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In the older Ork book the mek boy you could get came with a KMB when you upgraded him and he cost the same as the Burna Boy or Loota he was upgraded from. You had to pay a premium to get a rokkit launcha which was a weaker weapon that just didn't have Gets Hot!. For the most part, nobody was using them other than to hold a Big Shoota in a Burna Boy unit for reasons based on the 6th ED shooting rules. With the new book we have stand alone Mekz that start with Slugga Choppa that can buy the KMB at the same price as a rokkit launcha. Mind you, the rokkit launcha got cheaper across the board in the entire codex, so it feels like a double whammy.

Did GW take something that already wasn't being used and make it worse? What am I missing here? Why is it more expensive now?

With the slotless Mek I could see someone trying to make some AP2 that doesn't take a Heavy Slot by forcing a couple in with three Mekz from a Burna Unit. Then maybe slap a painboy with them so they don't kill themselves as quickly. It's possible they'd be more points efficient at shooting MC's with 2+ than the KMK, at least for one turn. Assault means I'm not messing up a proppa charge after firing, unless the gun Gets Hot and melts the Mek Boy to slag. Possibly be good at shooting termies if they had acquired FnP somehow. Is anyone using KMB effectively at all? Was anyone using them in the old codex?

And the pistol wow, another five points for a weapon with half the range just because you get one more Str 4 CC attack : \

If my mek just took a wound from Gets Hot! and is standing in a force field would you raise an eyebrow at me for trying to take that invul save?

Why is Ork Plasma at such the premium?

Bear in mind that the old ork codex was written several editions ago, when the rules were significantly different. Now, an ap3 rokkit can't destroy a vehicle outright; an ap2 KMB can. Even at BS2, S8 ap2 is not something to sniff at, and it has the versatility to deal with MCs, elite infantry, and light-medium vehicles effectively.

As for why it's changed, well...a lot of things have changed, both in the rules and the metas, since the last codex.

I don't think you can take an invul save since the save is specifically "against shooting attacks". Best option is to find a way to bring ammo runts so you can reroll those ones to hit.

office_waaagh wrote:
I don't think you can take an invul save since the save is specifically "against shooting attacks". Best option is to find a way to bring ammo runts so you can reroll those ones to hit.

But meks can't take ammo runts? (Big meks can.)

With the new rules, you have more choice as to which unit a mek will join, but for most of those choices, a KMB doesn't synergise that well with the unit's other weaponry. Even though a KMB is a threat in itself, BS 2 (and Gets Hot) makes it a threat most opponents will choose to ignore.

 Clang wrote:

office_waaagh wrote:
I don't think you can take an invul save since the save is specifically "against shooting attacks". Best option is to find a way to bring ammo runts so you can reroll those ones to hit.

But meks can't take ammo runts? (Big meks can.)

With the new rules, you have more choice as to which unit a mek will join, but for most of those choices, a KMB doesn't synergise that well with the unit's other weaponry. Even though a KMB is a threat in itself, BS 2 (and Gets Hot) makes it a threat most opponents will choose to ignore.

I only think the gun is really worth it in a unit with a Painboy. It only really synergizsz well with Tankbustas (AT) so if you have a giant unit with a Painboy, than loading up on KMB Meks could be ok. About a 16 percent chance to hurt an AV 12 tank, and a 9 percent chance to kill himself. It's still extremely risky, so rokkits are generally better

 Waaagh 18 wrote:

 Clang wrote:

office_waaagh wrote:
I don't think you can take an invul save since the save is specifically "against shooting attacks". Best option is to find a way to bring ammo runts so you can reroll those ones to hit.

But meks can't take ammo runts? (Big meks can.)

With the new rules, you have more choice as to which unit a mek will join, but for most of those choices, a KMB doesn't synergise that well with the unit's other weaponry. Even though a KMB is a threat in itself, BS 2 (and Gets Hot) makes it a threat most opponents will choose to ignore.

I only think the gun is really worth it in a unit with a Painboy. It only really synergizsz well with Tankbustas (AT) so if you have a giant unit with a Painboy, than loading up on KMB Meks could be ok. About a 16 percent chance to hurt an AV 12 tank, and a 9 percent chance to kill himself. It's still extremely risky, so rokkits are generally better

If you ain't playing riskkkkaaaaay you ain't playin propa'!

