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I played a 500 point game against the local Eldar player and got hosed as my only strategy was to rush foreword with superior numbers and hit his line... He promptly blade stormed and killed orks as he just focused on units and shot them till they had to take a LD check.

This got me thinking... I need to have more tricks up my sleeve then just charge foreword and hope to make the assault... some things I have gathered from previous games are. Please add some words of wisdom for new Ork players to enjoy. If we get enough responses I will turn this into an article for the next Ork player.

Pick one unit (preferably 2) This will be the cover unit. It will provide the other boyz with a 4+ cover save, it will be charged and it will die, but it will allow the boyz behind to make the charge and provide a proper Krumpin the enemy deserves.

Have fast skirmishers (my favorite have been the warbuggies with TL-Rokkits, as they are never really a priority to fire at until it is too late) that can harass enemy tanks and small units, If you can force them down to 8-BS then they are not a threat. Do not forget to wipe them though as they are still denying you KPs until they are dead.

Snikrot, seems to always have a target when he comes off the board. If the opponents are using MEQS then they will only see him as a non-PW Nob leading boyz, if the opponents are using GEQS then they will avoid board edges and be clumped together. When in doubt as to where to send Snikrot, send him in terrain as he can assault with his grenades and counter assaults will be that much harder. (Plus it tells the opponent that his units cannot rest between 11" to 18" from that piece of terrain)

When Fighting MEQS: Unless you are firing Rokkits or Zapp Gun rounds, Fire through your own units! a 3+ armor save is better than an 4+ cover save but firing back becomes harder as a 4+ armor save is better than no armor save. Just make sure that you leave slots open in your mobz so you can still have LOS.

-Take a units of looters (if you can sped them out over 3 slots ie 3 units of 6-7)
-Fill up on boys

Turn 1 move your boyz up. aim the units of looters at the farseer and/or any skimmers the eldar have ... remove the farseer .

Turn 2 move your boys up if it looks like they're in charge range Waaagh! Other wise move up. Looter shoot at any skimmers or ranged fire power

Turn 3 move your boys up. if you haven't already Waaagh!

Turn 4 eldar should be down to skimmers. (these can be a pain just keep stunning them.)

at 500pts you just can't go wrong with looters.

Try to avoid eating a charge if you can help it. Still, sometimes you can't, but in the event your boyz eat a charge, make sure the Nob is in front so he can swing his Claw!

One thing that will help you keep from eating a charge is a transport, like a trukk. Or some walkers, like Kanz or Deff Dreads. The Trukk lets you stay mobile, and is good to have (also it's "Safer" than walking or even other transports due to the ramshackle table)

Remember that CC units who move 12 inches and then beat the hell out of their opponents with 4 attacks are gold....I mean of course, Stormboyz and Warbikers. The only difference between them is the stormboyz are cheeper, but die faster outside of CC.

Be mindful during your opponents shooting step, the foot sloggin lads have No armor save against everything but Lasguns and shotguns...

Also remember that if your opponent has to shoot you through a unit, you get a cover save. ("do I shoot the worthless gretchen or do I shoot the boyz behind them with their 4+ Cover?")

This is why I think warbikes still have a job in an ork army, because not only are they great when they charge, they have 4+cover themselves, and they give a save to any foot unit behind them (i think), so they could be nice to have!

If you can't get warbikes though, get a big mek, 5+ cover is better than 6+ armor.

If you buy the Assault on black Reach you have a lot of bikes (koptas - propellas)

Remember to forget about AP when it comes to your weapons because the best AP you can get is your opponent rolling a lot of dice for saves.

Rokkits are you friend, and everything counts in large ammounts.

If you wanna go screen units you really have two options at the low level point game:

1. Grot screen - String a unit of 20-30 grots in a line out in front of your boy mobs. They'll die quickly of course, but you get a 4+cover save to all your boyz for a turn or two.

2. Kan wall - Get yourself a KFF Mek, and 4-6 kans, probably two squads of two for 500 points. run the kans in front of the boyz but within KFF range to make them a nasty screen for your boyz in back. They also give you a rarity in the Ork army, BS3!!! This gives you a little range for anti-tank, which is nice against those damn wave serpents.

-KFF is pretty key in most Ork lists nows, he's just good. Include him regardless, as he can reliably give about half your army a 5+ cover save for 50 points.

A word on the Eldar:
They're tricky! Never let them get the jump on you, or you will get bladestormed into next week. From turn 1 your first priority should be to blow the hell out of whatever transport those dire avengers are in. Within the Wave Serpent they have an effective 32" range for their bladestorm. If you pop they're wave serpent before he can zoom those DAs up to you, then they're not as scary.

Always be on your toes. The Eldar do fast tricky nonsense and if you're not aware of where everything is on the board and more importantly where it can be next turn, your lookin at a lotta dead boyz. I suggest using shoota boyz almost exclusively against Eldar, as he has no answer to you in CC, aside from banshees, whose power weapons are unecessary against you, and scorpions, which are scary but not too bad. The shootas have an 18" range, which is where he needs to be for a number of his ranged weapons.
-DA's 18" fire range, Guardians 12", Warp Spiders 12" etc...

This means you'll at least be throwing something back at him in the shooting phase and even without the extra attack in CC, they're Eldar, they'll go down.

Good luck. do the Orks proud

I recommend with a small game as that take a Big Mek with a KFF as an HQ and run'em with those boys given 4+ cover all the way.

Blarglord wrote:I recommend with a small game as that take a Big Mek with a KFF as an HQ and run'em with those boys given 4+ cover all the way.

5+ for models with Toughness, vehicles get a 4+