Warhammer 40,000 9th Edition and the Indomitus launch box are nearly upon us, and what better way to get ready than to learn about one half of the contents: The Necrons. We took a look at the Space Marines last week, so it’s only fair!
The introduction of Necrons to the Warhammer 40,000 universe is a little murky and it just goes to show that there is much that we don’t know yet. The influence behind the Necron race could be attributed to the Terminator. The singular mission to wipe out humanity certainly fits and the now-iconic exoskeletons roaming the battlefield could be more than just a coincidence.
Where Necrons Came From
Regardless, the Necron race entered Warhammer 40K canon in White Dwarf 217 (Jan 1998) as Necron Raiders. Only two units were available in the beginning - Necron Warrior and Necron Scarab, but this was expanded over the following months with the Necron Lord and Necron Destroyer. White Dwarf published several Necron related articles including an army list, painting guides, and chapter approved.
But was this the first time the deadly machines had shown up? Maybe not. In 1990, GW was surfing the rising wave of popularity for its games. And they weren’t the only ones. Games publisher Milton Bradley was paying attention. So much so that they teamed up with Games Workshop to produce to two games inspired by the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 universes.
Heroquest was released in 1989 to the enjoyment of many a school kid, and Space Crusade (Also know as Star Quest in some countries) was released a year later. Both games were released by MB and were very popular. GW supported both titles with articles in White Dwarf and “Advanced” versions that could be played standalone or in conjunction. Space Crusade is considered a Warhammer 40K game. Why is this important, you may ask? Well, included with the denizens of the space ships you were exploring were Chaos Androids. A recent article on Warhammer Community explored this and included some shots of the Chaos Androids from Space Crusade and the early Necron Warriors. Note the similarities? So there we have it, the introductions of 9th Edition's greatest menace!
Necron Origins In The 40K Universe
The Necrons are an old race, as in very old. Estimates place their origins to be approximately 60 million years before The Age of Man. The Necrontyr were a race of people that were founded upon logic and science. They saw rapid innovation and evolution bringing them a technological advantage. As the empire grew there was great division as the Nobles split and waged war with one another. The Secret Necrontyr council led by the Silent King Szarekh hoped to reunite their people in one formidable civilization, but all their attempts failed. After much deliberation, a new strategy was formed. They needed a common foe.
The Old Ones were even older than the Necrontyr and had embraced not just science, but also their spirituality. This had led them to a similar level of technology but was enhanced through the use of powerful psychic energies that they had gained through their spiritual activities. As such, they did not wish to associate or share their knowledge with the Necrontyr. This angered The Silent King and gave him the excuse needed to reunite his people against The Old Ones.
The strategy worked. The Nobles returned en-mass, following the forgiveness of their transgressions, and they attacked with all their might. The two sides were evenly matched with no clear victor, and so the war continued. While the battles raged on, and the fragile truce fractured, The Silent King was approached by a member of the C’tan. He told the King of his own people’s loss to the C’tan and that they wanted revenge. He promised the King victory in exchange for the creation of bodies that his people could once again inhabit this world. The King got his scientists to work and the first vessels for the C’tan were created. They used a new material known as necrodermis, a metal-like material that self-healed through the use of nanotechnology that gave the inhabitant immortality. As the C’tan entered the bodies they taught the Necrontyr how to transfer their own minds into the machine.
Unbeknown to the Necrontyr, they had been betrayed by the selfish motives of the C’tan who had succeeded in their goal, the feast of the Necrontyr souls that remained after the mind was transferred. The battle with The Old Ones was eventually one by the Necrontyr in their new bodies and the C’tan. The early adopters of the C’tan offer were allowed to keep their sentience but those who came later became mindless servants following the orders of the leaders of the new Necron race. As the victory was celebrated by the C’tan, the Silent King struck. He had his own deceit, planned over the decades he had pretended to serve the C’tan, obeying their orders and fighting alongside. But it was time for his people to rise up and kill the C’tan. They succeeded in wiping out the physical manifestations of the C’tan returning them to their non-corporeal form. They were once again free.
The damage sustained during the rebellion had weakened the Necrons and so The Silent King decided to retreat back to their old worlds and rest. These worlds later became known as the Tombworlds, the relics of an ancient race. Unbeknown to the universe, the Necrons slept deep beneath the ruins in an eternal slumber provided by the stasis chambers, waiting for the day to return and capture their former glory.
Source: Games Workshop. Warhammer Community, Black Library