But in general I agree, it doesn't synergise with other units, shootas, no, choppas (who run), no, Lootas potentially as same targets, but a deffgun is also good. Burna's potentially, in that they most likely have transport, so T1 they can take shots at armour maybe?
Tankbusta's is probably best bet, gives you a chance to explode a vehicle. I love the idea of ork plasma, shame it doesn't seem to play out well.

Chance to kill someone with 5+ cover/invul - 18.5%
Chance to kill yourself - 13.9%

What's funny though is on overwatch or any other snapfiring scenario: you're usually going to miss but otherwise your chance of killing an enemy is pretty much even with killing your own mek.

Someone else can do the math on that, but it seems right, anyway.

I generally have 16 mega blastas in my list. 6 on dreads, 4 on kanz, 3 meks, 1 big mek in mega armor and then the morkanaught.

1 or 2 isn't much. But when you start getting a lot. It's kind of scary. So i take them when I can.

My meks I stick with my shoota boyz that have rokkits. An extra S8 shot at AP2.

When I'm playing Marines, I like to put two Meks with KMBs in with my shoota boyz, who have rokkits. It gives the squad enough armor-piercing weapons to be a serious threat to power armor or even terminator armor. I've found the KMBs really pay out quickly when shooting at juicy targets like devastator squads or assault squads or veterans (as long as they aren't in hard cover). Sure, I lose a mek to Gets Hot! once in a while, but so what? It's worth the risk when your targets are more expensive than your mek. And it's fun and flavorful for a mek's kustom weapon to blow up and kill him once in a while!

The Riddle of Steel wrote:
When I'm playing Marines, I like to put two Meks with KMBs in with my shoota boyz, who have rokkits. It gives the squad enough armor-piercing weapons to be a serious threat to power armor or even terminator armor. I've found the KMBs really pay out quickly when shooting at juicy targets like devastator squads or assault squads or veterans (as long as they aren't in hard cover). Sure, I lose a mek to Gets Hot! once in a while, but so what? It's worth the risk when your targets are more expensive than your mek. And it's fun and flavorful for a mek's kustom weapon to blow up and kill him once in a while!

neat trick I do is roll on the command table. If you get target priority , re roll 1's it gets pretty brutal with lots of shootas , rokkits and kmb.

 Dakkafang Dreggrim wrote:
neat trick I do is roll on the command table. If you get target priority , re roll 1's it gets pretty brutal with lots of shootas , rokkits and kmb.

Something like that could definitely work - except what do you do if you don't roll Target Priority? :(

Gets Hot is just silly on any weapon fired by a feebly armoured ork, unless you treat the ork as a suicide weapon, which seems a little expensive.

Maybe next codex the meks will be able to buy force fields or heavy armour for general protection, or at least ammo runts to protect against Gets Hot.

plus once your mek is dead you on longer have a challenge eater. I guess it depends whether you feel its right for the unit, perhaps in shoota boyz, but would suck balls to have him roll a 1 T1 or T2, which is 2/6 times, as if you get into combat you can be pretty certain the amount of bodies the nob would have killed will be greater than the models killed by the KMB. But its hard to tell.

I think next game im gona make some burnas into meks with KMBs and stick them in a looted wagon or something, see how it goes With plenty of rokkits on the LW could be quite deadly

1st, the big mek can take ammo runts, since he can take stuff from the "runts and squigs category). painboy helps negate the effects of gets hot, or ma since a 2up armor save against gets hot is amazing (ma bigmek already gets the kmb so he is deadly against any vehicke at range and melee).

as for if you want kmb on 1 wound meks is up to you, but my veiwpoint is that if im getting these guys it is not for their firepower, its for their repairs (so wont be shootin if there is repairin to be done). otherwise if you want them to have firepower i would just suggest the rokket since its alot safer.

if you want ranged st8 ap2 goodness then get some mek gun kmk, thos things wreck and their 3up armor helps with gets hot (also are longer range then normal kmb).

Dakkafang Dreggrim wrote:I generally have 16 mega blastas in my list. 6 on dreads, 4 on kanz, 3 meks, 1 big mek in mega armor and then the morkanaught.

