Necrons and the New Competitive

I've been excited - impressed even - with the Necron Codex since its release...

...but as always, I seem to disagree with the prevailing opinions available online.

...

I know, I know!  

It's an easy statement to make - since you can find anything online to support a premise that broad - but some of those opinions are from worthy sources, such as my friend Darkwynn.  Last I read, he contends the 'Crons aren't going to be (and I wish I had the exact quote, so this is paraphrasing) Top Tier.

And he's probably right in a very broad sense.  They won't knock Imperial Guard, Space Wolves, and Grey Knights off their perch... but do they have to?

As the Blood Angels.  As the Dark Eldar.  Hell, ask the Black Templars!

Or ask Daemons.  

There were those who said I retired my army due to Grey Knights, but for the record that isn't even close to the truth.  While there were builds that concerned me, only one sees the table with any frequency.  The other?  Not so much... though last I heard my buddy Evil Homer is building it.

So what?

There were always builds out there that concerned me!  The typical Vulkan builds were murder, 'cause they usually ran a Libby with Null Zone, a Land Raider, and a unit of Thunder Hammer / Storm Shield Terminators.

Is Warp Quake any worse than Null Zone?  (Yea.)

Still and all... I always figured, let them worry about me.  I'm the one with an army designed to take out Mech Meq.  For the record, I usually did okay, the worst setback being in WarGames Con II when I played one of the hard-drinking Boulder Colorado dudes.

Fun dudes to drink with, too.

Yup.  Daemons can still compete.  Ask the very talented Kenny from Next Level Painting, who won second place at this year's Feast of Blades.  Beating Grey Knights.  

And losing to a Double Raider list, darn it!

Was he rooting against Nick?

To bring the point back around, the 'Crons won't displace the big three, but they can compete.  And they have some tools at their disposal to make them murder some of the lists we're seeing in the current meta.  And they have a few broad things going for them that have zip to do with specifics.

1. They aren't Meq.
2. You're not going to see this army in anything approaching the numbers you'll see others.
3. And they aren't Meq.

What do I mean?

I mean it's why we hear about Footdar beating face; it's why horde Orks still represent; it's why the Card Pimp in Question won a competitive event with Tyranids...

...because simply everyone and their girlfriends plays Space Marines.

What is he talking about?  You mouth breathers don't have girlfriends.

(And why was I fired from Top X, Lauby?)

Xenos armies can safely design to beat Meq - because usually what will do well against those will do well against anything.  And if you run into an anti-design...

...play the mission.

You should be doing that last anyway.

End Part I

...

Oh, you want something Necron-specific now?

This whole Scarab/Swarm, Spider/Spam idea making the rounds won't last.  It'll do okay for awhile - surprises always do - but it won't last.

It's bad design masquerading as good design.  It's trying too hard.