This week’s Grown Men Playing With Toys’ Battle Report features the Necrons Awakened Dynasty against the Ultramarines Blade of Ultramar playing Linchpin on a Search & Destroy Deployment with GW Terrain Pack 3.

As backdrop for the game….

The Necron Awakened Dynasty does not consider Ultramar a threat. It considers it an inconvenience, a brief flowering of mammalian civilization built on land that belonged to the Necrons’ dynasty before the first human ancestor stood upright. Marneus Calgar has fought Necrons long enough to understand that there is no negotiation with an Overlord who measures patience in geological epochs. The Five Hundred Worlds have expanded onto tomb world territory before, and the response has always been the same: the Warriors rise, the Crypteks calculate, and the dynasty reclaims what was never truly given up……

They said we’re too old, but we said “hold our dice”…..as we see if the Ultramarines can retake one of the 500 Worlds or if the Necrons can remind these upstart humans that the galaxy is rightfully theirs.

JUMP TO:

Matchup

Mission

Lists

Necrons Specific Strategies

Ultramarines Specific Strategies

Round by Round Recap

Result

Game Review

What I Would Change Next Time

Earned Themself a Name

Magnus of the Game

Cinematic Moments of the Game

RULES / POINTS VERSION:

10th Edition, 2025–2026 Chapter Approved

April 2026 Armageddon Update

MATCHUP:

Faction:	Detachment:
Necrons	Awakened Dynasty
VS
Faction:	Detachment:
Ultramarines	Blade of Ultramar

MISSION:

GW Mission	J
Primary	Linchpin
Terrain Layout	GW Terrain Layout 6
Deployment	Search and Destroy
Deployed First	Ultramarines
First Turn	Necrons
Ultramarines Secondaries	Tactical
Necrons Secondaries	Tactical

LISTS:

Necrons:

List

Necrons

Awakened Dynasty

Strike Force (2,000 Points)

CHARACTERS

C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer (340 Points)

• 1x Gaze of death

• 1x Scythe of the Nightbringer

Illuminor Szeras (165 Points)

• 1x Eldritch Lance

• 1x Impaling legs

Nekrosor Ammentar (185 Points)

• 1x Blade tail and whip coils

• 1x Enmitic disintegrators

• 1x Nullstone Field Generator (Aura)

• 1x Unmaker Gauntlet

Orikan the Diviner (80 Points)

• 1x Staff of Tomorrow

Overlord with Translocation Shroud (105 Points)

• Warlord

• 1x Overlord’s blade

• 1x Resurrection Orb

• Enhancements: Nether-realm Casket

Skorpekh Lord (120 Points)

• 1x Enmitic annihilator

• 1x Flensing claw

• 1x Hyperphase harvester

• Enhancements: Enaegic Dermal Bond

Transcendent C’tan (325 Points)

• 1x Crackling tendrils

• 1x Seismic assault

BATTLELINE

Necron Warriors (200 Points)

• 20x Necron Warrior

◦ 20x Close combat weapon

◦ 20x Gauss flayer

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Ghost Ark (115 Points)

• 1x Armoured bulk

• 2x Gauss flayer array

OTHER DATASHEETS

Canoptek Reanimator (75 Points)

• 2x Atomiser beam

• 1x Reanimator’s claws

Deathmarks (60 Points)

• 5x Deathmark

◦ 5x Close combat weapon

◦ 5x Synaptic disintegrator

Flayed Ones (60 Points)

• 5x Flayed One

◦ 5x Flayer claws

Ophydian Destroyers (80 Points)

• 3x Ophydian Destroyer

◦ 3x Ophydian hyperphase weapons

◦ 1x Plasmacyte

Ophydian Destroyers (80 Points)

• 3x Ophydian Destroyer

◦ 3x Ophydian hyperphase weapons

◦ 1x Plasmacyte

Ultramarines:

List

Space Marines

Ultramarines

Blade of Ultramar

Strike Force (2,000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Lieutenant with Combi-weapon (95 Points)

• 1x Combi-weapon

• 1x Paired combat blades

• Enhancements: Armour of Antoninus

Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus (140 Points)

• Warlord

• 1x Gauntlets of Ultramar

Uriel Ventris (95 Points)

• 1x Bolt Pistol

• 1x Invictus

• 1x Sword of Idaeus

BATTLELINE

Intercessor Squad (80 Points)

• 1x Intercessor Sergeant

◦ 1x Astartes grenade launcher

◦ 1x Bolt pistol

◦ 1x Bolt rifle

◦ 1x Power fist

• 4x Intercessor

◦ 4x Bolt pistol

◦ 4x Bolt rifle

◦ 4x Close combat weapon

OTHER DATASHEETS

Ballistus Dreadnought (150 Points)

• 1x Armoured feet

• 1x Ballistus lascannon

• 1x Ballistus missile launcher

• 1x Twin storm bolter

Ballistus Dreadnought (150 Points)

• 1x Armoured feet

• 1x Ballistus lascannon

• 1x Ballistus missile launcher

• 1x Twin storm bolter

Incursor Squad (80 Points)

• 1x Incursor Sergeant

◦ 1x Bolt pistol

◦ 1x Occulus bolt carbine

◦ 1x Paired combat blades

• 4x Incursor

◦ 4x Bolt pistol

◦ 1x Haywire Mine

◦ 4x Occulus bolt carbine

◦ 4x Paired combat blades

Repulsor Executioner (230 Points)

• 1x Armoured hull

• 1x Heavy laser destroyer

• 1x Heavy onslaught gatling cannon

• 1x Icarus rocket pod

• 1x Ironhail heavy stubber

• 1x Repulsor Executioner defensive array

• 1x Twin Icarus ironhail heavy stubber

• 1x Twin heavy bolter

Repulsor Executioner (230 Points)

