Unit of the Week: Cryptek

[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 synergies have you found with other units?

• Are there any relics that work well with 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 August 27, 2019 by NTaW

[Tyriks]

Well, Dynasty is easy - it only buffs units from the same dynasty so whatever you want to buff.

 

As for the buffs, the cryptek has some nice options. I wish it could take the cloak and chronometron at the same time though. I want it to follow destroyers or tomb blades to keep them alive, but if it can keep up it isn't giving them the 5++.

 

That said you can use the Veil to jump one plus a squad of destroyers, then pop the destroyer strat and reliably delete most units. I like doing that because 6 destroyers get a lot harder to wipe out with a 5++, and if you don't wipe them having them get back up on a 4+ is very nice.

 

I've tried bringing one with a cloak to babysit vehicles but it tends not to help much, to be honest. Rarely do my opponents fire at a vehicle and not destroy it. If it does survive, d3 wounds usually doesn't change anything. So I usually have my crypteks on foot doing the above or trying to keep a bunch of immortals/warriors alive.

[NTaW]

Hmmm whatever do you mean about Code, Tyriks?

 

*furiously edits OP

 

I use mine with a blob of 20 Warriors, flanked by two minimum size squads for protection. Often the Veil comes into play with that scenario, whether it's to pull the blob out of combat or to drop 20 Warriors in on some unsuspecting unit the 5++ from the chronometron and the bonus to Reanimation Protocol rolls is critical for survival.

 

The times that I've played my Cryptek alongside my Destroyers I've just advanced it every move since the staff is almost always out of range anyway.

 

I haven't used a CloakTek yet but when I do I plan on keeping it close to a group of three Annihilation Barges, backed by Destroyers so I can still benefit from the RP bonus.

 

Worth noting is that the cloak can heal Characters with the Living Metal rule as well, which could come in handy.

Edited August 28, 2019 by NTaW

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

Blob’o’bots is certainly a favorite of mine, and a cryptek does the job well, plus does a good job of keeping them alive. The extra AP-1 on the staff of light is a nice icing on the cake, so long as the cryptek is positioned perfectly (though this does expose him to enemy fire).

 

I’ve got 2 now, one cloak, one chronometron, and the cloaktek is going to be babysitting my seraptek—firepower, boys! Between that, damage control override, and transdimensional explosion, it’ll be tough to kill and devastating when it does finally die.

I also have a DDAY ark for the cloaktek to babysit when the Seraptek stays home.

[NTaW]

I think if I really wanted to get wounds back on a thing I would have both a CloakTek and a Spyder babysit for 2D3 wounds per turn. That's a fair bit of points invested but in larger games it could be fun (or useless considering the potential damage thrown around in larger games).

[Tyriks]

Just make your dynasty Maynarkh and bring Toholk.

[Vermintide]

It's really too bad you can't take both chronometron and cloak at the same time, that's true.

I have the cloak model, though, so I'm waiting on the chance to pick up some destroyers and have him follow them around on his hoverboard. I feel like it's a waste to just try keep a blob of warriors alive, and usually my immortals are already under the watchful eye of a lord/overlord. Giving a unit like destroyers a buff to their RP seems like by far the most effective and valuable use for him.

The cloak cryptek is an indescribably cool model though, love him.

[Brother Navaer Solaq]

i like playing the cryptek with cloak following machines. Most of the games has been casual so it has been good to have it baby sit vehicles.

 

The cryptek with chronometron is always an auto include in army with max troop units. 1500>points

 

at lower point games the cryptek was meh for the army as the units it was baby sitting usually gets wiped out. -_-