Ramping the hobby back up: Gauntlet Tactical Squad, Primaris Lieutenant.

Finally starting to get back into the hobby groove.  Finished a full unit of Dark Angels tactical marines, the unit that has the upgrade sprue shoulder pads from the Gauntlet Tactical squad box.

I also worked on a Primaris Lieutenant.  It's one of the easy to build models that come in the 3 model box with the arm and head from DA Primaris upgrade sprue.

I am also going to build up a unit of vets with plasma for with the "weapons of the dark ages" stratagem and a drop pod, converting them from assault marines I built for the old Lion's Blade I was building.     Lastly, I'm got a 5 man Dev squad with a single grav cannon. I will swap this out for either lascannons or missiles. Not sure yet.

After that I need to save up for a speeder to build a talonmaster and a Darkshroud.

Showcase: Garden of Moor

 

So that's what I've been slowly working on for a while. Put the Garden of Moor on a base and replaced the angel statue with a space marine.  It's a kit provided by my FLGS I put together and painted up.  Nothing but some basic drybrushing, but since it's not mine I didn't want to put a lot of work into it considering it probably won't last long.

Anyway working on some DA for the new codex next.

Showcase: Evil Sunz Killa Kanz

Yep I actually finished them. 

That gives me 12 kanz for 2 full units.  These guys aren't really all that bad.

Sorry, trying to get my mojo back.

Not much has been going on for me in the hobby front lately.  Real life is dragging me down and I spend my time on youtube.

I just stare at my nearly completed Kanz and sigh with a complete lack of interest.

Plus I've been trying to get back into MTG so when I am on youtube it's either mtg or car videos.

I do have an upload schedule set so that's been a help.  So has getting back to a scale model car club meeting. 

Monday: Monday madness (hobby, rants, whatever)
Wednesday: New talking about orks
Friday: New battle reports

so far so good, especially since I can record for future uploads.

anyway I hope to get a kan showcase up soon.

Be well!

100 Power Level Dread mob tournament list

As the leaves turn and my financial situation stabilizes a bit, time to start thinking about tournaments again.

This time it's at a store I've never been too, but yet it's not that far away.

And it's using power level instead of points. Orks usually lose out on that front.  Oh, also no forgeworld so the killtank stays at home.

I also got another box of kans from my cousin so it's time for more!

The biggest downside to this list is having just 4 command points. Every game I find myself wanting more.

But here it is:

Spearhead Detachment 
HQ: Mek on bike, KFF, PK
HQ: Wierdboy w/warpath

Elite: Nob w/Waggh! banna
Elite: 15 kommandos, 2x burna, nob w/BC

Heavy: 6 kans, rokkits
Heavy: 6 kans, grotzookas
Heavy: Gorkanaut
Heavy: 2 dreads, 2x skorcha
Heavy: 2 Mek Gunz, 2x KMK

99PL, 1921pts

Not a lot of models but there sure is a heck of a lot of wounds with a 5++

If I had another kff mek on bike I might run that instead of the wierdboy just to get better coverage but I will be spending my time finishing off the Kans.

Next couple of weeks of league I'm going to swap out the Gorkanaut with a Mork- and dropping one of the KFF meks.  We'll see how that goes.

Showcase: Blood Axe Magnetized, Motorized Gorkanaut complete!

Well it's been a slow month for me on the channel, the blog and actual hobby.

I've been enthralled by my old self, the car guy. The guy that worked on cars throughout high school and beyond right up to the point of getting first into M:TG and then 40k. 

I did finally finish the 'naut today though.

Dread Mob? Let's try it!

OK, I got seriously bored with the gunline.  It's worse than the old decurion.  But now that I have the 'naut at least built I can try fielding a more mechanized list. 

Going heavy support heavy means fewer command points, but we'll see how that goes. I tend to use them pretty quickly.

Spearhead Detachment
HQ: Big mek on bike, KFF
HQ: Big mek, KFF

Elites: 10 Kommandos, 2x burna, Nob w/BC
Elites: 10 Kommandos, 2x burna, Nob w/BC

Heavy: 4 Lobbas
Heavy: Gorkanaut
Heavy: 2 Dreads, 2x CCW, 2x skorcha
Heavy: 6 kans, 3x rokket, 3x grotzooka
Heavy: 3 kans, 3x big shoota

Super heavy aux detachment
Kill Tank, Bursta kannon, 2x extra twin BS

2000pts, 4 command points

That's every walker I own on the field.  I might try to get more in the future, we'll see.  So I have the lobbas for a bit of back field objective sitting and some more anti-infantry, plus the kommandos for disruption.  They probably won't be first turn though, using them 2nd turn as the walkers get closer sounds like a better plan.  And the Kill tank with it's own KFF mek for even more ranged punch.

Gun line part duex

After realizing the VSG was nerfed to uselessness, I needed a new list.

The basis would be the same - 10 artillery and 30 lootas - but this time with much more KFF action.  3, in fact, to make sure everything is covered. 

I also went to 2 units of 30 boys and Da Jump, along with 2 units of 9 kommandos.  Lots of backfield pressure.  I ended up with a few grots because I needed a 3rd Troops choice and for some bubble wrapping.

ya, kinda like this..

Here is the list:

Spearhead Detachment
HQ: Big Mek, KFF
HQ: Big Mek, KFF

Elite: 9x Kommando, 2x burna, Nob w/BC
Elite: 9x Kommando, 2x burna, Nob w/BC

Heavy: 10 Lootas
Heavy: 10 Lootas
Heavy: 10 Lootas 
Heavy: 5 Big Guns, Lobba
Heavy: 2 Big Guns, Kannon
Heavy: 3 Mek Guns, KMK

Betallion Detachment
HQ: Warboss, pk, squig
HQ: Wierdboy
HQ: Big Mek, KFF

Troop: 30 sluggas, nob w/pk
Troop: 30 shootas, 3x rokket, nob w/pk
Troop: 14 grots

Elite: Mad Doc

1999pts, 7 command points

I made some slight changes, going from Smasha guns to kannon.  I didn't have too much luck with the smashas, so trying these out instead.  Surprisingly, kannon are almost the same price.  Gives more flexibility too with the d6 shot option.

The biggest downside is 17 drops, which means I'll be fighting to go first. At least I play under ITC. I also doubt I'll be doing reserves first turn, instead using the army to soften up targets before jumping or bringing on the kommandos.

