Goatboy’s 40k Thoughts: DEFF TO MECH!
So we all know the new FAQ just came out for Orks. We all know what was said in there and we all can guess how it will turn Orks from a “lots of tanks, good luck” to an army that now has some kind of chance versus heavy boxes of doom. I know as an Ork player I am pretty excited about this change. I think overall it is for the good of the game and can hopefully help change up this so called “metagame”.
First of all, I know lots of people say there is no metagame. I come from playing a lot of Magic in-between my dance with GW, and so the word isn’t something foreign to me. For those wondering what I think it is, it is the other game that isn’t decided by the dice rolls. This might include who has the newer codex with cooler toys, who has the better reputation of being a good player, and what happens to be the flavor of the month. All of these chance change and warp your local gaming. I know lots of people who just hate Necrons, even though the internet thinks they are a weak codex. Or how about the Eldar and the overall thought for those pesky dancing pointy-ears. So what I think is my own metagame might not even come close to what you see locally at your table. I am just going to go into what I think I might see and what I will be doing to respond to this.
Alright to start things off, let me just say that I knew GW would let Deff Rollas hit vehicles. They made a plastic kit for it. If it just hit guys, then why would you even think about buying one. As we all know a plastic sprue costs a good bit to design, create, and process. We all can see this in how certain new models come out with brand new spiffy rules that just makes you want to buy them for your own army. I also can see how some of the newer writers for the game are starting to see this as something more then just a fluff bunny fight. These FAQ changes as well as responses are starting to look like someone is caring about this game beyond the whole “buy more plastic crack”.
So now we have the change we have been wondering about ever since the Ork codex reared its ugly head. So do I think it is a good one? Hell yes. I think it is something needed to help create a better game. I don’t know about you, but 40k has been kinda ticking me off lately. Between the whole “MECH is KING” and IG for the win I really haven’t enjoyed as much 40k as I wanted too. I look at anything that pushes the game away from moving 6 inches and firing a ton of guns to be a good one.
With this push for more faster moving vehicles, could the oldy but goody lascannon make a triumphant return? I’ve been experimenting with TWL lascannon Razorbacks championed by the internet and have found them to pretty good. I know they are expensive, but that chance to stop something as it barrels into you is something we are really missing in this day of massed templates and Tetris style armies. I know we all can argue on how melta is king, but controlling 48 inches of the battlefield is a lot better then only controlling 12 inches.
I am also glad to look at ways GW could maybe breath some life into older armies. I know that the flavor of the month before was Nob Bikerz, but this change in the Ork rules could mean that those dusty old orks could come back out to wreck some face. Orks are one of the “main” 40k races and it is good to know that they are a decent choice. Heck the main box set has a ton of them, so you might as well get some use out of them other then trade bait right?
Here is the Hybrid list I was already playing with orks. I will list it at 2000 points with what you can take out to make it a nice slim 1850.
Orks – Deff Rolla or Bust
HQ: Warboss, Warbike, Attack Squigg, Cybork, Bosspole, Power Klaw, Kombi-Skorcha
HQ: Big Mek, Kustom Force Field, Burna, Cybork Body
Elites: Nobz (3), Painboy, Warbike, Power Klaw (3), Cybork, Kombi Skorcha, Waagh Banner
Elites: Lootas (15)
Elites: Lootas (15)
Troops: Nobz (4), Painboy, Power Klaw (3) Waagh Banner, Cybork, Bosspole
Transport: Battle Wagon, Big Shootas (2), Deff Rolla
Troops: Boyz (19), Big Shootas (2), Nob, Power Klaw, Bosspole
Troops: Boyz (19), Big Shootas (2), Nob, Power Klaw, Bosspole
Heavy: Battle Wagon, Big Shootas (2), Deff Rolla
Heavy: Battle Wagon, Big Shootas (2), Deff Rolla
That fits right at 2000 points. The Nob Bikerz are there as they are still good against a lot of different armies. I went with a regular nob squad as my scoring unit as it creates a nice wound allocation zone for the Big Mek to hide in as well as FNP all around. I went with full loota squads as Lootas are just the other answer to low armored foes. There are some things you have to get at range and the cheatie Ork super gun is the answer.
To get the list down to 1850 I would look at dropping the extra stuff on the Big Mek (mine was a conversion so he had a bunch of random junk on him so that is why I buy it for him), changing the walking nob squad into a mega nob squad (Similar Klaw load out for hitting and killing) and then dropping 5 Lootas making one squad 12 and the other 13.
Use your deff-rollas to corral your opponents together and in hopes to pulling off a roll or die maneuver. Use the Nob Bikerz as a good fear tactic to try and drag some of your opponents pieces out into areas that are not the best. There are games where the Nobz shoot forward 24 and there are some that they shoot to the side to try and scare the opponent into thinking there is a flank. The army is designed for a good single smashing assault turn and it is your job to set that up with multiple assaults as well as a complete shock and awe style of play.
I am going to be working on some Killa Kan builds that add into the Hybrid nature of this army. The new kit is fantastic and really one of the cheaper options they have come out in a long time. I don’t know how good the army will be, but there has to be more ways to create interesting Ork builds right?
Questions? – Shoot me an email to [email protected]. In the mean time, lets shout our praises to the deff-rolla from the rooftops!
