When it comes to Necrons most players think mindless kill bots. Well that has changed. Yes there is still the mass of mindless kill bots. There are even some semi-sentient kill bots. Then there are upper echelons of thinking kill bots. The first group of these is the Lynchguard. These guys have retained some of their original personality. Now that doesn’t make Lychguard free thinkers. They still have some engrams and programs that keep them under the command of their Overlord, Phaeron or whomever. The Lynchguard are capable fighters that can form a potent bodyguard, but they also serve as emissaries and couriers for their Overlords. This usually occurs when the Overlord thinks the mission might be a bit to hazardous for his health (weird since they are robots that can reanimate after they are destroyed).
The Lychguard are the Necron elite fighting unit. They are the Assault Terminators for the Necrons, if there is a unit comparison to be made. They have: WS 4, BS 4, strength and toughness 5, 1 wound, attacks and initiative 2, leadership 10 and a 3+ save. They are equipped with warscythes. They may swap these for a hyper phase sword and dispersion shield for +5 points. Now the entire squad must do this, it cannot be a mix of weapons. They may also purchase a Night Scythe for a transport. They come as a squad of five to start for bicentennials worth of points. They can also add up to five more to the squad at the cost of +40 each.
Dispersion Shield- is a fancy shield that gives a Lychguard a 4++ save. It also can bounce ranged attacks back toward the enemy. If a 4++ save is made vs. a shooting attack, then that shot is “bounced”. It can be redirected toward an unengaged enemy unit within 6” of the Lychguard. If there is no unit within 6” the bounce effect is lost. This shot uses the strength and AP of the weapon. Now shots that are made by templates or blasts cannot be redirected.
Well these are the Necron face beaters and they should be with a +2 strength non-power weapon power weapon. They should also decimated vehicles if they get the chance, that 2D6 armor penetration from the same warscythes. Their strength and toughness 5 should also help in both the offense and defense department; especially with the horrid Necron initiative they have. They can purchase a 4++ save which isn’t awful and it even comes with a built in ranged defense shenanigans. They will lose the scythe if they take the shield, but a strength 5 power weapon is nothing to sneeze at, just ask a Space Wolf. They can also serve as great unit to stick a HQ in since those are, for the most part, toughness 5 as well.
The lack of assault grenades does blow, but then again with initiative 2 what is the point? Everything is going before you (baring a odd fist or hammer). Hopefully the toughness will negate some wounds and there is always that reanimation attempt (good luck there) if they fall before they swing.
I don’t dislike the Lychguard, but I do have a few issues with them. First is why a ballistic skill? This is a common G.W. thing. Giving a BS to a unit that has no ability to shoot anything is stupid. It adds to their cost (however they figure it) and should be left out.
Next is the added cost of the Dispersion Shield. It is worse than a Storm Shield for defense and has to be purchased and swapped. It has to be a unit wide swap as well. That blows! Why no mix of warscythes and shields? I guess it was too powerful or something. The added cost of the shield is also dumb. You are already paying Terminator-like costs for a sub par Terminator. Yes I know they are different, but they fill the same role in each army.
If these guys were running a 2+ save then I might like them more. I don’t think I can justify a 40 point 3+ save one wound model. Yeah toughness 5 is great, but compare them to Assault Terminators and the Lychguard come up short. Hell, then compare them to the other 40K beat sticks, Thunder Wolves. For a mere 10 points more than a Lychguard you get the same strength and toughness on a 2 wound, faster and multi-attack unit. Even the Sanguinary Guard, which cost the same as Lychguard have a 2+ save, faster movement, a ranged attack, a good power weapon and as many attacks as the Lychguard. You can see that the Lychguard are good, but are they really for their cost? Personally they cost about ten points too much or should have a better save, free weapon swaps or something. Then I might be a little more excited about them. Sadly though if you want a scary assault unit for Necrons these guys are really all you have.
The hits from template weapons are redirected, just not the template itself.
ReplyDeleteYeah I guess I didn't type that right.
ReplyDeleteShot damage is bounced the templates are not bounced/ repostioned.
Here's the reasoning behind the things you don't like:
ReplyDelete1. First and fore most. Every unit/model you can compare these guys to does NOT have reanimation protocols.
2. You can add 1 or 2 members of a royal court to this squad which can give them a variety of beneficial effects including: universal re-roll(s) per phase, defensive grenades, deep-strike movement, deep-strike backlash, mind-shackle scarabs ect.
3. Whenever comparing units/models in armies, it's always best to keep in mind the context of the army. Assault has never been Necron's strong suit. To get a unit that may, at cost, be capable of beating out a group of assault terminators in an army notorious for being shooty is a boon.
Sadly, even with these notes, Necrons are more likely to stick to what they're good at, gunning things down and muscling through the return fire.
Reanimation protocols are a bit of a meh for me. If you roll a lot of 5+'s then cool. I have no faith in them and rarely ever make them. I will not look for them to ever work, much like my demon 5++ saves.
ReplyDeleteYes Royal Court can be added, but I haven't delved into them yet. They can buff the squad, but that also adds more points to an already over costed unit. Not to mention they are walking all game (an never getting to do anything, but get shot) unless you dump more points into them. I would rather have two Annililation Barges and still have points left over, instead of a unit of 5 Lynchguard.
Yes army context is yada yada yada. These are the dedicated Necron face beaters, and how can people not see the comparison to other dedicaterd face beaters. They seem very expensive for an almost always striking last unit. Sure they have S7 power weapons, but if they never swing them how effective are they? Khorne stuff should eat there face, assault Terminators should eat there face, hell wyches can tear through them if they have the right drug and weapons combo,crazy space marine vampires can ruin there day, giant wolf calvary will make a mess of them as well.
These guys may rock for you and others, but for me they are a pile of meh! Like I said, if they had free shield upgrades, a better save an extra wound or something, then maybe I could like them. However, I just can't. I'm sorry you dislike my opioion, but maybe they work really well for you.