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Post by subjectbosco on Aug 5, 2014 8:09:39 GMT
OP note: Hey everyone, this is Johnny here bringing you all a series where I cover upcoming army codices for 7th edition. If you do enjoy reading my analysis, or have tips to improve my articles, be sure to let me know. After I finish with taking a quick look at each unit, I'll cover them each in full depth. Big thanks to Learn2eel, who inspired me to make these articles, and of course I'll try not to copy too much of his ways in doing unit reviews. If you have requests in other Codices and Supplements to review, feel free to ask! Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy.
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Part 1: Special and Generic HQs
Howdy, this is Johnny here giving my codex analysis on the new and improved Orks. Much have changed through the update, so taking a quick look at each unit before going in depth should give us the book's overall first impression. Without any delay, let's kickstart the series by taking a look at the HQ section!
Special Character HQ: Some of our Special Characters had been moved to the HQ, while we lost a couple due to the lack of models GW was able to create for them. Can the new characters make up for what we've lost? Let's see what they have to offer.
Mad Dok Grotsnik: A Painboy that is more deadly than a generic one, and haves more tools at his disposal (Pun not attended). With a Power Klaw and having Leadership nine along with 'Eavy Armour and Cybork Body, Grotsnik can handle himself decently in close combat. He lost the ability to grant other models Cybork Bodies (Which isn't great anyway), but he still does give the unit he joins Feel No Pain. Most importantly, his One Scalpel Short of a Medpack special rule no longer forces him to charge at the closest enemy unit or run after them in circles, and he grants both Fearless and Rampage to the Boyz he joins. He still can't leave them unless they've been wiped out, but at least he can join a new mob of Boyz unlike the previous Codex.
His fixed warlord trait helps him in either rerolling a failed To Hit or To Wound in each turn, again, -Makes him decent in Melee, especially with having 5 S10 AP2 Attacks on the charge. He's reasonably priced and makes him an ideal Warlord in games between 1000-1500, beyond that he becomes a great supportive Painboy and is more nasty than an ordinary one.
Competitive: Yes
Kaptin Badrukk: An interesting character when one looks into his fluff, Badrukk is a "Dakka" HQ while being survivable. However, with Gitfinda, he becomes more accurate with his gun Da Rippa, (which is an Assault 3 Plasma Gun) -Needing 4s instead so long he remains stationary. A nice 3+ and 5++ save makes up for his two Toughness four wounds, and his Warlord trait can allow him to reroll a single failed save on either of them per a turn. Gets Hot won't be much of a problem, and gives him a better chance in surviving in crucial situations. He may also take Ammo Runts, which is a must have to reroll To Hits while on the move. The Kaptain also comes with a Bosspole to reroll any roll except on a one, which is a nice bonus.
Ultimately, he's not bad for his point cost, and while he may not be as good as a Big Mek with a Shokk Attack Gun, Badrukk can find a place in shooty Ork lists. Given how 7th edition still favors shooting over assault, this means more dakka never hurts.
Competitive: Yes
Boss Zagstruk: Apparently, Zagstrukk is the ONLY HQ with a Rokkit Pack, and thus can reliably join Stormboyz. His stats aren't so shabby, but his survivability is laughable, considering he's a choppy type of HQ. His Warlord Trait allowing friendlies to reroll failed Morale and Pinning tests can help in a Evil Sunz style army of some sort with his mobility. With only a choppa as his weapon, he should stay away from anything that haves a good armour save. But his Hammer or Wrath attacks, says otherwise. Hitting enemy units on Strength eight that ignores armour before combat is quite deadly. Granted, it's only one attack and a decent invulnerable save can shrug it off, but if that fails, anything that isn't Toughness five or haves Eternal Warrior will be instant killed before the fight even occurs!
His point cost does make up for what he lacks, but is it enough to make him competitive? Sadly, it doesn't. Unlike the other two Special Characters, Zagstruk isn't good enough due to the lack of reliable AP2 attacks to make him a threat. Lightly armoured foes will fall to Da Boss, but then again so does most of our HQs who can do it better for their cost. In short, you're getting what you've paid for.
Competitive: No
SUMMARY: Both the Kaptain and the Dok are useful in their respected role, while Boss Zagstruk tends to be mediocre as both a Warlord and a
beating stick. Mad Dok Grotznik is my choice for the overall best out of the three.
Generic HQs: With the ability to take up to three HQs in a Battleforged Ork army, this means we have more freedom in what to add without worrying about going against the Force Organization chart. But which ones are worthy?
