# Necron Scarabs - A must-take choice?



## Farseer Darvaleth (Nov 15, 2009)

Hiya,

I have found that Scarabs are horrible. Pure cheese emanates from their mechanical pores as they chitter around the battlefield, turning vehicles to dust before penetrating them with their measly S3. Their ability to get a 19-24" charge range is phenomenal, and once they hit a vehicle it's as good as dead; my 5 Scarabs exploded an AV13 vehicle on turn 1, and my opponent's single scarab badly crippled my Monolith (Immobilised and without a Particle Whip) before destroying it over the next two turns.

Scarabs are absolutely deadly, and can confidently destroy enemy armour without hassle. So are they a must-take choice? Can we ever get away with not having at least some of them? I know I plan on taking a unit of 5 in every list; paying fewer than 80pts for a unit which can happily munch through Land Raiders is a no-brainer in my opinion.

What do you think?

~ Darvy


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## Dawnstar (Jan 21, 2010)

Farseer Darvaleth said:


> I know I plan on taking a unit of 5 in every list; paying fewer than 80pts for a unit which can happily munch through Land Raiders is a no-brainer in my opinion.


I'd say that's their strength right there. They are so effective for their point cost, not taking them is almost criminal. With a typical list there should be either enough vehicles or enough troops to hide them until they're needed


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## Archon Dan (Feb 6, 2012)

They are perhaps not a requirement but a STRONG suggestion. You can get 4 of them for the same cost as a Heavy Destroyer. But they aren't really cheese given their rather extreme weaknesses. Basically no armour means they have to use cover, which slows them down and they are easy for most armies to either instant kill bases or double wound. Some armies do both quite well. That said, most opponents shoot them ASAP, especially in large squads. 

But I have noticed a squad of 3 or 4 is often ignored, especially if there are other threats. And at that size you can even block LOS to them. Furthermore, this size means they often won't wreak a vehicle with rear armour 10 by reducing an AV to zero but will then easily roll penetration and blow it up. Mine have a surprising knack of handling the explosion with few wounds sustained while my opponents may lose a few models if the vehicle was a transport. Of course a squad this size won't survive an ensuing assault too well, so you have to pick targets carefully. But running larger squads begins to require Spyders to keep them going since they do not go unnoticed. But once the Spyder or Scarabs are dead the other winds up on suicide missions. 

Quick question though. Has anyone had success assaulting Dreadnoughts with Scarabs? I figure it takes a decent sized unit and the Dreadnought likely kills 2-3 bases first.


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## Madden (Jan 22, 2012)

I've assaulted dreads and defilers with them and yes you need 5-6 bases at the start of combat to make much difference loseing 2-3 bases hampers there entropic but not fataly (hopefully) it's a suicide run against dreads/defilers and if they do survive there to small to do much else. As to being an auto include I'd say yes at least one unit I use two 4 base units to good effect they are fire magnets and if there being shot my praetorians(with rending entropic blades) com barge etc arnt being shotso win win for me.


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## Iron Angel (Aug 2, 2009)

Dohohohoho you think thats bad, wait until you play with Spyders. Adding up to 9 scarab bases a turn to just devour the board.

Get ready to paint 80+ scarab bases if you plan on using that though.


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

They're good, but I still find something vaguely S6 or Template shaped does wonders for their complexion.


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## Iron Angel (Aug 2, 2009)

There is that, but you don't see an overwhelming amount of those things in any army thats not specifically engineered to kill scarabs. And I don't count those because you can engineer a list against pretty much anything, not just scarabs.


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

GK Psycannons, Missile Launchers, Tau Plasma, Meltaguns, Autocannons. There's enough of them about floating in standard build lists.

My bike marines - 3 Vindicators, 12 Meltaguns, Hidden PFists, and LasPlas RBacks. Not changed since before Newcrons, and adequately counters them with a slight change of tactics, based on priority.


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## MidnightSun (Feb 10, 2009)

Even the Flamer is common enough, and that's skipping the roll to hit and going straight to double wounds - 3+ to remove a base? Happy times.

