New Thoughts on the Next Orks - A Series

[Veteran Sergeant]

3 3 4 4 should be the Ork statline. [url=http://www.solegends.com/citcat911/c2077orkboyz-01.jpg]Proppa Orkz Boyz[/url] shoot. Crumpin' is fer if dey happens to get close. After all, it's called moar dakka, not moar choppa.


Adjust their points values slightly upward to account for the better shooting, and give Ork players the options to create more dynamic manuver based army lists. Give them back some of the sillier guns and vehicles again.

[Houghten]

Update to Mega Armor - does it need more than 2+ save?

Before Space Marines' 6th Edition Codex I would have said "no," but now that Centurions are also a 2+ with 2 wounds - which was basically what made Meganobz special and not just "worse Terminators" - I think Meganobz need to raise their game and bring 3 wounds (it should also confer an extra wound to a character).

Not to mention that the plastic kit is going to need options. Boss poles, painboy bitz, a Waaagh! banner at the very least. At the moment the unit can take kombi-weapons and zog-all else.

[coolguyclay]

The tricky thing about GW's current stat system is it tends toward the bottom. Stats have a value of 1-10, and their super-heros (Marines) have a value of 4. There isn't much room to work with below that. Really everything should shift a bit so Marines have a Strength of 6, big things have 7, large monsters have 8, etc. Then there would be room for Orks, Guard, Eldar, Tau, etc below that magic number, with some variation for each. Of course, that would require an overhaul of everything all at once . . .

The proposed Ork stats were to try an distinguish them from the other races, fitting into the current 40k stat structure. Mathmatically, it didn't hurt the boys at all (so long as the To Hit chart doesn't change, WS2 still hits WS4 on 4+, not 5+…). Throwing another WS4 S4 stat-line on the field is very cookie cutter to me, as far as the game system goes.

Anyway, I like the insights you are pulling out, which was the point of this whole thing - to get us thinking about the new Orks! I'd like to see your comments again when the next part in the series comes out : )

[coolguyclay]

For those reading, Part 3 is posted. Any other units that the new ork codex should have? Have a vote for a must-have unit choice in the next codex?

[Da Gargoyle]

I love Orks but dropped them with the new codex, that is not so new these days. Things I hated that changed was the loss of the ability to kit out the Nobs with boss poles, iron jaws and the like. I also think butchering the Waaagh to a 1 time all the boys charge was horrific. I think keep the WS4, S3 or 4 and toughness up to 5. BS does not need to change because Ork shootas are assault 2 weapons, which means 20 S4 shots is going to do something.

As some one said, bring back Choppas, mobbing up and extra stuff, iron jaws for a start. Let units like lootas get a Nob so they can have a decent chance of not running when they take 25% shooting casualties. Either ditch Flash Gitz or drop the ridiculous points cost so they are usable in a game, they would make a great spear head for charges. Let the Big Guns have their Mekboys back. Let Mega Nobs have their Bionics back. I know its an invulnerable save, but its a tease, 5+ isn't really 3 to 1 against, it's worse.

If you want to see what WS2 is really like, look what happens to Killa Kans, I had a squad of Guardians (WS4 by the way) do two in one combat.

I can see that the re-introduction of some of the old rules would mean taking the points cost of your basic boy back up again. Eldar guardians went from 8 to 9 with the new WS & BS stat's. Something like that would not be too bad for the orks. And as a final first thought, let them go back to at least two if not three heavy weapons regardless of the size of the mob. Limiting it to 1 every 10 boys was unfair given they don't have the range other armies have. And with a BS2 Rokkits are not currently worth it.

P.S. Get rid of that stupid Glory Hounds rule for tank bustas, or at least make it a leadership check which is improved by 1 if there is a nob in the mob.

[coolguyclay]

For those reading, Part 4 is posted. Rules seem to make the armies once a stat line is in place. What rules would you like to see? What rules absolutely must be there?

[Bambi]

I don't think GW will, or should, alter the stats for boyz and nobs. However, i do think a 6+ feel no pain save would be good and fit with the fluff of orks being tough and dum creatures. Alternatively, something like gaining feel no pain on the turn orks charge could work well, providing them with something of a counter to the damage that overwatch can do and representing their berserk eagerness to get into combat.

I'm not totally sold on the squiggoth although i'm sue it would look cool. I'd rather see something different like sguig herds/giant squigs, a new super dakka flakk tank or large deffkopta (possibly with transport capacity), but that's just my personal preference.

[MajorWesJanson]

For those reading, Part 4 is posted. Rules seem to make the armies once a stat line is in place. What rules would you like to see? What rules absolutely must be there?

Waaagh should expand to be an army-wide special rule for units. Not how it is now, where models get fearless and fleet, but like the dakkajet, where each unit has a special rule that triggers on the waagh. Say shoota boys get pinning on their shooting when the waaagh is called, slugga/choppa boyz get fleet, lootas gain relentless, nobz gain hatred, ect.

