Tips for starting Orks

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**Rythgar**

I've recently came to the realization that I am no longer having fun with my csm and one thing I've always noticed is it seems the guys playing orks are always having a good time. I'd very much like to get into collecting the greenskins although I really don't know where to start. Any advice would be appreciated!

**KingCracker**

Boyz by the boat load and a complete diversified nobz unit is where you start. Get those 2 down, and you can start worrying about everything else

**Rythgar**

Thanks! As for an hq, is there a quintessential choice or are they all worth it in some facet?

**RustyNails**

In larger games Gaz sees a lot of play

Also Big Meks with KFF get a lot of love in Kan Wall and Battle Wagon Builds

**Kharrak**

I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to copy-past two posts I planted down in another thread thread with someone asking the same thing

Orks armies are generally able to build what they want - unless you're set on pure competitiveness.

Let's see... If you're getting some footsloggers, 20 units in the squad, minimum. In general, I run Shoota boyz on foot (thus at least 20 per), and sluggas in trukks, which seems to be the better formula.

As for HQ's, Big Meks with Kustom Force Fields are very popular, and very effective - I personally find it hard not to include one. Note, that putting the mek in a vehicle increases the radius of the Field - so it's most common to see the Mek riding in Battlewagons, or Trukks. Warbosses generally gel well with any of the melee options Orks have, and Ghazzkull sees quite a lot of use (though I don't use him personally).

As for elites.... Lootas are fantastic (though that's not to say they are essential)- though people differ in how many they field. They are susceptible to moral failures due to ranged fire, so many people either field them in 5's, so they lose less when they run, or 15's, so they can make use of the Mob Rule.

Oh, yeah, Mob Rule. Check that rule out in the Ork Codex.

Kanz are great, walkers low cost, and you can get rokkits with the best BS, and Grotzookas which are great in their own way. Their low WS just means that it's easy for enemies to place hits - most of the time they will still be hitting on 4's.

Battlewagons are also great, but primarilly for their Deffrollas, which many may declare the best AV in the game. Those hits described in the rulebook, work against vehicles when you tank shock them.

Orks are all about quantity - mostly to make up for low quality. Orks are designed so that you play them to take cassualties, but survive enough so you can hit back. In melee, Orks will always hit last. It's about soaking up the hits, then hitting back. At very least, your boyz are there to take wounds, so that your nob can survive and deal his Powerklaw hits.

What else... ah, yes. Something I realized when starting another army, after playing Orks.
In terms of ranged firepower... it's a huge contrast to other races. In other races, you get a high chance to hit, but a low amount of shots, which often results in frustration when most of them miss inspite of high BS. With Orks... it's quite different. They provide either large amounts of fire power, or cheap amounts of powerful firepower, but with very low ballistic skill. This seems to placate players (or at least me), when you don't manage to hit anything, because "well, I can only hit on 5's) - you don't get nearly as frustrated/depressed when nothing hits. THAT SAID, Orks have an uncanny ability to hit things quite a damned lot in spited of their low BS. Lootas in particular in infamous for having half their shots hit, only on 5's.

Ultimately, Orks are mostly about risk vs reward vs fun. A lot of their units/arsenal has large potential to backlash, but they are very fun to use (assuming you're not stuck in a competitive mindset). Their tendency to miss most of their fire, as well as things to potentially go disastrously wrong with some units/equipment, encourages a perception of having fun over cold, calculating, desire to only win. That doesn't mean they aren't competative - many people I've played against have been disgusted at how capable Orks are (and thats with me not using Deathstar ork squads).

Ultimately, experiment. The majority of the codex sees quite a lot of use.

As an Ork player, your turns will take longer than other races - mostly due to you having to move/place larger-than-average bodies of units. This means that games will take a little longer than usual - and muuuuch longer if you're fighting against another Ork player

As stated above (and doubly so!), with your boyz, use ranged units to fire upon melee targets, and melee units to attack ranged units.

Orks in generall are very close-combat capable, a good sized squad of Sluggas is truly terrifying on the charge, and Shootas are capable in their own right - but enemy close combat specialists are still a very real danger. Orks only have strength 3, so rely on that charge to get that extra attack and Strength 4 due to Furious Charge. Orks never, ever like being charged.

Larger squads of Orks can take the hits and still strike back nicely enough, but they are better at taking wounds (and hitting back) when they are charging, then when they have been charged.

