The tesla carbine is the smallest of the Necron tesla weapons, a two-handed infantry gun that spits arcs of living lightning. It’s the standard arm of Immortals, and it’s the reason those otherwise slow, methodical troops can suddenly threaten a whole squad at once.
What the tesla carbine actually is
It’s a Necron tesla weapon, which is the family of guns that fire crackling arcs of energy rather than solid shot. The carbine is the smallest of that family, scaled for infantry and built to be carried by a single trooper.
Unlike the gauss weapons that most Necron warriors lug around, a tesla shot doesn’t bore through armour with a tight beam. It lands on a target and then leaps, so a single hit can fork into several. That’s the whole point of the design.
Who carries it
Immortals are the main users. They’re the heavier, more heavily armoured infantry of a Necron dynasty, and they come in two flavours: gauss blaster Immortals and tesla carbine Immortals.
That choice matters on the tabletop and in the lore. Gauss Immortals are the line-holders who grind infantry down at close range. Tesla Immortals are the ones you point at hordes, because every hit has a chance to spill over onto the next body.
Why the arcs matter
The living lightning is what separates tesla from gauss. Gauss is precise, relentless, and single-target. Tesla is messy, unpredictable, and spreads.
In game terms that usually shows up as extra hits when you roll well, which makes tesla carbines swingy but devastating against light infantry. Against a single tough target, a gauss blaster is usually the safer bet. Against a packed squad, the carbine can do far more damage than its size suggests.
- Infantry-scale, two-handed, and the smallest tesla weapon in the Necron arsenal
- Fires arcs of living lightning that can jump from one target to another
- Standard weapon of tesla-armed Immortals
- Best against massed light infantry, less reliable against single heavy targets
How it fits with other Necron tech
Tesla isn’t just a gun family. Necrons use the same lightning principle in other gear, including the tesla caster carried by some close-range units and the metalodermal tesla weave used by Crypteks. So the carbine sits inside a broader tesla toolkit.
It also sits alongside the gauss family, which is the other half of the Necron infantry weapon divide. Most dynasties field a mix: gauss for armour and elites, tesla for crowds, with the two covering each other’s weaknesses.
Key facts
- The tesla carbine is the smallest Necron tesla weapon and an infantry-scale, two-handed gun.
- It fires arcs of living lightning that can leap from foe to foe after the first hit.
- Immortals are its primary wielders, usually as an alternative to the gauss blaster.
- It’s part of the wider tesla family, which also includes the tesla caster and metalodermal tesla weave.
- It’s best against massed light infantry and less reliable against single heavily armoured targets.
FAQ
Is the tesla carbine better than a gauss blaster?
It depends on the target. Tesla carbines are stronger against large, lightly armoured squads because the lightning can arc between enemies. Gauss blasters are more dependable against single tough targets and armour.
Which Necron units carry tesla carbines?
Immortals are the main users. Some dynasties field them as tesla Immortals instead of the gauss blaster variant, and the two loadouts play very differently.
What does ‘living lightning’ mean for tesla weapons?
It’s the in-universe description of the energy these guns fire. Instead of a solid projectile or a tight beam, the shot crackles and arcs, jumping from one target to the next after it lands.