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Howdy Dakka,

I know it's kind of a random question, and the two options are hard to directly compare, but I'm curious to peoples general thoughts.

I've been saving my scheckles for a few months now and have the opportunity to make a rare large purchase (this time of year is about the only time the fiance doesn't mind me spending a little extra on the ol' war dollies) and Im stuck between these two choices. I've got uses for both so I'm more curious to hear ftom people who own these kits. Whats the build quality on the stompa, are the skitarri units as much fun to use as I think they are, etc.

I have a large(ish) Ork army that features a lot of mechs and walkers so a Stompa fits right in.

I've been slowly assembling an imperial army over the last two years that involves 3/4 of a company of Red Hunters, complete with drop pods galore and a large air force w/additional heavy mech and a lot of dreadnaughts. Since my CSM army has a lot of demon engines, my plan is to join the Red Hunters with a small mechanicum contingent and an Inquisitorial retinue (theres a type of Inquisitor that specializes in tech -cant remember the name off-hand). The Battle Maniple would be the admech contingent.

Also, I play in a group where actually using a Stompa in a game would be totally cool (so long as everyone knows ahead of time) so thats not an issue.

So Im curious to hear Dakka's thoughts on/expetiences with these. If you have both, what have you had more fun with, which would you buy again, etc. Thanks in advance.

Stompa.

1) it's one of the few viable ork builds that's competative, but can easily be toned down into simply fluffy with little effort
2) Stompas are cool
3) if GW ever reamakes the stompa, the price will skyrocket to something astronomical, might as well get one now
4) you can pick up the robots slowly any time, but if this is the only time you can afford to lash out for a big purchase, it's the only time you can get a stompa
5) it's a stompa, how can you not want one?

Stompa by far, especially now with the new ITC reduced cost Stompa option.

Not only that but you can save big bucks by building your own Stompa out of scratch parts, and that's a major part of the fun when it comes to Orks, sure it will still cost a bit to get all the supplies, but it'll still be at a discount and it'll be your own unique work.

Battle Maniple boxed set is a "while stocks last" thing and is sold out on GW's webstore in the US, so I would say go for that if your local shop still has one.

The Stompa isn't going anywhere.

Thanks for the input everyone! My LGS has one of each left and Im heading there later today. Still on the fence! Lol

 Tinkrr wrote:
Stompa by far, especially now with the new ITC reduced cost Stompa option.

Ha, super funny that the IRC rules this way but the document with the obvious misprint that they based their ruling on is no longer in the FW download selection*. The document that makes non codex stompa's Lords of war is also no longer linked at by FW and IA8 the book that the famous update was updating is no longer for sale by FW. So no more kustom stompas or discount stompas for you until they update IA8 (or perhaps IA appoc ?). To be honest the Ork codex stompa is not worth its points. Kustom stompas are good but codex stompas are just way to expensive point wise for the weapons that they carry. There is just no way that you can afford spending half your armies point total on a normal stompa in a game meta that has lots of solutions for big more point efficient walkers such as knights.

* http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-JP/Downloads#warhammer40k

I would build my own kustom stompa (for unbound andd appoc games) and only buy parts that you cant build yourself, keeping the costs low and creating an unique model.
The battle maniple I would consider buying since they are great models that you can't build yourself, and you know are actually supported by good rules.

A manipule its an legal army in a box hq, 2 troops and a heavy support. So a ready made detachment and can be equipped with a huge mix of weapons.

Though the stompa is an excellent center piece and can be customized to a degree straight from the box.

I would say the Stompa. The Stompa is one of the few super heavies that people don't mind fighting I've seen. Not only is it an impressive kit, but it looks great as the center piece of an army, and it sounds like it would be a super fluffy addition.

 War Kitten wrote:
I would say the Stompa. The Stompa is one of the few super heavies that people don't mind fighting I've seen. Not only is it an impressive kit, but it looks great as the center piece of an army, and it sounds like it would be a super fluffy addition.

Why do people don't mind when you field them is it that they are well balanced models or is it that the same reason nobody minds if you field vespids
This thing currently is only fieldable for 770 + points that is a huge chunk of the army.

 oldzoggy wrote:

 Tinkrr wrote:
Stompa by far, especially now with the new ITC reduced cost Stompa option.

