Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Ogre Kingdoms

Why Play Ogre Kingdoms

'CUS YOU LIKE TO CRUSH SKULLS 'AN BASH HEADS!

..."awkward cough" Ahem. If you want to invest in an army that is fairly straightforward, has unique rules sets and fun to construct and paint models, then these lads are definitely going to give you a good time. They recently got an update that moved them game playing wise, from 'fairly shitty' all the way up to a fun and competitive army. Okay, so they're not the most tactically diverse army currently out there, but they work really well and are a ball to play. They also like to eat everything. And are very durable in combat, thus they won't go down easily without a fight.

So, if you want a simple army that hits like a brick, consist of hugely built, flabby gorging mounds of muscle, fat and saggy moobs, which can ultimately win a combat via high Strength Impact Hits before a single punch is thrown, as well as take a brutal punching before they go down, then Ogre Kingdoms is for you!

IMPORTANT NOTE

Nearly every unit in your army has Impact Hits and Stomp. Do NOT forget Impact Hits. It can be the deciding factor that lets you win combat, ESPECIALLY against ASF and High WS/I enemies. In addition almost all of them have the Ogre Charge rule, which gives you D3 impact hits if you roll 10 or over for your charge. Therefore, even if you're 1 inch away from the enemy, never, ever, EVER just forgo rolling. D3 impact hits can often mean 5 or more wounds. Also all unmounted Ogre models are Monstrous Infantry, meaning their supporting ranks get their FULL ATTACKS 3 attacks. And while it's a good idea to be cautious in any combat scenario, remember, Ogre's are humanoid tanks. They can take damage as well as they can deal it, so don't be too concerned if you lose a few, unless you got say....4 Bulls left on the field. They are extremely durable, so no need to shy away from serious combat unless you got no chance to win the fight.

And remember, their majour weak points are mainly getting swarmed with smaller units, as well as ranged siege battles (a dwarven cannon will give you a rough time, for example), and wizards can hamper your units quite a bit. Ogres play in the same way like Beastmen, better in close combat then ranged combat. Leadbelchers are your primary exception, as well as your Ironblaster cannon. Thus, use them wisely, and carefully.

Unit Analysis

Lords & Heroes

Named Characters

Note: Under the current edition, named characters tend to be overpriced; you can pretty easily emulate most named characters from scratch and save yourself some points. That said, a few named characters do have abilities and wargear or wargear combos unique to them, so if you absolutely need to have them, go ahead. Just make sure you're really getting your points worth.

• Greasus Goldtooth: Ehhhh, 545 points (over twice of a vanilla Tyrant, or well over 200 points more than a fully kitted out Tyrant) for same stats with 1 extra toughness and wound. Oh and he only has 3 Attacks, which makes him utterly useless against anything other than multi-wound models. He has a couple nifty ability, but they're not game-changing (Armies like Vampire Counts and Daemons are now affected Everybody Has Their Price, which is lulzy from a fluff perspective.) The real kicker is that he's M4 (meaning he slows down whatever unit he joins) and his Initiative 1 means that he's likely to get kicked in the groin before he strikes, S10 or no S10. Bring a Tyrant, or replace him with a Stonehorn and Thundertusk.

(his really "gutt" rule is the automatic rally, +1 combat resolution bubble, wich compleatly changes how you aproach combat and lets you get "sneaky" with fleeing units.) With movement 4, the rest of the army will quickly outrun his bubble.

• Skrag the Slaughterer: Not...terrible, but specific and limited. He costs 140 points more than a level 4 Slaughtermaster, has an extra hand weapon, frenzy and killing blow for those points, in addition to extra WS, S, and T. In order to really get mileage out of his abilities however, you need to take Gorgers, and why would you want to do that? Can be fun if you're taking a bunch of Gorgers (for some reason) but not really worth the points.

(someone hasn't seen the meatgrinder get started, he is brutal on his own) Is he 425 points worth of brutal? No? Didn't think so. He's probably not worth 425pts, but with the ability to regain wounds, buff himself and his lads to the high heavens ontop of a pretty brutal statline he can and will just walk up to most units and completely destroy them! Skrag should be much cheaper since he's relying on getting the 4+ Regen to act as his armour, but in non-competitive games, enjoy the rape train with no breaks!

• Golgfag Maneater: Again, a tiny bit too expensive, but can be fun. Has slightly better stats than a Bruiser (BS, I and A) for quite a bit more. Easy Come, Easy Go can grab you some nice items but can also go really wrong. His 6+ armor without magic armor is, frankly, pathetic and Stubborn and Vanguard aren't the best choices for Maneaters if you want to grab some (Golgfag's maneaters are not mandatory, you can take normal maneaters with whatever rules you want). Take him for fun, but leave him out of competitive lists.

