NECRON FLAYED ONE
Flayed Ones are terrifying Necron close-combat shock troops in Warhammer 40,000, afflicted by the maddening Flayer Curse bestowed by the dying C'tan star god Llandu'gor. Trapped in a psychological delusion of phantom hunger, these metallic horrors drape themselves in the bloody skins of their prey and tear reality open to stalk battlefields from a nightmare pocket dimension.
Cronologia
Biografia
A Flayed One is a twisted Necron terror afflicted by an ancient infection known as the Flayer Curse. Originally Necrontyr who retained a fraction of their consciousness during biotransference into metallic necrodermis bodies, these soldiers were stricken with a terrible psychological disease.
Driven by a phantom dysmorphia, they experience an insatiable hunger for organic flesh and blood. Because their machine bodies possess no biological digestive system, any meat they attempt to consume merely smears across their unmoving jaws and dribbles through their stained metal ribs to pool at their feet.
In battle, Flayed Ones serve as specialized close-combat infiltrators that materialise uninvited from a localized pocket dimension known as the Flayer Dimension or Ghostwind. Regular Necrons fear and despise Flayed Ones, dreading the contagion of their madness and actively banishing or executing infected individuals. While Necron Overlords cannot prevent packs of Flayed Ones from joining ongoing battles, they tolerate their gore-filled slaughter as a strategic advantage, often ordering the execution of any surviving fiends once victory is secured.
Storia
The origins of the Flayed Ones trace back to the final days of the War in Heaven, when the Necrons turned upon their C'tan masters. While most Star Gods were broken into C'tan Shards, Llandu'gor the Flayer was completely obliterated by the Necrons—an act carried out by the Maynarkh Dynasty under the command of Silent King Szarekh.
In his dying breath, Llandu'gor inflicted a terrible death curse upon his killers, tainting the Necrons with an echo of his own fathomless hunger.
For aeons, the Flayer Curse lay dormant and unnoticed, but as afflicted Necrons traveled across the cosmos, they unwittingly spread the contagion to dozens of dynasties and thousands of worlds. Over time, an afflicted Necron suffers a slow erosion of sanity, developing a drive to take trophies of flesh, skin, and bone. Eventually, the victim's necrodermis warps into a hideous ghoul-like form equipped with knife-like claws, until the creature vanishes into the pocket dimension where the charnel palaces of the Flayed Ones lie.
I PEZZI DI NECRON FLAYED ONE
Evoluzione
The concept of the Flayed One has evolved significantly since its debut in 1998. Initially introduced during Warhammer 40,000's 2nd and 3rd editions as simple metal-clad shock troops, their lore received a major overhaul in the 2011 5th Edition Codex. This update transformed them from generic killer automatons into tragic horror figures afflicted by Llandu'gor's death curse, establishing the Flayer Dimension and the Bone Kingdom of Drazak.
In 2021, Games Workshop modernized the unit visually with a brand-new multi-pose plastic kit in the *Kill Team: Pariah Nexus* set, replacing older metal and Finecast sculpts. Literarily, Nate Crowley's *The Twice-Dead King* duology (2021–2022) reframed the Flayer Curse through a psychological lens, detailing how Prince Oltyx slowly embraced the infection to become King Valgûl. Most recently, 10th Edition (2023) granted Flayed Ones dedicated army rules within the Annihilation Legion detachment.
Da Collezione
For tabletop hobbyists and collectors, Flayed Ones represent one of the most distinctive visual themes in the Necron range. Games Workshop has produced them across three distinct material eras: original metal sculpts (2002), Finecast resin models (2011), and modern multipart plastic miniatures (2021).
The 2021 plastic redesign, which debuted in the *Kill Team: Pariah Nexus* box set before receiving a standalone release, is considered the definitive version for collectors. Featuring intricately sculpted strips of flayed skin, exposed ribcages, and asymmetric claw poses, the kit allows for extensive customization. Vintage metal sculpts from the 3rd Edition era remain popular targets on secondary markets for retro collectors seeking heavy nostalgia.
Prince Oltyx of the Ithakas Dynasty eventually became the legendary King Valgûl after succumbing to the Flayer Curse.
