Hello folks, and welcome to the review of Canoptek Circle. This is the second Necron team Kill team released so far, with major similarities and differences to their Heirotek cousins. Both teams are led by a Cryptek with a nasty bag of tricks, and both teams are able to bring some withering shooting firepower to bear. But Canoptek eschews the typical Necron identity of reanimation, and instead focuses on the placement of esoteric Necron nodes to buff its motley crew of scuttling robots and control the Killzone. Canoptek Circle is one of the least straightforward teams released so far, with a heavy emphasis on positioning and manipulating your nodes to squeeze power out of their models, but who have some truly deadly power for players eager to master their unique playstyle.
Before we dive in, we’d like to thank Games Workshop for providing a preview copy of these rules for review purposes.
This is one of the weirder teams as far as its operative selection goes. It’s an eight operative team (though as we will discuss later only five count towards the kill op) with pretty fixed choices. Your only leader choice is a Geomancer, the big snake Cyrptek. Filling out the rest of the team are two hefty Tomb Crawlers, one of which can take the Transdimensional Isolator, followed by the little guys: three Macrocyte Warrior operatives with one of two gun options, one Accelerator, and one Reanimator. The team has access to the Recon and Security archetypes, which is pretty great for Canoptek Circle as both take advantage of the team’s strengths.
The Video Version
If you’d like to watch this review rather than read it, or if you want another opinion on this team, check out this video from Can You Roll a Crit?, in which he reviews the team:
Abilities
Canoptek Circle has access to one faction ability, Obelisk Node Matrix, which most of the team’s playstyle revolves around. Notably, the team doesn’t have access to Reanimation Protocols like its Heirotek cousins, delegating the classic Necron task of making sure these killer robots keep coming back from the dead to a single operative on the team, the Reanimator.
Obelisk Node Matrix
This is a weird ability, but potentially very powerful. I hope you liked your high school Geometry class.
As a strategic gambit in the first TP, you can place three Obelisk Node Markers on the battlefield wholly within your territory. Every following strategy phase, you can move each of these nodes 3” as a gambit. These markers can control objectives as long as no enemy contests them, which is cute, but isolated these markers do very little else. Their strength comes when they are close together.
Whenever two of these markers are within 6” of each other, the markers as well as the line between the two markers forms an Obelisk Node Matrix. Whenever any friendly Canoptek Circle Operative is on your Node Matrix, its weapons gain Accurate 2 and the operative increases its APL by 1.
It’s a very strong rule, though it requires good positioning to get the most use out of. Though there are ways to further move and manipulate the nodes during a game, bad placement is still bad placement, and I suspect you’ll feel it if you misplay how you deploy your nodes during a game. If you play it right though, the Node Matrix will turbocharge every operative on your team and deadly murder machines and offset the poor 4+ hit stat on most of your Canoptek keyword operatives.
Operatives
We’ve got a spread of Operative chassis here: A Cryptek, two small utility bugs, two lumbering weapons platforms and three(!) disposable warriors. The Cryptek is much like the Hierotek Circle Brothers with 14 wounds, 6” movement, 3 APL, and a 3+ save. While the pair of tomb crawlers have a whopping 21 wounds, 5” movement, 2 APL, and a 3+ save. The smaller constructs are all 7 wounds, 7” movement, 2 APL, and a 4+ save. All told the operatives offer a variety of move speeds and toughness levels that require good coordination to get the best use of the spread. Obviously camping out in the Obelisk node is going to make the 2 APL operatives that much stronger.
Canoptek Circle Warrior
Our mook operative, of which we need to take three. Luckily for us, with the A Ceaseless Scuttling ability these warriors can have a single warrior return to the battlefield as a strategic gambit each turn. Since these are Expendable Constructs and don’t affect the kill op, or incapacitation related victory conditions, sending a solo warrior into enemy lines each turn to harass opponents is risk free. Further by its Aggressive Defence ability which threatens 0/2/3 chip damage to any opposing operative that incapacitates a warrior while within 2” of them. Having an effective six suicidal 9” charge melee pieces is nuts! Luckily the actual offensive profiles on offer here are all pretty middling, hitting on 4s with lower damage numbers than full size Necron warriors. Gauss Scalpels are 4 attacks on 4s, 3/4 damage and pierce 1. Tesla Casters have 5 attacks on 4s, 2/3 damage or 5 attacks on 4s, 2/3 damage and blast 2” which will be excellent in confined spaces. While their claws and tail melee profile is 4 attacks on 4s, 3/4 damage. An incredible operative.
Geomancer
Our leader; the capstone of the team. Its Obelisk Node Control ability lets you use any obelisk node marker’s control range as the Geomancers own when interacting with objective markers and hatchways. Offensively, the Geomancer has a tremorglaive as both ranged and melee weapon options. With the Quake profile working as harassment with 6 attacks on 3s, ⅓ damage, blast 2”, seek light, and stun. Part Matter profile serves as the delete button with 4 attacks on 3s, 4/5 damage, piercing 1 and piercing crits 2 an excellent profile for attempting to punch through armor. In melee we’re a strong defensive profile with 4 attacks, on 4s, with 4/5 damage, severe, shock, stun; a gnarly combo that can lead to some defensive blowouts. Landing that stun against a marine angling to fight twice can stop that right in its tracks!
