Necron warriors prove an implacable foe during the battle.

“The 1st Company of the Knights of Altair—the elite  of this Space Marine Chapter—was handily defeated in an attack against our world’s xeno invaders today.“—Imperial Voxcast, 6 501 744.M41

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Strategic Setting

A Gauss Flayer, the standard weapon of the xenos.

For at least 150 centuries, humanity has claimed the planet Mykonos, a once verdant world since turned into a barren, irradiated wasteland by the ruthless exploitation of the planet’s natural resources and highly polluting manufacturing operations.

Yet, despite the Adeptus Mechanicus’ sovereignty over the planet, its leading magos had no idea that Mykonos was a former Necron Tomb World. The long-dormant xeno tombs were buried deep beneath the planet’s surface, and only recently did the Mechanicus’ ever-deeper mines finally stumble upon the Necrons’ hibernation chambers.

So it was that, six years ago, the Necrons awoke and realized that their world had been invaded. In a week, hundreds of Necron warriors filled the Mechanicus mines to drive away the miners. A month later, thousands of the skeletal xenos had reached the planet’s surface and were battling the planet’s Skitarii defenders.

For years, the ever-secretive Mecanicus downplayed the serious of the fighting, claiming their planetary defense forces had the matter in hand. But, a year ago, Overlord Agamunzu—commander of the larger Dryillian Dynasty—arrived on Mykonos to ensure that this satellite of his interstellar empire was firmly restored to him. The fighting grew more heated.

Thus the Forge World of Helios, which has jurisdiction over Mykonos, finally acknowledged the fighting was more serious than widely known. Millions of Skitarii had been deployed to the mining world, and still the Mechanicus was losing.

Sector Command sent what troops it could spare, but with the Damocles Gulf Crusade already drawing away massive resources, available reinforcements were scarce. But then High Marshal Adrias Ioculus, master of the Knights of Altair Space Marine Chapter and the savior of the Necron-invaded world of Tophet, announced he would come to Mykonos’ defense.

A Necron Tomb World. Myopolis is claimed by the Dryillian Regency. This recently awakened Necron domain pays homage to the Overlord Agumunzu, who himself offers fidelity to the powerful Sautekh Dynast to the galactic north of the Corvus Cluster.

Tactical Setting

Arriving outside Xintorgo Hive City, the planetary capital that remains under heavy Necron assault, Ioculos organized elements of the 1st and 2nd Companies of his Chapter into an assault force and looked for the largest xenos troop concentration threatening the city.

He found it on a sandy plateau to the northwest of the city—a sizable force, relatively isolated from the rest of the xeno army, and supported by one of the most dangerous weapons in the Necron arsenal: a Monolith.

He ordered an immediate attack by drop pods, gunships, and mechanized assets.

The Necrons deploy in a tight concentration, with the intent of hampering any flanking action by the Knights of Altair.

Deployment

This was a solo game by TheGM using 7th Edition rules. I rolled up the Relic scenario, which was a challenge for the Space Marines as I’d opted for a very mobile force of elite troops that was not really suited to seizing and defending a single objective.

Still, I had  a plan. I envisioned this as a surgical strike, where I’d land on isolated units and crush them. Thus, I started all Space Marine forces in reserve.

Then, trying to think like a Necron, I opted to negate the Space Marine’s mobility by deploying in a tight formation in one corner of the table. My troops were packed in, denying the Space Marines any opportunity to land in the xenos’ rear. The Astartes would need to hit the front or left flank of the Necron army, and their forces were deployed to allow the xenos to concentrate a huge amount of fire at any enemy unit that came close.

Necron Turn One

The xenos advanced slowly, careful to maintain a tight cohesion that would not allow the Space Marine drop pods to land behind them. There were no enemy troops to fire upon.

Stymied by the Necron’s deployment, the first two drop pods to land chose to surround the Relic that the Necrons sought.

Imperial Turn One

Curse myself for being a sneaky Necron. In any other scenario with multiple objectives, the xenos would have spread out into a line, allowing my Space Marines to slam into a flank. But, with the Necrons packed tightly together, my first deployment—two drop pods filled with Terminators—very easily could be overwhelmed immediately,

No landing site satisfied me. With no other support for my Terminators, I opted for a very unsatisfying act of caution. I landed my drop pods on either side of the objective (the Relic) with the goal of using the rocky terrain to bolster my chances of surviving until reinforcements arrived.

As it was the first turn, no other reserves arrived. I fired with my Terminators, but only a single Necron warrior was in range. It died. Whoopie.

A Doom Scythe soars over the battlefield and strafes the Terminators near the drop pods.

Necron Turn Two

I put on my “Necron hat” and suddenly felt very smug. My xeno intellect had flummoxed the Space Marines. My overlord, Agamunzu, arrived from reserves and ordered the advance.

The advance was slow and steady. Some troops hanged back. There were more drop pods on the way, and there was no reason to leave space for those to land behind my troops.

Also arriving to the battle was a Doom Scythe. It immediately strafed the disembarking Terminators with its powerful Death Ray and twin-linked Telsa Destructors. Alas, despite several hits, the xeno energy weapons could not penetrate the Terminators’ heavy armor.

Other Necron fire was equally disappointing. An Annihilation Barge, Doomsday Ark, Monolith, and Triarch Stalker all targeted the Terminators, as well. The result was numerous hits yet no casualties.

I laugh. The Imperial commander was being too timid with his 1st Company. They could have done more damage if they’d been aggressive.

A squad of Sternguard land by drop pod and immediately begin firing upon the nearby enemy. Alas, the xenos have a sizable infantry force in the area, and they soon bring down the honorable veterans of the First Company.

Imperial Turn Two

Observing the battle from a distance aboard his Stormraven Gunship, Ioculus contemplated ordering the Terminators to charge the Monolith. Its powerful Gauss Flux Arcs dominated the battlefield.

But he decided against it. The Terminators were equipped mostly with Lightning Claws, and the few Terminators with Thunder Hammers had only a 11.1-percent chance per attack of scoring a Glancing Hit on the Monolith. Ioculus’ genetically enhance brain calculated the battle would likely be over before they could bring down the giant xeno construct.

The Terminators were told to Go to Ground for another turn.

Another drop pod landed to the west of the Necron force, just behind the Monolith. The Sternguard disembarked. Arming themselves with Kraken Bolts, they targeted the nearest squad of Necron warriors but only killed one xeno

Ioculus’ gunship arrives from reserve and strafes the Doomsday Ark. Its twin-linked Las Cannon hits home, but the xeno vehicle’s Quantum Shielding holds.

Click here to read Part 2 of this battle report.

Artwork of Necron City was created with AI from NightCafé.

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The Corvus Cluster is a Warhammer 40K blog documenting our gaming adventures in the fantastical sci-fi universe of Games Workshop.