Warboss: A close combat killer and being a tough cookie, along with access to the shinny wargears, the Warboss is a very versatile HQ. He can be put on a bike, inside of Mega Armour, or take the cheap 'Eavy Armour. Cybork Body is cheap, but isn't need like it used to be, although an Attack Squig is handy to reroll a single failed hit in close combat. The Gifts of Gork and Mork also are worth looking into, there's just so many ways to kit out your Warboss. Whatever role you forgo, he does it like a Boss (Okay, pun attended)
Competitive: Yes
Big Mek: We love this guy, he helps our Boyz with his shiny toyz that will still cost you a triple digit of points. The fan favorite Shokk Attack Gun brings the pain to TEQs and he haves a new gun called the Teleporta Gun he can use along with wearing Mega Armour. The Kustom Force Field now grants a 5++ save, but this only benefits friendly models rather than units. Still, you can take it along with either a Bike or Mega Armour, so it ain't terrible, just not as good. He also does repair on vehicles he embarks in or is near by, so that's nothing to sniff at.
A good supportive character or a great Dakka Warlord, he's also too good to pass up.
Competitive: Yes
Weirdboy: Ork Librarians, and a fun ones at that. The new Powers of Gork and Mork table is actually nice, and upgrading him as a Warphead makes him Mastery Level 2, which should always be taken. He also gets another warp charge if 10 or more Boyz are within 12' of him, but if he manifest that extra warp charge, he MUST pass a Physchic test or else he'll take a S2 AP- hit on himself with no saves of any kind allowed. That doesn't sound bad, and just like all other psykers (With the exception of Tyranids and Grey Knights), he can instead manifest powers from the great, but very risky Daemonology table. His Force Staff can do decent damage against Monsterous Creatures and MEQs, but as with the Big Mek, it's best to avoid it all together.
The Weirdboy certainly has improve, while he may not be the best choice, his role is still effective and fun in friendly games.
Competitive: No
Painboy: Now an HQ, the Dok is a one trick pony, but does it well. Granting friendlies Feel No Pain is certainly great for a mob of 30 Boyz or with you HQ hanging out with Nobz. Can take a bike to join up with Warbikers, although no Rokkit Pack means Stormboyz won't have the goodies other units gets from the Painboy. He's excellent to take if you have a spare HQ slot.
Competitive: Yes
Mek Boy: For every HQ you take, you can take one Mek Boy each, and it haves to join a unit with either Infantry or Artillery unit type. Aside from helping a Big Mek with repairs and to keep your boys from running away like pansies, the Mek Boyz don't have much to offer. They're cheap no doubt, but they aren't needed for the most part.
Competitive: No
Summary: Most of our generic HQs can find a place in many Ork list, with Weirdboyz being there just for the lulz and Mek Boyz are point sinks. Warbosses and Big Meks will be the most common you'll see as the Warlord of an Ork army.
That brings us to the end of HQs. Up next we'll take a look at the new Lord of Wars and see how our Troop choices will effect out list building. Leave any feedback, and I hope you've enjoyed. Until next time, this is Johnny signing off.
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Post by robomummy on Aug 5, 2014 14:02:47 GMT
After playtesting every unit in the codex I have to disagree with some of these.
Zagstrukk- His loss of a powerfist makes him very lackluster in CC which his rules do not make up for. He also is far too many points for what he does, a S8 ap2 hammer of wrath just isn't enough to make him good. If he still had his powerklaws then he would be fine but unless you want a fluffy list I'd avoid him altogether.
Baddruk- Too many points for what he does (which is essentially nothing). An ork with the statline of a big mek with a +1BS when he doesn't move? his gun is too short range to make not moving a possibility. Yeah he has a 3+ save but he is still very fragile. Again I don't see a reason to take him unless you want to be fluffy.
Big Mek- Take him with a Shokk attack gun and da lucky stikk, throw on some 'eavy armor for survivability and maybe a PK in case you roll those double 5's. Watch as your opponent cries at the shokk attack gun which rerolls hits (giving you a 1/3 chance to roll a hit) and wounds (which on average will wound on a 2+) with the Ap2 weapon. Mega armor is too expensive and only good for getting your mek in close (which you do NOT want to do), the tellyporta blasta is too short range to get more than 1 shot off. I personally don't use KFFs as there is an overabundance of Ignore cover weaponry in the game and it just is never worth the points. Also never take him on a bike unless you really need to fill points.
Warboss- Can take any combination of weapons and be good and cheap, probably one of the Best HQs in the game point for point. What you want to take him with is mega armor and the lucky stikk so you have an ork with a WS of 6 and a 2+ rerollable save.
