Necrons vs. Dark Angels: 1,850 Adepticon Primer

[Maelstorm]

I stopped by for a local 1,850 Warhammer 40k tournament with my Necron forces. One of the gang brought his 6th Edition Dark Angels force painted and packed for next week’s Adepticon Championship Tournament. This would be my first game back after a 2 month break from 40k.

Adepticon Primer mission #2: of Iron and Blood
. Dawn of War Deployment
. Heavy Metal (pg. 128) – Heavy Support are scoring units, including vehicles.
. Mysterious Objectives
. Mysterious Terrain
. Night Fighting
. Reserves

Dark Angels (estimated forces)
HQ
Belial, TH/SS (Warlord Trait, Tenacity)
Librarian, Terminator Armor
Command Squad. Plasma, Plasma + fun CC weapons, Banner (Invulnerable save bubble) Bolter Drill (double the number of shots fired per round) bubble?

Troops
10x Terminators, Plasma Cannon, Assault Cannon (Belial and Libby Attached)
10x Tactical Squad, Plasma, Flamer (split/combat squads)
10x Troops, Melta, Flamer (split/combat squads)

Heavy Support
Land Raider Crusader, 2x Hurricane Bolters, Assault Cannon, Multi-Melta
Whilrwind
Whirlwind


Necrons
HQ: Overlord #1, Warscythe, Mindshackle Scarabs (Warlord trait, Master of Ambush)
. Royal Court #1
. Harbinger of Despair
. Harbinger of Despair
. Harbinger of the Storm, Lightning Field
. Harbinger of Destruction, Solar Pulse

HQ: Overlord #2, Staff of Light, Mindshackle Scarabs
. Royal Court #2
. Harbinger of Despair
. Harbinger of Despair
. Harbinger of the Storm, Lightning Field
. Harbinger of Destruction, Solar Pulse

Elite:
5x Deathmarks (2x Harbingers of Despair)
. Night Scythe
5x Deathmarks (2x Harbinger of Despair)
. Night Scythe
5x Deathmarks (2x Harbinger of the Storm, Warlord)
. Night Scythe

Troops
8x Warriors
. Night Scythe
5x Warriors (Harbinger of Destruction)
. Ghost Ark
5x Warriors (Harbinger of Destruction)
. Ghost Ark

Heavy
Annihilation Barge
Annihilation Barge


Starting out, the Dark Angel general has 8 Scoring units (5 Troops + 3 Heavy) and the Necrons have 5 (3 Troops + 2 Heavy). He won the toss to select a side and set-up terrain first. We took turns setting up terrain and then placing 5 Objectives, he placed first and had 3 objectives on his side of the table, all behind/in ruins. I set one out as bait in the open and the second behind a ruined building on my side of the table.

Deployment:
I set up first and placed my Ghost Arks on the right side of the table bracketing terrain, next to my objectives and the Annihilation Barges in the center of my Deployment Zone, 4 flyers placed in reserve. He set up both Whirlwinds on his far right side of the table behind cover, next to an objective and the Land Raider Crusader (carrying the command squad) in the center of the table behind cover. He placed a 5 man troop unit in the center of his zone near an objective and another 5 man squad near his left objective, 2x 5 man combat squads and Terminators in reserve.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz246/bbrine01/Setup_zpsdb5aa592.jpg (http://s832.photobucket.com/user/bbrine01/media/Setup_zpsdb5aa592.jpg.html)

Important Note: Necron Deathmarks (Snipers) have a unique ability, they select 1 enemy unit on the table as “Marked for Death”. All models in the Deathmark Unit wound Marked targets on a 2+. When you attach a Despair Cryptek to the unit, they also benefit from the rule with their Str 8, AP 1 Template Weapon. I had 2 Crypteks in each unit.

Turn 1
Necrons
Moved both Arks and both Annihilation Barges forward to snapfire at the DA Tactical Squads removing 1 from his left flank and 2 from his center unit.

Dark Angels (Solar Pulse Night Fight)
Consolidated his troops at their objectives and fired for no effect at the Ghost Arks carrying my troops. Land Raider moved up and fired, missing the Ghost Arks. Whirlwinds fired for no effect.

Turn 2
Necrons
Reserve Rolls: Night Scythe + Depair-teks, Night Scythe + Storm-Teks & Warlord, Night Scythe + Troops
I marked for Death the Dark Angel Command Squad and a unit of scoring troops. I moved all of the flyers in 24” and disembarked/moved 6” towards his objectives. The Ghost Arks and Annihilation Barges bumped forward 6”. The Deathmark/Storm-Teks/Warlord Squad unload on the Land Raider for 6 Haywire glances and 1 Pen + 1 Rending hit (glance) from the Deathmarks. The Command Squad banner gave him a 4+ Invulnerable save, he saved all but 2 glances! My Deathmark/Despair-Tek squad shot his left soring squad, 8x AP1 wounds + 7 Gauss wounds easily put them all down. The Annihilation Barges unloaded on the center scoring unit, eliminating them. The Ghost Arks put 4 glances on the Land Raider and he made just 2 saves, wrecking the Land Raider and dumping out the command squad.

Dark Angels (Solar Pulse Night Fight)
Reserve Rolls, both 5 man units walk in towards his 2 open objectives, Belial and his posse of Terminators + Libby deep strike onto his center objective in ruins between my Warlord/Deathmark/Storm-Tek unit and my Deathmark/Despair-tek unit. He made all of his armor saves and FNP saves (Tenacity) – except for his Plasma Cannon in the center of his unit! He split fire his Assault Cannon at the nearest flier (Skyfire Objective!)and unloaded his Storm Bolters on my Warlord unit. 2 Crypteks and a single Deathmark went down, both Crypteks stood back up. The Command squad fired into my right side Deathmark/Despair-Tek unit and knocked down 2 Deathmarks and 1 Cryptek, The Cryptek stood back up. The Whirlwinds fire for no effect, maximum scatter.

