Please some help with orky taktiks

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**bigbear**

HEy All,
I'm a new ork player, and I play mainly vs chaos space marine and space marine....
My friends tend to simply roll over me or shoot me to death before I get a chance to even get halfway across the board to get into the H2H that greenskins love so much. I live the orks, but losing every game is getting to me, I even thought of switching armies but I really don't want to do that. Can anyone out there help me get these guys going again? I usually play with 2 units of trukk boys, 2 units of slugga boys (12+1 nob to a unit), a looted basilisk, 5 warbikes, a bigmek and 3 mekboys(with force fields), and of course a warboss.
Any hints, tactics, help?
Thanks
~Bigbear

**kradhoso**

drop the trucks and get grots ?

either that or go speed freak. my friend had a shooty freak list that usually did pretty well

**mtw1983**

It would help to know what points level your at

**bigbear**

I can do between 1250 and 1500 usually

**BrotherAdso**

Hmmm. Orks at that level usually seem to do alright...have you considered swapping out the Meks and Bassy for some Dreads and Kans? I used to play against an Ork opponent all the time who used these to great effect. For every Marine squad sniping at those to slow 'em down, they're not turning their bolters on your Boyz -- plus, they should end up a little cheaper. I've never seen Warbikes used, so no comment on their effectiveness. Trukks ave gotten much much more difficult to get much out of with Engtanglement...maybe up it to three units of Trukk boyz for maximum impact?

My old opponent also used Burnas to good effect...they're quite annoying as Marines, blasted powerweapons.

In the end, though, it often does come down to how much cover there is to hide in, where, in a footslogging Ork army. Oh, yeah -- and make your mobz bigger, at least 18 models each. The power of the Waagh and Mob Up get more useful that way.

-Adso

PS Maybe a squad of Flash Gitz to fire back?

**sugarwookie**

Veteran Ork player here. I've used KOS almost exclusively for six years. It's very simple, take as many truck boys as you can, give them a nob with claw and horns for the +1 LD. Give the vehicles rocket launchers, s.bomb chukkas. Also add a burna in each squad.

In addition to this, take three death Koptas, Mek comes for free, give him a KFField.

I play 1,850 regularly and also use storm boys with Zagstruck (For the 24" charge) as well as two units of Skarboys with a nob w/claw as well as three burnas per unit. That's 12 power weapon attacks on the charge at S4, the Nob cleans up with 5 S8 attacks............

I take a looted bassie too, draws fire and ire

Warboss is usually on a bike with a claw, I get my head popped too much by farseers to load him up with points.

The main thing with the KOS now is force fields. If you didn't get first turn in the old days you were blown to smithereens. Now, FFs offer first turn "Concealment" this means your trucks are going to be around on turn two if you don't get the roll. You should be in assault by turn two, maybe turn one depending on how idiotic your opponents are.

Your list sounds too weak and spread out. The ork strength is numbers, you need a large squad that's going to make it across the table. i would take a decent sized squad to lead in front of an even bigger squad, this way they'll fall back and mob up leaving you with an almost unbreakable mob. Throw some grots as screens, or take burnas with meks and force fields to give your boys the 5+ save.

I hope this helps some, don't give up on the Orks though, when the new Dex comes out everyone will remember you were playing them when they were antiques!!!

Peace,

Wookie

**moosifer**

Hi Big Bear!!! Are you iron tuff and take no guff? =P

Mek boyz and KFF are sweet, and should be used. But what is the rule on KFF in trukks. I read somewhere that if you use a KFF on a trukk then the trukk can no longer go super duper fast

**bigbear**

Hey dood... folks Moosifer is one of those people that prompted me to post this

He stomped me big time last night.

**ninjajuicer**

I would run Speed Freaks or nothing at all. The basic ork list is terrible at present, while speed freaks are effective and a blast to play. To get trucks for cheap, EBAY and convert old school rhino?s. Combine them with 2 ½ ton trucks kits and you?ll have some great looking vehicles. Since you play orks, I assume you like conversion work. I really fear burna boys. Wartracks with rokkit?s can be chaep and effective.

**sugarwookie**

KFF's taken by Meks do not make the trucks slow. If you take the option as vehicle add ons it'll make the vehicle no longer fast.
Take three deth koptas and upgrade for free to meks with KFF, take each one and park it right in between the trucks and you now have "Concealment" on the first turn which means your shootie opponents are going to look at you with a rather dumb look as they realize your boys are going to come visit on their 1st turn in most cases.

**GrimTeef**

First of all, orks do need some cover on the table to help them out. Use the cover as best you can, especially for the trukks. Hide behind it and wait to attack - you gotta be a little skeeky - rushing up the middle will just get you shot all to pieces.

With orks, Bigga is Betta. Your slugga units really aren't big enough. Going against effective shooters like marines means you ARE going to lose quite a few boyz before you hit the lines. The slugga boyz and shoota boyz are some of the best units the orks have, and if they don't survive to use those choppas and big shootas... well, you're not going to really be getting very far.

I've only used warbikes a few times, but I find them lacking a bit. They are tough, but their armor is shoddy. If you have the means, pick up a couple more Ork Boyz boxes and drop the bikes from your list for now. Beef up those slugga squads to at least 16 boyz each, preferably more. Since you face power armor so much, kit those special weapon boyz out with rokkits or burnas to use in HtH. Marines learn to fear rokkit armed boyz when a few rokkitz start finding their target.

Your big mek and mekboyz... they can't all have the same equipment, you know. You would be better off throwing the boss and a big mek into your trukks - but keep them hidden until you can eally use them - so the trukks will be protected some with the big meks Force Shield. Make sure the trukk boyz have a nob with power klaw each as well.

Grots would help you out, but they are somewhat expensive in metal form. Try getting plastic goblins and converting them with ork sluggas. They are cheap and make good screens for the boyz as they move up.

It seems that you might benefit from some kanz as well. They are scary buggers when used right. This would buff up your point limit on your games though.