Ha, super funny that the IRC rules this way but the document with the obvious misprint that they based their ruling on is no longer in the FW download selection*. The document that makes non codex stompa's Lords of war is also no longer linked at by FW and IA8 the book that the famous update was updating is no longer for sale by FW. So no more kustom stompas or discount stompas for you until they update IA8 (or perhaps IA appoc ?). To be honest the Ork codex stompa is not worth its points. Kustom stompas are good but codex stompas are just way to expensive point wise for the weapons that they carry. There is just no way that you can afford spending half your armies point total on a normal stompa in a game meta that has lots of solutions for big more point efficient walkers such as knights.

* http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-JP/Downloads#warhammer40k

I would build my own kustom stompa (for unbound andd appoc games) and only buy parts that you cant build yourself, keeping the costs low and creating an unique model.
The battle maniple I would consider buying since they are great models that you can't build yourself, and you know are actually supported by good rules.

No idea what fw site you are looking at; maybe don't use the Japanese site.
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/resources/fw_site/fw_pdfs/Warhammer_40000/Ork_Dread_Mob_Army_List_Update.pdf

That document is updated for 6th edition and was the latest rewrite of the rules which include the same wording you consider a misprint.
Secondly the big Mek stompa was updated for 7th edition in the apoc book so it is completely up to date.
However I believe the next edition of IA8 will have buzzgrobs stompa price changed once again.

Skullhammer wrote:
A manipule its an legal army in a box hq, 2 troops and a heavy support. So a ready made detachment and can be equipped with a huge mix of weapons.

Though the stompa is an excellent center piece and can be customized to a degree straight from the box.

Skitarii have no HQ options.

gungo wrote:

 oldzoggy wrote:

 Tinkrr wrote:
Stompa by far, especially now with the new ITC reduced cost Stompa option.

Ha, super funny that the IRC rules this way but the document with the obvious misprint that they based their ruling on is no longer in the FW download selection*. The document that makes non codex stompa's Lords of war is also no longer linked at by FW and IA8 the book that the famous update was updating is no longer for sale by FW. So no more kustom stompas or discount stompas for you until they update IA8 (or perhaps IA appoc ?). To be honest the Ork codex stompa is not worth its points. Kustom stompas are good but codex stompas are just way to expensive point wise for the weapons that they carry. There is just no way that you can afford spending half your armies point total on a normal stompa in a game meta that has lots of solutions for big more point efficient walkers such as knights.

* http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-JP/Downloads#warhammer40k

I would build my own kustom stompa (for unbound andd appoc games) and only buy parts that you cant build yourself, keeping the costs low and creating an unique model.
The battle maniple I would consider buying since they are great models that you can't build yourself, and you know are actually supported by good rules.

No idea what fw site you are looking at; maybe don't use the Japanese site.
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/resources/fw_site/fw_pdfs/Warhammer_40000/Ork_Dread_Mob_Army_List_Update.pdf

That document is updated for 6th edition and was the latest rewrite of the rules which include the same wording you consider a misprint.
Secondly the big Mek stompa was updated for 7th edition in the apoc book so it is completely up to date.
However I believe the next edition of IA8 will have buzzgrobs stompa price changed once again.

This FW site is where I am looking at not some pdf that just happens to be still there but is no longer linked at at the FW site.
Here is the UK book section IA8 is not there. http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-GB/Warhammer-40-000?N=102580+4294966041&Nu=product.repositoryId&qty=8&sorting=rec&view=table&categoryId=cat2140034
This is the download section the update of IA8 and the old Lord or War list is no longer there. http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-GB/Downloads

That updated file you are linking to isnt up to date at all. It still references to the old Ork codex.
The imperial armour apoc book of 2013 isn't 7th updated at all. There are no Lords of war in it.
The same holds true for the warhammer 40k apocalypse book no single line that mentions you can use this super heavy as a lord of war in a ... army.
These books are both compatible with mid of 6th.

Outside the ork codex (and hidden old links that are stilll active) there are currently no rules for any ork lord of war outside the ork codex.

Now lets peer deeper into that mess of the outdated update rules that created the discount stompa.
The original IA8 mentiones that Buzzgob could bring his custom stompa referencing to the page of the IA8 custom stompa rules.
They even call it Buzzgobs mek workshop kustom stompa builder ( this thing had a base price around 300 points.

Then IA appoc came out making a containing a Big mek stompa for ~800 points.
So you can see what went wrong there in the update. Some simple minded shellfish mixed up the two stompas that both had the words mek and Stompa in it. .
They admitted that it was an error in multiple mails and on their facebook but nobody fixed it.
Also note that it is highly dubious if the fw update file intended it to be used in regular sized 40k games.