Anyway I'll be putting this list on the table tomorrow.  We'll see how it goes.

Oooops! Forget the Void Shield.

I didn't know the VSG got hit with a giant nerf bat in the faq.  It was reduced to a 6" bubble and a 5++. That basically renders it completely useless!  It might be ok for some armies, but not for Orks.


That means having to use KFF meks instead.  Which, in hindsight, is probably going to work out better because adding elite slots will need to add HQ slots as well.

The difference between a 5++ and 4++ is pretty significant, so I'm not sure how much it will really help though. 

You can take 2 KFF meks for the price of a VSG and have points left over, and probably end up with better coverage and more deployment options.  

Pew Pew

So I have to apologize to my opponents this weekend. Luckily it was a fun event and not a competitive tournament. 

But back to the gun line.  With the reduction of the invul save, it's going to be imperative to go first.  Not sure how I will accomplish this, so time to tweak the list. 

Ork gun line?

So I'm playing in a tournament this weekend, that was set up a long time ago as 7th.  However we have the option to play 8th - which all my games have been.

Anyway I wrote out a 7th edition list and then slightly modified it for 8th.  In 7th it was ok, but in 8th it's doing pretty well.  I'm sure that has a lot to do with 8th though.

Here's the list:

Spearhead Detachment
HQ: Warboss, PK, Squig

Troop: 30 Sluggas, Nob w/PK
Troop: 12 Sluggas, Nob w/BC
Troop: 12 Sluggas, Nob w/BC

Elite: Mad Doc
Elite: Waggh! Banna Nob

Fast: 2 Deffkoptas

Heavy: 10 Lootas
Heavy: 10 Lootas
Heavy: 10 Lootas
Heavy: 3 Mek Gunz, KMK
Heavy: 2 Mek Gunz, Smasha Guns
Heavy: 5 Big Gunz, Lobbas

Fortification Network detachment
Void Shield Generator

Again, this was built primarily from the 7th ed models I was bringing with me.  

However this list just has a BRUTAL amount of shooting.  Smasha guns are just fantastic at taking down any big model, KMKs can really pile on the damage and lootas handle just about everything else.  the key though, by far, is the VSG itself.  It provides a level of protection unlike anything else we can field.  Combined with the FNP from mad doc, the lootas stick around quite a while.

It took me a while to decide to NOT take Da Jump with this list. Pretty much jumping the unit of 30 boys would mean leaving the gunline completely unprotected.   The Waggh! banner nob though was totally worth it, helping every single game.

The trukks are not really working out though, they just are not as fast as they use to be and the 8th disembark means they are even slower.  I think the answer is to replace them both with Kommandos.  That gives me quite a bit more distraction than those trukks. It also means re-arranging the detachments so I can fit them in.  Dropping the koptas will also give me more kommandos.  Remember, free burnas!

Showcase: Big Choppa Nobz

Finished up the Big Choppa Nobz, one for each of my 6 units of boyz.

Not much else to say, pics!

New commentary soon!

40k 8th edition Ork commentary: Boyz vs bikes, a case study.

What happens when rules drastically changes how you field your models?  A great example is the new index and Boyz vs Warbikes.

 

Warbikes were, IMO, unequivocally the best unit in the 7th edition codex.  Especially when combined with Zhadsnark.

 

 

 

 

So what made the bikes so good?
-had slugga/choppa for 3 attacks each

-3 TL S5 shots per bike

-+1 to cover save when turbo-boosting.

-4+ armor save included
-Fast!  24" per turn move + more if Zhadsnark around.

-Just 18pts per model!
-the T and save made them far less susceptible to mob rule.

 

And where did boyz suffer in 8th?


-Slow

-Suffered greatly at the hands of mob rule

-not very resilient
-were not able to kill everything.

 

Then the index hit, turning the situation completely around. 
Bikes:
-increased 50% in points
-Lost a LOT of their speed, from 24" to 14+d6"
-No "exhaust cloud" at all, which has been a stable fluffy rule for decades!

Mainly, though, it was the dramatic increase in cost.  There wasn't even really anything in the edition change that made bikes so much worse..just the points increase.

What did boyz gain?
-Mob rule.  The best morale mitigation in the game outside of "fearless".  Who doesn't want a LD30 unit of models?
-Attack buffs, both number and to-hit.
-Being able to be jumped across the board.


What it comes down to is while the points didn't change for the boyz, the difference between the two became much greater.  Resulting in boyz just being a much more important staple than before.

Warhammer 40k 8th edition Ork commentary: Big Choppas vs Power Klaws (warning: Mathhammer!)

Time to consider big choppas. They have never been viable options, with just a slugga/choppa being statistically better.

So anyway, 8th edition has changed that. Both due to the weapon profile and the rules.

So viable, in fact, I went ahead and bought a box of nobs so I can make a big choppa nob for each of my 6 units of boys!

1 Goff, 2 Evil Sunz, 3 Blood Axe.

Let's examine the difference.

Big Choppa:  S+2 (so S7), AP-1, 2 damage    you'll notice this is essentially the same as a Deffgun
Power KLaw Sx2 (so S10), AP-3, D3 damage, -1 to hit.

Big Choppa is also 36% of the points.  If I take 3 units of boys, that's a savings of 48points! 

The 3 categories:

Strength:  When is S10 better than S7? Anything T5 or lower.  Then you're wounding on 2+  Also anything with T20 or higher - which does not exist.  But once you get to vehicles you're still at a 3+, and thus have no benefit over S7.

AP: -3 vs -1.  That means you have a much better chance of getting that damage through, but having any AP at all makes the Big Choppa usable. Taking a 3+ to a 4+ is pretty nice.

Damage: D3 vs 2.  Even if you do get the PK through, there is a 1/3 chance you'll only do 1 damage.

Let's do some mathhammer:

Vs a Space Marine (T4, 3+ save, 1W)
BC:  3A * (2/3 chance to hit) * (2/3 chance to wound) * (1/2 chance to not save) = .667 dead marine
Points/damage =13pts per dead marine

PK:  3A * (1/2 chance to hit) * (5/6 chance to wound) * (5/6 chance to not save) = 1.04 dead marine
Points/damage=24pts per dead marine

Vs an average vehicle (T7, 3+ save, multiple wounds)

BC:  3A * (2/3 chance to hit) * (1/2 chance to wound) * (1/2 chance to not save) * (2 damage) = 1 wound
Points/damage=9

PK:  3A * (1/2 chance to hit) * (2/3 chance to wound) * (5/6 chance to not save) * d3 wounds = 1.66 wounds
Points/damage=15

So as we can see here the big choppa is statistically more points efficient, and by that I mean you pay fewer points for equivalent damage.  That's not a bad deal at all.