Meks- the lowly mek is extremely cheap and great for taking challenges instead of the precious nob. the good part is they can also take killsaws for some much needed heavy hitting potential which is great against TEq and medium vehicles.
Warboss- Mega armor and lucky stikk
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Post by WestRider on Aug 5, 2014 14:05:24 GMT
I personally don't use KFFs as there is an overabundance of Ignore cover weaponry in the game and it just is never worth the points. Also never take him on a bike unless you really need to fill points. Doesn't the KFF provide an Invul now instead of a Cover Save? |
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Post by robomummy on Aug 5, 2014 17:49:56 GMT
I personally don't use KFFs as there is an overabundance of Ignore cover weaponry in the game and it just is never worth the points. Also never take him on a bike unless you really need to fill points. Doesn't the KFF provide an Invul now instead of a Cover Save? Right, still getting used to the new book. Still I don't think it is worth it. |
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Post by subjectbosco on Aug 5, 2014 20:14:18 GMT
After playtesting every unit in the codex I have to disagree with some of these. Zagstrukk- His loss of a powerfist makes him very lackluster in CC which his rules do not make up for. He also is far too many points for what he does, a S8 ap2 hammer of wrath just isn't enough to make him good. If he still had his powerklaws then he would be fine but unless you want a fluffy list I'd avoid him altogether. Baddruk- Too many points for what he does (which is essentially nothing). An ork with the statline of a big mek with a +1BS when he doesn't move? his gun is too short range to make not moving a possibility. Yeah he has a 3+ save but he is still very fragile. Again I don't see a reason to take him unless you want to be fluffy. Big Mek- Take him with a Shokk attack gun and da lucky stikk, throw on some 'eavy armor for survivability and maybe a PK in case you roll those double 5's. Watch as your opponent cries at the shokk attack gun which rerolls hits (giving you a 1/3 chance to roll a hit) and wounds (which on average will wound on a 2+) with the Ap2 weapon. Mega armor is too expensive and only good for getting your mek in close (which you do NOT want to do), the tellyporta blasta is too short range to get more than 1 shot off. I personally don't use KFFs as there is an overabundance of Ignore cover weaponry in the game and it just is never worth the points. Also never take him on a bike unless you really need to fill points. Warboss- Can take any combination of weapons and be good and cheap, probably one of the Best HQs in the game point for point. What you want to take him with is mega armor and the lucky stikk so you have an ork with a WS of 6 and a 2+ rerollable save. Meks- the lowly mek is extremely cheap and great for taking challenges instead of the precious nob. the good part is they can also take killsaws for some much needed heavy hitting potential which is great against TEq and medium vehicles. Warboss- Mega armor and lucky stikk I do see some of your points, but keep in mind this is my first impression of the Orks before I dive into tactics and uses (Both in competitive and fluff matches). My opinion may change once I actually read more into them, so don't think what I've said is set in stone. Zagstrukk: I don't understand why you disagree here, I already said he isn't worth fielding because of his lackluster wargear (And I pointed out he doesn't have any AP2 weapons outside of his Hanmer of Wrath, which is unreliable). Maybe you meant the Mad Dok? Badrukk: Okay, now I see why you disagree here. In all honesty, it depends on the player's meta, but my opinion may change once I see how he actually performs in game. Mek Boyz: I must have overlooked at the killsaw they can take, but there ain't much special going for a Mek Boy. I like that he's cheap, so who knows what else he could do. As for the rest, that is something I'll go more in depth on, I know Big Meks shouldn't ride bikes and the likes, all I was saying was the Big Mek and Warboss are generally competitive choices. Once I finish my quick analysis, that's when we'll see what goodies they can use and their roles, depending what they're equipped with. Thanks for your feedback! |
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Post by robomummy on Aug 5, 2014 20:58:05 GMT
I must've mistaken your comments for badrukk and zagstrukk, not sure what happened but I agree with zagstrukk. Also the main reason Meks are good is their ability to deflect challenges from the Nob which is more expensive and more useful, alternatively it is a 2nd powerfist in a squad. Take a meks in unit of burna boyz with another 2-3 meks, stick them in a morkanaut with a kff and grot riggers and you have a morkanaut that can regen 4-5 HP per turn.