Also remember that Ork units over 10 are Fearless - which has it's good and bad results. In close combat, if they lose combat, they take wounds for each wound they lost combat by.

The low Ork initiative means they will hit last, outside of some very rare occasions (getting the charge without cover against Firewarriors, for example). It also means though, that Orks are very susceptible to Sweeping Advances when their squads are low. Luckilly, boss poles help negate that somewhat, though at the likely cost of an additional boy. One of the reasons Boss Polls are essential

Hope you have a good time playing with Da Boyz

**Jidmah**

In addition to Kharraks really good advice, I'll copy+paste my shopping list. Note that this list is aimed at people starting out and have no idea what army they are going to play. I know the battleforce is a good deal, you just shouldn't get it to start your army. Unless, of course, you already know you are going to play a KoS list, then you should get five of them.

Best buyz are, in order:

1. Nobz box. Lots of klaws, big choppas and combi weapons. Don't be affraid to cut of the AOBR nobz arms to fit the better weapons on. Bonus: Nobz work quite well in low-point games, which you are playing at this point.
2. Boxes of Boyz. You can't make Shootaboyz out of AOBR boyz easily(stupid arms), so get the regular boxes. Each one allows you to build an additional boy /w rokkit and a nob /w PK and bosspole. You can add the rokkits and one nob to your other boyz, put the AOBR big shootas with your shoota boyz.
3. Kanz OR Battleweagons. Actually fully up to you which one. If you like huge amounts of boyz, go kanz. Magnetize the kanz arms, so you can switch weapons later. If you like tanks and ramming them into everything, go battleweagons. Do not glue any turrents onto the hull, so you can switch them. Last, but most important: Do not buy both kanz and battlewagons, as they don't work well together.
3. Yeah, two thirds. Get Lootaz&Burna boxes. Each box is missing three bodys to build all lotaz and burnaz, do not build the meks. You can use boyz boxes to compensate. If you keep the burna heads and use regular ones, you can use them and all the spare bagpacks you will have by now(meks, boyz) to build quite good looking kommandoz. You need more bodies for that though, but AOBR boyz work fine.
4. BigMek with KFF. One of our best HQs, save boyzs, kanz and battlewagons.
5. Do not buy the battleforce, you do not want one trukk, three warbikes and twenty boyz. No ork army wants them in that combination, too many boyz for a trukk, too few trukks for the boyz, too few warbikers for anything.

**MrMerlin**

I totally agree on everything above.

But 1 thing has been forgotten, wich is Komanndoz. You really want to get those, together with snikrot. With him you can have 15 boys (with two burnas) pop up from any table-edge and assault da shooty stuff.

And about the good time ork-players are having; your'e absolutely right about this. My army is especially fun to play because I write a name on every ork I have, as soon as he is based. So when my opponent is killing some orks, i can declare he just murdered Mogroff, Rogbotz, Kriffbud and Piff the Grot. Or that Mef just shot this farseer.

You'll really have a good time that way

**deffskulla**

Jidmah wrote:In addition to Kharraks really good advice, I'll copy+paste my shopping list. Note that this list is aimed at people starting out and have no idea what army they are going to play. I know the battleforce is a good deal, you just shouldn't get it to start your army. Unless, of course, you already know you are going to play a KoS list, then you should get five of them.

Best buyz are, in order:

1. Nobz box. Lots of klaws, big choppas and combi weapons. Don't be affraid to cut of the AOBR nobz arms to fit the better weapons on. Bonus: Nobz work quite well in low-point games, which you are playing at this point.
2. Boxes of Boyz. You can't make Shootaboyz out of AOBR boyz easily(stupid arms), so get the regular boxes. Each one allows you to build an additional boy /w rokkit and a nob /w PK and bosspole. You can add the rokkits and one nob to your other boyz, put the AOBR big shootas with your shoota boyz.
3. Kanz OR Battleweagons. Actually fully up to you which one. If you like huge amounts of boyz, go kanz. Magnetize the kanz arms, so you can switch weapons later. If you like tanks and ramming them into everything, go battleweagons. Do not glue any turrents onto the hull, so you can switch them. Last, but most important: Do not buy both kanz and battlewagons, as they don't work well together.
3. Yeah, two thirds. Get Lootaz&Burna boxes. Each box is missing three bodys to build all lotaz and burnaz, do not build the meks. You can use boyz boxes to compensate. If you keep the burna heads and use regular ones, you can use them and all the spare bagpacks you will have by now(meks, boyz) to build quite good looking kommandoz. You need more bodies for that though, but AOBR boyz work fine.
4. BigMek with KFF. One of our best HQs, save boyzs, kanz and battlewagons.
5. Do not buy the battleforce, you do not want one trukk, three warbikes and twenty boyz. No ork army wants them in that combination, too many boyz for a trukk, too few trukks for the boyz, too few warbikers for anything.

