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Hi, so I'm in the unusual position of nearly having all my 40k fully painted, just a tank here and a few spare models there and I'll have even the units I don't use done! Waiting for new codexes for my current armies as they are rumoured to be getting new ones later this year, so I'll hold off on expanding them for now. More time for playing!

But I always fancied starting a necron or Ork army at some point, and I see they have updated codexes. I'm considering dipping my toe in and starting one of them, but I'd like to find out a few things 1st. In a nutshell I'm looking for an army that is semi competitive, easy to modal and transport, and of course, fun to play!

If I was going the Ork route, I'd probably go bikers with the forgeworld commander who makes them troops, fill in the rest with something like bullyboyz and tankbustas in trucks or something. So not too high of a modal count and pretty mobile. Is that workable and how good are those modal kits, I.e to put together and sturdyness? I'd like to stay away from modals that require green stuff and lots of fidly bits. Same for the necrons!

Speaking of which, how are the wraith kits for necrons and the ghost ark? They look a bit brittle at a glance. If I was to go the necron route, I'd actually prefer to avoid their tanks/fliers as I'm not a fan of those modals, do necrons require them to be semi decent? I like the idea of an aggressive force of wraiths backed up by troops to camp objectives and whatever tricks some support units can throw into the mix.

Either way, I don't want a boring army or one that will lie over and die to most things, but at the same time I'm not win at all costs either, if it looks cool and has a shout in most games, I'm happy enough out. Any input would be great!

Necrons are fun but a lot of people don't like playing against the new codex. The wraith models aren't as delicate as they look so that's a plus. They have a lot of cool rules and so long as you aren't a WAAC player people should still play you.

I can't tell you much about orks, sorry.

That'll be a wickedly fun ork list btw. Though those are expensive models, tankbustas and Meganobz and bikes. So as long as you're cool with that you'll have tons of fun playing it.

There's little that can beat orks in a fun department.

 Bryan01 wrote:

Either way, I don't want a boring army or one that will lie over and die to most things, but at the same time I'm not win at all costs either, if it looks cool and has a shout in most games, I'm happy enough out. Any input would be great!

Well with Necrons you're in luck, they're the most durable army in the game point for point by most reckonings. You can make a lot of different lists and have great deals of success. I have lots of fun playing them, but they are a bit more straightforward. If you're looking for lots of fun rules and flair, Necrons don't really have that (as they shouldn't, they're robots). Orks have a lot more flair and "fun" rules.

Orks aren't one of the most competitive armies. In fact, both friends of mine that play Orks have quit after the new codex came out. They just can't seem to win much and find that their new rules aren't as fun as their old rules. However, Orks are still silly and fun.

Necrons are arguably one of the best codexes right now, and they have very straightforward list building and are harder than hell to kill. However, they lack all the silly rules, as said above.

You should see if your area generally accepts forgeworld beforehand. If so the work biker boss could be good, then again he is due for an update and may lose biker troops.

Necrons are the new eldar, and its only going to be shunned more as time goes on. The things you need to field to do well against them like massed ap 4 don't help vs 5/6 of the other armies, making them nearly immortal to all comers lists. Its a bit like playing all knights. Usually predictable and rarely fun for both parties.

If you wanted to go with the biker boyz list you might consider two Battlewagonz full of Tankbustas and maybe a squad of flanking rokkit buggies or rokkit coptas. Then perhaps a dakkajet or two to help ground fmc. Hopefully I didn't just quote you 2500 points.

If you wanted TB in trukk I'd spread to two CADs fill in a troop tax and MSU TBs.

I've also wondered what a stompa granting fearless to bikes could do, other than be the only AV on field.

Thanks for the replies! Good stuff.

The orks requiring a forgeworld modal is a bit off putting as its at the whim of a rule change from them that could play havoc with the theme I'd like to go for if I went with the boyz on wheels army.

Necrons seem more straightforward and the practical option all round, but I guess it says something that I'm still a wee bit on the fence, orks have a few non playing considerations that are fun, such as customising modals, I'm not big into that side of things, but I do like to add the odd bit here and there to give an army a bit more flavour, makes up for run of the mill painting!

I think if I went the necron route, I'd stick with the simple painting scheme of them, but I'd have to add something to the army to make it my own I reckon. Yet to see any necron armies that grab me when it comes to theme, although their fluff seems to give some room for character these days!

If your trying for fun then Orks 100% no question. If your trying to be competitive then probably Necrons with their silly 4++ Decurion resurrection.

Orks can be competitive, but your going to have to sacrifice a bit of theme to make it so. The Green tide seems to be the best formation right now for us. Though if you like deathstars, ghaz and his lieutenants do have a valid formation now.

For fun though, jeez where to start? SAG? i mean nothing more fun then having your big mek shoot at a Chaos dread and get bounced into close combat with it. Or Having a Dive bomba crash into its target and destroy everything. Then theirs the Weirdboy......WHO CAN SUMMON DEMONS! haha.

A good way to see if you like the way an army plays is borrow or proxy one.
Nothing beats customizing an ork force. Just about anything goes. Tank bustas are easily made from regular shootas, just need to cut off the magazine and add a blast shield and a rocket on the end of their gun, or two rockets on the end of their pistols. Tank hammers are a rocket on a stick. Ork transports can be scratch built. And the best thing is orks never lose - If we win we win, if we run away we can just come back tomorrow, and if we die then we is dead and that don't count. If you need inspiration for orks then go watch the old Mad Max Road Warrior movie.

As an Ork player I love my army however, there is very little competitive, so you'll lose a lot of games, It is my advice if you should pick up orks run a stompa with the Kustome force field. As it is the only competitive thing I can think Of.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
As an Ork player I love my army however, there is very little competitive, so you'll lose a lot of games, It is my advice if you should pick up orks run a stompa with the Kustome force field. As it is the only competitive thing I can think Of.

