8.18.2011

Necrons: Entropic Strike, A Discussion

I'm a Bug in the Machine!
(This was going to be my comment on Bell's latest Necron's rumors post, but since it would probably just get lost I ported it over here.)











Updated Scarabs  Fast Attack choice. Three models in base unit at 45 pts, with up to seven more at 15 pts per model. Fearless, Swarms, Beast, Entropic Strike. Fout attacks on the charge with 3+ cover save in terrain (which they ignore for movement purposes - like Harlequins) .Entropic Strike is a new rules accessable to several units in the codex. Against infantry on to-wound rolls of 4+, armor saves are ignored (Invulnerables allowed). Against vehicles on armor penetration rolls, each die that rolls a 4+, reduces the vehicle's armor by 1 pt on ALL sides for the rest of the game. Vehicles are destroyed when any of its armor values reach 0. 

I've read the comments thus far and I get where people are coming from, but to my mind Entropic Strike sounds like a rather clever design solution to the Anti-Mech problem.

Problem: Army needs to kill Mech. Solution: Give it a Melta weapon.

It's lame if everyone has it, but if you're not going to give an army access then it has to have something reasonably consistent enough to base an army around. Tyranids lack it, and we all know the problems that book has.

Before someone says Hive Guard or Zoanthropes, remember you practically have to give up your Elites slot in most every top design, whereas a standard Vet Guard squad does it better.

The solution has to be army-wide, built-in. Entropic Strike makes sense to me. It also doesn't seem overpowered, since I can already think of anti-scarab defenses.  Not to mention, they still have to hit and roll, right?

It seems - and I know we don't have all the information we need, so bear with me - that it's going to be a one-two punch: Scarabs hit and reduce armor, Necrons shoot Gauss weapons and mass hits based on reduced armor.  Explosion.

So while it seems consistent, it doesn't seem game breaking.  Keep in mind, Swarms die quickly if you put the right kind of weapons against them... like templates.  Seems the Scarabs will be all nice and lined up after they hit that vehicle..!

Thoughts?  Comments?  Hugs and... doh!

Sorry.

12 comments:

Gauthic said...

Plus remember that Scarabs can only attack in CC, and their Init is much lower than most of the things that rule will kill, so they're more than likely going to die first and only a small handful of models are going to actually do damage.

Thor said...

Even if this is true, the armor value reduction, Necrons don't have a lot of heavy weaponry access to capitalize on the reduced armor, unless that changes too. A Predator reduced to AV11 on the front is still requiring Warriors to glance it at best and Destroyers now have a 1 in 6 chance to pen. It will make Heavy Destroyers a more considered choice though.

TheGraveMind said...

It will make them practically unplayable in a multiplayer game though, given the current information. I would consider that fair at all to have entropic strike and an army of lascannons fighting against me.

Michael said...

When Necrons were first released Scarabs had a similar rule to reduce armor. This was a cool part of their fluff that a lot of people were bummed about when they released the codex. If I remember correctly I think you lost a scarab when you did it though because they attached themselves to the hull.

tzeentchling said...

Honestly, Entropic Strike seems much more deadly against normal models than against tanks. Given they're probably S3, anything they wound they'll ignore armor on. With the amount of attacks in a standard swarm squad, that's hefty.

Ex: 10 Scarabs vs 10 Tac Marines (outside of a Rhino). Neither side charges. 12 Marine attacks, 8 hit, ~5-6 wound, maybe a base dies and a wound on another best case.

9 Scarabs strike back. Assuming standard 3 attacks each, hitting on 4s, ~14-15 hits. ~4-5 wounds, which ignore armor. The scarabs do just as many wounds back to the Marines, but there's still 9 bases as opposed to 5-6 marines left. That's scary.

smguy said...

@Tzeentchling: Yeah, and also consider that scarabs are going to be beasts and thus will probably always get the charge.

As for the scarabs in general, I feel like they'll be a good addition to the army. It'll certainly make them a high threat target for armies such as the Guard Parking lot!

40K + T&A said...

Herhehe...Necorns are sounding cooler all the time. All those faggots with their razor spam will be hating life

Caldera said...

I like the new armor reducing rule. Something different and not hard to deal with. The only thing I don't like about all this is the ignoring armor in close combat. That is stupidly good. My dark eldar don't care but this makes me EVEN MORE glad I sold my tyranids. Why does evey single new codex have to bone tyranids so hard? Crazy ness! lol

muffinman said...

I was surprised at how many people had negative things to say about this rumor on Bols... seems like a cool idea to me. Something new and unique instead of handing out more melta.

Also, dealing with armor seems to be the biggest problem the current necrons run into. this seems a surprisingly elegant solution to that issue without having to introduce a new tank hunting unit. And being a fast attack choice, it won't take up slots needed for the stuff that will actually be punching armor.

