We'll Make It Orky: A Breakdown of Common Ork Army Types

The key to any good army, Orks or otherwise, is making sure everything in the list flows together just right. There are a lot of lists that just throw a bunch of stuff together to see what sticks, and while I can appreciate the trial and error involved there will eventually make a good Warboss out of any weedy git, there are a few common Ork army builds that any player should be aware of.

The Core Armies

Located on pages 82-85 of Codex: Orks are the three most common armies. These could be considered the core army archetypes for an Ork force, as most other army types you can build will reference these three as a starting point.

The Green Tide
A "Green Tide" army list generally focuses on a war of attrition, as the massive horde of cheap units you build here will be hard to stop unless you are facing an opponent who plans for it. The good news there is that, with the meta game of 40k so focused on tanks in 5th Edition, few players really have a plan in place for dealing with horde armies. No matter how deadly those meltaguns and lascannons are against the tanks most other armies love to field, they aren't going to do much against the huge mobs you'll put together here.

Units
The core of a Green Tide army is Boyz, and lots of them. Several mobs of 20-30 Slugga Boyz, often accompanied by large mobs of Gretchin for cover support, are the order of the day. Each mob should have a Nob equipped with a power klaw, and usually a bosspole. Shoota Boyz are not a bad choice, but with no transports in the army, most of your time on the table should be spent running in the Shooting Phase.

For your HQ units, Warbosses and Big Meks are both great choices, with the edge usually going to the Big Mek. One or two kustom force fields in a horde army will do wonders, as Orks will very rarely get an armour save. Warbosses, on the other hand, can make your Nobz mobs available as Troops units, giving you some harder scoring units. In larger games, taking the special character Ghazghkull Thraka can work to your advantage if you have a way of getting him into fighting range. With no transport, his Prophet of the Waaagh! special rule would not be worth the points on its own.

For fire support, large mobs of Lootas are usually the first choice, given their S7 shots at long range. If you can get them on high ground and in cover, they will be a force to reckon with. Big Gunz are also a plus in this role, as they all benefit from the Gretchin crew members' BS3, and the Lobbas can fire over the rest of your army.

You can also use fast units like Stormboyz and Warbikers to get ahead and disrupt enemy forces early on. Against an opposing force that likes to put its fire support units in area terrain, a large mob of Stormboyz led by a Nob with a big choppa can dive in and still throw his weight around with four S7 attacks at I4 on the charge.

The Green Tide is also a good list for walkers, as Deff Dreads and Killa Kans can advance with the rest of your army and provide anti-tank supprt against heavier vehicles, though these units are better covered in another core army type.

Tactics
This handy flowchart will tell you almost everything you need to know about running a Green Tide list:



Sure, there are some nuances you'll pick up along the way, but that's basically it. As a Green Tide, your job is simply to close with the opposing army's units as quickly as possible and wash over them in a huge wave.

Pros of a Green Tide Army

1. Large number of models are hard for most armies to deal with unless they specifically plan for it.
2. Core units of large Boyz mobs can take on most units in close combat, having Furious Charge and four attacks on the charge.
3. Mobile cover saves in the form of large Gretchin mobs and/or Big Meks are easy and cheap, and can greatly improve the survivability of the army as a whole.

Cons of a Green Tide Army

1. Common troops, while plentiful, are very easy to kill. Get used to the idea of taking models off the table by the bucketful each turn.
2. Very vulnerable to blast and template weapons.
3. Very few reliable ways to deal with enemy vehicles.

Speed Freeks
The polar opposite of the Green Tide army, the Speed Freeks army relies on a core of smaller units of Boys in fast-moving Trukks to take the fight to the enemy as quickly as possible.

Units
The core of this army is mobs of 10-12 Sluggas Boyz mounted in Trukks. Nobz with bosspoles are essential here, as the low model count will not let you rely on Mob Rule like a horde army would. Good upgrades on the Trukks are reinforced rams, to let you re-roll failed Dangerous Terrain tests, and the red paint job, giving you an extra inch of movement every turn. As your Trukks should be moving as fast as possible towards the enemy, Shoota Boyz aren't much use here, but a mob of 'Ard Boyz can work great as their low model count won't raise the cost of the unit that much, and they'll be protected by the Trukk for a turn or two.

For an HQ choice, both the Warboss and the Big Mek are again excellent choices. As good as the kustom force field is for infantry units, it provides an even better 4+ cover save for vehicles. A Warboss can take on Nobz or Meganobz as Troops, which in turn have more choices in dedicated vehicles with either a Trukk or a Battlewagon. A Warboss on a bike is also a good choice here. Alone, he should be sniping enemy vehicles with five S10 power klaw attacks, essentially a roaring lascannon with an 18" range that always hits rear armour. Otherwise, he should be leading a small unit of Nob Bikers, taken as Troops for a heavy-hitting scoring unit.

