Orks - best sources for army lists & Tactics? Dashofpepper?

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**Dont Press Dat**

Hey guys, first time poster here. I'm very new to the game, and have played only 2 games so far, both at 1k points. First was just a big blob of boyz, then used a kan wall for the second.

I was mostly wondering if there's any recommended reading for battle reports. Obviously I've read the tacticas, but I'm looking to improve quickly as I'm playing people a lot more experienced than myself. So far I've read all of the Ork battle reports in Dash of Pepper's sig. They were an excellent read, and I felt like I learned a lot reading them. So are there any other people who are particularly good and do good reports? Or any blogs/websites in particular that are good for ork players

Thanks!

**MrMerlin**

You can ask people in this forum about the effektiveness of certain units/tactics. Thats generally what the tactics-forum is there for.

**Waaaaghmaster**

To be honest, there's no substitute to playing the game and learning from experience.

**WarOne**

I'll give a quick summary of the Ork army as after DoP, there is not many other hardcore Ork players such as he was.

Step 1: Pick a theme:

Orks thrive on specialization. Most Ork units can find a niche in some sort of army. The general idea is to pick several core units and spam them. Follow this up by supporting those spammed units with the all around good army choices that most armies would consider taking, even if they don't really fix the theme.

Examples of themes:

Kanwall- 9 kans, 2 KFF Big Meks, 4 or so beefy 20-30 man Ork boy units with shootas.

BW Rush- 3-5 *depending on points* Battlewagons with Deffrollas, supported by a KFF Big Mek, each wagon with boyz in them or specialized units like burnas and nobs.

Green Tide- 6 max size Ork Boyz squads coupled with as many ork bodies you can fit into the army.

Gunline- max units of Lootas, lots of artillery (kannons), rokkit buggies, ect.

There are several other variants of note including sneaky and trukk spam armies, but these highlight some of the more common choices, especially the first two.

Step 2: Flesh out the army.

Once you have picked a theme, add in units to support that army.

So if you go with Battlewagon Rush, you need a KFF Big Mek to bubble them. Then you need to add in things to support the army? Need an alpha strike? Add in Deffkoptas with TL-Rokkits and PKs. Need long ranged fire support? Add in Lootas. Need a force multiplier and single model deathstar? Add in Ghaz for his super waaagh and ability to make boyz fearless for two turns.

In short, build your army around what you want to do and cover the weaknesses by adding in units to shore up deficiencies.

Step 3: Play and Study!

Once the army is built, you need to see what it can do. Now this step is both before and after you make the army, as you need to research what the army is supposed to do with its units and what is the full potential of what it can do.

Then go out there and see what kind of things you need to tweak in the army to make it better. Play with it!

Failing that, if the army is not what you envisioned it to be, try another approach.

**y0disisray**

In the end people tend to be good with certain units more than any other people. It all comes down to what you discover to be good and how well you as the player can use them.

**Jidmah**

While some things tend to work better for you, you can't just field an army of your favorite units and expect it to work. WarOne's advice is pretty good, though gun line is not a really common army variant(thoug a working one)

**Dont Press Dat**

Thanks for the suggestions

And especially to warone for a very nice post!

To those saying that playing is the best way to learn, I totally agree. But at the same time, learning from the greats that came before you can teach you a lot. This applies to anything really, not just 40k, but a good amount of theory will improve your learning curve no end. But at the same time all theory and no practice will get you nowhere.

So are there no specific sources of ork battle reports that people have found useful beyond DoP?

**deffskulla**

WarOne wrote:I'll give a quick summary of the Ork army as after DoP, there is not many other hardcore Ork players such as he was.

Step 1: Pick a theme:

Orks thrive on specialization. Most Ork units can find a niche in some sort of army. The general idea is to pick several core units and spam them. Follow this up by supporting those spammed units with the all around good army choices that most armies would consider taking, even if they don't really fix the theme.

Examples of themes:

Kanwall- 9 kans, 2 KFF Big Meks, 4 or so beefy 20-30 man Ork boy units with shootas.

BW Rush- 3-5 *depending on points* Battlewagons with Deffrollas, supported by a KFF Big Mek, each wagon with boyz in them or specialized units like burnas and nobs.

Green Tide- 6 max size Ork Boyz squads coupled with as many ork bodies you can fit into the army.

Gunline- max units of Lootas, lots of artillery (kannons), rokkit buggies, ect.

There are several other variants of note including sneaky and trukk spam armies, but these highlight some of the more common choices, especially the first two.

Step 2: Flesh out the army.

Once you have picked a theme, add in units to support that army.

