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Let this be a thread for people to search for and learn everything this forum can offer on good old fashioned Imperial Guard Ogryns.

How do you run Ogryns successfully in different kinds of lists? Ogryns in footslogging lists, mech lists, etc.

If I love the models and I pick up a box, what are some reasonably effective ways to run three standard ogryns?

What is the most effective and rowdy Ogryn-based deathstar?

Is there a way to really effectively utilize Nork Deddog? Or is he just a fluff choice?

Have you played against Ogryns enough to have an opinion on their merits?

ASSUME that Ogryns absolutely have to be taken. Point out tactical weaknesses and matchups to avoid. Don't just tell us that ogryns are bad.


My personal situation will have three Ogryns fitting into a list containing: CCS, PCS, 20-30man commissar blob, 10man 2 special codex Scions, a Leman Russ of some kind, 2 Sentinels, and a Chimera. Also available are 3 HWT's, 20 or so guardsmen, various special weapons, Commissars/Priests, and Space Marine allies.

I like the idea of a Priest with the Ogryns footslogging and getting cover from the advancing infantry. Or going with a 21 man conscript/commissar blob charging in front of the priest/ogryn unit and right into the enemies troops. Are either of those uses competitive enough to be worth anything?

Get 5 and roll forward with a biker psicher to make charges easier. Invisibility fixes everything.

Come on ya can't say invisibility. In that case Howling Banshees are a solid investment.

Another option is Azrael, priest and bunker + Escape hatch. Launch the guyz at a flank and you've got a solid fearless squad with t5 4++ 3 wound guyz that are both relatively shooty and quite choppy. If you dislike allies, just go with Priest and probably Primaris. It's much less reliable but will probably do the job too.

The bunker might be fine for hiding artillery behind it also.

A priest is absolutely necessary. Biomancy primaris is kinda fun too. Also bullgryns, much better than ogryns, for only 5 ppm you basically get a 3+ armor save.

Bullgryns are going to excel against S3 models, units that only wound them on a 6 (note this makes them statistically as tough to kill as terminators). They have lots of attacks and wounds so they can handle most S3, S4 blobs and will only be insta-deathed by strength 10 attacks (i.e. no space marine powerfists). Folks like the idea of power mauls, but 15 ppm is too much imo to give up the 3+ save just for ap4.

It's hard to land the assault but they can blunt most assault based units, the problem is if they're a biker unit with hit and run. Frankly though, I prefer rough riders, which are much, much cheaper. You can take 3 rough rider squads with power lances for the price of one bullgryn squad.

WIthout the primaris, they're easy fodder for psychic powers like psychic shriek. In larger numbers they're pricey, but real freaking tough, unless your opponent has a demolisher or a chapter master with orbital strike.

Nork is endearing, but ultimately kinda pointless. His T5 is wasted since your opponent will be rolling against the majority toughness of T3. Look out argh, is great but really that should come with every CCS not just Nork. And again, kinda wasted with the T3 of the unit. He's not enough to make a huge difference in combat, since your CCS is probably already doomed anyway.

 UltraTacSgt wrote:

Let this be a thread for people to search for and learn everything this forum can offer on good old fashioned Imperial Guard Ogryns.

How do you run Ogryns successfully in different kinds of lists? Ogryns in footslogging lists, mech lists, etc.

If I love the models and I pick up a box, what are some reasonably effective ways to run three standard ogryns?

What is the most effective and rowdy Ogryn-based deathstar?

Is there a way to really effectively utilize Nork Deddog? Or is he just a fluff choice?

Have you played against Ogryns enough to have an opinion on their merits?

ASSUME that Ogryns absolutely have to be taken. Point out tactical weaknesses and matchups to avoid. Don't just tell us that ogryns are bad.


My personal situation will have three Ogryns fitting into a list containing: CCS, PCS, 20-30man commissar blob, 10man 2 special codex Scions, a Leman Russ of some kind, 2 Sentinels, and a Chimera. Also available are 3 HWT's, 20 or so guardsmen, various special weapons, Commissars/Priests, and Space Marine allies.

I like the idea of a Priest with the Ogryns footslogging and getting cover from the advancing infantry. Or going with a 21 man conscript/commissar blob charging in front of the priest/ogryn unit and right into the enemies troops. Are either of those uses competitive enough to be worth anything?

Nork Deddog is really under rated. I man if you really think about him, his ability is prety beefy. Essentially an instant death attack when he dies? That's nifty. Eternal Warrior is gettign to be a little TOO common so I will say that against him but he's kind of a beefy guy. Not cheap which is what catches the eye but if you're in a Straken army, which is what I like to use, he's got serious juice.