Hope that helped some, try out a couple new ideas presented here and get back to us.

**Mannahnin**

Sugarwookie, KFF don?t provide Concealment, they cause vehicles covered to be Obscured- the 4th ed version of the old Hull Down. This just gives you a 50/50 chance of reducing Pens to Glances; it doesn?t make your opponent have to make spotting rolls to see you on the first turn.

**bigbear**

Thank you GrimTeef, That advice is wicked helpful

Hopefully my waaaaargh will be stronger cause of it

**GrimTeef**

No prob, lad! I know that it will require some spending on your part, but it's always good to have a large force of boyz at your disposal. Lotz is always betta!
I've been thinking of leaning more towards an all-stompy footslogging list with no transport vehicles to speak of, just lots of kanz and maybe some buggies. Folks seem to have good luck with those lists - or at least lots of fun - so maybe you could try that direction as well.

**wight_widow**

I recall there was mention made in aeons past of an exceptionally obnoxious KoS player who used three-strong buggy squadrons advancing in a checkerboard formation - the front vehicle of each squadron would have to be destroyed before the next could be hit according to the targeting rules. Needless to say, this sort of knavery is frowned upon.

**yakface**

THE FOOTSLOGGING ORK MINI-TACTICA[/b]

A quick disclaimer: I'm not going to discuss the KoS as it really is a separate whole bowl of wax (one I'm much less familiar with). The KoS is more effective than the footslogging list, however it requires more finesse than ever to make it perform at its optimal level; quite similar to Dark Eldar. I'm also not going to delve too much into the Ork Clan rules as I haven't had any experience playing them. I have witnessed a couple of effective Clan army types and I'll mention them later, but overall you'll have to look elsewhere for real analysis on the Clans. This tactica also doesn't really delve into Cities of Death. There are many unit types and combos that become effective in Cities of Death that you will have to contemplate on your own.[/i]

INTRO[/b]

Can footslogging Orks win games? Are footslogging Orks a 'strong' army?

Yes and no respectively. The Ork codex is not a 'strong' one. What I mean is if you were to take two new players, give one a Space Marine codex and the other an Ork codex and a random smattering of units to make their armies. If these two players faced off in some random missions, the Ork player is going to lose most of those games, and by a whole lot.

However, like most armies in the game under the command of a seasoned general facing off against the right type of enemy, footslogging Orks can win games. This is especially true in a tournament setting where players tend to gear their armies towards killing MEQs (Marines and their equivilants), as they are the most common army type fielded in a tournament. Horde armies, such as Orks, can therefore match up pretty well against tournament armies, as they are often ill-equipped to kill the sheer amount of models the horde can field.

Unfortunately, the very top tier tournament armies still have enough firepower or CC prowess to take down either a MEQ or horde army, and this is where the Ork codex shows its weakness. Orks lack the really cool special rules that allow them to pull off sick gimmick armies like a Space Marine drop pod army. A good chunk of the units in their codex are worthless and even their quality units aren't really that great when compared to the best units of other armies.

Essentially, it comes down to is this: if a footslogging Ork army is stuck playing a game against an opponent who has tuned their army to fight a horde (or they have a top-tier tournament army that can handle just about anything), there is basically nothing the Ork player can do to prevent his grisly demise. Even if the Ork player knows what army his opponent is bringing the codex just doesn't provide him enough high-powered options to counter-tune his army to suit.

Not all Orks army lists can stare down a tournament 'take all comers' army and win (even with a seasoned commander). So which types of footslogging lists work and which ones don't? There are really only a few solid variations that function well in the general 4th edition rules:

The horde.[/b] This Ork army packs in as many models as possible and slowly makes its way across the table enveloping objectives and destroying vehicles and troops with a mass of Rokkit fire. This army minimizes any expensive troops and vehicles in order to keep their model count at the absolute maximum. If they do take any vehicles they are those that function best when out of line of sight (like a looted Basilisk or Trukk boyz) in order to deny the opponent any quality targets for his anti-tank firepower. This army sometimes still uses Trukk Boyz, but these units carefully make their way into charge position staying out of line of sight until they are ready to pounce.

The uber-shooty.[/b] This army takes small mob sizes specifically to pack in the highest amount of Heavy weapons possible. Crafty tricks (like taking Attack squigs) are often used to help make up for the small mob sizes. This army specializes in moving around the table out-shooting opponents in some cases and still being able to swarm and kill others in close combat. The ability of nearly all Ork heavy weapons to move and fire makes this army surprisingly manueverable. Some versions of this army feature shooty vehicles, like a Looted Leman Russ, buggies or <st1:state><st1:place>Kans.</st1:place></st1:state>

Shoot and sneak attack.[/b] This army features a strong shooty element, yet usually incorporates 3 Trukk boyz mobs (and/or a mounted Cybork unit) that sneak up a flank and eventually pounce on a small portion of the enemy army. Basically, the shooty portion is bait that can put out a surprising amount of firepower, while the sneak attack can wipe out enemy units and capture objectives.

I'll discuss more about each of these army types later, but first I want to give an overview of which Ork units are worthwhile and which are best avoided.

THE GOOD[/b]

HQ [/b]

Ork Warboss.[/b] You've got to take him. There are two basic varieties, the cheap and the expensive. The cheap is for a shooty walking army where the Warboss is simply going to walk along with a unit and shoot. A Rokkit or Big shoota along with a Choppa and Big Horns (to lead a unit with his Ld10) is all you really need. The expensive version is used when you're taking Trukkboyz in the army and you leave a spot for the Boss to ride with 'em. A Powerklaw and Choppa along with Big Horns, 'eavy armor, Cybork body and Bionic Bonce give him a 3+/5+ save. You do not want to give him a Bionic arm, as the attack occurs at a different Initiative step, if it is successful the enemy can pull the only model in base contact with the Warboss and deny him the rest of his Attacks.

