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Good Morning Dakka!

So here's the thing, I've played Fantasy for a long time and O&G was one of my first and favorite armies. As a kid I thought Grimgor Ironhide was a total BA and I loved everything about his background, going as far as to build my army around the character. When Storm of Chaos came out and Grimgor was given his own army list, I was in heaven. I fell in love with the strictly Orc list, as Gork (or Mork) intended. It was fluffy, themed, and actually performed well in tournament play.

With 8th edition and the current army book, I quickly realized running a Orc-only list wasn't going to cut it in tournament play as many of the savage or goblin units were too good not to take. I tried incorporating these units, forsaking my theme, and although the list performed well I eventually became disenchanted with them. I lost interest in the army entirely and shelved the greenskins in favor of other armies. Lately though, I've been wanting to bring the boyz back to the tabletop. I've decided tournament meta be damned and I wish to revive the 'Orc purist' list once more.

What I'm trying to do it build a list that only incorporates 'Common' Orcs and Black Orcs (no crazy savage boyz or goblins, unless part of a weapon team with a Bully). I have no delusions of grandeur; I'm not gonna win any tournaments with this setup. However I do want to hold my own at least, and that's where the problem arises. At the moment I can't come up with a list I'm satisfied with, specifically in Core. So, what I would like to ask from the lot of you is advise as to making this army theme work.

Acceptable Themed Units:
Non-Savage Orc Characters
Orc Boyz
Orc Big 'Uns
Arrer Boyz
Black Orcs
Boar Boyz
Boar Chariots
Spear Chukka's (with Bullies)
Rock Lobbers (with Bullies)
Trolls
Giants

The last list I came up with Included Grimgor with an entourage of x34 Black Orcs, x3 Boar Chariots, x10 Boar Boyz, x2 Rock Lobbers, x6 Trolls, x2 Orc Shamans, and an Orc BSB. Could not figure out how to run my Core for the life of me.

Any and all advise is appreciated!

Dude, if you want orcs, run the guy who has a rule called:
"Orcs are Da Best!"
Gorbad unlocks unlimited big uns.
Orc Big Uns with shields are well worth the 9 points they cost.
You'll need a decent block of boar boyz to act as his body guard.
@ 2500 points:
Gorbad
Level 4 orc shaman
Level 2 orc shaman (dispel scroll)
2x35 Orc Big uns, shields, full command (deploy 10 wide, or 5 wide in a bus, or split the difference with 6 or 7 wide, tailor formation to the opponent).
3x10 Arrer Boyz
10 Boar Boy Big Uns, shields, spears, full command
6x Bolt Throwers (w/bullies)
2x Rock Lobbers (w/bullies)

Gives you decent shooting (8 warmachines + 30 bows) decent combat (3 big un units) and decent magic (6 levels of orc magic. 99.98% of the time, the level 4 will have the foot).

With a force that's decent to strong in all three phases, you just focus on wherever your opponent is the weakest. Hang back and shoot chaos, rush empire (using hand of gork to close range), stomp all over low magic armies ect...

-Matt

HawaiiMatt wrote:
Dude, if you want orcs, run the guy who has a rule called:
"Orcs are Da Best!"
Gorbad unlocks unlimited big uns.
Orc Big Uns with shields are well worth the 9 points they cost.
You'll need a decent block of boar boyz to act as his body guard.
@ 2500 points:
Gorbad
Level 4 orc shaman
Level 2 orc shaman (dispel scroll)
2x35 Orc Big uns, shields, full command (deploy 10 wide, or 5 wide in a bus, or split the difference with 6 or 7 wide, tailor formation to the opponent).
3x10 Arrer Boyz
10 Boar Boy Big Uns, shields, spears, full command
6x Bolt Throwers (w/bullies)
2x Rock Lobbers (w/bullies)

Gives you decent shooting (8 warmachines + 30 bows) decent combat (3 big un units) and decent magic (6 levels of orc magic. 99.98% of the time, the level 4 will have the foot).

With a force that's decent to strong in all three phases, you just focus on wherever your opponent is the weakest. Hang back and shoot chaos, rush empire (using hand of gork to close range), stomp all over low magic armies ect...

-Matt

This is all very good advice. Gorbad for me has his drawbacks though.

Yes he saves points because you don't need a BSB, he counts as it, but it does force you to take a big boar boyz unit to protect him. remember if his unit flee he dies and the BSB. although unlimited Big Un units is awesome.

Personally i would plump for Grimgor Ironhide with 30-40 black orcs and a couple of savage orc hordes plus a L4 and a L2 SO shaman. then flavour with rock lobbers and chariots.

If Black Orcs are ok, why not savage Orcs?

 mixer86 wrote:


This is all very good advice. Gorbad for me has his drawbacks though.
Yes he saves points because you don't need a BSB, he counts as it, but it does force you to take a big boar boyz unit to protect him. remember if his unit flee he dies and the BSB. although unlimited Big Un units is awesome.

He's not just the BSB, he's also Ld10 with a 18" bubble and adds his current wounds to animosity. He's a force multiplier.
Grimgor wades in and kicks butt.
Gorbad holds back, and plays clean up.

What is fun is that head to head, typically Grimgor and Gorbad will kill each other in a fight.
A block of boar boyz isn't exactly horrible either. You just need to know the limitations of the unit and don't try and make them do things that they cannot do.

-Matt

Thanks for all the input so far guys! I do share the same concerns as mixer86 in regards to Gorbad. As the BSB, if his unit breaks, he's toast. Plus, he needs that bodyguard. Although I think boars boyz are great, they just don't pack the punch that they really should and are kinda expensive for what you get. And doesn't he have that rule that if he suffers a wound his command range drops to 6"?

I came up with a list I might try out. Whatcha all think?

Grimgor
Great Shaman lvl 4
Shaman lvl 2
Black Orc BSB
x39 Black Orcs w/ FC
x39 Big Uns w/ extra HW & FC
x19 Arrer Boyz w/ FC
x19 Arrer Boyz w/ FC
x2 Boar Chariots
x2 Spear Chukkas w/ Bullies
x2 Rock Lobbas w/ Bullies

Gives me 55pts left to toss out some magic items.

 Dakkamite wrote:
If Black Orcs are ok, why not savage Orcs?

Mainly because I don't own any Savage Orcs Also, even though I fully appreciate what they can do and how effective they are, I've never really liked savage orcs. If I recall correctly I don't think they were available in the old Storm of Chaos Grimgor list either, but I could be wrong.

I'd listen to MATT. Boar boyz aren't terrible as a support unit. They ARE not knights and should really be treated as more of a flanking unit. But with high leadership BigUns coming down your throat, you ought to be a ble to lock up the big units and flank with the boar boys. Clean up the chaff, whittle things down and then waagh to your hearts content.