Agree with everything, except the last comment. The Battleforce is a great booster for an army and adds variety to an existing army. However I will agree you don't want to start off with that set.

**Rythgar**

Thanks for the great advice gentlemen! I think I'm going to stop by my flgs today and pick up a couple boxes of boyz and get started.

**Jidmah**

MrMerlin wrote:I totally agree on everything above.

But 1 thing has been forgotten, wich is Komanndoz. You really want to get those, together with snikrot. With him you can have 15 boys (with two burnas) pop up from any table-edge and assault da shooty stuff.

And about the good time ork-players are having; your'e absolutely right about this. My army is especially fun to play because I write a name on every ork I have, as soon as he is based. So when my opponent is killing some orks, i can declare he just murdered Mogroff, Rogbotz, Kriffbud and Piff the Grot. Or that Mef just shot this farseer.

You'll really have a good time that way

Heh, writing names on the base is an awesome idea. Thus far, I only named my HQs and models which did awesome things during battles, like my big choppa nob "Manslaughter" who has a kill count of close to two hundred guardsmen so far. He even murdered almost an entire squad of veterans by himself.

**MrMerlin**

Jidmah wrote:
Heh, writing names on the base is an awesome idea. Thus far, I only named my HQs and models which did awesome things during battles, like my big choppa nob "Manslaughter" who has a kill count of close to two hundred guardsmen so far. He even murdered almost an entire squad of veterans by himself.

Yes, naming your heroes is a nice thing to do, i always add further titles and names if they peform well. So for example one Nob is called "Grud Srod da Eldar-weirdboy-fingy-killer"; it doesnt fit on the base thou....

But coming up with 100 orky names really is not easy!!

**KingCracker**

Jidmah wrote:
MrMerlin wrote:I totally agree on everything above.

But 1 thing has been forgotten, wich is Komanndoz. You really want to get those, together with snikrot. With him you can have 15 boys (with two burnas) pop up from any table-edge and assault da shooty stuff.

And about the good time ork-players are having; your'e absolutely right about this. My army is especially fun to play because I write a name on every ork I have, as soon as he is based. So when my opponent is killing some orks, i can declare he just murdered Mogroff, Rogbotz, Kriffbud and Piff the Grot. Or that Mef just shot this farseer.

You'll really have a good time that way

Heh, writing names on the base is an awesome idea. Thus far, I only named my HQs and models which did awesome things during battles, like my big choppa nob "Manslaughter" who has a kill count of close to two hundred guardsmen so far. He even murdered almost an entire squad of veterans by himself.

Yea I do a similar thing, Ill give them nicnames and add random things to them. A few examples are the WAAAGH! banner Nob I have, he has a bigchoppa and is covered in "trophies" of memorable kills, and yea the dude himself is just a killing machine, youd figure Id put the banner on a PK nob, but hes such a badass I cant bring myself to do it. I also have a Boy that I put a terminator shoulder pad on and I plan on putting something cool on his base once I around to it, because in 1 killteam mission that very boy by himself killed 2 termies. 2! What a friggin badass

**MrMerlin**

KingCracker wrote:
Jidmah wrote:
MrMerlin wrote:I totally agree on everything above.

But 1 thing has been forgotten, wich is Komanndoz. You really want to get those, together with snikrot. With him you can have 15 boys (with two burnas) pop up from any table-edge and assault da shooty stuff.

And about the good time ork-players are having; your'e absolutely right about this. My army is especially fun to play because I write a name on every ork I have, as soon as he is based. So when my opponent is killing some orks, i can declare he just murdered Mogroff, Rogbotz, Kriffbud and Piff the Grot. Or that Mef just shot this farseer.

