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Hey all,

I have been working on my Ork Green Tide for Apocolypse. It numbers 100 models and I am likely to add one Nob and a Warboss for a total of 102. I enjoy being a bigshot and having the largest unit around. At 102 models, I figured I'd have it, hands down!

Then I took a look in Apocolypse - Reload and realized that the Space Marines can field a Chapter of (I think it is) 105 men. And that Guard can field a pretty big unit, also which numbers a little more than 100. Now, my Green Tide has no limit to the number of Orks I can tack on, so I am thinking of adding another 20 Boyz to bring the total to 122 Orks in all - just to make sure mine's the biggest.

But I need to know - would this be the biggest possible unit in the game? And who are my biggest competitors?

Would like to know before I finish the Green Tide. Aside from another Green Tide, I want to have the BIGGEST UNIT EVER!

Please help,
Peace,
Solorg

This might give you some idea as to who can have the largest armies in the 40K universe FOC.

Go CSM!

Solorg, I'd like to note that both the SM Company and IG Formation aren't a single unit. They're formations composed of multiple units, unlike the Green Tide.

Add Mad Dock to the Greentide, so all 100+ boyz get feel no pain!

Platuan4th, that's interesting - does a formation kind of function like a unit? You know, requiring coherency for example?

Tazok, oh, there are SO many cool things you can do with a Green Tide. There's one strategic asset that lets you replace the entire unit if it is destroyed - and bring them back the next turn!

I am leaning toward a 120-Ork Green Tide. Before I was trying to decide if I should have a 200-Ork Tide or 2 100 Ork Tides, but I have yet to acquire enough models for a 200-Ork Tide. (I already own many Orks, but I want my tide to be painted as one unit rather than have a bunch of haphazard Orks thrown together as a "tide." Don't get me wrong, that would be ORKY, but it would get confusing for everyone in a game of APOC.)

A formation may require coherency to use certain speical abilities, like the 'Masters of the Chapter' formation.

But IIRC (-with no Apoc books in front of me-) A Green tide is a single unit, and would thus be subject to unit coherency rules.

I'm working on getting a tide of my own started up.

ERE WE GO! ERE WE GO! ERE WE GO!

Back in 3rd ed the seer council of ulthwe had a unit size of "infinite" and that was in normal games.

I don't know if the data sheet for apoc which brought them back preserves this for them or not.

A friend of mine once used a 1500pt army consisting of nothing but 2 units of black guardian and the seer council. I think it had 30 or 40 warlocks in it. It wasn't proxied either, he assembled and painted every single warlock. The only time I saw him use it he won (but it was a fantastically boring game, turn 2 the guardians are dead and the seer council is in cc with the enemy, turn 6 it is still in cc but has chewed the enemy up nicely)

Solorg wrote:Platuan4th, that's interesting - does a formation kind of function like a unit? You know, requiring coherency for example?

Some Formations form units(and will say "a single unit composed of" ie. Hive Mind Brood), some as Jonny Delta said require the models to form a unit or remain within a certain range for certain rules(and/or to deploy) to be in play(but may otherwise go their own way if for some reason you don't want the rules), and some are just a collection of units that gain benefits from being purchased together(such as the Company).

However, ALL Formations count as a single unit for purposes of Strategic Reserves(even if they're composed of numerous units).

Good news, then. Sounds like the Green Tide is the biggest unit, then. The Council of Ulthwe would be competition to be sure, also having no max size. Does anyone know about the newest version of the Council? Is there a limit on that one?

Of course, my Green Tide could always be BIGGER - at some point, I will just want to stop painting it. I am a slow painter, but determined. The idea of adding another 600 points to my collection keeps me going. I am about 1/2 done with the painting right now - and as mentioned, have 100 Orks. And if anyone DID have a bigger unit, I could always add some more.

I've been trading for AOBR Orks on the Swap Shop in order to get a rockin' HUGE unit. As mentioned, I could do a unit of 120 if I want at this point, but I figure it is best for me to get the first 100 done before I do anything else or I might never finish. (!)

JonnyDelta, how far along is your TIDE so far?

you know whats funny? A green tide in a bastion, its just like a pinata, of death.

It would look like those old commercials, the ones with all the people crammed into a phone booth.

I'm told it's 50%ish or so... I actually had to farm it out to a friends wife for painting as I'll be 'away on holiday' for a few more months.

I'm also Ebaying up more Mobs, and trukks.
Still don't have any Stormboys yet. Only one box of Grots, but am up to three Battlewagons (one with the FW Supakannon - thanks wife!) and hopefully some of those new Mega Dredds!

I havn't put any AoBR boys into the mob yet, but likely will coming up. Need a bunch more Nobs too...

Orky work is never done.

