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Hello all. I’m looking to get some advice on my Ork Army. I’ve actually only played 40k three times so I really don’t know a lot about it. I originally just really liked paining the figures but I think it’s kind of a shame if they just sit in a box all the time. This is what I currently have available.

Boyz with Slugga/Choppa x 52

Boyz with Shoota x 36

Boyz unassembled x 20 (probably make shootas)

Boyz with Big Shoota/Rokkit (magnetized for easy swaping) x 9

Boy with Big Shoota x 1 (custom model)

Nobz with Boss Pole, Big Choppa/Power Claw (Magnetized) x 3

Nob with Bosspole, Power Claw x 1

Nobz with Power Claw x 2

With Big Choppa x 1

With Slugga/Choppa x 6

Pain Boy with Grot Orderly x 1
Trukk x 2 (wrecking ball can be taken off and on)

Lootas/Burna (magnetized) x 8

Burnas x 4

Bikes x 6 (one is a nob with magnetized Big Choppa/Power Claw)

Killa Kanz x 9 (6 are waiting assembly. all shooty weapons are/will be magnetized)

Deff Dread x 1 (fully magnetized)

Big Mek with Custom Force Field x 2

Warboss with Power Claw and Twin Linked Shoota

Ghazshkull Thraka x 1

Battlewagon x 2 (still assembling but should be fully magnetized with custom rollers)

Here is what I’m thinking about running for the first game of a weekly League night that is starting here.

1500 Point list

HQ

Big Mek w/ KFF – 85 pts

Elites

Lootas x 7 – 105 pts

Nobz x 10 w/ PK x 2, Big Choppa, Painboy, Battlewagon dedicated transport w/ 2 x Big Shoota, 2 x Rokkit Launcha, Deff Rolla – 425 pts

Ork Boyz x 30 w/ Slugga/Choppa, 3 rokkit launchas, Nob w/ Bosspole, PK – 250 pts

Ork Boyz x 30 w/ Slugga/Choppa, 3 rokkit launchas, Nob w/ Bosspole, PK – 250 pts

Ork Boyz x 30 w/ Shootas, 3 Big Shootas, Nob w/ Bosspole, PK – 235 pts

Heavy Support

Killa Kan x 3 w/ Kustom Mega-blasta, ROkkit launcha, Grotzooka – 150 pts

The KFF with support the ground troops as they make their way to the enemy, the nobz will roll into anything I think the boyz can’t handle, the lootas are for fire support and a just in case force and the Kanz I guess are for target practice for the enemy (hopefully to rip open armor).

I’m just looking for some pointers so I don’t make a complete fool of myself the first night. Also, if you guys could give me some advice about where I should be going with the army I would greatly appreciate it. I'm thinking more boyz...

Orks can run a strong list, but have little in the way of options or variety if they want to do so.

Easy tips;
>Killa Kans should all have the same weapon rather than three different weapons. Hint: The Grotzooka is easily the best
>Ork Boyz should always have Shootas if they are on foot. Big Shootas are generally better than Rokkits. Nobs are generally not worth it in big units because they will be challenged in combat which causes them to waste their PK attacks
>Nobs are only really any good on Bikes or in Mega Armour. The *only* reason to take Vanilla Nobs over basic boyz is that you can take more PKs than you could in a boyz unit and those PKs can't be challenged
>Battlewagons shouldn't bother with Rokkits. Generally they should be a transport (Rolla, Rigger, RPJ, one Big Shoota) or a Gun Wagon (4 Big Shootas, pack them with shoota boyz). They should also be run in multiples or not at all.
>Don't overcommit to a Green Tide of huge numbers of boyz. Running this sort of army can be very tedious, see if you like it first.

The army you have above will get slaughtered by 'competitive' armies, but as a new player you'd probably get rolled by armies like that using anything at all. If your playing in a more social setting (the way 40k is meant to be IMO) then it's still underpowered but not too badly

Great, thanks for the info. Do you think it would be better to add a warboss and more lootas to replace the nobz? I do plan on getting some meganobs but they are freaking expensive so it will be a bit. Also, is it worth it to put a zzap gun on the battlewagon?

Also, are lootas better in smaller squads or one big one?

So a mass of boyz just pouring across the table is a green tide list. Can work by overwhelming the opposition with sheer weight of numbers. They just can't kill you fast enough but as the previous person said it can be tedious. It takes ages to move that many dudes. But again if you are just out for a good time then what is the rush.

Onto specifics. Nobz are good and while MegaNobz seem to perform better for me I still beat face with a good old fashioned Nob squad. Putting them in a battlewagon is even better. They get the quicker and start walloping sooner which is what Nobz do. Problem is you only have one. As most of your boyz can only shoot 18" with the exception of the odd rokkit or big shoota you enemy will focus everything on the wagon and bring it down in short order thus exposing your nobs to a hail of fire. You can fix this by having multiple wagons. He/She blows up one and BAM two more smash into his lines. If you had the cash I would get 2 more wagons (at least) and that should ensure something gets across the table. Toss the Nobz out to wreck everyones day and the just drive around deffrollering everything else with your S10 weapon. Battlewagons full of shoota boyz are also great pillboxes.

Lootas are great and I always take at least 10. 2x5 if you have the slots seems to have the edge for me over 1x10. If the first 5 manage to destroy their target you can fire the next 5 at something else. Sure they are more likely to run if shot at but the reality is that it is basically just as easy to kill 3 lootas as it is to kill 2 and if an assault cannon wipes 1 squad you have 5 left untouched to return fire.

Another tip I think is worth considering is putting a rokkit or two in each boyz squad. Sure the big shoota mathematically guarantees 1 hit for Ork shooting but who cares. Its really only great for infantry and light vehicles which the rest of the squad devours anyway. What Orks don't deal so well with is armour, especially at range. 2 Rokkits have a 50% (near enough) chance of a S8 hit.

Dreads and Kans can work but I have had limited success in this edition. Kans aren't necessarily bad they just don't seem to do all that much. They are pretty cheap though and if your wagons are all up in your opponents grill the kans can trundle over and do some damage. Their close combat weapons murder vehicles and a grotzooka is pretty nasty with two S6 templates each. Quite close range though.

I would chuck a warboss in. Sometimes a boss with a boyz squad is good as the Nob can be a challenge martyr and then your boss can kill everything. While Ghaz is nuts a regular warboss in mega armour is less than half the points for 90% of the death. Except for maybe that 2++ Waaagh...

Sttick with the Orks anyway mate, you will quickly learn what works and what doesn't.