Necron Warrior counters

[panzerfront]

Hey, got another game in against the necron player in my group and after facing down the nightbringer and a large skorpekh group, I ran into issues with killing Necron Warrior blobs, how would you guys recommend dealing with 20 necron warrior groups, specifically killing them off objectives, I've figured out how to bog them down, deal with the melee threat but killing warriors is very difficult for me to pull off, are there tyranid units that can pull off chewing through large Warrior groups, particularly those that are protected by cryptek. 

[zimko]

Devgants are our most efficient unit for this. (Devgants being Termagants with Devourers). A unit of 30 can deploy in strategic reserves for 1 cp. Then arrive either on a board edge or near a lictor for 1 cp, wherever they can get within range of a warrior blob. That shouldn't be too hard since usually warrior blobs like to take up a fair amount of space. The Devgants may need to shoot twice to completely remove a blob of 20 Warriors but it'll get the job done. And if you can protect the Devgants for another turn then they can do it again. If they're using a second blob of warriors then slowly kill it with attrition. Pile on Hormagaunts, throw some smites.

[panzerfront]

Thanks, I only have 36 of both types of Gaunt, clearly need to up their numbers. Are any monsters up for the task or is a pure Devilgaunt problem to fix?

[zimko]

None of our monsters has the volume to kill Warriors efficiently. The ones with 12 shots like Exocrine or Barbed Hierodules have better targets to shoot at usually. But if all the high-threat targets are dead then several monsters together can focus down Warriors.

[piersonsmuppet]

Apr 5, 2021 16:57:25 GMT panzerfront said:

Thanks, I only have 36 of both types of Gaunt, clearly need to up their numbers. Are any monsters up for the task or is a pure Devilgaunt problem to fix?

Carnifex or Tyrants w/ 2x2 Devs, Tyrannofex w/ acid, and ScytheDule are your best monster answers to warriors. However, you would need at least two monsters to still not quite equal the DevGants output, and that doesn't include SMA. So DevGants are your only option for clearing an obj in one turn, but the monsters don't have to worry about being screened out as much. If you really need warriors gone, Jorm DevGants can statistically kill 20 in one volley /w Jorms psychic power. A second volley w/ SMA should leave the blob crippled. If you had to take a monster, T-fex is the more pts efficient answer while the Dule might be the best single answer.

[kazetanade]

Assuming it isnt Jorm devilgants:

90 shots, 45 hits. 22.5 wounds with rr1s (22.5/3 = 7 rounded down, 3.5 extra wounds) for 26 total wounds. 4+ Sv for 13 fails. Reanimation gets 4-5 back (5++++ rr1s means 4 base, 2 more rerolled for less than 1 extra). Total of 9 dead. Shoot Twice to double it; but with another 13 fails, the unit wipes with no 2nd round of reanimation. Maths is slightly different at Reanimator's 4++++, getting around 7-8 back for 15 left, and surviving the next double shoot with 2 guys left and reanimation up to 10.

Assuming it's Jorm Devilgants:

90 shots at 4+ rerollable, 45 hits (45/2 for an additional 22.5 hits) for a total of 67 hits. 33.5 wounds with rr1s (33.5/3 = 11 rounded down, 5.5 extra wounds) for a total of 39 wounds. 4+ Sv for 18.5 fails. Therefore, if you can tag a bit of damage on before Jorm Devilgants shoot, you will wipe the unit without risking Reanimation.

Likewise, if you can tag a bit of damage on it prior to non Jorm shooting, double shoot will wipe it.

(I weirdly miscalculated this by a huge margin previously, but it looks like Devilgants are reaaaaaaally good at killing warriors).

If he is able to screen your DS down so that you are outside 12" and they have Hypermaterial Ablator on the Necrons... you're basically not killing that Necron unit.

If you pair traditional Dakkafexes to it (9 Fexes with double devs), then you will have the volume to bulldoze your way through those Necron numbers. But you wont have guns to shoot at anything else for sure. With that in mind, and how Nid units are designed to do 1 thing extremely well to the detriment of other things, Devilgants are priced very effectively and allow you to trade immensely well and I highly recommend it in a Jormungandr detachment, assuming you want to use Barbed Heirodules. Having:

1 Jorm Detach with 2x Barbeds (double Adaptations) and 1x 30 Devilgants
1 Kronos Detach with 1x 6 HG and 1-2x Exocrenes

is an extremely potent mix of guns. It's around 3/5 of your army, but the remainder can be filled with gaunts, Zoeys, and Broodlords to maintain some semblance of "I'm not just a worser SM army".

[stormcoil]

I also like kronos devilgants with symbiostorm cast on them.

[kazetanade]

90 shots: 45 hit, 15 extra hits for 60 hits total. 30 wounds, 10 failed saves, is just enough to kill 5 man Primaris unit.

Assuming that you do not want a Jorm detachment in your army (maybe because Kronos - Kraken or something else), it's perfectly viable and not too far off the Jorm reroll option. Good catch stormcoil.

[piersonsmuppet]

Kronos are not far off from Jorm in ideal scenarios, but are stock DevGants if shooting with -1 to-hit or not able to drop w/in 12" of the symbiostorm psyker. Really comes into play if you need to drop them outside 24" of the likely 1 synapse unit in the Kronos Patrol. I think the extra flexibility (not to mention durability) from Jorm still leaves it miles ahead.

Side-note: Kronos numbers are slightly better w/ 11.5 failed saves on Primaris (forgot rr1s to-wound w/ 20+).

[kazetanade]

Based on my experience 30 man blobs will only ever be able to drop in the mid field, closer to your end of the table. With some luck, you can drop them on an objective on your half and blow the infantry away, or at least conga back to the psyker.

Edit: although tbf the 6" of lictor requirement makes this a bit finicky.