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....it just seems so random.....

So I have been playing 40k for about a year now and I want to try my hand at orks. Currently I play Blood Angels and I am having some problems "figrin' out 'da bok". As I have played BA I have found that BA's really benefit from synergies and focused assaults, I liken them to a scalpel, an instrument of precision, at least this is how I have had success playing them. So when I look at the BA codex I am able to quickly figure out which units work w/ my style and mech well together.

As I look at the Ork dex it seems so "random" I don't see how things mesh....and I am somewhat lost as to where to start building a list. I know the dex talks first about taking enough boys, roughly a 3:1 ratio, boyz before toyz, and from there I am kind of lost, there are not a lot of ork players in my area so no one local to really go too, there is one guy that I see on occasion that runs bikes, cans, koptta's, and bugies w/ some grots, I like his list but I don't want to copy it...

I guess I am looking for some kind off "codex review" that breaks down the pros and cons of each unit to help in building a list


With all of that random stuff being said, anyone have any suggestions for a new ork player?

Ashton

orks don't really mesh in the same way, though some units work well together.

A Kustom forcefield Big Mek, in a Battlewagon with some nobz, accompanied by a deff dredd troops choice, and several squadrons of Killakanz for example..

Orks are agressively random. Treat almost every unit as expendable, and try not to rely on any one unit too much

There are several different orks playstyles that work well

Green Tide- massive hordes of boyz
Kan Wall- take 9 Kanz and use them as a mobile wall of death, with the rest of your force behind them
Kult of Speed- trukks, buggies and bikes, all going zooom

Orks, more than any other race i've played, can be tailored to fit your mood at the time of list building, and can play well against almost any other force with an all-comers approach.

Here is some reading to get you started.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Category:Orks_Tactica

Note the three part "Dakka Dakka Ork Takktica" it’s not light reading but it is pretty comprehensive.

I think Dash wrote it if I'm not mistaken.

Orks can be really effective as a mech build, a foot build, or a mix. Personally, I like running big mobs of 30 boyz (one of shoota, one of slugga) while a battlewagon full of nobz drives up, supported by covering fire from a unit of lootas and flanked by a truck full of 'ard boyz. The Blood Angels are a scalpel, the Orks are a sledgehammer and equally as subtle.

A mech ork army is kinda hazy, with trukks being armour 10 on all sides, I like rolling with 3 squads of 30 boyz (One Shoota), (and two slugga) , it works quite well, being that Mech armies are the power-playing list all the tournament gamers are going for, the one I use really counters it, SO MANY MEN, but so little firepower for the opposition to kill them

I'd advice against the DakkaDakka article, it is very outdated.

Try this instead and the articles' follow ups.

If you ignore the bias about how bad orks are, you will find some really useful advice.

Also a golden advice I've just read: Orks are not Space Marines, if you play them as such, they don't work.

Ma55ter_fett wrote:Here is some reading to get you started.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Category:Orks_Tactica

Note the three part "Dakka Dakka Ork Takktica" it’s not light reading but it is pretty comprehensive.

I think Dash wrote it if I'm not mistaken.

Nope. you're mistake; Voodooboyz wrote it (is accredited in the 1st page) along with some others. Nonetheless, it's a good source of advice, albeit some of it is markedly outdated; for example Burna's are considered a good unit, whilst Stormboyz aren't.

@OP, a couple of other useful links are available:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/327831.page

and (known) skilled Ork players here on Dakka, who should be capable of providing you some advice are DashofPepper, Redbeard and Kingcracker. I'd advise doing your own research first though...

As a side note, I prefer two mekboyz and five dreads to nine killa kanz. Supported by lots of Boyz, they can do some serious damage.

There are two main competitive build for the Ork Codex at the moment. They are an easy template to build off of. There are a lot of other builds that can work well (such as Nob Biker lists, biker lists, trukk lists), but the two below are the most well known ones.



1) BW rush

HQ: KFF mek+Warboss (Gazzy if you can afford it)

Elite: units of 5 or 15 Lootas or 15 burnas

Troops: Mobs of 20 Slugga Boys and Nobs (dedicated BW transport), maybe 1 small gretchin squad for scoring.

Fast Attack: Suicide Copter (TL rokkis and saw, unit of 1) or a unit of 3 rokkit buggies

Heavy Support: Battle Wagons.

Tactics: Wall of AV 14 with a 4+ save. Use Lootas, fast attack units, and Deffrollas to open up the transports. Then Charge the boys in.


2) The Kan Wall

HQ: 2x KFF Meks

Elite: Units of 5 or 15 lootas, Snikot Kommandos with 2x Burnas.

