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Hey there, I've started building up my ork army and am currently adding some specialised squads into the mix. I was wondering wether it's better to field lootas as one squad of 10 for mass firepower or two squads of 5 for concentrated but more spread out attacks. Any advise regarding this or just orks in general would be a great help.

I run 2 untis of 10 just because i have the models and they can be rather hit and miss (+1 for puns)... you'll usually deploy them backfield which can be dangerous as loosing 3 of them and a ld test could force them off the board!

I'd be tempted to run multiple units of 5 if you have the slots (orks are normally in a cad so can be a struggle to fit units in), even if you put the two units together as its multiple targets for the enemy and its two casualties before LD test with 10 ts 3 so meh.

Basically them running away or getting wiped out from shooting is their downfall, in that order.

I have considered investing in fortifications from stronghold assault for them e.g. bastion, bunker, something that they can get inside and mitigate their failings... but ofc pts, more models and i kinda like seeing them on the table

To be honest i'm considering ditching mine and moving to tank bustas

I prefer 1*5 or 2*5.

Depends. The large unit would be better w/r/t killpoints, worse at maelstrom, and about evens out on relics. Generally, you play mostly Maelstrom in competitive type games and all but like two of the ITC missions are Maelstrom.

So compeititvely, I'd do two units of five. This does a bunch of good things for you.|

-Allows you to split fire. Every unit you overkill represents extra models you should be removing but aren't. Those lootas will average three wounds vs infantry <T5, > 4+. Ten will average six kills. Since most squads will be run according to MSU (min size), or min/max (spam), we're looking at an average size closer to 3-5.

-Allows you to divide incoming fire. Same as above but in reverse. No matter what, the two units of lootas will take at least two units to destroy/pin/break all of them, where as a lucky roll could wipe out all the lootas if you keep them together.

-Allows better board coverage, tactical flexibility, and backfield protection. It is much tougher to score line breaker or contest objectives if you have multiple units in your backfield, and harder for the enemy to keep out los with more coverage. You can go to ground with the unit taking the heat while the other provides covering fire.

-Causes your rolls to regress to the mean. The reason why so much ork gak just sucks is that you can't count on it. Too random. Take # of loota shots for example. Is it 5, 10, or 15? You have to pick your target before you roll, but if you knew how many shots you had you would assign them optimally instead of at random. While there's equal chances to get any of the d3, over a large enough sample size, the number will average out to be 2 per turn per model. 2 units over 6 turns make 12 rolls, maybe more for overwatch. That is a much more reliable sample size then the comparable one unit rolling over 6 turns.

tl:dr? Rolling twice for # of shots makes it twice as reliable.

-Lastly, running the squads min/max'd MSU will negate the gak ork leadership. Running a group of ten, you lose three and now you got 7 other orks rolling ld, rolling pinning, mob rule. Make it five and lose three and who cares if the last 2 survivors really stick around since there's still another squad of 5 around while the squad of ten ran, hide behind a tree, and killed themselves.

imo, the ADL is amazing for lootas. Upgrades their 6+ save to a 4+ cover save, 2+ if you go to ground. Good stuff. Teleport homer would be great for allies if you roll that way, but that's about it. Maybe better if you roll with the formation that gives all your dudes deepstrike lol. Icarus quad gun is the best AA the orks can get. The best imo has to be the ammo dump, bumps the lootas to just over 50% accuracy, syngergizes well with any kannons, tankbustas, etc. Helps with snap firing or overwatch. Good for kustom blastas the mek loota upgrades can take.

But don't take my word for it. set up your 10 man squad to take on 2 five man squads. Run it five-ten times, see what happens. I bet if the two units of five goes first, they always win, and if they go second, it's a stalemate. The one unit of ten won't have wiped out both units of 5 until turn 4. That's assuming no ld tests and no rolls of 1 for shot #, either of which could end the unit of 10 after turn 2.

PS Run a double cad. Comp formats allow you to take 3 total detachments/formations with only one double. The double cad is 2x hq, 4x troop min, but now you have a max of 6 specialists instead of 3, and 12 troops max instead of 6. 6x5 lootas = 420. Hard average of 60 shots per turn.

PPS lootas and tankbustas do not fill the same role! bustas must always take an open topped transport because of their shorter range and the nature of their targets. (side/rear armour) They move up field supporting the rest of your army while lootas stay behind. Bustas are great vs AV12-13, MEQs, and even some MCs. They are bad vs fliers, bikers, TEQs, and cheap inexpensive troops. Lootas can't move around the board without losing their firepower, so bustas have the mobility and tactical advantages. (Can deploy in reserve eg. Doing that with lootas would be a total waste since moving onto the board would make them snap fire iirc, so nothing til turn 3 after they started getting shot at turn 2 lol.) They do have s7 in volume, so they'd be more effective than the bustas vs AV10-11, fliers, hordes, and bikers. (Seems strange but remember jink and that most bikers are t5 so they're harder to hit and no instakill. Lootas have more shots and the bikers have the same save either way.

