Welcome to all da yoof to da first Codex
review: Wargear. Warboss Skarbog 'ere wif lots of gud smarts about all you need
to bash in a 'umies 'ead. Be it a Choppa, Shoota, or supa fast Trukk you'll
learn it all 'ere! Now listen' close cuz I'm only gonna say dez once, yer gear
iz yer friend, bestest friend you can 'ave, better den any sticky fingah'd
Deffskull dat is.
So I'm opening up with Wargear for two good reasons. First it's important to know what the gear you take on your units actually does, having the boyz all kitted out with shiny shootas and snazzy armour is fine, but it wont help you if you don't know what it actually does. Secondly, it's really the first section in the actual meat and potatoes of the army building spot of the codex, so it only makes sense to go over it first. Do note, any gear that is specific to one unit will be found reviewed along with that unit when they are reviewed at a later time.
Basic Gear:
Slugga- The Slugga is one of the most basic Ork ranged
weapons. A crude but simple pistol that is used as a short ranged side arm that
doubles nicely as a bludgeoning tool once it runs out of ammo.
A Slugga is a pretty standard pistol weapon;
12" range with a Strength of 4 and AP of 6. The 12" range may seem
short but it's quite common for a pistol, the strength of 4 is also common with
ranged weapons so it will wound most opponents on a 3+ or 4+, and with an AP of
6 it falls into the middle ground for pistols that are typically AP 5, 6, or -.
Useful mostly due to the fact it counts as an additional weapon in close
combat, giving Orks the nice added advantage that almost every unit will gain +1
attack. Overall this weapon has a rating of C
Choppa- A Choppa refers to basically anything that would
be considered a good melee weapon for an Ork; a sharp machete, a hefty axe or
mace, or even just a really long piece of pipe.
Choppas are one of the more straightforward pieces
of Orky Wargear, however they aren't anything special as far as melee weapons
go. With an unmodified strength to the user and no AP to account for they act
the same as every other races melee weapons. These are really only used in
conjunction to pistol weapons to grant +1 attack in close combat. Other than
that Choppas don't really serve a purpose, for even without a melee weapon a
model still attacks as normal in combat. Overall this weapon has a rating of C
Stikkbombz- Even more crude than most other weapons, a
Stikkbomb is a handheld explosive similar to grenades used by other races that
are thrown just before a charge to force the enemies into cover or be hit by
shrapnel. Unlike other races however, Stikkbombz are often quite unreliable,
and usually end up being used as a club.
Stikkbombz act like normal assault grenades in the
hands of an Ork, so can be thrown a short range in place of a ranged weapon.
With a profile of Range 8", S3, AP-, Type Assault 1, blast, it is weaker
than a Slugga, however with a blast instead of a single shot they can be useful
against enemies that are clumped together. The other use for these weapons is
that they allow Ork units to assault through cover without a penalty to their
initiative, which is curious since most Orks are I2,so while useful against Tau
and any unit equipped with unwieldy weapons, it's effectively useless against
every other army. You can see why it's a free piece of wargear, short of
throwing it in before a charge to get more hits than a Slugga, your game
wouldn't change at all without this. Overall this Wargear has a rating of D
These three basic pieces of gear can be found
carried by almost all units in the Ork codex and are often included without any
additional cost. Simple in the extreme but quite effective in the hands of an
Ork boy, nothing special but will sure get the job done.
Ranged Weapons:
Shoota- Shootas are large noisy machine guns that are
found all across an Ork Warband. Varying in design; drum or belt fed, clips,
sights and muzzle breaks. One thing can be said for sure, It has the dakka for
the job.
The shoota is a nice piece of gear for an Ork that
wants slightly more firepower in exchange of combat capabilities. with a
profile of being Range 18", S4, AP6, Assault 2 this weapon is good for
putting more bullets down at further range but still allowing the wielder the
flexibility of being able to move, shoot and then assault in the same turn.
Having the same Strength and AP potential as the Slugga this weapon isn't any
more powerful, but getting the extra shot at an additional 6" does mean
the possibility of more casualties earlier on. Only real downside to this
weapon is you will lose that +1 attack in combat as it's an assault weapon instead
of a pistol. Overall this weapon has a rating of C
Twin-linked shoota- A true feat of Ork
engineering, the twin shoota was designed by the brightest of Ork Meks,
combining two shootas together with duct tape and nails for even more sustained
fire power!
Just like the Shoota, the Twin-linked Shoota
replaces the Slugga for more fire power, unlike the Shoota though, it increases
the chance of causing wounds. Being Twin linked, this weapon allows re-rolls on
failed 'to-hit', increasing the overall amount of hits scored by the wielder
throughout the course of a game. This weapon is often a good choice if you want
to have more firepower but don't want to pay quite so many points to do so.
