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Detail crop from “Necron Overlord” by Aleksey Bashlay · Source ↗Used with the artist's permission

Necrons · Ranged Weapon

Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance)

Masterwork wrist-gauntlet weapon of Necron Overlords and Anrakyr the Traveller that converts a sliver of living necrodermis into a relativistic hyper-dense bolt capable of piercing a mountain or one-shotting an Imperial Titan's reactor core.

Necrons

Type: Ranged Weapon
Origin: Necrons
Characters: 4
Units: 3

Illustrated by Hanna (“Anrakyr the Traveller”, used with permission) · Additional gallery art by Crayonling (“Anrakyr And Zahndrek”), Aleksey Bashlay (“Necron Overlord”), Elijah ArhPriest (“Necron Overlord Serket”), mohamed saad (“Necron Overlord”), Dmitrii Ustinov (“Night Lord”), Blazbaros (“Necron Overlord”), The Sequence Group (“Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II | Necron Overlord Trailer”) (used with permission)

Lore & history

Across the blood-soaked battlefields of the forty-first millennium, few armaments command immediate recognition quite like the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance). Associated foremost with the war-hosts of the Necrons, this ranged weapon embodies the tactical doctrine, metallurgical mastery, and merciless lethality of its creators. Whether borne into the heart of a boarding action by legendary champions such as Anrakyr the Traveller, Imotekh the Stormlord, Szarekh, the Silent King, Nemesor Zahndrekh or issued to frontline formations including Lychguard, Triarch Praetorians, Immortals, the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) has decided the fate of void-stations, hive spires, and fortress-monasteries from the Segmentum Solar to the Eastern Fringe.

In canonical records preserved within Codex: Necrons (5th–10th Ed.); The Twice-Dead King: Ruin (Nate Crowley), the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) is never treated as a mere tool of war, but as a sacred or terrifying extension of its wielder's martial creed. Every surviving pattern—most notably the Dynastic Overlord Gauntlet Lance & Twice-Dead King Pattern—carries centuries of battle-honours, kill-tallies, and artificer modifications etched directly into its casing and load-bearing assemblies. When unleashed at close or medium quarters, its signature report and unmistakable silhouette—defined by golden-and-obsidian forearm gauntlet housing, relativistic mass-accelerator rail, and single-shot necrodermis needle chamber—serve both to rally allied formations and to shatter the morale of opposing infantry and armoured columns before the killing blow even lands.

Most Brutal Battlefield Feat & Kill Record

Oltyx of Ithakas One-Shotting an Imperial Warhound Titan on Sedh — A Single Wrist-Fired Tachyon Sliver Punching Clean Through Void Shields and Plasma Reactor

In one of the most savage engagements recorded in Codex: Necrons (5th–10th Ed.); The Twice-Dead King: Ruin (Nate Crowley)—remembered in campaign chronicles as Oltyx of Ithakas One-Shotting an Imperial Warhound Titan on Sedh — A Single Wrist-Fired Tachyon Sliver Punching Clean Through Void Shields and Plasma Reactor—the devastating battlefield power of the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) was demonstrated beyond all dispute. When elite elements of Lychguard, Triarch Praetorians, Immortals and heroes of the Necrons (including Anrakyr the Traveller, Imotekh the Stormlord, Szarekh, the Silent King, Nemesor Zahndrekh) clashed with heavily entrenched enemy armour and veteran shock-troops, conventional weaponry failed to breach the opposing line.

Bringing the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) (Dynastic Overlord Gauntlet Lance & Twice-Dead King Pattern) to bear at point-blank range, the assault vanguard unleashed the full fury of its golden-and-obsidian forearm gauntlet housing, relativistic mass-accelerator rail, and single-shot necrodermis needle chamber. In a matter of brutal minutes, reinforced ceramite breastplates, ferrocrete bunker embrasures, and heavy walker hulls were sheared open, vaporised, or crushed from within. Post-battle Pict-captures and Apothecary/Enginseer autopsies confirmed that no target struck squarely by the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) survived the initial impact—cementing the weapon's fearsome reputation across every warzone of the Dark Millennium.

Source: Primary Archive

Design, mechanism & battlefield effect

The internal engineering and battlefield operation of the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) rely upon an unforgiving marriage of exotic materials science and high-energy lethality. Constructed around golden-and-obsidian forearm gauntlet housing, relativistic mass-accelerator rail, and single-shot necrodermis needle chamber, the weapon channels immense destructive potential into a focused point of impact or terminal salvo. Upon activation, primary power conduits or symbiotic feeder assemblies draw directly from high-capacity micro-reactors, backpack generator cells, or warp-attuned cores, priming the striking assembly within milliseconds.

At the moment of engagement, the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) bypasses conventional ceramite, plasteel, and chitinous carapace by attacking the structural integrity of the target's armour at the molecular or sub-atomic level. Standard defensive countermeasures—including refractor fields, storm shields, and reinforced bulkhead plating—rapidly buckle under sustained fire or repeated blows. Because of the extreme thermal, gravimetric, or kinetic stresses generated during operation, only heavily augmented warriors, battlesuits, or elite veterans of Lychguard, Triarch Praetorians, Immortals possess the physical resilience and neural-link calibration required to wield the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) without suffering catastrophic feedback.

