Kings of War/Tactics/Orcs

Why Play Orcs

• You love the Green Tide and everything it is to be an Orc.
• Fluff-wise, Kings of War Orcs are much darker than their comic-relief cousins. Less lovable Cockney; more tortured-into-insanity, Tolkienesque killing machine. On the upside this allows for a darker tone/theme to the modelling. On the downside it has less comedy gold.
• Orc armies tend towards a high model count.
• Orc armies are dead-simple to learn to play with.

Army Special Rules

• Goblin Stabby Sneak: Any unit with this special rule gains +1 attack.

• Goblin Zappy Sneak: Any unit with this special gains Lightning Bolt (2).

• Tribal Might: All units in this army have Crushing Strength (1) unless otherwise noted.

Unit Analysis

Hero

• Flagger: The basic Inspiring hero for the army. Take him for all your inspirational needs and keep him near your War Drums for added effect.

• Gakamak:

• Godspeaker: Orc wizardry at your service. Comes with Fireball (9), but can also get Bane Chant (2) and Heal (2). He has an interesting special rule whereby he rolls an extra die for all spells for each non-allied Horde unit within 6" of him. Take advantage of this by having him stroll along with your bigger units, probably hanging out back by your Flagger and War Drums.

• Krudger: Your slashy hero. Has Crushing Strength (2) and Inspiring by default, but can also take Goblin Stabby Sneaks and Goblin Zappy Sneaks. He is really expensive though, almost the cost of 3 Flaggers. Further his stat line isn't much different than a Greatax unit. Probably not a good unit to bring. If you need a damage dealing hero, grab a Godspeaker. If you need Inspiring, grab a Flagger. If you need to punch something, just take some more infantry.

• Krudger on Gore Chariot:

• Krudger on Slasher:

• Troll Bruiser:

• Wip the Half-Cast:

Infantry

• Ax: Your basic Orc unit. Not the hardest hitting unit you can field, but they have a base defence of 5+. This should be the unit you judge other infantry in the army off of. That being said, you probably don't want to be fielding them that often compared to their more specialized brethren. These guys are anvils, not cheap but effective for their cost. Their defense means they'll shrug off most ranged weaponry, and can deal with their general equivalents in other lists. They might not be the best at being orcy, but that doesn't mean they're not orcs.

• Youngax: For reducing defence to 4+, you can save 15 points compared to the Ax unit with these lads. Youngax have replaced Ax in a lot of lists for a cheap unlocker, but the step down in defence is noticeable if you're using them to anchor your line.

• Greatax: They lose a point of defence from an Ax unit, but gain Me 3+ and Crushing Strength (2) for a marginal rise in cost. This gives them immensely more killing potential with only a small decrease in defensive capabilities. They are almost always a better choice then a regular Ax. It's a travesty they aren't named 'Bigax'.

• Morax: A phenomenal unit when used well. Take a couple of Troops for buckets of CS1 attacks. Orcs can struggle against MSU if you get too elite (as shooting options are limited) and these are a great way to deal with chaff et. al.

• Orclings: Cheapish swarms of little orcs, they don't unlock other units, and won't control objectives, but are more cost efficient for just flooding the board with bases to block movement.

• Skulks: A small Vanguard unit with bows. Not very good and not very effective, but it is your only access to ranged attacks outside of spells in the army. Bring them only if you are facing an opponent you really need ranged on, otherwise don't bother.

Large Infantry

• Trolls: Crushing Strength (2) and Regeneration (5+) on a large infantry body. Removing wounds from a unit is good and they pack as much punch as a Gore Chariot, although they are a point slower and a point less in melee. Solid choice regardless for locking down a unit and stomping it to death.

Cavalry

• Gore Riders: Your only basic cavalry unit, Orc boar riders. They have speed of 8, melee on a 3+, and defence of 5+. All of this is really nice, plus they get the standard Thunderous Charge (1) for cavalry. They're also not too expensive, although they cannot be taken over regiment size. A must include for most any Orc army, giving you mobility and hitting hard.

Large Cavalry

• Fight Wagons: More expensive than a Gore Chariot, but with almost double the attacks. They fill the same role in your army, so it's going to come down to personal taste. The complete loss of Thunderous Charge hurts the unit, so your extra attacks aren't going to be hitting nearly as hard on the charge. Gore Chariots are better with the charge, but these are better in the inverse.

• Gore Chariots: Your Orc chariot unit, pulled by boars. For 20 points more than a similarly sized Gore Rider unit you get an additional nerve, attack, and Thunderous Charge (bring it to 2), but lose a point of speed. Not too bad, plus it can be taken in a horde of 6 chariots. Good for hitting hard and very survivable.

Monsters

• Giant: Is a bog standard giant. A good distraction canifex.

• War Drum: An interesting utility unit. War Drums grant any friendly, non-War Drum unit within 6" of them +2 to their nerve values. They are also mobile, meaning they can follow units along into battle. Very useful, especially when combined with Inspiring heroes. You will want to invest in these for your army and have them tag along behind your fighting forces on the battlefield.

War Engines

None.

Tactics

Orcs can run a pretty good sledgehammer.

Strengths

• Crushing Strenth 1 for all. When combined with Me3+, things you hit will stay hit.

Weaknesses

• Huge footprint. The Orc army is big. Things that can ignore terrain are invaluable. Giants, the Caterpillar, etc.
• Gun-lines. Terrain, an infantry backbone, and little shooting can lead to trouble against gun-lines. Keep a couple of cruise missiles and disruption characters around if you have the points. Or take a pig farmer army.