• 1x Armoured hull

• 1x Heavy laser destroyer

• 1x Heavy onslaught gatling cannon

• 1x Icarus rocket pod

• 1x Ironhail heavy stubber

• 1x Repulsor Executioner defensive array

• 1x Twin Icarus ironhail heavy stubber

• 1x Twin heavy bolter

Scout Squad (70 Points)

• 1x Scout Sergeant

◦ 1x Astartes chainsword

◦ 1x Bolt pistol

◦ 1x Close combat weapon

• 4x Scout

◦ 4x Bolt pistol

◦ 4x Boltgun

◦ 4x Close combat weapon

Storm Speeder Hammerstrike (125 Points)

• 1x Close combat weapon

• 1x Hammerstrike missile launcher

• 2x Krakstorm grenade launcher

• 1x Melta destroyer

Victrix Honour Guard (220 Points)

• 1x Chapter Ancient

◦ 1x Banner of Macragge

◦ 1x Master-crafted power weapon

• 1x Chapter Champion

◦ 1x Blades of honour

• 4x Victrix Honour Guard

◦ 4x Master-crafted bolt carbine

◦ 4x Master-crafted power weapon

Victrix Honour Guard (220 Points)

• 6x Victrix Honour Guard

◦ 6x Master-crafted bolt carbine

◦ 6x Master-crafted power weapon

Wardens of Ultramar (105 Points)

• 1x Ancient Gadriel

◦ 1x Bolt rifle

◦ 1x Close combat weapon

• 1x Veteran Sergeant Metaurus

◦ 1x Heavy bolt pistol

◦ 1x Master-crafted power weapon

◦ 1x Storm Shield

• 1x Gaius Silva

◦ 1x Archeotech laspistol

◦ 1x Power weapon

◦ 1x Refractor Field

• 1x Aemelia Minervas

◦ 1x Archeotech laspistol

◦ 1x Power weapon

• 1x Dainal Komelius

◦ 1x Astropathic Blast

◦ 1x Force stave

• 1x Lucia Vestha

◦ 1x Archeotech laspistol

◦ 1x Close combat weapon

FACTION SPECIFIC STRATEGIES:

Necrons:

This list is an adaptation of an Awakened Dynasty list that I have played for most of 10th edition. The adaption is to swap out ranged shooting threats for 2 C’Tan and the Nekrosor.

The goal of the list is to control the board and establish a high floor for Primary points with the Necron Warriors that become VERY difficult to kill thanks to all of the Reanimation tricks that they can access in this detachment. They then have the Ophydians, Flayed Ones, and Deathmarks for scoring secondaries and the C’Tan as their big damage dealing threats. Lastly, Nekrosor Ammentar, the Skorpekh Lord, and Illuminor Szeras serve similar roles as tankier than you would think and deadly in melee pieces that can stand back up again for 1 CP.

From a Listhammer perspective, this list looks very strong. In reality, we will see as this is my first go with it. I am a little bit worried about it being rigid and playing too much like the Daemons list that I played last game, but we’ll see.

Win Condition: The Necrons win this game by matching the Ultramarines’ primary scoring while focusing on killing the Secondary scoring units for the Ultramarines. The Ultramarines will “get theirs” in terms of killing units and scoring points, but their list has a low unit count and less movement tricks than the Necrons. The Necrons should therefore focus on taking out the scoring units and forcing the Ultramarines to use their “hammer units” to score points instead of doing damage.

What I Want to Work On This Game: I want to play the Nekrosor more effectively. I’m two games in with him and have not been happy with either of those performances. Specifically, I want to play him more aggressively and get him into melee, which has not happened yet because I have been too focused on using him to buff shooting.

Category	Description
Leader / Bodyguard Combos:	Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud with Necron Warriors
Transport / Infantry Combos:	Illuminor Szeras in Ghost Ark
Strategic Reserves:	Deathmarks
Key Stratagems:	Protocol of the Undying Legions [1CP] Opponent’s Shooting phase or Fight phase – WHEN: Your opponent’s Shooting phase or the Fight phase, just after an enemy unit has resolved its attacks. TARGET: One NECRONS unit from your army that had one or more of its models destroyed as a result of the attacking unit’s attacks. EFFECT: Your unit activates its Reanimation Protocols and reanimates D3 wounds (or D3+1 wounds if a NECRONS CHARACTER is leading your unit).
	Protocol of the Eternal Revenant [1CP] Any phase – WHEN: Any phase. TARGET: One NECRONS INFANTRY CHARACTER model from your army that was just destroyed. You can use this Stratagem on that model even though it was just destroyed. EFFECT: At the end of the phase, set your model back up on the battlefield as close as possible to where it was destroyed and not within Engagement Range of any enemy units, with half of its starting number of wounds remaining.
	Protocol of the Sudden Storm [1CP] Your Movement phase – WHEN: Your Movement phase. TARGET: One NECRONS unit from your army. EFFECT: Until the end of the turn, ranged weapons equipped by models in your unit have the [ASSAULT] ability. In addition, if a NECRONS CHARACTER is leading your unit, until the end of the phase, you can re-roll Advance rolls made for your unit.
	Protocol of the Conquering Tyrant [1CP] Shooting phase – WHEN: Your Shooting phase. TARGET: One NECRONS unit from your army that has not been selected to shoot this phase. EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, each time a model in your unit makes an attack that targets a unit within half range, re-roll a Hit roll of 1. If a NECRONS CHARACTER is leading your unit, until the end of the phase, you can re-roll the Hit roll for that attack instead.
Key Combos:	Illuminor Szeras + Skorpekh Lord + Nekrosor Ammentar + Enaegic Dermal Bond enhancement + Protocol of the Eternal Revenant stratagem This is one of the main combos that the list is built around. Take a really tanky character, add on a Feel No Pain and/or a Lone Op ability and they become very tough to kill. Even worse, you can then use the stratagem to stand them back up again. The timing can be a bit tricky, but this can hypothetically get used on Szeras, the Skorpekh Lord, and Ammentar as long as they all die in different phases/turns.
	Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors + Nether-realm Casket enhancement + Protocol of the Undying Legions stratagem This is the second combo that this list is built around. The combination of all of these units and abilities results in a Warrior brick that is very, very difficult to kill if you time the activations of the various abilities that can trigger Reanimation. It is super annoying to deal with.

