Starshatter Arsenal: The 11th-Edition Necrons Vehicle Detachment
How to play Starshatter Arsenal in 11th edition — the 2-DP mobile vehicle gunline, its shoot-on-the-move rule, and the tank stratagems that carry it.
SprueSentry strategy commentary for 11th edition, not official rules. Games Workshop updates points and rules regularly — always confirm against the current official rules and your latest dataslate before a game.
Starshatter Arsenal is the Necrons vehicle and heavy-firepower detachment: a 2-Detachment-Point mobile gunline built to shoot on the move and grind objectives. It reflects Warhammer 40,000 11th edition (Necrons Faction Pack, June 2026), which confirms its full rules.
This is SprueSentry strategy commentary, not official rules. The rule, stratagems and enhancements below are confirmed from the current Faction Pack; points weren't confirmed for 11th edition, so check the Warhammer 40,000 app.
What the Relentless Onslaught detachment rule does
Two effects. Any Necrons model (except Monsters) attacking a unit within range of an objective gets +1 to Hit — so your firepower sharpens exactly where the game is won. And ranged weapons on Necrons Vehicle and Mounted models (except Titanic) gain Assault, letting your tanks and skimmers Advance and still fire. It's a mobile gunline that rewards pushing onto the objectives rather than sitting back.
Stratagems and when to use them
- Merciless Reclamation (Shooting/Fight) — +1 to Wound against targets on objectives. Stack it with the +1 to Hit for a devastating volley into an objective-holder.
- Chronoshift (Movement) — a Vehicle/Mounted unit Advances a fixed 6" instead of rolling, guaranteeing the reposition.
- Dimensional Tunnel (Movement) — a Vehicle/Mounted unit moves through models and terrain to reach a firing lane.
- Unyielding Forms (defensive) — high-Strength attacks against your tank get -1 to Wound.
- Reactive Reposition (defensive) — a D6" move after the enemy shoots, to break line of sight or grab a point.
- Endless Servitude (end of Fight) — reanimate a scoring unit on an objective.
Enhancements worth taking
- Dread Majesty (Overlord/Catacomb Command Barge) — an aura granting nearby units re-rolls of 1 to Hit and Wound.
- Miniaturised Nebuloscope — the bearer's unit ignores cover, superb on a Doomsday Ark.
- Chrono-Impedance Fields — -1 Damage to attacks against a chosen Vehicle/Mounted unit each turn, keeping a key hull alive.
- Demanding Leader — a Vehicle/Mounted unit can shoot in a turn it Fell Back.
(Points weren't confirmed for 11th edition; check the app.)
Key units
- Doomsday Ark — the flagship gun platform; Assault lets its Doomsday Cannon reposition and still fire, and the objective +1 to Hit sharpens it.
- Lokhust Heavy Destroyers — mobile anti-tank that loves shooting on the move plus the defensive stratagems for their fragile hulls.
- Annihilation Barge / Doom Scythe — fast vehicles that exploit Chronoshift and Dimensional Tunnel to reach firing lanes.
- Canoptek Doomstalker — a durable ranged walker anchor.
- Szarekh, the Silent King — a juggernaut whose vehicle buffs synergise with the whole toolkit.
When to pick Starshatter Arsenal
Take it when you want a vehicle- and mounted-heavy mobile gunline that shoots on the move and grinds objectives — the home for Doomsday Arks, Lokhust Heavy Destroyers, barges and flyers. Its buffs are strongest against enemies sitting on objective markers, so it rewards holding and contesting. It's less suited to infantry-swarm or Titanic-centric lists, since most of its rules exclude Monster and Titanic models. At 2 DP it leaves 1 DP for a support.
Sample gameplan: deploy a mobile firebase of Doomsday Arks and Lokhust Heavy Destroyers with an Overlord carrying Dread Majesty. Use Chronoshift or Dimensional Tunnel to reach firing lanes while still shooting, prioritise units on objectives to bank the +1 to Hit, and spend Merciless Reclamation for a key +1-to-Wound volley. Protect your platforms with Unyielding Forms and Chrono-Impedance Fields, slide out with Reactive Reposition, and cap the turn with Endless Servitude.
Common questions
How many Detachment Points is Starshatter Arsenal?
2 DP, which leaves 1 DP at a 2,000-point game for a support detachment. (It began as a 10th-ed Grotmas detachment and is 2 DP under the 11th-edition Faction Pack.)
What is the Starshatter Arsenal detachment rule?
Relentless Onslaught: Necrons models (except Monsters) get +1 to Hit against units within range of an objective, and Necrons Vehicle and Mounted ranged weapons (except Titanic) gain Assault so they can Advance and still shoot.
What units are best in Starshatter Arsenal?
Vehicle gun platforms: the Doomsday Ark above all, plus Lokhust Heavy Destroyers, Annihilation Barges, Doom Scythes and Canoptek Doomstalkers — everything that gains Assault and wants the objective +1 to Hit.
Is Starshatter Arsenal good with infantry?
Not really. Most of its rules exclude Monster and Titanic models and reward Vehicles and Mounted units, so it's built for an armour-heavy gunline rather than an infantry or C'tan list.
Written by SprueSentry with SprueSentry editorial (hand-authored, research-grounded), grounded in the cited sources — original commentary, not Games Workshop rules text.