The fact that he'll strike faster than the unit he's with if he uses his Choppa or after the unit strikes if he uses his klaw is problematic since a smart opponent can simply remove casualties to deny either him or the unit the chance to attack. Your best bet (if possible), is to split the Boss of from the unit when they disembark and have him charge a separate enemy unit on his own (or an enemy vehicle with his klaw).

Big Mek.[/b] The Big Mek is only really useful for getting a Kustom Force Field in your army or fixing damaged vehicles. Standard load-out is a KFF and a Choppa, although if you have <st1:state><st1:place>Kans</st1:place></st1:state> in your army you also want to take Mek Tools and 3 Grot Oilers (to fix damaged vehicles on a 3+ roll). Although the KFF doesn't work very well with vehicles in 4th edition (only protecing them half the time) the ability to grant any Ork unit that has a majority of its models under the field's canopy means more infantry models may simultaneously be protected than in 3rd edition.

Painboss w/ Cybork retinue.[/b] The reason to take a Painboss is to take the Cybork retinue. His equipment is a Powerklaw and Slugga or Choppa. As he fights seperately from his unit in CC, you may conisder giving him Cybork body, 'eavy armor and Bionic Bonce. He and his Cybork retinue unit can be mounted in a Trukk so its a great way to get a 4th Trukk mounted unit in your army without breaking the bank on a Nob retinue for the Warboss.

At 13 points a model, Cyborks are an absolute steal for their statline. The two big weaknesses is that the Painboss is only Ld7 (and you can't get him an Iron Gob) and he fights seperately in CC from his retinue. Because of their low Ld and small squad size Cyborks can sometimes lose a combat and get Swept because of their Initiative of 2.

ELITES [/b]

[/b]

Kommandos.[/b] These elite units are relatively cheap enough that they can be taken in all 3 varieties of the Ork army presented above. Their ability to Infiltrate in non-Alpha missions makes them rather handy. They can be given 2 Rokkits (one on the Nob Tankbusta bombs) along with Ammo Runts or they can be kept ultra cheap as a 5-man unit with a Rokkit (55 points). You can also give their Nob a Powerklaw, but if you put too many points into the unit and it cannot infiltrate you're suddenly stuck with an expensive small unit walking across the table (although with the 2 Rokkit variation they still have a decent amount of ranged ability).

If they do get to infiltrate, they can hunt vehicles on the first turn (especially with two Rokkits and Ammo runts). Alternatively, if the army has Trukks, they can infiltrate and hold position behind a piece of terrain near the enemy's deployment zone. In doing so you keep that approach clear to move Trukks into position for a safe charge. If the enemy does move towards the terrain they're behind, the unit can move through the cover and charge. Multiple 5-man Rokkit units can even be taken and deployed together in order to harass specific enemy vehicles or units.

Flash Gitz[/b]. This unit is obviously only taken in the uber-shooty or the Shoot and sneak attack armies (usually more so with the former). Standard loadout is to give them 3 Big Shootas and a Nob with a Big Shoota and give them either the 'Shootier' or 'More Dakka' upgrade. 'More Dakka' is more versatile as it allows them to move around and shoot alond with the Big Shootas, but it is signifigantly more expensive than Shootier (3 times as much per model). Shootier can be used to unleash a volley of S5 shots up to 24" if the unit doesn't move (or a massive double-bang of S5 shots at 12" or under). Since you pay the upgrade price per model, you tend to not want too big a unit, somewhere between 14-18 models is about right.

TROOPS [/b]

[/b]

Slugga Boyz.[/b] The heart and soul of most Ork armies these unit have the ability to pack in 3 move and shoot heavy weapons, a 'hidden' Nob with 5 Powerklaw attacks on the charge and plenty of S3 Choppa attacks that, with enough Orks in the mob, can whittle down most enemy units in CC. Standard equipment is 3 Rokkits in the unit and a Nob with Powerklaw and Choppa. You can also give the Nob a Rokkit instead of his Choppa in a uber-shooty army. If you're taking a smaller mob size (about 15 models or less), you should consider in an Iron Gob to help out with Morale checks. Also, at least one Mob in the army should have a Bosspole to ensure Mob ups. You typically want to give it to the unit that stays in the back of the army, which ususally tends to be a unit armed wih Big Shootas as they have the range to stay behind the Rokkit mobs.

The standard armament for these units are Rokkits for a few reasons: First, Slugga mobs can kill infantry units fairly easy in CC if they reach them, but the same cannot be said for enemy vehicles. Second, in a MEQ rich tournament environment, a Rokkit actually kills MEQs more efficiently per point than a Big Shoota. Third, since Orks tend to keep moving forward, after the first turn of the game the 24" of the Rokkit generally is sufficient to reach enemy targets. Fourth, Rokkits are 3 points cheaper than Big Shootas. Big Shootas do have their place in the army as their increased range does allow you to hit distant targets length-wise across the table, especially light vehicles that use their speed to stay out of Rokkit range. In addition not every single game will feature a MEQ opponent and Big Shootas are much more efficient at killing horde infantry than the Rokkit. Nearly all Ork armies should feature a ratio of between 2:1 to 3:1 Rokkits to Big Shootas.

Burnas are always a bad idea in a footslogging mob as you forfeit the chance to fire a Rokkit/Big Shoota for most of the turns in the game. Likely the Burna only fires a single shot before the unit charges in and once in combat the power weapon attacks are slightly less effective against MEQs (per point) than basic Choppa attacks. Although Burnas can be used in CC against vehicles, Rokkits in the unit provide you a much better chance to kill that vehicle through multiple rounds of shooting. Besides, you always have the Nob's Powerklaw attacks if you asbolutely must Assualt a vehicle.

