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So, I'm playing in my first 2,000pt Tournament for 8th next weekend, and I'd like to bring my Orks further out of their competitive hibernation. We get a pretty large crowd at our local events and lists can get fairly serious, so I'm wondering what sort of Ork list could contend with Tempestus Plasma Spam (slightly less an issue with the FAQ, thankfully), Magnus and his Knight Bodyguard, Guilliman and his Knight Bodyguard, Guilliman and Assault Cannon Spam, Marine Flyer Spam, Harlequins, 200 Orks, and so on, and so forth.

So far I've got two versions of the same basic list; one with more boyz, one with more toyz. Both offer some different advantages, and I'm not totally sure which to take; maybe a mix or some third option? One thing I don't really fancy is just taking 180 boyz and some Smite Spam-- that will just take forever to play and only rarely has it done anything very interesting for me so far. I want a different way to win with Orks!

Anyway, here the first two lists. Commentary and criticism are appreciated!

List A:

Primary Detachment: Orks Spearhead
HQ: Mek Boss Buzzgob with Nitnuckle & Lunk = 84pts
HS: Morkanaut with KFF = 376pts
HS: Morkanaut with KFF = 376pts
HS: 3 KMK = 144pts
HS: 3 KMK = 144pts

Detachment Total = 1,120pts

Secondary Detachment: Orks Battalion
HQ: Wyrdboy with Da Jump = 62pts
HQ: Wyrdboy with Da Jump = 62pts
HQ: Wyrdboy with Da Warpath = 62pts
ELITES: WAAAGH! Banna Nob = 79pts
TROOPS: 19 Boyz + Nob with Big Choppa = 129pts
TROOPS: 19 Boyz + Nob with Big Choppa = 129pts
TROOPS: 10 Gretchin = 30pts
TROOPS: 10 Gretchin = 30pts
FLYER: Dakkajet with 6 Soopa Shootas = 148pts
FLYER: Dakkajet with 6 Soopa Shootas = 148pts

Detachment Total = 879pts

Army Total = 1,999pts

Or List B:

Primary Detachment: Orks Spearhead
HQ: Mek Boss Buzzgob with Nitnuckle & Lunk = 84pts
HS: Morkanaut with KFF = 376pts
HS: Morkanaut with KFF = 376pts
HS: 3 KMK = 144pts
HS: 3 Lobbas = 90pts

Detachment Total = 1,066pts

Secondary Detachment: Orks Battalion
HQ: Boss Zagstrukk = 88pts
HQ: Wyrdboy with Da Jump = 62pts
HQ: Wyrdboy with Da Warpath = 62pts
ELITES: WAAAGH! Banna Nob = 79pts
ELITES: Mad Dok Grotsnik = 74pts
TROOPS: 19 Boyz + Nob with Big Choppa = 129pts
TROOPS: 19 Boyz + Nob with Big Choppa = 129pts
TROOPS: 25 Boyz + Nob with Big Choppa = 165pts
FAST ATTACK: 14 Stormboyz + Nob with Klaw = 145pts

Detachment Total = 933pts

Army Total = 1,999pts

I might suggest dropping one Morkanaught for a Gorker or just a basic Big Mek w/ KFF. In my last game I was impressed with the shooting that the Gorker provided, and the Skorcha it has helped a fair bit, especially against chargers.

The Big Mek with KFF can protect quite a lot of boyz if arranged properly, so don't worry that they won't be protected because of the smaller base size. The points savings can get you a Warboss or maybe another Waaagh Banner to spread around the hurt.

Also, any leftover points could go towards beefing up your boyz mobz - they get that extra attack as long as they are above 20 models, so making them stay that way is a good bet.

I Kinda like the second list better - more bodies and feels harder to stop.

Meks that can't hide inside of a 'naut tend to get killed rather quickly by Snipers of one sort or another, in my (short) experience. There could be a fair few Vindicares running around this event and I'd rather not be too dependent on something so easily killed.

Most of the characters in the lists as they are can at least hide in a transport until they're needed-- Buzzgob when a Mork loses a few wounds, Wyrdboys when I need to Jump or Smite or Warpath, and a Banna Nob when the Morks are ready to get stuck in. Grotsnik and Zagstrukk are odd orks out, but I can still hide them if need be and they won't be totally useless.

A KFF Mek inside a transport doesn't do anything for anyone under any circumstances!

I'm sort of uncertain of Grotsnik himself; I know he'll be very useful when it's safe to play outside of the 'nauts, but if it isn't he's just sort of hanging around. Zagstrukk has his own job to do which makes him a bit more important. If I drop Grotsnik, that gives me some room to play. Him and the Lobbas make space for a few other things: more boyz, a jet, more KMKs....

In list 1 I see 2 weirdboy with da jump, is that in case one fails? the only power that can be cast more than once in the same psychic phase is smite.

I also recommend ditching buzzgob for a big mek with kff and switching a morkanaut for a gorkanaut. if there are snipers then put him in the naut safety. even still, if you keep a naut between you and vindicare for sight blocking you should be fine. the gorkanaut packs a way bigger punch in cc than the gorkanaut and will benefit more from the banner too.

StrikerTommy wrote:
In list 1 I see 2 weirdboy with da jump, is that in case one fails? the only power that can be cast more than once in the same psychic phase is smite.

That rules text refers to the specific psyker that cast it, it just means a given psyker can't cast the same thing twice.

Striker Tommy's right, in Matched Play you can't cast the same power more than once per psychic phase regardless of who's casting.