They kinda suck against basic infantry, though, and since they're no longer Jetbikes a bubble-wrap unit can be very effective at stopping them.

Still a steal, though, and still always worth a look.

Midnight


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## Iron Angel (Aug 2, 2009)

You go ahead and shoot meltas at my 15 point scarabs while my 175 point doomsday ark feels the breeze.


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## CPT Killjoy (Feb 15, 2012)

Aren't Vindicators really the answer to this? They're found in most SM and CSM builds, and aren't tailored to use specificly against Necrons. They handle scarabs, Arks and barges fairly well, and don't even cost that much (so they can be found from 750pts on up). And they can move and shoot so that they don't get overrun turn 1. Credit to Vaz, as he listed there use amongst other things previously.


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## Farseer Darvaleth (Nov 15, 2009)

First we assume that the Vindicator can destroy the Scarabs before they assault and kill it; with its low range of 24" on the Demolisher Cannon compared to the huge Scarab charge range, this isn't particularly likely.

Second, if the Vindicator is shooting the 75pts unit with its 120+pts gun, then it is wasting its ability to hit my Immortals and Warriors, or my Wraiths, or my Deep-Striking Monolith...


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## falcoso (Apr 7, 2012)

Archon Dan said:


> Quick question though. Has anyone had success assaulting Dreadnoughts with Scarabs? I figure it takes a decent sized unit and the Dreadnought likely kills 2-3 bases first.


Yes I have done this very well. A Dreadnought assaulted my lychguard with sword (so they couldn't actually glance/penetrate it) So somehow I dashed my squad of 6 rst over to the assault. They managed to destroy the dread in its first round of assault, by reducing the armour to 5 and then penetrating it. I only lost 2 bases and they were average rolls on the dreadnought. My lychguard were ignored once the scarabs assaulted so they were no effect.

I always take scarabs, as many as possible usually, but I aim for around 5/6 at the minimum, I haven't played with spyders yet I need to test my old tomb spyder out (which I orered on ebay the day before the new ones were announced :angry but 1 base per turn I don't think will probably effect it. I love scarabs because they are cheap, can do a lot if left, and are good decoys cus u don't loose many points if they are killed and it keeps the stronger weapons off the more valuable units


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## CPT Killjoy (Feb 15, 2012)

@ Farseer: True, but you never take only one. Just like I'm sure you wouldn't take only one unit of scarabs. It leaves them (vindi's) open to any AT the enemy has regardless. While I do understand the "75pt unit" piece, that really makes no difference. If he has a 210pt unit of Lychguard that can't hurt my vindicators without walking to them, and 75pt scarabs that can, isn't it smarter to kill the more dangerous unit first regardless of it's points cost? Basically what I'm saying here is that, there are always other units on the board, but I don't think taking out scarabs is a poor choice regrdless of their points cost. They're still dangerous either way. And, (as a side note), I would argue that it isn't a waste of shots since they are so dangerous. Scarabs are the only good example I can come up with really, and are the rare exception.


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## Farseer Darvaleth (Nov 15, 2009)

But that's the beauty of them right there; they're incredibly dangerous, yet also so cheap. You are FORCED to direct lots of firepower at them, and they will only be a very small chunk of my army because they're cheap. 

I will only take one unit of them so that they seem even less dangerous to an unsuspecting enemy, who will foolishly focus on my Immortals or Wraiths instead... :laugh:


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## CPT Killjoy (Feb 15, 2012)

Well, I can't argue there. For the points, there may not be a better unit in 40k. As to the question posed eariler though "What can take them out effectivelly, that most people would already have, which hasn't been specifically tailored to Necrons?" I still say the vindicator is the answer. It would really just depend on what else was on the board, army total cost, and how that person used the vindicator/s (as you already said, ignoring the scarabs is a bad idea...). As to the orginial quetion "Are they manditoy to take in any Necrons army", for what they cost, it would be stupid not to, I think.


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