Overall this weapon has a rating of C
Kombi-weapon- Kombi weapons are simple
and to the point, the mass produced and time tested shoota combined with either
a Skorcha or Rokkit launcha to give the more tactically minded Ork some variety
of extra infantry or tank stopping power respectively.
Getting into the more situationally useful ranged
weapons, the Kombi-weapon is one part Shoota and one part either Skorcha or
Rokkit launcha. Having the same profile as a normal shoota this weapon can be
used every turn as such, however once per game this weapon can be used as a
single shot Heavy flamer or Krak missile. The Kombi-Skorcha is nice if you plan
on fighting a lot of troops, being a Template weapon with S5 AP4 this will
nicely burn quite a few infantry to death. Kombi-Rokkits on the other hand are
nicer at trying to take down vehicles, with a Range 24", S8, AP3 and being
Assault 1 this weapon is nice to have for those just in case situations where
there is a vehicle that needs to be taken out, and being an assault weapon you
can attack whatever troops drop out of the wreck! Alternatively this weapon can
be turned against more elite foes such as Space Marines to get through their
armour, but that should be saved as an last resort if there are no vehicles for
you to target. Overall this weapon has a rating of B
Melee Weapons:
Big choppa- A Big choppa is, as it's name implies, a
big Choppa! Ranging from simple large two handed swords to massive double edge
chain weapons, the Big choppa is the weapon of choice for that Ork that really
wants to cut his opponents in two and watch them desperately try and keep their
organs inside their body.
Big choppas are effective melee weapons, trading off
the extra attack in combat for +2 strength and an AP of 5. These are quite
useful as they allow the Ork wielder to wound most infantry on a 2+, deal with
Monstrous Creatures and have a good chance on penetrating the rear armour of
most tanks. Truly the only downside to this weapon is the lack of a significant
AP value, being AP of 5 you'll be able to go through the armour of other Orks,
some Eldar units and most Guardsmen but it doesn't help much against the Power
armour of the Space Marines. Still, having a low point cost to upgrade a model
with this weapon is quite useful to have around. Overall this weapon has a
rating of B
Power klaw- A Power klaw is a one of the favored melee weapons among Orks that like to cause mass destruction the the front lines. Taking the form of large cutting sheers or powered blades, this weapon can crush even the most heavily armoured into the ground, or in two or three pieces.
Truly one of the
most commonly used melee weapon upgrades in an Ork army, the Power klaw is the
answer to most Ork problems. Great for cutting through Power Armour and
Terminator Armour, even crushing most hardened Tanks and Walkers. It's a rare
sight indeed to not see a Warboss and many Nobz taking this weapon. Effectively
a Power fist, granting x2 Strength and AP2 at the expense of being a specialist
weapon and unwieldy, quite a small price to pay since all Ork weapons besides
Choppas do not grant an extra attack, and Orks tend to swing last with having
the low initiative that they do. Overall this weapon has a rating of A
Runts & Squigs:
Ammo runt- Basically a
Grot slave that is forced into battle bringing a bag full of extra ammo and
guns for his Orky master.
Quite frankly
one of the more useful one time only use upgrades available to the Orks, an
Ammo runt allows a re-roll of a singe 'to hit' dice for a shooting attack.
Great paired with the Kombi-weapon w/ rokkit launcha to have a better change of
hitting the target or the odd weapons Mek's take into battle. Up to three can
be taken for a low price, including these would not be a bad idea. Overall this
Wargear has a rating of B
Grot oiler- Similar in design to an Ammo runt, a Grot oiler is an assistant to an Orky master, but instead of carrying spare ammo he instead carries spare tools and wires and assists in the patching of vehicles during the middle of a fight.
Perfect for the
more support minded Mek that is spending their time fixing vehicles more often
than anything else, Grot oilers can be used to allow a Mek to re-roll any
failed repair check on a vehicle. Really no reason for a Mek to not be
accompanied by these guys into battle to make sure the tanks keep rolling like
they should. Overall this Wargear has a rating of B
Grot orderly- A special sort of Grot that assists a Dok in his mad surgeries and experiments, fetching different tools, collecting teef pulled from patients and looking for a different leg or arm in a bin box if the one the Dok is working on doesn't seem to work anymore.
Similar to how a
Grot oiler helps a Mek with repairs a Grot orderly helps a Dok keep an Ork from
dying, allowing the re-roll of a single failed feel no pain check. The downside
is unlike the other two Grot assistant upgrades you can only have one Grot
orderly per Dok, so you'll find yourself saving it for a rather dire situation.