Tankbustas.[/b] This unit is expensive and just as vulnerable to enemy fire as any other Ork unit. However, they are unique in the Ork army as effectively having S9 attacks against vehicles (which is essential for damaging heavier vehicle types). In any shooty style of armies you typically want to include two units with 3 Rokkits and a Nob with Rokkit and Iron Gob. Because the enemy will often target them first, take the full ten Orks in the unit, unless you're playing the uber-shooty army, in which case it's all about taking the minimum sized Mob to pack weapons into the army. Either way it's a smart idea to take Attack Squigs. They have the same armor save as a regular Ork (6+) so that means you are free to select them as a casualty at any point and their Toughness of 3 doesn't come into play unless they become the majority in the unit. At 6 points a pop they are a much cheaper way of bulking up small expensive Ork units.

Gretchin Mobs. [/b]At 3 points per model, this unit is the ultimate scoring unit. The Slaver typically gets a Rokkit or Big Shoota, Squighound and a Choppa if you have the points. As they are so cheap, you can take a large unit 14-24 grots is a good size) that the enemy will not want to shoot at, as they're so useless at fighting and shooting. That means they are often still scoring at the end of the game. The squighound keeps the unit from running away very often, and the unit can also be used to provide a cover save for mobs not under a KFF. In some rare cases they can even clear Castellan Minefields or help your Orks move through difficult terrain. They are a terrific support unit and almost any Ork army type should include at least one or two Grot units.

FAST ATTACK [/b]

[/b]

Trukk Boyz.[/b] This is the heart of any mobile attack force a foot slogging army takes. Typical load-out is a full unit of 10 Orks (or nine if you're leaving space for a Warboss) with a Burna and a Nob. The Nob has a Powerklaw and an Iron Gob. The Iron Gob is essential for small units as they can often break if they lose a round of close combat and the Ork's Initiative of 2 almost always means they get swept and killed. The Trukk should be given a Rokkit, Red Paint Job and Grot Riggers. If you're feeling adventurous you can also give it Stikkbomb Chukka to try some crazy late-in-the-game Tank Shock attacks.

Do not bother giving the Trukk 'Armor Plates'. The Trukk should always use its 25" move to get to a safe spot out of line of sight of the enemy, even if it takes 2-3 turns to set up the charge, it is fully worth it to keep your Trukk Boy units safe from enemy fire. Being open-topped AV10 and a prime threat to the enemy means that they will always look for ways to shoot your Trukks if possible and even a single volley of enemy fire will usually prevent the Trukk from moving (if not destroy it outright).

Warbuggies.[/b] In a pure horde[/i] army (that doesn't have 3 Trukk boy units), super cheap Skorcha wartrakks can be taken to harass the enemy and potentially capture objectives (if you keep them hidden for the whole game until the last turn). Again the only upgrades worth taking are Red Paint Job, Grot Riggers and optionally a Stikkbomb Chukka. Armor plates again aren't a very good purchase as a Skorcha that is taking any enemy fire is likely to suffer too many hits for the Armor to ever be worthwhile.

In an uber-shooty[/i] army twin-linked Rokkit buggies are a fairly cheap way to get more heavy weapons into the army and they can provide speed to capture objectives in the final turn. Typically, the only upgrade they should take is Grot Riggers, as they don't tend to move towards the enemy that much, negating the use for Red Paint Job and Stikkbomb Chukkas.

HEAVY SUPPORT [/b]

[/b]

Killer [/b]<st1:state><st1:place>Kans.[/b]</st1:place></st1:state> In a uber-shooty[/i] or shoot and sneak[/i] attack army <st1:state><st1:place>Kans</st1:place></st1:state> can provide a fairly cheap way to get more heavy weapons into the army, and they also naturally provide a solid counter-charge ability. Although their weapons are not twin-linked like a Warbuggy, their AV11 and enclosed vehicle status make them much more durable than the buggy. In addition, they are unique in that they pay the same price for either a Big Shoota or a Rokkit, making it a smart choice to take the (normally more expensive) Big Shoota. This is also useful because in Escalation they start off the table and the additional range provided by the Big Shoota allows them to contribute more quickly when they do arrive.

If supported by a Mek with a KFF, not only does this help protect them from incoming fire, but he can also fix damage to the <st1:state><st1:place>Kan</st1:place></st1:state> on a roll of 3+ (provided the Mek has Mek Tools and 3 Grot Oilers). One of the big weaknesses of a Mek unit is that if one of them becomes Immobile if the other <st1:state><st1:place>Kans</st1:place></st1:state> move out of coherency, the Immobile Kan is destroyed. This makes the Mek Tools an even more critical combination as it allows your <st1:state><st1:place>Kan</st1:place></st1:state> units to stay in coherency rather reliably.

Looted Vehicles.[/b] Looted Vehicles are very helpful to nearly every type of Ork army. If the Ork army features any <st1:state><st1:place>Kans</st1:place></st1:state> or Buggies then either a Leman Russ or Demolisher can help syphon anti-tank fire away from these vulnerable vehicles. In an uber-shooty army where the whole army tends to move forward, a Demolisher is a great choice as it can move along with the army and really put pressure on your opponent. If you're playing a shoot and sneak-attack army where the shooting portion of the army tends to sit back more, then the Looted Leman Russ is the better choice as it can sit with the army and fire across the table at enemy targets. Either way, you will want to take Armor Plates, Grot Riggers and put the minimum amount of points into <st1:city><st1:place>Hull</st1:place></st1:city> and Sponson weapons as possible. The Riggers are taken in case the vehicle randomly surges into difficult terrain and beomces immobile. If you're taking a Demolisher then Red Paint Job is also a good idea to take.

Alternatively, if you're playing an army that features no Kans or Buggies, a Basilisk is a fine choice as it still denies the enemy any vehicles to fire at with their AT fire, but you still gain a potent long-ranged anti-MEQ weapon. This is especially helpful in a horde army, since your entire force moves forward, the enemy will naturally move away from your army, thereby ensuring that your Basilisk will always have targets beyond its 36" minimum Indirect range.