Ultramarines:

This is a pretty standard, meta Ultramarines list these days. It is a gun line that seeks to hide behind 2 units of Victrix Guard and the plan is to simply out kill the opponent by having more shots, more CP, and more flexibility.

From a list perspective, the idea is to start the Combi-weapon Lieutenant in the midfield to screen and do secondaries with the Scouts and Incursors. The Wardens of Ultramar are there to sit on an Objective and be annoying while also providing the flexibility to redeploy if needed. Ventris + Victrix Honour Guard are the most likely unit to re-deploy as they could be moved into Reserves to become a Rapid Ingress threat. Lastly, Calgar + the Victrix Guard are there as a midfield bully unit to distract the opponent while the 2 RepEx’s and Ballistus Dreads kill everything they can see with ranged fire.

The ideal game is to blow away the opponent and then, once the opponent is gone, the Ultramarines can max points and win the game.

Win Condition: Ultramarines’ win condition for this game is to out shoot and out kill the Necrons. Their list has more flexibility and more ranged killing power than the Necrons’ list and they’ll have to use that plus the lines of sight on this map to their advantage. Similar to last time, they will need to play a patient game to bait out the Necrons into the midfield and then take them down from ranged. Unlike last time, they will need to be VERY aware of protecting their backfield as this Necrons’ list brings a lot more movement flexibility.

What I Want to Work On This Game: I want to work on continuing to refine my board awareness and patience when playing shooting armies. I especially want to work on the way that I sequence the Shooting Phase as it will be needed to take down the Necron Warriors or Szeras/Ammentar/Skorpekh Lord.

Category	Description
Leader / Bodyguard Combos:	Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus with Victrix Honour Guard
	Uriel Ventris with Victrix Honour Guard
Strategic Reserves:	Storm Speeder Hammerstrike
Key Stratagems:	Exemplary Vigilance [1CP] Shooting phase – WHEN: Your Shooting phase. TARGET: One ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit from your army that has not been selected to shoot this phase. EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, ranged weapons equipped by models in your unit have the [IGNORE COVER] ability. In addition, if your unit is under the effects of the Devastator Doctrine, improve the Armour Penetration characteristic of those ranged weapons by 1.
	Ultramarian Adaptivity [1CP] Your Command phase – WHEN: Your Command phase. TARGET: One ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit from your army. EFFECT: Until the start of your next Command phase, select one of the following Combat Doctrines – Devastator, Tactical, or Assault. That Combat Doctrine is active for your unit until the start of your next Command phase, even if it would not otherwise be active for your army, or even if you have already used all three Combat Doctrines this battle.
	Courage and Honour! [1CP] Fight phase – WHEN: Fight phase. TARGET: One ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit from your army that has not been selected to fight this phase. EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, melee weapons equipped by models in your unit have the [LANCE] ability. In addition, if your unit is under the effects of the Assault Doctrine, improve the Armour Penetration characteristic of those melee weapons by 1.
	Practical Tactics [1CP] Opponent’s Movement phase – WHEN: Your opponent’s Movement phase, just after an enemy unit ends a Normal, Advance or Fall Back move within 9″ of one or more ADEPTUS ASTARTES INFANTRY or MOUNTED units from your army. TARGET: One of those ADEPTUS ASTARTES INFANTRY or MOUNTED units that is not within Engagement Range of one or more enemy units. EFFECT: Your unit can make a Normal move of up to D6″. If your unit is under the effects of the Tactical Doctrine, it can instead make a Normal move of up to 6″.
	Tactical Foresight [1CP] Opponent’s Shooting phase or Fight phase – WHEN: Your opponent’s Shooting phase or the Fight phase, just after an enemy unit has selected its targets. TARGET: One ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit from your army that was selected as the target of one or more of the attacking unit’s attacks. EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, each time an attack targets your unit, if the Strength characteristic of that attack is greater than the Toughness characteristic of models in your unit, subtract 1 from the Wound roll.
	Armour of Contempt [1CP] Opponent’s Shooting phase or Fight phase – WHEN: Your opponent’s Shooting phase or the Fight phase, just after an enemy unit has selected its targets. TARGET: One ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit from your army that was selected as the target of one or more of the attacking unit’s attacks. EFFECT: Until the attacking unit has finished making its attacks, each time an attack targets your unit, worsen the Armour Penetration characteristic of that attack by 1.
Key Combos:	Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus + Victrix Honour Guard + Practical Tactics stratagem What if you wanted all of the Movement tricks in one unit? This combo gives you a unit that can Advance, Shoot, and Charge; Fall Back, Shoot, and Charge; Reactive Move; and Surge Move. It is insanely flexible.
	Victrix Honour Guard + Armour of Contempt stratagem + Practical Tactics stratagem This is part of what makes Victrix Honour Guard so annoying to deal with. Adding a character to lead them and then using AoC results in a 2+ Save, -1 to Wound unit that can Surge into you if you shoot them and do damage.
	Repulsor Executioner + Incursor Squad + Exemplary Vigilance stratagem What if you had just all of the guns and got to give them all Assault and then also give them Ignores Cover and +1 AP? And then what if you could also add in +1 to Hit against a single target? Thats what this combo provides. It takes the RepEx’s to the moon as far as how scary they can be.
	Victrix Honour Guard + Courage and Honour! stratagem And finally, as if there weren’t enough powerful combos in this detachment, a melee blender combo. This one takes your already very good Victrix Honour Guard unit and gives them access to Lance and +1 AP (if in the Assault Doctrine) in melee.