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Post by Geneva on Aug 5, 2014 23:42:17 GMT
Hey, how ya doin'? Baddrukk's problem is that he's a dakka character who doesn't actually bring a whole lot of dakka. Statistically he's only slightly more useful at ranged combat than a Guardsman with a Plasmagun (which is only 15pts and hidden in a blob) and his durability doesn't hold much weight either as he's very unlikely to actually achieve anything. There are just too many options in the Ork codex that do Baddrukk's job but better at a far lower points cost and without taking up a HQ slot. Maybe in fluffy armies but otherwise he's just a bit of a dead weight. Also, KFF can occasionally be pretty crazy if you want to gamble high steaks with Sanctic Daemonology. The lore is pretty decent for Orks anyway (Hammerhand = +2S ftw!) but if you get the one that increases Invul saves within a certain distance you end up with Azrael Orks. |
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Post by subjectbosco on Aug 6, 2014 1:17:11 GMT
Hey, how ya doin'? Baddrukk's problem is that he's a dakka character who doesn't actually bring a whole lot of dakka. Statistically he's only slightly more useful at ranged combat than a Guardsman with a Plasmagun (which is only 15pts and hidden in a blob) and his durability doesn't hold much weight either as he's very unlikely to actually achieve anything. There are just too many options in the Ork codex that do Baddrukk's job but better at a far lower points cost and without taking up a HQ slot. Maybe in fluffy armies but otherwise he's just a bit of a dead weight. Also, KFF can occasionally be pretty crazy if you want to gamble high steaks with Sanctic Daemonology. The lore is pretty decent for Orks anyway (Hammerhand = +2S ftw!) but if you get the one that increases Invul saves within a certain distance you end up with Azrael Orks. Yeah, I guess I didn't think about it clearly with the Kaptain, so now I know he really isn't as good as I thought. But anyway, I appreciate the comment's I'm recieving, as it helps me improve analysing units better. Up next is the Lords of War and then our Troops. Stay tuned! |
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Post by subjectbosco on Aug 6, 2014 8:27:13 GMT
Part 2: Lords of War and Troops
Lords of War: Being the first codex to have the new Lord of War section, this will make our matches interesting and gives us more options to consider in our list building.
Ghazghkull Thraka: Ah yes, good old Thraka. His point cost and stats remain unchanged, but he had received some buffs and nerfs. He now carries Stikkbombs, so he won't have to worry about charging through difficult terrain, instead of having a 5++ save, it's now a 6+ Feel no Pain, and he can take an Attack Squig, which is great for a beast of his stature. His Prophet of Gork and Mork had been fixed, allowing him and a unit of Meganobz he joins to RUN when he calls a Waaagh! That's right, even tho they have Slow and Purposeful, they can both run and charged on the turn he declares Waaagh! And this of course can be activated on any turn. When he does, he also gets a 2++ save until the end of the round.
So what seems to be the cons in taking Thraka? Well first off, despite being able to make him the Warlord, you still have to take a mandatory HQ. This may not sound bad, given you can basically have four when you look at it that way, but for some people, it can be a problem if they seek to save points. Speaking of points, he still cost as much as Skarbrand, the Chaos Daemon's equivalent HQ killer. This would be fine, but his stats, again, -Is the same as the previous book. He also MUST declare a Waaagh! if you want to activate his 2++ save, so you'll need to use it wisely as his Waaagh! can make or break your army. Ghazghkull and his Meganobz will also need a transport, with Slow and Purposeful they won't be able to get to places anytime soon.
The ultimate question after we looked at the Beast of Armageddon is: Is he worth the investment after accounting his cost and what he needs? I'm going to say no. He certainly is a Warboss that doesn't mess around, but the overall value makes him over-costed all together. He certainly can do well, but given that you're playing Orks, it's generally better to go quantity over quality. I'm also not convinced he can go toe to toe with Skarbrand without having a retinue, which makes it more expensive than the two are already are.
Competitive: No
Stompa: Sweet mother of Gork/Mork! An Apocalypse only model can now be taken in regular games! Twelve Hull Points with Armour thirteen on both the front and side, and twelve on the rear makes the Stompa tough as nails. With so much dakka, the Stompa can become both an infantry clearer (Which Orks don't need) and a tank destroyer (Definitely what we could use). It can take more Supa-Rokkits because you can never have enough dakka, and Grot Riggers are a steal giving the walker It Will Not Blow Up (Die)! To make it even better, friendly Ork units within 6' of the Stompa will have Fearless. It also haves a transport capacity of TWENTY models. Let that sink in for a second... Okay, now you know it's great!
The only problem is the walker is EXTREMELY expensive, so this means outside of games with 3000 points or above, it won't be seen as much, given that games between 1000 to 2000 points are common, but this of course varies with your gaming group. Still, there's no reason why you shouldn't take him if you like to play big games. Certainly an auto include, just be aware the model is expensive, both in terms of money and points.
