Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Just toying around with the idea of a Shooting Phase oriented Ork HQ idea since all the current ones aren't really well geared for that. Granted, Orks as a whole aren't well geared for shooting either but I figured it'd be nice to have options. The main gimmick for this unit to make it unique is that it becomes more powerful the more Orks are around him. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten my hands on the latest codex so I'm basing things on what I can find online.


Dakka Nob
Orks love dakka. And da Ork with da most dakka is da most Orky and da biggest nob. But it gets lonely on top. So da Dakka Nob needs to 'ang out with da boyz to feel good. And since Orks feel good when there's lots of dakka, da Dakka Nob must get lots of dakka when there's lots of boyz.

Cost: 70
Unit composition: 1 Dakka Nob
Unit type: Infantry (Character)
Stats: WS: 4, BS: 2, S: 4, T: 4, W: 3, I: 4, A: 3, Ld: 10, Sv: 6+

Wargear:
- Big SAW*
- Big shoota
- Stikkbombz

Special rules:
- Independent character
- 'Ere we go
- Furious charge
- Mob rule

Options:
- May replace Big SAW with a Deff ray** for 15 points.
- May take items from the Runts & Squigs, Orky Know-wots, and/or Gifts of Gork and Mork lists.
- May take a Skope*** in place of a Gitfinda for 10 points.
- May take 'Eavy armour for 5 points.


Big SAW:
A giant squad assault weapon with an attached chainsaw as a bayonet. The number of shots fired (X) increases with the number of models in the Dakka Nob's unit to a maximum of 20. Increases Strength by +2 when used in melee.
- Stats - Range: 36", S: 5, AP: 5, Type: Assault X

Deff ray:
An oversized laser weapon derived from Eldar technology. The strength of its lancing shots (X) increase with the number of models in the Dakka Nob's unit to a maximum of 10. If there are 11+ models in the unit, the weapon counts as Strength: D
- Stats - Range: 48", S: X, AP: 2, Type: Assault 2, Lance

Skope:
A piece of glass that the Dakka Nob can attach to his gun to improve accuracy. Increase BS by +1 regardless if the Dakka Nob has moved or not.

Assault 20, range 36'' strength 5? Assault 2 range 48 Strength D!

Nope, nope, nope-ity nope nope. I am sorry, but you have not thought this through at all and this is an EXTREMELY overpowered guy. As in, so much so if you even suggested playing this guy in a game with me i would say no, then black list you forever after as a precaution.

I liked him, he was totally fine until i saw his weapons. You need to totally and utterly re-think these, only then can you even attempt to make him fair. Before you ask, no, a points increase will not justify a Range 48 Strength D weapon in a HQ slot...

85 points for 2 48" D weapon shots?

Are you insane?

When you're testing out something new from scratch (especially something like a weapon that increases in power when in a larger unit), of course it's rarely perfect right out of the gate. Likewise, you're not going to field something like homebrewed like this until you've had a chance to playtest this a few times with willing colleagues to balance it out. Personally, I like to start OTT and then scale things back as I feel it tends to give me a better feel for where things are wrong by seeing how it can be abused or prove difficult to compete against; where as starting too low gives less useful info since all I get from it is that the concept is underperforming without really knowing in what way or why.

Likewise, blacklisting someone forever seems like a somewhat excessive thing to do when all things are said and done. If someone comes up to you with something you're uninterested to try, just say no, tell him/her why, and insist on sticking to codex.

Personally, I'm more interested in the potential of the concept than the actual numbers. So, Assault 20 and/or Strength D weapons are too strong? That's... not entirely surprising. Bear in mind though that as the unit gets whittled down, you might end up with an Assault 2 weapon (Big SAW) or a Strength 1 weapon (Deff ray).

I have a feeling though, that the Big SAW might actually be more balanceable if it was simply S: 4, AP: 6 a la a regular ol' Shoota (w/ subsequent change of the Dakka Nob's wargear from a Big shoota to a simple Shoota instead). While Assault 20 would theoretically be possible, it should be noted that it would require the Dakka Nob to be sitting alongside a group of 20 Boyz in a unit costing 240 points minimum and that this unit's effectiveness would rapidly drop as Boyz get shot down. I suppose you could instead go with Gretchins for 132+ points instead but that would get weakened very quickly.