1 or 2 isn't much. But when you start getting a lot. It's kind of scary. So i take them when I can..

geargutz wrote:1st, the big mek can take ammo runts, since he can take stuff from the "runts and squigs category). painboy helps negate the effects of gets hot, or ma since a 2up armor save against gets hot is amazing (ma bigmek already gets the kmb so he is deadly against any vehicke at range and melee).

if you want ranged st8 ap2 goodness then get some mek gun kmk, thos things wreck and their 3up armor helps with gets hot (also are longer range then normal kmb).

Out of interest;
Im starting to approach the walker formation in terms of models; I have 2 (1 being painted other nearly finished conversion) deff dreads, 5 Kanz atm, and two ideas that I will do for the morka/gorka, which shouldnt take too long as I already have the bits.

But so far loadout wise;
3 kanz have zookas
1 dread has flamer and CCWs.
How should I round up the loadouts? I dont plan on playing many more points than the formation allows. perhaps 3 kanz with KMB's? then 3 more zookas. A shooty dread? or just not worth it? a KMB dread would be really cool to make up, as I have so much cool plasma weaponry bits (I work as an electrical engineer and we had a workshop clear-out.... or as I like to call it.... Give it all to rob day...I'll post a pick later of some awesome shaped connectors that will be orkified!).

I was just thinking, 3x KMB Kanz as back-up to help with the morka opening up armour, 6 zooka kanz for running turn 1 then hopefully mulching infantry and light vehicles where possible. The dreads will mostly be running forward, but maybe 1 shooty dread? or is it really not worth it?

I haven't played with them yet myself, but I think with the new codex one of the best spots for the Kustom Mega Blasta may be on Deffkoptas.

The upgrade is now completely free, so for 30 points you get a model with 2 wounds and a 4+ armor save to use against bad Gets Hot! results. You're much less likely to kill yourself when firing them.

A Killa Kan is your next best alternative. While they have BS3 and are much more likely to hit, they also cost 55 points compared to the Deffkopta for 30.

I've been pondering taking a squad of them to a couple of games to see how they do, but I haven't yet.

 Clang wrote:

 Dakkafang Dreggrim wrote:
neat trick I do is roll on the command table. If you get target priority , re roll 1's it gets pretty brutal with lots of shootas , rokkits and kmb.

Something like that could definitely work - except what do you do if you don't roll Target Priority? :(

Gets Hot is just silly on any weapon fired by a feebly armoured ork, unless you treat the ork as a suicide weapon, which seems a little expensive.

Maybe next codex the meks will be able to buy force fields or heavy armour for general protection, or at least ammo runts to protect against Gets Hot.

The restof the command tree isn't bad. And I take the finkin cap for a strategic roll as well.

20 isn't that much for the baby meks. I rarely loose them to gets hot.

I haven't modeled one yet, but I can't wait to build a Grot Mega Tank (from IA:8). It allows for up to 2 twin-linked KMBs, plus up to 3 regular KMBs, all on turrets. Granted, the Dread Mob KMBs are costed MUCH higher than from the armory in the current codex (3-4 times as much, depending on which unit you're buying them in), but re-rolling grot BS is one of my favorite things to do with Orks mostly because it's so rare and unexpected.
Plus that whole tank, even if I go with the full five Gets Hot! weapons (unlikely - probably better to make one or the other RLs or Grotzookas), is still cheaper than my SAG Junka, which only has effectively one gun.

 SkrawnyNob wrote:
I haven't modeled one yet, but I can't wait to build a Grot Mega Tank (from IA:8). It allows for up to 2 twin-linked KMBs, plus up to 3 regular KMBs, all on turrets. Granted, the Dread Mob KMBs are costed MUCH higher than from the armory in the current codex (3-4 times as much, depending on which unit you're buying them in), but re-rolling grot BS is one of my favorite things to do with Orks mostly because it's so rare and unexpected.
Plus that whole tank, even if I go with the full five Gets Hot! weapons (unlikely - probably better to make one or the other RLs or Grotzookas), is still cheaper than my SAG Junka, which only has effectively one gun.

Plus the grot mega tank has sponsons, which allow for individual target selection. So you can fire at multiple targets TL KMB with zookas that fire indepedently would be a cool combo off the top of my head.