# Value of the Monolith as it now stands



## BloodAngelZeros (Jul 1, 2008)

So I've got myself a Monolith but as I review my army list I find it really has no tactical value fitting in my scheme. This makes me wonder where the monolith fits into your tactics as a necron player. Before, it's main use for me was as a recycling plant and a great transport. Now, well, I'm not all that sure. Sure, the particle whip packs a punch and the gauss arcs are great for mowing down horde armies but is it really worth the 200 points? The Doomsday ark seems like a more viable option as you get a better and more versatile punch with the doomsday cannon and two arrays of 5 gauss flayers each giving it close to the same capacity for mowing down horde armies and you get all this for 25 points less and greater movement. Maybe it's just me, but I'd like to hear some other thoughts on how the monolith can now be worked in or if anybody thinks it's worth dropping the 200 points on it.


----------



## Fallen (Oct 7, 2008)

i think that until 6th is released (where they provide a rule stating what a "heavy" vehicle can do that other vehicles cannot) that the 'Lith is an incomplete unit. and as such there is currently no reason to take one other than the fear factor it has of being big.


----------



## Lord Azune (Nov 12, 2011)

It provides a wonderful shield for any unit you want it to. Its also fun to deepstrike it near the enemy and suck in as much as you can with the eternity gate before opening fire with the flux arcs. Honestly, that's its best use. a death dealing anti horde you can deepstrike near the enemy and blast.


----------



## Iron Angel (Aug 2, 2009)

People who take the more expensive land raiders will tell you they aren't doing it for the guns.

Its got a teleporter on it. It can deep strike. And the all-powerful "Roombalith" ability that lets it slide around the board and suck stuff up.

I seriously want to take a roomba and convert it to look like a monolith. That would be so badass, having a monolith rolling around my house vacuuming the floor.


----------



## Lord Azune (Nov 12, 2011)

You know, If you get around to that Iron, I'd love the design pictures and blueprints.


----------



## Strange Dude (Jul 15, 2008)

Yeah Monoliths aren't the nigh-unkillable engine of destruction they used to be, that said they have a usefull part in my army (footslogging crons) as both mobile cover, mobility for squads (removing them from in front of an enemies charge), melta-magnet (your opponent will generally use his best anti-tank against it, hoovering up annoying squads (not exactly reliable but funny), and a nice choice of shooting. Oh and lets not forget it is still an av14 skimmer which (and I admit mainly because of the last codex) people find very intimidating.


----------



## arlins (Sep 8, 2010)

still use mine 

AV 14 , living metal , port in troops and port out opposition , particle whip and gauss
flayers , deepstrike ( though i rarely) 200pts ..its just slow .
Land raider draws just as much fire and dies just as easily


----------



## Octobomb (Mar 6, 2012)

Roomba Monolith? YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!
You should make other household appliances into vehicles too!
Who's for a microwave Land Raider? Mememememememe!


----------



## BloodAngelZeros (Jul 1, 2008)

Looking at the portal ability a bit more it seems like it would be useful in deepstriking and then sucking up an HQ or elite unit. Though, and forgive me but I didn't see anything about it, but what is the strength test? Roll a D6 and must get equal to or lower to the model's strength? Also, while the ability to pull your unit from CC is rather valuable, especially as necrons are horrible at CC, they generally don't survive a charge from an opponent to be pulled from combat.


----------



## Fallen (Oct 7, 2008)

BloodAngelZeros said:


> especially as necrons are horrible at CC, they generally don't survive a charge from an opponent to be pulled from combat.


umm really? the local necron player here has been rather good at CC with an orb/war-scythe toting Lord in each immortal/warrior squad he has.

now they dont last too long against kitted out CC units like; Zerkers, DC, TH/SS termies, warriors/ravener broods. but against tactical squads and the like they are usually just as efficient if not more so.


----------



## BloodAngelZeros (Jul 1, 2008)

Fallen said:


> umm really? the local necron player here has been rather good at CC with an orb/war-scythe toting Lord in each immortal/warrior squad he has.


