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hi I've recently started playing orks and I have a problem facing opponents with a ranged army(especially that damn tau), right now my army is pretty basic so before I expand I'd like to know some tactics on how I can get into combat quickly so when I make it I dont have about 5 boyz left.

Before you go in for vehicles or hording, consider taking your own ranged support. For example, big guns can help you taking out key opponent units and lowering their overall shootiness so that more front boyz can survive.

Just remember.. Orkz do one of a few things nicely;

-Cheap, fast, transports -> A great way to get what you want out of turn one and two is go get some some trukks
-Cheap, numerous quantities -> If they can shoot the AV, then they likely can't shoot this, if they can shoot numerous 1W models, than you should be spamming BW

Transports with Assault, remember that Orkz have that to win with it. Even our best Ranged Anti Tank (assumably Tank Bustas) get better at anti Tank in CC with Melta Bombs, assumably out of an assault transport.

Lots of Dice, out of a transport, or from Range.. You do best to get used to just removing models when it isn't your turn.

Wooooooo Boy...This could take so long I waited till I got home and was at my computer.

Alright, problem number 1 that you have come across is you bought this trukk to carry your 11 boys and a nob, hell, you bought 4, right? And 2 seconds into the first round of shooting 2 exploded one wrecked and one was immobilized. Am I right? In fact the 2 that exploded killed 5 boys they rolled a 4-6 on their mob rule, rerolled a 4-6 and broke into a run for the boarder.

Now the other 2 units: one got shot till it ran and the other was safe inside the immobilized trukk. The next time you got a turn you ran at the Tau, shot your pistols, then charged. Upon declaring a charge they were overwatched by 3 units and 3-5 boys hit the Tau firewarrior cadre and even though they took 8 firewarriors with them, were slaughtered. Right?

So Tau are a problem for us orcs. They really are. They can take cheap firewarriors and have good numbers, or elites that really hit hard when shooting.

If your problem is with Necron/Space Marines or some other shooting force I feel for you too, and can help you there too. Right now I am going to give some general tips and a couple specific to Tau.

Tau vs Heavy Armor: Tau aren't amazing at taking out armor 14 from a good distance. Use this to your advantage turn 1 to move up your Battle Wagons. Yes I said Wagons, with an S. Why? Because you will need multiple units hitting them in the same turn to be effective.

My suggestion for this particular task? Well I like 1 or 2 Mega nob units. 3Mega nobs per unit each in a battle wagon with a single rokkit and if points allow, a Boarding Plank. Each mega nob unit has an IC and use killsaws. The 2 ICs I prefer are a Warboss in Mega Armor with Da Lukky Stikk, and Mad Doc Grotsnik. Why? So MANs are 3 attacks base, 4 with killsaws, 5 with a charge. With the Warboss those are at Weapon skill 5, and the Warboss rerolls to hit and to wound. With Mad Doc they gain another +1d3 attacks, so 6-8 attacks each. You'll want a Bosspole on the Warboss but Grotsniks crew are fearless.

So why are we using these Mega Nobs for a turn 2 charge? And how? and where do I hit?
Well with their volume of fire people are going to die. If you don't do something about it, it means it's your trukk boys, or your foot slogging boys or your army. So give them a target. Make sure it's the target you want them to shoot. If they pop your trukks, your MANs make it, if they pop your MANs, your trukks or your 30 man mobs make it with the Waaaaaaaaaghhh turn 2. Point is now that you have a couple targets that will walk all over their army, with a relatively low cost, they will need to choose. Keep in mind these BW's are likely (if you use them correctly) providing cover to your trukks and or foot slogging boys. So take those cover saves when you can.

But Troile! The Tau fire large blast templates that are high strength low AP ignore cover and don't scatter due to marker lights! How do I survive this?

Well OP, you have all the resources at your disposal to remove this threat from your life forever! Simply make sure your models are 2 inches away from each other, and remember, your models are less then half as much as a Marine, who is likely in the same poopy situation you are. He costs more than twice as much yet still dies on 2's with no saves of any kind. If it is fair to shoot a squad of Marines, it's fair to shoot a couple orcs. Take it, brush it off, and keep moving.

Buuuuuut Riptides!!!???

Riptides look awesome right!? They look so cool that I bet every one of your orcs can find a shiny bit of metal on them to take home for himself and add to his armor collection or sell to some dirty git for some teef. Right? So make sure your squad of 30 boys attacks him. He will never wade through those boys. Never. Oh? is he jumping away a lot? Did you bring Stormboys? They can catch him and lock him up. No!? Oh, then how about ignoring him? Half the time it's what I do. He kills a few boys a turn. Maybe beats up something worth a few more points, but honestly, he's really gotta work hard to get his points back against orcs. Unless you favor tons of lootas. Also Tankbustas usually shut him up pretty quick.