To take some of the heat off of your AV10 Trukks, other fast units and cheap vehicles should be considered in any Speed Freeks list. Warbuggies can spam AV10 on the cheap, while more expensive units of Stormboyz, Warbikers, and Deffkoptas can tie up enemy units in assault.

Heavy Support choices are generally limited in a Speed Freeks army, with the best choices going to stripped down Battlewagons and Looted Wagons for transporting units that cannot take a dedicated transport on their own. Namely, Burna Boyz, who can pile on tons of burny-death templates from an open-topped vehicle.

Tactics
As your Trukk Boyz are comprised of several small units, you will always want to put yourself in a position to assault with at least two units at a time. Orks are classic bullies, and should always strike to outnumber their targets by at least two-to-one.

Also, be sure to give your Trukks cover saves as often as possible. If you choose not to take a kustom force field or two, Warbikers make an excellent screening unit, as they can obscure vehicles behind them and always give themselves a 4+ cover save from their Exhaust Cloud special rule.

Generally, you will want to focus on tying down or outright eliminating the enemy's dedicated shooty units early. Even something as simple as a Space Marine's boltgun can take out one of your Trukks, but focus on the heavier artillery by aiming power klaws and buzz saws at them as soon as possible. For Deffkoptas, don't forget that you can Turbo Boost before the start of the first turn in their Scout move.

Pros of a Speed Freeks army

1. Fast, open-topped vehicles allow for first- or second-turn assault, negating enemy shooting units.
2. Fast vehicles and units capable of Turbo Boosting are great for last-second contesting and grabbing of objectives.
3. 4+ cover saves for Ork vehicles are very easy to come by with kustom force fields and/or Warbiker mobs.
4. Ramshackle rule for Trukks may take you even closer to the enemy when the Trukk is wrecked.

Cons of a Speed Freeks army

1. AV10, open-topped transports can be wrecked by anything S4 and higher.
2. Low model count units rely on good planning and positioning to carry assaults.
3. Mob Rule does not come into play as often, leaving your units with low Leadership scores across the board.
4. Ramshackle rule may take you farther away from the enemy when the Trukk is wrecked, or may pin the mob and keep them for going anywhere for a turn.

Dreadbash
The third and final army list presented in Codex: Orks is the one I personally use the most. The classic Dreadbash army spreads the love around for the two different types of walkers available to an enterprising Mek.

Units
The core of this army is the two different types of walkers available to Orks: the Deff Dread and the Killa Kan. At least one Big Mek is a requirement here, though two is the preferred number. Their ability to take on a Deff Dread as a Troops choice is essential for this build. Kustom force fields are again an excellent choice for the Big Meks, providing your walkers with a 4+ cover save.

For the Deff Dreads, anything that lets them overcome their BS2 is a plus. They can be close combat monsters with an additional two dreadnought close combat weapons, giving them six S10 attacks on the charge. If you prefer to have them doing something besides running every Shooting Phase, consider a skorcha, big shoota, or both. With one shot apiece, the rokkit launcha and kustom mega-blasta are poor choices for a unit that will only hit on a 5+ when shooting. You will usually want to kit the Dreads out with armour plates and/or grot riggers to keep them moving towards the enemy as fast as possible.

In your Heavy Support slots, you will want to take 6-9 Killa Kans, kitting them out with good weapons to take advantage of their advanced Ballistic Skill. Grotzookas are always a favorite choice for their ability to handle infantry units, light vehicles, and monstrous creatures from a distance. Rokkit launchas are also a good choice for combat-squadded units of Space Marines and slightly heavier vehicles. If you expect to face a ton of heavy infantry like Deffwing Terminators, you might also consider the kustom mega-blasta for it's AP2 shot. Armour plates and grot riggers are essentially useless here, as vehicle squadron rules negate both Stunned and Immobilized results already (by treating them as Shaken and Wrecked, respectively).

For your other Troops choices, you'll make the decision here whether you want to be able to capture objectives or not. As walkers cannot control objectives, you'll need 2-4 largish mobs of Ork Boyz. As this is essentially a foot-slogging list, I find 20 models to be a good starting point for each mob, going up from there in higher points games. Shoota Boyz are a good choice here to back up your Kans, and Slugga Boyz are good for backing up your more assault-oriented Deff Dreads.

Of course, you could choose to ignore the other Troops slots entirely, but winning would require you to table your opponent's army.

For Elites, a mob or two of Burna Boyz can do well following behind your walkers. Take on the full three Meks allowed in the mob to keep making repaired rolls when your Kans and Dreads start losing weapons from damage rolls. If you have the points and the inclination, Meganobz can actually be useful as foot-sloggers here in that they would serve to protect the rearguard of your walkers from outflanking enemies.

