Warhammer 40K: The Necron Characters That Still Need An Update
Games Workshop has teased Imotekh The Stormlord’s imminent return. But what other named characters could use an update?
By now you’ve probably seen the new Imotekh The Stormlord model. There’s also a new Necron Overlord teleporting in, too. That said, with the new codex on the way, I wonder which other named characters GW has waiting in the wings. Here’s the short list:
Anrakyr the Traveller
“Few Necrons awaken from stasis-sleep with fully functioning consciousness. Most arise addled by the long slumber, their wits and reason slow to come fully online. Not so Anrakyr – he rose from dormancy with his mind intact and a great purpose foremost in his mind: to reunite the dynasties. Embracing this as his destiny, Anrakyr abdicated all responsibility to his own Tomb World of Pyrrhia and led an army into the stars.”
Anrakyr is still a resin model and has a “noble” goal of uniting all the dynasties. Perhaps he could gain some traction in his new codex and get a model update to match.
Nemesor Zahndrekh
“Nemesor Zahndrekh was once counted amongst the greatest generals in the dynasties. By his campaigns of conquest did the world of Gidrim rise from ruling a small and insignificant planet on the fringes of the galaxy, to the iron-handed governance of a dozen star systems. Zahndrekh’s armies are an ever-present peril upon the galaxy’s eastern fringe, yet for all his military genius, Zahndrekh does not see reality as it truly is. His mind suffered damage during the Great Sleep and, as a consequence, he is trapped deep in the past, in the Wars of Secession that wracked his corner of the dynasties. In his mind he fights these campaigns still as a creature flesh and blood, crushing rebellious kings and bringing their domains back into the fold. Wherever possible, Zahndrekh ensures that enemy commanders are captured, not killed, and therefore treated as honoured prisoners.”
Another resin Necron character with an interesting backstory. Not to mention if you’re going up update Nemesor Zahndrekh that means you really need to update his bodyguard…
Vargard Obyron
Vargard Obyron is aide and protector of Nemesor Zahndrekh, and has stood steadfast as his side from their very first campaign. Unlike his master, Obyron is very much aware of the changes wrought upon their existence, but has long since abandoned any attempt to awaken Zahndrekh to reality. So, like any dedicated servant, Obyron attends to all the loose ends created by Zahndrekh’s eccentricities, chief of which are seeing to it that ‘honoured’ prisoners of war are ‘killed whilst trying to escape’, and that upstart Lords of the Royal Court are either silenced or disposed of.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Obyron based on his steadfastness. However, his model is…kinda boring. I think the pose is meant to be intimidating but I think something is lost in the translation. He’s supposed to be casting a wicked glare but that’s not really coming across as much as it could. I really hope he and Zahndrekh get an updated combo kit together.
Trazyn the Infinite
Trazyn the Infinite is a preserver of histories, artefacts and events. In his possession are technologies and relics that are so valuable as to be priceless. Amongst his collection are the fabled wraithbone choir of Altansar, the preserved head of Sebastian Thor, the ossified husk of an Enslaver and a giant man clad in baroque power armour. In such a dangerous galaxy, Trazyn is loath to go out and explore it himself, but with so many exquisite artefacts to see and catalogue, he cannot afford to miss out. As a result he will send out substitutes of himself to do his dirty work. On the battlefield this can become increasingly irritating, as killing what appears to be Trazyn may simply be a Lychguard or a Necron Lord. Meanwhile, somewhere nearby, the real Trazyn is busy smashing his way through his foes to get his metal hands on his latest acquisition.
Trazyn is one of the most notorious characters in 40k. He’s got his own “collection” that has some really interesting figures in it. Some of which may come back into play at some point in the future — it’s quite the McGuffin Collection. Anyhow, it would be neat to see him get a plot thread or two in the new codex and a new model to match.
Orikan the Diviner
Orikan is a consummate astromancer, able to calculate the events of the future from the patterns of the stars. Thus did he know of the Fall of the Eldar, the Rise of Man, the Horus Heresy and the coming of the Tyranids many thousands of years before they came to pass. Through careful study and scrutiny, Orikan can even divine lesser occurrences: the movement of fleets, the destinies of individuals, even the strategies undertaken by campaigning armies.
Orikan the Diviner has a rivalry with Trazyn the Infinite so maybe we’ll see them both get an update around the same time. He did try to warn folks about the rise of a lot of threats in the past. His warning about working with the C’tan was overruled by the Silent King (even though Orikan was right). And hey — the Silent King model is pretty cool so maybe we’ll see a new Orikan one day, too. Unless the Silent King overrules that option as well.
If you had to pick just one character, which one would you choose for an update first?
