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I bought the Black Reach starter box and now have both Space Marines as well as Orks. I had some Space Marines before my purchase, and I'm curious as to what a strong army might include.

Space Marines:

HQ:
I have 2 Captains and an unfinished Librarian in terminator armour.

Captain 1: 100 pts
Straight Forward Build

Captain 2: 115 pts
Straight Forward but has 1 Lightning Claw.

elites:
Terminator Squad: 200 pts
4 powerfists
1 power sword

Dreadnought: 115
multi-melta/stormbolter/CC weapon

Troops:
tac squad 1: 170 pts
flamer and missile launcher

tac squad 2: 170 pts
flamer and missile launcher

tac squad 3: 175 pts
Meltagun and flamer

This is everything that I have for my marines. What else? I also am wondering what might be strong for my orks.

My current list is as follows:

HQ
Warboss: 85 pts
powerclaw/shoota

Weirdboy (Warphead): 85 pts

Elites: 100 pts
5x nobs
Choppa / slugga

Troops: completed ( 240pts)
I have 3 boyz armed with 2x Big Shootas/1x Rokkit Launcha, 1 nob with powerclaw and bosspole, 27 slugga/choppa boyz. I also have 2 boxes that I have yet to open, and i've been thinking of gearing myself towards 2 more full squds of Shootaboyz.

Fast Attack:
3 Deffkoptas: 135 pts
Twin-linked rokkit launchas

5 unmade Stormboyz: 60 pts when done.

So, what do you think I should do?

Drop the stormboys. Add more Nobz, some with powerklaws with the points you gained from no Stormboyz. Have as many slugga boyz as possible. I haven't tested my weirdboy yet, but I had great results with using a Big Mek with a KFF...and they cost the same, too.

Beef up the Warboss...you want him punching faces in.

Thanks dude, only problem with beefing up my warboss is that he's from the black reach box...which is very un-customizable. I've been thinking of getting a Big Mek but that costs money, which i'm kind of short on atm. What I need help with is deciding if i should go slugga boyz or shoota boyz because i have 2 boxes that i need to make still. Any other comments (I really hope there is.)

The debate on the virtues of the slugga boy vs choppas has been going on for quite a while, look up a thread if you like. I like slugga/choppa boyz personally. you get an extra attack in CC, and Ork BS sucks. The shooting phase should be spent running forward into combat! The AOBR warboss can be given a couple of modifications that I would highly recommend.
Make his shoota into a combi skorcha by clipping off the end of the bottom barrel and gluing on a flamer end, off of a space marine will do fine. Be sure to remove the tank from the flamer and glue it to the side of the gun. Run a wire from the end of the tank to the underside of the flamer tip. BURNA, BURNA, BURNA!!!
Also add an attack squig. They aren't to hard to find, and the extra str 10 attack is worth the 15 pts. Especially if you are running against MEQ or armour.
The AOBR warboss is also pretty heavy on the implants. I would feel free to give him a cybork body. Your opponents will rightfully fear him and try to hit him with insta-death type weapondry. 5+ is better than nothing!

Hope this helps!

I disagree with MasticatorDeelux, don't drop the stormboyz, add more.
If anything drop the deffcoptas, they are a huge waste of points.

Only add a few more nobz as a fully loaded nob squad looks great on paper but ends up taking so much shooting they rarely get anywhere unless it's in a vehicle.

You should definitely check out the ork tactica in the articles section here

It was written for 4th ed. but most of it holds true for 5th.

If you are in transports, sluggas are the way to go. If you are on foot, shootas are the solution. You lose 1 cc attack, but you get a couple of turns of shooting in before you hit cc, which softens them up substantially. BS2 is not great. 61 BS2 shots (that is 1 mob shooting in 1 shooting phase) is scary. That is ~20 hits a turn per unit. wow

Thanks to everyone who replied with useful information. I'm also looking for some help on my space marines as well. Orks are my #1 priority, but my girlfriend plays with my marines and I just want some suggestions on what direction to push her towards.