Right, cause he's using a loadout for CC. I'm speaking in general terms. With the new codex, the entire army has an initiative of 2 (minus the c'tan and empowered Orikan, making it the one army out of any of them that will be the absolute slowest in CC. This means that you will pretty much always strike last (with a few exceptions due to select equipment). If you fail the leadership test, then it's almost a sure thing that the sweeping advance is going to wipe out the unit. Again, these are generalities and perhaps I'm a little jaded as I go up against sm and eldar most of the time, but even tactical marines are better at CC then most necron units.


----------



## Octobomb (Mar 6, 2012)

*Roomba Monolith*



Iron Angel said:


> Its got a teleporter on it. It can deep strike. And the all-powerful "Roombalith" ability that lets it slide around the board and suck stuff up.
> 
> I seriously want to take a roomba and convert it to look like a monolith. That would be so badass, having a monolith rolling around my house vacuuming the floor.


Seriously, you should create a thread for household uses of 40K - +REP


I'll be looking forward to it. Anyone else want to see it?


----------



## Deneris (Jul 23, 2008)

I actually quite love the Monolith, and have two of the beasties (was thinking of a third, but carting them all around gets tedious).

The thing is, the monolith isn't the one-shot-wonder it used to be- It benefits from a little support from the rest of the Necron army.

Last game I used them in (2000pts/player Apocalypse, 2 players per side), they basically were the stars of the match- One "Deepstrike"-ed on an objective so deep in enemy territory they weren't guarding it, then gated in a full squad of Immortals to hold it. The enemy then had to divert some much-needed frontline troops to hold his own rear. The Immortals and Monolith managed to hold the objective, and even killed a Land Raider Redeemer, 7 marines, their Captain, a Falcon, and a squad of Fire Dragons. The monolith sadly perished to the Fire Dragons, but it had MORE than made up it's points. I heartily recommend them in larger games for getting troops to hard to reach places.


----------



## Sephyr (Jan 18, 2010)

Monoliths are great. They just require actual integration now instead of just tossing them somewhere and watching the enemy waste resources on them.

In the previous codices, most players didn't even bother attacking the Monolith unless it was contesting an objective or they had railguns/ordnace up the wazoo. They focused they killer fire on the other models to cause a phase-out.

Now that the Monolith is actually killable (but tough with its AV 14 and living metal), can can actually divert strong attacks that would have gone toward your transports, scarabs, Doomsday cannons and what have you.


----------



## Iron Angel (Aug 2, 2009)

That was a good thing though, Monoliths made great hammers. And you could deep strike them with mishap immunity, possibly killing portions of his army just by landing on them. I'll never forget the time I killed Marneus Calgar. So many thrown space marines... Good times.


----------



## LukeValantine (Dec 2, 2008)

Despite what others say the monolith is clearly worth its 200pts, especially compared with inferior vehicles of equivalent cost. However its not a automatic included unit like it used to be, and isn't mandatory to almost every build like MeQ rhino's.

However anyone that complains about it being under powered for its cost really needs to pick up other codecies and see how much they would be willing to pay for anything like a monolith. 

Let recap what it has built into it.
- Large blast str8 ap3 template
- Av14 all around
- Backed up 4 sets of 3 shot independently firing str4 gauss guns.
- built in saves against stunned or shacken.
- Deep stike.
- Codex has cheap units that can repair vehicles
- Works as a super transport that can even be used on MC's
- Built in extremely close range ID weapon.

Cons
- 200pts
- Slow
- Not immune to melta, MC's, ap1 (Like very other vehicle in the god damn game).


----------



## Creator of Chaos (Feb 8, 2012)

Luke valentine is spot on. Most people are just undervalueing the monolith because its not the unstoppable an auto include it once was anymore. Lets be fair people the last edition monolith Was powerful, so powerful it could take on the games greatest titans and win thanks to its Deep Strike and melta immunity.

Yes its lost those and that I'll be back reroll but its still a damn good beast especially at 200 points when compared to most other medicore 200 point units out there. You just need to tailor it to your list you cant just throw it in and hope for results. If you want a unit like that use a Doom Scythe or multiple annihilation barges. For me My main tactic revolve's around Imoteks storm and deep striking and moving most of my army in a single foul swoop. Monolith works like a charm there. Monolith and Ctan Phalanx is another good one. You could also use the lith as a device to keep your crons away from close combat. Theres many uses for it. You just as I said have to tailer your list for it. If you do the results will be like magic


----------



## Lord Azune (Nov 12, 2011)

I follow a simple rule: If they're close enough to use melta, they're close enough to have been sucked up by the portal.


