Necrons

4:10 The Necrons in Dawn of War 4 play as slow, steady expansion that snowballs into a threat consuming the battlefield, per KING Art. They grow from a Tomb Citadel, spread a field called the Power Matrix that earns the Dominion resource and toughens units, and return fallen units for free. In exchange, nearly all their units are slow. All of this comes from maker statements and pre-release reports; the game is out on Dec 3, 2026, and the Necron campaign was not in the Oct 2026 preview build. The clip is the official Game Overview Trailer.

Quick facts

Sources: KING Art's Necron deep dive, Jul 29, 2026; KING Art's multiplayer AMA, Jul 24, 2026; KING Art's cast post, Aug 5, 2026.

Power Matrix and Dominion

1:24 Many Necron buildings can stand only on the Power Matrix, and each building spreads it further. The bigger the Matrix, the more Dominion you gain, so Dominion is the faction's own resource. KING Art's Battlefield Reports say Necrons do not spend Requisition and Power, but capturing those points still cuts their build times and costs. The clip is KING Art's Jul 2026 Battlefield Report, a pre-release match.

The Matrix also protects. All Necron units heal out of combat, and on the Matrix they heal faster, grow tougher and become harder to kill. Big Boss Battle reports that it starts small, so early Necrons lean on Scarabs, while generators and special units extend it. KING Art says it changed the Matrix after community feedback, shown in the Sep 9, 2026 Battlefield Report, but the written post gives no details.

Resurrection Galleries

5:13 Build a Resurrection Gallery, pick a preferred unit type, and get one back for free when a unit of that type falls. Big Boss Battle says reanimation has no standard resource cost, so denying Requisition does not stop a Necron army. Necrons are also the exception in on-field reinforcement, which is limited in combat for others: they get a variant that does more in combat, details unpublished.

Getting around

3:32 Slow units need another way to the front, and KING Art names three tools.

• Tomb Pylons. Canoptek Spyders build them anywhere on the map; each spawns Power Matrix and is a translocation target for units in the Tomb Citadel.
• Monolith. Its Eternity Gate is an exit for units in reserve at the Tomb Citadel; teleport it behind enemy lines and slow units arrive at the front.
• Translocation Science. A Stratagem that teleports up to five units from anywhere to any visible part of the map.

6:57 Big Boss Battle also describes a Mass Teleport Stratagem covering five or six squads and pulling them back to the Matrix. It may be a second Stratagem or another account of the first. See Stratagems. The clip is KING Art's Sep 2026 Battlefield Report, a pre-release match.

Units

The rest, including Wargamer's pre-launch list with the C'tan Shard of the Void Dragon, are on the Units List. ComicBook notes the Necrons lack Flayed Ones in its pre-release build.

Commanders: Thothmek and Ahmnok

3:23 Chronomancer Thothmek uses chronomantic powers to manipulate time, empower his troops and confound enemies. He is voiced by James Alexander. The clip is the official Necron trailer.

3:40 Ahmnok is the melee-minded second Commander, who prefers to let bloodied claws do the talking. The Year One Roadmap calls him Lord Ahmnok and adds him free to Last Stand and Crusade, with Map Pack II, in 2027. His voice is not credited in the Aug 5, 2026 cast post. Wargamer's April roster lists a Skorpekh Destroyer Lord as a leader unit, and no source says outright that this is Ahmnok.

How to play them, and how to beat them

11:14 Deep Silver's site advises Necron players to outlast in long fights, recover through Resurrection Galleries, advance the Matrix and fight on it, and translocate in the mid and late game. Opponents are told to fight off the Matrix, engage the ranged units, strike elsewhere, focus fire to kill outright rather than wound, and finish units too slow to escape. Necrons do not use cover at all. ComicBook found them one of the two harder factions to learn, and Elliott Verbiest named them his favorite in July 2026.

Story and series history

Kronus is a dormant tomb world, and the Necrons receive a mysterious signal from it. See the Necron Campaign for what little is public.

On their history, sources differ. KING Art says they "haven't been playable in the series since Dark Crusade", while Relic's list of campaigns gives Soulstorm nine playable factions, and those nine include the Necrons. Dark Crusade added them as a playable race, and Soulstorm followed it.

Frequently asked questions

How does the Power Matrix work in Dawn of War 4? The Power Matrix is a Necron field spread by buildings. Many buildings can stand only on it, a bigger Matrix earns more Dominion, and units on it heal faster and grow tougher.

What is Dominion in Dawn of War 4? Dominion is the Necrons' own resource in Dawn of War 4, earned by the size of the Power Matrix. Rates and costs are not published as of Oct 31, 2026.

Who is Thothmek in Dawn of War 4? Chronomancer Thothmek is a Necron Commander who manipulates time, voiced by James Alexander. The other Necron Commander is the melee-focused Ahmnok.

Do Necrons use cover in Dawn of War 4? No. KING Art says Necrons do not use cover at all, and rely on resilience and the Power Matrix instead.

How do you beat Necrons in Dawn of War 4? Deep Silver's site says to fight away from the Power Matrix, attack their ranged units, and focus fire to kill units outright rather than wound them.

Are the Necrons fast in Dawn of War 4? No, with few exceptions such as Scarabs, Necron units are relatively slow. Tomb Pylons, the Monolith and Translocation Science make up for it.

Sources

• Faction Deep Dive - Necrons, KING Art Games, Jul 29, 2026
• AMA Developer Blog - Multiplayer, KING Art Games, Jul 24, 2026
• Battlefield Report: Orks vs Necrons, KING Art Games, Sep 9, 2026
• Game Overview Trailer, Previews & Closed Beta, KING Art Games, Oct 23, 2026
• Introducing the cast, KING Art Games, Aug 5, 2026
• Crafting an epic Dawn of War IV story, KING Art Games, Nov 20, 2025
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV store page and roadmap, Steam, as of Oct 31, 2026
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV game page, Deep Silver, undated
• Dawn of War: Dark Crusade store page, Steam, as of Oct 31, 2026
• Definitive Edition Out Now, Relic, Aug 14, 2025
• Dawn of War IV showcases Orks, Necrons and Stratagems, Big Boss Battle, Sep 11, 2026
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 Is a Return to Form for the RTS Series, ComicBook, Oct 21, 2026
• Dawn of War 4 unit roster, Wargamer, Apr 21, 2026
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV - Official Game Overview Trailer, Dawn of War IV, Oct 21, 2026 (video)
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV Battlefield Report - 1v1 Multiplayer Necrons vs Adeptus Mechanicus, Dawn of War IV, Jul 8, 2026 (video)
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV Battlefield Report - 1v1 Annihilation Orks vs Necrons, Dawn of War IV, Sep 9, 2026 (video)
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV - Necron Faction Trailer, Dawn of War IV, Jul 29, 2026 (video)