First 8th edition tournament summary

So when I go to tournaments I usually don't do full reports because I'd rather just play and concentrate on the game then worry about filming. So I'll just give you a brief overview of what went down on Saturday at Glimpses of Wonder and Warfare.

Game 1 vs Tau: The Scouring

He had 2 stormsurges and 3 hammerheads..and not much else.  We rolled and the 4pt objective was on my side and I went first.  I jumped 30 shootas to the area on the right, killed a unit of Firewarriors for first blood and shooting and assault took down the first stormsurge by 7 wounds and a couple wounds on Longstrike.  Not too bad. He wiped out the shoota boys quite easily and put a couple wounds on the tanks.  Next turn I just poured the firepower and knocked down the stormsurge some more.  He then moved up a bit and used what he could to do damage to another unit of boys. That small unit then jumped and assaulted some pathfinders.  I jumped the last unit and killed stormsurge and assaulted the 2nd.  Near the end Zhadsnark moved up and tried to finish the last 4 wounds on the stormsurge but he made all his invul saves.  I held the 4pt, and he had 3 objectives for a 5-7 minor loss.  I didn't have much left on the board!

Game 2 vs Salamanders, No mercy.

Varied marine list.  Couple libbies, 4 melta in a drop pod (I surrounded the tanks), bike command squad and chaplain, a couple razorbacks, and lascannons, but the most deadly thing there was 4 Centurions with Heavy Bolters and Hurricane Bolters - OH MY!  They had to die.  First turn I jumped the shoota boys, killed one in shooting..and then failed the charge!  That unit didn't last long. Next turn I jumped another unit took out the apothecary and librarian.  It took a couple turns to finish off the centurions, and zhadsnark mowed through the command squad despite the storm shields (a turn of complete whiff with thunderhammers helped).  Again, not much left at the end.

With first blood and warlord I scored a 120-45 major victory.

Game 3 vs demons, secure and control.

He had a ton of seekers of slannesh, brimstones, 15 thousand sons terminators and Magnus. I ended up with first turn yet again!  I jumped the shootas over and tried for first blood on the brimstones to no effect.  I also took 2 wounds of magnus after some re-rolling 1's and a command point for another save.  I should have gone for the seekers. But the seekers spent half the game doing nothing but killing boys so that was quite nice. He then dropped all the terminator and flew magnus right in my face, wiping out most of a unit of boys in shooting but opted to charge mostly another unit so there wasn't much damage in combat.  I then jumped the remaining big unit out of combat to assault the smaller unit of termies, locking them up until they died in turn 5.  The other bigger unit stayed locked in for most of the game.  Zhadnark did a TON of damage to the termies all by himself.  Magnus was able to kill off most of my characters but I kept hounding him getting him down to 2 wounds at the end of the game.  It ended on turn 5 or I probably would have killed magnus and taken my objective from the 3 remaining termies.

Result in a 0-8 major loss.

Yep 1-2 that day, and with a bit of better play it probably would have been 1-1-1.  My biggest errors were not attacking magus with the deffrolla! Totally forgot to attack with my tanks at all while he was locking them in combat. GRRR!! Even the Kill tank is pretty bad ass in combat and can do mortal wounds on the charge!

Despite losing most of my army every game none of them felt like I never stood a change. They were all excellent games and could have gone my way with a bit better play and/or remembering my rules.

40k 8th edition Ork commentary: Goodbye Loota-Wagon, we hardly knew ye...

Pretty much since the start of 8th I've been running lootas in a battlewagon (aka "loota-wagon) with the reading of the rules for the battlewagon that the passengers don't suffer the move and shoot penalty. I confirmed with Reece from Frontline gaming asking several times on Twitch.

However today the first 8th edition FAQ dropped and that does not work.  It's been "nerfed".  Yay!  Orks are VERY squishy and giving the lootas decent protection (since terrain is meaningless) really made a huge difference.  Repairing the wagon also helped with that.  It was very, very good.

So now the question is..what is the alternative? How can we keep the lootas alive to do their job?  Well really the only answer is a Void Shield Generator. Basically the same points as a battlewagon + deffrolla, it gives anything within 12" a 4++ from shots outside the 12".  This goes down as the building take damage though. The obvious difference is that it is static, and even moving by foot is a lot slower than in a battlewagon. 

Of course you can just keep the loota-wagon and if you have to move then just suck up the -1.  It wasn't an issue before with things like going to ground behind an aegis, so why is it a big deal now?  Because it was good, but not so good as to be OP. It gave Orks that long-range mobile firepower so many other armies take for granted.  It was new and different and effective.

Another alternative is to pump out more Kill Tanks.  It's actually fewer points than a battlewagon full of lootas. In fact I can almost take TWO for what I was paying for the loota-wagon!  And hell, you can still put lootas in them if you want lol! Did I forget to mention taking 3 gives you +3 command points?!?!



Anyway I think going forward the Kill Tank (and mabye the big trakk) will become the go-to tanks for the Ork player in competitive play.  It's just so darn cheap for what you get.

So that's where we are at. Less than a month into 8th and Orks have already been hit with the nerfbat.  Color me not surprised.

First 8th edition tournament list!

Tomorrow I will be playing in my first 8th edition tournament.  I will be taking almost the same list I played in my last battle report, replacing the warboss with Zhadsnark.

Battalion Detachment
HQ: Zhadsnark
HQ: Big Mek on bike, KFF
HQ: Wierdboy, Da Jump

Troop: 30 Slugga boyz, Nob w/PK
Troop: 30 Slugga boyz, Nob w/PK
Troop: 30 Shoota boyz, 3x Rokkit, Nob w/PK

 Elite: Painboy on Bike

Spearhead Detachment
HQ: Mek, KFF
HQ: Mek, KFF

Heavy: Battlewagon, Deffrolla
Heavy: 5 lootas
Heavy: 5 lootas
Heavy: 9 lootas

Super Heavy Auxiliary Detachment
Kill Tank, Gigashoota, 2x Twin big shootas

1999pts, 7 command points

So that's it, we'll see how it goes.