[coolguyclay]

For those still reading, Part 5 is posted. A short finale. Thanks for reading, this was a fun series to write about and I hope expectations (and hype!) grow for the release of the next ork codex.

[Azhrarnx]

I have some general suggestions.
Stat line should be WS3 BS2 S4 T4 W1 A2 I2 Ld7 Sv6+

This reflects the Orks skill in HTH but lack of skill in shooting, a strength appropriate to a hulking alien designed for war, toughness as well. 2 attacks seems ok. Initiative 2 seems low and I would actually prefer 3 but I can already hear the howl of whiners. Ld7 as a default but Ld should be the highest leader in 12 inches from the squad.

The 6+ save should be invulnerable and this is due to their fungus based structure, resistance to damage, lack of pain sensors, and Orky Psychic field, plus plain ol Orky dumb luck.

Remember these creatures were created by the most ancient race to fight the Necrontyr after the Eldar project failed. And they survived and thrived even through the enslaver plague.

On to units.

Slugga boyz should need a trukk as mandatory. Shoota boyz a trukk should be optional. A Nob should always be assigned to any boyz squad.

Bikers never test for last man, and create a LOS 4+ invulnerable save (both ways) to any unit whose LOS they block.

Loota boyz should have the option to be 'Shooty' (d3 shots per model of d6 strength rolled for all shots that turn) or 'Killy' (D6 shots per squad with str d6+3 rolled for all shots that turn) You must decide what kind of loota mob before the game and stick with it the whole game 'killy' would most likely add 50% to the cost of the basic 'shooty' unit

Jump pack boyz should basically be slugga boyz with double movement and on a 6 (D6) move an additional 2D6 deviated.

There should be rules for Rebel Grots as long as a Mega Dread Kan/ or Grot hero acts as a boss. Grot tanks and looted vehicles, etc.

Now Looted vehicles..here is where it gets interesting. Orks should be able to loot any mechanical vehicle from any army. You don't think their creators would have programmed this into them?

IG vehicles, Marine vehicles, Imperial Navy flyers, Eldar vehicles, DE vehicles, Tau vehicles and suits, anything vaguely mechanical.

How would this work? they pay the normal points for the vehicle given the parent vehicle codex cost.
Each turn they roll a D6

On a 1-3 the vehicle acts normally.

On a 4 the vehicle does nothing (no movement or shooting) (flyers deviate move)

On a 5 the vehicle travels it max move deviated (If it moves off the board it is gone, if it collides with a unit it tank shocks the unit(s), if it collides with terrain it takes a penetrating hit.) It may still shoot normally after movement if possible. Flyers land at end of movement, if they contact a unit they shock it, if they contact a terrain piece they are destroyed and all occupants take a str 6 hit and survivors are pinned.

On a 6 it shoots at the closest unit with all weapons and takes a glancing hit. It may move normally.

GW wants to sell every possible vehicle to Ork players waiting to convert them Orky style, here is a chance to make that happen.

Add Gobsmashers (Kult of Speed only) (AV12 fast vehicles with a forward mounted battle cannon), and Mekboy speedsta deathrays (Kult of Speed, Mekboss led army only) (AV10 fast vehicle with twin linked zzap guns fixed foward)

Bring back Warpheads but add something new. They can either (pick one)
give a 4+ invulnerable save to all orks within 24" once per game,
call down a wrath of Gork(or Mork) strike once per game anywhere on the field (large template with standard deviation SD6+4 AP 2, 2 wounds on fail) or
attempt to take control (5+ on a D6) of any Necron unit or vehicle (including monoliths) for one turn per game within 24" (Orks were custom designed to fight Necrons)
After any ability is used the model is removed.

Bring back squig-herders with swarms of attack squigs and the ability to attempt to control (5+ on a D6) any tyranid model (Including Carnifexes) sans the HQ ones for one turn per game. (He learned to sing the song of the squig)

The Warboss should have his Waaagh once per game giving all orks on the table double move and a 5+ invulnerable save plus an Init of 4 (during the turn he Waaaghed) If a vehicle double moves it takes an auto glancing hit.

A 'Hit the field running' option that if chosen either 1-4 on a D6 allows for a free turn of movement (No Waagh allowed) before the start of game but after placement or on a 5-6 no movement may occur for any unit or vehicle on the first turn. Shooting may happen normally.

The randomness of Orky armies should play a big theme. Orks are like that and Orky players love it when things go right and even laugh as things go horribly wrong. If you don't like randomness then Orks are not the army for you.

I am sure I will think of new things to edit add to this but I am very tired currently.

The Sausage Grot approves of this (Especially the Rebel Grot part)