Overall this Wargear has a rating of C
Attack squig- One of the most viscous types of Squiggly beasts raised by the Orks, it's no surprise that bigger Ork bosses like to bring out these snarling monsters and let them loose on the battlefield, watching them run around ripping out throats and legs and other vulnerable places.
Unlike the other
pieces of Wargear available the Attack squig is not one that you'll be finding
useful in every game, or worth the point price tag on it. This upgrade
effectively allows one weapon to become master crafted, allowing a single
re-roll of a failed 'to-hit' roll in combat. While at first appearing useful as
you can get a second chance to hit in a situation that really calls for it. The
main disappointment of this option is the knowledge that most all other army
codex have a similar Wargear option or rule that is typically more useful (Such
as the Tyranid Old Adversary ability, allowing re-rolls of all 1's on the
'to-hit' in combat) or cheaper in points (Such as Space Marines Salamanders
chapter tactic that allows all characters to make a single weapon master
crafted with no additional points cost). Overall this Wargear has a rating of D
Orky Know-wots:
Bosspole- A large trophy
pole that is used to show off a particularly tough Ork's kill markings and
heads taken from favored opponents. When the boyz get out of line the Ork
usually beats them with the Bosspole till they get back into order.
An almost
mandatory piece of Wargear, it's great for keeping your hordes in check.
Allowing you to re-roll the Mob Rule results, other than the Breaking Heads, if
you fail a Morale or Pinning check. This is useful in the situation where
you're already stuck in combat and want to try and roll for a Born to Fight
result, or if the mob has happened to fall below 10 boys and you don't want to
fall back or be pinned. Overall this Wargear has a rating of B
Cybork body- A rough catch-all phrase that applies to an Ork that has gone through cybernetic work, from the simply telescoping arm to a more complex scanner eye.
One of the more
disappointing pieces of Wargear that was rolled over from the previous edition
that got significantly worse, upgrading an Ork with a Cybork body gives him a
6+ Feel no Pain. Often taken for the 'just in case' factor of it you're shot by
a weapon with a low AP. The only real saving grace for this Wargear is the low
point cost, but realistically it's not going to be a great boon to take.
Overall this Wargear has a rating of D
Gitfinda- A special tool used by Orks that enjoying gunning down their foes, and want to have a more accurate shot. From something as complex ans a built in cranial targeting array to as simple as a really big magnifying glass.
A cheap upgrade
granting an Ork Ballistic Skill of 3 in any phase that he did not move, great
for those models with long range weapons. Overall this Wargear has a rating of B
Warbike- An impressively loud and large bike festooned with fat tires for off road driving, spikes and blades for an Ork with the sense of humor to charge into his enemy and let the bike do the work, and huge unbalanced guns that can cause the driver to swerve out of control every time he fires. These are just a few things that a Warbike offers to their riders.
One of the more
expensive upgrades but comes with the most benefits. Changing the unit type
from Infantry to Bikes, this doubles the models movements, ignores difficult
terrain, grants the ability to go flat out in place of running, adding +1
toughness, allowing the model to jink and finally giving them relentless so
they can fire all those big weapons on the go. This Wargear makes the Ork
riding it faster, tougher, and deadlier. Quite the combination for an Ork. This
Wargear has a rating of A
Armour:
'eavy armour- A catch all
term for heavier than standard Ork armour, 'eavy armour typically consists of
large pieces of metal hammered into the shape of the wearer that protects them
from most incoming small arms fire. Though it can be heavy and cumbersome the
protection it offers is well worth it.
Quite effective
and relatively low points cost, 'eavy armour is a great choice for a Warboss
and his personal guard. Granting them a 4+ armour save keeping them safe from
most basic shooting and melee weapons. While the cost does add up
outfitting standard Ork boyz with 'eavy armour, the protection is quite worth
the extra cost. Overall this Wargear has a rating of B
Mega armour- Even heavier than 'eavy armour, Mega armour is a large exo-suit that is built with slabs of armour (typically taken from battle tanks) to protect the wearer from basically everything. Short of actually riding inside a battle fortress this armour makes the wearer feel invulnerable, and it shows in battle as mobs of mega armoured Orks charge forward with reckless abandon stopping for nothing before getting into combat and running their opponents into smears on the ground.
Offering even
more protection than 'eavy armour, Mega armour grants the wearer a 2+ save, but
at the downside of becoming bulky and Slow and Purposeful. Typically that is of
little consequence as a unit of Mega armoured Orks will have a ride into combat
aboard a Trukk or Battlewagon. All but the most powerful weapons will bounce
off of this armour, keeping your battle hardened Orks safe while they get stuck
in. Typically Mega armour also comes with a Power klaw and a Twin-linked
shoota, any opponent would be wise not to underestimate a unit of Orks with
this upgrade. Overall this Wargear has a rating of A
