Unit of the Week: Tesseract Ark

[NTaW]

 

Welcome to the Necron Unit of the Week Series!

 

Each week a different unit will be highlighted for discussion until we have amalgamated a full list of our available options and their relevant tactics as 8th edition evolves. We already have a few previous entries but things change as FAQs and Chapter Approved books get released and we playtest new ideas so please feel free to reopen a topic when new options become relevant for discussion.

 

Please keep in mind this isn't to lament the status of featured units or compare them to others but to try and find their potential for all types of gameplay.

 

This week’s unit is:

 

 

As a loose guide, here are some questions we could answer to help out any who happen upon our metallic corner of the B&C:

 

• What Code do you prefer?

• What synergies have you found with other units?

• Are there any stratagems that specifically buff this unit?

• Do you build your list around this unit or use it to fill some points?

• What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of this unit?

 

Now over to you!

 

Edited July 29, 2019 by NTaW

[Beatnik cryptek]

OK first off the rules in imperial armor for the TA give the wrong stats for the gauss cannon. It uses the stats from the necron codex, which are better.

 

Given that this is one of the best units necrons have now. First off it's very surviveable. Quantum shielding gives it fair protection from heavy weapons that do lots of damage, and a 3+/5++ save helps with those annoying little dam1 weapons that are often the bane of quantum armor u its. It's grav flux makes it harder for u its to charge it.

 

It offers a lot of heavy firepower, with twin Tesla cannons it has as much firepower as two destroyers. The singularity chamber offers variable, flexible firepower. It has a powerful, long range solar fire attack that has a 48" range, s8, ap3 shot that does d6 dam and it a heavy d6 weapon. This makes it a good vehicle buster if you roll decently on the shots and damage, have a command point for a reroll handy.

 

The seismic has a 24" range, assault d6, s5 ap4 d3 weapon, the fixed 3 damage makes it very effective and negates needing a reroll for low damage rolls. It should be reserved for multi wound things against which it is wonderfully effective.

 

The particle hurricane is a strange weapon that I suppose might be useful in some cases, like infantry with negative Mods to hit. It hits and wounds on a 2+ vs non vehicles. It bypasses negative to hit mods. It has 8" range and just does 1dam so it's a flamer that wounds on a 2+ and and has ap2.

 

This has the fly rule and the associated benefits.

 

So basically it's solid on defense and offense.

 

I know that I'll be nagged at for this but one thing against it is the model only comes with the Tesla cannons not the gauss cannons.

 

Also the model is a resin one and often has casting issues.

 

Those are really the only negatives.

 

Obviously this unit needs to be Sautekh to used effectively. You need to keep some command points to reroll bad rolls on the number of shots and damage in some cases.

 

The usual synergies for heavy firepower units apply to it, fire it at a unit a stalker has attacked, methodical destruction since it will likely be sautekh and quantum deflection can help it. The only unique issue with is it which setting to fire the singularity chamber on.

 

A good but expensive firebase is one of these, a destoyer squad and a cryptek. The cryptek gives the destroyers a 5++ and enhanced resurrection roll and gives the tessaract ark d3 repair, the ark adds 2 extra gas's cannon shots to the destroyer's fire and packs a heavy anti vehicle weapon too. A unit like this can dish out a lot of firepower and will attract every enemy gun on the table.

[Tyriks]

When I initially looked at this in the index, I was underwhelmed. None of its guns looked good for the cost until I realized it was just one gun with multiple settings, haha.

 

It actually autohits with the particle hurricane. It is poorly worded but it says it automatically hits its target and wounds on a 2+. That's two separate clauses - it automatically hits and it also wounds on 2+. Hitting on a 2+ isn't automatic. This mode of fire is a major charge deterrent! It melted a marine captain and then a squad of aggressors in the same charge phase the first game I used it and no one ever wanted to charge it again.

 

I actually don't think it needs to be Sautekh. The Solar Fire has 48" range so it doesn't need to move much once it is in position (even though it's slow it still can fly so post it up high). The other options are assault so they fire just fine after moving. Meaning you could play it as Mephrit or Nephrekh and be super aggressive to try to flame stuff and draw fire (which it will handle relatively well) or use Nihilakh and post it up and never move for the rerolls. That said, Sautekh and Nihilakh offer the most to the unit.

 

The problem I have with the Ark is that as a FW model it's still a bit overpriced. When the codex came out I was proxying the Ark all the time because it was head and shoulders better than any other option for the cost. Now with other units getting significant price cuts it is harder to justify.

 

Finally, for what it's worth, it's not a fully resin model. It uses the command throne and spine from a Doomsday Ark so if anyone wants to try out some resin for the first time it is not as bad as, say, the Seraptek.

[Beatnik cryptek]

The auto hit setting does 1dam, how'd it take out a marine captain and an aggressor squad? Maybe one of us is misunderstand something. Also it's just assault d6.

 

BTW i'm reading the imperial armor entry not he index.

Edited July 16, 2019 by Beatnik cryptek

[Tyriks]

They're two separate units so it fired overwatch at each with full strength. D6 shots for each one. I just rolled well on the number of shots. Both units were also slightly wounded, I think (this was at the beginning of 8th so I can't say for certain).

And currently the rules for this only exist in the index so I'm not sure what you mean. The current IA books are all indices.

Edited July 16, 2019 by NTaW
Added the key word.

[Beatnik cryptek]

Oh, they attacked you and you we're firing in overwatch? OK that might work.

[NTaW]

I've only played against this unit and I found myself quite jealous of its capabilities. My opponent used Sautekh and played it among a unit of Destroyers to brutal effect. Being able to choose the profile when the weapon is fired is key as Tyriks pointed out; I definitely felt the burn when I charged with my Lychguard (see also, my mutinous dice ). It may not be a ton of damage but when firing overwatch auto-hits followed by 2+ to wound and a couple crummy armour saves can have a significant effect on the ensuing combat. Not to mention quantum shielding on a T7 3+/5++ chassis? That's probably one of our toughest units available.

[Beatnik cryptek]

Well a tessaract ark costs 100 from fw, mine was a lot cheaper, or you can make one for 2 annihilation barges.

 

https://youtu.be/LJPvB1eIORA

[MithrilForge]

I'd like to Build one of those plastic versions of the Tesseract Ark   

 

Mithril 

Edited July 18, 2019 by mithrilforge

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

The selection for the Unit of the Week tactica series is a highly rigorous process, involving hundreds of cogitator banks and data input from a million billion wars and conflicts, as overseen by the Necrontyr Moderati, the Triarch’s representatives, and the attendant strategic advisors. It is not a process lightly changed, and one that has functioned with minor interference since before the Great Sleep.

 

However, priorities are slightly mutable. We shall certainly take your suggestion into account, Phaeron mithrilforge.

 

=][= In future, please make any requests for either Unit of the Week or Retaliation Protocols in either the index thread or a PM to either myself or NTaW, so as to avoid clouding the topic of the current thread—separate posts and topics are not needed. =][=

[Beatnik cryptek]

I'd like to Build one of those plastic versions of the Tesseract Ark   

 

Mithril 

Given the disdain the annihilation barge is currently held in you shpuild be able to buy a couple on sale frommthe started set on eBay or somewhere quite cheaply. But even if you must buy 2 at fill price it's  still cheaper than the the FW model. You can get them cheaper elsewhere. 

 

One advantage to this is you will have a full set of Tesla and gauss cannons to use. Magnetism  them if you can. Against units with little armor the Tesla cannons can be useful. 

Edited July 18, 2019 by Beatnik cryptek