ROUND-BY-ROUND RECAP:

The Necrons win the roll off and elect to have the Ultramarines deploy first. The Ultramarines deploy in a balanced way that focuses on board controlling their Deployment Zone, getting their big guns into firing lanes early, and positioning the Victrix Honour Guard to attack the midfield Objectives. Ventris and his Victrix Honour Guard are deployed to attack where the Necron Warriors will go, so that his Vect aura can be used to impact their use of Protocol of the Undying Legion, while Calgar’s unit is positioned to counter Charge either the middle or Ultramarines’ Natural Expansion Objective.

The Necrons also deploy in a mix of conservative and aggressive ways. In their case, however, I would not call it balanced as they are very obviously telegraphing which Objectives they mean to go hard after – Objective 5 with the Necron Warriors because it offers the most protection from the RepEx’s and Objective 4 via a C’Tan Charge if the Ultramarines try to put a juicy target on it. The Necrons really want to go first so that they can build their wall of Warriors.

Board state after Deployment is shown below.

Post Deployment

The Necrons win the roll off to go first, which they wanted. The Ultramarines then Scout Move their Incursors up towards Objective 5.

Board state at the start of the battle is shown below.

Start of the Battle

ROUND 1:

Phase:	Go First: Necrons
Score at Start	10
CP at Start	1
Command	[Necrons] Draw Secondaries: Overwhelming Force & Recover Assets
Movement	[Necrons] Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors Advances onto Objective 5 [Necrons] Illuminor Szeras Disembarks from Ghost Ark towards Objective 5 [Necrons] Nekrosor Ammentar Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 5 [Necrons] Canoptek Reanimator Makes a Normal Move in Necrons’ Deployment Zone to Hide [Necrons] Skorpekh Lord Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 3 [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan uses Dimensional Translocation to Teleport near Objective 3 [Ultramarines] Lieutenant with Combi-weapon uses Evade and Survive to Reactive Move onto Objective 3
Shooting	[Necrons] Ghost Ark Performs Recover Assets [Necrons] Flayed Ones Performs Recover Assets
Charge	[Necrons] None
Fight	[Necrons] None
End of Turn	[Necrons] Scores Secondary: Recover Assets — 3 VP [Necrons] Drops Secondary: Overwhelming Force for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Scout Squad uses Guerrilla Tactics to go into Reserves
Score at End	13
CP at End	2

A simple but effective turn for the Necrons as they focus on getting their Warriors and the various units that are buffing or protecting them in place around Objective 5. They also position the Transcendent C’Tan and Skorpekh Lord to threaten Objective 3 while leaving the Nightbringer in place to threaten the middle.

Board state in the middle of Round 1 is shown below.

Middle of Round 1

Phase:	Go Second: Ultramarines
Score at Start	10
CP at Start	2
Command	[Ultramarines] Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus uses Master Tactician for +1 CP [Ultramarines] Draw Secondaries: Marked For Death & Engage On All Fronts [Necrons] Mark Ophydian Destroyers 1, Ghost Ark, and Canoptek Reanimator [Ultramarines] Mark Transcendent C’Tan [Ultramarines] Drops Secondary: Marked For Death [Ultramarines] Draw Secondaries: Cleanse [Ultramarines] Oath of Moment on Transcendent C’Tan [Ultramarines] Intercessor Squad uses Objective Secured to sticky Objective 2
Movement	[Ultramarines] Ballistus Dreadnought 2 Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 4 [Ultramarines] Lieutenant with Combi-weapon Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 3 [Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 1 Makes a Normal Move towards No Man’s Land to Shoot [Ultramarines] Ballistus Dreadnought 1 Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 5 to Stage [Ultramarines] Intercessor Squad Makes a Normal Move away from Objective 2 to Screen [Ultramarines] Incursor Squad Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 5 [Ultramarines] Uriel Ventris + Victrix Honour Guard Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 5 to Stage [Ultramarines] Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus + Victrix Honour Guard Makes a Normal Move towards No Man’s Land to Stage [Ultramarines] Wardens of Ultramar Makes a Normal Move towards No Man’s Land to Stage [Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 2 Makes a Normal Move towards No Man’s Land to Shoot [Ultramarines] Scout Squad Deploys From Reserves near Objective 5
Shooting	[Ultramarines] Lieutenant with Combi-weapon Performs Cleanse [Ultramarines] Ballistus Dreadnought 2 Performs Cleanse [Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 2 Shoots Transcendent C’tan and Deals 7 Damage [Ultramarines] Incursor Squad Shoots Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors and Whiffs but marks them for +1 to Hit via Multi-Spectrum Array [Ultramarines] Scout Squad Shoots Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors and Kills 1 model [Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 1 Shoots Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors and Kills 4 models [Necrons] Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors uses Protocol of the Undying Legions for 0CP thanks to My Will Be Done and Reanimate 5 models
Charge	[Ultramarines] None
Fight	[Ultramarines] None
End of Turn	[Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Engage On All Fronts — 2 VP [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Cleanse — 5 VP
Score at End	17
CP at End	2

A similarly quiet turn from the Ultramarines as they focus on staging for Round 2 and maximizing Secondary points. They also got shots through on one of the C’Tan which is a bonus this early in the game.