In order to keep the heat off your foot-slogging units, judicial use of Fast Attack choices can run interference on the enemy's heavier artillery. Deffkoptas armed with twin-linked rokkit launchas and buzz saws can take care of mid-grade enemy tanks early, and Warbuggies can zip in and out to screen the advancing horde and take pot-shots at exposed elements.

Tactics
Ordinance, melta, and other high strength weapons are priority targets early on. If you can keep these units from firing at your walkers, the army will be that much more effective once it reaches the enemy lines.

Whenever a walker is damaged, make sure you are doing everything you can to keep it in good repair. Your Big Meks and any Mek upgrades to Burna Boyz mobs can work on repairing weapons and, when they have to, immobilized Dreads. Just make sure the Dreads running in the Shooting Phase don't out-pace your Meks by so much that they lose both the ability to be repaired and the benefits of the kustom force field.

While your eleven walkers can be a formidable sight, be aware of what the enemy is throwing at you. Your Dreads are not Space Marine Dreadnoughts, and a one-on-one fight against walkers with a higher Initiative value (read, nearly all of them) will usually result in disaster. Avoid monstrous creatures at all costs, tying them up with your Boyz mobs whenever possible.

Pros of a Dreadbash army

1. Up to eleven walkers in an army can be a hard thing to combat, especially when some of those walkers can get up to six S10 attacks on the charge.
2. Between cover saves from the kustom force fields and repair rolls from Meks and grot rigger upgrades, your walkers can stay in the fight for a long time.
3. The addition of several large mobs of Ork Boyz makes this a war of attrition that few other armies can cope with without planning for it in advance.

Cons of a Dreadbash Army

1. With fewer points to spread around on support units, your core troops can sometimes be overwhelmed if the walkers are taken out.
2. Very weak against armies with a lot of monstrous creatures and walkers with higher Initiative values.
3. Careless use of running in the Shooting Phase can lead to your walkers being out of range of the kustom force fields.

Biker Armies

Orks are one of only a few armies that can run an army comprised entirely of bike-mounted units. Unlike other codices, Orks can actually run two different types of pure biker armies.

Wazdakka's Warbikers
Of the two biker lists available to Orks, this one is most commonly used for its higher model count (though still low) and for the fact that it requires less conversion and modeling skill to put together.

Units
Out of all the lists we'll be talking about here, this is the only one which specifically requires one of the special characters available in Codex: Orks. Wazdakka Gutsmek is essential here for his ability to take Warbiker mobs as Troops choices. Unlike Warbosses and Big Meks, which allow one Elite or Heavy unit to be taken per HQ choice, Wazdakka allows you to field an entire army of Warbikers.

In higher points games, a Warboss on a bike is a good addition for his ability to field Nob Bikers as Troops choices, as well as the addition of a S10 power klaw for taking out enemy vehicles. Since all warbikes already receive a 4+ cover save from their Exhaust Cloud special rule, the ubiquitous kustom force field Big Mek won't help you here.

The core of this army is built around several small mobs of Warbikers. Although you're allowed to take up to 12 Warbikers per mob, such large units are usually very unwieldy on the tabletop. You'll usually want to take 5-6 units of 6-8 Warbikers, and one unit of Nob Bikers if you went with a Warboss for your second HQ choice. Make sure each mob is led by a Nob with a bosspole, as such small numbers in each unit will not make use of the excellent Mob Rule bonus.

While a pure biker list is fine for friendly games, you'll usually want some more firepower to back up the core of your army. Even without a Warboss to make them Troops, Nob Bikers are one of the more elite units in the game. You'll usually want to keep the unit fairly small, as Nobs of any flavor can be a huge points sink if not kept in check.

Other fine support options are Deffkoptas and Warbuggies, giving you some heavier ranged firepower in the form of twin-linked rokkit launchas. More Warbikers in your Fast Attack slots generally would not add to the efficiency of your army, and could be very confusing when trying to remember which of your potential nine Warbiker mobs are your scoring units.

Tactics
Similar to the Speed Freeks list earlier in this series, your Warbiker mobs will take careful planning and positioning to make sure you can assault the same target with at least two units at once. Single units will almost always be outnumbered, and with an Initiative score of 3 on the charge, will almost always strike last in combat.

Also, try your best to keep your units out of line of sight whenever possible. Although Warbikers always have a 4+ cover save from their Exhaust Cloud rule, focused firepower can decimate such small units, and bikes always flee rolling 3d6 instead of the usual 2d6. For the most part, you'll have one or two chances, tops, to get that unit back in the game if it turns tail.

