So, after jumping the HE bandwagon when it came, then the WoC one (though that was not that big of a bandwagon, but still), I've been getting some pointers about only playing "hard" army books, so I thought, what the heck, orcs looks cool!

I don't want no wyvern, I don't want no magic, I don't want no chariots, I don't want no giant, I don't want no massed units of goblins, so here's what I've come up with;

Blorc warlord, pig, shield, heavy armor, sword of +attack/strenght = rank bonus (yeah, flank charge me and I'll cry, but with auto waagh + waagh banner I'm hoping to get the charge)
Blorc boss, pig, shield, armour, +1 attack/strength per enemy hero within 12"
Blorc boss, pig, shield, armour, +1 str on charge and +1 attack per enemy rank (caps at 3), and your big monster will have a hard time against me, only hitting on 6;es
Blorc boss, pig, armor, banner of dispel dice

25 orcs, shields, fc
25 biguns, additional choppas, fc
3x5 wolf riders, bows, spears, musicians

9 Squig hoppers
4 boltthrowers
25 blorcs, shields, fc, waagh banner

Doom diver

That's pretty much it, tiny for an orc army, haven't got a game in so far, but some strange fecked up thought in my mind keeps thinking that I might actually win against some armies out there, especially top tier armies in a comp environment.....

I'd downgrade the big'uns. You can practically take another block of boyz with those points. And you have so many fighty characters that you're only losing a few higher strength attacks (since boyz will still have a champ).

I wouldn't take the blorc champ since he's super expensive.

I'd actually drop down the magic weapons a lot. IMO, you'd be better off taking ulag's akrit axe, either the +1 attack or KB item and the ward save. For the heroes, no need to spend big points. Take the 10 pt sword of might and 15 pt martogs best basha. If you want to have a dominant lord, give him rather than the hero the sword that gives you +1 A and +1 ST for each character (more dependable and will generally keep him at or over S7).

With your free points, I'd consider A few minimum snotling units and at least another block of orc boyz (even basic 5 pt grunts aren't bad). With 4 black orcs, I'd consider 4 blocks of animosity orcs pretty key. If not, downgrade one to either a normal orc or a goblin with the one hit wunda and the thing that makes him explode.

I'd probably make one of your wolf rider units into spider riders too. They're really handy when there's the inevitable forest.

The first draft of the army had the big uns as regular ones, 100points saved, but couldn't really fit something in that I really wanted. Tho seems I've overlooked the snotlings here.

The blorc champ is so so so needed, a unit that will sometime host alot of characters will need the added challenge option.

Atm I'm paying 15 points per hero to upgrade from regular to black orc, for those 15 points I get the added flexibility in what char needs to quell animosity and which one needs to be at another place, and also for a very nice upgrade to ws6 from 5, with all the high WS infantery out there it's a nice upgrade. Worth it? Sometimes, the added help to animosity (aka better chance of a 1 not feckin up my day) and a odd more hit / less hit against me is rather nice, and also blorcs are way cooler than regular orcs.

Yeah I know I went high with offensive power / low defenisve power on my chars, but to crack the hard units out there (plague bearers, grave guards, dwarf units, etc) I really need all the hitty power I can take.

The blorc unit can be used in such a way that I position all 3 fighty chars in it, 6x5 formation, waagh for +d6 move, charge with 8+d6, very unreliable charge range but should be around 13 inch (and that's by rolling poorly), then I'll have a unit that potentially will have (yeah, this is if all things are good, 4 enemy characters within 12", unit charged have 3 ranks);

14 str 8 attacks, 9 str 5, and 4 str 6.

I know it wont happen often, but even if there's only 2 chars within 12" the unit still hits like a ton of bricks, well enough to frigthen the harcore units out there. And It'll look awesome ;)


Good point on the spider rider thing, nifty unit to have around, didn't think about that. Will get them into list.

Basically the changes I'll do is to downgrade the biguns to regular orcs, and add 3 + 2 snotlings, and change a wolf rider unit to a spider rider one.

Meh...I'd go with more clear roles for units. Black orcs are the most wasteful place to put black orcs since you're not saving animosity.

The pigstikka is only good if you charge something with 2+ ranks. But I'd rank the Akrit axe as being universally better (+1 ST when charged too? Works when you've flanked the unit? Effect after the first round? Works against cavalry, monsters and elite infantry?). It's 15 pts cheaper too.

Screaming sword is definitely good, and IMO fits better on the general (who can take +1 attack and monster protection with it too). And martogs gives you another WS7 character, which is pretty spiffy against the right opponents.

You have a 20 pt champ in black orcs. You have 25 black orcs! Drop 10 of them and the unit is pretty much just as good but you save 140 pts (160 with the champ...that's almost enough for 25 orc boyz w/ shields and command). You can still WAAAGH! and super charge, but why not help your other units pull that off too with the big bosses in them. Black orcs have 2 S5 attacks per model, which you're paying a lot for. Better to let them use those attacks.

I'd just do 2 units of 2 snotlings. They're like hounds in that you don't want to throw extra points in there.

As is, I think your list is WAY too small. Some of the backup plans and flexible options are worth it, but when you're spending 200 pts on magic weapons which are all situational (particularly the 100 pt one considering all-cav chaos outnumbers you leaving you vulnerable to flank attacks :P) rather than simple stat bonuses and rerolls which are cheap, I think you're really hurting the list. Add in the 30 pts you're wasting on animosity control, the ranks of 14 pt elite infantry, etc.. and it shrinks the list down to an orc list with less than 100 models. :blink:

I have tried a similar list to yours in the past.

