Hey everybody! My name is Stefan and I am a fervent 40K Ork player from the Netherlands. I decided to write an article and show my take on a competetive Ork list, which was also used (in various forms) a lot during this year’s LVO. This however is my variation. Check the Tactics Corner for more articles!
First off I would like to say that the meta here in europe is pretty much the same as with LVO with pretty mucht the same lists, only variating missions ( we mix maelstrom with eternal war missions most of the time) and rules for army restrictions. Mostly you will see tournaments either using ETC or ITC for army restriction and sometimes a custom-made set of rules.
I know that there already are articles written on the Ork codex, Zhadsnark or otherwise tactics on how to use the Orks, so I won’t be doing that here. What I will be doing, however, is going into the forgeworld options that in my opinion gives the Orks what they need to stomp some ‘eads in the tournament scene.
Forgeworld options is where things get really interesting for Orks. There already are some articles written about Zhadsnark da rippa, so I won’t go into great detail about him. Suffice to say when a tournament allows FW, Zhadsnark is my warlord all day every day. A warboss on bike with a powerklaw that hits on initiative 4, skilled rider and making warbikers troops for your entire army is amazing. There is a second option, however, that is not so much discussed and made a pretty big debut on LVO 2016 and that is the discount Big mek stompa. Watching some pictures of LVO I saw these multiple times and with good reason. I’ve also seen Reece use it during one of the tuesday night fight live battle reports, but I feel that it deserves a little more attention and explanation on why this thing is good.
So, Let me explain to you how good this thing is.
For a hundred points you can buy HQ Mek boss Buzzgob from the Dreadmob list on FW. This guy on his own is nothing special, but for 300 points he can buy himself a Big mek stompa. He is considered to be inside the stompa the entire game when you do so. Considering that normally a Big mek stompa costs you 800 points without any upgrades, you get a 400 points discount. When you field this thing in a 1850 points list you are effectively playing with a 2250 points army. Here is a rundown of what this big guy offers you:
Superheavy Walker: WS4, BS2, S10, I1, A4, HP12
– Armor: 13/13/12
– 3 big shootas
– 1 Deff kannon (72” Str10 ap1, Heavy 1, 7” blast, primary weapon)
– Gaze of Mork (60”, D, Heavy 1, ap2)
– Lifta droppa (48”, can target a vehicle with 4 HP or less, which after being hit immediately suffers and explodes result. It does get to make any invulnerable or cover saves against it though. Before it explodes you may throw it 2d6” in any direction you choose.)
– Mega-klaw (D close combat weapon)
– Powerfields: When the Stompa is deployed you roll a d6 and it gets that many powerfields. They basicly work the same as voidshields (AV12).
– Special rules: Fear, Hammer of wrath, Move through cover, Relentless, Smash, Stomp, Strikedown
This thing is a monster! For 400 points you get a superheavy with 12HP and d6 powerfields, so potientially you could be rocking 18HP making this thing a pain in the ass to bring down. The powerfields work like voidshields so are immune to things such as graviton weapons, armorbane and short range melta, although they won’t work against close combat attacks. Furthermore, it has the options to replace it’s Mega-klaw for a Deff kannon for 50 pts AND buy an additional Deff kannon for 100 pts. So for 550 pts you have a Stompa rocking two S10, AP1, 7” blasts that will put the hurt on anything. The lifta droppa is unreliable with BS2, but if it hits it immediately causes an explodes result on any vehicle starting the game with 4 HP or less. Not only that but you can throw it 2d6” towards other units and have them take exploding hits. The Eye of Mork, although unreliable as well with BS2, can catch people of guard as it’s a D weapon. The 3 big shootas are primarily used for shootings units you want to assault, but not use any of your good weapons on. The Big mek stompa is a gem on it’s own for any ork army, but here’s how things get really crazy with the list I run it in:
1850 pts
CAD Codex: Orks:
HQ1: Zhadsnark da Rippa
HQ2: Warboss, warbike, powerklaw, Lucky stikk