So if you go with Battlewagon Rush, you need a KFF Big Mek to bubble them. Then you need to add in things to support the army? Need an alpha strike? Add in Deffkoptas with TL-Rokkits and PKs. Need long ranged fire support? Add in Lootas. Need a force multiplier and single model deathstar? Add in Ghaz for his super waaagh and ability to make boyz fearless for two turns.

In short, build your army around what you want to do and cover the weaknesses by adding in units to shore up deficiencies.

Step 3: Play and Study!

Once the army is built, you need to see what it can do. Now this step is both before and after you make the army, as you need to research what the army is supposed to do with its units and what is the full potential of what it can do.

Then go out there and see what kind of things you need to tweak in the army to make it better. Play with it!

Failing that, if the army is not what you envisioned it to be, try another approach.

Probably the best adivce you can give!

**Dashofpepper**

Dont Press Dat wrote:
So are there no specific sources of ork battle reports that people have found useful beyond DoP?

In terms of Battle Reports themselves...there have been some interesting ones for sure by different authors. In terms of Battle Reports singling out Orks competitively and just beating the piss out of people with them...not so much.

**Brother Taurinus**

I recently returned to 40k after a LONG time away. I've started with orks, despite having enough marines to field an infantry army of maybe 2k+. Dash of Pepper's posts were invaluable to me, and supplied a wealth of information(tips hat).

I don't have a list of battle reports that I've read, but I typically just search for Orks and read what's there.

On another note, look up battle reports for Orks on Youtube. I've watched several report, quite a few from MiniWarGaming. Nothing replaces direct experience, but seeing how it all works helps!

Automatically Appended Next Post:
And as far as themes go, they're great, I'd love a kan wall, or 3-5 BW's, but money has allowed me to pick up what bargains I can find, and I am limited to 1 BW, 2 Trukks, bikes, stormboyz, nobz, and infantry. Scratch building a couple looted wagons with boomguns to try them out. Orkz are fun, you don't always have to subscribe to common themes to be competitive(though they are tried and true methods). Granted I don't have a lot of battles under my belt, but personally, I don't use Lootas. Too expensive for random fire-power that has the resilience of a normal boy. Someone(DoP perhaps) made a post about Flash Gitz. Even before that post, I've been wanting to convert some nobz. At 25 points each, you're paying for a Nob with 'eavy armor, and getting a snazzgun for free. It's worth another 5 for more dakka to double your attacks. Also, Snazzguns will penetrate SM armor 50% of the time. Deffguns never will. When I get it set up, I'm going with a BW toting Flash Gitz around.

**KingCracker**

I hate to sound like a fanboi or something similar, but if doing the competitive thing with Orks is your goal, then yea, do the BW spam deal and follow closely to what Dash has done.

If thats not what your looking for, then flip through the pages of tactics, there is PLENTY of threads made up of using Orks for all kinds of things. Your going to learn ideas and ways to kick peoples teef in

**G00fySmiley**

Brother Taurinus wrote:I recently returned to 40k after a LONG time away. I've started with orks, despite having enough marines to field an infantry army of maybe 2k+. Dash of Pepper's posts were invaluable to me, and supplied a wealth of information(tips hat).

I don't have a list of battle reports that I've read, but I typically just search for Orks and read what's there.

On another note, look up battle reports for Orks on Youtube. I've watched several report, quite a few from MiniWarGaming. Nothing replaces direct experience, but seeing how it all works helps!

Automatically Appended Next Post:
And as far as themes go, they're great, I'd love a kan wall, or 3-5 BW's, but money has allowed me to pick up what bargains I can find, and I am limited to 1 BW, 2 Trukks, bikes, stormboyz, nobz, and infantry. Scratch building a couple looted wagons with boomguns to try them out. Orkz are fun, you don't always have to subscribe to common themes to be competitive(though they are tried and true methods). Granted I don't have a lot of battles under my belt, but personally, I don't use Lootas. Too expensive for random fire-power that has the resilience of a normal boy. Someone(DoP perhaps) made a post about Flash Gitz. Even before that post, I've been wanting to convert some nobz. At 25 points each, you're paying for a Nob with 'eavy armor, and getting a snazzgun for free. It's worth another 5 for more dakka to double your attacks. Also, Snazzguns will penetrate SM armor 50% of the time. Deffguns never will. When I get it set up, I'm going with a BW toting Flash Gitz around.

flash gitz vs lootas ...lootas are situational basicallmore artilary than anything else... whereas flash gitz are good all around. I personally would take gitz more if they didn't take a heavy support slot, putting a battlewagon with gitz leaves me only 1 heavy suport left. I have a gitz list though they limit it to 4 battlewagons at 2k points, 2 diversified nobz units, flash gitz, and a bw with big mek kff and 19 byz w/ nob pk bp and a warboss on a bike with biker boyz group (5) I admit they do well but mroe often than not I'll take lootaz just so I'm not using a heavy support. hard to do kan wall or BW bash with gitz

**Dashofpepper**

KingCracker wrote:I hate to sound like a fanboi or something similar, but if doing the competitive thing with Orks is your goal, then yea, do the BW spam deal and follow closely to what Dash has done.