All of the other Looted vehicles are poor choices as they use the Ork's poor Ballistic Skill to hit, yet they still cost the same amount of points as when they are operated by other races with superior Balistic Skill. Taking a looted vehicle as a transport vehicle is also a poor idea because with the new transport rules, embarked Orks really suffer a tremendous amount of casualties if they are onboard a moving vehicle when it is destroyed, unless they are Trukk boyz with their bailin' out special rule (which is what makes Trukk Boyz so great).

ESSENTIAL WARGEAR [/b]

[/b]

Ammo Runts. [/b]These are essential choices in a shooting-based Ork army. You want to use them in units with Rokkits and expend them as early in the game as possible to try to take out enemy vehicles. Any vehicles taken out early in the game either means a signifigant reduction in the amount of enemy firepower being directed at your Orks or you've reduced the enemy's mobility (and likely killed and entangled some embarked models as a bonus).

Attack Squigs.[/b] These are key for bulking up your units with cheap models that can be removed as the first casualties in the unit. Make sure you only use them in units where their armor type is the same (6+ save).

Big Horns/Iron Gob. [/b]This is essential on any smaller Ork Mob, especially if those units are going into close combat. Having a unit break in combat and then run-down by the enemy will quickly make you realize that this is 6 points well spent.

Bionik Bonce/Cybork Body/Eavy Armor. [/b]A Warboss taking a Powerklaw (and perhaps even a Painboss) should take these three items in unison as they provide the model with a 3+/5+ save which is crucial for keeping the character (who fights seperately from his unit in combat) alive to swing his powerfist. The invulnerable save is especially important since both Characters suffer instant-death from any S8 wound.

Bosspole.[/b] At least one unit in the army should be given the Bosspole and kept roughly in the rear of the army to serve as the 'Mob Up' point. It should not be a small unit that they enemy is going to want to shoot first (like a Tankbusta unit). Instead, it should likely be given to a Slugga mob with Big Shootas since their extended range means you will naturally keep them further back than the Rokkit units.

Burnas.[/b] Burnas are only useful in a Trukk Boyz mob. They should never be given to a foot slogging unit. Give them 3 Rokkits or Big Shootas instead.

Choppa.[/b] ICs with a Powerklaw should still be given a Choppa so that they have the choice to strike at their Initiative value if the situation calls for it. Since Orks have a BS2, the loss of a pistol for this option is well worth the extra 1 point.

Kustom Force Field/Mek's Tools/Grot Oilers.[/b] A KFF should be taken on a Big Mek. If you do decide to take a Burna squad (against my recommendation) definitely take a second KFF in the army. If your army includes any <st1:state><st1:place>Kans</st1:place></st1:state>, you certainly want to equip a Mek with Mek's Tools and 3 Grot Orderlies to be able to fix a vehicle on a 3+. Other vehicle types generally move too fast for the Mek to keep up with and fix.

Heavy Weapons.[/b] Orks are one of the few races that allow their characters to take a Heavy weapon. Don't miss the opportunity to give every character one unless they have a Powerklaw and you need to maximize the amount of CC Attacks they make. In a uber-shooty army, even characters with Powerklaws should still be given a Heavy weapon. Remember to maintain a ratio between 2:1 and 3:1 of Rokkits to Big Shootas in your army.

Squighound.[/b] All Slavers should be equipped with at least one Squighound. They are essential to keeping Grot units on the board.

Tankbusta Bombz.[/b] Highly effective grenade against vehicles. Any character not equipped with a Powerklaw should be given serious consideration for Tankbusta bombz in order to make them a threat towards vehicles, should the situation present itself.

Armor Plates.[/b] This upgrade is useful for any enclosed vehicle (<st1:state><st1:place>Kan</st1:place></st1:state>, looted Leman Russ, Demolisher). Open-topped vehicles should either be kept out of range/LOS of the enemy or they will suffer too many hits for Armor Plates to even have a chance to stop.

Grot Riggers.[/b] Grot Riggers for the cost (2 points), should be standard on all Ork vehicles that can take it, especaily considering that Victory Points and scoring status are now determined by whether or not a vehicle is mobile at the end of the game.

Red Paint Job.[/b] Again, for the cost (3 points) this is pratically a mandatory upgrade for any Ork Trukk, Skorcha or Looted Demolisher. Other types of Warbuggies, looted Leman Russ and Demolishers don't need it.

Searchlight.[/b] Super-cheap and highly useful in games that use Night Fight. I suggest including one or two on a <st1:state><st1:place>Kan</st1:place></st1:state> and/or Trukk just in case.

Stikkbomb Chukka.[/b] This is a fun (fairly cheap) upgrade that is great on Trukks and Skorchas that can be used to surprise an opponent who assumes that Trukks are harmless once their passengers are disembarked (especially if their weapon has been blown off). All it takes is one Tank Shock of an enemy unit off the table to realize the value of this upgrade.

THE BAD[/b]

HQ [/b]

Nob retinue.[/b] Nobs are simply too expensive for what they do. They can't be cost effectively made into a shooty unit (as you're always paying points for their amazing CC abilities) and if you take them as a CC unit and put them in a Trukk they will always end up being a nearly 300 point unit (including the Warboss) that can be effectively taken out of the game by destroying a single AV10 vehicle. In any type of Ork army you want to stay far, far away from putting all your eggs into one basket since nearly every Ork unit is relatively easy to destroy. A Nob mo (especially in a Trukk) is a prime example of this.

Big Mek bodyguard. Mekboy retinue models cost 10 points for a basic Ork statline with no weapons. In other words, they are already expensive for not doing anything special before you even give them weapons. Then, given the fact that they cannot take the same combination of weapons, it makes it very difficult/expensive to make the unit anywhere next to efficient at doing any one thing. You are much better off putting your points into a unit that doesn't cost extra points for nothing and can be given the weapons you want to give it.