But Troile, His overlapping overwatch is killing all my guys before they get there!

To solve this problem make them overwatch multiple units. Remember those MANs? Well that potentially gives you 4 units for them to overwatch. The Warboss, His old MANs unit, Mad Doc and his. During your movement when you disembark those BW's (after moving it 6" forward) make sure he is 2" away from the 3 MANs. Make sure you tell your opponent he is now separate. You can do this to great effect with Zadsnark or a Warboss on a bike with a unit of bikers too. You will lose one of them, but I suggest declairing your first charge with the Warboss. Armor 2+ 6+FNP and rerolls on the armor saves. Fire Warriors cant cut that. So they firewarrior it up, and unit after unit fails to kill him. Maybe he dies on the 3rd unit. Now your MANs unit hits, no shots on them or same with Mad Doc's group. Since they can only overwatch once each and they will try to focus fire, They generally screw themselves. It is very effective. You want to do this for your Boys in trukks too. Now those boys trukks that did make it across the field charge without overwatch and really take some heads.

Wait, but I just remembered I hate Battle Wagons and Mega Nobs. What do I do?

So MANs aren't your style? You want more options? Well lets wreck that target priority they have on your boys okay? First we buy some fast attack slots. No not jets, no not buggies, no not deffkopters, I am talking about Stormboys and Warbikers. Stormboys can move 6" Jump 2d6" then assault 2d6" on the Waaaaaagggghh! Thats a minimum of 10 inches they are moving. Max of 30! In a unit of 30 that is wherever you want to charge.Bikes are 12' then 2d6' so a minimum of 14" charge and a max of 24" not half bad right?! and thats after they shoot 18" with 45 twin linked S5 AP5 shots. Good stuff right? So lets create a wall in front of our side of the field with stormboys. Put a painboy on a bike behind them or some terrain, but technically with the unit. Now they have a FNP wall that provides 5+ cover to everything behind it. Which is your army. Because 30 1" bases plus 2" in between each of them is 90". Our table is 72" wide. Everyone has cover except the FNP having stormboys. So now they choose. Most shoot the stormboys. At +3 points over a normal boy I never really miss the unit. If they don't then several lives are saved and the stormboys surge forward turn 1 and consolidate a bit due to any casualties they took. Point is they hit turn 2 or the units you really want to hit do and they provided all the cover you needed to get them there. Same can be done with bikes if you get the short end. 2"x15+15" means again you can cover your army but this time with jinking FNP T5 bikers. I am not saying either of these are the only strategy, but I want you to start thinking outside the box. Orcs have to to win.

But I hate Bikes and Stormboys!

Well Mek gunz are cool. Know what kills Misslesides? S8 AP2 small blast templates at 36" Just saying. So you wanna be shooty? Most people say go Loota. I don't. I hate having a 33% chance of 15 shots a turn. That's 5 hits and probably 5 wounds and 2 dead on a 3+ save, 33% chance 4 die and a 33% chance 6 die. I prefer Flashgitz, 30 shots, 15 hits if they moved, 10 wounds, and a 33% chance all 10 are dead with a 66% chance that only 4 die, If they didn't move that turn its 20 hits 13 wounds with a 33% chance 13 die, 66% 5 die. And Lootas have the advantage of being 48" away, but Flashgitz have S4, 2 Wounds, Initiative 3, 3 attacks and are still badass in close combat, which they immediately perform. Not to mention that when they roll that good AP, thats when they reroll their hits with their Ammo Runts. They beat face. I am like the only person on earth though. (looking to convert you)

Alright. If you have more questions ask away. I hope I started to cover what you wanted to know.

sitruc102 wrote:
hi I've recently started playing orks and I have a problem facing opponents with a ranged army(especially that damn tau), right now my army is pretty basic so before I expand I'd like to know some tactics on how I can get into combat quickly so when I make it I dont have about 5 boyz left.

Tau can be troublesome foe to fight. Personally, understanding how their army functions is very important to how you defeat them. You can try to out shoot them, but Tau will just shoot you off the table. Assault is your best option. Now Tau has the best count measure to deal with assault. A good tau player will try to maintain these supporting fire bubbles. You need to pop these bubbles. Also, trying to multi-assaulting. Send multiple units into the same target. You don't have to say how many units are assaulting into 1 of their units. So send in a mob of boyz and then send another into the same target. This will force the tau player to choose how is going to over watch. It also screws up their supporting fire. Because if any boy makes it into combat with the target and then you assault it again. They can declare over watch by supporting fire.

If you are looking for range options to use, lootas, mek gunz, and Shokk attack guns.

