What Is Combat Patrol: Necrons (Amonhotekh’s Guard)?
Combat Patrol: Necrons — officially named Amonhotekh’s Guard — is Games Workshop’s entry-level starter box for the Necron faction in Warhammer 40,000. Priced at £105, it gives you 19 miniatures that form a complete, balanced patrol-sized force straight out of the box. Whether you’re a new player looking for an affordable way into 40k or a veteran wanting a fast way to expand your Necron collection, this box is worth a close look.
Box Contents: What Do You Get?
The Amonhotekh’s Guard Combat Patrol contains 19 Necron miniatures:
- 1x Overlord — your warlord, armed with a tachyon arrow for long-range threat
- 1x Canoptek Doomstalker — a powerful walker-style heavy support unit
- 3x Skorpekh Destroyers + 1x Plasmacyte — elite close-combat destroyers with a support drone
- 10x Necron Warriors — the backbone infantry of any Necron force
- 3x Canoptek Scarab Swarms — fast objective grabbers and chip-damage dealers
Every unit included plays a distinct battlefield role, which means the box functions as a genuinely playable army from day one — not just a collection of random sprues.
Playstyle: How Do Necrons Play?
Necrons are a resilient, mid-range shooting faction with strong melee threats and exceptional durability. Their signature rule — Reanimation Protocols — lets destroyed models return to life at the end of each phase, making them frustrating to kill for opponents. Key traits for this box:
- Overlord: buffs nearby Necron Warriors and provides command re-rolls. A force multiplier, not just a fighter.
- Necron Warriors: solid line infantry with gauss weapons that can harm any target regardless of armour. More durable than they look thanks to Reanimation Protocols.
- Skorpekh Destroyers: fast, aggressive close-combat killers. Send these forward to threaten infantry and lighter vehicles.
- Canoptek Doomstalker: a walking cannon that punishes enemies in the open. Strong fire support.
- Canoptek Scarabs: cheap, fast models that tie up enemy units and score secondary objectives while your heavier units do the real work.
Overall, the Necron playstyle rewards patience. Hold objectives, outlast your opponent through Reanimation, then grind them down with your shooters while your Skorpekhs hit them where it hurts.
Value: Is the Necrons Combat Patrol Worth It?
At £105, the Combat Patrol box represents solid value compared to buying the same units separately from GW’s webstore. The Overlord, Canoptek Doomstalker, and Skorpekh Destroyers are all individually priced items that add up quickly. As a starter set, it also saves you the time of figuring out what to buy first — the box is pre-selected to give you a functional, balanced force.
For new Necron players, this is the recommended starting point. For veterans, it’s a cost-effective way to add a second Doomstalker or bulk out your Warriors.
Recommended Paints for Necrons
Necrons traditionally feature metallic silver or gold armour with glowing green energy effects. A typical starter scheme uses:
- Leadbelcher spray as a base coat
- Nuln Oil wash to add depth and shadow
- Necron Compound drybrush for highlights
- Tesseract Glow technical paint for the glowing energy effects
Note: Always cross-check current GW paint availability — paint ranges update regularly.
How Does This Fit Into a Larger Necron Army?
The Combat Patrol gives you a strong core. From here, the natural next steps for most Necron players are adding more Warriors, a second Overlord with different wargear, or elite units like Lychguard and Immortals. The Skorpekh Destroyers in this box pair especially well with a Hexmark Destroyer or a second Destroyer unit as you scale up.
Looking at the full range of Combat Patrol boxes across all factions? See our main Warhammer 40k Combat Patrol guide for a complete comparison.