2 Meks (for each HQ, you may buy a single mekboy for 15 pts which counts as a character)
TR1: 10 Gretchins, Runtherd
TR2: 9 Warbikers, Nob /w powerklaw
TR3: 3 Warbikers
TR4: 3 Warbikers
TR5: 3 Warbikers
LOW: Buzzgob’s big mek stompa, (replacing it’s close combat weapon with a Deff kannon and buying a second Deff kanon)
Ork great whaaagh! Detachment:
HQ1: Big mek, warbike, big bosspole, kustom mega force field
HQ2: Painboy, warbike
2 Meks
EL1: 2 Burna boys, 3 Meks
TR1: 3 Warbikers
TR2: 3 Warbikers
Fortification Detachment:
Voidshield generator, 3 projected voidshields
This list fields the Stompa and puts inside it the 4 single meks, the burna boys with 3 meks and Buzzgob who counts as a mek as well. Meks have the special rule that during the shooting phase, instead of shooting they can repair any vehicle they are either in base contact with or embarked in on a 5+. This means that in each of my shooting phases I have 8 attempts on a 5+ to repair a hullpoint on the Stompa. Buzzgob has 2 grot oilers that give him 2 rerolls for the entire game on repair attempts. On top of that this lists fields a voidshield generator and while the primary intention for it is to protect the bikers, it also gives the Stompa 3 extra AV12 voidshields. Consider for a moment how hard it is to get rid of the 3 voidshields, d6 powerfields and then getting through AV13. Then think about the fact that on average I will repair 2 to 3 hP each turn with the meks. Now mind you this will only work against shooting attacks, because the powerfields and voidshields will not work in assault. So any units with a good punch (Thunderwolf cavalry, Maulerfiends and even Wraiths for instance) will still hurt this thing, but then again not many units would want to charge a superheavy walker with 4 BS4 S10 attacks and then get stomped on.
So, now you have a nigh invincible behemoth stomping around and causing wanton havoc and destruction. Let’s up the ante by inserting a bikerstar comprising of Zhadsnark, a Warboss with the Lucky Stikk, a Big mek with the Mega forcefield and Big bosspole, a Painboy and 10 Warbikers including a Nob with a powerklaw. That’s 10 BS6 S10 powerklaw attacks (5 of which are rerollable because of the Lucky stikk), 8 BS5 S9 powerklaw attacks and a ton of BS5 S4 attacks on the charge protected by a 3+ jink (2+ if they went flat out), a 4+ invulnerable save vs shooting and Feel no Pain. On top of that the entire unit is Fearless because of the Big bosspole on the Big mek. This unit can take a beating, packs a whallop and puts huge pressure on the opponent with it’s pressence and speed. As long as the voidshields are up, this unit will be immune to grav, flamers, psychic witchfire, markerlights and the best thing is you only need one model of the unit within voidshield range.
To complement these big two presences on the field I bought multiple small units of OBS Warbikers to keep in reserve, grab objectives or linebreaker and harass the opponent. I also bought a unit of Gretchins to put in the Stompa and make it OBS. This army puts a lot of pressure on your opponent, while being able to grab objectives and is very resillient.
Thanks for posting it Reece, awesome! 🙂
Aye Stefan, made it to the main page!
Thanks for writing it!
does zhadsnark make bikes from other detachments into troops?
Yes he does BobC, here is his WL trait:
“An army led by Zhadsnark may include
Warbikers (if available in the army list) as Troops
choices, but the army may not include any Deff
Dreads, Killa Kans or Big Gunz. In addition, if
Zhadsnark begins the game as part of a Warbikers unit
then he gains the Scout special rule.”
It says any army, that means any CAD, AD, or other detachment that is in the same army gets to field the bikers as troops.
Yeah, it also means none of the detachments can take Mek Guns or Walkers, too.
Yep, according to ITC rulings he does.
That actually came from FW and is the RAW, although I could totally see a TO ruling it either way.
Doesn’t give them obsec in the Great Waagh Detachment though. Why not just make it double CAD so that all the bikes are obsec?
He’s taking the Great Waaaagh for the 4++ KFF relic, which is pretty common.
So I guess all those Meks are independent characters? Or can superheavies hold multiple different units? It’s a terrifying army list! My only answer is the senseless charge of my Thunderwulfen and drop pod dreadnoughts.