Excellent advice from FratHammer and others. I can't tell you how awesome Grotsnik with MANz are. I take him with 5 and all 5 have Killsaws because it's awesome. Always take a boarding plank on this BW, the extra 2" is so worth it. Don't forget you always get to reroll at least one die on charge rolls. That has made the difference more times than I can remember.

I agree Bikes are best, however I also use Grots and DeffKoptas to soak up Overwatch. Also, don't be afraid to multi assault his tau, you lose the extra Attack and strength and rampage (WTF GW?!?!) but you'll tie up more unitS. Also, my favorite trick is to multi assault vehicles with as many troops as possible. Each penetrating hit is worth 2 wounds when figuring who won the battle. It's so easy (against any non-fearless enemy) to drop their LD to 2. MANz can't sweep but your Boyz, Bikes, Koptas, and Stormz can.

Also a lot of Tau will be against their table edge or close enough they might just run off anyways. Note: doesn't work against ATSKNF units. They used to take extra wounds . . .

With Tau its all about closing the gap, once your stuck in you will roll through them. But there will be losses. Everything will be firing overwatch when you charge so try and put a sacrifice unit in first. But boyz will wreck all the troops, eventually they will chop down suits too.

Speed freaks style will be the best option. Trukks, wagons, biker mobs, koptas. All these will close fast and get in the face. Maybe look at a big mek with KFF on bike. Help keep the vehicles moving forward.

I have played Tau quite a times with my orks. Some games I have slaughtered them, and other times I have been tabled.

I can tell you that the games where I was slaughtered, are the games where I thought I could do some counter shooting, and tried to advance a little more slowly to get those shots off.
(there was also one game where I got annihilated only later to find out that the player was cheating, heavily. but that's not relevant.)

I run a vehicle heavy list with 2 or 3 battlewagons, a couple trukks, and a mob of warbikers. and a dakkajet. What really helps is going first. Oh man, going first is crucial. You need to close that gap as quickly as possible and get in to close combat. Although there was some very sound advice above. So listen to them and you should do all right. But fret not, Tau can be a very tough opponent for almost any army, not just Orks.

Not an orc player, but often played against them. Those trukks may be made of paperthin tissue but they have saved him more often than not. Don't underestimate their value.

Thanks to everyone who replied you've been really helpful especially FratHammer, that was some hefty reading

With Orks you have to learn to take losses a lot. Winning aint easy with them but it is doable against a decent amount of foes. I have never beaten Eldar, Dark Eldar, Grey Knights or Tau to this date though... But my opponents are sick list builders and heavily competitive.

That aside.. The best advice has been given already.. I prefer the bikes option since they are fast and deadly.. when they get the chance ;P

I go with the more bodies than they have bullets approach.

Give them so many targets and wounds, they can't kill enough before it's to late.

For objective games. Put the objectives in the middle of the table. Make them come to you. They cant win unless they get objectives.

Hi I see ewery one sugests bw and hate trukks but I'd say that , tau usualy dont care much bw or trukk and just pop it ,atliest when I play , so I'd say go as fast and as many as you can! Heck if I had models I'd spam trukks with cheap boyz,koptas and bikers in moust smalest cheapest units , you will wreck 10 fire warriors with 5 boyz if youl get there , youre trukk boyz with nobz will kill reptide in mele, so I realy dont see a big point in battlewagon with super wreck team inside . Tau will kill in shooting phase anything

Back in fourth edition you didn't have to tell your opponent what was in each vehicle, you just had to kept track of it yourself. You got to play the shell game of "does that one have the MANz of Boyz or Skarboyz"? Skarboyz were great!! I had 5 Gorka Morka Trukks back then. Good times.

Tyranids also had units that popped out of terrain secretly. Back when GW gave players credit. Before the dark times. Before the Great Amalgamation. When the only race that could fix a vehicle while it was inside it was Orks for some reason.

Darkflame, tau it's good later game at popping tanks, but turn 1, the only turn that matters to our vehicles, they can't get their melta close enough without risking their troops. They have a lot of s8 and tank hunters, but that's only glancing a battlewagon on 6's... After turn 1, melta everywhere.... So don't plan on them living.

I have always done really well against tau (Back in 6th) my nob bikers were insanely deadly. (so many shots, so much close combat killyness) I had lootas, lobbas, and kannons to back up my shooting with foot sloggin boys, nob bikes, and dakka jets to do the majority of my killing. I have not played Tau since the new ork dex but in 6th with the old book that’s how I killed um.

 Hawkeye888 wrote:
With Tau its all about closing the gap, once your stuck in you will roll through them. But there will be losses. Everything will be firing overwatch when you charge so try and put a sacrifice unit in first. But boyz will wreck all the troops, eventually they will chop down suits too.

Don't you have to declare all your charges before overwatch is resolved?

EDIT: Nope - reread the rules. Got it.