WFB: Ogre Kingdoms Unit by Unit Reviews
The new book has finally arrived and I have some thoughts on every unit in there!
The past 6 months has been a real treat for me. First my Tomb Kings get an update… then my mediocre Daemonhunters are morphed into the mighty Grey Knights… and now my ogres have finally gotten updated as well!
The Quick and Dirty – What’s new, what’s gone, what’s different?
The ogres have gained some nice perks. They now always do impact hits instead of needing to be at least 6” away to get the bonus. On top of that, of you roll a 10+ on the charge dice each ogre does D3 impact hits. Most ogres are substantially cheaper, with some characters being the exception. The reworking of the Ogre Lore to operate in the standard fashion is a very good shift. The ogres now have monstrous cav and nice big monsters to really enrich the look and feel of the army. On the weapon front, the Ironfist is now simply a shield… that allows you to parry blows while mounted. But on the downside, ogre clubs and cathayan long swords are gone.
Finally, from a list building perspective, almost all the old constraints on list design are gone. You can now take a Slaughtermaster without first taking a Tyrant. Bulls (now just Ogres) are no longer 1+. You can have Gnoblar units without first taking Bulls (Ogres). Wizards can be your general. This is all really nice and really opens up the ability to be creative.
Want more?
Before I cover more, here is a quick review of how I rate units:
My Rating System:
· A – the unit is amongst the best in the book. It is a staple unit that you can build the rest of your army around.
· B – the unit is good. They can play a strong role within a particular play-style, or fulfill a standard game element that a well-rounded army often features.
· C – the unit is mediocre. Within a specialized role, they are useful. However, the unit has serious flaws that need to be mitigated.
· D – the unit is deeply flawed. The unit is not unplayable, but only those interested in a very well-rounded army are likely to include it. The unit may have a special role it could play, but there are other units that can play the exact same role better.
· F – the unit is just bad. Someone had a brain-fart when they figured out this unit. Even those seeking a very well-rounded experience are likely to place it at the bottom of the “must-have” list.
· + & – will be used to differentiate my opinion within a particular grade of which unit ranks higher or lower in my opinion.
Note: these tend to be ratings comparing them to other units within the book, but are at least a little bit influenced by how they fit with into the overall Warhammer landscape. Where applicable, I will also add my recommended unit sizes, or least the size I intend to play them at.
The Special Characters:
Greasus Goldtooth – I have mixed feelings about the over-tyrant. Is he better than his previous incarnation? Absolutely! In the old rendition, half his powers worked at a distance, and the rest worked at close range. Now all his cool stuff is a lovely 18” bubble, and some of that cool stuff is better. Within that bubble he forces D3 stupidity tests per turn, he adds +1 combat resolution to all friendly units and his friends automatically rally inside that bubble. His ward save is now real and not just against magic missiles, and his unit is immune to psychology. As before, his mace gives him strength 10 and it does D3 Wounds. And let’s not forget that he is toughness 6 and has 6 wounds. And his point cost went down. Finally, another huge bonus is that he can join units and can benefit from “look out sir!” because his unit type matches regular ogres. This all sounds great, right?
But there is a down side, and those are still there from the previous edition. He is still movement 4 in a movement 6 army. He only has 3 attacks. And his initiative is just 1. The extra kicker is that be no longer does impact hits because he doesn’t have Ogre Charge. If they would have taken care of these terrible stats by making them at least equal to a normal tyrant, he would be worth that huge price tag… in a heartbeat.
Overall Rating: C
Skragg the Slaughterer – Skragg was the only special character worth taking on a regular basis in the previous book, and while he remains very good, he no longer rates as highly as before. The reason for his popularity before was that he was the only way to get a slaughter master in your army at less than 3000 points in 6th and 7th edition. He is both stronger and tougher than a regular slaughtermaster, and has 6 attacks. He allows unlimited gorgers, which can be taken in pairs. And he still has his cooking pot that provides buffs for himself and his gorgers. Another huge bonus is that he can join units and can benefit from “look out sir!” because his unit type matches regular ogres. Finally, he is the only Ld 9 wizard in the army.
Overall Rating: A
Golgfag Maneater – The legendary special character arrives home in the new book. What a great new model… what great fluff… what a mixed set of rules. He is roughly 2 ½ times the cost of a standard bruiser, gaining and extra attack and the two Maneater abilities of stubborn and vanguard if you field him with a unit of maneaters. He also has somewhere between 20 and 120 points worth of magical toys.
Given that huge variation in magic goodies, he is very hard to rate. He could be amazing or meh, but expect to on average be able to give him a decent ward save and a potion of some sort. If his Maneaters had something that made them truly unique, rather than simply having their abilities preselected from the standard list, then he would be even more attractive. WS 5 would have been a great bonus… or Unbreakable… or even killing blow… but alas it wasn’t meant to be.
