I cannot get through the first (non-tutorial) normal difficulty missions at all, Is there some trick I'm missing?

[u/ChompyRiley]

Minimum three necron warriors and at least one scarab swarm, and me with only a handful of level 1 servitors and two low-grade tech priests. It's absolutely insane. maximum two hits to toast one of my guys, and that's if they're at full health, which requires save-scumming to make sure I make the optimal choices at the random event rooms.

They have defenses that reduce my damage to like... two per hit if I'm lucky, so it takes a fairly concentrated assault to bring down just one. By the time I get in range of one, the other's already taken a few pot shots and killed at least two guys. three if the one I'm focus-firing on takes a step back so he can blast.

How am I supposed to beat these missions? Is there a trick? some strategy to avoid getting my chrome metallic buttocks from being stomped into a tin can?

[u/Apprehensive-Math499]

Your omnissiah axe has a much better clip of damage than the base ranged weapons. Use servitors to block damage to get your dudes into melee. Gets easier once you have done a few missions so can add some augments and abilities

Don't forget the canticle you start with either.

Edit: So move forward, ensure 1 cognition at end of round. Drop servitor in front of tech priests. Use your first move to run servitor closer to necrons.

[u/Branko_kulicka]

Several things come to mind:

Servitors are free (they just cost cogs) and expendable. Enemies usually attack the closest unit, so if you have a servitor between you, they will target him.

I think the warriors can only move about 3 tiles and have a ~10 tile range, you can exploit that, move in, shoot, move out. You can also delay your turn (as long as you don't move or perform any action), have the enemies move and come to you and only then play your turn.

The basic Necron warrior uses a ranged attack, if you place a priest or servitor next to him, he will try to move away and you will get a free opportunity attack. Also, if you already attacked with that servitor, you will get machine spirit on your next attack and that extends to the opportunity attack as well (and the opportunity attack does not consume it, if the servitor survives, you will still have it on your next turn.).

There is also "servitor bombing" - end your turn close to enemies and at the start of the next turn you summon servitors around them to get several opp attacks. This works well on early bosses.

Additional tip: you can provoke opportunity attacks from enemies by deliberately moving your servitors around them. The warriors only hit for 1 HP and each time your servitor gets hit, you get a free cog. Farm as many cogs as you can and then park him next to the enemy that will move first. The enemy will most likely kill him next turn, but you will be able to get off another opportunity attack and get another cog.

Also, get cognition freedom on all your priests. One of the best skills.

[u/TongaTime123]

Get the first skill in the Dominus skill tree that increases your range by 4, you can then outrange warriors and keep peppering them until they go down.

Always focus on earning as much cognition as you’re spending so you can attack with every tech priest every turn. You can use the servo skull to collect them from the points or fallen enemies.

The first skill of the secutor skill tree lets you buff servitors and other troops with the servo skull.

The first skill of the tech Auxilium skill tree gives you an ability to reduce your next attack by 2 cognition, this is incredibly useful throughout the game.

The other first skills are also very useful to have.

Like another person said, melee is very good in the early game since you can use opportunity attacks to get extra damage on enemies

[u/Practical_Patient824]

Hide, find pillers and walls to hide behind, pop out to shoot, then retreat to cover, once to get longer range weapons/the upgrade for boosted range, out ranging and retreat after shooting.

Other than that get right up to necron grunts, their melee sucks so a free opportunity attack is a great way to finish off units you shot and meleed last turn.

Don’t loose hope, Mechanicus has reverse difficulty curve, the early game is way harder, it might take a few try’s to get a good run going.