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Hey, sorta new to the game but diving in pretty quickly. I'm an Ork player. I have been watching battle reports like a madman recently and thought I basically knew the rules from that, and reading the actual combat rules confirmed this except for ONE thing.

In the rules it says for pistols, "A model can fire a Pistol even if there are enemy units within 1" of its own unit, but it must target the closest enemy unit. In such circumstances, the model can shoot its Pistol even if other friendly units are within 1" of the same enemy unit", which suggests that Orks with sluggas would be able to not only get their normal number of attacks plus the choppa extra attack, but also another attack (albeit not a very strong one) from their sluggas every turn. In every battle report I have watched so far, I have never seen an Ork player shoot their sluggas except maybe for Overwatch. Are they just forgetting or skipping these attacks? Am I interpreting the rules wrong?

Thanks for the help.

The Ork pistol attacks only happen in the Ork shooting phase.

Maybe that is why you are not seeing them in the fight phase of the battle reps you are watching?

Feverbrew wrote:
Hey, sorta new to the game but diving in pretty quickly. I'm an Ork player. I have been watching battle reports like a madman recently and thought I basically knew the rules from that, and reading the actual combat rules confirmed this except for ONE thing.

In the rules it says for pistols, "A model can fire a Pistol even if there are enemy units within 1" of its own unit, but it must target the closest enemy unit. In such circumstances, the model can shoot its Pistol even if other friendly units are within 1" of the same enemy unit", which suggests that Orks with sluggas would be able to not only get their normal number of attacks plus the choppa extra attack, but also another attack (albeit not a very strong one) from their sluggas every turn. In every battle report I have watched so far, I have never seen an Ork player shoot their sluggas except maybe for Overwatch. Are they just forgetting or skipping these attacks? Am I interpreting the rules wrong?

Thanks for the help.

Assuming you pretend the rules work (see sig), you only get to fire your pistols on your shooting phase, though you get to shoot them even if you're within 1" of an enemy. You don't get to shoot them in your enemies turn. If they are forgetting them I don't blame them, since you've BS5+ and are probably not even going to get a single wound with them.

Pistols don’t work as close combat attacks anymore.

 JohnnyHell wrote:
Pistols don’t work as close combat attacks anymore.

This is INCREDIBLY important to remember, the OP has this incorrect. Pistols granting an extra attack in CC is a rule from last edition.

This edition, sluggas are effectively useless. I don't blame people for skipping them.

I mean, you can if you want to, but it's hardly worth the effort.

Wow, thanks for so many quick replies. I know that sluggas would shoot in the shooting phase and not the fight phase haha, I was just simplifying how many total attacks they get to make in combat. So it seems like the answer is shooting sluggas just isn't worth the time spent doing it because of bad BS and bad strength (which might mean that the people in the bat reps are actually shooting with sluggas but don't record it happening ).

People often miss the chance to shoot pistols that way because it required you to be stuck in CC until your next shooting phase, and most opponents will Fall Back out of CC in theirs.

It's always worth shooting the pistols. You're unlikely to do much damage... but you miss every shot you don't take. One Ork with a Slugga won't do much. 30 Orks with Sluggas will force some armor saves.

If you get chance to shoot shoot. Well unless you are running out of time and don\t need them to the result(of course if you need game to end with less turns shoot). But since when you charge they need to stay in combat for 2 combat rounds before you get to shoot they are not often used. If you get charged you need just 1 combat round BUT not many charge orks unless they can make short work of you then.