Overall Rating: C+
Bragg the Gutsman – just wow… this character is simply a failure. He costs the same as two Bruisers… and has no real protection. His Gutgouger weapon is cute, but I feel like GW just doesn’t know how to value heroic killing blow yet. The extra bonus of disruption for the enemy if he wins a challenge is also cute, but until disruption impacts steadfast, it isn’t a useful bonus.
Overall Rating – F
Standard Lords & Heroes
Tyrant – the good old Tyrant, the staple of the old book… got slightly more expensive in a book where most things got cheaper. He is still an absolute beast in combat. He is your best source for leadership in an army vulnerable to panic. Still a great choice, but the competition got a lot fiercer… by being allowed at all.
Overall Rating: A-
Slaughtermaster – this magic user is the real winner of the new book. The new spell lore, and additional lore options, and the (contested) availability of magic armour make him an excellent choice. He can fight as well as most combat lords in the game, and can heal himself over time with the Lore of the Great Maw. The excellence of the Slaughtermaster overshadows the other two strong lord options of the Tyrant and Skragg.
Overall Rating: A+
Bruiser – this guy got a nice discount in the new book, and was already a great value before. Most lists will feature one as the battle standard. But, beyond that, you will probably not see more than one in most armies. And it isn’t because they are weak, but because of the nature of the other options of the book. You can buy wizards that can fight well OR you can buy multiple ogres, both of which get you better bang for your points.
Overall Rating: the Battle Standard Bearer is an A+; otherwise a B- (great value, but almost a non-option)
Butcher – great in the same way as the Slaughtermaster. A wizard that can fight and heals as he casts spells.
Overall Rating: A
FireBelly – another great hero choice. A wizard that can fight, has a breath weapon, has flaming attacks, and has a ward save against flaming attacks is really nice. The addition of the lore of fire into the mix of spell options really adds to the diversity of your magic phase.
Overall Rating: A
Hunter – this guy suffers from the same non-option syndrome as the Bruiser. He is a good value, has interesting options, including riding a Stonehorn into battle, but just can’t compete with the excellence of Butchers, Firebellies, and your Battle Standard for your Hero points, and if looking for punch, the points themselves are probably best spent on more ogres.
Overall Rating: B-
Core Units
Ogres – this can be your staple unit. They are much better value than in the old book, and their options – additional hand weapons or ironfists – are much cheaper. They can nicely fill the bait role in the army or they can form nice big combat blocks that can handle non-deathstars.
Overall Rating: B+
Recommended unit builds: 3 Ogres with nothing; 8 Ogres (or 7+character) with command and either additional hand weapons or ironfists depending on personal preference. An 18 strong horde is an option, but is vulnerable to some spells.
Ironguts – these guys are simply fantastic core choices. A nice points reduction for the one unit that was worth buying in bulk in the previous book. Great Weapons and heavy armour make them both punchy and resilient. They can be fielded as large combat blocks or strong supporting units
Overall Rating: A
Recommended unit builds: 4 Ironguts with nothing; 8 Ironguts (or 7+character) with command. An 18 strong horde is an option but is very vulnerable to some spells.
Gnoblars – these guys are a mixed bag. They add anti-steadfast potential to the list. They are a 0 risk bait unit. They are dirt cheap. The current rules for steadfast make them quite a nice if the general is close by. However, they are not going to win a lot of combats by themselves and the new rules for throwing weapons are terrible. The trapper upgrade, which forces the enemy to take dangerous terrain tests if they charge the gnoblars is intriguing, but very situational.
Overall Rating: C
Recommended unit builds: 10 with nothing for deployment delay; 30+ strong with optional command, the standard being useful for Blood and Glory.
Special Choices
Leadbelchers – A very nice support unit. A rules overhaul, including a substantial points reduction and re-written rules for their cannons that extend the range, allow shots each turn and remove the potential for misfires at the cost of less total shots and the inability to stand and shoot have breathed new life into leadbelchers as an option. In combat, they are still ogres, so can hold their own in ways that other support units cannot.
Overall Rating: B-
Recommended Unit Builds: 3 strong as support.
Maneaters – The most improved “value for the points” unit in the book. The basic cost of the Maneater has been reduced by 30 points per model without any change to their stats. In the past they came with stubborn and immune to psychology as standard rules. Now these are just two of eight special rule options available. They also have gained access to full command and a magic standard. A truly elite unit for the ogres at a reasonable price point.