I just think that as the points totals climb, you start to ask yourself how much you really should be spending on an HQ, but if that HQ gets serious results, hey. I'm all for it.

Anywho, I do like his ability.

As stated before, I like running a group of five or six ogryn with Yarrick. Lets be honest, slay the warlord is usualy an easy point lost by the IG/AM. The big meat shields, along with yarrick being Yarrick, makes that point harder. Also, ogryn surprise people who are not use to them.

Bullgryn, I like running them with the slab shields, and putting a DA terminator librarian, with the power field generator. That 4+ invul save makes them even nastier.

How well does it work to put 3 Ogryns and a Priest into a Chimera/Taurox and flat out 18" on turn 1 up the flank or something, then use the old disembark, shoot, have transport flat-out-to-block you-from-return-fire maneuver?

You should be able to get yourself into charge range without taking too many rounds of direct fire.

 UltraTacSgt wrote:
How well does it work to put 3 Ogryns and a Priest into a Chimera/Taurox and flat out 18" on turn 1 up the flank or something, then use the old disembark, shoot, have transport flat-out-to-block you-from-return-fire maneuver?

You should be able to get yourself into charge range without taking too many rounds of direct fire.

Why not use escape hatch instead? And you could take more of them and be actually able to charge turn 2.

I think Nork's being underestimated a little here. It's frustrating that you don't get to use his toughness unless things have gone really wrong for your command squad, but he's got the equivalent of a 2+ save against most small arms fire and a 5+ save against everything short of a force weapon or Demolisher shell. At the very least, he's another three wounds added to your company commander, and he's got the ability to tank shots that would blow the squishy little officer hiding behind him all the way back to Terra and just laugh it off. Honestly, I kind of wish they had a generic Ogryn bodyguard with FNP and Look Out - Aaargh as an advisor for...I dunno, forty-five, fifty points or so? Just to protect against ID.

Now, eighty-five points is pretty steep, that'll buy some decent stuff for a Guard army, but he's not a bad choice if you've got the command squad on the front line making use of all those special weapons. Just for an insurance policy and the occasional headbutt.

 Spinner wrote:
I think Nork's being underestimated a little here. It's frustrating that you don't get to use his toughness unless things have gone really wrong for your command squad, but he's got the equivalent of a 2+ save against most small arms fire and a 5+ save against everything short of a force weapon or Demolisher shell. At the very least, he's another three wounds added to your company commander, and he's got the ability to tank shots that would blow the squishy little officer hiding behind him all the way back to Terra and just laugh it off. Honestly, I kind of wish they had a generic Ogryn bodyguard with FNP and Look Out - Aaargh as an advisor for...I dunno, forty-five, fifty points or so? Just to protect against ID.

Now, eighty-five points is pretty steep, that'll buy some decent stuff for a Guard army, but he's not a bad choice if you've got the command squad on the front line making use of all those special weapons. Just for an insurance policy and the occasional headbutt.

Except you could take an astropath, master of ordnance, and master of the fleet for that price, get 3 more wounds on the squad and get way more utility.

You could! But you'd get worse saves, wouldn't be able to use one of the abilities unless you stand still or get a specific warlord trait, and miss out on his ability to headbutt hard enough to break a tank. Also, they're not automatically taking shots for you, you still have to pass a 4+ Look Out, Sir. Nork does that without the roll.

He's not for every army, but he's far from the "eurgh, never take this" option he was in the last codex.

 Spinner wrote:
You could! But you'd get worse saves, wouldn't be able to use one of the abilities unless you stand still or get a specific warlord trait, and miss out on his ability to headbutt hard enough to break a tank. Also, they're not automatically taking shots for you, you still have to pass a 4+ Look Out, Sir. Nork does that without the roll.

He's not for every army, but he's far from the "eurgh, never take this" option he was in the last codex.

Yea, but a chimera solves most of those problems for fewer points.

I wish ccs could ride Nork Degogg

 TheSilo wrote:

 Spinner wrote:
You could! But you'd get worse saves, wouldn't be able to use one of the abilities unless you stand still or get a specific warlord trait, and miss out on his ability to headbutt hard enough to break a tank. Also, they're not automatically taking shots for you, you still have to pass a 4+ Look Out, Sir. Nork does that without the roll.

He's not for every army, but he's far from the "eurgh, never take this" option he was in the last codex.

Yea, but a chimera solves most of those problems for fewer points.

This is also true. But you only get to fire two melta/plasma guns from a Chimera...

Nork counts as open topped, I guess?

Which of the two transports do you guys think works best with an Ogryn squad? The AC on the taurox might be enough to make it worth the drop in AV.