# Can Necrons Rust



## Mr. Vulcanator (Nov 15, 2016)

I've read the page for Necrodermis and read a lot of the page on Necrons and I've found no answer. Can necrons/necrodermis rust?


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## Romanov77 (Jan 27, 2013)

Most likely not. 

Probably some BL writer has described "rusty" necrons in some novels to increase "very ancient" feeling, but I think that the whole point of necrodermis is to be a super awesome living metal, and it would be really silly if it could actually get rust.


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## The Final Frontier (Oct 15, 2011)

Never heard of such a thing but probably not since they were created by the ancient ones to be immortal warriors, making their body rust would exactly be the smartest thing when you want immortal machine like warriors. For a fluff created army, am sure it be possible with an ancient virus or something, not sure am not a Necron expert but it's not that far out like people wanting Female Adeptus Astartes.


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## Old Man78 (Nov 3, 2011)

If your plan to beat Necrons is to pray for rain, I suggest you come up with a better one! Lol


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## Brother Lucian (Apr 22, 2011)

In nightbringer, where Uriel ventris goes hunting for the plotters, he comes by a hill of strange metal that is rusting and dying after the plotters had removed a necron relic from it. 

Sounded like necrodermis to me. Necrodermis has been described as living metal.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Sorry to revive this, but more recent necron lore likens necrodermis to a form of nanotechnology. So it follows that it requires a power source, and in the absence of such it reverts to an inert substance no different from any other metal. 

This would explain the example that takes place in Nightbringer, as well as why some necrons can appear to be rusty.


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## PlagueMarine (Jun 2, 2017)

Hmm, I always thought that the necrodermis needed a power source (given I don't think it's mentioned anywhere that they reconstruct themselves with warp magic that leaves electric of some kind I would imagine). Though, even without a power source, I wouldn't think they'd rust. If they haven't discovered stainless steel at this point in the future....


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## Shandathe (May 2, 2010)

Oxygen is amazing at binding to things, and entropy is a bitch. The question isn't so much whether Necrons CAN rust, but how long it would take. 

Quite frankly, with their extreme abilities in material science and some basic maintenance alone (oil them regularly and the oxygen won't REACH the metal bits), that would be a very long time indeed. And the time it takes to get some proper oxidation done on a Necron gets far, far longer when you realize Necrons don't actually have a good reason to keep oxygen around. It's not like they breathe the stuff. All oxygen does is enable annoyances like Eldar and Orks.

That does also mean a Cryptek or two might just not have bothered with keeping the anti-oxygen maintenance going while he slept ("seriously not going to waste the oild, the Tomb is sealed, no oxygen here, things will be fine for another few thousand years" ) with the Tomb springing a leak rust might have gotten a chance to play ("Where'd all the damn oxygen COME from?" )


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## Brother Lucian (Apr 22, 2011)

Shandathe said:


> Oxygen is amazing at binding to things, and entropy is a bitch. The question isn't so much whether Necrons CAN rust, but how long it would take.
> 
> Quite frankly, with their extreme abilities in material science and some basic maintenance alone (oil them regularly and the oxygen won't REACH the metal bits), that would be a very long time indeed. And the time it takes to get some proper oxidation done on a Necron gets far, far longer when you realize Necrons don't actually have a good reason to keep oxygen around. It's not like they breathe the stuff. All oxygen does is enable annoyances like Eldar and Orks.
> 
> That does also mean a Cryptek or two might just not have bothered with keeping the anti-oxygen maintenance going while he slept ("seriously not going to waste the oild, the Tomb is sealed, no oxygen here, things will be fine for another few thousand years" ) with the Tomb springing a leak rust might have gotten a chance to play ("Where'd all the damn oxygen COME from?" )


Necrons sleeps in timefrozen stasis crypts. But plenty of problems couldve happened to a tombworld that had lost power to the stasis generators, but with the necrons still in hibernation mode despite being exposed. Power issues from earthquakes, tectonic shifts, eldar raiders. Forcing a possibly increasingly corrupted MCP to try to maintain its charges in a futile fight against entrophy itself. Earthquakes could even have breached the failing tomb to the elements


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## Old Man78 (Nov 3, 2011)

The necrodermis is "living" metal, so theoretically it could get "sick" like a former of skin cancer that would manifest itself as rust


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## Brother Lucian (Apr 22, 2011)

Necrons does have their impairment, such as the monomaniacal Destroyers, or the flayed ones. Could make for a compelling, ghastly visage to have flayers appearing as blood-red rust covered Necrons. Due to the detritus of their skinpuppets, but possibly also a physical effect from the flayer sickness? 

I do wonder why Nurgle havent tried to woo twitchy and nervous Necron courts over the rising number of flayers in their domain. But perhaps its because they simply dont have enough soulbits left to even draw the eyes of the dark gods.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Old Man78 said:


> The necrodermis is "living" metal, so theoretically it could get "sick" like a former of skin cancer that would manifest itself as rust


The word "living" here is used to describe its properties, its ability to repair damage unlike ordinary metals. But it is no more living than any other metal in actuality, as it has been revealed to be based on nanotechnology. It simply appears to regrow as the nano cells realign themselves to their designated configuration.


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## David Palmer (Mar 30, 2019)

Old Man78 said:


> The necrodermis is "living" metal, so theoretically it could get "sick" like a former of skin cancer that would manifest itself as rust


There you go. Nurgle would have a field day.



Serpion5 said:


> The word "living" here is used to describe its properties, its ability to repair damage unlike ordinary metals. But it is no more living than any other metal in actuality, as it has been revealed to be based on nanotechnology. It simply appears to regrow as the nano cells realign themselves to their designated configuration.



It's really an interesting question.

Living metal indicates a type of repair based off of an extremely high output of energy that requires a connection to a hub. We know that to be the case with the Necrons. 

As we know it, components are drawn back to the receiver so the components can be reformed. Based on our primitive science, that would indicate magnetism by way of Iron composite alloys, all of which rust.

The fact that Necrons appear to be both completely energized and bathed in ozone stands to reason that in the open world environment, they won't rust. In stasis, one can assume there is 0% humidity and low voltage present so really the only time a Necron would theoretically rust is when it is blown to pieces and cut off from repairing.


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