Use your support units in Fast Attack slots to run interference and keep enemy vehicles from shooting for as long as possible. While the twin-linked rokkits aren't going to be reliable for AV13 and above, they should be able to handle AV12 consistently enough to keep some shots from reaching your core units.

Pros of a Wazdakka's Warbikers army:

1. Fast army that can usually take the fight to the enemy in the first two rounds, and turbo-boost in later rounds for a late-game objective grab.
2. Exhaust Cloud rule gives your Warbikers a constant 4+ cover save, even out in the open.
3. Modeling opportunities abound as there is no official model for Wazdakka Gutsmek, and only official Forgeworld models for a Warboss on a bike and Nob Bikers.
4. A challenging build that will keep you on your toes.

Cons of a Wazdakka's Warbikers army:

1. Low model count means individual units will often be outnumbered.
2. Does not make use of Mob Rule or Waagh! special rules.
3. A required special character HQ leaves less room for flexibility in building a list.
4. Without a good plan and some tactical savvy, this army could be next to impossible for some to play well.

Sons of Anorky
As challenging as the classic Warbiker army can be to play, the second option for a biker list is even tougher. Here we go against everything conventional wisdom has to say about Orks, creating a very small, elite force, often consisting of less than two dozen models.

Units
For the core of this army, there are only two choices used from Codex: Orks. For your HQ units, you will need two Warbosses on bikes. Load them up with all the good stuff: attack squigs, cybork bodies, the works. These Warbosses will unlock Nobs -- specifically, Nob Bikers -- as your two compulsory Troops choices.

Since your army will be so small, and because your two Troops choices will be so vital, you'll want to make full use of the various upgrades that a Nobz mob can get to take advantage of wound allocation. A Painboy is essential here, giving your units Feel No Pain and opening up the option of a 5+ invulnerable save from cybork bodies. A good rule of thumb is to include one power klaw for every three Nobz, rounding up or down to your preference. If you take the full 10 Nobz available in each unit, that would be three or four klaws. Make sure you include a Waaagh! banner, some big choppas, and at least one kombi-skorcha as well. If you've ever wanted to just go wild on sinking a ton of points into a Nobz mob, this is your chance.

And that's it. The core, maybe even the entirety, of your Nob Biker army. If you take the full allotment, that's an Ork army of 22 models. Of course, these 22 models also have at least two wounds apiece, armour and cover saves of 4+ (even in the open), a 4+ invulnerable save, and Feel No Pain. They've got a higher Toughness value than most units in the game, a ton of high strength attacks, and twin-linked shootas that help offset their horrible Ballistic Skill just a bit.

Of course, you have other options available if you have the points to spend. Fast Attack options like Deffkoptas and Warbuggies can provide fire support, while normal Warbiker mobs can run interference and help screen your expensive core. If you're worried about being able to secure more objectives, mobs of Boyz in Trukks can help secure the midfield, or mobs of Gretchin can come in and go to ground to secure those closest to home.

Tactics
Like the Warbiker mobs in the more common Warbiker horde, your Nobz will almost always be outnumbered. Even more so this time, as can easily build a list in high points value games using only the 22 core models. While your Troops are much tougher this time around, they should still stick together whenever possible to keep the weight of numbers on their side. Of course, you could also have your Warbosses split off from the Nobz from time to time to snipe high AV tanks that you don't want an entire unit piling around.

Be aware of what units the enemy has in play, as there are still a few things this army cannot tackle reliably. Assault Terminators carrying hammers and shields can make a mess of these expensive Nob Bikers, as can large hordes of cheap models like Slugga Boyz and Hormagaunts.

Pros of a Sons of Anorky army:

1. Hard-hitting units that are tough to kill.
2. Speed allows the army to usually get into combat on the first or second turn, and to turbo-boost for late-game objective grabs.
3. Tons of conversion opportunities, as the only official models for Warbosses or Nobz on bikes are Forgeworld models.
4. A very challenging army to play.

Cons of a Sons of Anorky army:

1. Very low model count means the army will always be outnumbered.
2. Does not make use of either the Mob Rule or Waaagh! special rules.
3. Can fall quickly to heavy focused fire or dedicated deathstar assault units.
4. A tough army to build for newer Ork players who may not have the bits and skill necessary for the conversions.

'Eavy Metal

Few armies can spam AV14. Blood Angels and Imperial Guard, sure. At 250 points per model. But the Orks do it cheaper, with an available eight Battlewagons starting at 90 points each. These next two armies focus on this mighty machine.

Battlewagon Bash
While the Speed Freeks army relies on fast vehicles to get sever small mobs of Ork Boys into the fray as quickly as possible, a Battlewagon Bash army relies on slower, heavier transports to get larger mobs across the table intact.