Warhammer 40k 8th edition Ork commentary: Forgeworld units.

I finally picked up a copy of the Forgeworld index, and I have to say I can't complain too much. I like a lot of things in there for sure.

Kill tank comes out of the bottom of the box!

1. Zhadsnark
Not needing to change slots around anymore, he does not need that rule anymore. A bit faster than normal bikes, and Da Rippa does not suffer a penalty to hit and can do mortal wounds. Well priced. Overall, if you're going to run a warboss on bike run Zhadsnark instead.

2. Buzgob
just a mek with a few more attacks from his fixin' bits. uninspired

3. Grot tanks
Super cheap with a 6++.  I need to get and try some of these.

4. Grot mega tank
Lots of dakka

5. Squiggoth
Excellent. Decent T, W, and no require wargear. Mortal wounds on the charge.  Can shoot out of the howdah even when locked in combat.

6. Meka Dred
No mega dred, but can come close with this. Can get pretty spendy

7. Big Trakk.
well priced, lots of options including the amazing supa skorcha. 

8. Kill tank
The king of the index IMO.  Super dakka, lots of wounds, bs 4+ base. Incredibly well priced for what you get.

9. Battlewagon varients
Either with supa-kannon or lifta-droppa.  meh.

10 Kustom Stompa
More expensive than a stompa, no shields.  Not impressed

11. Warcopter
Easier to kill than a trukk, twice as expensive and not that much faster. Needs to be a 20-60 move with hover instead.

12. Gargantuan Squiggoth
Absolutely outstanding.  Half the price of a stompa and only 5 less wounds. TON of dakka. Ton of attacks.  Can shoot while in combat, as can the passengers. 

Just a quick overview. Lots of things were not included..and I mean A LOT.  I think they only did the units that have current models, which is quite disappointing.

Warhammer 40k 8th edition Ork commentary: Can Orks SmiteSpam?

I was thinking about smite the other day, when I've played weirdboyz it's almost inconsequential compared to warpath and da jump. However with weirdboyz being so cheap why couldn't I build an Ork SpiteSpam list?

The Supreme Command detachment is 3-5 HQ's with an additional command point.  Weirdboyz are super cheap at only 62pts a pop.  So you can fill out the detachment for a mere 310pts.  It also gives you an elite slot which can be easily used on a painboy to heal up those inevitable mortal wounds from the casting bonus.

Surrounding the weirdboyz with a lot of boyz under a KFF moving across the board (which you'll probably be doing anyway) means getting into range soon enough. Or if your opponent has any tactical reserves coming after you, you've got a darn good chance of devastating anything with those 5d3 mortal wounds.



Can't get enough weirdboy action!

So let's see how that pans out:

Supreme Command Detachment
Weirdboy
Weirdboy
Weirdboy
Weirdboy
Weirdboy
Mad Doc

Battalion Detachment
HQ: Ghazzy
HQ: Big Mek, KFF
Troop: 30 Slugga boys, nob w/PK
Troop: 30 Slugga boys, nob w/PK
Troop: 30 Shoota boys, 3 rokkets, nob w/PK
Elite: Nob w/waaagh banner

Spearhead Detachment
HQ: Mek, KFF, oiler, big choppa
Heavy: battlewagon, deffrolla
Heavy: 5 lootas
Heavy: 5 lootas
Heavy: 9 lootas

1995pts, 8 command points

Basically you've got all the same elements as other lists but with the SmiteSpam to keep other armies at bay while you move into position.

Lots of ways to play this differently. You could drop the battlewagon and add another unit of boyz, just leaving the lootas in the back under the KFF.  Using a warboss instead of Ghazzy will open up a lot of points as well for lobbas and/or more boyz.

Of course, if 5 is not enough, you can go with 10!!!

Supreme Command Detachment
Weirdboy
Weirdboy
Weirdboy
Weirdboy
Weirdboy

Supreme Command Detachment
Weirdboy
Weirdboy
Weirdboy
Weirdboy
Weirdboy
Mad Doc

Battalion Detachment
HQ: Ghazzy
HQ: Big Mek, KFF
HQ: Big Mek, KFF
Troop: 30 Slugga boys, nob w/PK
Troop: 30 Slugga boys, nob w/PK
Troop: 30 Slugga boys, nob w/PK
Troop: 30 Shoota boys, 3 rokkets, nob w/PK
Elite: Nob w/waaagh banner

1994pts, 8 command points.

With the 2nd KFF Mek you've got plenty of room to surround the wierdboyz with boyz and keep everyone under the shield...and may Gork and Mork help anyone that gets within 18"!!!

EDIT: It was pointed out to me that with the casting bonus you're much more likely to be pushing d6 mortal wounds PER Wierdboy instead of d3. Sure you'll suck some wounds but that's just an insane amount of damage.

Warhammer 40k 8th edition Ork commentary: Da Jump is completely broken.

The Orks don't have a lot of units that can take advantage of Tactical Reserves, however we do have Da Jump. 

First, what is Da Jump? It's a psychic power in the Ork index for 8th edition.   You pick up any infantry unit and then place it anywhere on the board more than 9" away from any enemy models. 

Infantry.

So let's start with the long list of why it's so damn good. 

-Wierdboys are only 62pts, hardly an expensive tax to get anywhere you need too.
-Sure it has a casting cost of 7, but with the bonus you get to casting with nearby Orks, it's pretty much guaranteed (along with d3 mortal wounds - but that's a small price to pay).
-Since you can hide in the back, you won't have to worry about being within 24" for a deny the witch roll.  Even if you are in range, you're likely going to get over 12 anyway making a deny impossible.
-Unlike tactical reserves, you can do it more than once.  Meaning bringing 3-4 units of 30 boys means mobs of boys where ever you need them, when you need them.  Nothing like dropping 20 grots on that key objective at the end of the game.  Eldar have nothing on Da Jump shenanigans!
-Meganobz are infantry.  wink wink.
-Jumping shootaboyz means lot of shots. You can shoot rokkets at one unit, shootas at 1 (or more) other units and charge yet a 3rd!
-Sure you are 9" away but with Orks getting the charge off after Da Jump is very likely.  Not only do you have a re-roll from 'ere we go, but you can use a command point to re-roll just one of the dice if you need to instead.  Roll a 1 and 2? 'ere we go. Rolle a 6 and a 1? Command point!  Way better than 50/50 odds.  With most units just locking them up in combat and preventing shooting for a turn will mean the rest of the army (or another unit jumping in) has a better change of making it into combat.
-Blocking.  Did you know you don't have to bunch up a unit in a circle? As long as every model is 9" away from any enemy. That means with a unit of 30 boys you can encircle an enemy army so they can't move out!  Sure "fly" models will ignore this so against some things it won't be good.  So you sacrifice a 180pts of boys to do it.  Again, that will mean an army worth of shooting at the bait, not the force.
-You can combine a fast-moving force (stormboys/bikes) with Da Jump for a flanking operation.  60 stormboys moving up and 30 shootas on the flank will result in devastating charges.
-YOU CAN JUMP OUT OF COMBAT.  There is no restrictions on Da Jump as far as units being engage or within 1" of an enemy model.  That means you can leave combat without falling back, shoot and re-charge.