Competitive: Yes
SUMMARY: The Stompa, despite being a massive investment and won't be seen so often,-Is the overall keeper in the Lords of War slot, while Thraka is still too expensive to see use in Tournaments.
Troops: Our backbone infantry. With the changes to our Boyz, can they still hold up and see use in competitive armies? Or will Gretchins take their place?
Ork Boyz: The bread and butter for many warbands, they had been hit badly with the update. No longer do they get Fearless when going over twelve models in a mob, Shootas now cost a point rather than exchanging them for free, and with a mediocre Leadership of seven means they'll eventually fail their Morale test and start running for the hills without a Nob. So how can you compensate their loss without attaching an HQ? Thankfully there's a few you can do. They can now all take 'Eavy Armour with no restrictions, making them survivable both against shooting and weapons that aren't AP4 or below. Taking a Nob is now mandatory as he can prevent your Boyz screaming "RUN AWAY!" like in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Take a bosspole if you can, nothing is worse than killing your Nob and loosing that Power Klaw he was carrying. Just pray you don't reroll a one (Or roll it in the first place), as it gives you another 50% chance the mob inflect damage on themselves instead.
Shoota Boyz, while cost a little more, -Are still worth taking in a shooty list. Unlike Slugga Boyz, they won't need 'Eavy Armour so long if a Nob is presented, so just take more Boyz. No matter what you still need more dakka, even in a full size mob! Trukk Boyz are back, and will be the core of Speed Freak lists, now that you can have all Orks wear 'Eavy Armour with a Boarding Plank. So aside from loosing the golden Fearless rule, the Boyz are still our backbone unit if you invest in them and handle them with care. You can't go wrong with having Ork Boyz, they're our bread and butter unit for good reasons!
Competitive: Yes
Gretchins: A diamond in the rough unit, they're dirt cheap for only a few points and their models are so tiny they can easily hide behind cover and they annoy your opponent that they HAVE to shoot through them before the Boyz, or else they get a cover save from being behind those grots! Who cares if they have terrible stats (Although their Ballistic Skill is better than any Orks), you can have a size up to thirty with three Runtherds. Speaking of Runtherds, you still have to include one for every ten grots you take in a unit, but they help keep them from running away since they're worse than Boyz with Morale and Pinning test. They no longer have a Squig Hound, but they're cheap to take, so always grab one for every Runtherd in a Gretchin mob.
If you're going for a Green Tide style army with footslogging Boyz, you NEED these grots so your Orks can get to the heart of your enemies(And it's possible now that we can have up to NINE Troops in a Battleforged army)! Even if you aren't, they make excellent backfield objective holders, at a price of a Rhino while staying out if site is crazy good. They also aren't bad if you want to spend your points on other expensive units, much like Cultists from the Chaos Codex. Just remember that if you do go with just a minimum size of two Gretchin units, it won't be as competitive, unless your playing in friendly games.
Competitive: Yes
SUMMARY: Our Boyz and Grots are still usable overall. The former had become weaker, but will still keep the heart of your warband strong.
What are your thoughts on the sections I've covered? Leave a comment about what you think! Next up, the Elite section.
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Post by subjectbosco on Aug 7, 2014 14:44:23 GMT
Part 3: Elites
With Lootas no longer being the top unit, this means we can have different units that'll take their place, depending what you're looking for. For the most part tho, at least one unit from Elites will be taken.
Burna Boyz: Burn baby burn, the Burna Boyz make great infantry killers as each boy carries a Burna. This flamer tho is unique, it can become either your ordinary Flamer, or a two-handed Power Sword in close combat. That's the trick tho, you have to pick either or, not both, otherwise it'd be cheesy to have a Power Sword that shoots out flames on Overwatch. One of them can become a Mek and take a Killsaw, which is a Ork equivalent of a Chainfist. This means a group of Burnas with a Mek, inside a Trukk, -Can be a decent MEQ hunting unit, although Mob Rule can be a problem since they're wearing tank tops and have no access to 'Eavy Armour or a Bosspole.
But their main purpose is to make your Guardsmen, Boyz, and Cultists extra crispy. The AP3 profile is there should you find them getting charged by MEQs, or Vise Versa. Burna Boyz compete with other options in Elites, and given how the Orks have many ways to bring anti-infantry units elsewhere, some tend to ignore them. Still, I think they're a good unit, and depending on your meta, having up to twelve (In a Trukk) Flamers will scare the pants off of your opponent. Given tho we have more cars in the parking lot than people on the dance floor, they're a situational unit, but your meta may say otherwise.
