40K: Codex Necrons – A Review In 10 Parts
Codex Necrons brings an ancient evil back to the galaxy–but how does the Codex stack up? Here’s our take.
The Necron Codex is out now, and it brings a lot of change to the Necrons. Which is interesting to say, because aside from the Canoptek Cloak Cryptek (try saying that three times fast) there isn’t really all that much that’s new in this Codex. At least as far as units goes–but this Codex is one of the best examples of the ideals of 8th Edition. Each of the Dynastic codes provides a different way to play the same units, and with the relics and warlord traits offering a nice degree of flexibility (instead of the old “why would you ever take this option”) there’s a lot to play with. So let’s take a look at the different parts of the Codex.
For part 1 here, we have the Units. While there’s not much new in terms of units, there’s a lot of changes here. Destroyers are cheaper, Triarchs are better–a lot of weapons got buffed in terms of either strength, damage, or number of shots. This last one is especially telling–the Doomsday Ark is a much better Hammerhead than a Hammerhead ever could be–but it puts them in a place where you feel like you can use every unit in the Codex and have them serve a purpose.
Sure there are some that are going to be really useful and that you will see more than others (Triarch Stalkers, Transcendant C’Tans, Destroyers) but even Lychguard have a place. and a big part of that is how the other rules work to support the army–which segues nicely into the next part of our review.
For part 10 here, let’s address Stratagems and Dynastic Traits and so on. There’s a lot of support structures in place that give you a lot of flexibility when picking your units. It feels like you can fit whatever unit you want to choose into your army. Which in turn lets you build your army a bunch of different ways. This feels especially true when building your Warlords, as we talk about in the video. It genuinely feels like there are multiple good options to mess around with. Want to build a heavy-hitting close combat warlord? You can… want to build a Warlord that can go off stalking after characters? You got it buddy.
There’s something for you whether you’re building a Cryptek/Overlord/Destroyer Lord, and if you really want to go crazy with it, there’s always the Catacomb Command Barge. All that doesn’t even touch the stratagems, which are also solid. This Codex is definitely one of the better ones GW has released. It does a lot for the army and makes it feel like there’s options to mess around with–not just in terms of HQ choices, but playstyles as well. All in all, we recommend this book. You can check out our Deep Dive into units if you want to learn more about how those have changed (including what powers the C’Tan now wield).
In the meantime, we’ll have more on this book all next week: we’re featuring it on our Twitch Channel so pop on by to see it in action. We’ve got a gorgeous Necron Army with enough crescents to start our own coffee shop–so come check it out. Or preorder the codex below.
Codex Necrons – $40
For sixty million years the Necrons have slumbered, their tomb worlds filled with dormant armies and inactive war machines. Now they are awakening as if from half-remembered nightmares, and the galaxy shudders at their return. From vast crypt-fortresses, burnished legions emerge into the dying light of the 41st Millennium, a steel sea rippling beneath the crackling energy discharge of esoteric battle engines. Swarming metal Scarabs, talon-limbed horrors and spectral assassins accompany them, their alien minds focused on a single purpose – to reclaim the stars.
There are, after all, only 10 kinds of people in this world… those who speak binary and those who don’t