Essentially there is no downside to Da Jump at all. It gives tactical flexibility, infinite movement, and plays into the Orks strength as an assault army.  Sacrificing a unit of boys isn't that expensive and will give the rest of the army time to move into position for massive amounts of assault goodness. 

It's my opinion that relying on running up the board alone isn't good enough. Combining a horde (under a kff) and Da Jump gives you all the elements for a solid army.



Warhammer 40k 8th edition Ork commentary: Boyz vs Stormboyz vs Warbikes

If you are going to build an Ork list in the new edition of 40k, you are most likely to form it around a core of one of these 3 units.

How good are these in 8th?

Each unit has it's good and bad points.  I can tell you no matter which way you choose to go, you can't really have enough.  I would consider 90 boyz and/or stormboyz a minimum for any army because of how fragile they are. Bikes though, can be fielded in addition to the others much easier.

Boyz are the basic troop that just has little downside.  The best LD mitigation that isn't strait up fearless, and the option of either shootas or sluggas at no extra cost...which is darn cheap.  They work GREAT with Da Jump to show up anywhere on the table, shoot and charge. If you are going to jump them I would recommend shootas over sluggas.  The versatility to shoot rokkets at one unit, shootas at another (or 2) and then charge yet a different unit gives you a lot of versatility.  With the great 'ere we go (and a command point to re-roll one die instead of both) you've got a GREAT chance at charging after jumping.

If you are going to just move across the board with a warboss for advance+charge and a Waggh! banner nob for 2+ to hit, then sluggas are the way to go.  I would still get a wierdboy for Warpath and maybe even Ghazzy himself.  Getting 6 attacks hitting on 2+ isn't hard to achieve at all.  Adding a KFF mek and moving the whole army under the bubble will give you the survivability you need to get there.


Warbikes were by far the king of the previous codex. They took a huge hit with the increase of cost by 50% and loss of any form of exhaust cloud (they should always counts as being in cover, giving an effective 3+ armor save), and dropped from 15 to 12 per unit but gained a wound each. They are also much faster than even stormboyz with a 14" move and by far the shooty-ist at SIX shots a model - the result of removing twin linked from the game. 

The cost of these guys really hurts in large numbers - a full unit with PK can creep near 350pts.  That does not leave much room for other models if you go bike heavy.  But the same 4+ save as before can help against small arms fire, and buffing them with a painboy on bike and KFF mek on bike will give them even more resiliency to get where they need to be.  Their speed will guarantee they will be a threat that can't be ignored so I would say expect to lose them early as the opponent concentrates fire.  Despite my love for warbikes and the benefits on paper, I can't see them forming the core of any army.

Lastly is Stormboyz.  Sadly I don't have enough models to really playtest them, as 60 should be the minimum I would consider.  They do require Zagstruck to go along with them, as he makes them immune to morale!! And at under 100pts it's an investment that's more than worth it.  They have a lot of downsides IMO, being 50% more expensive than boyz and no harder to kill.  They are fast, with a 12" move and able to advance+charge gives a 12+3d6" threat range (at a price, the potential to lose a lot of the unit) and without any more toughness so you'll lose a lot moving to charge range. But with Zagstruck you won't have to worry about morale and you can keep charging forward so your opponent has to kill them to a man!

The real question is which way to go? I think the ability to show up where and when you want, and then charge, is going to dominate the early meta of 8th. Orks may not have a lot of units that can do this, but the speed of some of the Ork units can make up for it.

Return balance to the list: 40k 8th edition Orks.

So what have we learned so far?

1. Da Jump is awesome
2. Loota-wagon is broken
3. Bikes are fast

So why not combine them all?

The idea here is to base a fast-moving Bike Star with the loota-wagon and some general protection for everything.

Battalion Detachment
HQ: Warboss on bike, pk
HQ: Mek on bike, KFF
HQ: Wierdboy

Troops: 30 shootas, 3xrokkits, nob w/pk
Troops: 30 shootas, 3xrokkits, nob
Troops: 22 grots

Fast: 12 warbikes, nob w/pk

Elite: Painboy on Bike

Flyer: Dakkajet, 6xsoopashootas

Spearhead Detachment
HQ: Mek, KFF

Heavy: battlewagon, deffrolla
Heavy: 5 lootas
Heavy: 5 lootas
Heavy: 8 lootas

Elite: Runtherd, squighound

This gives me basically 3 positions on the field.  The first is the highly mobile and effective bike star, 60 boys with a wierdboy to power Da Jump, and lastly the all-powerful loota-wagon with a grot screen.  Lots of firepower, decent close combat and really no static units - Wierdboy can climb in the wagon after the 2nd Da Jump if needed lol.

So this list is my next game and It's got a nice balance of elements but still has 11 drops. Need to see if I can drop that down.

The next Ork 8th edition list: Mobile firepower!

The rules as stated in 8th are not kind to MSU - the player that finishes placing first goes first.  This also applies to armies with many characters to throw out buffs.

So let's try an army with 4 drops. Yep. 4.

