new ork codex

[thesteelclaw]

Finally the new ork codex is on its way (white dwarf online sneaky peek) it also has weird boyz, pain boyz new truck and bikes. I feel like a kid again.
I like what I see, post your thoughts.

[IBBoard]

I saw the new weird boy in the White Dwarf email previews and I'm not so keen on him. The new Big Mek was good, but the Weird Boy looked too large and muscular IMO. Also, I don't think he was quite weird enough.

The bikes are definitely an improvement. For anyone who remembers Gorkamorka then they're a bit like that but with a more heavily modified bike.

Didn't see the trukk the first time round, but again it's a lot more Gorkamorka "put together from scrap" style. Certainly more likely to fit an entire mob.

Can't say I'm so keen on the new Lootas. While my Lootas aren't exactly what I'd wanted (I accidentally ordered the old heavy bolters and plasma cannon instead of the new Devastator ones) I think I prefer the "other race's weapons in hands of boyz" look that it gets with your own conversion.

[IBBoard]

This month's magazine (December) has a back cover with the "Next Month" stuff on and it is very Ork oriented. January will be the month of the Waaagh!

I don't think I'll be buying any new models at any point soon, what with there still being lots from the last little spending spree still sat unpainted (from well over a year ago) but I might be tempted to get the new Codex to see how they've changed and what new background they've added.

[thesteelclaw]

I caught a glimpse of the codex in Medowhell Sheffield as I was being dragged about Christmas shopping. Firstly it had quite a few pages to it not just a leaflet GW normally turns out. and flicking through the pages I noticed a few subtle changes to stats such as commandos now have a save 6+. the range of unit types have increased to make for a more varied game. The thing I was most imprested with were the squig bombs that come with the tank busters there just orky and I thing that’s the point of playing orks, its not the winning its the waagghhhhh.

[IBBoard]

Yeah, I did like the look of the Orky Squig Bombs that they seemed to have introduced. "What can we make that's more dangerous and scary than a squig? I know, a squig with explosives strapped to it!" - a great scene in the Studio!

I'm glad Kommandos now have a save, since that was one of the things that always made them weak and a bit of a risk. Yes they can crawl through terrain more easily, but you still get points where you're not in cover or can't use cover or the cover is too far away. Not that there are many "AP -" weapons that don't cancel out the Ork armour save, but it's the principle that counts

I wonder how many people will come up with interesting Squig Bomb conversions?

[thesteelclaw]

Well I had my first game over the weekend using the new codex. I’ll paint the picture first it was a thousand point game with my orks facing space wolfs. I was fielding some new lootas and burnas to try them out as well as my altered previous army including looted Russ and chimera.
I lost the toss so went second. It started badly because some long fangs destroyed my Russ and chimera easily because of the new looted wagon stats of 11 point armour . This as it turned out was the worse part of the battle. As I had lots of boyz due to the lower points value and shootas are assault 2 the squads of space wolfs were over whelmed. The lootas work well but I got lucky with the d3 shots they have and the burna boyz (6) did surprisingly well.
In the end I won the objective but out of curiosity we totted up the points left and I had about half my opponents points.
Let me know how you've got on with the new codex and what units work well.

[IBBoard]

Sounds interesting. I did think that armies will be much more Boyz heavy now (which IMO is fitting).

Weaker armour on the Battle Wagon probably is a bit annoying if you use it, but then Orky vehicles aren't known for being well built! I had a looted Predator Annihilator, but only because it was a second-hand model that TGSC had but didn't paint up (and which had had the sides massacred a bit, so was better for converting than using for Space Marines).

Not sure when I'll get a copy of the codex. I'd like to get it soon, but having just moved in to a house, double glazed the windows and replaced the boiler then it's a case of no extravagances :\

[thesteelclaw]

Ok I have had a few games now and I like the shear number of boyz but I am having problems with my opponents heavy armour (land raider or monolith) please any suggestions on how to best defeat them with only three heavy weapons options.

[IBBoard]

Tank Bustas are about your only option against Land Raiders. Either that or a Mek with a Super Stikkbomb (attached to a Tank Bustas mob for added impact!).

The only other options are power claws (either a couple of of nobz in the middle of a mob of boyz who are used as a semi-dispensable delivery system, or a nobz mob with a few more claws all mounted in a trukk, or a small mob of Kans with a Dreadnought) or lots and lots of rokkits. I can't remember the strength of a rokkit, but if you throw enough at it then something might penetrate

[thesteelclaw]

I have got a few models that do for an experimental tank buster squad and coupled with a squad of truck boyz in front to take the flak they may survive long enough to get close to either the land raider or monolith.
So far I have tried batteries of zzap guns but rolling dice for an 8 9 or 10 strength is not as easy as thought plus my opponent is not daft he targets the biggest threat first. I have also tried the orky way and had lots of rockets but with a strength of 8 the most I will get is a glancing so the maths is the orks have to hit 1/3 chance they have to do maximum damage 1/6 of that making 1/18 and then doing something good on the glancing table ½ of that making a 1 in 32 chance of doing anything.
But before I depress myself any further has anyone reading this used the new shock attack mek?
I have not used the tank busters so I will try them because it is only the heavy armour my boyz have trouble with everything else gets smashed waaaggghhhh.

[IBBoard]

I did think it might be a close run thing. Burnas in close combat would be your only other option, as IIRC they get two dice instead of one. It's still a long shot in the hands of a boy (max result 15? been a while since I checked a stat line!) but Nobz might have a better time of it.

The shokk attack gun used to be great for armour in 2nd Edition, mainly because it ignored it and just took out the crew. I've not got the new codex so I don't know what damage it does any more, though.

Good luck finding some way to get your tank busting units in to the tank!

[thesteelclaw]

Well I have just had an 1100 point game with my deathskullz against space wolves inc land raider. As my heavy weapon choice I went for two dreds and a battery of zzap guns and included in my elite selection were six tank bustas with squig bombs.
While the land raider was dealing with what he conceived to be the biggest threat my tank bustas used heavy cover to get within 18" of there target and with some lucky dice rolls one of the squig bombs destroyed there target. Waaaggghhhh. Thanks for the advice but my opponent will adjust his tactics to compensate for my new setup, but at the end of the day that’s the fun isn’t it.

[IBBoard]

Sounds like a good result I've never used squig bombs (they're new this codex edition, IIRC) but they did sound useful.

Your opponent may try to combat that strategy now he knows it, but as you said it is half of the battle. The other thing is that if he now concentrates on your Tank Bustas then your Zzap Guns and Dreadnoughts might survive unscathed instead, either of which can potentially do as much if not more damage!