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So, I'm trying to get ready for a tournament, and I'm at a bit of a conundrum. Which do you think is more effective - two squads of 12 tankbustas with a nob & power klaw & bosspole in a trukk, or 3 groups of 9 in 3 trukks, no nob?

The advantage of the 3x 9 tankbustas is pretty obvious - more shots, more targets.

But I feel that nobz with bosspoles, especially in smaller groups, are vital, due to the unpredictability of mob rule. And given the fact that melta bombs are limited to one per unit, a tank-hunting power klaw is critical to krump stuff in CC (I'm not a fan of tankhammers).

Then again, trying to get a more favorable result on the mob rule table isn't necessarily a good thing. It may not be so bad for a unit to be pinned if they are primarily shooting and also if mob rule were to wipe out ~25% of their number.

And, I'm running the bully boyz too, so I feel as if I'm probably set on power klaws.

IDK, I've never really run tankbustas without nobz before. Not sure how they work out.

Any thoughts?

If you are running a fear less army the smaller mobs will do. If not the get a nob and pole for the mob rule chart. Don't need a pk on the nob. Give him a big choppy to swing at initiative and take challenges. Give a boy a rokkit hammer and it'll be safe from challenges. Also squig bombs are A1 sauce.

If you don't need the slots for MAN's (and since you're running bully boyz, you don't) there's no reason not to take 3 smaller units. They're going to melta the instant anything looks at them and you're going to lose 1/4 of them to a truck explosion. I wouldn't waste the points on the nob or the klaw, doubly so for the klaw since that's just more chance of exploding the vehicle and killing more boyz instead of wrecking it with a big choppa. Besides, the nob doesn't have a rokkit launcher IIRC, so definately don't pay points to lose rokkits.

If you have a double CAD, then 6 squads of 5 would be even better, though if you're running bully boys, I'm guessing not.

I'm not really sure they're worth it in such numbers after the nerf.

So, 3x5 with bomb squigs would suffice.

Well, nobz do have rokkit launchas - though tankhammer boyz do not, and I agree, paying points to lose rokkits isn't something I'm into.

My thought is that a power klaw is only 10 points more than a tankhammer, though I get to retain full rokkits, and a klaw is stronger, more attacks, lower AP.

Hrmm. Bomb squigs. I never really have given them much thought due to the somewhat high price, but it is nice to hit on 2+s.

 Kap'n Krump wrote:
Well, nobz do have rokkit launchas - though tankhammer boyz do not, and I agree, paying points to lose rokkits isn't something I'm into.

My thought is that a power klaw is only 10 points more than a tankhammer, though I get to retain full rokkits, and a klaw is stronger, more attacks, lower AP.

Hrmm. Bomb squigs. I never really have given them much thought due to the somewhat high price, but it is nice to hit on 2+s.

Except for bosspoles the bomb squigs are the best 5 points you'll ever spend as an Ork. Give them a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed.115 points for 5 bustas in a Trukk with three squigs is a pretty good deal.

I think I will, thanks!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Though, I'm not sold on absolute minimum tankbusta squads. just 5 rokkits (and squigs) seems almost not worth the trouble.

Then again, I am looking at 8 in a trukk x 3, so I could save 117 points. I'm not sure what I'd be able to buy for that that wouldn't be better than an extra 9 tank hunting rokkits.

Perhaps deffkoptas, but I'm a little leery of their utility in ITC games, as ITC points are scored after your opponent's turn, so if you turbo boost them to an objective for a point, they have to survive an entire enemy's turn before actually obtaining a point.

Ahh, you've got the golden egg right there! "Seems almost not worth the trouble" is exactly what you want your opponent to think about them 5 bustas don't seem that scary but one round in 18" range where you set the squigs loose is all they need to be as effective as a squad of 10, though just for that turn. After that you can be more reckless trying to use that meltabomb because if they die you only lose a small unit rather than an expensive larger unit. You might even find that after you've used the squigs your opponent ignores them which frees them up for potential side/rear shots on your next turn or alternatively that they didn't enjoy that last turn of shooting so much they use an inordinate amount of firepower to remove them from the board.

I, too, vote for putting a Big choppa on the nob opposed to tbe klaw. That bonus to strength puts him at S7 on the charge AND has 4 attacks that hit on 3s AND tank hunter to reroll! He hits as hard as a couple chaos autocannons on the charge! Plus, if he's going after transports or anything with a rear armor 10 or 11 (maube even 12 with tank hunter!) he alone is going to do most of the krumpin', leaving the rest of the boys AND the one melta bomb to finish the job! Its a pretty cool setup for not that many points, and means your opponent will be looking at your squads with the klaws instead, while not being too painful pf a loss if the trukk blows up on turn one.
And of course take the squigs! BS5 orks, man!

can tankbusta nobs take a big choppa?