Overall Rating: A
Recommended Unit Builds: 3 strong with Sniper, Poison and a brace of pistols for character hunting; 6 strong with scout and stubborn (or swiftstride) and an assortment of weapons, heavy armour, and command.
Sabertusk Pack – One of the more interesting design changes is the introduction of the sabretusk pack. Previously, these packs could accompany a hunter in pairs. Now the hunter is the only hero that can join them, and they never benefit from the General or the Battle Standard. But they are useful for two reasons: even fielded in packs of one, they are hell on wheels for war machines, and they are excellent for delaying deployment of more expensive ogre units. Just be wary of them setting off a panic bomb if they are shot. A unit of 4 or less will be taking a leadership 4 test for each casualty suffered, unless joined by a hunter which is a major weakness to consider.
Overall Rating: C+
Recommended Unit Builds: 1 strong for delay; Larger packs should include a hunter.
Yhetees – this unit got a huge overall including a massive points reduction (21 points less)… and yet they still a poor option. They are now flammable, which wasn’t a huge deal in 6th and 7th but in 8th edition, with the 10 point banner that is available to everyone, this is a big negative. The Aura of Frost is neat but less powerful than before. Finally, they still have magical attacks which means that if you fight ethereal creatures on a regular basis, they should be in consideration as an option for you.
Overall Rating: C-
Recommended Unit Builds: 3 strong
Mournfang Cavalry – Wow. Just Wow. These monsters are an incredibly good value. They can have great saves and hit very hard. The D3 impact hits, the 7 attacks per model and the stomps all add up to being tonnes of hurt. In my mind, they are the one unit that overshadows the new and improved Maneaters.
I pondered whether the Ironfist or the Great Weapon was the better choice for an upgrade. In the end, I am working with Ironfists because they help keep each Mournfang alive a little bit longer, keeping the total number of attacks nice and high.
Overall Rating: A+
Recommended Unit Builds: 3 strong with full command, ironfists and heavy armour.
Gorger – these bad boys are largely unchanged, except for a 20% points increase. Considering that they were undervalued before and are more likely to arrive on turn 2, they are still a decent value. Being unbreakable and having killing blow, they have the ability to alter the shape of the game very quickly.
Overall Rating: B
Rare Choices
Gnoblar Scraplauncher – yet another unit that got a nice points break, but the unit is still just so… meh. Hybrid war machine/chariots are simply not a good value because they are costly while not excelling at either role. Furthermore, with the new rules for ranked attacks, ogres can win combats through weight of attacks and really don’t require help softening ranks the way they used too.
Overall Rating: D-
Ironblaster – this unit is slightly more interesting than the scraplauncher because it adds some ranged anti-monster punch. That being said, aside from the toughness 8 Tomb King Constructs, Ironguts, Maneaters and Mournfang Cav can all hit with the kind of punch that takes care of monsters. Furthermore, since ogres are immune to Thunderstomp, the threat of the critters they deal with is greatly reduced.
Overall Rating: D
Giant – the Giant has finally lost his slave status. Gone is throttle with chain and restored is thump with club and stubborn 10. But it is still just a giant… and they are the embodiment on the mediocre monster. They have the potential to be the gamechanger… or they die without accomplishing anything other than being a pincushion. The only upside for the ogre army is that since everyone is an expensive multi-wound target, they don’t get the special attention – hot war machine love – they get in other armies.
Overall Rating: C+
Stonehorn – The fantastic new model has decent rules… for a Warhammer monster. This is the punchy new beast. He takes ½ damage from war machines, does impact hits instead of attacking on the charge – which is great because it by passes the “to hit” roll on the way in. But it has the usual flaws of a warhammer monster – the armour save is crap for a big beast. The weapon skill is mediocre and it isn’t stubborn/unbreakable.
Overall Rating: B-
Thundertusk – I hate repeating myself but this monster is just like the Stonehorn – decent… for a Warhammer monster. This is your augmenting monster. Having the always strikes last (ASL) aura really useful for your initiative 2 ogres and ASL Ironguts. It has a nice variety of ranged attacks for those times you feel the need to soften the enemy before engaging. But is lacks in the same areas as the Stonehorn – the armour save is even worse, the weapon skill is mediocre and the monster isn’t stubborn or unbreakable.
Overall Rating: B+
Nate has been a veteran of Warhammer Fantasy and 40K since stumbling across his local FLGS in 1998. He is the captain of the Adepticon Team Tournament winning (circa 2010) Sons of Shatner, and one of the organizers of the Warmasters Challenge (www.warmasterschallenge.com) tournaments held in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
~Thats’s in folks. We will cover the Magic Items, Spells and more next time. what do you think o fhte new Ogre Kingdoms book?