I don't play necrons, but it sounds like something that should be fun to play against.

and maybe those razorspam armies (and similar) will start taking a special weapon other than meltaguns! we may actually see flamers again

hgh review said...

It seems the Scarabs will be all nice and lined up after they hit that vehicle.

Anonymous said...

Wasn't the heavy gauss cannon enough? Let me guess, matt ward has something to do with it, melta, melta everywhere.

herbal medicne said...

Against vehicles on armor penetration rolls, each die that rolls a 4+, reduces the vehicle's armor by 1 pt on ALL sides for the rest of the game.

(A new favorite!) Anon: I haven’t even bothered playing a game of 6th yet, cause I have read the rules, and actually understand how they interact with units. I know my armies no longer function how they should, and so I need to change them.

Strictly Average: 'cause 6-inches is all you get.

Stalking Jawaballs since 2009.

Jawaballs: "My butt just tightened up."

Brent, preferred 2-to-1 over Not Brent in a recent, scientific poll.

Brent: emptied the Kool Aid and DRINKING YOUR MILKSHAKE with an extra-long straw.

Unicorns don't exist.

Home of the Stormbuster, the Dyson Pattern Storm Raven.

I'm a comment whore and this whore is getting no play.

Not Brent hurts Brent's feelings.

I think, therefore I blog.

"You should stop writing for everyone else and worry about your crappy blog." - Anon.

Not Brent has been spotted lurking around with a green marker.

He's not like a bad guy from a cartoon, all devious but never quite evil, Not Brent is bad beans, man, bad beans.

Dethtron: "Again I feel obliged to remind you that trying to sound smart only works if you are."

MVB: "I am not one to join the unwashed masses of self-titled 40k experts out there distributing advice from their blogs about exactly how your list should be built..."

Shiner Bock on tap: that's how I choose hotels.

Strictly Average: The Home of Hugs and Gropings.

Don't feed the trolls!

MoD: "Welcome to Brent's head."

Competitive is Consistent.

Dethtron: "...you could use that extra time to figure out a way to get your panties unbunched and perform a sandectomy on your vagina."

Dethtron: “When calling someone an idiot, it's generally best to avoid making grammatical mistakes.”

Warboss Stalin: "You know, if it actually WAS funny, maybe I wouldn't mind."

Mike Brandt: "It's not a successful bachelor party if you don't misplace someone".

"The Master Manipulator (every store needs one): "...now, enough stroking."

Kirby: "I don't know about gropings. Seriously, Brent, keep it in the pants, please."

Loquacious: "No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get Hugs & Gropings or Stalks Jawaballs into Brent's little tribute."

Captain Kellen: "I rate this article a Brent on the Faith Hill to Nancy Pelosi scale!"

Drathmere: "Come for the balls, stay for the Brent? Kind of disturbing, man."

Go no further, lest thee see something thine eyes would fain look past!

Isabelle: "So, thank you for supporting your local and not so local unicorns. A noble gesture like that can show some scared kids out there that they don't have to hide from everyone and it's ok to be who they really are."

There is nothing more interesting than We The People... in all our beautiful, ugly glory!

On Internet Advice: You see, I have an almost religious belief that's it's a huge, colossal waste of time.

...I think I'll call it the Gun Shy Pattern Stormbuster, because after the Internet destroyed my first humble effort, I find I'm a bit worried about the reaction to this one.

Lauby: "Is it left over from that time you thought that you could just complete step one 12 times to meet the mandates of that court order?"

Not Brent: "I guess we'll have to read on and find out. Signed, Not Brent. Especially today."

Cynthia Davis: "I think the scrolling text is from Glen Beck's new book."

Grimaldi: "Spamming certain units creates interesting possibilities but also fatal weaknesses."

Purgatus: "Math can inform decisions. It cannot make decisions."

Thoughts? Comments? Hugs and gropings?

You'd be that much quicker to figure out what I mean when I refer to a Unicorn if I covered it in a rainbow flag.

SinSynn: (To Brent) "Curse you and your insidious influence on the internets..."

Dave G (N++): "You know you're an internet celebrity when your following is more akin to tabloids."

I prefer the term Internet Personality (or IP) myself, seeing as how I coined it.

Lauby: "Your attempt to humanize him as failed. I feel nothing but scorn for his beard - it's like a warcrime or something."

BBF: "I've always thought you are a good player but I finally figured out that you are a great player. It's hard to see sometimes because your personality is engaging, sincere and quite charming - to me that is kind of a rare combination."

'Clearly cheating?' I didn't misspeak: you jumped to conclusions. If you'd like to apologize I'll be happy to send you an autographed picture of my ass.

Ass.

I thought I was doing alright before I realized I was losing.

Age and treachery beats youth and vigor every time.

Popular Posts