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!