PPPS Hey Latro_, you got your army list kicking around? I could give ya some pointers, maybe save your lootas from being cut from the team lol.

Min units, you can shoot at more targets, they must be targeted by more enemy units to be wiped out and they roll more near average. The only downside is that you'll have more KP available.

If you take ghazcurion however a mid sized unit of 10 can be nice too as they wouldn't make Ld test when suffer casualties which is their biggest weakness.

depends on the game size. sub 2k I am generally using double force org and taking 2-3 groups of 5. over 2k depends on the type of game but I usually jump to 10 man units at tht point as they do well as anti air behind an orkified ADL

I like 3 units of 9 Lootas. Seems the ideal size. They average a dead Rhino at AV 11 per turn, and better against AV 10. The Lootas joined by a Megaarmored Nob is a way to kep them safe, mobile and threatening the field, as well as promising to get them better access to cover (Slow and Purposeful confers to the unit, oddly). They average 5 wounds per round against most things and can actually hurt tougher things. They serve fine as anti-air, averaging three hits per turn against Flyers or FMC's. There's not a lot of bad things to say about lootas.

9 seems the ideal size.

3x9 with 3 megarmored characters are a huge points sink though. Without that megarmor 9 dudes can be wiped out by s4 shooting as much as they were just 5, and with that many points you are limited on the rest of the list.

I prefer going cheap with them, max 3x5 lootas in a single CAD, and to save points for other units. I also played 4x5 lootas and 5 lobbas, decent firepower for less than 400 points. MSU is the key with orks.

 slip wrote:


PPPS Hey Latro_, you got your army list kicking around? I could give ya some pointers, maybe save your lootas from being cut from the team lol.

Going back to it i had actually changed it to 5's! same army been running for yeeeeears

1850pts Orks
Combined Arms Detachment
Warboss (Kommanda Gorfang) 140
Warbike, Power Klaw, Cybork Body
Da Finkin’ Kap, Attack Squig, Stikkbombs

Pain Boy (Snagwaz da Tined) 50
Docs Tools, Urty Syringe

30 Shoota Boyz 260
Shootas, 3x Big Shootas, Stikkbombs
Nob
Power Klaw

30 Shoota Boyz 260
Shootas, 3x Rokkits, Stikkbombs
Nob
Power Klaw

12 Slugga Boyz 112
Sluggas, Choppas, 1x Rokkit, Stikkbombs
Nob
Power Klaw

Trukk 30
Rokkit

5 Nobz 145
Sluggas, Choppas, Stikkbombz, Eavy Armour
1x Power Klaw, 2x Big Choppas

Trukk 30
Rokkit

15 Storm Boyz 170
Sluggas, Choppas, Stikkbombz
Nob
Power Klaw

5 Lootas 70
Deffguns

5 Lootas 70
Deffguns

Looted Waggon 72
Killcannon, Big Shoota

Combined Arms Detachment
Pain Boy (Dregnog urty Tongz) 50
Docs Tools, Urty Syringe

Weirdboy (Grimork Frazzleskab) 45
Weirdboy staff

15 Grots 55
Blastas, Runtherd, Grabbastik, Squig

15 Grots 55
Blastas, Runtherd, Grabbastik, Squig

5 Lootas 70
Deffguns

5 Lootas 70
Deffguns

1x Deffkopta 30
Twin-linked Rokkit

1x Deffkopta 30
Twin-linked Rokkit

1x Deffkopta 30
Twin-linked Rokkit

15 in a Battlewagon with four Rokkits and a Kannon or four Big Shootas and a Lobba X 3 all on a Landing Pad surrounded by out of LOS min sized Grot squads holding some objectives while preventing an opponent from assaulting the BW's

45-135 Str 7 shots that can see anywhere due to open-topped vehicle rules along with 15 Rokkit/Kannon shots or 3 Lobbas and 36 Big Shoota rounds per turn.

4++ Inv save on everything.

 Blackie wrote:
3x9 with 3 megarmored characters are a huge points sink though. Without that megarmor 9 dudes can be wiped out by s4 shooting as much as they were just 5, and with that many points you are limited on the rest of the list.

I prefer going cheap with them, max 3x5 lootas in a single CAD, and to save points for other units. I also played 4x5 lootas and 5 lobbas, decent firepower for less than 400 points. MSU is the key with orks.

Their range has soemthing to say about whether the enemy WILL rip them up howeevr and in any event, 9 is still the optimal number. If nine being the optimal number means YOU do not wish to take one of the better units in the ork codex...meh. so be it.

On the ork tactics thread the idea of putting a min size unit of Lootas in a Wall Of Martyrs imperial bunker, giving them an AV14 shell they can fire out of.

I go crazy with Lootaz. Two CADs, min 5 to 6, in 6 Heavy Support slots. ADL is auto included, and lately Ive been trying out a Tidewall Shield line that is a better, MOVING defence line..

Quite literally hit or miss in every game. But my favorite unit in the game.