The meks count as characters so need to be joined to a unit. They way I worded in implies they are IC’s, my bad. They are joined to the gretchins and burnaboyz.
Superheavies can still only hold one unit, so either the Burnaboyz and attached meks (the HQ Meks are not ICs, but must be attached to an Infantry or Artillery squad before the game), or the Grots. I don’t know why he wouldn’t bring another Big Mek with KFF to put in the Stompa for a 5+ Invulnerable to shooting as well. Too expensive maybe?
Nope, superheavy walkers can hold multiple units, so long as the number of models do not exceed the transport capacity.
In my experience the stompa is tough enough as it is. In fact in most my games my opponents completely ignored them. Therefore I find spending more points on it is a waste. The bikerstar needs a invul save vs shooting more than the stompa does.
Why do things get a save against the lifta droppa? all the tournaments I’ve been to have played it as you don’t? “If a vehicle is hit by the lifta droppa it suffers an explosion result” That seems to skip all the regular armor steps?
I used to think that too, but look at what the rulebook says about damage results (BRB pg 77):
“If the target is obscured and suffers a glancing hit, a penetrating hit, or is otherwise hit by an enemy shooting attack that inflicts damage (such as being hit by a weapon with the graviton special rule, pg 164), it must take a cover save against it, exactly like a non-vehicle model would do against a wound. If the save is passed, the hit is discarded, no hull points are lost and no roll is made on the vehicle damage table.”
Now, this indicates pretty clearly to me that vehicles do get a save against the lifta droppa. The vehicle is hit by a shooting attack that inflicts damage (ie the explodes result it immediately suffers). If he vehicle passes it’s save, the hit is discarded. I could see people argue that the weapon hits, but then deals no hullpoints and doesnt roll on the vehicle damage chart, but you can’t tell me that an automatic explodes result isn’t dealing damage.
Aside from the rules point of view, I would say a weapon that ignores saves and immediatey explodes any vehicle with 4 HP or less is pretty OP.
Yeah, it’s the same as Grav weapons and other things that just inflict a damage result.
Stefan- I guess you did have a powerklaw on the Big mek as well? Otherwise I don’t see where the 8 s9 powerklaws come from?
Too bad that this army is already obsolete as this detachment no longer exists in the new Waaagh Ghazkull supplement.
I also thought that you had to roll on the Jury rigged Lifta droppa table. But it might be different in the apocalypse-book.
the lifta droppa on the big mek stompa is different from the jury rigged one found in the imperial armour books. No need to roll on a chart.
Yep, the big mek has a buzzsaw actually, so well spotted there! I actually haven’t seen the new supplement detachments yet, so I am still running this in my games. If you have, I would very much appreciate a link if you have one!
The lifta droppa does not roll on any table, it just causes an imediate explodes result per the latest rules in warhammer 40000: apocalypse 2013 book.
Aye Stefan, made it to the main page!
I like the killsaws! S9 on the charge with armourbane has helped me a lot against all kinds of heavy vehicles. Even Imperial knights 🙂
Ah that’s nice! I didn’t like the jury rigged lifta droppa so much. It’s hard enough to hit on a 5 or 6.
I appreciate the article by the way! Forgot to mention that 🙂
I got my digital copy update this saturday so I have read it all. Some sites have published the rules. There’s almost exactly the same except some minor changes and this “new” detachment. http://forum.spikeybits.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6219&d=1456065813
more here http://forum.spikeybits.com/showthread.php?30283-New-Orks-and-Tau&p=237908&viewfull=1#post237908
so when are we voting to ban this over-powered under-costed cheese?
Sorry Sheit27, but the ITC already voted on this. They elected to uphold the big mek buzzgob cheap stompa rule to help orks compete.
So you’ll have to deal with “undercosted cheese” from the one army who didn’t really have any before.
I think in 1850 it’s okay and orks need it.
but when you have a possible 18 hull point model for only 400 points in a 1500 point game and taking off hull points no longer grants bonus MS points it’s going to start to be a little one sided.
I think the results spoke for themselves. Even with the big mek stompa, the highest an ork player made it in the LVO is #54.
I’m sure they’ll revist the big mek stompa if the orks ever get a competitive codex sometime in edition 10.
And he didn’t even use a stompa!