The easiest way to make your marine list significantly better without completely replacing all the models is to mechanize it. That means you add rhino's and/or drop pods.

I'd run either 1 or 3 Drop Pods in your list. If you run only one put the Dreadnought in it. If you run 3 you can also put 2 tactical marine squads in the other 2 while the 3rd squad just camps an objective on your side of the table.

The other choice is to run 2-3 of your tactical squads in Rhino's but I generally don't think that's the best idea unless they are screened by Land Raiders because they tend to get shot off the table rather quickly without obscure cover saves.

As for the Orks defin go with the majority Shoota Boyz config if you're going to be footslogging. They are far more versatile and do a very nice job of holding objectives, or running into an assault, or shooting before assaulting. Slugga Boyz work nicely in specific lists with good cover screens or if assaulting from a trukk, but in terms of a unit that you can use in ANY list I'd use shoota boyz.

Either expand the Deffkopta unit to 5, reduce it to a single or drop them completely. 3 Deffkoptas in one unit is a poor config since if one dies the rest of the unit is likely running (since 1 of 3 is 33% of the unit).

Don't run the stormboyz in this list. They are basically overcosted slugga boys (costing 12 instead of 6) with no increased firepower whatsoever but with increased movement. A unit of 5 is going to get shot at with no cover save (they can't really land in cover because of dangerous terrain rules), then run right off the table due to poor leadership without mob rule.

Run something like this:

HQ

1 Warboss (Cybork, Bosspole, PK)
1 Weirdboy (Warphead Upgrade)

Troops

5 Choppy Nobs (Cybork Bodies)
20 Slugga Boys (Nob, PK, bosspole)
20 Shoota Boyz (Nob, PK, bosspole, 2 Big Shoota)
20 Shoota Boyz (Nob, PK, bosspole, 2 Rockitts)

If you need more points add these below:

Fast Attack

1 Deffkopta TL Rockitt
1 Deffkopta TL Rockitt
1 Deffkopta TL Rockitt

Basically give the nobs and Warboss Cybork upgrades (no building necessary for this just declare them as cybork) and have them run a screen in front your slugga boyz and one shoota boyz unit. The second shoota unit with Big Shootas can either move forward or camp objectives on your side of the table.

Thanks a lot for that post. It really helped me a lot, I just wish I hadn't bought those stormboyz since they apparently suck. o_O Another thing, would it be smart to add 'eavy armour on a warboss or is that overboard? it's only 5 points and gives a somewhat decent save.

Another thing, I have encountered that you can only use Cybork bodies for nobs if a painboy is included in the squad. The AOBR boxed set doesn't include Painboyz, just 5 Nobs. Correct me if i'm wrong though.

s1gns wrote:Thanks a lot for that post. It really helped me a lot, I just wish I hadn't bought those stormboyz since they apparently suck. o_O Another thing, would it be smart to add 'eavy armour on a warboss or is that overboard? it's only 5 points and gives a somewhat decent save.

Another thing, I have encountered that you can only use Cybork bodies for nobs if a painboy is included in the squad. The AOBR boxed set doesn't include Painboyz, just 5 Nobs. Correct me if i'm wrong though.

You're absolutely right about that. An oversight on my part. I'm just so used to my nobs being married to painboyz because they are so good together! I never run a nob unit without one and so my nobs always have cybork bodies

Can I suggest going out right now and buying a painboy blister? If not no problem just give them 'eavy armor instead. They don't get the FNP save but they do offer 4 up armor and will screen everyone behind them with a 4 up cover save. As for the warboss, I consider the 'eavy armor kinda overboard with a cybork body but if you have the points to spare? Heck why not? It does make him 8% more survivable

I might have to get myself a painboy blister, I just really hate metal models. Gluing them is a pain. Also, what is an up armor?