Competitive: No
Tankbustas: Speaking of parking lots, these Boyz LOVE to blow up any and all vehicles they lay eyes on. Even if there ain't any, they make great Monsterous Creature hunters and, just like Burna Boyz, -MEQ killers, albeit at range. They're pretty versatile, each one haves a Rokkit Launcha and Tank Bombs (Ork's Melta Bombs), one can be upgraded to a Nob, and they can replace their weapon with up to two Tankhammers. They're arguably considered to be the best unit that received the most buffs, now they can have a Trukk as a Dedicated Transport and have the Tank Hunter special rule. Even better, you get two victory points from First Blood if they destroy an enemy vehicle, so if you can, always go for First Blood with these Boyz!
You may also take some cheap Bomb Squigs if you have the spare points. Pretty much a shorter ranged RPG with a weaker AP, but they always hit on a 2+. Much like with any Nobz you include, a Bosspole sounds like a good idea if you have bad luck with Mob Rule. In the end, Tankbustas are excellent, and they can be found in many armies. Load em' up in a Trukk, have it carry a Rokkit Launcha rather than a Big Shoota, and you can dump out thirteen krak missiles in one salvo. Even those spiky boy'z Forgefiend can't deliver that much dakka!
Competitive: Yes
Nobz: An old unit that was great in 5th edition, but with wound allocation being nerfed, they became overpriced in their general role. Still, the update did gave them some extra air to breath in. Their priced had drop a bit, and just like almost any Boyz, they have Stikkbombs for free. The reason for their expensive price tag is the fact they have access to a lot of goodies, so Nobz are very versatile, but the price can get higher the more you kit them out. Some of the cheap upgrades like Twin-linked Shootas and Big Choppas, both got cheaper and better, in their own respect. On the otherhand, Kombi-Skorchas and the Waaagh! banner got more expensive. 'Eavy Armour helps them survive longer, but be aware that some weapons can ignore their armour saves, so consider if it's worth it or not.
If you don't think the Trukk is good enough for your Nobz, they can ride in a Battlewagon instead. You can now take a Deff Rolla unlike last time, but it ain't as good sadly (More on that another time). Of course this will make them even more pricey if you do this, so try to resist the urge unless a using them as bodyguards for your Warboss. Lastly, any or all Nobz can take a Bosspole, so if you're afraid to put it on you Boss Nob, you may put it on another if you wish. Nobz make a great escort for a Warboss in 'Eavy Armour, but outside of that they're just expensive Orks that can easily be instant killed by almost any S8 weapons (Hive Guards says "Hi!"), so they're a one trick pony at best.
Competitive: (As a retinue) Yes
(Generally) No
Nob Bikers: These guyz, however, are a different story. When you place your Nobz on these bikes, not only do they become tough to kill, but they (Obviously) become a fast moving unit. For five points more than a Meganob, they get an extra Toughness, have a 4+ save, a better Twin-linked Shoota known as the Dakkagun, and of course, a bike. If they turbo boost, they add +1 to their cover save, so it's a good idea to do that if you know they're going to get shot at on your foe's turn. Plus, Orks don't care if they're snap firing, as it's only a 50% decrease to our Ballistic Skill, unlike White Scar and Chaos Slaanesh Bikers that gets a 75% penalty.
Each Nob Biker is able to dish out five attacks on the charge if they keep their default weapons, so they're in both shooting and assault. Of course the big downside is you'll be paying through your mouth, including your wisdom teef'! But are they worth it? Yes, and if you still have extra points, toss in a Painboy with a bike and laugh as your opponent tries to fire everything at them while your force moves on up.
Competitive: Yes
Meganobz: The last Nob unit out of the three, and probably the most common with the Warboss. These are your Terminator equivalents, which on the surface may seem awesome. But as we all know from the Dark Angel Codex, they generally tend to not be cost efficient, and Meganobz are no exception. That doesn't mean they're bad, it just means Terminators and their equivalents are one of the few units that never got the price drop like other units did. But enough on that, Meganobz gets better loadout than regular Nobz do, with Twin-linked Shootas, Power Klaws, and Mega Armour. If you want them to be more deadly up close, they can swap out their weapons for a pair of Killsaws, giving them another attack and Armourbane. Not bad, and they can take Kombi-Weapons instead of having twin-linked on their Shootas. One improvement they received is getting access to bosspoles, which as we know, isn't as good like it was before, but it's something.