Units
The core of this army is three to eight Battlewagons, generally stripped down and used to transport loads of Slugga Boyz and Nobz or Meganobz into the enemy lines. Big shootas are essential for keeping the tanks running in case of any Weapon Destroyed rolls on the damage chart, and deff rollas are an excellent anti-tank option for ramming enemy vehicles with d6 S10 hits. You'll also want to consider armour plates to keep the Battlewagons moving forward, and grot riggers if you choose not to take a Big Mek in the army.

For your HQ slots, at least one Warboss is a good idea for making a unit of Nobz or Meganobz a Troops choice. The more Nobz of either variety you can field, the more Battlewagons you can take as dedicated transports. You might also want at least one Big Mek, as the kustom force field riding inside a Battlewagon gives off a huge area of effect for those cover saves.

For your Troops choices, you'll want to include Slugga Boyz mobs of 19-20 models, depending on whether they're riding with an Independent Character on board. As you're moving forward as fast as possible in the Battlewagons, Shoota Boyz won't help you here. If you have the points, upgrading one mob to 'Ard Boyz can keep them in the fight much longer once the unit gets into assault, and the Battlewagon transport will help protect your investment until you're prepared to unleash hell on the enemy.

If you want to field even more Battlewagons, Nobz and Meganobz in your Elite slots can all take them as dedicated transports. Just keep in mind that the Battlewagon can be a bit of a points sink if you don't watch what you're spending. Everything, from the Battlewagons to the Nobz mobs, should be as stripped down as you're comfortable fielding.

If you feel the need and have the points to spend, the support roles for this army are very flexible. For more support on the assault and objective grabbing, more Slugga Boyz in Trukks are a great addition to the army. For more long-ranged support, look to your Lootas. For faster harassing and screening units, you can take Deffkoptas and Warbuggies for their twin-linked rokkits or mobs of Warbikers to help screen your vehicles.

Tactics
This is very nearly the definition of a point and shoot army. The heavy front armor of your Battlewagons should keep most of them intact until you're ready to pile out of the open-topped transports and Waagh! your way into an assault. The higher number of Boyz in the mobs make sure they're well prepared for close combat, although you will later lose some to Fearless wounds with Mob Rule in effect.

As usual, anything with a good chance of taking out your Wagons is a priority target. High strength weapons, meltaguns, and monstrous creatures should be tied up quickly and often by any fast support units you have available.

As for the Battlewagons themselves, try to keep the front facing the enemy for as long as possible, and try not to let your tanks get assaulted. Rear armor for a Battlewagon is only AV10, so be wary of anyone trying to punch your Battlewagons or position themselves for a shot up the tailpipe.

After their loads are dropped off, don't just forget about the Battlewagons. Even without a deff rolla, they can still ram enemy vehicles and tank shock enemy units. If there's a nagging shooty unit in your opponent's army, try to position an empty Battlewagon between it and your troops when possible.

Pros of a Battlewagon Bash army:

1. One of the easiest Ork armies to play. Just aim and fire.
2. Heavy front armor on transports large enough to carry up to 20 models means fewer casualties on your side before you're ready for assault.
3. Very flexible support options if you have the points to spend.
4. One of only a select few armies that can field as many as seven AV14 vehicles.

Cons of a Battlewagon Bash army:

1. Not as fast as a Warbiker- or Trukk-based army, and fewer models than a dedicated horde army.
2. Can suffer when fighting fast, mobile armies that can position units to take advantage of the Battlewagon's rear AV10.
3. Expensive army to build in both points and money.

Armoured Krumpany
Since we've covered the use of Battlewagons as heavy transport vehicles, let's focus on a slightly different approach here. The Armoured Krumpany army is very similar to the Battlewagon Bash, but relies much less on getting massed units of Ork Boyz into combat and more on having a bunch of heavy tanks that can overpower enemy armies on their own. This is usually considered more of a fun army than a competitive one.

Units
Like before, the core of this army is going to be the several Battlewagons you can field. This time, feel free to go nuts on the upgrades. Deff rollas, as the ultimate anti-tank option in Codex: Orks, should be pretty ubiquitous, as should armour plates and some big guns. Four big shootas or rokkit launchas on your Battlewagons, as well as a killkannon and a kannon or lobba, should be a goal for most of your tanks. Think of them as Orky Leman Russ tanks, only with a worse Ballistic Skill and much more style.

For HQ selections, Big Meks are the top choice for their kustom force fields. As they're embarked on the transports, the 6" field stretches from the hull of the massive Battlewagon, letting you keep a constant 4+ cover save on your expensive toys.

