The Death Ray is a heavy Necron weapon, most often slung under the nose of a Doom Scythe fighter. It fires a blinding white beam from a focusing crystal that vaporises infantry and armour alike, and it’s one of the reasons a single Necron aircraft can threaten an entire armoured column.
What the death ray actually is
It’s a directed-energy weapon built around a focusing crystal. When it fires, the beam shows up as a white, blinding light rather than a bolt, shell or blast. Whatever that light touches tends to stop existing.
The standard mount is the Doom Scythe. The Necrons bolt it to the fighter’s underside, which is why the aircraft has such a reputation as a tank-killer. It’s a heavy weapon by classification, not a sidearm you’d see on a warrior.
Why it matters
Most anti-tank weapons in the 41st millennium punch one hole in one target. The Death Ray sweeps. A single Doom Scythe can carve a path through a whole armoured column, and a full squadron is described as being able to level a sprawling hive city in under an hour.
That’s the point of the weapon. It compresses the work of an artillery battery into one aircraft, and it does it fast enough that ground forces rarely get a clean shot at the source.
- Mounted on Doom Scythe fighters as standard
- Can replace the Gauss Flux Arc on a Monolith
- Fires a continuous white beam from a focusing crystal
- Effective against both infantry and vehicles
How it fits Necron warfare
Necron armies lean on gauss weapons for their steady, relentless grind. The Death Ray is the other half of that doctrine: a sudden, surgical strike that removes the heaviest thing on the battlefield before the enemy can react.
It also fits the Necron habit of putting overwhelming firepower on platforms that shouldn’t be able to carry it. A fighter with a city-levelling beam is very much on brand.
Monoliths and other mounts
The Doom Scythe is the iconic home for the weapon, but it isn’t the only one. Necron players can swap a Monolith’s Gauss Flux Arc for a Death Ray, trading the arc’s spread of fire for one concentrated beam.
That option showed up in the Necron rules updates released around September 2020. Older sources only mention the Doom Scythe, so if you’re working from an older codex you won’t find the Monolith variant there.
Key facts
- The Death Ray is a heavy Necron weapon, not a standard infantry gun.
- It fires a white, blinding beam emitted from a focusing crystal.
- Its standard mount is the Doom Scythe fighter aircraft.
- It can also replace the Gauss Flux Arc on a Monolith.
- A single Doom Scythe can carve through an armoured column; a squadron can level a hive city in under an hour.
FAQ
What is the Death Ray in Warhammer 40k?
It’s a heavy Necron weapon that fires a blinding white beam from a focusing crystal. It’s most commonly mounted on Doom Scythe fighters and can also replace a Monolith’s Gauss Flux Arc.
What does the Death Ray do?
It vaporises infantry and tanks alike. A single Doom Scythe can cut through an armoured column, and a squadron is said to be able to reduce a hive city to rubble in under an hour.
Can a Monolith take a Death Ray?
Yes. Necron rules updates from 2020 allow a Monolith to swap its Gauss Flux Arc for a Death Ray. Earlier sources only list the Doom Scythe as a mount.