If thats not what your looking for, then flip through the pages of tactics, there is PLENTY of threads made up of using Orks for all kinds of things. Your going to learn ideas and ways to kick peoples teef in

That's not fanboi'ism - just recognition of a peer's abilities. I've done my fair share of referring new Orks your way.

**redkeyboard**

Play as many games as you can and learn your opponents list, tactics strengths and weaknesses. Try video battle reports they show you how they play out on the field and you can see what happens.

**Murrdox**

KingCracker wrote:I hate to sound like a fanboi or something similar, but if doing the competitive thing with Orks is your goal, then yea, do the BW spam deal and follow closely to what Dash has done.

If thats not what your looking for, then flip through the pages of tactics, there is PLENTY of threads made up of using Orks for all kinds of things. Your going to learn ideas and ways to kick peoples teef in

With all respect to Dash and his good Ork battle reports... Orks are NOT that one-dimensional.

The majority of Dash's Battle Reports deal with Orks at 2500 points in a Battlewagon Bash army list. Some of the units / strategies that he uses don't (IMO) work at lower point levels that people play more regularly.

At the 1000 - 2000 pt levels there are many more variations on how to use Orks that are perfectly "competitive" and there are quite a few Battle Reports on Dakka that illustrate some of them quite well.

That said, Orks DO have a difficult time scaling up to point levels in the 2500 range. Dash's Battlewagon list is a good example of an Ork list that manages to scale well to this level, and he does a good job demonstrating how to use it well.

**G00fySmiley**

Dashofpepper wrote:
KingCracker wrote:I hate to sound like a fanboi or something similar, but if doing the competitive thing with Orks is your goal, then yea, do the BW spam deal and follow closely to what Dash has done.

If thats not what your looking for, then flip through the pages of tactics, there is PLENTY of threads made up of using Orks for all kinds of things. Your going to learn ideas and ways to kick peoples teef in

That's not fanboi'ism - just recognition of a peer's abilities. I've done my fair share of referring new Orks your way.

as somebody new(ish) to wargaming onyl been going for about 8 months now first game played in january, and who researches alot before doing anything I found KingCracker to be very valuble in terms of his sugestiong on using orks and having fun doing it. DoP is where I'd direct questions from a competative ork standpoint and for lowe rpoint competative I'd be asking Jidmah . most of the rest of us ork posters are kind of filler we give advice from our own games but honestly these are the 3 I really take what they have to say the most seriously.

that isn't to say that other ork players don't know thier stuff quite the opposite. these are just the 3 who have been the most helpful to me personally.

as forthe OP tactica I really liked the 3++ is the new black codex reviews if you haven't read those give it a read

http://kirbysblog-ic.blogspot.com/p/codex-reviews.html

I'd say proxy in stuff and play small games to see what you like and build from there... and I'll echo the battleforce is dumb yfor orks you barely save any money at all vs buying things seperate and its an odd assortment in there

**KingCracker**

G00fySmiley wrote:
Dashofpepper wrote:
KingCracker wrote:I hate to sound like a fanboi or something similar, but if doing the competitive thing with Orks is your goal, then yea, do the BW spam deal and follow closely to what Dash has done.

If thats not what your looking for, then flip through the pages of tactics, there is PLENTY of threads made up of using Orks for all kinds of things. Your going to learn ideas and ways to kick peoples teef in

That's not fanboi'ism - just recognition of a peer's abilities. I've done my fair share of referring new Orks your way.

as somebody new(ish) to wargaming onyl been going for about 8 months now first game played in january, and who researches alot before doing anything I found KingCracker to be very valuble in terms of his sugestiong on using orks and having fun doing it. DoP is where I'd direct questions from a competative ork standpoint and for lowe rpoint competative I'd be asking Jidmah . most of the rest of us ork posters are kind of filler we give advice from our own games but honestly these are the 3 I really take what they have to say the most seriously.

that isn't to say that other ork players don't know thier stuff quite the opposite. these are just the 3 who have been the most helpful to me personally.

as forthe OP tactica I really liked the 3++ is the new black codex reviews if you haven't read those give it a read

http://kirbysblog-ic.blogspot.com/p/codex-reviews.html

I'd say proxy in stuff and play small games to see what you like and build from there... and I'll echo the battleforce is dumb yfor orks you barely save any money at all vs buying things seperate and its an odd assortment in there

Wow, big thanks goes out to both of you guys. I feel pretty honored reading both those posts