Rokkit Launchas or Big Shootas?

[El_Davo]

well i'm back with another question about orks and the weapons they decided to pick up that day.
so this time i'm building another boyz squad, but what spec weapons should i give them?

rokkits or big shootas?

these boyz i'm building have slugga/choppas. normally i'd give them big shootas but i'm lacking in the anti tank department right now. so i thought i'd try out rokkits.
but my friend (the same one from my last post actually) says that rokkits are crap. bs2 and only one shot isnt reliable enough she says.

so is there a better way to get my antitank weapons? or am I ok with putting rokkits in my boyz squads?

also would there be a difference if i gave the shootas instead of slugga/choppas? should they run on foot 30 strong? or maybe rocket spam with a battle wagon or truck?

oh and thanks for all the advice about shootas or choppas. it was all very insightful and she ended up building them with slugga/choppas for those who want to know.

[The Green Git]

Personally I like Big Shootas in my mobs, but then again I take Shoota Boyz. Not that there's anything inherently *wrong* with Rokkits in units of Boyz, there's just better options for anti-tank. At the end of the day your real anti-tank weapon of choice is the Boss on a Warbike with a Power Klaw. S10, multiple attacks, gets there fast and the target *IS* going to die.

One thing you may want to consider for Rokkits (if you must shoot) are Killa Kans. You can take three per unit just like a Boyz Mob but they are BS3 being Grots. The Kustom Mega Blasta on Kans is also viable and the AP2 is a nice option if you need to shoot at Terminators or Power Armor guys.

Another option for anti-tank is Big Gunz with Kannons. They are BS3 and S8 too but have a 36" range. Grots can take Ammo Runts too for rerolls. If you need more infantry killing power you can shoot them as S4 blast weapons as well.

[isotope99]

Lootas and power klaws. Orks simply can't reliably open up heavy armour at range, but a decent sized (10+) squad of lootas will get through AV12 or less fairly well.

[Nosmo75]

Rokkit Launchaz *can* take down armoured targets, but only en masse. That's the route I'm taking, maximum Rokkit Launchaz in my Boyz mobs, on my Trukkz, everywhere. I find that Big Shootaz aren't worth it, as Orks don't have any trouble dragging down enemy infantry, but the massed rokkitz being spat out at key targets every turn can really help crack open those tanks before da Boyz get there. Tankbustaz excel in this area as well, a unit with two Tankhammaz and two Bomb Squigz (so the Tankhammeraz have something to do in the shooting phase) has helped me out in the past. Yesterday, my Tankbustaz (kitted out as described above) blew up a Devilfish and a Hammerhead in four turns!

So yeah, Rokkit Launchaz can be useful, but only if you aren't half-arsed about them. =)

[Drew da Destroya]

I'd back up Nosmo.... if you only have one mob with 2-3 rokkits, they aren't going to do anything for you. If you've got 2-3 mobs with 2-3 rokkits each, 2 sets of Buggies/Koptas with Twin Rokkits, and some Lootas and Kannons in your backfield, then you'll do better. It's still an uphill struggle, especially against "Heavy" armor (13-14 AV), but it'll do you alright.

Your best bets are still either the Bikerboss or the Deffrolla... but both are limited in that you need to get close. The bikerboss can do this pretty effectively (turboboost!) but has to roll to hit (6+ if the vehicle moved more than 6" hurts!). People tend to see the Deffrolla coming, but it can't really be dodged once you hit them.

[Nosmo75]

Thanks, Drew! =D

[Skragger]

Big Shootaz all the way buddy. Boyz should not be firing at tanks. Remember that if you take rokkit launchas that means that you get three shots at BS2 to break a tank, and waste the boyz firepower/chance to assault a unit.

Leave the rokkitz to the Tank Bustaz, they know how to use em!

[Da Gargoyle]

Not that I game Orks anymore, but I would go with big shootas for your boys. Don't forget that you need 30 boys to field the max 3 rokkits, (Or big shootas) per mob and that ties up lots of points for one unit and limits your options on the field. At least with the big shoota you can add to the weight of fire being used to soften up your target prior to charging.

I don;t recall if burner boys can still flame or go power with their burnas? Given that you are hitting rear armour on vehicles these days, a bunch of burners carving into you can cause grief.

I also agree that Lootas cause a lot of grief for anything with AV 12 or less. I kept losing my Eldar skimmers to lootas because of the volume of fire coming in.

Power claws, kans and dreds are the way to go. Kans can tool up with rokkits and are more likely to hit. And in a squadron you still get that volume of fire for a relatively cheap unit. I don't know about the custom mega blasta though. It gets hot even on vehicles for Orks so you could end up taking a glancing hit from firing it.

Tank bustas I have not seen on the table lately because of the glory hound rule. Last time they were used on me I put a fire prism in line of sight and when they broke cover I splattered them with the template.

[The Green Git]

Tank bustas I have not seen on the table lately because of the glory hound rule. Last time they were used on me I put a fire prism in line of sight and when they broke cover I splattered them with the template.

Technically there's nothing in the Glory Hounds rule that makes you move towards the vehicle... just says you must shoot at it if it's in LOS and must assault it if possible.

One of my favorite tricks is to put the TB in a Battle Wagon and just jump 'em out on the side away from the vehicle I don't want to shoot. Guess what? No LOS to that target now. Guess I'll have to shoot that squad of Space Marines out in the open instead <hur hur>

[TheRise]

Big Shootas are Assault3 36" S5 AP5 weapons. There is no downside to them at all. I prefer them to the more unreliable Rokkit Launchas.
If you are going Anti tank Big Gunz and Killa Kans are going for a shooty Anti tank capability. But what i like to do is stick a unit of Meganobz with twin linked Shoota/Skorcha kombi-weapons in a trukk with a Boardin' Plank. Now Meganobz may seem like a realy expensive unit, but when upgraded liek this they are cheaper than a normal Nob with a Power Klaw and Shoot/Skorcha weapon. Plus they have a 2+ save. There upsides outway there downsides. But if you are putting them into a Trukk with boardin' Plank you can use your Power Klaw on passing vehichles, and coming in on S8-10 you will be penetrating nearly all tanks except AV 14 tanks if you are only S8, and with your Skorcha's if you drive past a large Horde unit, you can just flame them with your templates. And it is pretty much a good bye Nid Brood piece of equipment, and for only 5 points it is great Value. Template S5 AP4 it will go through the Nids armour usualy. And they are cheaper than normal Nobs with the same equipment, and that is without them getting a better save than 6+.