Turn 3
Necrons
The final flier comes in and drops it’s Deathmark/Despair-Tek squad, marking the Terminator Squad for Death. The Warriors/Overlord unit embarks back on the flier and moves off the table. The Warlord/Deathmark/Storm-Tek unit embarks on their flyer and moves 18” away from the Terminators, just 3 “ past the Whirlwinds. The center flyer moves forward into a position to shoot the command squad. The Annihilation barges move to line up with a Whirlwind and 1 Ghost Ark moves forward and 1 moves back towards my objectives. A Ghost Ark fires 20 shots + Destruct-Tek staff into and eliminates the fresh 5 man squad. The first unit of Deathmark/Despair-Teks fires point blank into the Terminator Mob; 10 AP1 Wounds, 2 Rending Wounds and 7 normal wounds. Look out Sir kept Belial from losing his last wound, 2 standard Terminators and the Libby were standing fast. The second Deathmark/Despair-Tek unit put 8 AP1 wounds, 2 Rending wounds and 6 Normal Wounds on the remaining Terminators – they melted from the table. One Annihilation Barge destroyed a Whirlwind and the other killed 3 Tactical Marines.

Dark Angels
Called the game. He had 2 models from the command squad (bolters), 2 from a Tactical Squad (bolters) and 1 Whirlwind on the table. I had lost 2 Deathmarks and 1 Cryptek. I still had all 4 AV13 Vehicles, all 4 Flyers and all of my troops with 7 Crypteks backed by Deathmarks and Overlords.

30 minutes start-to finish.

I’ve been fighting a nasty cold all week and felt completely miserable by the end of the game, I also felt really bad for my opponent. He was a good sport and a thanked me for showing him what to expect at Adepticon. With just 2 rounds of shooting (turns 2 & 3) the Necrons easily eliminated 1,750 out of 1,850 points of a 6th Edition Dark Angel force with an experienced general.

[Learn2Eel]

Good summary! I've never seen a Royal Court so populated, but used so effectively, before. Those Deathmark units paired with the Crypteks absolutely wrecked face, as expected. I hope you get over that cold by the way!

[Maelstorm]

Thanks. I can't think of another min-sized Necron unit that will take down 12 Terminators with so few losses.

[Freakeh]

That's a really nasty list you've got there, nice job! I think I'll have to give it a try sometime.

[Maelstorm]

It's the first build/list in a long time I've felt a bit guilty about after the game. Debated not posting it as it might end up as Maelstorm's hated Net-list...

The DA general did several things to attempt to mitigate the effectiveness of the list:
* Went 2nd to prevent me from Marking his units held in reserve
* Combat Squads for his Troop units to water-down the Marked-for-Death effects
* Held his Belial Terminator drop until the bottom of Turn 2, preventing the first 2 Deathmark units from tagging them. They were not Marked-for-Death until the top of turn 3 when my final Deathmark Flyer came in.

If all of my Deathmarks had come in on Turn 2 and I was not able to Mark the Terminator mob, I would have just ignored/avoided them and let them chase me around. Move the Ghost Arks at Maximum speed to grab distant objectives and become mobile AV 13 Terrain/Bunkers which ignore his Storm Bolters, allowing the Deathmarks time to snipe the Assault cannon and effectively neuter the unit.

[Learn2Eel]

Hey, I was wondering how those five-strong Necron Warrior squads in the Ghost Arks perform; do you feel five-strong units work in Ghost Arks - especially with the Destruction Cryptek - or have you found bigger units perform better? Just bouncing ideas off for my own Necron force. I understand the main reason behind fielding the Destruction Crypteks is the Solar Pulses. Cheers.

[Maelstorm]

Night fighting is no longer as effective as it was in 5th edition. I'd be tempted to reduce the Solar Pulses to 1 or none. However the Ghost Arks AV13 moving at cruising speed or flat out under Night Fight can give it and it's passengers a good chance of surviving.

If the opponent has a lot of anti-armor available I would drop the troops out in my deployment zone and park it behind them, giving it a cover save. It can replace lost Warriors from any squad inside or nearby. I was able to charge everything across the table and pound him on Turn 2: 4x AV13 vehicles, 3 Flyers with 3 dangerous units dropped from the flyers - target saturation for the enemy, making the Ghost arks with min squads a very low priority. The Ghost Arks become 2 more opportunities to score Linebreaker or grab Objectives. Moving Flat out and parking a Ghost Ark in front of a Relic will make a moving Gauss pill-box the warriors can hide behind while dragging the Relic!

Food for thought: There is also a question with the RAW/ROI for the Ghost Arks "Repair Barge" ability (codex pg 53) - - As a permanently attached Character, the Cryptek is part of the Warrior Troop unit, just an upgraded Warrior (like Wolf Guard or a Veteran Sergeant) which means the Ghost Ark's Repair Barge ability should add "D3 models" back to the unit even if just the Cryptek is available. Conversely RAW would allow it to add a lost Cryptek back to the unit as it "repairs fallen Necrons". Could have been written a little tighter for Crypteks and Lords...

Note: I hope this doesn't become a hijacked thread chasing the Ghost Ark "Repair Barge" ability!! I put the question to the BOLS 40k rules lawyer thread and got mixed results! Discuss with your opponent or TO before playing!