As with the Battlewagon Bash list, mobs of Nobz and/or Meganobz (as Troops or Elites, depending on whether you got yourself a Warboss) can all take more Battlewagons as dedicated transports. Bear in mind that these Battlewagons cannot take a killkannon upgrade, so if you want that big gun on a tank, keep it in the Heavy Support slots.

To keep the Battlewagons moving, Burna Boyz with the full allotment of Meks are a great choice to make those important repair rolls when necessary, as well as providing a few AP2 shots and massed template fire from the open-topped vehicle. Another good passenger choice is a big mob of Shoota Boyz. As this is a more shooty army, their massed shots from an open-topped transport can be devastating against exposed infantry, monstrous creatures, and anything AV10.

Because so many of your points in this army are going towards your tanks, you'll need a couple of cheap units for your compulsory Troops choices and fo holding down objectives that your Armoured Krumpany has cleared. Small mobs of Boyz are okay for this, though keeping them in a Trukk could defeat the purpose of objective sitters if the Ramshackle rule send them kareening off across the board. The better choice is a couple small to large mobs of Gretchin. A minimum-sized squad will run you exactly 40 points, and they can keep themselves out of trouble by coming in from Reserve to sit on a home objective and going to ground as often as needed.

Tactics
The thing to remember is that, while you are fielding an army a bit similar to an Imperial Guard mech list, Orks are not Guard. The Ballistic Skill and weapons available to you as an Ork player are not equal to what some other armies can put out there. At the end of the day, this is probably more of a fun list than a competitive one, and a good stepping stone before fully committing to the insanity that is Apocalypse.

As often as possible, make sure you're giving cover saves to as many vehicles as you can manage, and always try to take out the biggest threats early.

If you have units dedicated to doing nothing but sitting on an objective, you'll probably want to keep them in reserve to keep them from being shot at too early. Once they come on the table, start running, and go to ground whenever necessary.

Pros of an Armoured Krumpany army:

1. Several AV14 vehicles dedicated to hunting down enemy tanks.
2. A lot of good conversion opportunities, usually leading to an Orkified Imperial Guard look.
3. Kustom force fields mounted in Battlewagons have a huge area of effect, giving your high AV tanks a 4+ cover save.

Cons of an Armoured Krumpany army:

1. Very little in the way of assault units, going against common Ork strategy.
2. Much weaker than other mechanized armies like Imperial Guard, which can do the same and better.
3. Such an expensive army to make as far as points go that it isn't viable in anything under 1500 points, and running below 1750 points is pushing it.

Themed and Other Armies

Dakka Dakka Dakka
A much more conventional shooty list for orks than the Armoured Krumpany, the Dakka List puts weight of fire ahead of the weak BS2 all proppa Orks have. When you can darken the skies with a hail of bullets, you're bound to hit something.

Units
The core of this army is a healthy amount of Shoota Boyz and Lootas. A full allotment of Lootas is usually recommended for the potential 135 S7 shots they can pump out every turn. For your Troops choices, large mobz of 20+ Shoota Boyz can advance and fire nearly a hundred shots per mob.

For HQ choices, the Big Mek is once again your best bet. The kustom force field has been mentioned enough times in this series that it should be automatic by now, but this is also a great opportunity to see what the shokk attack gun can do. By sticking your SAG with a mob of Lootas or with a Big Gunz crew, you can provide a bosspole to these units that would not otherwise have access to one.

The choice between 20 Shoota Boyz and 30 is largely dependent on whether you plan you use Battlewagons. Inside the armoured transports, they're much safer and can still fire all of their shots from the open-topped vehicle. On the other hand, taking Battlewagons here reduces or even eliminates your choices for more fire support from Looted Wagons with boomguns, Big Gunz batteries, or other Battlewagons equipped with killkannons (as a killkannon reduces the transport capacity to 12 models). You may also want to include a unit or two of Killa Kanz for their higher Ballistic Skill and ability to walk alongside or behind the Shoota Boyz.

In other Troops slots, you may also choose to take screening mobs of Gretchin. Although shooting through the Grots will provide enemy units with a cover save, most armies would already get a 3+ or 4+ armour save anyway, so it's a matter of how exposed you want your Shoota Boyz and how many shots you want to be able to fire.

As usual, harassment units in the form of Warbuggies and Deffkoptas can help here with their quick movement and twin-linked rokkits, and Warbikers can speed forward to tie up enemy units in assault that might otherwise be firing off those deadly blast markers.

Tactics
Your Lootas and shokk attack gun, being the only Heavy weapons in Codex: Orks, should find a good spot with plenty of high ground and cover to keep firing off at light transports, monstrous creatures, and exposed infantry. Shoota Boyz, however, should always be on the move, much like a phalanx of Necron Warriors. If you find yourself out of range, run forward for a turn. Every step you take towards the enemy lines gets your power klaws that much closer to a tank that your shootas can't scratch.

