Some good monolith news!

[dice4thedicegod]

Seen on facebook from the 2021 GT book:

 

 

That’s a net CP cost of -1 rather than -3 for your first super heavy... that’s a big help. (I’d like it if they did something similar for full super heavy detachments... but this is a good start!)

[Mr4Minutes]

I haven’t purchased a monolith specifically because of the difficulty of getting it on the board. This does change that. It may not be the most competitive choice, but running one along a battalion is now definitely an option.

[Ahzek451]

Unfortunately this still does not allow for dynasty abilities to affect it. If they had that then it would be ace.

[Mandragola]

This definitely makes Lords of War a lot more viable. It is a shame that they don't gain the faction bonuses but that's not a disaster in my case, using eternal expansionists. I'd probably deep strike a monolith almost every time anyway, so it wouldn't get the pregame move.

 

I don't know if this makes Monoliths good, but it makes them usable. They're now arguably a better way to drop in Lychguard with the Prismatic strat than night scythes, if that's what you want to do.

[Ahzek451]

If anything, it inspires me to use a tesseract vault since c'tan can't benefit from dynasty traits anyway.

[Karhedron]

The wording is slightly confusing. Does this apply to things like a Baneblade or Wraithknight? Does your faction count as Imperium and Aeldari in those cases or Astra Militarum and Asuryani?

[Mr4Minutes]

As long as your list is mono faction, it’ll cost 1cp. Ex. an all guard list taking a baneblade would use Astra Militarum key word for both the superheavy aux and battalions. Where as a space marines list taking a baneblade would be using the Imperium keyword.

[dice4thedicegod]

The wording is slightly confusing. Does this apply to things like a Baneblade or Wraithknight? Does your faction count as Imperium and Aeldari in those cases or Astra Militarum and Asuryani?

Yeah, I think Baneblade is good if your warlord is astra militarum. But not if your warlord is a different imperium flavor (astartes or Custodes).

 

I think it’sa way to enable limited use of thematic lords of war. I.e. Baneblade for guard, lord of skulls for world eaters, monolith for necrons.

[Malakithe]

Huh...does that work for Knights or Chaos Knights?

[dice4thedicegod]

Huh...does that work for Knights or Chaos Knights?

Probably not- as I think that they only share imperium/chaos keyword with the rest of their faction.

[Prot]

This is a really weird adjustment. I mean I like that it allows us to take a non Warlord superheavy easier but does the monolith at its current rules and points worth taking? I feel like the weird wording was meant to help us and.... i dunno, Tau? That being said I think Tau will get MUCH more out if this than Necrons.

 

I do like that it does punish bash brothers lists a bit.

[Mordas]

I really want to get a new Monolith, just feels like you really need to keep it in deepstrike to get any use out of it. Then comes the issue of getting a bit of space on the board to bring it in on.

[dice4thedicegod]

I really want to get a new Monolith, just feels like you really need to keep it in deepstrike to get any use out of it. Then comes the issue of getting a bit of space on the board to bring it in on.

Start it on the table T1 within 6” off a character with eternal guardian protocol . Either you go first and use it, or you go second and your opponent has to chew through T8 and 1+ armor save.

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

Well this is intriguing, considering I just recently bought myself an old monolith off the ol’ eBay for relatively cheap. It may actually see a table this edition instead of being a glorified paperweight!

[Mr4Minutes]

I think the monolith is a decent unit. It wasn’t worth the extra 3cp, but at 1cp, I think it’s definitely useable.

 

It’s a source of 4 3+d3 weapons. The particle whip is strong and blast. Titanic allows fall back and shoot/charge. And you get the ability to move core units around, provided it’s alive.

 

The titanic keyword does increase the strategem cost of the ones you’d use on it. But, it’s only 2cp to operate at top profile for your entire turn. So, with the 2cp savings you can punish your opponent for failing to kill it and leaving it on one wound.

 

I don’t think it stacks well with the SK or C’tan units, as it’s too much of a point sink. But I think it does have play. And it’s only 4vp for Titan slayer, so it’s also no longer punished by secondaries.

[dice4thedicegod]

I think the monolith is a decent unit. It wasn’t worth the extra 3cp, but at 1cp, I think it’s definitely useable.

 

It’s a source of 4 3+d3 weapons. The particle whip is strong and blast. Titanic allows fall back and shoot/charge. And you get the ability to move core units around, provided it’s alive.

 

Do you rate the 3+d3 weapon option? I had a look (with math hammer) and wasn’t convinced that it did enough compared to the flayers (I.e. shooting a knight, 4* 2/3 * 2/3 * 2/3 = one success averaging 5 damage. 24 * 2/3 * 1/3 * 2/3 = 3.6 …. So not much worse, and vastly better against infantry)

 

I started out assuming I’d take the death rays but after math hammer and the extra 20 points, I end up thinking I’ll take flayers!

[Karhedron]

I started out assuming I’d take the death rays but after math hammer and the extra 20 points, I end up thinking I’ll take flayers!

I guess it depends what other anti-tank you have in your lists. Necrons have traditionally relied on a few specialised heavy weapons to tackle tough targets so it may be that taking Death Rays is actually more cost effectively investing in Heavy Destroyers, Doomsday Arks etc.

[Mr4Minutes]

I generally feel Necrons have an abundance of anti infantry weaponry, particularly at the S5 D1 type. However they do lack high strength, high ap with consistent damage. Which is why I like the death rays over Gauss.

 

The primary targets I’m thinking of for them is not in fact vehicles, but the growing abundance of elite multi wound infantry with built in resilience. The new nundams at t5, 4ws and -1D being a good example of a prime target for a monolith. The 3+d3 kills one on a 3+ and all the 3D weapons go down to 2, but there’s no wasted wounds on an overkill.

 

Basically drop in, blast and then charge in and hope for the 9 lol.