With Deff ray though, perhaps I simply gave it the wrong buff. I think that up to S: 10, it's probably fairly okay. It's only with the Strength D where things got a tad out of hand. Perhaps the Deff ray could simply get Twin-linked instead when there are 11+ models in the unit?

The reason someone could consider black listing someone else for suggesting something like this is because it shows a lack of balance that was quite astounding. Saying that ''it gets worse as the unit loses models'' is not much of a negative, because any Ork player *will* be taking units that big anyway, this guy is basically just an 85pt Turbo-laser...

As a rule, when homebrewing units, use the motto of ''Overcosted, underpowered''. This means that people will be far more happy to play you and will be more open to your later suggestions. While going by your ideal of ''start big'' will generally leave a bad taste in the mouth of the person who you stomped upon and will leave them close-minded and negative to later homebrews.

As to how to fix this guy, i think you should scrap the whole ''gets better with more models'' idea because it simply doesn't make sense fluff wise. Why would having a large amount of boys cheering you on allow your gun to turn from a Las-gun into a friggin' Turbo-laser is beyond me.

You can still be characterful and have his own unique weapons, but I'd suggest something a lot less powerful and a little more Orky. Some ideas off the top of my head...

Grottling Gun: While the small pistols grots seem to get their hands on are far to small for an Ork to use, you can create something quite spectacular by strapping enough of them together!

Range 24'' S 4 AP 5 Assault 6, Wall of Lead*

*Roll each shot one at a time. For each hit the following shot gains the benefit of +1 Bs.

Plaz-Blastor: Remember ya Sunglasses!

Range 18'' S 9 AP 2 Assault 2, Gets VERY hot*, Blind

*Get's Hot on a 1 and 2 and no Armour saves may be taken.

Just some ideas that don't involve the ability to 1 shot a Wraithknight...

This interests me, so I'll try to help as much as I can. Here's what I would do:

Firstly, do away with the additional shots per model thing. That can potentially get out of hand really fast.

Big Saw: Range: 36", S: 5, AP: 5, Type: Assault 10

Deff Ray: Range: 48", S: 9, AP: 2, Type: Assault 2, Lance

My reasoning behind the number of shots is that, even with BS 3, the Big Saw can be expected to land only 5 hits, 3 with BS 2. The Deff Ray will likely land only 1 of those shots at BS 3.

As for the reasoning behind the strength of the Deff Ray, I've heard DEldar players complain about Dark Lances, which the Deff Ray would be like if it were strength 8, minus 12 " of range and a shot, and being Heavy 1. If it's not good there, especially with BS 4, it's definitely not good here. I figured that strength 10 might be a little too much, because at that point you'd glance a Land Raider on a roll of 2.

Edited because of grammar.

Alternatively you could keep the "spirit" of more boyz= more dakka, but toned down. Somehing like: gain 1 extra shot when mob is 10+ (I dont have my codex at hand, but something close to the weirdboy warpcharge special rule)

Instead of "just"giving him acces to special weapons, you should consider giving him a special rule (or 2)

maybe something like:
Kowerin dakka: When a friendly unit declares a charge against an enemy unit, the Dakka nob and his mob may snapfire against the enemy unit, (if they are within 12” maybe?) . any rolls of 1 hits the friendly charging unit instead. This happens before the enemy unit elects to snapfire (or not if its too powerful) The Dakka nob and his mob may not assault in the same turn as having made kowerin dakka.

(thats an ork counter to the puny tau firesupport rule).


Maybe also give him access to some blast weapons, and nasty grenades. Add in some USR like pinning, strikedown soulblaze etc.

Range 24'' S 4 AP 5 Assault 6, Wall of Lead*

*Roll each shot one at a time. For each hit the following shot gains the benefit of +1 Bs

I like the idea, but I think in the spirit of the game that it should be changed to something easier to fast roll, instead of rolling 6 dices, one at a time. Maybe give him 2 pistols with something like the co-axial weapon rule (normally reserved for tanks and superheavies I think)

BTW I would just give him regular Nob stats and not the increased wound/initiative and leadership (atleast tone the bonusses down) . (I would especially not give him a higher leadership than a crazy warboss. )