You'll really have a good time that way

Heh, writing names on the base is an awesome idea. Thus far, I only named my HQs and models which did awesome things during battles, like my big choppa nob "Manslaughter" who has a kill count of close to two hundred guardsmen so far. He even murdered almost an entire squad of veterans by himself.

Yea I do a similar thing, Ill give them nicnames and add random things to them. A few examples are the WAAAGH! banner Nob I have, he has a bigchoppa and is covered in "trophies" of memorable kills, and yea the dude himself is just a killing machine, youd figure Id put the banner on a PK nob, but hes such a badass I cant bring myself to do it. I also have a Boy that I put a terminator shoulder pad on and I plan on putting something cool on his base once I around to it, because in 1 killteam mission that very boy by himself killed 2 termies. 2! What a friggin badass

See guys? Thats why ork-players have so much fun

I dont think this would work with SM, Eldar, Tau, Necrons.....

**Jollydevil**

Orks are fun because you can choose to build your army competitive, or just fun. You can put a deffrolla on your bw to squish anything in your path, or you cold just blow it all to kindo, come with a giant killkannon. Pick troops off at range with lootas or watch them burn with burnas.
You should probably start with some boyz, a warboss and a trukk. The aobr is great for this, which you probably already have considering you said ypu played space marines. After that, you can tailor your army into a mek build, speedfreeks, or just combine them all into a random bunch of awesomely surprising chaos orks, with rokkit boyz coming at you from one end and a tank squishing you with a deff rolla on the other.

**terranarc**

Ignore everyone else and just get deffrollas.

Ok maybe not everyone but just get deffrollas. Now, I don't know if everyone has fun when I use them but I always have the time of my life when I start deff rolling around. You must trust me on this, you'll never have more fun in 40k than when you're just running around steamrolling everything you hit while getting a 4+ cover save.
Plus the expression you see on the opponent's face is a mix of horror, annoyance, anguish and frustration followed by possibly relief or rage frustration.

**ork-the-ork**

MrMerlin wrote:
KingCracker wrote:
Jidmah wrote:
MrMerlin wrote:I totally agree on everything above.

But 1 thing has been forgotten, wich is Komanndoz. You really want to get those, together with snikrot. With him you can have 15 boys (with two burnas) pop up from any table-edge and assault da shooty stuff.

And about the good time ork-players are having; your'e absolutely right about this. My army is especially fun to play because I write a name on every ork I have, as soon as he is based. So when my opponent is killing some orks, i can declare he just murdered Mogroff, Rogbotz, Kriffbud and Piff the Grot. Or that Mef just shot this farseer.

You'll really have a good time that way

Heh, writing names on the base is an awesome idea. Thus far, I only named my HQs and models which did awesome things during battles, like my big choppa nob "Manslaughter" who has a kill count of close to two hundred guardsmen so far. He even murdered almost an entire squad of veterans by himself.

Yea I do a similar thing, Ill give them nicnames and add random things to them. A few examples are the WAAAGH! banner Nob I have, he has a bigchoppa and is covered in "trophies" of memorable kills, and yea the dude himself is just a killing machine, youd figure Id put the banner on a PK nob, but hes such a badass I cant bring myself to do it. I also have a Boy that I put a terminator shoulder pad on and I plan on putting something cool on his base once I around to it, because in 1 killteam mission that very boy by himself killed 2 termies. 2! What a friggin badass

See guys? Thats why ork-players have so much fun
I dont think this would work with SM, Eldar, Tau, Necrons.....

My Warboss's name is Da Big Bad Boss Gor Fasta. He earned his name after jumping out of a trukk, blowing up a Blood angel's land raider, killed three assault marines in there, and then insta-killed the librarian.

My Nob's names are also as followed:

Korpral Killfasta
Da Beast Ironstompa
Da Mighty Scumzag
Blakgut Lugrippa
Sunbork IronJaw
Scarbig Busta Bursta
Da big Klawgrag
Da Slasha Ironchop
Blastalung

**Charles Rampant**

Orks are great fun. I usually do quite well, except against a Footdar list which eats my poor boyz alive.

The battleforce is good, but you kinda need more than one to use the contents. I've got one so far, which is mostly useful since I already had three bikes - but a single truck won't get you anywhere, unlike a Battlewagon which is more survivable.