----------



## Kronus (Mar 1, 2008)

I think Luke has done a good job covering the basics. I personally feel the mono is actually better in its current incarnation then it ever was. People forget that while the old mono was ridiculously hard to kill its could use the portal with a unit within 18". The table wide range it has now make it a far more flexible creature. For 200 pts its a steal especially when you compare with the lousy doomsday ark which is a mere 25pts cheaper.


----------



## Iron Angel (Aug 2, 2009)

Annihilation barges are 90 points.

I think you mean doomsday ark, which is amazing if you use it correctly (Sit it in a corner and never move).


----------



## Sothot (Jul 22, 2011)

The one thing I miss about the old Monolith is teleporting units out of combat. Granted, I never last more than the turn i'm charged anyway, but it was still a nice little piece of Necron cheese I enjoyed immensely. Table wide teleportation definately adds some flexibility to the army's formation on the table though. I never feel the urge to include one anymore though as it's a rare game I don't encounter 8 or more Dark Lances...


----------



## LukeValantine (Dec 2, 2008)

Iron Angel said:


> I think you mean doomsday ark, which is amazing if you use it correctly (Sit it in a corner and never move).


But then you remember most armies have str9+ weapons with 48" range or better and you start to see why one of these will only see 1-2 rounds of shooting early game before being removed (Av 13 isn't impressive either is the fact that a stun is only ignored on a 4+)


----------



## Kronus (Mar 1, 2008)

Iron Angel said:


> Annihilation barges are 90 points.
> 
> I think you mean doomsday ark, which is amazing if you use it correctly (Sit it in a corner and never move).


Indeed I did. I wouldn't say they are great, okayish if you running one in each corner to cover fire lanes and pretend they are ugly bunkers but I feel that a monolith offers everything it does and more, the fact the monoliths blast is also ordinance, the only ones the crons have nails it for me. All the doomsday arks I have seen used to date have been singularly unimpressive given their points cost but perhaps I just have not been exposed to their good side.


----------



## Archon Dan (Feb 6, 2012)

Iron Angel said:


> People who take the more expensive land raiders will tell you they aren't doing it for the guns.
> 
> Its got a teleporter on it. It can deep strike. And the all-powerful "Roombalith" ability that lets it slide around the board and suck stuff up.
> 
> I seriously want to take a roomba and convert it to look like a monolith. That would be so badass, having a monolith rolling around my house vacuuming the floor.


Sounds pretty awesome. One of my friends calls Necrons by the nickname Toasters. Made him laugh a while when I said I'd proxy my toaster as a Monolith, but the coffee maker might be closer to the right size.



Fallen said:


> umm really? the local necron player here has been rather good at CC with an orb/war-scythe toting Lord in each immortal/warrior squad he has.
> 
> now they dont last too long against kitted out CC units like; Zerkers, DC, TH/SS termies, warriors/ravener broods. but against tactical squads and the like they are usually just as efficient if not more so.


Thanks for the honorable mention. But you forgot about the most crucial component of my setup, the Mindshackle Scarabs. Those things are worth their points just for the fear they cause.



LukeValantine said:


> Despite what others say the monolith is clearly worth its 200pts, especially compared with inferior vehicles of equivalent cost. However its not a automatic included unit like it used to be, and isn't mandatory to almost every build like MeQ rhino's.
> 
> However anyone that complains about it being under powered for its cost really needs to pick up other codecies and see how much they would be willing to pay for anything like a monolith.
> 
> ...


Nice summary.



I've only had the good fortune to burrow a Monolith for one game so far. Because it moves so slow, my opponent was actually ignoring it early game. But I found it nice to be able to bring a unit in from reverse on turn one. I brought in some Destroyers as I felt starting them on the table would be disastrous to their survivability. They came in and shot things up pretty good.


----------