Stormboyz.[/b] These units are very expensive and just as vulnerable to enemy fire as any other basic Ork unit, and that's a bad combination. That means Stormboyz should only really be taken in medium to big sized mobs and only if you are taking a fast moving gimmick type army where you want to completely overwhelm the enemy quickly (I'll talk more about this army type later). Otherwise, Stormboyz should be left at home, because lone units tend to be targeted by the enemy and eliminated before they can accomplish anything and since they cost a premium number of points you will have lost a big chunk of your army.

'Ard Boyz.[/b] This unit is not bad for the points and these Orks are signifigantly tougher to kill vs. the basic infantry weapon found in every army. However, the problem is that Orks don't have any other units in their army with a 4+ save, so that means whatever weapons the enemy has that are AP4 will naturally be trained immediately upon the 'Ard Boyz unti they are wiped out. However good use of terrain and taking multiple mobs can make this unit much more worthwhile. Ultimately, in the army types discussed above more bodies and heavy weapons are essentially more important than slightly tougher Orks (especially since they cost 1/4 more points than a basic Slugga Boy).

Skarboyz. [/b]Unfortunately, this is another unit that costs extra points but dies just as easily to enemy fire. Opponents will always target and kill Skarboyz first and the extra two points per model you spent on them will have been wasted. Skarboyz have no place in a foot slogging army. In Cities of Death where they can pop right out of a Sewer and charge they can be deadly, but not in a basic game of 40k.

TROOPS [/b]

[/b]

Shoota Boyz.[/b] This is a staple unit in many players Ork army and it really shouldn't be given the current rapid-fire rules in 4th edition. At one point less than Slugga Boyz, Shootas are only slighly cheaper. If you want to put some cheaper bodies into the army to soak up initial casualties, stick with taking Attack Squigs in your Slugga Mobs (and including Grot mobs in your army too). Shootas are a terrible weapon for Orks because if you want to fire them up to their maximum range you have to keep the unit still, a concept that doesn't jive with the unit's ability to move and fire it's heavy weapons. Even if a Shoota unit is sitting back while the enemy comes to it you often find it helpful to be able to 'shuffle' the unit around to get a better line of sight or stay out of charge range of an incoming super-nasty CC unit. If you really want to take a unit that is worth standing still to fire, stick with Flash Gitz.

The most important reason why Shootas are terrible compared to Sluggas is that in the case where the enemy is within 12", rapid-firing the Shootas prevents the unit from charging and even two S4 shots fired are vastly inferior to a pistol shot fired by a Slugga Boy followed by by another 4 CC attacks on the charge. If you want some Big Shootas in your army, take a Slugga unit with Big Shootas or take a Flash Gitz mob. Stay away from the Shoota Boyz.

Stkk Bommas.[/b] This is the worst unit in the codex and perhaps the game. There is simply never a reason why you would want to pay 10 points for an Ork that loses its Choppa in order to gain Frag and Krak grenades. It is an absolutely atrociously priced unit.

Burna Boyz.[/b] Although this unit is a way to get more KFFs into your army, the fact that you're stuck with a small sized unit that can only take Burnas (see the 'Slugga Boy' commentary for why taking Burnas in a foot-slogging unit is a bad idea). Given that most Ork armies have all 6 Troop slots filled up you just can't afford to spend a slot on a unit of Burna boyz.

FAST ATTACK [/b]

[/b]

Warbikes.[/b] These units are simply far, far too fragile for their points cost. In almost all cases they will shoot and charge one unit (doing decent damage) before getting wiped out by the enemy. However, just like Stormboyz, this can be compensated for by taking a metric ton of them. In most armies there simply isn't a place for them.

HEAVY SUPPORT [/b]

[/b]

Big Gunz [/b]<st1:place>Battery[/b]</st1:place>.[/b] These units can have some uses, but none of them are particularly effective. For example, a battery of Lobbas can be used in a horde army along with a Basilisk to rain down indirect fire from out of LOS. However, even at S5 a battery of Lobbas isn't terribly effective with the new Indirect rules, especially against MEQs. Both Zzap guns and Kannons have fairly short range considering they cannot move and shoot in the same turn and that the battery counts as a 'large target' for target priority. That means it is even easier for opponents to target the unit which has to stay within range of enemy fire in order to be in range itself. In general it is better to use your Heavy Support slots to take either a Looted Vehicle or <st1:place><st1:city>Killa</st1:city> <st1:state>Kans.</st1:state></st1:place>

Lootas.[/b] This unit (like Stikk Bommas) is just not worth the points cost considering the rules it has. They still have to pay the weapon upgrade costs based on another army's Ballistic Skill even though they still fire at their pathetic BS2. Once you factor in the tiny unit size and the 'Looted Weapon' rule the unit will nearly always do signifigant damage to itself regardless of the enemy. It is a good conept with terrible execution.

Dreadnought.[/b] While this is a solid unit, it just doesn't compare to <st1:place><st1:city>Killa</st1:city> <st1:state>Kans.</st1:state></st1:place> Two <st1:state><st1:place>Kans</st1:place></st1:state> with Big Shootas costs 90 points while a Dreadnought with 2 Big Shootas costs 86 points. The Dreadnought has a superior Armor Value of 12, but the <st1:state><st1:place>Kans</st1:place></st1:state> (combined) have an extra Attack and they can't be destroyed by a single hit. Given the ease at which weapons punch through either AV 11 or 12, having the walker 'split in two' (so to speak) is a much better way to spend your points.

