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As the title says i am 100% completely new to 40k, I spent a good 3 months researching the different army's before i finally settled on orks being the best fit for me. Being completely new though i need some help and advice on my army building. I have gathered a small group of orks and need some help on where to go from here. i stared with 1 AoBR ork set, 1 battle force, 20 AoBR boyz, 40 gretchen w/ 4 runtherds, Big Mek with SaG, and a 2nd AoBR Warboss. im still in the process of paiting everything and getting a basic army list together. Here is my thoughts so far, any advice on what to add, and or take away?

Warboss w/ pk, boss pole - 90
3 Nobs w/ pk - 135
Truck w/ armor plates, red paint job - 50

Big Mek w/ SaG, boss pole - 100

2 bikers - 50
1 nob biker w/ big choppa, boss pole - 45

3 kopta's - 105

20 shoota boyz - 120
2 boys w/ big shoota - 22

20 slugga choppa boyz -120
1 nob w/ big choppa, boss pole - 26
2 big shoota - 22

20 slugga choppa boyz -120
1 nob w/ big choppa boss pole - 26
2 Rokkit launcha - 32

20 gretchin - 60
2 runtherds - 20

20 gretchin - 60
2 runtherds - 20

total - 1223 points

Thanks in advance for any help!

GW's advice on Orks is wrong. They act as if they are a berzerker raged assault army, but they function best as a shooting army that rolls a bucket of dice that can support itself with assault. You have to start with the shooting elements first.

A lot of people don't like the SaG because you have a 1 in 6 chance of a bad result. Still, a 60" AP2 large blast is solid. Always take the ammo runt for 3pts just in case you roll double 6s and need the reroll on the scatter. Switch the gretchin squads to 19 and 1 runtherd. Just as survivable, but you save 13pts on each since you want to keep them hidden or act as ablative wounds for the SaG, the other unit stays in reserve and hides until it's time to score an objective or goes in front of the boyz to give cover.

The Koptas should have TL Rokkits instead of Big Shootas. They are mobile high strength shots that can give you first blood or line-breaker.

Lootas are possibly the best unit in the codex, 2 squads of 10 would be my recommendation for next units to get.

Boyz on foot should be shoota boyz at 30 strong.

In my opinion Slugga/Choppa boys are only worthwhile in a Battlewagon if you want to go that route. BW's aren't the best anymore because of grav/gauss/haywire and the fact that it is twice as long as it is wide and it is so easy for opponents to get side shots on and blow up. Eldar wave serpents can easily get side shots, ignore cover and shred AV10/12. Once they blow up you lose half the guys inside.

Nobs, meganobz, or Burnas in a Trukk are ok, but otherwise Trukks are terrible. AV10 open topped dies to everything. Nobs can still wreck face, but you'll want to add some nobs w/BC as extra wounds. With only a 6+ armor save overwatch hurts and they strike at I1 so they won't live to attack back against very much. You're really better off pushing the PK nobs to the boyz squads (refusing challenges most of the time) and attaching the warboss to big 30 man squad. Bikers are decent, though Nob bikers are better.

Kannons are cheap and strong if you can get some or convert (very expen$ive to buy GW).

The problem you've got right now is that you have a few fast moving units (trukk w/nobs, bikes, koptas) that are small in size, then several footslogger units. Your fast units will be picked off first, leaving your tail exposed to get shot at the opponents leisure. You need a strong firebase (lootas, big guns, SaG) to support the fast moving elements or a slow moving force that has enough bodies to absorb the damage.

You've got a solid base to start playing some games. You should just proxy slugga-choppa as shoota and start gathering more boyz and lootas..

Big Mek w/ SaG, boss pole & ammo runt - 103
Warboss w/ pk, bosspole - 90
3 Nobs w/ pk, 2 Nobs w/big choppa - 185
Trukk w/ armor plates, red paint job - 50

27 shoota boyz - 162
3 boys w/ big shoota - 33

27 shoota boyz -162
3 boys w/ big shoota - 33

19 gretchin w/runtherd - 67
18 gretchin w/runtherd - 64

10 Lootas - 150
10 Lootas - 150

2 bikers - 50
1 nob biker w/PK, boss pole - 65

3 koptas w/TL rokkit - 135

total - 1499 points


As you add more squads of 30 you can begin to drop the nob squad, trukk, and then the warbikes.

What wormark says is spot on. Orks are a very balanced offense army, but they lack in the defence. The best lesson I've lecrned with Orks is numbers. I understand that you're new, so to that light, try to keep your games under 1000 pts. Not only will that give you the numbers advantage against higher point model armies, but it will let you change up your strategy a bit while you continue to build your WAAAGH!
The second most important lesson I've learned is one you might hear again and again: one is none. If you're going to take something, take more than one. Two squads of 30 shoota boys, two squads of slugga boys in trukks, two batle wagons, etc. Take more if you can, but don't take just one. If you have one of something, it becomes a liability and will die quickly. The exception to that rule is the SAG, because typically you can bubble wrap your Mek with grots to make him more survivable.
The third lesson I've learned, and could be argued as the most important, is to have fun. Orks are a lot of fun to play, but at the moment they're not incredibly competitive, so you're GOING to lose for a while, especially if you're playing with experienced gamers. Learn from your losses, have a handshake, and rethink your strategy. Remember that 40K is a game and it's meant to be a good time. Sometimes the competitive nature in us gets the better of that spirit.