Spearhead Detachment x2 (Both identical)
HQ: Mek in Megarmor, kff

Heavy: Lootas x5
Heavy: Lootas x5
Heavy: Lootas x5

Heavy: battlewagon, no upgrades

Vanguard Detachment
HQ: Mek, kff, oiler
HQ: Mek, kff, oiler

Elites: 7 Tankbustas, nob
Elites: 7 Tankbustas, nob
Elite: 3 Meganobz

Heavy: battlewagon
Heavy: battlewagon, Deffrolla

So the idea should be pretty simple.  4 battlewagons, with T7 and 16 wounds and D3 wound repair a turn moving around and shooting a TON of shots out of them. The battlewagon's rules allow them to move and the lootas can fire without penalty.  Having multiple small units of lootas means you can fire each one before deciding how to the next, which is better than the split fire option they come with.

A few meganobz will be there to fend off anything that comes close.

I don't think it will do all that well..but it would be a heck of a lot of fun. I think a blend of this kind of shenanigans and infantry support would be a better way to go overall.

40k 8th Ork analysis: Boys before toys? No, toys AND boys!

So last night was my first game of 8th edition, playing buffed Ork Horde.

it's quite the adjustment to not have to worry about templates!

So I went full buff list: Ghazzy, warpath weirdboy, waagh! banner nob.  It was astonishing easy to get 6 attacks per boy hitting on 2+!!!  Also having STR4 base is HUGE.  And the nobs become STR10 with their power fists resulting in S10 just from them - that means wounding T5 on 2+.

The new wound chart also takes some time to get use too.  As does pistols in close combat - I never once shot my sluggas.

The second wierdboy with Da Jump puts quite a spin on the horde aspect of it as well.  Sending 30 shootas across the board first turn is amazing and forces your opponent to deal with them as the super buff group moves forward.  I did forget I could try and charge with them though lol.

Ghazzy himself is still a beast in CC, getting S12 and with T8 makes wounding him almost always on 5+

The lack of the 'eavy armor upgrade is a huge hit.  Boys just don't have any survivability and if someone concentrates on them they will die in droves.

So a combination of Boys and buffs is the way to go. An unsupported horde won't make it very far.

I have more ideas..I will be trying basically random lists for a while until I find something I really like.

40k 8th edition Ork horde revised!

So it seems 2000pts is going to be the standard in ITC not 1850.  So that gave me a bit more wiggle room.  The first and most obvious change is putting the warboss in Megarmor.  Well if I'm going to do that, might as well go full Ghazzy instead.  Also after watching tonight's FLG batrep, I need lobbas in basically every list.  Lastly, I broke up the list into different detachments to get an additional command point.  Adding a 2nd wierdboy gives me a shot at +1 attack, combined with Ghazzy give me 5 on one unit.

2000pts, 7 command points

Battalion Detachment

HQ: Ghazzy
HQ: Big Mek, KFF
HQ: Wierdboy

Troop: 30 Slugga boys, nob w/PK
Troop: 30 Slugga boys, nob w/PK
Troop: 30 Shoota boys, 3 rokkets, nob w/PK

Elite: 8 Tankbustas; nob, 7 rokkets, 1 rokket pistols
 -Trukk, big shoota
Elite: 8 Tankbustas; nob, 7 rokkets, 1 rokket pistols
 -Trukk, big shoota

Flyer: Dakkajet, 6 supashootas

Heavy: 3 lobbas, crew

Vanguard Detachment 

HQ: Wierdboy

Troops: 22 grots

Elite: Runtherd, squig hound
Elite: Mad Doc
Elite: Nob w/waaagh banner

It hits the table tomorrow against my cousin's Ravenwing.  Let's ROCK!

40k 8th edition - why is no one talking about the Void Shield Generator?

Being able to be taken by every faction, the Void Shield Generator is probably the best points you can spend for your army in 8th.

It's a bit less then double the old cost in points, and so completely worth it.

The stats are T8 18W SV 4+.  Combat hits auto-hit, and assaulting units don't get protection from shooting.

It still has the same 12" bubble around it.  Any shot from outside the bubble to a unit inside the bubble gives an invulnerable save.

It starts at 4++ until it loses half wounds. Then 5++ until it's down to it's last 4, and it's 6++

WOW.

With a lot of assault armies being super fast, the return on this will vary from game to game, and will work best protecting a gunline itself. 

I plan on using it a lot, especially in a Loota heavy list.

First 8th edition Ork list! - the Ork Horde.

Time to put together some lists using the leaked index.  Not sure what points to build too, but 1850 seems like a good start.

I have several list ideas but this is the most obvious. The Horde.

Battalion Detachment
HQ: Warboss; PK, Attack Squig
HQ: Big Mek; KFF
HQ: Wierdboy

Troop: 30 Slugga boys, nob w/PK
Troop: 30 Slugga boys, nob w/PK
Troop: 30 Shoota boys, 3 rokkets, nob w/PK
Troop: 20 Grots

Elite: Runtherd; Squighoud
Elite: 8 Tankbustas; nob, 7 rokkets, 1 rokket pistols
 -Trukk, big shoota
Elite: 8 Tankbustas; nob, 7 rokkets, 1 rokket pistols
 -Trukk, big shoota
Elite: Mad Doc
Elite: Nob w/Waggh! Banna

Flyer: Dakkajet; 6 supashootas

Fast: Deffkopta, twin big shootas
Fast: Deffkopta, twin big shootas

So lets talk about what happens.  With this number of units, it's almost assured you'll go second. So everything needs to bunch up under the KFF for protection. Shouldn't be a problem.   Then on first turn deploy the defkoptas, and Da Jump the shoota boys to the most annoying place possible.  That should give the 2 massive units of boys with buffs time to get into combat.  The tankbustas use the speed of the trukks to get in range of what they need to hit.  The Dakkajet speeds around also shooting what it can. 

Alternately it wouldn't be hard to drop the dakkajet for Ghazzy so the boys get that +1 attack.  Mad doc is a great choice over a regular painboy because he's just so darn cheap.

Pretty darn strait forward, as it should be for an Ork army, right?

I've got other styles in mind, so we'll see how they pan out.

Ork Points differential chart

So I went through the whole index and created a list of point changes.

As you can see, pretty much everything went up a lot.

For the characters I made some common wargear options instead of stock index wargear.

Enjoy!

Showcase: Ork Rat Rod Trukk

Finished this up, didn't take long.  Very happy with it!

Not much to say.  Off to the next one!

Orks faction focus and 8th edition - HOLY CRAP!!!!

Now that the faction focus has landed, and we know how morale is going to work, we can get a good feel on how Orks will be in 8^th.

I will call it the “conga line” edition. 