Board state at the end of Round 1 is shown below.

End of Round 1

ROUND 2:

Phase:	Go First: Necrons
Score at Start	13
CP at Start	4
Command	[Necrons] Draw Secondaries: Defend Stronghold & Area Denial [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan uses Reanimation Protocols to heal 3 Wounds [Necrons] Score Primary: 8 VP
Movement	[Necrons] Skorpekh Lord Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 3 to Shoot and Charge [Ultramarines] Lieutenant with Combi-weapon uses Evade and Survive to Reactive Move away from Objective 3 [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan Makes a Normal Move towards Repulsor Executioner 2 to Shoot and Charge [Necrons] C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer Makes a Normal Move towards Ballistus Dreadnought 2 to Shoot and Charge [Necrons] Flayed Ones Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 4 to Charge [Necrons] Illuminor Szeras Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 5 to Stage [Necrons] Nekrosor Ammentar Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 5 to Stage
Shooting	[Necrons] Nekrosor Ammentar Shoots Incursor Squad and Kills 3 models [Necrons] Illuminor Szeras Shoots Scout Squad and Kills 1 model [Necrons] Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors Shoots Scout Squad and Kills 1 model [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan Shoots Repulsor Executioner 2 and Deals 2 Damage [Necrons] C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer Shoots Ballistus Dreadnought 2 and Deals 8 Damage
Charge	[Necrons] Transcendent C’tan Declares a Charge into Repulsor Executioner 2 — Charge Succeeded [Necrons] C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer Declares a Charge into Ballistus Dreadnought 2 — Charge Succeeded [Necrons] Flayed Ones Declares a Charge into Ballistus Dreadnought 2 — Charge Succeeded [Necrons] Nekrosor Ammentar Declares a Charge into Uriel Ventris + Victrix Honour Guard — Charge Failed
Fight	[Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 2 uses Armour of Contempt [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan Fights Repulsor Executioner 2 and Deals 2 Damage [Necrons] C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer Fights Ballistus Dreadnought 2 and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Ballistus Dreadnought 2 Explodes dealing 3 Mortal Wounds to Flayed Ones, 3 to the C’Tan Shard of the Nightbringer, and 2 to the Wardens of Ultramar
End of Turn	[Necrons] Scores Secondary: Area Denial — 5 VP [Ultramarines] Scout Squad uses Guerrilla Tactics to go into Reserves
Score at End	26
CP at End	4

Now we have a game. The Necrons draw first blood by putting both C’Tan into the action to mixed results. On the plus side, the Nightbringer did what was expected and punted the Ballistus into the next galaxy. On the less ideal side, the Transcendent C’Tan had a pretty epic whiff into RepEx 2 and may be in big trouble now.

Board state in the middle of Round 2 is shown below.

Middle of Round 2

Phase:	Go Second: Ultramarines
Score at Start	17
CP at Start	3
Command	[Ultramarines] Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus uses Master Tactician to gain 1 CP [Ultramarines] Draw Secondaries: Secure No Man’s Land & Extend Battle Lines [Ultramarines] Declare Devastator Doctrine [Ultramarines] Uriel Ventris + Victrix Honour Guard uses Ultramarian Adaptivity for the Assault Doctrine [Ultramarines] Oath of Moment on the C’Tan Shard of the Nightbringer [Ultramarines] Score Primary: 3 VP
Movement	[Ultramarines] Ballistus Dreadnought 1 Advances towards Objective 5 to Shoot [Ultramarines] Incursor Squad Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 5 to Shoot and Charge [Ultramarines] Uriel Ventris + Victrix Honour Guard Advances towards Objective 5 to Charge [Ultramarines] Wardens of Ultramar Advances onto Objective 3 [Ultramarines] Lieutenant with Combi-weapon Makes a Normal Move into Ultramarines’ Deployment Zone to Screen [Ultramarines] Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus + Victrix Honour Guard Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 4 to Shoot and Charge [Ultramarines] Storm Speeder Hammerstrike Deep Strikes near Objective 3 to Shoot [Ultramarines] Scout Squad Deploys From Reserves near Ultramarines’ Deployment Zone to Screen
Shooting	[Ultramarines] Incursor Squad uses Haywire Mine to do 2 Mortal Wounds to Nekrosor Ammentar [Ultramarines] Ballistus Dreadnought 1 Shoots Nekrosor Ammentar and Destroys the Unit [Necrons] Nekrosor Ammentar uses Protocol of the Eternal Revenant for 2 CP thanks to Ventris to stand back up with half wounds at the end of the phase [Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 2 Shoots Transcendent C’tan and Deals 8 Damage [Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 1 Splits Fire into C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer and Destroys the Unit and into Flayed Ones and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Storm Speeder Hammerstrike Shoots Skorpekh Lord and Deals 3 Damage [Ultramarines] Wardens of Ultramar Shoots Skorpekh Lord and Whiffs
Charge	[Ultramarines] Uriel Ventris + Victrix Honour Guard Declares a Charge into Nekrosor Ammentar — Charge Succeeded [Ultramarines] Incursor Squad Declares a Charge into Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors — Charge Failed
Fight	[Ultramarines] Uriel Ventris + Victrix Honour Guard uses Armour of Contempt [Necrons] Nekrosor Ammentar uses Epic Challenge for 2 CP thanks to Ventris [Necrons] Nekrosor Ammentar Fights Uriel Ventris + Victrix Honour Guard and Kills Ventris [Ultramarines] Victrix Honour Guard 1 Fights Nekrosor Ammentar and Destroys the Unit [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan Fights Repulsor Executioner 2 and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 2 Explodes doing 1 Mortal Wound to Lieutenant with Combi-weapon and 3 to Transcendent C’Tan (which leaves it on 1 Wound)
End of Turn	[Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Extend Battle Lines — 4 VP [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Secure No Man’s Land — 5 VP [Necrons] Scores Secondary: Defend Stronghold — 3 VP [Necrons] Ophydian Destroyers 1 uses Tunnelling Horrors to go into Reserves
Score at End	29
CP at End	3

The Ultramarines crack back and it’s a good one, as they take down the Nightbringer and Nekrosor while also draining the Necrons of 4 CP thanks to Ventris. The only down side of that turn is that the Transcendent C’Tan reversed its luck from the last turn and killed RepEx 2 while barely surviving the resulting explosion.

