What are the alternatives and ways of converting Necrons 40k?

Undoubtedly, Necrons have their place among the most enigmatic Warhammer 40k factions. Although every race in this grim dark future world is one of a kind, with its fascinating history and characteristics, Necrons still attract players with their mysterious, ambiguous nature. Join us as we’ll try to give you a closer look at this intimidating, ancient faction - both from the wargaming and in-universe knowledge point of view.

Necrons - an overview

In the vast reality created by Games Workshop, the history of Necrons reaches back even beyond the beginnings of Eldar. Slept in their tombs for millions of years, these dark, humanoid-shaped, skeletal machines finally awake and emerge from their tomb worlds to conquer the whole galaxy. They don’t feel fear or compassion. They advance relentlessly, without any hesitation. They’re a critical threat not only to mankind but to the whole existence.

Ominous green crystals and chilling skeletal statues are essential elements when building scenery resembling Necrons tomb world

As for the wargaming side of Necrons, they received a new Codex for the 9th edition of Warhammer 40k (current edition by the time this article is written down). What’s even more significant, Necrons were somewhat a “flagship” faction for the premiere of that edition. Along with the Space Marines, Necrons were available in all new boxed starter sets and other “start collecting” products released by Games Workshop.

Alternative builds for Necrons

Necrons possess some variability when it comes to building your army. The whole trick is about remembering some basics - pillars - of this army. When you incorporate them, you’ll be free to fill your roster with whatever you want. That choice won’t be as easy as it may seem - this faction has access to many different units.

The basics we have in mind are that Necrons possess many units that are great in hand-to-hand fights. They’re also vulnerable to the enemy’s firepower, so naturally, you should let on close combat. Their units are resilient and hard to kill, thanks to their ability to return to the battlefield. Also, don’t forget about characters - they multiply the power of units. Remembering all this, you shouldn’t have a problem building a competitive army. During the battle, you must treat your units like precise tools - everyone has a task. It’s up to you to lead them so they’ll be easier to fulfill.

Converting other models to Necron equivalents

Searching alternative models for Necrons could be tricky, thanks to their original, specific look. You can find many miniatures resembling these dark, spooky machines. Still, they might be lacking in some vital characteristics - leading to an entirely different aura of the presence of these figures.

One could speak similar words about adjusting other models so that they could look like true Necrons. It isn’t a small piece of cake, but it leaves you with more possibilities in contrast to looking for alternatives. If you want to try it, grab your tools and materials (if you haven’t any, take a break to get to know our modeling and basing category) and stay with us for the rest of the article.

First of all, alternative bodies for your Necron equivalents. You’ll need some futuristic, skeletal-looking chests, arms, and legs. If you have difficulty finding these, you can get consistently slightly lower the bar to mechanical bits. But be careful - if you decide to do that, you’ll need to put much more work into converting them to look more like Necrons.

Transparent green acrylic can help you make some fantastic effects in dark, mysterious Necrons clime

Other parts you’ll need for your rising Necron models are heads and weapons. It might not be a perfect solution, but among local hobby stores and Internet webstores, you can access many different human (or other species) skull bits. Some of them could be a suitable replacement for the distinctive design of the faces of skeletal machines. For example, please look at some of the skulls in our offer, like Alien Skulls. Even among files in Kromlech 3D Workshop, we have an Orc Skull that could quickly become a Necron head with the help of a hobby knife and your modeling skills.

And finally - as we listed earlier - weapons. Here, at Kromlech, we can provide you with some wargear that should fit your Necrons’ army. You might be most interested in our Technomancer Staves, as well as in other ancient-Egyptian styled weapons.

Last but certainly not least - remember that there is no perfect army without some additional features. These features could be suitable terrain (Tabletop Scenics offers a wide range of Necron-themed constructions) and gaming accessories with marks and symbols resembling your eternal legions.

The future of Necron gaming

The future of Necron gaming - like any other Warhammer 40k faction - isn’t sure. We, as fans, can only speculate. But as the 10th edition is approaching, we can look forward to the new Codexes and models - including Necrons.

One crucial thing to remember is what we stated earlier - that the Necrons were “significant players” during the 9th edition of Warhammer 40k. Knowing this, we can assume they won’t be in that place again for the second edition in a row. Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean we’ll not be granted many new products from the Necron range. They’ll indeed arrive, just like the new ones from other factions!

Final thoughts on Necrons in 40k 

Necrons are a faction with a unique look. Within their ranks, you’ll find many imposing models - regarding their appearance and presence on the battlefield. There are several ways of playing these silent, deadly machines, but there is one significant thing to remember - among Necrons, every unit has its specific purpose. The army will work like a well-oiled machine if you place suitable orders for your immortal warriors.

All of that being said, as a faction, Necrons won’t be fitting only players who are keen on undead, ancient-Egyptian themes (although these are undoubtedly a vital part of the whole group). As you can read in this article, Necrons should be an excellent choice for players who love to plan the entire battle plan and intend to play methodically during the battle. One could say that to play Necrons you’ll need to be like one slightly. And that’s an immeasurably disturbing thought… Isn’t it?