Be used to taking high casualties. Varnishing your models is important, since you pick them up in handfuls. I've regularly lost 30 or more boyz in the first enemy shooting phase, and then gone on to win. The trick to remember with Orks is that your boyz may not be very hard to kill, but an entire mob is a very difficult killpoint to claim at times.

Finally, don't make the same mistake as me and try to paint each boy to a high standard. It takes a long time...

**Arctik_Firangi**

Charles Rampant wrote:
Finally, don't make the same mistake as me and try to paint each boy to a high standard. It takes a long time...

I'm currently working on my fifth greenskin army (2nd for 40k) and I have to say that I agree with the above statement. It takes a long time.

That doesn't mean I don't try.

**KingCracker**

ork-the-ork - Scarbig Busta Bursta

That is a hilarious name. But your warboss story is awesome. Thats the very reason I take a Warboss and not Ghaz...ever. A standard Warboss is a friggin terror on the field. One of my fav boss stories was one of my first games. My brother took an assault squad and he stuck some badass HQ in there, they were just kicking my boyz asses. So I sent the boss alone to equalize the situation. He got there, the HQ swings first, hits 3 attacks with a PW, Warboss makes all 3 cybork saves, ID the HQ and the next turn kills off the rest of the assault squad, losing only 1 wound. What a badass

**Arakasi**

Charles Rampant wrote:Finally, don't make the same mistake as me and try to paint each boy to a high standard. It takes a long time...

It is good practice though - you get plenty of practice!

Have to agree with KingCracker - Boss stories are great! My own Warboss (Morgrim "Da Lion" Grimork - a more fitting miniature currently being modelled!) has an epic thing for Eldar Wraithlords

**Arctik_Firangi**

My Mek-Boss Gutrott once Shokk Attack Gunned himself into combat with a Space Wolf git called Logan somethingorother... long story short, Mek Skrapdigga is in charge now - ya hear?

**jacetms87**

Post pulled due to request, if you wish to inquire as to what I have for trade please visit the Swap shop.

**Jollydevil**

What the hell is a kan wall? I keep hearing the name on here, but ive never heard it in real life.

**MrMerlin**

Jollydevil wrote:What the hell is a kan wall? I keep hearing the name on here, but ive never heard it in real life.

A kan wall is a wall of killa kanz. they give the boyz a coversave and are usually supposed to get one for themselves from a kff mek

**Kharrak**

Jollydevil wrote:What the hell is a kan wall? I keep hearing the name on here, but ive never heard it in real life.

To extrapolate:

Killa Kanz can form a squadron. You march them in a line, ahead of your boyz. Since your boyz are behind it, enemies firing at them are firing through the kanz, which counts as a single unit, thus the boyz behind get a cover save.

The Kan squadrons are marched within close proximity to a Big Mek with a Kustom Force Field, which grants them a 4+ cover save (if they are close enough).

In other words, Kanz give a 4+ cover save to the boyz behind, while they themselves receive a 4+ cover save.

The general Kan wall has at least two to three squadrons of Killa Kanz used in this way.

**Jollydevil**

Doesnt shooting through models ony confer a 6+ save?

**Jidmah**

Nope, 4+. It's listed under exceptions somewhere in the cover rules.

**Jollydevil**

Jidmah wrote:Nope, 4+. It's listed under exceptions somewhere in the cover rules.

Then why use kans if you can just use gretchin? Much cheaper, and frees up heavy spots as well as gives you a troop for objective captures.

**KingCracker**

Because the Kans get a 4+ cover save from the KFF meks sitting around them. Ist a super tough build. If your opponent shoots past the kans at the Orks behind them, the Kans are unmolested and hit the lines at full power. If your opponent focuses on the Kans, the shots have to get through their armor first, then any glances/pens get that 4+ cover save first, whatever is left gets to roll on the damage chart.

So either 9 untouched kans hulksmash the enemy lines, OR some kans hit the lines and a mostly untouched Ork Horde comes in right behind them.

**warpcrafter**

Meganobs work great, especially if you also include Mad Dok Grotsnik as one of your HQ's, as he allows any Ork unit to have cybork bodies for +5 points per model, which grants them a 5+ invulnerable save that unlike the KFF also works in close combat. It basically makes them into 2-wound terminators. And you definitely want to put them in a battlewagon with a KFF Mek, so that you don't have to deal with slow and purposeful. All in all, a great, but expensive deathstar unit.