With Necrons, you can do a relatively low model count, easy to transport army. With the new codex, your purchases wuill be all thought out for you through formations. They are easy to paint going with the typical metallic paint scheme, with the notable exception of the Ghost Ark, which is probably the biggest PITA models to model and paint I have yet to encounter. It would seem with the new codex, it is very hard to build a bad army. Necrons have become very forgiving.

Orks, on the other hand are higher model count. Lets face it, they aren't the most competitive army, but they are fun through their randomness and craziness, IME both for the Ork player or the opponent, win or lose. Also, if you are crafty, there is not a single Ork vehicle I have ever seen that cannot be scratchbuilt to potentially equal or greater effect than the GW model.

I play orks. I always have a blast with whoever I play and they have a blast with me. We have a necron player. no one wants to play him, and when they do, have no fun. Who do you really wanna be?

Orks can be pretty competitive.

Anywayz, orks tend to have LOTS of stuff on board - no matter what style you choose. Our low model count outnumbers any other army's low model count twofold

Cheers again, everyone was very helpful! Gonna have a little think about it over the next few weeks, but I find myself thinking more about how i'd paint and model the Orks then Necrons, which considering back in the day when I was just starting the hobby I very nearly started a night goblin army for fantasy cause I found them so cool and in the dawn of war series games I mostly played the boyz online, I think I know where my heart is. The need for a forgeworld modal and rules is a bit worrying, as a change could invalidate the army!

In all fairness, FW is not mandatory to orks. You can run simply what's inside the dex and not see big difference.

Orks are an army with the most modelling freedom you can get. You can literally take random stuff and make it look orky. You can take a tin can and make it into a deff dread and people will have a blast playing vs it.

 koooaei wrote:
In all fairness, FW is not mandatory to orks. You can run simply what's inside the dex and not see big difference.

Orks are an army with the most modelling freedom you can get. You can literally take random stuff and make it look orky. You can take a tin can and make it into a deff dread and people will have a blast playing vs it.

Tonka has probably benefited from GW's overpricing more than someone would think

 Bryan01 wrote:
Cheers again, everyone was very helpful! Gonna have a little think about it over the next few weeks, but I find myself thinking more about how i'd paint and model the Orks then Necrons, which considering back in the day when I was just starting the hobby I very nearly started a night goblin army for fantasy cause I found them so cool and in the dawn of war series games I mostly played the boyz online, I think I know where my heart is. The need for a forgeworld modal and rules is a bit worrying, as a change could invalidate the army!

Oh, I think I see another Bad Moons Ork player in the making. And if you still like the Night Goblins, consider buying them and fielding them as your Gretchin/grot units. For myself, I'm currently putting together night goblin squig hoppers and I'll be using them as my runtherder proxies.

A warboss on a bike will not be as good as Wazdakka admittedly, but no one should really have an issue with FW.

Bikerboss vs Wazdakka is awhole different arguement.

Wazdakka indeed makes bikes troops and can scout his squad forward and give them 2+ cover. But he disallows mek guns that are amazing and are worth every point you pay for them. This alone can turn people off Wazdakka. Mek guns are simply too good to pass by.

Warboss with DLS is a beast. He chops stuff to deff and is quite tanky + buffs the squad with +1 WS. But bikes are not obsec and you have to get troops to remain battleforged. Not that it's too bad, actually, as a wagon or truck full of boyz is never a bad idea and they can actually compete with bikers - especially vs ignore-cover things that murderise ork bikers.

So, in the end, i'd say that Wazdakka is more of a sidegrade to a bikerboss rather than a boss +1.

I assume you guys are talking about Zhadsnark? Wazdakka doesn't exist anymore with the current codex.

Technically Zhadsnark doesn't ban Mek Gunz, he bans Big Gunz, which are a different entry. Unknown if FW will change that any time soon.

If you plan on playing orks an elite list won't usually take you too far. To be honest the only way to win with Orks is to demolish the FOC. I'd say at least 80% of their good units are in Heavy support. That being said if you want to play orks be prepared to take models off in droves. S4 explosions downright ruined Trukk boyz for me anyway. Also don't be afraid of Eavy armor. no one expects boyz to actually get a save, everyone expects to kill them in droves with their AP 5 weapons but the flashy git you are has a 4+ now. Also if you have no qualms with taking a train and completely run the FOC right the hell over you can bring a Painboss for each squad to create the most resilient orks ever. Beware Artillery guard. Any variant of Hammerhead tank will eat you alive.

P.S.
You will smack the living daylights out of hormagaunts by denying them their new AP6 cheesiness.

If you are looking for a fun army to paint and assemble, and a fun army to play with, then Orks will by far take the advantage here. Necrons will be easier to paint and assemble, and will probably be more competitive and get you some more wins, but really this is a game, and games are all about fun. Orks do that.

Bikers are awesome. I still need to grow my collection, but I always run at least 6, and still run them as nob bikers, which was way more powerful in the old codex. Either way, they still wreck my opponents when they get to CC and they draw a lot of fire off my 20-strong units of boyz in battlewagons.

Spanks everyone, yeah Zhadsnark and his army of bikers as a core of an ork army, i'm very much interested in. Green tide could be fun as well, but maybe a bit too horde'ish for me as I don't move super fast in games!

Green tide is hard to play, especially on uneven terrain. I just played a game where I could not place my models upright because when we rolled for our board (game shop thing not a rule) we rolled on a map that had a lot of hills and rough terrain, my poor orks couldnt stand up....lots of cover saves though :-)