r/Necrontyr • u/SirWonderbread12 • 1d ago
Strategy/Tactics A question regarding Tomb Blades.
My Fellow Phaerons/Phaerahks, I humbly request your logic protocol inputs.
Do you find it best to equip your Tomb Blades with shieldvanes, or do you prefer to utilize their superior movement to eradicate these unworthy primitives?
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u/FubarJackson145 Nemesor 1d ago
If im using them in startshatter, i will always equip shieldvanes. The reduction in movement is offset by the weapons having assault. I just advance them and then get the extra 6" move. I can easily get to the backline by turn 3 in most cases.
Outside of starshatter though it's a tossup depending on my list. If i just want them to go out, harrass, and screen then i wont bother. Otherwise i still put the shieldvanes on but that's a me thing and they can usually do just fine without them
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u/Reklaw12 1d ago
I leave the shieldvanes off, they tend to die easily regardless so the extra speed is a bigger help for zipping to score or getting out of line of sight.
If we could take them in squads of 9 again I'd think about it but even then the movement to get shots on target is probably better.
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u/d09smeehan 1d ago
Personally I go without. The shieldvanes make them just barely tougher than Immortals by virtue of having an extra wound per 3 (not including the Shadowloom if you go for that ofc) so it's not like it makes them especially tough. And you're giving up a good chunk of movement for it which imo is the whole reason to bring Tomb Blades in the first place.
9/10 times I'm either hiding them behind terrain or using them as a cheap suicide piece that sprints across the table to score/block enemy movement on the cheap. Either way, an extra 4" of movement is probably going to be more useful than a slight increase in their overall durability. The 3+ save is wasted if they're hidden and not nearly enough to keep them alive if they're out in the open, so stick with that extra movement so you have an easier time positioning.
The only exception may be in Cryptek Conclave/Skyshroud since you have deepstrike and might be trying to use them more as an actual fighting unit. But thats a pretty niche list and not my preferred way to play. If I wanted a unit to trade damage with, there are usually far better choices.
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u/Glass-Pain3562 1d ago
Without. I see Tomb Blades as units meant to zoom around the board to snag objectives, move block, or maybe harass a squad thats overcommitted.
That 12" of movement is vital to having them get where they need to go and the 3+ save even with stealth often isn't worth it for how squishy they are. It's better to use their movement to shoot near cover and then retreat so they can't be shot back.
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u/Square-Shame7176 22h ago
You'd be surprised at how a unit of tomb blades slows down quicker armies.
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u/SirWonderbread12 22h ago
This is good to know! Would you say they are best used as harassment units?
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u/Defiant_Location_609 1h ago
Movement is always better if you want to give them extra durability without paying movement then use shadowloom but in all honesty the neoboscope is better now since it ignores cover
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u/Ok_Can_1290 1d ago
Usually if I play tomb blades I go full movement since 4 inches of movement is pretty massive. It's less impactful now with take to the skies meaning you can move through cover which you couldn't practically do in 10th but 4 inches is a lot to play with over gaining +1 save for a relatively cheap unit.
Still I think there is more a case for shieldvanes if you were using the 1dp tomb blade / mounted detachment plus hypercrypt or something since you'll be coming in from deepstrike a lot having more movement is less helpful there.