This is where we get into the bad stuff: First and foremost, they get Slow and Purposeful, meaning they can't run or Overwatch. They don't have any Heavy weapons, so this rule is a burden they have to live with. Because of this, they require a Trukk or (Preferably) a Battlewagon. Without a Warboss to save them from Mob Rule or a Stompa to give them Fearless, they won't accomplish much when they make their Pinning or Morale check. Much like Nobz, they're best served with a Warboss to protect, whom is also wearing Mega Armour. Always give them something to ride in so they can get to the thick of it.
Competitive: (As a retinue) Yes
(Generally) No
Kommandos: Sneaky Boyz they are. Infiltrate, Stealth, and Move Through Cover seems to fit with their profile. They can also take two special weapons at any size, and the usual Nob upgrade. With Infiltrate being nerfed again, getting them to assault is more tricky, but with Stealth and a cover save, they can capture objectives early on, or use their Rokkits to fire at the rear armour of a vehicle. Personally, I don't see them doing much else, Infiltrate as it is hurts these Boyz a lot. Why GW thought infiltrating units should wait for two turns before assaulting (In a edition that shooting is still strong) was a good idea is beyond me. Waiting one turn before charging seemed fine the last I check, but I digress.
Nothing else this unit haves to offer, they seem to be one of those fun units, but something that doesn't have much to offer.
Competitive: No
Boss Snikrot: Funny that he's an Elite choice rather than a HQ. Anyway, if you bring Kommandos, Snikrot can only join them, but he won't take up a slot if he does so. A shame he couldn't be a true Independent Character, as infiltrating Tankbustas or Gretchins would be hilarious. His Mork's Teeth weapons make him a nice crowd clearer of Guards and even Fire Warriors, with Shred and striking at S6 on the charge. If you do put him with Kommandos, they can Outflank on any table edge you want from reserves, and get's Shrouded for the turn they arrive. Much like Infiltrate tho, they have to wait until turn 3 to rip and tear stuff apart, so it's rather meh.
As we've seen from Boss Zagstruk, a 6+ save is a no go for a Special Character. Snikrot tries to make Kommandos better or seem like a deadly kamikaze character, but weapons that ignores cover will wipe him out if he's alone, and fails to address the problems Kommandos have.
Competitive: No
SUMMARY: Nob Bikers and Tankbastas are the most popular units overall. The others tends to either be too expensive or not effective with the current meta.
So far so good, we're now pass the halfway point of the codex. I hope you guys are finding this to be useful, I like to help others with these types of posts. Fast Attack is coming up real soon.
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Post by robomummy on Aug 7, 2014 15:31:35 GMT
Both Nobz and burna boyz can be extremely competitive with some form of transport. Nobs have the benefit of flexibility where you can kit them out specifically to deal with any problem you might have. I use them as a beatstick unit with 10 nobz with PKs in a trukk and watch them melt away enemy infantry. Alternatively a big mob of Nobz marching up the table is going to draw a lot of fire. Give them a 4+ save and a painboy and you have yourself a nice decently durable unit that can wreck some nearby unit while drawing fire away from your more valuable units. Meganobz are even better for this and the one time I will take a big mek with a KFF and mega armor, sure they are more expensive than their marine counterparts but boy do they make up for it with raw killing power and 2 wounds each, for best use stick them in a transport since they are slow on their own but this is not usually necessary.
As for burna boyz what you fail to take into account is their usefulness in an open topped battlewagon. Burna boyz are best used against GEq but they are extremely competitive based on the sheer number of shots they can put out in a transport. I run a unit of 15 in a battlewagon with no upgrades. When they pull up to a squad you just need 1 flamer template from the vehicle to hit the most units (usually I get 3-5 models with a template), now multiply that by 15. that is 45-75 automatic hits on a unit (more if they are bunched together). Let that sink in a moment AUTOMATIC HITS, this is a shooting attack that ignores the underwhelming ork BS. Also if their transports get taken out and you have a few that survive they a Xpt boyz with power weapons! They can easily melt away squads of MEq with 3 power attacks on the charge at a statline similar to marines. Never upgrade them to meks, always keep them unupgraded for maximum point efficiency. I guarantee you if you that if you use them correctly they will more than make their points back. The best thing about them is that hardly anyone runs them thinking that they are bad so your opponent will probably underestimate the damage that they can do.
