Necrons playstyle at a glance
Deep Silver's July 29 faction deep dive resolves several questions that were still open when this guide was first published. The Necron game plan is now officially described as slow, steady expansion that develops into a snowballing threat. Their army does not simply become stronger through conventional technology: base reach, resource generation, territorial durability, resurrection, and teleportation are connected parts of one system.
This guide is for players comparing factions before the revised December 3 launch. It explains confirmed rules and the decisions they create, but it does not pretend that final costs, cooldowns, build times, or competitive openings are public.
| Confirmed system | Battlefield role | Evidence boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Tomb Citadel | Upgradeable centre of operations and unit-production engine | Upgrade costs and production timings remain unpublished |
| Power Matrix | Enables many buildings, generates Dominion, and buffs friendly units | Exact income and combat values remain unpublished |
| Resurrection Galleries | Return a selected type of fallen unit for free | Cooldowns, capacity, and exclusions remain unpublished |
| Translocation Science | Teleports up to five units between visible battlefield locations | Unlock cost and cooldown remain unpublished |
| Monolith | Uses its Eternity Gate as an exit for Tomb Citadel reserves | Tech tier, cost, and reserve rules remain unpublished |
Tomb Citadel, Power Matrix, and Dominion
The Tomb Citadel is the strategic centre of the Necron base and the production engine for units. As the base expands, Necron buildings spread the Power Matrix. Many buildings can only be constructed on this field, and each new building can extend it farther. This makes construction placement an economic and territorial decision rather than a purely defensive one.
A larger Matrix generates more Dominion for the war effort. The official preview does not publish a Dominion-per-area formula, so the safe conclusion is qualitative: extending the Matrix supports the economy, but the final game will determine whether every extension is worth its cost and exposure.
The Matrix also affects combat. Friendly units standing on it heal faster, become tougher, and are more difficult to kill. Necron units already receive out-of-combat healing, so fighting on connected territory layers a positional advantage onto their inherent durability. Opponents have a reason to force battles away from the Matrix or attack the structures spreading it.
Healing, cover, and Resurrection Galleries
Necrons do not use conventional cover. Their survival model instead revolves around formation, healing, Matrix territory, and bringing back losses. The publisher confirms that Resurrection Galleries allow the player to select a preferred unit type; when a unit of that type falls, the Gallery can return it for free.
“Free” describes the returning unit, not the complete system. Building the Gallery may still require resources, and official material has not disclosed its cooldown, capacity, whether several Galleries can target the same type, or which units are excluded. Those details will decide how aggressively players can trade valuable units.
For opponents, Deep Silver's advice is to focus fire and kill Necron units outright. Damaging several targets without securing a kill gives healing systems more opportunity to erase that damage. For the Necron player, the inverse principle applies: keep the formation connected and withdraw a vulnerable unit before concentrated fire finishes it.
Confirmed Necron units and battlefield roles
| Unit | Confirmed role | Practical use to verify at launch |
|---|---|---|
| Scarabs | Cheap, small, relatively fast swarms that can tie up ranged units in melee | Which ranged squads they can suppress cost-effectively |
| Deathmarks | Snipers capable of outranging and eliminating Commanders and elite infantry | Range, detection, accuracy, and target breakpoints |
| Doomstalkers | Large constructs armed with Doomsday Blasters | Damage profile, setup behavior, and counters |
| Canoptek Spyders | Construct Tomb Pylons anywhere on the map | Build restrictions, vulnerability, and expansion timing |
| Monolith | Heavy machine and reserve exit point through its Eternity Gate | Tech timing and whether teleporting it creates viable flanks |
Scarabs are especially important to the faction's tempo. They give a mostly slow roster a low-cost, faster unit that can engage enemy ranged forces in melee, preventing those targets from using their strongest weapons while heavier Necrons close the distance. That role is confirmed; a universal Scarab opening is not.
Three confirmed teleportation tools
The Necrons' low movement speed has deliberate counterplay, but it does not leave them immobile in the late game. Deep Silver has now confirmed three distinct movement systems:
- Tomb Pylons: Canoptek Spyders build them anywhere on the map. Each creates a new patch of Power Matrix and becomes a translocation target for units entering the Tomb Citadel.
- Translocation Science: this unlockable Stratagem teleports up to five units from anywhere on the battlefield to any other visible location.
- Monolith Eternity Gate: units placed in reserve at the Tomb Citadel can exit through a deployed Monolith, even after the vehicle moves behind enemy lines.
These systems solve different problems. A Tomb Pylon establishes infrastructure, Translocation Science provides a limited group relocation, and the Monolith creates a mobile reserve exit. Their costs and cooldowns will determine whether they are emergency responses, planned attacks, or both.
Thothmek and Ahmnok
The deep dive confirms two playable Necron Commanders. Chronomancer Thothmek uses chronomantic powers to manipulate time, empower his legions, and disrupt enemies. Ahmnok is positioned as the more direct alternative, favoring close violence over Thothmek's remote battlefield manipulation.
The contrast establishes two playstyle identities, but it does not reveal complete ability trees, Wargear, prices, or competitive roles. Our Dawn of War 4 Commanders guide explains how pre-match selection and headquarters production work across factions.
Campaign premise
Kronus is a dormant tomb world, and the Necrons return after receiving a mysterious signal from the planet. Thothmek wants to claim the source of that power for his dynasty's wider war effort. This story sits inside one of four faction campaigns that feed into Dawn of War IV's overarching narrative.
What remains unconfirmed before launch
- The complete unit, structure, research, and multiplayer Commander rosters.
- Tomb Citadel upgrade costs, production times, and technology tiers.
- Dominion income rates and exact Matrix healing or toughness bonuses.
- Resurrection Gallery cooldowns, limits, targeting rules, and exclusions.
- Teleportation costs, cooldowns, visibility rules, and counterplay.
- Verified openings, matchups, counters, and late-game compositions.
Who should choose Necrons?
- Players who enjoy methodical pressure rather than constant early mobility.
- Players who want territory and economy to reinforce battlefield strength.
- Players comfortable protecting a formation while it advances.
For a side-by-side view of every army, read the four-faction comparison. For shared preservation rules, see the cover, retreat, and reinforcement guide.