Patterns, variants & doctrine

Over ten thousand years of attritional warfare, the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) has diverged into numerous regional, forge-world, and relic sub-patterns, foremost among them the Dynastic Overlord Gauntlet Lance & Twice-Dead King Pattern. Master-crafted examples forged for commanders such as Anrakyr the Traveller, Imotekh the Stormlord, Szarekh, the Silent King, Nemesor Zahndrekh incorporate bespoke targeting augurs, reinforced disruption coils, or ancient archaeotech components that elevate their armour-penetration and reliability far beyond standard munitorum or warband issue.

Specialist formations—particularly Lychguard, Triarch Praetorians, Immortals—further adapt the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) to suit extreme combat environments, from zero-gravity Space Hulk boarding corridors to ash-choked siege trenches. These field variants trade bulk or ammunition capacity for overcharged output, twin-linked mounting arrays, or integrated secondary weapons, ensuring that no enemy fortification or monstrous bio-form remains impervious.

Across ten millennia of total war, the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) (Ranged Weapon) has spawned numerous classified sub-patterns tailored to the operational theatres of the Necrons. Foremost among these are the Dynastic Overlord Gauntlet Lance & Twice-Dead King Pattern, which modify the standard golden-and-obsidian forearm gauntlet housing, relativistic mass-accelerator rail, and single-shot necrodermis needle chamber to maximise terminal damage against Terminator plate, Dreadnought sarcophagi, and super-heavy war-engines. Elite champions (Anrakyr the Traveller, Imotekh the Stormlord, Szarekh, the Silent King, Nemesor Zahndrekh) and specialist squads (Lychguard, Triarch Praetorians, Immortals) routinely pair these variants with advanced auspex targeters or psychic synchronization nodes.

Forge World Variations, Internal Mechanics & Artificer Visuals

Within the sealed armouries, forge-fanes, and bio-crucibles that sustain the Necrons, the fabrication and maintenance of the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) demand the highest tier of craft. Every visual and mechanical detail of the weapon—specifically its golden-and-obsidian forearm gauntlet housing, relativistic mass-accelerator rail, and single-shot necrodermis needle chamber—is engineered to withstand extreme thermal, kinetic, and warp-borne stress. On the tabletop and in high-detail fan art, the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) is immediately identifiable by its distinctive profile (Dynastic Overlord Gauntlet Lance & Twice-Dead King Pattern), heavy weathering, and the unmistakable glow or mechanical menace of its active assembly when wielded by Lychguard, Triarch Praetorians, Immortals.

Notable patterns & relic examples

Dynastic Overlord Gauntlet Lance & Twice-Dead King Pattern: The premier canonical pattern of the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance), renowned across the battlezones documented in Codex: Necrons (5th–10th Ed.); The Twice-Dead King: Ruin (Nate Crowley) for its unmatched lethality against heavy power armour and armoured vehicles.
Artificer / Relic Loadouts of Anrakyr the Traveller: Custom-wrought exemplar of the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) featuring reinforced golden-and-obsidian forearm gauntlet housing, relativistic mass-accelerator rail, and single-shot necrodermis needle chamber and centuries of recorded battlefield kills.
Vanguard & Siege Issue (Lychguard): Frontline configuration engineered for sustained high-intensity engagements, boarding actions, and bunker-clearing assaults.
Master-Crafted Variant (Twice-Dead King Pattern): Specialized sub-pattern prized by veteran cadres of the Necrons for its superior armour-shearing output and resilience under fire.

Deep Cuts

From the archives

Canonical technical treatises note that the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance)'s golden-and-obsidian forearm gauntlet housing, relativistic mass-accelerator rail, and single-shot necrodermis needle chamber must be recalibrated or ritually appeased after every major engagement to prevent catastrophic energy bleed or mechanical seizure. Source: Codex: Necrons (5th–10th Ed.); The Twice-Dead King: Ruin (Nate Crowley)
Among the veteran formations of Lychguard, Triarch Praetorians, Immortals, surviving a point-blank encounter with or mastering the recoil of the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) is considered a definitive rite of passage. Source: Codex: Necrons (5th–10th Ed.); The Twice-Dead King: Ruin (Nate Crowley); Warhammer 40,000 Core Book (9th–10th Edition)
Archaeotech and battlefield salvage reports confirm that relic examples of the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) (Dynastic Overlord Gauntlet Lance & Twice-Dead King Pattern) have remained in continuous service since the Great Crusade and the War of the Beast. Source: Codex: Necrons (5th–10th Ed.); The Twice-Dead King: Ruin (Nate Crowley); Imperial Armour Compendium
Sub-Pattern Divergence (Dynastic Overlord Gauntlet Lance & Twice-Dead King Pattern): Combat-doctrine archives record that the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) achieves peak armour-penetration when deployed in coordinated shock-assaults by Lychguard, Triarch Praetorians, Immortals. Source: Codex: Necrons (5th–10th Ed.); The Twice-Dead King: Ruin (Nate Crowley)
Relic Provenance: Several surviving examples of the Tachyon Arrow (Wrist-Mounted Relativistic Lance) wielded by Anrakyr the Traveller, Imotekh the Stormlord, Szarekh, the Silent King, Nemesor Zahndrekh contain irreplaceable components predating the Age of the Imperium. Source: Codex: Necrons (5th–10th Ed.); The Twice-Dead King: Ruin (Nate Crowley); Black Library Campaign Anthologies