40K: The ORIGINAL Necrons are NUTS!
The Necron race has come a LOOOONG way since it’s first appearance right around 2000. Take a look at how it all began.
All the newcomers see the mighty Necron race as the ancient deathless armies of the various tomb World Dynasties – come to reclaim thier lost empire. Fewer still remember their early codex and the secrets within of their long war alongside the C’Tan against the Old Ones. But fewer still can go back to the Nerons original introduction to the game as a very minor faction.
It was 2003 and the Necrons had a mysterious past with little to no details, and only a handful of models.
This ancient armylist was included in 2003’s 2nd Book of the Astronomicon.
Original Necron Armylist
First we will tackle thier armylist. Back then the army had only 5 units:
- Necron Lords
- Necron Immortals
- Necron Warriors
- Necron Scarabs
- Necron Destroyers
The army had their original hallmark army rule: Phase Out, which would automatically end a game with a Necorn loss if they suffered 75% model casualties. Their fluff was vague and only referenced scattered attacks by the Necrons across the galaxy and that the race was ancient, predating the Eldar. They possessed We’ll Be Back, granting a 4+ ability to get back up the turn after they had been killed, and the early origins of Gauss Weapons were included. It isn’t much, but proved to be a viable seed to grow an entire faction from.
The Pretorians find a nasty surprise in the desert.
Oh people hated the self-destructing Scarabs! Note the replacement of a repaired Destroyer with a Necron Warrior. Early days indeed.
Original Necron Miniatures
Now let’s take a look at these miniatures in detail:
The Necron Lord has always carried a Staff of Light, a nasty weapon even in its early incarnation. The Immortals were large and hulking with bulky Gauss weapons. Necron Warriors came in a variety of poses from triumphant to skulking and the Destroyers were just downright odd – more of a jetbike-sled from The Terminator with a midget Warrior at the controls on the side.
If you look sharp, you can still find these on eBay occasionally.
~My how the Necrons have grown over the intervening years!