First, the highlight from faction focus is by far the Mob Rule.  I could not have written it better myself!  Just like in 4^th you can substitute the units LD for the number of models. However, unlike 4^th, there is no cap at 10. Which means a unit of 30 suffering 10 losses still has LD20 and can’t lose any more to morale!!  An opponent would have to kill half a unit of 30 in a single turn just to have a chance to do any more damage.

I’m in total shock about just how freaking awesome that is. Plus, there is more too it, you can use a unit’s nearby LD which means even the small elite units will be sticking around a lot more.   And on top of it nobs and warbosses can mitigate any losses from morale!  My biggest fear was suffering from battleshock/morale and while it’s not quite fearless it’s exactly what it should be.

Nobs only have 3 wounds, which is a bit disappointing. I was hoping for 4.  I was also hoping choppas would be ap -1.

Let’s talk about the conga line.  It was a typical trick in the 4^th ed codex because the cover save from the KFF was by unit, not models like the current book.  Now, it will be both unit and a 5++!!!  Absolute best possible world.  Add in the 6+fnp from a painboy effecting all nearby units, and no longer having to remove closest models from shooting means you’ll be able to run a horde of Orks with a 5++/6+ all the way across the table!  This is EXACTLY the kind of survivability I’ve been saying all along the Orks needed more than anything.  Add in ‘eavy armor upgrades? 

Giving all the nobs kombi-skorchas might not be a no-brainer, but pretty close. Since combi- weapons are no longer 1 shot having a heavy flamer in every unit sounds like a good idea, and again, since model removal won’t be closest, you can put the nob out front right and propa’!

The waggh! is changed to units within 6” of the warboss, but it also implies it’s not just once per game, which I think is a great tradeoff – because of the conga line.   It’s like the Decurion all over again, only better. 

Reece said to dust off the killa kans, which to me means they were fixed.  I sure hope so. They are currently so overpriced and nearly useless. I mean S7? Sigh.   I hope there are a lot of things fixed.  I am surprised there was nothing about Trukks, which are as iconic as a Rhino, in the faction focus. I’m still putting in for a decent version of Ramshackle…my dream is you only take 1 wound from multi-wound hits.

I said before lone SAG meks hiding in the back will be a thing. I’m sticking to that, but it will depend on how they work.  Assuming strength is 2d6 with d6 (or even 2d6) shots and ap -3 it could be a quite nice..and on a roll of 12 they are moral wounds! 

It sounds like characters still won’t have access to 5++, but hopefully something will give them survivability in close combat. 

With the transport rules you can put multiple small units is a single transport – say 4 units of 5 lootas in a battlewagon – and give them much more protection than they have now.

With the change to twin linked, will warbikes really get 6 shots?  I think I prefer the old TL, especially with overwatch but that is A LOT of dice. 

Let’s talk about Da Jump, as spoiled in the article.  It allows you to pick up a unit and place them 9” away from any enemy units. No scatter, and they can still charge.  Combined with ‘ere we go re-rolling, that’s a pretty good chance (about 1/3) of making that charge.  I can see literally building an entire list around that power, with first turn transporting 90 boys just 9” away from the enemy.  And with the changes to blasts and flamers, you no longer have to fear having the boys all bunched up if you do fail the charge.

Of course it’s not all sunshine and roses…but to be honest it’s pretty darn close.  The change to heavy weapons getting a -1 to hit instead of snapshots is a big boost to other armies but it’s the same for Orks either way.    And as with all the 8^th ed spoilers so far – points! 

There are far more questions than answers.  Will there be instant death? Will there be limits on Megarmor?  Will characters have different dataslates for MA option?  How will exhaust cloud work? Will bikes be as good as they are now?  How will Snikrot work? 

We have 3 weeks to wait. It’s going to be a LONG 3 weeks…

Showcase: Ork UFO's with LEDs!

I started these months ago but they were interrupted with Dark Angels.

They are based on UFO lamps from the prize pool at my local pizza parlor (no, not the mouse one).  They had a nice battery compartment and switch already so it was pretty easy to move on from there.  The paint job is stupidly simple yet very effective. Very happy with them!

Ork Rat Rod Trukk

It's been a long time. Seems like I've been painting Dark Angels forever, but in reality it's only been 4 months.  I finished the UFO's and now to the next project. 

I bought this Trukk used back many moons for just $16, and it's been sitting forever. Not only because of the DA but I didn't know what to do.  Well it hit me a couple days ago what to do - Rat Rod!!

Google it if you don't know what that is :)

I started by tearing it apart, luckily it was put together with superglue not plastic glue.  It didn't take long to figure out the suspension.  Mostly it just takes cutting off the leaf springs from the frame and inverting the axles. I also realized the cab is designed to have the driver on either side, so for something different I went right-hand drive.

I really LOVE how it came out, absolute perfect representation of a Rat Rod.  It will painted just like the UFO's, very rusty - true to the namesake.

Off to the paintbooth!

The Inner Circle GOLD!!!

That's right, my Dark Angels on Mustafar won gold here at the Portland store.  So very excited, after months and months of non-stop painting it was all worth it!

So now it's the waiting game to see if I won a grand prize. Looking at the other entries my hopes are not that high but still very happy and honored to be considered.

Well that's enough DA for a while, time to get back to Ork stuff. Maybe painting the Stormsurge...

Warhammer 40k 8th edition: Time to start the speculation on Orks

GW has covered an overview of just about all the rules at this point, but still there are A LOT of questions left unanswered.

While we got to see a dataslate for thousand sons, and a few other weapon spoilers, we will have to wait and see.

We know the Morkanaught has 18 wounds and a 3+ save.  I might just have to save up for one now!  Though I'll probably use the Gorkanaught instead.  However it might have a completely different table.

I'm also hoping for the forgeworld units: Mek Stompa, Zhadsnark, War Kopta, etc.  They have a tendency to leave Orks in the dust on these things.

I came up with a few things that I would like to see in the new rules:

Trukk
M12" BS 5+ T6 W5 sv 5+
Ramshackle:  Every unsaved hit can only do 1 wound, regardless of weapon profile.

This would bring the Trukk truly back: able to make it across the board and deliver it's deadly cargo.  Yet still have a good chance of dying to any sort of concentrated small arms fire.