If you go with trukks MSU are perfect, if you go with battlewagons 10-12 tankbustas are the right size. I'd never upgrade one of them to a nob with BP and PK, the tankbustas should only shoot and maybe throw that single melta bomb. Boyz, meganobz and bikes should assault and finish off the vehicles. I usually take 3x5 tankbustas in trukks with max bomb squigs. Only 345 points. But i never use two CADs so maybe even more MSU can be good. Alternatively i run 2x10 tankbustas in the Blitz Brigade with max rokkits on the wagons. Both configurations performed good. Keep in mind that losing a unit of tankbustas shouldn't be a tragedy, so take them as cheap as possible. I think that having less tankbustas but a single round of 9 bs5 shots is better.

I think they can only tankhammer or power klaw.

Why are you bringing them? You have the meganobz. Bring some volume shots to back meganobz up. Tankbustas were only good for suicide melta, they are just more terrible ork shooting now.

 Rismonite wrote:

Tankbustas were only good for suicide melta, they are just more terrible ork shooting now.

A min unit of tankbustas in a trukk with max bomb squigs costs 115 points and has an average of 4 s8 hits on their first turn, then an average of 2 hits. Not that bad in my opinion. Having a lot of cheap rokkits everywhere (MSU tanbustas, trukks/bw, deffkoptas) is quite helpful. They also can be a distraction for other units that you prefer to save. In a trukk spam the opponent may target the bustas allowing the boyz to charge. They're good but you must be prepared to lose them in the early turns. Some people prefer lootas, i think tankbustas are better.

I've ran 15 Ork Mobs on foot with great success when running lots of Bikes.

I've ran min mobs on foot with less success.

More recently I've run 15x2 (each with a PainBoy in single CAD) in Blitz Brigade with maxed out Kannons and Rokkits for a total of 55 Rokkit shots turn one that can target anything on the board thanks to Scout.

With the "clarification" on one grenade per phase, I put PK's back on the Nobs, Tank Hunters are great at Str 8-9.

Most of the time it completely depends on what else you are running. I run Bully Boyz with 2 PK's and 3 Killsaws per unit. (Because that's how they're modeled). Even with all that anti tank I'd still throw on PK's on to TB Nobz.

Also double first blood with Glory Hogs is awesome!

 Kap'n Krump wrote:
So, I'm trying to get ready for a tournament, and I'm at a bit of a conundrum. Which do you think is more effective - two squads of 12 tankbustas with a nob & power klaw & bosspole in a trukk, or 3 groups of 9 in 3 trukks, no nob?

The advantage of the 3x 9 tankbustas is pretty obvious - more shots, more targets.

But I feel that nobz with bosspoles, especially in smaller groups, are vital, due to the unpredictability of mob rule. And given the fact that melta bombs are limited to one per unit, a tank-hunting power klaw is critical to krump stuff in CC (I'm not a fan of tankhammers).

Then again, trying to get a more favorable result on the mob rule table isn't necessarily a good thing. It may not be so bad for a unit to be pinned if they are primarily shooting and also if mob rule were to wipe out ~25% of their number.

And, I'm running the bully boyz too, so I feel as if I'm probably set on power klaws.

IDK, I've never really run tankbustas without nobz before. Not sure how they work out.

Any thoughts?

Tankbustz in general aren't common to super competitive lists because the range on the Lootas is so incredibly superior. Many tournaments i nthe ITC use the "First Strike" Objective in place of "First Blood" which makes it even worse. The Tankbustazare great in melee against tanks, but then you have to face an opponent who has tanks worth the trouble of killing at short trange instead of long range and as often as not those transports are coming forward (thus the reason they purchased them).

So Tankbustaz are cool but they are a tweener unit. so for all those reasons if you're taking them, break them up into more squads. the Nob isn't going to save them much trouble.

Honestly, I've had better results with tankbustas than I EVER have had with lootas. They only get one shot, but it's a strong shot, AP3, and rerolls pens.

And as for tankbustas, I haven't researched a ton of competitive lists, but most of the ones I've seen take bunches of small tankbusta squads, and no lootas.

Problem with lootas is that they are too fragile, a 5 man unit of space marines with bolters can wipe out a unit of 10 lootas too easily. Basically if you have first turn and the opponent doesn't null deploy his army then lootas can be better than tankbustas or at least as good as them. But most of the times they're dead turn 1, or running or drastically reduced in number. Tankbustas usually work better because they would be in trukks or battlewagons with many other units in trukks or in battlewagons (blitz brigade) so they have a chance to strike efficiently.

 Kap'n Krump wrote:
Honestly, I've had better results with tankbustas than I EVER have had with lootas. They only get one shot, but it's a strong shot, AP3, and rerolls pens.