Conclusion - 3 blocks of Orcs, with that little support is easy pickings for nearly everything.

What are you going to do against high mobility units, monsters, strikes first hardnuts etc.?

You definitely need some screening to bait and flee with. Snotlings or night goblins with a fanatic or 2 are great for this. Dont waste your fast cav doing this job - you'll need them elsewhere a lot of the time. Squig hoppers will protect 1 flank very well... but what about the other?
I agree about the magic weapons too. They are a bit too situational for the price for me. Especially as your army will often be out maneuvered. Waagh cannot be relied upon, believe me. See that as a bonus. Even if you are auto waagh-ing.

All that being said, I did have fun with my old Orc list, but I found it was only really any good against gunlines, or against players prone to making mistakes to let you in. Drop a couple of the weapons, maybe make a dirty tricksy character somewhere, and add in some sacrificial stuff and it'd be a big improvement.

First off all, I know the list is not very optimal, but I actually think it'll work, I've got some grand plans!

Decker, I do not agree with you on alot of your views, here's my take on it; B)

The whole "This character will go with this unit and this there" while doin my army I've begun to dislike, I did so with my bsb battle banner with phoenix guard, but after a while I noticed he had so much more potential, charging out, joining swordmasters, running of on his own, etc.

Sure the akkrit axe is a really nifty and usual choice, but if I flank charge a unit I have high hopes of breaking that unit either way ;)
But the pigsticka really shines, with the 14" move with 3 fighty chars and the ability to charge out of the units, pigsticka + shagas screaming sword dude can more than well take on a ranked unit in various situations.
I've been thinking about loosing up points to get the pigsticka dude a chariot aswell, generally do not like chariots as hero mounts, but he on himself would be a RnF killer...

The 100p sword gives me something to threathen dragons, steamtanks, varalters and other hard stuff, while still being an awesoem RnF killer.
The extra couple of blorcs is basically just there to let him have his extra str and attack even after some shooting (yeah, I spend like 150-200p to make his situational weapon work. Seems I'll just have to be so awesome when playing that I pull through with it ;))

I'm not wasting 30pts on animosity control, I'm giving me the options to where I want to place my characters, and not have to decide that even before deployment. + The fact that they get one more WS.


Jhaantikaal, added 3x2 snotlings to the list, so basically I've got 6throwaway units if needed.

Monsters I've got some decent threats to, 4 boltthrowers...

EDIT; removed 2 snotlings and a boltthrower to add two more annoying units, pump wagons.

Blorc warboss, boar, shield, heavy armor, battle axe of the last waaagh!, 278pts
Blorc big boss, boar, heavy armor, bsb, morks spirit totem, 180pts
Blorc big boss, boar, heavy armor, shield, shagas screaming sword, 157pts
Blorc big boss, boar, heavy armor, shield, porkos pigsticka, collar of zorga, 152pts

25 Orcs, additional choppas, fc, 205pts
25 Orcs, shields, fc, 180pts
2 Snotlings, 40pts
2 Snotlings, 40pts
5 Wolf riders, spears, bows, musician, 76pts
5 Wolf riders, spears, bows, musician, 76pts
5 Spider riders, bows, musician, 76pts
´
24 Blorcs, shields, fc, waaagh banner, 399pts
3 Boltthrowers, 105pts
8 Squig hoppers, 120pts

1 Doom diver, 80pts
2 Pump wagons, 80pts

I would love to see the big boss ride a chariot! ;)

List is looking cool now. Pump wagons are dirt cheap for what they do.

Tomorow I'll get my first 2 games in, one against lizardmen slaan and the other versus a gobbo army or a dark elf army. Will let you know how it went, ;)

I can tell you right now how it's gonna go :P

If I where in poland yeah ;)

Think I'll loose?.... I'll show you.... I'm, awesome.

Then play on lorenz now I can bring beasts and we'll see!

Adam, I understand and a lot comes down to playstyle. My main complaint was that you had a lot of little things that were an inefficient 30 or 50 pts along the list, not any specific one. IMO fitting in a 4th block would be great, but isn't essential.

Black orcs on boar chariots are pretty awesome since they get +D6 inches for Waaagh! (I believe....my memory seems a bit rusty :P). In the army as you've got it, it probably isn't going to be the best addition unless you fit in another chariot.

Good luck in your game! Prove me wrong. :)

Sorry Tom in the middle of a raid here ;)

What about later tonight?


If blorcs on chariot gets the waaagh move, it'd be very nice....

They do get the extra move.

Keep the bigun's but drop them down to 18 and give them shields and additional hand weapons for extra missle protection, and give them a magical banner. Also cut down black orc units to 18 as well, add shields too. Bigun's and black orcs are elite units, for orcs anyway, and should be smaller units do to high points cost and die almost as easy as regular orcs, but by making them smaller units they are not as "sexy" to enemy missle fire because they cost more in line with the bigger regular orc unit. Plus elite units are suppose to get higher combat score from extra damage they deal not static combat res.

Also place your general in your bigun orc unit for auto waaaggh, I do agree that you should put waaagh banner with black orcs so when you do waaagh on a charge you can move 8"+2d6". I have decimated enemy units by catching them off guard. Squigs are great for ItP. My list is similar except I do have less heros, and also include a wyvern and giant for more ItP and terror causing, especially in the realm of so many fear causing armies.

Also chariots for characters are great cause they do not use special slots and BO chariots do get auto waaagh.