Its not 18 hull points its, 12 like a normal stompa.
as to your second point, this is directly from the ITC rules page
For every 3 Hull Points/Wounds dealt to a Super Heavy/Gargantuan Creature LoW, the player dealing the damage earns a bonus maelstrom point.
Idk if there was a change occuring to this to go with their new scenarios this year but it hasn’t happened yet
And yes you generate points for hull points that have been repaired, so in theory you could score up more than 4 MS points from trying to kill the stompa over the course of the game.
Bonus MS points are no longer a thing in the 2016 ITC format,
12 hull points + d6 shields + repair reolls will always amount to around 18 hull points in a game, which now have no negative to them aside for counting as kill points for every 3 in purge the alien.
@Sheit27
The extra Hull Points/Wounds count in Maelstrom, too, not just purge the alien. So, damaging them still bleeds off maelstrom points as it did, we just decided to cap the total amount of points per turn to avoid lopsided scores.
Yeah, LoW in lower points games can have a more swingy impact on the game, that is a fair assessment.
@ Reecius
“The extra Hull Points/Wounds count in Maelstrom, too, not just purge the alien. So, damaging them still bleeds off maelstrom points as it did, we just decided to cap the total amount of points per turn to avoid lopsided scores.”
So for example, If I roll a “kill a unit” mission, and then knock off 6 hull points, do I get 3 points for the round? 1 for accomplishing my “kill a unit” and 2 for knocking off 6 hull points from a LOW?
or is the bonus gone and knocking off 3 hull points only gives me a point if I’ve accomplished a “kill a unit” misison?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByVzaY23LOX-Sk0ySEl1YzRsXzg/view
Explanation there. But every 3 HP/Wounds counts as killing a unit. So in the example you give, if you rolled a single “destroy an enemy unit” objective, taking 3 HP would satisfy that and get you your Maelstrom point. If you rolled 2 “Destroy and enemy unit objectives,” if you took 6 hp/wounds, you’d count as getting both.
That was my understanding, I was just trying to confirm that the “bonus” was gone.
Thanks for the replies!
Happy to help =)
The vote was to actually go with RAW on the unit and let it be played as it is written. Previously we had banned it, going against RAW. The ITC community decided to let it in.
Wait, are you sure it comes stock with a DeffKannon? I thought you had to buy one. I still haven’t gotten a clear understanding of which of the Big Mek Stompa rules to use.
This is the rules I was using, and you don’t come stock with a deff kannon:
http://i.imgur.com/QakOQCt.jpg
Your image is of the correct rules.
He states in the list that he takes the upgrade which replaces the mega klaw with deff kannon and then takes the second deff kannon as the bell gun.
I re-read it and you’re right.
ok, yep, they need to change the webpage notes then, it’s in the updated PDF rules…
I understand how this list looks scary, in the forums we went through the fair number of weaknesses of this list at 1850. should you need to see some.
However this becomes a different army at 1500 or 1650, should the tournaments go to that size. you have to make a lot of concessions to get under the points limit.
You have to drop a lot of the warbikers, at only 54pts for the 3 man units, and/or some of the ICs which are going towards the “non deathstar” ork deathstar. Sure the stompa is big and mean but the rest of the amy wins missions. Without them this list would struggle
Exactly. I have found that the Stompa simply gives Orks a tool to deal with armies they normally can’t deal with: ignores cover shooting and deathstars.
Thanks for clarifying the MS point scoring for hull points/wounds from Superheavies & GCs
Was a little confusing when I read it, thought they still have up MS points but didn’t see it in the rules guidelines
NP! That is the most confusing aspect of the new mission structure, for sure.
Really like the new structure btw, keeps games feeling close. Requires more strategy and planning
Indeed it was ruled to be allowed, and free points being a thing now gives orks a better chance. I mean does the free transports for the gladius formation have a drawback? Does the skitaari war convocation? This thing is tough, but not unkillable, had good firepower but not an insane amount. I hardly think this is a gamebreaker.
Hey Stefan, was wondering
Why do you have the VSG listed as a “fortification detachment”
a CAD has a fortification slot in its force org.
Yea I know, it’s because of the way i build lists using battlescribe. Putting it in the cad is better as it prevents easy detachment killer points (if the tournament uses that).