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Post by subjectbosco on Aug 7, 2014 16:47:32 GMT
Both Nobz and burna boyz can be extremely competitive with some form of transport. Nobs have the benefit of flexibility where you can kit them out specifically to deal with any problem you might have. I use them as a beatstick unit with 10 nobz with PKs in a trukk and watch them melt away enemy infantry. Alternatively a big mob of Nobz marching up the table is going to draw a lot of fire. Give them a 4+ save and a painboy and you have yourself a nice decently durable unit that can wreck some nearby unit while drawing fire away from your more valuable units. Meganobz are even better for this and the one time I will take a big mek with a KFF and mega armor, sure they are more expensive than their marine counterparts but boy do they make up for it with raw killing power and 2 wounds each, for best use stick them in a transport since they are slow on their own but this is not usually necessary. As for burna boyz what you fail to take into account is their usefulness in an open topped battlewagon. Burna boyz are best used against GEq but they are extremely competitive based on the sheer number of shots they can put out in a transport. I run a unit of 15 in a battlewagon with no upgrades. When they pull up to a squad you just need 1 flamer template from the vehicle to hit the most units (usually I get 3-5 models with a template), now multiply that by 15. that is 45-75 automatic hits on a unit (more if they are bunched together). Let that sink in a moment AUTOMATIC HITS, this is a shooting attack that ignores the underwhelming ork BS. Also if their transports get taken out and you have a few that survive they a Xpt boyz with power weapons! They can easily melt away squads of MEq with 3 power attacks on the charge at a statline similar to marines. Never upgrade them to meks, always keep them unupgraded for maximum point efficiency. I guarantee you if you that if you use them correctly they will more than make their points back. The best thing about them is that hardly anyone runs them thinking that they are bad so your opponent will probably underestimate the damage that they can do. I know Burna Boyz are great, but as I have mentioned they have to compete with other units to fit in the slot, but they do make Guards and Gaunts cry with how much flamers they can carry. The reason why I'm not so much of a fan of Burna Boyz is the fact the codex is full of other units that can kill a bunch of infantries in one salvo, such as Lootas, Blitza-Bombers, Ork Boyz, A Big Mek with a Shokk Attack Gun, and more. Obviously to they're a mixed bag for players, they either love Burna Boyz or don't care for them. I will say I love the fact their guns can become power swords, as it makes them versatile unit. The two other Nobz can work, but I think they're so expensive they can take a good chunk of your points. The full size Nobz you referred to came out to be 550 pts(including the painboy and trukk). I'm sure these boyz can eat up elite units for breakfast in that loadout, but their survivability worries me here. A Forgefiend can ignore their armour and FnP, and with S8 they get disintegrated. Same with Hive Guards, and they can also ignore cover saves. Tau with mass S7 AP4 shots (Possibly ignore cover via Markerlights) can put a dent on the unit. You get it, a few boys can easily get instant killed or wiped out in one turn against certain armies. Nobz can be good, but there's better options overall, to me I see them like Tyranid Warriors, in a way. Don't get me wrong, I find Nobz to be better than Warriors, but the one thing they both have in common is that having more than one wounds on a toughness 4 model doesn't mean squat once krak missiles and the likes show up, especially if they ignore their armour. On the subject of Meganobz, you pretty much summed up what I said they're great in. When you mentioned a Big Mek with a KFF in Mega Armour, they do shine as a pure elite killer in this case. The reason why I say they generally aren't competitive is the fact they don't tend to do well by themselves, but if you do put the right character with them, Meganobz are great, and the reason why they're the most common. I must have not worded it properly so I apologizes for my novice writing skills. |
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Post by WestRider on Aug 8, 2014 0:26:33 GMT
I like MANz as a sort of "bowling ball" Unit. 150-ish Points to stuff three of them in a Trukk with maybe a Kombi-Skorcha or a Killsaw or some cheap upgrade on the Trukk or something, and just hurl them at the enemy line. Best if you've got a Battlewagon or some LOS blocking Terrain to hide them behind Turn 1.
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Post by subjectbosco on Aug 8, 2014 0:43:09 GMT
I like MANz as a sort of "bowling ball" Unit. 150-ish Points to stuff three of them in a Trukk with maybe a Kombi-Skorcha or a Killsaw or some cheap upgrade on the Trukk or something, and just hurl them at the enemy line. Best if you've got a Battlewagon or some LOS blocking Terrain to hide them behind Turn 1. That doesn't sound bad at all, looks like something that could be part of the Recommended Loadout once I go more in depth into the Nobz- I mean Manz.  |
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Post by macdaddyt on Aug 9, 2014 6:26:31 GMT
Trukk boys have their Merritt. In 7th they got better now that objectives and scoring has changed. You will be laughing as you speed up the board 12-24" a turn (trukks are fast still right? And flat out 12?) I can see them rocking it. I have a trukk list in mind that might not be super survivable. But can score a lot of points.
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