Codex: Necrons

Warhammer 40,000 10th Edition

by Games Workshop

The Necrons are a deathless species of alien androids who dominated the galaxy in ages past. After millions of years in self-imposed slumber, they are rising from their hidden tomb complexes to march in conquest once more. Clad in self-repairing bodies of living metal, armed with weapons that harness the devastating energies of the cosmos, the Necrons are a terrifying enemy. They are without fear or mercy, soulless mechanoids who advance in eerie lockstep to lay down an annihilating storm.

These phalanxes are joined by techno-sorcerous war engines, scuttling constructs, and shards of shattered star gods, led to war by undying nobles with wills and bodies of unyielding metal, driven by the absolute conviction that they are the rightful rulers of the galaxy. Ravaged by their long sleep, many Necrons have been reduced to murderous monsters or delusional demigods. Yet their madness only makes them an even greater and more inescapable threat.

Codex: Necrons is an essential guide for anyone who wants to collect Necrons and display the might of their phaeron on the tabletop. In this book you'll find the rules you need to play a Necrons army in games of Warhammer 40,000 – including narrative Crusade campaigns and Combat Patrol skirmishes – as well as detailed background material and stunning art showcasing their ancient origins, impossibly advanced technology, and dynastic courts.

Inside this 136-page hardback book, you’ll find:
– Terrifying background information exploring the awakened Necrons, from their unfathomably ancient history to the structure of the tyrannical dynasties
– Stunning artwork that brings these undying legions and ancient tomb worlds to life (of a sort)
– 47 datasheets detailing the profiles, wargear, and unique abilities of every Necrons unit, from mindless Necron Warriors to Imotekh the Stormlord
– Five themed Detachments for Necrons armies, such as the Annihilation Legion and Canoptek Court, each with their own set of special rules
– Crusade rules for steadily awakening the systems of your slumbering tomb world, earning ever-greater mechanical powers
– Self-contained Combat Patrol rules and a painting guide, allowing you to play fast-paced games with Amonhotekh's Guard
– An 'Eavy Metal showcase of superbly-painted Citadel miniatures to inspire you, featuring a variety of Necron dynasty colour schemes

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k

136 pages, Hardcover

Published December 9, 2023

About the author

Games Workshop Group PLC (often abbreviated as GW) is a British miniature wargaming manufacturing company. Games Workshop is best known as developer and publisher of the tabletop wargames Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000 and The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game.

Reviews

[Yael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lore fragments are a bit unfocused, but the art and photographs of miniatures really get you into the mindset for the faction. I love the book as a set piece for my Warhammer 40k army, although as a book or rule itself, it's not really that great and gets outshined by other resources for the games. Better suited to look good on a shelf than to accompany you in a game

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

While not properly a book, this is great to learn about the Necrons. The lore is explained in a lot of detail, you have short stories and a detailed account of each Dynasty (at least the major ones). There's also explanations of each member of the patrol plus all the details on how to play should you want to. It's a great way to get to know a faction.

[Maks Chrapusta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love 40k love the necron abut unfortunately the codex disappointed. Although the lore is fascinating it was at times difficult to read as the English used was sometimes outright confusing as the authors played with complicated vocabulary. There are a lot of reused pictures and illustrations which is a shame, lastly many of the character/unit descriptions have already been released i some other format (whether online or already printed on data cards before the codex was released).

Overall it was okay… just too much recycled content that no where near justifies the enormous price tag.
The print and quality of the book is fantastic.

[Toni Vaquer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels like a downgrade from previous iterations. Lore feels streamlined in a bad way but has a few moments in wich gets interesting like the first shorstory

[T R Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with the other Codices for the tenth edition of Warhammer 40,000, this version of Codex: Necrons includes all the rules and lore that players need to use the faction on the tabletop.

The background section of the book appears to be a mix of reprinted and newly written lore (most of the important dynasties getting a few extra paragraphs added to their description compared to the last Codex for example). The three short stories included in the lore section of the book were all quite good, with my favourite being the one about Anrakyr the Traveller as it gives a good idea of how he operates, and it is also good to see he hasn’t been forgotten despite not having rules this edition outside the downloadable Legacy rules.

The rules are pretty standard for tenth edition, simplified and less diverse compared to the previous version but seem reasonable. As well as the basic Datasheets, the book also, of course, includes rules for the Combat Patrol and Narrative styles of play, with the Narrative rules focusing on waking a Tomb World rather than last editions mission earn Dynastic Epithets for characters, which seems quite interesting.