From an Ultramarines perspective, they are feeling good about taking down 2 big pieces and establishing a dominant board position. Their goal from here will be to press their advantage.

From a Necrons, perspective, they are now firmly on the back foot and will need to scramble to avoid this turning into a route.

Board state at the end of Round 2 is shown below.

End of Round 2

ROUND 3:

Phase:	Go First: Necrons
Score at Start	29
CP at Start	2
Command	[Necrons] Draw Secondaries: Sabotage & No Prisoners [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan passes Battle Shock [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan uses Reanimation Protocols to heal 2 Wounds [Necrons] Score Primary: 3 VP
Movement	[Necrons] Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 5 [Necrons] Illuminor Szeras Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 5 to Shoot and Charge [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan Makes a Normal Move towards Storm Speeder Hammerstrike to Shoot and Charge [Necrons] Ophydian Destroyers 2 Makes a Normal Move into No Man’s Land to Perform an Action [Necrons] Ophydian Destroyers 1 Deep Strikes near Objective 3
Shooting	[Necrons] Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors uses Protocol of the Conquering Tyrant for 0 CP [Necrons] Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors Shoots Incursor Squad and Destroys the Unit [Necrons] Ophydian Destroyers 2 Performs Sabotage [Necrons] Skorpekh Lord Shoots Wardens of Ultramar and Kills 1 model [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan Shoots Wardens of Ultramar and Kills 1 model [Ultramarines] Victrix Honour Guard 1 uses Armour of Contempt [Necrons] Illuminor Szeras Shoots Victrix Honour Guard 1 and Whiffs with a CP re-roll [Ultramarines] Victrix Honour Guard 1 uses Glory of Ultramar to Surge Move into Necron Warriors
Charge	[Necrons] Skorpekh Lord Declares a Charge into Wardens of Ultramar — Charge Succeeded [Necrons] Skorpekh Lord uses Crimson Harvest to deal 6 Mortal Wounds [Necrons] Illuminor Szeras Declares a Charge into Victrix Honour Guard 1 — Charge Succeeded [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan Declares a Charge into Storm Speeder Hammerstrike — Charge Succeeded
Fight	[Ultramarines] Victrix Honour Guard 1 uses Banner of Macragge [Necrons] Skorpekh Lord Fights Wardens of Ultramar and Whiffs [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan Fights Storm Speeder Hammerstrike and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Victrix Honour Guard 1 uses Armour of Contempt [Necrons] Illuminor Szeras uses Protocol of the Hungry Void [Necrons] Illuminor Szeras Fights Victrix Honour Guard 1 and Kills 2 models while dealing 2 Damage to a 3rd [Ultramarines] Victrix Honour Guard 1 Fights Illuminor Szeras and Deals 3 Damage [Necrons] Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors Fights Victrix Honour Guard 1 and Whiffs [Ultramarines] Wardens of Ultramar Fights Skorpekh Lord and Deals 2 Damage
End of Turn	[Necrons] Scores Secondary: No Prisoners — 4 VP [Ultramarines] Scout Squad uses Guerrilla Tactics to go into Reserves
Score at End	36
CP at End	0

That turn was wild. The Necrons call an audible and use the Transcendent C’Tan to help the Skorpekh Lord start clearing their flank around Objective 3, instead of pressing on into the Ultramarines’ DZ. The thought process to to secure another Objective while also avoiding the last RepEx for another turn. Unfortunately, the Wardens of Ultramar throw a wrench in the gears by making all of their saves in melee.

Then, the Ultramarines successfully bait the Necrons into pumping all of their CP into the units around Objective 5 only to watch as my son, who was helping play the Necrons, makes an absurd number of 4+ Feel No Pain rolls for his favorite character Szeras. As a result, they have drained the Necrons of CP, but missed a chance to put Szeras down when the Necrons would not be able to bring him back.

The Necrons have clawed some resources back and are feeling better than last turn. Board state in the middle of Round 3 is shown below.

Middle of Round 3

Phase:	Go Second: Ultramarines
Score at Start	29
CP at Start	2
Command	[Ultramarines] Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus uses Master Tactician for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Draw Secondaries: Recover Assets & Display of Might [Ultramarines] Wardens of Ultramar passes Battle Shock [Ultramarines] Declare Tactical Doctrine [Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 1 uses Ultramarian Adaptivity for Devastator Doctrine [Ultramarines] Oath of Moment on Skorpekh Lord [Ultramarines] Score Primary: 8 VP
Movement	[Ultramarines] Wardens of Ultramar Falls Back [Ultramarines] Victrix Honour Guard 1 Falls Back [Ultramarines] Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus + Victrix Honour Guard Advances towards Objective 3 to Shoot and Charge [Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 1 Advances onto Objective 4 to Shoot [Ultramarines] Lieutenant with Combi-weapon Makes a Normal Move into No Man’s Land to Perform an Action [Ultramarines] Scout Squad Deploys From Reserves into Ultramarines Deployment Zone to Screen
Shooting	[Ultramarines] Lieutenant with Combi-weapon Performs Recover Assets [Ultramarines] Intercessor Squad Performs Recover Assets [Ultramarines] Ballistus Dreadnought 1 Shoots Illuminor Szeras and Whiffs [Ultramarines] Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus + Victrix Honour Guard Shoots Skorpekh Lord and Deals 1 Damage [Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 1 Splits Fire into Skorpekh Lord and Destroys the Unit and into Transcendent C’tan and Whiffs with a CP re-roll
Charge	[Ultramarines] Victrix Honour Guard 1 Declares a Charge into Illuminor Szeras and Necron Warriors — Charge Succeeded
Fight	[Ultramarines] Victrix Honour Guard 1 Fights Illuminor Szeras and Deals 2 Damage [Necrons] Illuminor Szeras Fights Victrix Honour Guard 1 and Kills 1 model [Necrons] Necron Warriors Fights Victrix Honour Guard 1 and Whiffs
End of Turn	[Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Recover Assets — 3 VP [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Display of Might — 4 VP [Necrons] Scores Secondary: Sabotage — 3 VP
Score at End	44
CP at End	1

