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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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…

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.

8th edition is nigh! Much wailing and gnashing of teeth!

The official announcement today, that 8th edition will soon be upon us.

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/04/22/the-new-edition-of-warhammer-40000-your-questions-answeredgw-homepage-post-2/

The most important tidbit is this:

"The rules in our current range of Warhammer 40,000 codexes aren’t compatible with the new edition of Warhammer 40,000" 

Can you believe it? I can't.  The downside is the money you've spent is wasted..the expansions, formations, supplements, etc are all useless.  

The upside is maybe balance will return to the force game finally.  Orks might actually stand a chance again, which is something I won't complain about. Of course, I will cover EVERYTHING about the new edition and the Ork army.

However it means my army selection is very much on hold. I have one more unit to paint to get to 18 for the Inner Circle and after that I have built 25 more marines for a Lion's Blade which I will no longer be able to play (probably).

There isn't a lot of information on what exactly it will be like, but expect a HUGE upheaval in the game in a very short order.

Now, we sit and wait. Very impatiently.

How much can you play the same thing?

I'm bored. Bored with Orks.  I've done just about everything I can do with Orks and the models I have.  I have no clue on what I want to play anymore.

I do want to get going on my Tau/Necrons, but I need more models first. 

The biggest problem I see is with Orks you can't mix close combat and shooting. I've played pure shooty lists that are effective. I've played CC lists that are effective.  Trying to mix the two is where the codex really breaks down.

It's not the same thing as practicing a tournament list, which playing the same thing over and over is good. This is fun play, somewhat competitive environment and Orks. 

Mixing it up by including some CSM has helped, but it's still there to shoehorn the Helldrake in the list, with various degrees of success. 

I don't have an answer.  I'm already tired of the Iron hands, as that is strictly a competitive army, and I'm tired of the monotony of the Orks. 

So what do I do?

Can Orks do MSU?

As I was contemplating a Gladius, I was thinking if Orks could do the MSU any better.  The units are cheap, however very fragile especially in small numbers.  I don't know if it would really work but it could be interesting to see if someone can kill enough.

Using a combined Arms detachment of course, because you need that objective secured.

HQ: Warboss, PK, lucky stick, 'eavy armor, Bosspole
HQ: Painboy
Still need some punch, and the warboss' Waagh! might still be useful.

Troop: 12 shootas, 1xWeapon (BS or rokkit), Trukk w/Ram
Troop: 12 shootas, 1xWeapon (BS or rokkit), Trukk w/Ram
Troop: 12 shootas, 1xWeapon (BS or rokkit), Trukk w/Ram
Troop: 12 shootas, 1xWeapon (BS or rokkit), Trukk w/Ram
Troop: 12 'ard boys, Nob w/PK and bosspole, Trukk w/Ram
Troop: 10 'ard boys, Nob w/PK and bosspole, Trukk w/Ram
Lots of ObSec, the unit of 10 is joined by the characters. The shootas zip around on objectives and shoot stuff. 

Elite: 6 Tankbustas, Trukk w/Ram
Elite: 6 Tankbustas, Trukk w/Ram
Elite: 6 Tankbustas, Trukk w/Ram
For the elite slots we use the trusty Tankbustas. The grenade rule isn't used in ITC so the meltabombs are still useful. 

Fast: 4 warbikes
Fast: 4 warbikes
Fast: 4 warbikes
Warbikes are still the best unit in the book. These guys zipping around, absorbing overwatch, or whatever else they need. Defkopptas work too, but cost more.

Heavy: 6 Lootas
Heavy: 6 Lootas
Heavy: 6 Lootas
We round off with lootas, small units are easy to hide in cover and are still quite effective. 
1842pts

So that's it. 9 Trukks, 12 bikes, 26 total killpoints.  Lots of fast moving things zipping around the board causing problems.  I wish I could try it but I only have 4 trukks.

Requiem for Zhadsnark 'Da Rippa'

Over the last couple months every list I've played has included Zhadsnark.  But that time is drawing to a close.  I still have OFCC left later this month I'm playing Zhadsnark with the Bully Boyz, and I could play him in league through the end of this month but I want to break out my other armies.

Other then a single game the day of the BA codex release, I've been playing Orks exclusively since the codex came out.  Sure I have used allies, but still mainly focused on Orks.

1. Zhadsnark himself is pretty damn good. 
The I4 S10 power fist with 4 base attacks at WS5 is completely amazing.  The skilled rider he grants to his unit is exactly what the Ork bikes need. I have never once scouted his unit, I simply see no need to do so.  He is totally worth the points and then some.

2.  Warbikes are simply the best unit in the codex, of that I have absolutely no doubt. 
Especially if they have a painboy to tag along.  The speed, resilience, firepower, and close combat ability all combine to what is as close to the perfect unit as you can get.  Being able to sink all your points into these guys instead of having to "waste" some on infantry makes Orks so much better.

3. An Ork warbike army has little need for a supporting cast.
Sure, you can have some variations with Bully Boyz, or a loota/mek gun fire base, but in the end they are really not needed.  I don't think I found any game where I was wishing I had more firepower.  The one exception to this is maybe some outflanking Defkoptas or Warbuggies... those fit in the theme and provide additional backfield pressure which could help if your bikes get mired in the middle.

4. More units is better.
The one flaw I found is having only large units of bikes.  This didn't give me enough units to deal with objectives over the course of a game.  That is why I started running 2 large units and a unit of 3.  I think 2 full units with painboys, and 2-3 units of 3 is the way to go in the future.  I just didn't have enough models to do more!

5. Orks need a formation to do a Warbike army without Zhadsnark.
This is really the most disappointing thing about the Ork book, especially compared to all the other books that have been released since then. The complete lack of formations, especially clan-based formations. After seeing the Ravenwing formation in the DA book - that's EXACTLY what I want for Orks (10 FA slots).  Most of the formations released for Orks in things like the Red Waaagh! are ok, at best.

Orks do need fixing to be truly competitive with books released since it came out.  Not anything major, a few tweaks and new formations would do it.  It was the first book of 7th, and it shows.