Ok
How can you take Big Bosspole and the Mega Forcefield on the Big Mek in The Great Waaagh Detatchment? I thought the wording there followed the same one as the one in codex normal Orks(one relic per char).
The Ghaz supplement, at least the old one, does not have this wording, it simply says that any models with access to the gifts of gork and mork, the codex ork relics have access to the Waaagh Ghaz relics
Correct, it simply states that each telic may only be taken once. Nowhere does it limit 1 relic per character. This free’d up an hq slot to take an extra warboss worh the lucky stick.
I also just took a look at the new decurion and from the looks i can still pretty much pull off the same list with it.
No I don’t think you can. If you want to take anything from the Waagh detachment now you MUST take either a Waaagh band or a Goff killmob as a core choice. That’s a whole lot of boyz. warboss, 60 boyz and a nob unit are mandatory in both. Then add gretchin or a lot of walkers to that. If you also want bikers and stompa you are suddenly playing a 3000p game.
There is also a gretchin unit as core choice in there.
No that’s an auxiliary choice. Goff killmob and Waaagh band are the only core choices.
You are completely right. I wil lhave to rethink my list now.
HI there,
Can you explain a bit more as to how the void shield negates tau marker lights. Will the end result not be the void shields get taken down first then the original units are lit up with new markerlights. ?
Also, regarding the stompa, will the stompa’s power field work in the same way, ie the marker lights are on the shield and once the shield drops the benefit to the unit shooting is lost and any excess markerlights are removed along with any shooting the unit still has to perform is lost ?
Ta .
Voidshield rules are worden such that when you shoot a unit within 12″ of the voidshield generator, you target the voidshields instead. So when you try to markerlight said unit, you markerlight the voidshields instead. Normally when you destroy a markerlighted unit any remainig markerlights are lost. Likewise when the 3 voidshields are dropped any remaining markerlights are lost. Powerfields are not voidshields, but are worded the same way.
When I said voidshields from the vgenerator render units within 12″ immune is because you cannot target them as you have to deal with the voidshields first. of course once you have dealt with the voidshields you can spend remaining firepower on the units. Fact is you still have to spend firepower on the voidshields, which generally tau units don’t want to do.
Unfortunately such a list is not possible anymore. The new update to the Ghaz supplement removed the classic The Great Waaagh Detatchment with free CAD-like slots. Now there is no way to take the Mega Force Field or any other of the Orkimedes’Kustom Gubbinz without taking a Waaagh-Band formation, the Goff Killmod, Council of Waaagh or a Dread Mob. All of them are useless for competitive lists. This update to the supplement invalidates most of the competitive orks liks by removing those options and green tide as well. It also weakens most list based on Zhadsnark and the Big Mek stompa.
I wonder how long it will take until people start to realize that the new update and the orcurion actually made Orks weeker than they were before for all games below 2k points by only taking away competitive options. Now you need a Waaagh-Band and Council of Waaagh for Ghaz to even start to profit from the unlimited Waaaghs and to neutralize the “Da Boss is Watchin nerf” in an orcurion. Unfortunately, after equipping your 60 boyz, 2 nob squads (or 1 nob and 1 meganob squad), 3 Warlords and BigMek, you will realize that you are already out of points without any auxilliary formations…
I thought that Buzzgob had to be the warlord to take the Stompa which would prevent zhad from being the warlord and using the bikers as troops.
Nope, there is no warlord requirement to take the Stompa.
One idea that just occurred to me that is definitely adding to the pace of play is premeasuring. We can measure anything and everything and the rules encourage us to do so by making it a game of a fraction of an inch (think about the time it takes to make sure your look out sirs alone hit the models you want at the time you want). I know when I watch long-time players they move much faster as they instinctually know spacing and distances without measuring.
@Venkarel
I agree. Premeasuring sucks.
Check line of sight, declare target, measure.
Out of range = too bad.
Hey, how do you use these rules in 7th? I have been out of the game for a couple of years and looking into getting back with orks. Plus The rules for the stompa are not on the forge world website
The rules are in the Apocalypse book, and the rules for Boss Mek Buzzgob are on FW’s site.