The Ultramarines start to pull away as they continue to remove key pieces from the Necrons. They also took advantage of a Necrons CP management mistake from last turn as the Necrons over-invested in trying to take down the Victrix Honour Guard and left themselves with only 1 CP. This meant that the Necrons came into this turn with only 1 CP, which they desperately wanted to use on Protocol of the Eternal Revenant on Illuminor Szeras. The Ultramarines were able to play around this in a way that resulted in the Deathmarks dying in Reserves because they couldn’t Rapid Ingress without taking the Necrons down to 0 CP.

From a Necrons perspective, this game is starting to get out of hand. They still have options and a good foundation in Primary points, but their ability to chase down the Ultramarines is approaching slim to none territory.

Board state at the end of Round 3 is shown below.

End of Round 3

ROUND 4:

Phase:	Go First: Necrons
Score at Start	39
CP at Start	2
Command	[Necrons] Draw Secondaries: Extend Battle Lines & Establish Locus [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan passes Battle Shock [Necrons] Illuminor Szeras fails Battle Shock [Necrons] Illuminor Szeras uses Reanimation Protocols to heal 3 Wounds [Necrons] Transcendent C’Tan uses Reanimation Protocols to heal 1 Wound [Necrons] Score Primary: 8 VP
Movement	[Necrons] Ophydian Destroyers 1 Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 3 to Charge [Necrons] Transcendent C’tan Teleports into Ultramarines’ Deployment Zone [Necrons] Ophydian Destroyers 2 Makes a Normal Move towards Necrons Deployment Zone to Screen
Shooting	[Necrons] None
Charge	[Necrons] Ophydian Destroyers 1 Declares a Charge into Wardens of Ultramar — Charge Succeeded
Fight	[Necrons] Ophydian Destroyers 1 uses Plasmacyte [Necrons] Ophydian Destroyers 1 Fights Wardens of Ultramar and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Victrix Honour Guard 1 Fights Illuminor Szeras and Whiffs [Necrons] Illuminor Szeras Fights Victrix Honour Guard 1 and Destroys the Unit
End of Turn	[Necrons] Scores Secondary: Extend Battle Lines — 4 VP [Necrons] Drops Secondary: Establish Locus for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Scout Squad uses Guerrilla Tactics to go into Reserves
Score at End	51
CP at End	3

Another mistake by the Necrons. This time it was teleporting the Transcendent C’Tan into the Ultramarines’ DZ to try to Establish Locus for 4 VP, only to realize that it was not a legal move when they went to score it at the turn end since the teleport counts as an Advance Move. To resolve this fairly, we zero’d out scoring the Secondary but also allowed the Necrons to drop it for 1 CP, which was the easiest path without going all the way back to the Shooting Phase.

Added icing to the cake of the Necrons’ woes is Szeras failing Battle Shock, which means he now can’t use Protocol of the Eternal Revenant if he dies next turn. It won’t impact the game much, but is a bit of a gut punch after they invested so much to keep him alive.

Board state in the middle of Round 4 is shown below.

Middle of Round 4

Phase:	Go Second: Ultramarines
Score at Start	44
CP at Start	3
Command	[Ultramarines] Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus uses Master Tactician for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Draw Secondaries: Storm Hostile Objective & Overwhelming Force [Ultramarines] Oath of Moment on Transcendent C’Tan [Ultramarines] Score Primary: 8 VP
Movement	[Ultramarines] Lieutenant with Combi-weapon Makes a Normal Move towards Transcendent C’tan to Shoot [Ultramarines] Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus + Victrix Honour Guard Advances towards Objective 3 to Shoot and Charge [Ultramarines] Scout Squad Deploys From Reserves into Ultramarines’ Deployment Zone to Screen
Shooting	[Ultramarines] Lieutenant with Combi-weapon uses Grenade on Transcendent C’Tan for 1 Mortal Wound [Ultramarines] Lieutenant with Combi-weapon Shoots Transcendent C’tan and Deals 1 Damage [Ultramarines] Intercessor Squad uses Exemplary Vigilance [Ultramarines] Intercessor Squad Shoots Transcendent C’tan and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Ballistus Dreadnought 1 Shoots Illuminor Szeras and Destroys the Unit
Charge	[Ultramarines] Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus + Victrix Honour Guard Declares a Charge into Ophydian Destroyers 1 — Charge Succeeded [Ultramarines] Ballistus Dreadnought 1 Declares a Charge into Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors — Charge Succeeded
Fight	[Ultramarines] Marneus Calgar in Armour of Antilochus + Victrix Honour Guard Fights Ophydian Destroyers 1 and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Ballistus Dreadnought 1 Fights Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors and Whiffs [Necrons] Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors Fights Ballistus Dreadnought 1 and Whiffs
End of Turn	[Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Storm Hostile Objective — 4 VP [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Overwhelming Force — 5 VP [Necrons] Ophydian Destroyers 2 uses Tunnelling Horrors to go into Reserves
Score at End	61
CP at End	1

That’s pretty much the game at this point. The Necrons can put up another 8 on Primary next turn and may get lucky with Secondary draws but aren’t making up a 16 point difference in points.