Battlewagon.[/b] Many players swear by the Battlewagon (kind of like Shoota Boyz mobs), but it is a bad unit to take in the army. For its points cost, it is terrifically easy to destroy (being open-topped) and any Orks riding on board are not going to benefit from the Trukk Boyz Bailin' Out rule so typically more than 50% of the passengers will be killed if the Battlewagon was moving over 6". It can be used as a gun platform, but again for the points, it is terrifically easy to kill and for an equivilant points value you can take a Looted Leman Russ or 3 <st1:state><st1:place>Kans</st1:place></st1:state>, both of which are much, much more difficult to destroy. Some players even like to pour points into the vehicle giving it multiple Bolt-on Big Shootas and putting a big unit inside. Unfortunately, this is a terrible example of the 'eggs in one basket' syndrome that I discussed in the Nob Retinue section. A Battlewagon loaded up this way is still just as easy to kill as ever, but now it gives up more Victory Points and around half the passengers get killed for the trouble as well (not to mention the survivors are entangled in the next turn).

If you want more Transport ability take 3 Trukk boy mobs and a Cybork retinue. If you want more gun platorms take a Looted Leman Russ and six <st1:place><st1:city>Killa</st1:city> <st1:state>Kans.</st1:state></st1:place> The Battlewagon just has too many flaws for its points cost.

WARGEAR TO AVOID [/b]

[/b]

Bionik Arm.[/b] The attack provided by the Bionik Arm strikes at a higher Initiative than Orks normally do, and therefore if used on an IC can result in the only enemy model in base contact being removed as a casualty to deny the IC a chance to make the rest of its Attacks.

Dok's Tools/Grot Orderlies.[/b] The only Dok I suggest you take in the army is the Painboss and he should be leading his Cyborks in a Trukk. Since we've already given him a Powerklaw (and perhaps Cybork Body, Bionic Bonce and 'Eavy Armor) we really can't afford to give him Tools and 3 Orderlies to have the chance to heal his Cyborks. Besides, only ten models can fit in the Trukk so you'd have to take less Cyborks to pull this off which is a bad idead.

Grabba Stick.[/b] Made pointless by the 4th edition rules. A waste of 5 points for absolutely nothing.

Kombi-Weapons.[/b] As with all Combi-weapons in 40k, they simply cost way too many points for a one shot weapon, especially considering that Orks have a BS2. The Kombi-Flamer is obviously the most appealing, but in all cases if a charcter is going to take a two-handed weapon, it might as well be a Rokkit or Big Shoota instead.

Kustom Mega Blasta.[/b] The fact that this is one of the few actual "Heavy" weapons means it isn't very suited for an Ork character when everything else in the army (pretty much) can move and shoot. On a vehicle, the auto-glancing hit is far too big a penalty to consider taking, especially considering how ineffective Blast weapons are in 4th edition (with the center hole having to go over an enemy model).
Kustom Jobs.[/b] A character is better off taking a Big Shoota or Rokkit than selecting Kustom Jobs for his Shoota. Taking Kustom Jobs on a Slugga isn't a terrible idea (as it maintains a character's ability to get the +1A with his Powerklaw), but considering the range remains 12" on the Slugga and that Orks have a BS2 it seems there are better places to spend your points.
Mega Armor/Mega Boosta/Stikkbomb Chukka.[/b] I don't recommend taking a Nob retinue (especially in Mega Armor) as they are just too expensive to be effective. Taking Mega Armor for a Nob in a regular mob is also a bad idea, as even with Mega Boosta he stands a real chance of slowing the unit down especially during a critical charge move. He also loses the ability to get the +1A bonus for his Powerklaw attack in CC. Finally, the mixed armor rules means that the Nob won't be able to even utilize this 2+ armor save in most cases unless his squad is already dead.
Super Stikkbombz.[/b] Just take Tankbusta Bombz instead. They are almost as effective, don't wound the user and cost less points.
'Uge Choppa.[/b] An aboslutely terrible weapon for the points cost. Always take either a regular Choppa or Powerklaw instead.
'Urty Syringe.[/b] The fact that the target gets a normal armor save and there are several immune units makes this weapon essentially useless.
Waaagh! Banner.[/b] Too many points for an ability that has too small a range. Its not terrible there are just better places to put your points.
Big Grabber, Wrecker Ball, Reinforced Ram, Boarding Plank. Too[/b] many points for too small a chance at causing damage. Also, the Ork vehicles that can take them are too easily destroyed to invest more points into them.
Spikes and Blades.[/b] The same as with the previous entry. The vehicles that can take this upgrade (Buggies and Battlewagon) are too easily destroyed by enemy fire to really worry about being protected from CC attacks.
Bolt-On Big Shoota.[/b] Exactly the same problem as the previous two entries. Trukks with passengers desperately need to stay out of LOS to stay alive. Under no circumstance should they be in LOS to fire a Bolt-on Big Shoota.
Turbo Boosta.[/b] Trukks and Buggies already move incredibly fast ( 25" ) and the Turbo's effects give a 50/50 chance of ruining the ability for the passengers to disembark. Trukks are too paper think to risk on a gamble like that. Instead Trukks should spend an extra turn using their already ample move to get into a better position to attack the enemy. This upgrade would only really be worthwhile on a Battlewagon, and there are already plenty of other reasons why you shouldn't be fielding one of those.

EFFECTIVE ARMY TYPES[/b]

THE HORDE ARMY[/b]

The horde functions in one of two basic ways:

1) The army is loaded up with as many infantry models as humanly possible. Generally this means: A cheap Warboss with a heavy weapon and 3 Attack Squigs, a Big Mek with KFF and 3 Attack Squigs, two units of Grots (Slavers w/ squighounds and heavy weapons), 4 big Slugga mobs (each w/ 3 heavy weapons and a Nob with a Powerklaw, 3 Attack Squigs and/or a heavy weapon), 3 units of 10 Kommandos (w/ a Rokkit and a Nob with a Rokkit and 2 Ammo Runts), a looted Basilisk with Grot Riggers and 3 individual Skorchas each with Red Paint Job, Grot Riggers and Stikkbomb Chukkas.