We’re mostly here for the Geomancer’s abilities though, right? Molecular Breach is a complicated ability that lets you select someone within 6” and visible to the Geomancer, or visible to the Geomancer within the obelisk matrix. The next time that operative moves it can teleport up to its movement stat (or 3” on dash) ignoring the measurement restrictions of close quarter walls! With the rider that you gain no bonus distance on a charge. Geomantic Disturbance is a new style ability letting you pick a visible point of a terrain feature within 8” of the geomancer to roll 2d6 against each operative within 2” of that point. Dealing the difference as damage to each operative. Notably this cannot be performed on a conceal order which should keep the annoyance factor low, though this can lead to some gnarly chip damage. Canoptek Control uses the same obelisk node matrix conditions, and allows the targeted operative to perform a 1AP action for free with movement being restricted to 2”. A teleported tomb crawler getting a second shot with its Transdimensional Isolator? Sign me up!
CYRAC: When this operative is in the matrix (woah) and goes to 4 APL, it’s terrifying. So much power but locks it where it is. Has great tools to deal with a variety of opponents and threats, along with a great damage AOE ability that does flat damage. Just so useful while being tough to kill as well!
Canoptek Circle Tomb Crawler
Lumbering crawlers built around a singular massive weapon, the tomb crawlers can’t cower behind light terrain due to their Weapon Sentinel rule. Unlike other big dumb brutes in the game our crawlers don’t have issues controlling objectives or doing mission actions. The Steadfast ability returns from Hierotek Circle making these large boys always count for 3 APL which is going to be important for such a low model count team.
As far as weapon selection we’re restricted to a singular Transdimensional Isolator, and for good reason. Dimensional Banishment, triggers when you retain a critical, or deal any damage letting you roll 2d6 against the remaining wounds of the targeted operative, incapacitating that operative if you roll above their wounds! With 5 attacks on 4s, ⅚ damage you’re really going to want the accurate 2 from the obelisks to guarantee getting to the roll off rule.
Twin Gauss Reapers look to output tremendous firepower in focused or sweeping varieties. Focused is 5 attacks on 4s, 4/5 damage, piercing 1 and severe. While the sweeping profile trades an attack for torrent 1”, as always you can imagine lethal 5+ being attached in some settings, but with severe already that lethal 5+ is less useful.
Swiftblade: The Transdimensional Isolator is so swingy that it should be terrible, but its ability to simply delete an operative, even if it does no damage, is such a big threat that it swings the gun back to being amazing. Since it does 5/6 damage, there’s not much in the game that isn’t at risk of getting disintegrated after taking damage. Thing is, 7 wound operatives are at serious risk of getting murked even if they manage to pass every save if you happen to retain a crit. I imagine that once folks get games under their belts, there will be serious discussion on when to take the Isolator+Reapers and when to take 2 Reapers, but watching your opponent maps and seethe after their Space Marine gets sent to the shadow realm after failing one save is hard to argue with.
Even funnier, it completely negates Goremongers ability to only take 8 wounds from a single shooting attack. Khorne cares not where the blood comes from, nor does he apparently care if you get atomized by funky space lightning.
CYRAC: I love the shadow realm gun. It gets around people saved via medic abilities, Goremonger Runes of Khorne, Miraculist on-death ability, and more with only Fellgor currently getting around it. Really needs the accurate 2 and ceaseless buffs but it just has so much threat, especially when you use the Geomancer to make it fire again. It’s the bane of elite operatives too! Just so awesome, haha.
Canoptek Macrocyte Accelerator
In a cute nod to the continued hierotek call outs, both ranged weapon options for the reanimator and accelerator are the same as the hierotek variants. With the spark gun remaining 4 attacks on 4s, 2/3 damage, range 4” and pierce 1. Macrocytes bear macro weapons it seems with their claws and spark profile being 3 attacks, on 4s, 3/4 damage, lethal 5+ and stun, a respectable defensive profile that can double as clean up duty. Accelerators can Overcharge friendly non-cryptek operatives and Cranial Overload enemy operatives visible to and within 3” of itself or an operative within the obelisk matrix while the accelerator is within the matrix. This means a forward launch obelisk matrix can provide some truly diabolical APL manipulation as the accelerator with its third APL can boost and subtract in a singular activation!
Canoptek Macrocyte Reanimator
In a continued trend the atomiser beams remain the same profile, with the claws and tails of the reanimator being a mere 4 attacks on 4s with ¾ damage. We’re really here for the Reanimate ability, which is a 6” medic!-style ability. Alternatively if both this and the incapping friendly are in the obelisk node matrix and outside of enemy control ranges, you can save them at 1 wound as well. In a second big change, neither this or the reanimating operative incur APL penalties, and the reanimator can perform a free dash. In terms of wound regeneration, the Nanoscarab Beam is a 6” range that regains 3d3 wounds with of course a rider talking about the obelisk node matrix.