I could field a 500+ green tide.... might do at somepoint

no upper limit but your wallet really

Just wanted to share this. During an apocalypse battle, an orc player on the opponents side had what looked like about 100+ orcs charging the center of the field (maybe even more). With there being 18 players on each side, there was a 15 min time limit for the movement. So that the orc player can move all his figures, he measured the front most orc movement and grabbed fistfuls of them and moved them forward without placing them back on the table correctly (one big orc pile). We didn't really care because a pie plate blast from one of our titans eliminated half in one turn and took the rest out in the second turn. Had he placed them correctly, I doubt that the pie plate would have taken out so many in one shot.

I might recommend a movement tray similar to that of the Fantasy line which could be made of cardboard to get the units moved quickly and efficiently. I am sure your opponent would appreciate this.

Thanks for the idea Warlord Imp!

@Solorg:
Just got an update... 70% complete. Plus some other goodness.

Sometime (most likely in January) I'll put up some pics.

Well, I just finished the 3rd color on my Tide which means I spent the weekend painting the pants onto the last of my 100 Orks. Happy to say they are looking more done than not done at this point, and I could field them now - they look OK, but by adding the 4th color, they look really sharp.

I got a closer look at Battle Formations in my Apocolypse book - and yes, many of these can reach infinite size. Anything with a "1+" listed for the number of units you can have theoretically could be unbelievably huge. I did not find any units bigger than the Green Tide, though, which allows me to continue bragging about my Orky Superiority.

Re: Pie Plates and movement trays, yes, these are both down sides for Ork Units in general, moreso for a huge unit like this. I don't think I will be doing movement trays - it just seems impractical - especially when you have to move through or into cover. And holy cow - how big a movement tray would you need? I guess the smart thing would be multiple smaller trays, hm, I hadn't thought of that before, maybe that IS a good idea. The trays could space the Orks out 2" apart, that would be perfect I think, maybe 10 per tray or so.

JonnyDelta, someone helps you paint your Orks? Lucky! Ha ha, very nice. I guess I prefer painting mine by myself so I can get all the glory later, too. Of course, no guarantee that I will finish this monstrous task before 2010, so there are trade-offs.

If I could paint them, I would. But if I were to paint in my current location, there would be all kinds of dust drying into the paint...

A friend of mine, his wife is unemployed currently however, and paints. So this just helps take a bit of the sting out fpr them. And in a few months I'll return to a painted army that will still need some details added in, and thats what will really make them mine.

Green tide meet my Super heavy formation and orbital bombardment and sheduled bombardment and the many horrible pie templates I can drop down on your head.

Plus minefields etc etc list goes onwards.

I play as Orks and I agree a Green Tide can be very fun but pie templates akimbo all zoned in on your orks.

I think I can tell you with certianty that you should not trap yourself with just one type of formation.

Green tide won't save you from the template happy IG, or the Super heavy army of doom.

Make it a point to get yourself some armor, and air support, or you are just going to be entertaining an excercise on picking up, putting down and putting away models.

The green tide dosn't do very well against the tanks shooting them full of spank, and running them down like dogs.

And as for templates.... Pew Pew Pew!!!

JonnyDelta, well played, my friend, well played. You have well proven that the Ork Army is good for the economy!

Grot 6 and Pimpalots, Oh, no worries. It is only 600 points after all. My friends the Squiggoth, the Stompa, and the KOS will be backing them up. Actually, I am hoping the Tide draws fire so the REAL badboyz can get through. And if they don't, believe me, I can find a use for 100 rampaging Orks that can Waagghh every single turn.

Am I really the first one to post this? ICs can form an infinite size unit. Just keep adding more Want something worse? A bunch of 40 point Inquisitors with Scourging next to a warp rift. Unit size xd6 shots with str 5+d6.

Am looking at (from memory, no hard numbers present)-

Green Tide
10 Lootas
2 Fightas
2 Stompas (LADY STOMPALA and a MekBoy Stompa)
3 Battlewagons, magnetized for 'Ard Casing and DeffRollas - Also Flak Kannon / Supa Kannon
3 Killa Kans (2 w/ grotzookas and a Skorcha)
1 Deff Dred
1 Mega Dredd
Warboss Biker
3 Nob Bikers
3 Bikers
Nob Squad (AoBR)
Close Assault Nob Squad w/ Painboy and Trukk
4 Trukks, new and old
2-3 various buggies (skorcha for sure)
Flashgitz
Snikrot and a bunch of Kommandos
Wierdboy, Big Mek, Shokk Attack Gun, an assortment of old ork boyz, madboyz and 'yoofs.

Of course its not likely it will ever see the field all at once, but i like options!
I need Stormboyz, and a ton 'o grots.
Maybe more Bikers and Killa Kans too.