The Silent King officially returns this weekend, and he’s bringing the new Codex: Necrons with him. We snuck off with it when he wasn’t looking so that we could bring you more information on the Dynastic Codes – including how you can even build your own using the rules in the codex!
The Great Dynasties
The Necrons once ruled the stars, and did so through the strength of their dynasties. The new codex features the six dynasties that were foremost among them, and provides powerful abilities for each, called Dynastic Codes, that help to bring their nuances to life on the battlefield. Here’s a sneak peek at each one.
As the dynasty of the Silent King himself, the Szarekhan have swiftly risen to pre-eminence since the return of the ancestral ruler of the Necrons – even though some phaerons have sought to contest their meteoric rise. The Szarekhan Dynasty wield potent artefacts and weaponry dating back to the zenith of the Necron empire.
Choose this dynasty if… You’re looking to field the ancestral dynasty of the Silent King. Their resistance to mortal wounds makes them especially effective against psyker-heavy armies, while their handy re-rolls when shooting or fighting ensure your deadliest weapons will strike true.
The largest and most aggressively expansionist dynasty is that of the Sautekh. Ruled by the legendary phaeron Imotekh the Stormlord, the Sautekh have long been considered the greatest of the Necron dynasties – a status quo challenged only by the recent surge in power enjoyed by the Szarekhan in the wake of the Silent King’s return.
Choose this dynasty if… You prefer to annihilate your enemies at medium range. Their extended Rapid Fire range and near immunity to Morale tests makes for an incredibly reliable metal backbone of Necron Warriors and Immortals.
Once used by the Silent Kings of old as the executioners of worlds, the Mephrit Dynasty’s history is steeped in the blood of those who would dare oppose the might of the Necrons. To face the Mephrit in battle is to welcome annihilation at their hand.
Choose this dynasty if… You love close-ranged firepower but wish you didn't have to get quite so… close! To that end, Necron Warriors equipped with the gauss reapers will prove especially devastating with the Mephrit’s improvements to both Range and Armour Penetration.
To witness the fury of the Novokh in battle is to see blood-soaked fury made manifest. Their methods are more akin to industrial slaughter than war. Once battle is joined, the Novokh cut down their foes with mechanical efficiency, carving through the enemy lines without mercy until naught but a charnel house of dismembered meat remains.
Choose this dynasty if… You want to tear your opponent to piec–… ahem, your opponent’s army to pieces in close combat rather than obliterating them from afar. Skorpekh Destroyers will certainly feel at home with the Novokh!
The Nephrekh bask in the light of their crownworld’s trinary stars, absorbing their solar energies with which to fuel the dynasty’s great works. Their phalanxes march to war in gilded bodies of living metagold – a dazzling sight to behold, but one which is soon cut short by deadly volleys of brilliant light.
Choose this dynasty if… You like the idea of a notoriously tough army being even tougher with a 6+ invulnerable save! And who doesn’t like the idea of instant translocation?
Upon awakening from the Great Sleep, the Nihilakh found much of their ancient territory had been plundered. Yet all was not lost, and the dynasty has since regained much of its former power, aided immeasurably by prescience gleaned from the preserved head of the Yth Seer. The Nihilakh remain on the warpath, and will not rest until their fallen realm is fully restored.
Choose this dynasty if… You’re looking for a significant edge in matched play with widespread access to Objective Secured.
Birth of a New Dynasty
One of the many cool features of the new codex is that it includes rules for creating your own Dynastic Code, so if you’ve been painting up your gleaming phalanx in your own colour scheme, you can support it with bespoke rules too! All you need to do is pick one option from the available Dynastic Traditions and one from the Circumstances of Awakening list to form your own hybrid Dynastic Code. Here’s an example to whet your appetite.
Warhammer Community’s Rhu has been building his own Necron force, dubbing his warriors the Khuenaten Dynasty.
Dynastic Tradition: Immovable Phalanx
Circumstances of Awakening: Interplanetary Invaders
Codex: Necrons is up for pre-order on Saturday, but we’ve still got plenty more to show off before then, so remember to check back with us each day on warhammer-community.com and sign up to our newsletter for all the latest news. Meanwhile, let us know which dynasty you serve on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page.