In games of Warhammer 40,000: Apocalypse, or other
large scale battles, Buzzgob may be exchanged for a Big
Mek Stompa

Apocalypse, or other large scale battles does not sound like normal sized 40k battles at all.
The fact that ITC allows it doesn't make it legit it just proves that ITC loves making dubious house rules.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
To conclude things if you are using the discount stompa based on ITC you are actually using some one else his houserule based on a dodgy interpretation of a update that is no longer linked at of a book that is no longer sold containing a known misprint. I would not want to field the centre piece of my army based on that.

 Kanluwen wrote:

Skullhammer wrote:
A manipule its an legal army in a box hq, 2 troops and a heavy support. So a ready made detachment and can be equipped with a huge mix of weapons.

Though the stompa is an excellent center piece and can be customized to a degree straight from the box.

Skitarii have no HQ options.

The other maniple with
dominus
2×kataphon
1 set of bots.

Not the soon to be released one with vangaurd, crawler and dominus.

Hi All,

Thanks again for everyone's input. Many good points were made! I was leaning towards the Stompa, but my LGS owner gave me a crazy good deal on the Battle Maniple and pointed out that my birthday is in a few months (yes, there was a time when I went there so frequently that he learned my birthday. Don't judge me lol) and that the Stompa he has has been collecting dust for something like two years with no interest so chances are it will still be there.

So I bought the Battle Maniple and plan on picking up the Stompa in a few months with birthday cash.

Why do people don't mind when you field them is it that they are well balanced models or is it that the same reason nobody minds if you field vespids
This thing currently is only fieldable for 770 + points that is a huge chunk of the army.

oldzoggy, I can only speak for my group, and I'm strictly talking about the Stompa in the new Ork codex, but as long as they have advanced notice that one is coming, people tend to even enjoy playing against them in my group. I think there's a few reasons. First, most of the people I play with at the LGS are veterans of multiple editions and have "seen it all" so it's kind of fun to have smoothing a little out of the norm show up. Second, while the Stompa has a ton of hull points and can hit decently hard, it's not super mobile, it can't hide behind anything (like Knight or Riptide could) and doesn't have some of the stronger defense mechanisms like the force field on the Imperial Knight. The STompa is actually killable when you compare it to other super heavies. Again, most of my play group being veterans, they have a lot of things you don't see too often anymore. Things like assault marines loaded to the nines with thunder hammers and other vehicle killer type weapons. So with all that in mind, it can actually make for a fun, fluffy game as you actually have a chance to kill the thing without resorting to straight cheese lists.

Skullhammer wrote:

 Kanluwen wrote:

Skullhammer wrote:
A manipule its an legal army in a box hq, 2 troops and a heavy support. So a ready made detachment and can be equipped with a huge mix of weapons.

Though the stompa is an excellent center piece and can be customized to a degree straight from the box.

Skitarii have no HQ options.

The other maniple with
dominus
2×kataphon
1 set of bots.

Not the soon to be released one with vangaurd, crawler and dominus.

And what the OP is referring to is the now discontinued one which was everything you would need to field the Battle Maniple formation:
2 units of Skitarii(one Ranger, one Vanguard)
2 units of Sicarian(one Infiltrator, one Ruststalker)
An Onager Dunecrawler
Ironstrider/Dragoon

The one you're thinking of was the "Elimination Maniple", which was able to field the formation of the same name from Cult Mechanicus(2x Destroyers and 1x Kastelans).

 Kanluwen wrote:

Skullhammer wrote:

 Kanluwen wrote:

Skullhammer wrote:
A manipule its an legal army in a box hq, 2 troops and a heavy support. So a ready made detachment and can be equipped with a huge mix of weapons.

Though the stompa is an excellent center piece and can be customized to a degree straight from the box.

Skitarii have no HQ options.

The other maniple with
dominus
2×kataphon
1 set of bots.

Not the soon to be released one with vangaurd, crawler and dominus.

And what the OP is referring to is the now discontinued one which was everything you would need to field the Battle Maniple formation:
2 units of Skitarii(one Ranger, one Vanguard)
2 units of Sicarian(one Infiltrator, one Ruststalker)
An Onager Dunecrawler
Ironstrider/Dragoon

The one you're thinking of was the "Elimination Maniple", which was able to field the formation of the same name from Cult Mechanicus(2x Destroyers and 1x Kastelans).

Oh fair point didnt know about that one. And got the name wrong on the other. Not my finest hour.☺

I play both orks and admech. Even if he sells the stompa he can order another one for you.