Ork Tactics

[Adoni-Zedek]

My buddy is collecting an ork army, and is having trouble using them effectively. I was wondering if any of you who play or have fought orks could give some advice on how to use such an army. He's got 3 killa kans, a handful of orks in Mega Armor, 5-6 warbikes, a warbuggy, two wartrucks, 3 artillery pieces, 20-40 gretchin, and probably about 40-60 boyz of various types. Plus Mad Doc Grotsnik, Gazkull Thrakka (new quasi-dreadnought model), and at least one each of the odd boyz (painboy, mekboy, runtherd, etc). So he's got a fair selection of choices. He just needs to know how to put them together, and what to do with them on the table top.

[James 40K Champ ***]

hmm, orcs can do just about any tactic you want with the right troop selection, but they work well swamping thier opponents, surrounding them denying the enemy strong possitions for thier more elite troops to dig in. Send in waves of buggies and bikes (maybe backed up by storm boys and commandos) to hold them up and do serious damage to key threats, but have the boys close behind, because when the buggies are swept aside, you need to be ready to pounce on the remains of their army.

Thats how our ork player plays when hes on form anyway.

[tturen]

I've already replied but I'll agree that Orks can use just about any tactic. It's the only force in 40k that can out tank the IG. It's a strong army with lots of models. All those fast movers (bikes/buggies) can cause real issues with heavy support behind them (Dreads, Kahns, Gobsmashas, Laz Cannons, Shock attack guns, etc.) and troops advancing. Being able to go first certainly helps.

[Simon]

Do not underestimate the power of the pulsa rocket. That thing is awesome and a really useful delaying tactic if you are worried about particularly strong infantry or a fast close combat army like the 'nids (one went off right in the middle of my force in the tournament). Get ready to pounce on the opportunity it creates though with as much of your force as possible.

[James 40K Champ ***]

same here, downed my entire sisters army for my turn one in the tournament, seriously nasty weapon, but very unreliable.

Fortunatly, I still managed to win that battle, simply because the ork player got lazy and didnt commit all his forces allowing me to clear up half his army. With Orks its all or nothing (as it should be with most armys really)

[El Capitan]

The bizareness of May'sOrks is that as he's more of a casual player - certainly no concept of beardiness - he plays and thinks like an ork. Its this sporadic play that suits orks nicely, their unreliability at just about everything means that are concentrated plan usually goes pear shaped (whence may's 2006 t performance). However when theirs a general idea and orks start hitting the enemy everywhere, be it haphazard or in force its incredibly difficult to deal with. Thats another reason i like 2nd, arnies really reflect their charcter.

However there an awful lot of loopholes in the ork list whence our recent resructuring - itll make beards cry and proper ork players wont change a thing.

as for the pulsa rokkit - make it str test for a model to get straight back up - otherwise a battery of them would be uber powerful

[tturen]

OHHHH! I can't believe I forgot. No Ork army is ever complete without a few squig catapults!

[bot]

squadron of bikes, looted demolisher and nobz on cyboars nicely fit to any ork army. bikes are cheap and pack a lot of firepower. looted imperial tanks, not only look awesome on the table but have some super guns (twinlasers, battle cannons).

my advice is to protect the key elements in your game with boys, by blocking the line of sight, standing in the way or just rampaging in the battle zone. key elements usually mean something that can criple enemy great: warboss, warphead, looted vehicle etc.
still, to be effective you need 4+
unlike smurfs, where everything works on 3+/2+

[El Capitan]

weve modded looted vehicles to have lesser armour etc fistrly because theyve been orked and secondly, because orks with tanks is so far removed from the spirit of the game its ridicolous....a looted demolisher? thats horrific

[tturen]

Orks like vehicles. In the case of the Russ they already pay full price but do not get the targeters. This already makes the vehicle far less effective. Gobsmashes are proper Orkish 'tanks' and more effective than a looted Russ point for point. They are also exceptionaly easy to model.

[James 40K Champ ***]

If you want Le man russ's go play Imperial guard..
Why should an already really good force with plenty of very nasty weapons already, be allowed access to the best tanks in the game aswell..!?

Obviously this is just the opinions of nearly everyone in our entire group and this is how we like to play.

But trust us, remove cheese from the game, keep the the armys basic lists.. and you have a lot more FUN, BALANCED, and importantly CHARACTERFUL games.

[tturen]

I already play IG. I also think a Russ without a targeter is not a particularly good points value. Besides the best tank in the game is a predator.

Say isn't the looted Russ part of the codex anyway?

I've also always felt that our Ork player is particularly colorful and plays within the Orky spirit with or without a looted Russ. The game balance in our group is unaffected by its inclusion.

I think OGC rules changes are great for OGC players. I even agree that it would improve the game to require more basic units be taken. With all that said though there are many OGC changes I and my group would never enact. It pretty tough to move our bunch away from the original 2nd Ed rules.

[James 40K Champ ***]

I just think having a demolisher cannon that could be sheilded by lots of buggies would be a bit horror.

Fair points though. Thats what house rules are for I guess

[may]

The only real way to play with orks is to have a basic plan of what goes where after that fails (it usually does) just be ready to get angry and become offensive whilst singing this song "orks are coming through hmm hmm hmmm hmm"

[tturen]

It's the quirky nature of the Orks and their weapons that make me smile and laugh every time I play against the. Just a blast of an army to play against or with. You just never know whats going to happen with Orks. In fact May is right. Not even the Orks know what is going to happen...

[bot]

one thing is certain: looted demolisher, if converted properly, looks just great.
and don't panic guys, i never find it especially annoying when i play against orks. generally i manage either to ambush the tank or stay out of range. third option is that orks simply miss...