Troops: mobs of 30 Shoota Boys, small gretchin squad for scoring. Deff Dreads

Fast Attack: Suicide Copter (TL rokkis and saw, unit of 1) or a unit of 3 rokkit buggies

Heavy Support: 3x3 Killa Kans, mostly with Rokkits.

Tactics: A big wall of AV 11 Walkers with 4+ cover giving a huge mob of boys 4+ cover. Use the Kans, Lootas, and Fast Attack to kill transports. Shoot stuff dead with the boys, assault as needed. Snikrot takes out anything on the back board edge.

The Kan wall may be scaled up for almost all point levels. It is very effective vs the mech armies of 5th. For example this is my list at 1000 points ( point lvl is small due to it being an escalation league.

HQ

KFF Mek - 85

TROOPS

19 Shoota Boyz, Nob, PK, BP, - 160
18 Shoota Boyz, Nob, PK, BP, - 154

ELIETS

5 Loota - 75
5 Loota - 75

HEAVY SUPPORT

3 Killa Kans, Rokkits - 150
3 Killa Kans, Rokkits - 150
3 Killa Kans, Rokkits - 150

999/1000 points

This should give you some idea of this list type.

Green Tide!

jacetms87 wrote:The Kan wall may be scaled up for almost all point levels. It is very effective vs the mech armies of 5th. For example this is my list at 1000 points ( point lvl is small due to it being an escalation league.

HQ

KFF Mek - 85

TROOPS

19 Shoota Boyz, Nob, PK, BP, - 160
18 Shoota Boyz, Nob, PK, BP, - 154

ELIETS

5 Loota - 75
5 Loota - 75

HEAVY SUPPORT

3 Killa Kans, Rokkits - 150
3 Killa Kans, Rokkits - 150
3 Killa Kans, Rokkits - 150

999/1000 points

This should give you some idea of this list type.

This list needs moar Boyz. And having 9 Kans is damn hard to cover with a single KFF. I suggest you change it to:

HQ

KFF Big Mek - 85

Troops

29 Shoota Boyz, 3 with Big Shootas; Nob w/PK and BP. 235.
29 Shoota Boyz, 3 with Big Shootas; Nob w/PK and BP. 235.

Elites

5x Lootas. 75.
5x Lootas. 75.

Heavy Support:

Killa Kans x2 - Rokkits - 100
Killa Kans x2 - Rokkits - 100
Killa Kans x2 - Rokkits - 100

985 points

Its really not that difficult. You just run them in a triangle with the two at the back. This will keep 6 of the kans covered. This is all that is needed as the 50% threshold will have been reached. In your list I would add one more loota to either squad to have the even 1000 points.

I tend to run a green tide list, I have a Mega armoured WB with 8 Nobz armed with some PK's and a Doc.

OK this unit costs alot in points however it can soak up a lot of fire and there has been games where they they have been shot at with everything the other player has and still walked through it.

I then have 3 units of 20 choppa boyz with a Nob (boss poles are needed) and 18 shoota boyz (with big shoota and nob).

For fire support I take Lootas, 3 kans (so I can hide behind them) and a looted tank (for lols)

One unit I have found very usful is the shock attack gun, some what random but so far has killed a lot of expensive units from Tau battlesuit squads to whole aspect warrior units,

Shokk Attack Guns are both potent and hilarious, just not terribly accurate...

I like using 2 SAG big meks in my 'fun' lists, as they either ream the enemy or do something hilarious. They aren't dependable enough to always make it into my tournament lists, as KFF is so very useful, but if i'm running a wierd and wacky mek themed list (lootas, burnas, looted wagons, kanz and dredds..) i will usually take one or more.

What does a biker list look like? What elements would be in it?

To everyone else, thanks for the info, this is very helpful.

Ashton

Biker list would typically have wazdakka and a PK biker boss lurking about. Troops would be either squads of bikers at a reasonable size with PK/BP nob leaders. You can also include trukker boyz. Fast attack, well you could spam bikers some more or grab some warbuggies or deffkoptas. S'about it really.

To the first post: Orks aren't random as such, but they require a theme or an idea. You can't just jump in with some units and hope for the best (not to say an Ork player has probably tried this ). Best way to make an Ork list is to pick a theme and base your army around it. It gives your army some character too in the process.

I try jumping in with random units all the time! Now, it doesn't always work out as the most competitive thing out there, but it's always fun.

In terms of the builds, my best advice at this point, if you want to be competitive, pick and avenue and stick with it. I generally do a hybrid list and it's not been working nearly as well for me as it used to with the new books out there. That may just be me not being the best player around, but I've definitely started having a tougher time in the last few tourneys.