Monday 26 May 2014

Farewell old friend - Ork Codex

Happy Bank holiday all! Just a short guest post here by the third member of the Kirton Games trio, where I just wanted to say a short goodbye to the out-going ork codex now the new book is pretty much confirmed and share a couple of my favourite ork builds.

Although I've been playing 40K since the mid 90's, I only started playing orks about 5 years ago; I picked up the book during the 5th edition meta crazyness, where everyone playing orks competativly was using either Gazghull and the 4 battlewagons, or Nob bikers. I really wanted to see what else you could do with the book.

The Wrath of Kan
This was probably my favourite build, a true stompy mek-list. I enjoyed a lot of success with this list, and it always looked impressive on the battlefield. Although it was slow, when it did manage to get across the battlefield it normally hit like a tidal wave. When 6th edition came along the list became a lot harder to use, although the lack of fearless saves made the boy units effective tar pits, the 2hp on the killa kanz made them quite easy to drop, especially given the kustom force field was dropped to a 5+ cover save. 

Big Mek: kustom force field, eavy armour 90 
Big Mek: kustom force field, eavy armour 90 
8 Lootas    
25 Ork Boyz, Nob, Power Klaw, Boss Pole, eavy armour 195 
25 Ork Boyz, Nob, Power Klaw, Boss Pole, eavy armour 195 
25 Ork Boyz, Nob, Power Klaw, Boss Pole, eavy armour 195  
10 Gretchin: Runtherd. 40 
Big Mek's Deff Dread 85 
Big Mek's Deff Dread 85 
3 Killa Kans: 3 x skorcha. 120 
3 Killa Kans: 3 x grotzooka. 125   
3 Killa Kans: 3 x rokkit launcha. 150
Total 1500pts

My second favourite build was the all ork biker army led by Wazdakka. This is a very fast, very shooty list and one I'm still using now. All toughness 5, and every gun strength 5 or higher as well as being twin-linked; this was is an awesome list. It's only real weakness is the low leadership on the Nobz, and it was always a shame watching a 300+ point bike unit run away in the first turn if it lost 4 models. 

Wazdakka 180pt 
12 Ork Warbikers: nob, boss pole, power klaw 340pt 
12 Ork Warbikers: nob, boss pole, power klaw 340pt 
8 Ork Warbikers: nob, boss pole, power klaw 240pt 
Dakkajet    
5 Deffkoptas, 3 x rokkits, 2 x twin linke big shoots, 2 x buzz saws
Total -1500pts
In summary despite the fact the ork book is pretty old now it certainly managed to hold its own in the modern era of powerful codices, but above all I still love the amount of fun and themed list you could make from this book, and I genuinely believe there was not a bad unit in this codex.

Anyway roll on the new codex, and hopefully some lovely new ork plastic kits - my hope is for some plastic megz knobz! So what where your favourite lists from the old books, and what are you hoping for the new one?

Lomo (James)

5 comments:

Colonel Winterborne said...

More photos please! Great looking orks and loving the snakebite boarboyz!
I assume you are ork player Gravis mentioned to me with regards to a big game in the near future. That game should still be on the cards when I get my organising act together!

greggles said...

Your first build was def my favorite playing orks. I sometimes adjusted that to have a unit of meganobz in a battle wagon (along with the boyz). That way the battle wagon would attract a lot of fire (vs the dreads/kans). It worked as long as I didn't play tau :).

Col.Gravis said...

Don't worry Colonel I'm pestering him for more, but yes this is the said Ork player! Hopefully we'll both be able to make it along once things are arranged, we shall see!

Greg, speaking as a regular opponent of his, the first Ork build was always great fun to play against, always resulted in utter carnage on both sides, but usually a win for the Orks! Target the Boyz and the Kanz get ya, target the Kanz and the Boyz stomp you into the mud! Not that you mind because it feels just like how Orks ought to work.

greggles said...

Agree! Not only that, if you target the kans to stop the grotzooka's, you ignore the deff dreads...and those deff dreads seriously need fleet or some sort of movement boost...if those things ever reached their target, it was normally game over for the enemy.

I'm really happy about the smash changes with MC's, as now I can feel free to charge them all with my walkers again, knowing they only have a single chance to break through my AV.

I can't wait to run a new list with kans, deff dreads, the pregnant deff dread (new model), and the mega dread. I'm almost considering getting a meka dread and just rounding the whole list out!

Jimbo said...

I am the Ork player col g was talking about, we will sort that out one of these days!

Well still no new ork codex! Dammit! #excitedwaaaagh