Deffgun
S7 AP-1 Heavy D3 Damage D3

AP4 seems to translate to AP-1.  But Deffguns are the heavy weapon of Orks, having them just 1 damage seems very underwhelming. 

Nobs:
M6" WS3+ BS5+ S4 T4 W4 LD7 6+

Yep, 4 wounds.  This would translate to Meganobz:

Meganobz:
M4" WS3+ BS5+ S4 T4 W4 LD7 6+

The downside to so many wounds is of course, losing whole models to morale.  But MANz are usually fielded in small enough units so it won't matter.

Nobs should have double the wounds of Terminators. 

Notice how I didn't put down any points.  The point system will be so completely revamped that any speculation is meaningless.

OK here are some questions:

1. Since Megarmor is such a different profile than non-MA, will characters be split up? So we have one dataslate for MA warboss and one for non-MA? Or will it just be different profiles on the one dataslate.
2. Painboys/FNP.  How will they work? Will FNP even be a thing?
3. Zhadsnark?
4. Will Warbikes actually get 6 shots?!?!

and I'm sure there will be more

8th can not get here soon enough. 

As 7th winds down, hard to find inspiration to play...

I still have my weekly 40k league and other chances to play.  However it's getting harder and harder to do anything other than go through the motions.  No point in building new lists, no point in practicing anything, just..no point.

A bit of Osborne effect here. GW has released so much information so far ahead of the game that I'm sure their sales are non-existent and getting people to throw dice is getting harder.

I will probably revisit old lists, like an old comfy blanket, over the last month of 7th.

Last week I played basically random Dark Angels models I had painted. 

I think next week will be the last run of Sammael + thunderwolves.

I would like to play the 180 boy decurion before it goes. 

One more run with a Ghazzy decurion as well.

If time I'll play the tau/necrons one last time.  I really like the optimized stealth cadre.

That's 4 weeks. That should be the last of 7th.

really 7th can't get here soon enough.

Battleshock comes to 40k 8th edition - and I'm not happy about it!

Today was the big morale teaser.  Not very big for most armies, but when it comes to Ork it's devastating. 

Basically it's exactly the same as battleshock in AoS - add d6 to the number of casualties and subtract your leadership.  Then remove the number of models from the unit equal to the difference.

I've played my Orcs in AoS and battleshock does as much damage as the opponent.  It's not uncommon to lose 5-10 models a turn from a large boyz unit.  In fact, we plan on it - that's the whole point of running units of 30.

However my experience in AoS is large units of fragile infantry is a recipe to throwing away a lot of points.  the roll is irrelevant if you've already lost more models then your LD value!

The only saving grace will be whatever they do with Mob Rule.   Making units larger then 10 immune to morale, or if it started with more than 10 on a 4+ the model does not run away, something..anything. Otherwise horde Orks is a non-starter from the get-go.

8th edition teasers keep coming, and for Orks I'm hopefully apprehensive..

Are Orks really back?

Probably not. 

While GW teased assault would be viable again, the teasers so far seems to make it otherwise.  From what we know so far, it does not look good.

-the movement stat. I’m sure while marines keep the 6”, Orks will not be so lucky. Resulting in a slower march across the field.

-Cover. Instead of a fixed save, cover provides a boost to your armor save.  With weapons removing that save with a modifier, models that depend on cover will suffer from mass fire with any AP.

-Fall back from assault.  Sure, the assaulting units strike first but there is no way to stay locked in combat.  Any unit can fall back out of combat, leaving the assaulting unit out in the open to be shot at. 

-Multiple overwatch.  Units are no longer limited to a single overwatch a turn.

-Assault vehicles. Vehicles will no longer limit assaults when disembarking.  So where does that leave Trukks and battlewagons?  Will the open-topped rule be a thing of the past? Will fire points even exist?

Of course, there is so much missing of the core rules, plus all the army-specific rules, that no one can say for sure.  It really comes down to how the army/codex is done more than the core rules themselves here.

But on the plus side:

-AP. Return of the old choppa rule?  YES PLEASE.  Give the choppas an AP of 1 or 2 (remember, this is 8^th nomenclature).  This combined with striking first means the lowly Ork boy will smash his way through just about any unit put in front of him…then get shot to pieces the next turn. As it should be.

-Trukks get better? ‘naughts playable?  No explosions?  The new stats on vehicles might just bode well.  Trukks with 4-6 wounds and the standard Ork save will have a much better chance of making it to combat.  With the transport capacity and new assault rules, means ‘naughts might be useable.  The lack of explosions would be a big help as well.

Again, I’m going to harp on how much the army rules will influence this.  Fixing all the mistakes of the 7^th ed codex (mob rule, I’m looking at you) is the biggest bump we can get.  Throwing the whole thing out and starting from scratch? Yes, please.  However, I don’t see GW having the resources to completely re-work the entire line of armies all at once, despite the claim otherwise. Too many armies, units and options to balance… even with outside help.

That’s my rant for now.  I’m still very excited for 8^th, and can’t wait for it to get here.  I definitely expect it sooner than later, otherwise GW will suffer a huge Osborne effect.

The Inner Circle - Dark Angels complete!

All 18 units are now done for my Inner Circle entry, with 2 weeks to finish the display board.  And that is coming along nicely! Shouldn't be a problem.

Next Saturday the store is holding the last event, a game where you bring what you have done. Sure it's only a week before the final contest, but whatever.   There is also a 40k GT at the same time!  But I need the precious, precious points..and can also save the money from the entry fee.  Anyway here is a list of the stuff in game terms:

Combined Arms - Dark Angels
HQ: Librarian, level 2
HQ: Company Master, Power Sword, Combi-Plasma

Troops: 5x Tacticals, melta, combi-melta, drop pod
Troops: 5x Tactical, missile launcher, razorback
Troops: 10x Tactical, grav cannon, grav gun, combi-grav, power sword, Vet Sgt, Rhino

Fast: Assault Squad x6, power fist, vet sgt, 2x flamer.

Elites: Deathwing Terminators, chainfist, assault cannon

Heavy: Devastators: 4x Lascannon

Ravenwing Strike Force
HQ: Samael
HQ: Interrogator Chaplain, bike

Black Knights x5
Black Knights x5
Ravenwing command squad, apothocary
Ravenwing bikes x3, power sword, vet sgt
Ravenwing bikes x3, 3x grav gun

That's 2417pts.  I leave off one of the assault guys for exactly 2400.