And as for tankbustas, I haven't researched a ton of competitive lists, but most of the ones I've seen take bunches of small tankbusta squads, and no lootas.

Lootas range is so good and putting megaarmor in the unit lets them move around and have a tank. So as options go, i would recommend the Lootas. but I am not opposed to the Rockit boyz. I think their schtick is very cool.

My last opponent took them and their range was a serious issue for him. Certain armies just will never feel the sting in time. But the attraction isn't totally lost on me of course.

Yes, the Nob can take a Big Choppa, since he can take items from the Melee Weapons list (BC or PK). The FAQ gave him back a choppa, so we can swap for either. It's an interesting idea, the Big Choppa.

Personally I like to run my Tankbustas small and cheap. Take 2-3.

The number of AV targets they can shoot in a mediocre manner is too few to make up for the T targets they can't shoot at well at all. Before the 'clarification' the idea was you could use 65 points of orkz and a trukk to knock over expensive AV easily with big melta

His list already has meganobz, they can handle the AV, the better support is more meganobz, lootas, trukk boyz

 Jancoran wrote:


Lootas range is so good and putting megaarmor in the unit lets them move around and have a tank. So as options go, i would recommend the Lootas. but I am not opposed to the Rockit boyz. I think their schtick is very cool.

My last opponent took them and their range was a serious issue for him. Certain armies just will never feel the sting in time. But the attraction isn't totally lost on me of course.

But a mid sized unit of lootas in a vehicle with a megarmored character is a huge point sink for a unit that has no range issue and can stay in the backfield all the time without the necessity of moving. For the same cost yuo can field 3 min units of lootas. That vehicle would be wrecked turn one, and those lootas would be in the open, maybe crippled by the explosion of their transport. They're better in MSU sitting in cover all the time while the rest of your army is fast and ready to assault as soon as possbile. I think that there's only one ork unit that worths 250+ points, which is the unit of boyz or bikes that includes the warboss, or a unit of meganobz if you use their formation. Ork shooty units especially are better in min squads.

 Blackie wrote:

 Jancoran wrote:


Lootas range is so good and putting megaarmor in the unit lets them move around and have a tank. So as options go, i would recommend the Lootas. but I am not opposed to the Rockit boyz. I think their schtick is very cool.

My last opponent took them and their range was a serious issue for him. Certain armies just will never feel the sting in time. But the attraction isn't totally lost on me of course.

But a mid sized unit of lootas in a vehicle with a megarmored character is a huge point sink for a unit that has no range issue and can stay in the backfield all the time without the necessity of moving. For the same cost yuo can field 3 min units of lootas. That vehicle would be wrecked turn one, and those lootas would be in the open, maybe crippled by the explosion of their transport. They're better in MSU sitting in cover all the time while the rest of your army is fast and ready to assault as soon as possbile. I think that there's only one ork unit that worths 250+ points, which is the unit of boyz or bikes that includes the warboss, or a unit of meganobz if you use their formation. Ork shooty units especially are better in min squads.

why do you need a vehicle for them?

 Jancoran wrote:

 Blackie wrote:

 Jancoran wrote:


Lootas range is so good and putting megaarmor in the unit lets them move around and have a tank. So as options go, i would recommend the Lootas. but I am not opposed to the Rockit boyz. I think their schtick is very cool.

My last opponent took them and their range was a serious issue for him. Certain armies just will never feel the sting in time. But the attraction isn't totally lost on me of course.

But a mid sized unit of lootas in a vehicle with a megarmored character is a huge point sink for a unit that has no range issue and can stay in the backfield all the time without the necessity of moving. For the same cost yuo can field 3 min units of lootas. That vehicle would be wrecked turn one, and those lootas would be in the open, maybe crippled by the explosion of their transport. They're better in MSU sitting in cover all the time while the rest of your army is fast and ready to assault as soon as possbile. I think that there's only one ork unit that worths 250+ points, which is the unit of boyz or bikes that includes the warboss, or a unit of meganobz if you use their formation. Ork shooty units especially are better in min squads.

why do you need a vehicle for them?

I dont' actually, i only play units of 5 lootas that stay where they are the entire game. I've seen lootas in BW or trukks though, some players like that option, i don't. But you also don't need a megarmor with them, they have a huge range, they don't need to move. Also if you want to protect them go MSU, a megarmored mek is 75 points, and it's the cheapest megarmored character, with the same amount of points you can field another 5 man lootas squad. Going MSU also allows you to split fire, sometimes 5 lootas are enough to wreck a vehicle so the remaining shots could hurt something else, but with a single unit you can't.

I think the point was that the tankbustaz force you to be mobile...lootas do not. Lootas CAN be mobile if you want them to be, i na better way than the trukk allows the Tankbustaz