Reference record · infantry
1 sources ↗Scarabs
A cheap and comparatively fast Necron swarm used to tie up enemy ranged units in melee.
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Sourced facts
2 sourced factsUnit profile
- Documented role
- Engages ranged units in melee while slower Necrons close in
Each fact stays attached to the source that states it. No statistic is inferred from an image or an earlier game.
The role, in context
Scarabs are very small, inexpensive Necron swarms that move faster than much of their faction’s army. Their documented combat purpose is to engage enemy ranged units in melee, preventing those targets from using their strongest weapons and buying time for slower, more dangerous Necron forces to close the distance. That establishes relative cost, mobility and a specific disruption role. The source does not publish squad size, production structure, weapon, armour, movement value, ability, melee duration, eligible target list, damage, veterancy or interaction with the Power Matrix.
What is documented over time
Scarabs appear in the Necron faction preview as a deliberate answer to the army’s slower overall pace. Rather than making every Necron fast, the design gives this cheap swarm a comparatively mobile role: occupy ranged threats in close combat while the main force advances. The article uses that interaction to show tactical variety inside a faction otherwise defined by steady expansion and resilience. This is current roster intent, not balance history. No earlier version, changed cost, revised speed, altered melee rule, patch sequence or comparison with a previous Scarab implementation is documented.
How it is presented in play
The qualified use case is to send Scarabs into melee with enemy ranged units so those targets cannot rely on their strongest weapons while slower Necrons approach. Their relative speed and low cost support that delaying role, but the source does not say which ranged unit should be chosen first or how long the disruption lasts. It gives no preferred swarm count, supporting formation, path, retreat rule, Commander pairing or Matrix requirement. Guidance can explain the screen-and-close interaction without inventing a build, target hierarchy or guaranteed engagement outcome.
What you can — and cannot — conclude
The classic mistake is to dismiss Scarabs because they are small and inexpensive, overlooking the disruption they are meant to create. The faction preview says they can tie ranged units in melee and deny those units their strongest weapons long enough for slower Necrons to close in. That identifies the danger, but it does not publish what defeats Scarabs, a vulnerable state, armour interaction or opposing unit category. A careful response can warn against leaving ranged forces exposed to the engagement, while withholding any damage type, focus order or hard counter not documented.