Board state at the end of Round 4 is shown below.

End of Round 4

ROUND 5:

Phase:	Go First: Necrons
Score at Start	51
CP at Start	5
Command	[Necrons] Draw Secondaries: Bring It Down & Secure No Man’s Land [Necrons] Drops Secondary: Bring It Down [Necrons] Draw Secondaries: Cleanse [Necrons] Score Primary: 8 VP
Movement	[Necrons] Ophydian Destroyers 2 Deep Strikes near Objective 1 to Screen
Shooting	[Necrons] None
Charge	[Necrons] None
Fight	[Ultramarines] Ballistus Dreadnought 1 Fights Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors and Whiffs [Necrons] Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors Fights Ballistus Dreadnought 1 and Whiffs
End of Turn	[Necrons] Scores Secondary: Secure No Man’s Land — 2 VP
Score at End	61
CP at End	4

Necrons finalize their score with a 61. It’s not great but not bad into a very strong Ultramarines’ list given some of the mistakes that were made.

Board state in the middle of Round 5 is shown below.

Middle of Round 5

Phase:	Go Second: Ultramarines
Score at Start	61
CP at Start	3
Command	[Ultramarines] Draw Secondaries: Assassination & Bring It Down [Ultramarines] Drops Secondary: Bring It Down [Ultramarines] Draw Secondaries: A Tempting Target [Necrons] Pick Objective 5 as Tempting Target [Ultramarines] Declare Devastator Doctrine [Ultramarines] Oath of Moment on Necron Warriors
Movement	[Ultramarines] Ballistus Dreadnought 2 Falls Back
Shooting	[Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 1 uses Exemplary Vigilance [Ultramarines] Repulsor Executioner 1 Shoots Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors and Kills 13 models [Necrons] Ghost Ark uses Repair Barge to Reanimate 6 models [Necrons] Orikan the Diviner + Overlord with Translocation Shroud + Necron Warriors uses Protocol of the Undying Legions to Reanimate 6 models
Charge	[Ultramarines] None
Fight	[Ultramarines] None
End of Turn	[Ultramarines] Score Primary: 13 VP
Score at End	74
CP at End	2

Game ends in an Ultramarines victory. Final score 74-61.

Board state at the end of the Round 5 is shown below.

End of Round 5

RESULT:

Singles Format: 74 – 61 Ultramarines WIN

WTC Teams Format: 12-8 Ultramarines WIN

GAME REVIEW:

This was a bit of a frustrating game to play. Not because it was a bad game or because one side had a toxic play pattern or was OP broken. It was frustrating because of the number of repeat mistakes that the Necrons made on the way to losing what should have been a much closer game.

One of the play mistake trends that I’ve highlighted is a tendency to over invest CP in offense for my favorite units and that was on full display in this game. The Necrons over invested in Szeras in Round 3 to the tune of 2 CP that did not need to be spent on trying to kill a Victrix Honour Guard unit that was already out OC’d on the Objective and therefore not a threat to the final score. The result of this over investment was a cascade of tough choices for the Necrons in Rounds 3 and 4 that resulted in more mistakes – the Deathmarks dying in Reserves at the end of Round 3 because the Necrons didn’t have enough CP to Rapid Ingress them as planned and the Necrons scrambling to find anyway to score Secondaries in Round 4, which led to mistakenly using the Transcendent C’Tan to perform an action that it was not eligible to perform. Both of these were game losing mistakes, which is frustrating.

From an Ultramarines perspective, this game was much cleaner and more efficient. The Ultramarines had a game plan and executed it very well, although not perfectly. They focused on denying the Necrons maximum primary while also really limiting their Secondary scoring options and strangling their CP economy. This strategy ultimately proved effective and the Ultramarines’ discipline in sticking to it is what won them the game.

WHAT I WOULD CHANGE NEXT TIME:

• Necrons
  • CP management. This was a similar pattern for me, but in a different army (usually it shows up with CSM and Orks). In this case, it was over investing CP into Szeras to try to kill the Victrix Honour Guard on Objective 5. As a result, it left the Necrons at only 1 CP in the bottom of Round 3, when they really wanted to spend 2 CP defensively. It’s a pattern of tunnel vision that I need to break.
• Ultramarines
  • Not a ton here as they executed their game plan pretty well. I could nitpick about Calgar’s unit taking too long to get into action or about the 2nd RepEx dying to not a ton in return, but those all seem like minor points. Overall, the Ultramarines had a game plan to win the game on Secondaries and to ruin the Necrons CP economy that they executed well enough to win the game.

EARNED THEMSELF A NAME:

RepEx 1 for taking down the Nightbringer, Skorpekh Lord, and then dominating the middle of the board unchallenged for the back half of the game. RepEx’s are one of my favorite Space Marines’ units, so its good to see a pattern of playing them well emerging in these Battle Reports.

MAGNUS OF THE GAME:

If I’m picking a unit, it is the Deathmarks because they did literally nothing except die in Reserves. That said, the reality is that the Magnus of the Game is the Necrons pilot for their lack of CP discipline. Necrons over invested in Szeras in Round 3 and it caused a cascade that lost them the game.

CINEMATIC MOMENTS OF THE GAME:

None this game as I got too into the game and forgot to take the pictures.