Basically this army just marches forward while the Basilisk stays out of LOS and pounds the enemy. The Skorchas either make suicidal attacks and/or Tank Shocks or they stay hidden in an attempt to capture objectives at the end of the game. The main bulk of the force moves up firing their Rokkits at vehicles first, then at Infantry, looking to get into CC. The grots and KFF provide cover for the force while all the Squighounds in the unit are the first casualties. If Kommandos can infiltrate they take pot shots at enemy vehicles with their two Rokkits and Ammo Runts, otherwise they just march along with the rest of the army.

This army type obviously excels at objective based missions where the objective forces the enemy towards the center of the board. This army should have over 150 models (with the grots making up a sizable chunk of that) and is an absolute beast to wipe out. Armies and missions that don't require an up-close fight would obviously be a struggle for this army, as 6" per turn won't get the Orks all that far. This army type also enjoys Escalation as the entire army (sans Basilisk) sets up on the table (including the infiltrating Kommandos) and will be well across the board before the enemy gets their vehicles on the table.

Enemy indirect firing and Fury of the Ancients psykers are bad news for the Basilisk.

2) The second variation obviously has less models but it gains quite a bit of speed. The big difference is that the Big Mek is gone, replaced by a Painboss with Cybork retinue mounted in a vehicle. The Skorchas are also replaced by Trukk Boyz mobs. The Mob sizes are all smaller and there are usually less (if any) Kommando units. Lastly, the Warboss is given more equipment and rides with the Cybork unit to provide it with much needed Ld.

The big change in strategy for this horde is that the army now has a number of potent striking units. Careful movement of the Trukks is key, using several turns to move into a position to disembark and charge the enemy without being shot. The Basilisk's Indirect fire, Infiltrating Kommando units and the slow moving central force can all be used to push the enemy into a position where the Trukk units can strike at an optimal time.

While this variation loses some of the stamina of having a sickening amount of models on the table the ability to bring the fight to the enemy makes it much less dependent on a favorable mission type. It also has more options for capturing objectives. This army really fears a table with sparse terrain or enemy armies with indirect firing (especially Furty of the Ancients pyskers) who can target Trukks that are making their way towards the enemy. This variation still enjoys Escalation as the Footsloggers tend to be more across the board when the game really gets going then they normally would while the Trukks can see where the action is happening before using their big move to get into a good position.

THE UBER-SHOOTY ARMY[/b]

The Uber-Shooty army essentially takes a whole bunch of tiny Mobs and maxes them out with Heavy Weapons. While these mobs are quite vulnerable to enemy fire, there are a whole lot of them, meaning multiple enemy units will need to hit the army in order to wipe out multiple units. In short, this Ork army tends to take damage in piecemeal, meanwhile, the amount of firepower it can kick out is downright scary.

Rather than try to do more explaining, why not read about Dakka poster Spikydavid who took footslogging Orks to Heat 3 of the 2006 UKGT and came in 2nd place! Here's a link of his battle reports:

www.dakkadakka.com/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/17/postid/121694/view/topic/Default.aspx

The only real variation of the Uber-Shooty Ork army I've seen is one that involves including a bunch of shooty vehicles to the mix, such as a Looted Leman Russ, Buggy squadrons and Kans.

I think the all infantry variation is naturally stronger because it denies the enemy any real use out of their AT weaponry, which is always a good thing. The all infantry list is also much more favorable towards Escalation, where the mixed list would effectively be cut in half.

THE SHOOT AND SNEAK ATTACK ARMY[/b]

This army is basically a variation on the other two army types I've just presented above and is what I used to go 4-1 at the last LAGT they held (I believe that was 2004).

The army consists of 3 Trukk Boy mobs (it could also include the Pianboss with Cybork retinue) as the "sneak attack" functioning exactly how I described in the variation of the "horde" above: basically sneaking into position and then attacking a portion of the enemy's army. The difference from the horde variation is that the 'strong center' of the army is made up of small shooty squads exactly like the Uber-shooty army. An example could be: a Looted Leman Russ, two squads of 2 Kans each, a big Mek with KFF, tools and Oilers, 2 squads of Tankbustas, 2 small squads of Sluggas, 2 squads of Grots.

This 'center' sits back and shoots instead of marching forward like the horde does. It has enough shooting and counter-assualt ability to fend off a moderate CC force on its own. Meanwhile, the sneak attack is hopefully striking at a portion of the enemy and causing serious damage. Since the infantry elements of the army don't do much moving towards the enemy (at least early in the game) Escalation doesn't hurt this army very badly. The infantry just stay concealed in some nice terrain and wait for the shooty vehicle elements to join them. The sneak attack elements can get a handle on where the action is happening before zooming on into position to strike.

THE EVIL SUNS BIKER/STORMBOY GIMMICK ARMY[/b]

I actually played against this army and I know its won several RTTs. I think it may be commanded by a guy who used to post on Dakka (he may still, I think his name was 'skaisbrad' or something like that). Nice guy and a great army.

Basically it was a Evil Suns Cult list maxed out on Bikers (core troops) and Stormboyz (Elites). He had 3 gigantic (20 man) Stormboy units backed up by a bunch of biker units and a few twin-linked Rokkit Buggies roaring around trying to take out enemy tanks.

The army is in your face so quickly there is little you can do about it and that many Warbikes combined put out a ridiculous amount of firepower. I imagine that an army like this would be a great place to use the "Boss Zagstruk" Stormboy special character. He's pretty wicked on his own (His Stormboy unit charges 12" and gets +1 Strength when they charge) but when surrounded by a whole army that moves almost as fast as them, it would be pretty wicked indeed.

I think this army type would do really well against all but the very top tier army lists (like super shooty marines, Iron Warriors, etc).

Anyway, hopefully this has given you more than enough to think about for the time being. Good luck!

**bigbear**

Dude that is awesome! thanky you! The one caveat is that my space marine opponent ( Moosifer) was like "yeah I printed out all 12 pages and read it" .. no fear though... for soon... NO ONE SHALL STOP THE WAAARGH!!

**ChairmanMao**

Awesome job, Yakface. I (and hopefully others) request that go up as an article and a tactica for Speed Freeks.