Necrons as a first army: is the Combat Patrol a good start?
Necrons suit you if you want a metal army you can paint in bulk and you like the idea of troops that keep coming back. The box to start with is Combat Patrol: Necrons, at £86.11 (sold out at the moment).
Skip Necrons if you want the strongest rules in each new edition. Players disagree about how the Combat Patrol fares in the 11th edition, and Games Workshop rewrites that kind of thing often.
What is in the Necron Combat Patrol
In November 2023 Games Workshop listed the box as Overlord Amonhotekh, 10 Necron Warriors, 3 Skorpekh Destroyers, a Canoptek Doomstalker and 3 Canoptek Scarab Swarms.
Bought as separate kits, the Warriors, Skorpekh Destroyers and Doomstalker cost £85.73. The Combat Patrol is £86.11 and also holds the Overlord and the Scarab Swarms.
What new Necron collectors worry about
| The worry | What was said |
|---|---|
| The Warriors are weak in the new edition | A Reddit thread of 25 May 2026 said a big block of Warriors was no longer viable in the new edition. Four days later Games Workshop's Faction Focus article on the army gave Warriors and Immortals their own detachment, a set of army rules called Hand of the Dynasty. |
| The Combat Patrol rules are poor | Replies in a September 2026 thread call the box great value but say its Combat Patrol rules are weak, and one dislikes the Doomstalker rule. |
| Friends will hate playing against them | A February 2026 poster with that problem was told by several replies that a faction is rarely broken as a whole, only a few units or one detachment. |
Who this army suits
Necrons suit you if you like metal, bright green glow and rank-and-file troops. Games Workshop called them "a doddle to paint up to tabletop standard" in 2023. The same article called them a very forgiving army to play for newcomers, because troops that stand back up shrug off mistakes. That article was written for the previous edition.
They suit you less if you want varied bodies in your army, because Warriors and Immortals are very alike in look.
What to add to the Combat Patrol
After the Combat Patrol, add the troops that the new detachment is built around. Buy one box, paint it, then decide.
- Immortals, £23.31, in stock. A second line of troops.
- Necron Warriors, £26.47, sold out at the moment. The rank-and-file troops of the army.
- Imotekh the Stormlord, £23.31, in stock. A named leader if you want one.
Common questions
Are Necrons easy to paint?
Most of each model is metal, so one method repeats across the army. Games Workshop called them a doddle to paint up to tabletop standard in 2023. Try it on a single Warrior before you commit to a box.
Do I need a Codex to play Necrons?
You do not need one for the Combat Patrol. Games Workshop says Combat Patrol rules in the Warhammer 40,000 app are free, and that you do not need a rulebook or Codex for them. Larger games need more than the Combat Patrol rules.
Will my friends mind playing against Necrons?
Some players do. One reply in a Reddit thread said that when an army is called broken, it is usually a few units or one detachment. Take the units you like, and offer to swap armies for a game.
Which is the first Necron box to add after the Combat Patrol?
Immortals, at £23.31, are our pick, because the new Hand of the Dynasty detachment names them with the Warriors. Add Necron Warriors second. Paint each box before the next.
Combat Patrol contents: Warhammer Community, 6 November 2023. Necron detachments: Warhammer Community Faction Focus, 29 May 2026. Combat Patrol app rules: Warhammer Community, 23 July 2026. Player views: Reddit threads, 2026. Prices and stock: this shop, read live.