One thing I have seen quite a bit is people refusing to move their Lootas once parked. Yes, they have Heavy weapons and therefore can't move and fire. But if they don't have a target, you're not firing anyway, so try to get them in a better position if you can. Also, remember that Lootas are still Orks, and still have Furious Charge, Waaagh!, and three attacks on the charge. If you have to assault with them, don't let their presumed role as heavy long-range fire deter you from getting stuck in.

Pros of a Dakka List army:

1. Heavy weight of fire compensates nicely for the low Ballistic Skill of Orks.
2. A horde army with a lot of ranged shots will statistically cause more unsaved wounds than a horde army solely focused on close combat.
3. Shooty units are still Orks, with all the assault bonuses their stat line provides.

Cons of a Dakka List army:

1. The heaviest weapons leave a lot to chance, with random dice rolls affecting the number of shots Lootas get, the Strength of a shokk attack gun, and unpredictable movement of a Looted Wagon.
2. As the list focuses on shooting, the slowness of the horde army is made slower by the less frequenct use of running in the Shooting Phase.
3. Vulnerable to long range blast weapons, especially those that ignore cover saves like the Thunderfire Cannon and Whirlwind.

Gork & Mork
All of the armies discussed to this point in the series have centered around a single army doctrine, be it the pure speed of the Speed Freeks and Wazdakka lists, the inexorable hordes of the Green Tide and Dreadbash lists, or the elite powerhouse of the Sons of Anorky list. This next army, however, splits those ideas into two forms: the hammer and the anvil.

The idea is simple enough. The hammer is a fast contingent of units designed to get in the enemy's face early, keep key units from acting in the Shooting Phase, and drive the enemy onto the anvil: a second, stronger contingent of a slow-moving mini horde.

Units
The hammer of this army is usually led by a Warboss, as this is the strongest HQ unit in close combat and will be in the thick of the fight for a couple turns before support can arrive. This is also a good spot for Ghazghkull Thraka, as his Prophet of the Waaagh! special rule will come in handy for when the second half of the army arrives. Not to mention the fact that he's an absolute beast in close combat.

Accompanied by a small mob of Nobz or Meganobz in a fast-moving Trukk, two mobs of Slugga Boyz (one of those upgraded to 'Ard Boyz if you have the points to spare) in Trukks, and a unit of either Stormboyz or Kommandos (or both, again depending on points), this unit will close in quickly to give the larger force time to walk across the table relatively unscathed.

This army is also a character lover's wet dream, as it's a perfect fit for not only Ghazghkull, but also Boss Snikrot and Boss Zagstruk. If the enemy knows Snikrot is coming in from his own board edge (possibly with Ghazghkull in tow), he'll be less likely to hang back and wait for the anvil to come to him. With Zagstruk's ability to assault with five power klaw attacks at Initiative 4 the turn he arrives from Deep Strike, the Stormboyz can show up wherever you want them to do a bit of damage.

The only downside to both of these characters is that you're depending on them to come in from Reserves in a timely manner, taking away from the force of your fast-moving hammer. You could do just as well with Nobz leading these units instead, using the fast movement of Stormboyz and the Infiltration and Scout abilities of Kommandos to get into position sooner.

The other half of the army, the hammer, is a much larger force of foot-slogging troops and walkers. Mobs of 20+ Slugga Boyz run across the table to get in on the action, accompanied by Killa Kanz and/or Deff Dreads. If the enemy forces are focused on the hammer side of things, the anvil should be able to make it across with little trouble. If it makes you feel a bit safer, consider a Big Mek or a screening unit of Gretchin here, or even replacing the walkers with Battlewagons to transport the Boyz.

Pros of a Gork & Mork army:

1. Fast-moving units can usually get into close combat by the first two turns, leaving the slower half of the army relatively unmolested.
2. Ghazghkull and Snikrot can be a very powerful combination, disrupting the enemy's backfield as early as the second turn.
3. For higher points games, this army can be a special character's paradise.

Cons of a Gork & Mork army:

1. Not as focused as traditional army builds, meaning the loss of one contingent can have a disastrous effect on the other due to the lack of redundancy in the army.
2. If using special characters Snikrot and Zagstruk, heavy reliance on Reserve rolls could have their units showing up too late to be of any use.
3. Little to no support in the form of cover providers and harassment units if the enemy forces focus on the slower anvil contingent of the army.

Rebel Grots
One of the great things about Orks is that they have some of the cheapest Troops units available, giving you the opportunity to field a metric ton of good stuff. But what often gets overlooked is the fact that Orks also have the cheapest Troops unit of any army in the game.

