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As you may have read in my intro post, I'm kind of new to the game (again). Previously I just assumed since Nobs, with Powerklaw, get 10 strength, that Deffkoptas, with buzzsaw (powerklaw) also get 10 strength - well I was dead wrong! Apparently it doubles their base strength (3) to 6, and with a furious charge, makes it a 7 - that can barely glance most vehicles.

Previously I've seen tactica state that you either take the koptas with a buzzsaw, or you don't take them at all. With this new revelation, I'm starting to see some issues - +25 for a gimped powerklaw seems way too steep - especially since you're also taking the twin-linked rokkit launcher. That's 70 points per!

With the turbo boosting scout move it seems like they'd be great for shooting down transports turn 1, but at the moment I'm having hesitations taking them for assault. Is there anyone out there who's finding luck with them?

lots of people use them, they are a bit pricey in points (but so isn't every ork option that isn't a troop choice) and they add a extra layer of threats orks need badly. If nothing else they are an effective and somewhat resilient bullet magnet. Also don't go all out on arming EVERY kopta with buzzsaws, its a bit too pricey, the goal is to threaten the enemy. Not make a unit of doom that the enemy MUST deal with (they can't stand up to firepower of that magnitude)

I use my deffkoptas as a fast shooty option, arming them half with rokkits and half with TL big shootas. Since they're twin linked, and can penetrate the rear of nearly every transport in the game, I wait until I've got some other units in their path and turbo boost them, hope they don't get shot to pieces and then swing around to start the shooting. The only time I've ever considered assaulting with them is to make them ineligible as a shooting target, and then only if I believe they have a chance of causing some casualties. 25 pts for a suboptimal powerklaw is just a bad option.

On the surface they look expensive but when you really think about it, they are quite cheap.

The cheapest version of it that is a threat to a vehicle is one with a TL-Rokkit. The combination of scout and turboboost allows you the move 24" before the game has begun into position. This position will more than likely be within 24-36" of the side/rear of an enemy vehicle. Being able to move 12" then fire a S8 shot into the rear/side of a vehicle is HUGE, as it will more than likely damage it in some way (Preferably not allowing it to shoot because of shaken or stun, but wrecked and destroyed is wonderful as well.)

The next version is a TL-Big shoota armed with a buzz saw. The goal of this is to get the first turn charge with the aid of your scout turboboost, and moving and then assault, a total of 42" of movement. Given that 99% of the vehicles in the game do not move before it, you will be delivering 3S7 to the rear automatically.

Naturally this progresses to then make the kopta more likely to kill that first turn vehicle by arming it with a rokkit.

Normally the Deffkoptas does not live after this first attack as people do not like the idea of a single model causing so much trouble, so they will usual devote a small portion of shooting to kill it, however it has already done its job by inhibiting your opponent's first turn (He devoted fire at a magnet over your army, in addition to the possibility that it stopped a large weapon from firing)

The price beings to climb the more you want to keep using the deffkopta as a threat as the game continues. By giving it a friend that is armed differently (either one has a buzz saw and the other does not, or one has a rokkit and the other does not).

The buzzsaw is useful for the scout move/turn 1 assault tactic. Since the kopta is on a suicide mission to take out the most dangerous enemy armor some people like to hedge their bets by taking the buzzsaw to allow a rear armor assault if their round of shooting totally craps out. Remember that you are assaulting rear armor so a str 6(7) weapons is just fine for most problems. Don't take it on every kopta. Usually people only take it on 1 per squad (if that) since it does pump up the koptas price, but since those koptas are going to get shot down quickly it's nice to make sure they actually do some damage before they get killed.

They may only be S7, but don't forget that you're usually attacking a rear armour of 10. So, 3 swings, each with a 50% chance for a pen isn't too horrible.

Deffcoptas are annoying.

Because they have 2 wounds you can go for wound allocation with them. give one a buzzsaw and Tl-rokkits and one a TL-rokkit and keep one naked with just the shoota.

you will have 2 Tl rokkits and can assault afterwards with 3Str7 and 6Str4 attacks. Str4 can still glance most vehicles.

that unit is what, 150 pts?


The dirt cheap ork boyz do the heavy lifting. 150 pts isn't bad for what they do.

They may be on the expensive side, but who wouldn't want a 42'' charge on the first turn even if it is at str 7? Maybe just take 1 with a buzz saw and remove some armoured targets while leaving the other Deffkoptas without.

Check any of my battle reports (see my created threads) - I always take a Deffkopta or two, and always one with Twin Linked Rokkits and Buzzsaw. It is rarely disappointing (Though all of these games are at <=1000pts)

Thanks for the help guys! I used three in my last game against Space Wolves and Chaos, and managed to down a Vindicator turn one. They all died, and missed the few shots they had after that, but I felt partially accomplished.

Magnalon wrote: Previously I just assumed since Nobs, with Powerklaw, get 10 strength,

Just so you know Nobs are base strength 4. A klaw doubles that to 8 and then add one for furious charge for S9. Only the warboss has a S10 klaw.