The Ploys
Canoptek Circle’s strategy focuses almost exclusively on interacting with your Obelisk Stone Matrix, handing out significant power boosts to operatives who are in the right place at the right time. Hypershielding and Souldrain both improve the survivability of your operatives, with the former giving you ceaseless on your defense dice if the Matrix is intervening or the friendly model is within the matrix. Souldrain reduces the damage of both profiles on an enemy’s melee attacks for the activation if they’re fighting or retaliating against a friendly Canoptek Circle model if either model is within the node matrix. Transdynamic Amplification is your offensive strategy ploy, with a significant but straightforward buff to both shooting and melee: if the target is on your node matrix, or the matrix is intervening, that friendly operative gains Ceaseless. Note that unlike the Accurate 2 buff from being on the matrix, this can affect grenades, so enjoy having your macrocyte warrior bozos chuck surprisingly accurate Krak grenades at your opponent nearly consequence free.
Cryptogravitic Repulsion gets its own paragraph here, because it’s nuts. This ploy hampers enemy operatives’ movement around your Obelisk Node Matrix, treating the distance as an additional 1” the first time they move within the matrix during an action. Remember that dataslate where they changed equipment so you couldn’t block off hatchways and doors? Just toss it out the window now, door blocking is back. Even outside of this use, it’s a fantastic ploy. Playing aggressively with your node matrix can block off huge chunks of the Killzone, and operatives can park behind razorwire and your matrix to become nearly unchargeable. It requires some clever placement of your nodes, but its area denial abilities make it backbreaking for some teams to deal with.
Unlike the strategy ploys, only some of the fireflight ploys require you to interact with your matrix. Like your strategy ploys though, all four are excellent. Nodal Response is probably the weakest one of the bunch, but still gives your team incredible flexibility by letting you swap one of your active strategy ploys for one you aren’t currently using without extra cp cost, or use a strategy ploy if you pay the extra cp. Sacrificial Thrall is your bog standard protect the president ploy for your Geomancer, made extra funny by the fact that you can chump the damage off to one of your Warriors that will just get back up next turning point. Shield Flare gives Canoptek Circle the ability to ignore an instance of normal damage if your operative is within your node matrix, or the node matrix is intervening (from the enemy operatives POV), making the task of killing your 21 wound Tomb Crawlers parked on a node extra difficult.
Finally, Animate Obelisk Nodes lets you move your nodes a total of 6” combined, split between each node however you want. An incredible ploy that gives your Obelisk Nodes the ability to rapidly switch position and catch an enemy off guard. It’s hard to imagine this ploy won’t get used on every single turning point, and fortunately there is equipment to help with that.
Equipment
Matrix Manipulator
Once per battle during a friendly operative’s activation or counteraction, you can treat the Geomancer as a fourth obelisk node until the end of that activation or counteraction. Neat ability but the timing window is only during one of your activations/counteractions which means this is generally going to be for healing or niche ability activations.
Awakened Obelisk Stones
Roll a D3, and get that many 0CP Animate Obelisk Nodes firefight ploys. Basically a must take as it reads as 1-3 extra activations, or obelisks shoves. Since your team’s high points all revolve around the obelisks having free movement there seems incredible.
Nanoscarab Caskets
Living metal at home, whenever you activate, regain d3 wounds. While not as synchronized as living metal, with 21 wounds and 14 wounds on a 3+ armor save you’ll probably get more than enough heals out of this.
Phase Shifters
Once per turn the Geomancer can drop opposing piercing by 1 when it’s targeted. Strong when you expect plasma and melta dives, useless otherwise since you’ll generally have a dork to throw in the way. Maybe this one stays at home.
Final Thoughts
Swiftblade: The best way I can describe Canoptek is this: they are the the “wait, hold on, can I do that?” team. At first blush, they seem like a team who’s strong, but maybe too weird to stand up to the deadliest threats in the metagame. Plus, the Canoptek operatives on the team have the dreaded 4+ to hit albatross around their neck, which means you’re going to struggle if you can’t get the accuracy buffs you need for the team lined up. The more you think about the tools Canoptek has on offer though, the more this team’s less obvious power becomes apparent. Moving through walls to threaten a stun grenade TP 1 without risking handing your opponent free points on the kill grade? Blocking off entire sections of the board with your nodes? Commanding your Tomb Crawler to get a second shot off with their terrifying guns from out of line of sight?
It makes for a team that I think is going to be difficult to master, especially since the power of this team revolves around smart positioning of your Obelisk Control Nodes. But as players begin to wrap their heads around Canoptek’s playstyle, I can see them being very strong in the larger KT metagame.
CYRAC: Canoptek Circle are hard to play but have lots of tricks. You really need to nail down using the Obelisk Node Matrix to get the most out of the team and your leader. The team does amazingly well into elites though, able to had the edge on even Deathwatch partly due to their SHADOW REALM gun. Being only 5 operatives on the Kill Op too is pretty good, with three expendable operatives which return once per TP too. They still suffer into horde teams but otherwise they seem great. Hard to get a hang of but so rewarding to play.
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