# Necron Review 2: The Doomsday Ark



## JackalMJ (Nov 12, 2009)

This one vehicle is fast becoming very polarizing. People either seem to hate it or love the hell out of it. So whats so good and whats so bad about this thing? Does it live up to its name sake?

Well first off I'm a bit undecided on the models appearance. Skeletal and ribbed with a scorpian like look for the body. Its interesting but i'm just not sure I like it. That said it is much better than the Vindicator for space marines, a square box with a small barrel poking out of it. Compared to that, its sexy.

What everyone cares about though, is the Cannon itself. Str 9, AP 1, Large Blast, it is death itself the only thing it lacks is range- oh wait its 74"s... thats long enough to hit pretty much anything on the board. This is an added bonus because nothing else in the Necron army (other than a few 1 use/leader items) has this range. And none of them are pie plates. 

It does lack barrage however, which is good and bad. It means it cant use its great range to hit units hiding deep or behind cover but it does mean that it maintains better accuracy on what it can fire at.

Its also not ordnance which means it doesnt get the armor penetration bonus, but it is able to fire its other guns even with the main cannon. 

The other guns are interesting, but you shouldnt get to excited over them. 24" 5 guass flayers on each side. Or 12" 10 guass flayer shots (rapid fire) a side. However with its firing arcs it wont be able to turn this on frontal targets and if your Doomsday Ark is parked far... far back (like I imagine it would) you might not get to use these at all. Their ability to fire on separate targets (per array) is handy though, especially against a melee army that closed in on YOU

Its armor is pretty good to, counting Quantiem Sheilding your looking at 13 AV front and sides. Not recording breaking, but impressive for something as powerful as this. And with living metal it can shrug off shaken and stunned results fairly well, but this bonus might not be as good as it sounds.

So whats the downsides? Well its open topped... which serves no purpose at all other than to make it easier for your opponent to blow it up. If your opponent scores a penerating hit its all over. He gets a +1 bonus on the damage chart and if it was a melta or railgun (or similar AP 1) he gest another +1. Thats potentially a 3+ to destroy, but if it survives.. well its now AV 11.

Some have claimed its to expensive (175) for what it does. Comparing it to other vehicles such as the Leman Russ. What you need to remember is that it brings to the table something no other Necron unit can do, longe range high str, high AP pie plates. 3 of these in an army may well be VERY viable. Of course II can see other builds that might not care.

So whats your opinion, looking forward to using it? Wont touch it? Hope to face it? Love, hate? And do you have any planned combos in mind. In short, do you love or hate the Doomsday Ark?


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## Rems (Jun 20, 2011)

Given the prevalence of both mech and terrain (which on average gives a better save than ever before) and the fact it's not barrage i don't rate the doomsday ark very highly. It has the potential to be good, that pie plate could wipe out units. However it's unlikely that your opponent will bunch up his squads and they will likely be in cover and the shot will likely scatter. So it's effectiveness against infantry is somewhat neutered. Guard manticores, a comparable unit, counter this disadvantage by being barrage and hence reducing the impact of cover. 

While it's high strength and low ap gives it a good chance of penetrating vehicles again it's only potential. Being a blast weapon it will scatter more often than not, leaving your strength halved. 

So while it has great potential i don't think in practice on the tabletop it will be all that great, especially at such a heft price tag. I'd much rather have two annihilation barges.

-also it is against the site policy/rules to post exact stat lines and points costs.


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## Aramoro (Oct 7, 2009)

See I rather like the Doomsday Ark when considered along side the other Necron units, the Broadside ability should not be underestimated. It lets you keep up pressure on flank attackers whilst not sacrificing your ability to fire forwards.


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