The extra Jump Wyrdo is so I can cast it a second time without killing the guy who casts it, and so I can still cast it after the first one zaps himself with Perils. Meantime, he's also an extra Smite, which is well worth it against some opponents, seems.

I've been going back and forth about MorkaMorka v. GorkaMorka in my head, and I do see he benefits of those extra 6 attacks for sure. Vindicares just bother me a lot, and I don't want to tie the Gorka so close to the Morka just because there's a damned sniper on the board.

You can hid the Mek behind the nauts, for sure, but the Vindicare can just show up anywhere he likes on the board, to provide himself the angle he needs. I'd have to work to cover my backfield enough to keep him out of position. It's doable, but I'm not sure if I want to put myself in that position. Gotta think about it more.

You don't have to tie them if there is a sniper, just put the big mek in the gorkanaut and it gets the 5+ invul. Unless you meant tying them for blocking line of sight. Can a vindicare kill a big mek in 1 turn? I haven't looked at the rules yet for Imperium 2. You can always jump 30 boyz over to the vindicare the turn after. He will likely target any weirdboy with da jump anyway since marines dont like boyz in their face turn 1.

Uhh, the KFF doesn't do anything at all if it's inside a transport, if that's what you're saying with regards to leaving the Mek in the Gorka.

As for tying them together, I mean being forced to keep the Gorka closer to the Morka to get a KFF save, while the Mek has to hide.

I think the best bet would just be spreading the infantry and guns around enough to prevent the Vindicare from even deploying anywhere that provides him an angle for a shot. It gets more and more difficult as the turns go by, but also less and less critical; I only really need the KFF to help things get to their destination (combat).

Read the Kustom Force Field rule on the big mek or mega armour big mek. It says if the model is embarked, the vehicle gets a 5+ invul vs shooting.

My head just exploded. I need to learn to read 'arder.

Okay, so, shifting some things around, and trying to fit the KFF in, I wound up with the following:

Primary Detachment: Orks Spearhead
HQ: Big Mek with KFF and Oiler = 79pts
HS: 3 KMK = 144pts
HS: 3 KMK = 144pts
HS: 5 Lobbas = 150pts

Detachment Total = 517pts

Secondary Detachment: Orks Battalion
HQ: Boss Zagstrukk = 88pts
HQ: Wyrdboy with Da Jump = 62pts
HQ: Wyrdboy with Da Warpath = 62pts
TROOPS: 19 Boyz + Nob with Big Choppa = 129pts
TROOPS: 19 Boyz + Nob with Big Choppa = 129pts
TROOPS: 19 Boyz + Nob with Big Choppa = 129pts
FAST ATTACK: 14 Stormboyz + Nob with Klaw = 145pts
HS: Gorkanaut = 364pts
HS: Morkanaut with KFF = 374pts

Detachment Total = 1,482pts

Army Total = 1,999pts

Looking good, I like the lobbas to harass stuff out of LoS. I haven't tried kmk yet so I don't know what to say about them. I could see your opponent focusing the stormboyz since they are so fast.

You should up the Boyz squads to thirty, so they can get the bonus-attack. It is brutal when combined with warpath and da jump. You can jump in 30 shoota boyz, they can roll sixty dice when shooting, and if they make the charge they can roll another 120 in cc. It can be extremely effective.

I really don't understand what you are trying to do with your list. It is not a speed list, but it is not quite a footslagging list either. What is the point of the morkanaut? Will it be carrying anything? It has no damageoutput to speak of. Is it just there to provide a KFF?

You don't have a warboss or ghazz, so your army will be very slow, slower than an ordinary footslogging list. And Lobbas has the damageoutput of a bigshoota, but it costs 30 points rather than 6. Just saying.

StrikerTommy: Doing the maths, the KMK is one of the most points-efficient weapons Orks have for putting wounds on T6+ models. They're even better against Flyers than Traktor Kannons, just because of the number of shots they get.

Stormboyz could definitely get singled out... I'm maybe okay with that, tho. I'll try and hide them, first of all, not just gun them straight up all the time. And they're really there as insurance against Stormravens; no Stormravens, and I don't really care so much. Shots spent on Stormboyz are shots not spent on the core of the list as it marches up.

pismakron: I've considered going 2x30, and dropping 2 Lobbas, to give me points for Grotsnik or another support character. But I'm not that fussed about the boyz' combat output, because that isn't really what they're here for.

3x20 allows me greater ability to spread around the board and control objectives. Maybe there's an important objective midway up the table, and I want to leave a mob there; maybe I want to Jump one mob off someplace else and still keep 2 mobs threatening in the center. I haven't totally made up my mind on this yet, but there are advantages to having the extra unit.

The point of the list is to keep my opponent busy with the core of the list long enough to control the board and win the mission, not just go krump face. The Morkanaut provides a Sniper-proof KFF, yes, but he's also a 'naut, so... he has plenty of damage output? Just because a Gork has more attacks than a Mork doesn't mean a Mork gets no attacks at all. He'll do plenty well for himself.

Lobbas don't do a lot of damage per shot per point, no; what they provide is flexibility of damage application: they can hit pretty much anything on the board they want to hit, at any time. And they can hide while they're doing it, making them much better at surviving the game, whilst camping on an objective for Maelstrom points, and points in Progressive Objective missions.

The math behind the KMK makes sense--I did some number crunching assuming average rolls on the d6 shots and d3 damage and they out-damage lootas at a similar point range (5 KMK is roughly 14 lootas). 14 lootas have a better low end of shooting though (14 shots vs 5) but rolling 5 1s for the KMKs is unlikely.