it's up against Wraiths.

Beautiful, beautiful Wraiths.

Deadlift
03-13-2013, 03:26 PM
They do remind me of Mr Garrisons "it" mobile.

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab3/joenortonjones/2bfc81d7dd1b731698d35c6b54f4ee57.jpg

Mr Mystery
03-13-2013, 04:00 PM
Couldn't agree more.

Multiple blasts are awesome. Enemy unit bunched up? Pelt them with S6 blast templates. I've done horrible things to horrible units like that. Managed to drop 5 of 10 Terminators through sheer weight of wounds. Force enough saves and they're going to fail eventually.

And they really help against Hordes. Pokey as our firepower is, I find multiple high count units worrying, and Tesla for me depends a little too much on luck to be a catch all solution, but Tomb Blades? The very dab!

Particle Beamers may lack AP, but with their S6 they can wound MEQ with contemptuous ease, and the sheer number of blasts rips open any given unit.

However, I prefer the 3+ save over the Nebuloscopes meself. I find the increased survival edges out the greater accuracy. Means I can be more reckless with them!

Deadlift
03-15-2013, 09:08 AM
It was easy to paint them completely built. The pilot is almost suspended in place and easy to hit at all angles!

Just come home after a trot up the town, 1 box of tomb blades are the result ;)

Maelstorm
03-15-2013, 02:34 PM
<lol> Awesome!

Now you'll find that you need a unit of 5 and GW has cleverly packed them in boxes of 3!

Tynskel
03-15-2013, 05:06 PM
heheh, but yes... what to do with the extra 1? Simple! Bits for other necrons!
Unique Destroyer Lord configuration? Bitz!

Maelstorm
03-15-2013, 06:13 PM
heheh, but yes... what to do with the extra 1?

I went the other route - I bought enough to make a 5-man unit of each weapon set.

The Necron Triarch Praetorians/Lychguard box has the best assortment of extra bits! I'm putting the Twin-Linked Tesla Destructor from a Command Barge on a stand for a Necron Aegis defence line. :D

Deadlift
03-22-2013, 03:38 AM
I had a big game of planet strike last night and although I only have 3 of these at the moment, they rocked. I took the BS5 and the Str 5 template weapon. I think it helped that we were playing with a total of 8000 pts but my tomb blades were fantastic. My opponent took lots and lots of cultists, these guys smushed two units of them, went on to harass his raptors before finally grabbing an objective (planet strike allows this) I think it could be because the unit was only 3 and they don't take up much room on the board, but they only got shot at once as the chaos guys were going after perceived larger and more dangerous threats. This left these to do their job largely untroubled.

Maelstorm
03-22-2013, 09:40 AM
Awesome - glad to hear that even just 3 worked for you. Post-up some photos of your new Tomb Blades!

A super-easy kit to put together and a well engineered design.

I have an 1850 point tournament this weekend and will be taking 5 Destroyers plus 5 Tomb Blades with Particle Beamers (template weapon) and Nebuloscope (BS 5). They should make a great tag-team. I look forward to dropping 5 blast templates on my opponents troops!

Deadlift
03-22-2013, 10:15 AM
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab3/joenortonjones/bcc2c626120d1625f3aaec6bf7c3e7f9.jpg

Not the clearest of pics but you get the general idea :). The kit went together really well, accept those fecking shield vanes. The models nearly flew for real at that stage lol.

Maelstorm
03-22-2013, 10:33 AM
Awesome looking paint job - excellent layered blue/white highlights!

Now you just need the second box of 3 to make the full unit of 5...

Kind of like buying hot dogs in packs of 10 and hot dog buns in packs of 8...?!