Units
As the name would imply, this list is centered on massed amounts of Gretchin and Killa Kans. Yes, the Grots are a weedy bunch, not even fit to mount up a proppa Waaagh! But for someone dedicated to the act of fielding a ton of models, a Rebel Grot army allows you to field 198 models in your Troops slots for a measly 720 points. Even after you include the full contingent of Killa Kans, you're left with a fair amount of points to play with.

And with all those leftover points, anything goes. Got a Weirdboy you couldn't find a place for in another army? Have him leading a mob of Tankbustas, teleporting at an opportune moment to right behind that Leman Russ. This is the army where you dream up those wacky combinations that you might find good enough to carry over into a more serious list later.

Tactics
Being Grots, your Troops cannot take advantage of the two great special rules in Codex: Orks. They can't Waaagh! and they don't benefit from Mob Rule. Honestly, your best tactic with a Rebel Grot army is probably going to involve keeping your Gretchin out of the way until they're needed to go to gound on an objective, while the Killa Kans and whatever other units you've purchased go about the business of busting some heads.

That said, don't be afraid to get in there and tie up a small unit in combat if you have to. The Runtherd's grabba stick can reduce the number of attacks an enemy model gets, and his Grot prod can do some damage against high Toughness models.

Pros of a Rebel Grot army:

1. 198 models on the table for 720 points. More than any other army can field for the same amount.
2. Opportunity to test various units and combinations you wouldn't normally try.
3. The look on your opponent's face.

Cons of a Rebel Grot army:

1. Core units cannot make use of Mob Rule and Waaagh! special rules.
2. Low leadership will see large mobs of Gretchin fleeing early.

Deffwing
As far as themed armies go, Orks can do a lot with a handful of units and a little imagination. Whether emulating the Imperial Guard with an Armoured Krumpany, sending in an unfathomable amount of weedy Gretchin, or copying one of the most famous Space Marine armies out there, they've got the tools and the skills to do it in style.

Units
A pure Deffwing army has two things: Warbosses in mega armour, and Meganobz. Of course, with everything in mega armour being Slow and Purposeful, you'll also need some transports. Trukks are good for getting into the fray as quickly as possible, but they're a bit fragile when you consider the loss of one means that slow unit is hoofing it the rest of the way across the table. More fitting the Deffwing's stature is the Battlewagon.

Also good for this army is Ghazghkull Thraka, ensuring that at least once in the entire game your Meganobz will move a full 6".

Of course, Meganobz are not Terminators, no matter how they try and copy the style. For the same amount of points as a Terminator, the Meganob has a worse Ballistic Skill and Leadership, cannot Deep Strike, is Slow and Purposeful, and has no invulnerable save. On the other hand, he has more attacks, more wounds, and a twin-linked shoota.

If you want your Deffwing to be more like proppa Terminators, Mad Dok Grotsnik is your Ork. Unlocking cybork bodies for every unit in the army and granting Feel No Pain to the unit he's attached to comes at the cost of what essentially amounts to him and his unit being under the effects of the Rage special rule. There are subtle differences, but that's what it amounts to.

Also, since the Mad Dok cannot take Nobs and/or Meganobz as Troops, you won't have a pure Deffwing army when including him, and will have to incorporate some Ork Boyz or Gretchin.

If you choose to go away from the pure Deffwing mold, the usual harassment units in your Fast Attack slots can help keep their vehicles running until the MANZ get into combat.

Tactics
Depending on whether you go pure Deffwing or not, you may choose to field some additional support units as objective grabbers, fire support, harassment units, or screening units. If you do break away from the pure Deffwing mold, try to get other units to distract the enemy from your transports for as long as possible. You do not want these big guys hoofing it across the table.

For a more pure Deffwing force, look to spend points on upgrades that will compliment the army. You can take up to five units of Meganobz and up to eight Battlewagons in this army, so make use of those options to make sure the Orks are where you need them to be. A slow unit like this can't really compensate for being outmaneuvered.

Also, try to keep your Warbosses near or even attached to whatever Meganobz you're using as scoring units. The Warboss is the only access a Meganob has to a bosspole, and it could come in handy when camping on an objective.

Pros of a Deffwing army:

1. Hard-hitting units that can dish out a metric ton of power klaw attacks.
2. The toughest scoring units in Codex: Orks with their two Wounds apiece and 2+ saves.
3. Twin-linked shootas help compensate a little for poor Ballistic Skill, and cost of Meganobz is actually less than the cost of a Nob with the same power klaw and twin-linked shoota.

Cons of a Deffwing Army:

1. Vulnerable to power weapons and AP2 weapons due to lack of an invulnerable save.
2. Very few upgrade options.
3. Low Leadership values, compounded by lack of access to a bosspole.
4. Low model count means you will usually be outnumbered.