(he is always a trusted ally if you play with a mate, which can be fun. Of course, you'd only do that in a casual, or non competitive list.)

• Bragg the Gutsman: No. Just no. Twice as much as a vanilla Bruiser for ONE higher Strength. Light Armor, T5 and I3 means he's pretty easy to kill before he gets to strike. Oh by the way, that Heroic Killing Blow ONLY works in a challenge, so forget using him to hunt monsters. Bring a bruiser, you'll get more mileage.

(he is really more of a tarpit breaker, as killing the wimpyest champion in a challenge will trigger disruption). Ignore this. Triggering disruption doesn't take away steadfast, it takes away the combat res from the rank bonus. Steadfast is dependant only on the number of ranks not the rank bonus. The -3 to their combat res won't matter if they outrank you. If you need help winning combat take a Firebelly for the breath weapon or a bruiser with a great weapon or an additional hand weapon. The model can make a very nice BSB if you're up for a bit of converting.

Generic Characters

Note: While named characters are judged against their generic counterparts, generic characters are examined based on their role in your army.

• Tyrant: Your combat lord. A little overpriced, but can be good if kitted out right. He can be a hard to crack combat lord when given the right equipment, and his 5 S5 attacks can be just the boost you need to win combat. Unfortunately he's competing for Lord Points with Slaughtermaster, which has MUCH more bang for your buck, especially since you no longer need to take a Tyrant to take Slaughtermaster. Can be useful in larger points games, but a fully kitted out lord costs over 300 points, so be careful not to waste him by throwing him into fights he can't win (no matter what the fluff tells you, a Tyrant cannot deal with a Bloodthirster alone).
• Slaughtermaster: Oh big daddy YES. Your lord level wizard, and he's quite capable of defending himself if the enemy reaches (he's not a tough as a tyrant, but he's got a better stat line than a number of dedicated fighting lords). The Lore of the Great Maw is a fantastic lore, especially for a tightly packed line and the Lore Attribute means that these guys can sit there and heal themselves over and over, and keep casting higher and higher. A single one of these can be all you need to turn the game, especially in a 2K game. Also, never put the Hellheart on this guy, its a defensive magic item so put it on a Hero caster. Give him any of Grut's Sickle, Fencer's Blades, Armour of Destiny, or any offensive magic item you want. Kitted up right this guy can take the same beating that would destroy a small unit and walk away barely scathed. Fencer's Blades and Glittering Scales is this authors personal fav combo. Fencers Blades are freakin' amazing on Slaughtermasters since it gives them +5 Weapon Skill and the Glittering Scale granting -1 to hit against him, and with the fact that he's most likely going to have Regenerate casted means that this guy is an absolute rape train with no brakes. Only thing to watch out for out guys that strike first (which is probably around 70% of units out there) with a shed load of Strength 5+ attacks.
  • NOTE: As of right now, it's not listed in the book, but Slaughtermasters can take a Great Weapon for 10 points. In addition, it is technically allowed for you to take Magic Armour, due to the fact that they can take Ironfists. This is confirmed in the FAQ, but discouraged.
• Bruiser: The workaday combat hero of the Ogre Kingdoms army. Has a statline more in line with most Lord Choices and only costs 105 points Vanilla. Useful as a beat stick in big units, and a BSB certainly helps in a pinch. Cheap and effective, what more can you ask for?
• Hunter: 25 points more than a Bruiser, for 1 higher BS and Ld (but he can't be the general) and some nifty choices, but can never join non-Sabertusk units. Can also take a Stonehorn as a mount, which, along with a Harpoon Launcher, is probably the best choice for him as it lets you deal with enemies on the move. Not the greatest choice, but can be fun and useful under the right circumstances. Also remember that even though he can't use Hold Your Ground when he joins a unit of sabretusks, he can use it when on his one or on a stonehorn.
• Butcher: Not quite as useful as a Slaughtermaster, but costs less than half the points, so there you are. Usually useful to make sure you get all the Spells in the Lore of the Great Maw, or alternatively can be used as a pretty brutal damage based caster with Lore of Death, or a speciality augmenter with Lore of Beasts. He can also take Lore of Heavens for its awesome signature spell or you can try for the comet. Can take the Hellheart or Dispell Scroll if you want to save your Slaughtermaster's Arcane Item for something else (always do this.)
• Firebelly: Interesting, hero to say the least. These guys are hero level wizards (their base statline are the same as a butcher's) that specialize in the Lore of Fire and killing stuff with fire in other ways. Useful under a variety of circumstances. The ubiquity of Regeneration means that a lad with Flaming Attacks is always welcome, and the Lore of Fire is pretty brutal under any circumstances. The fact that he has an S4 Breath Weapon (Breath Weapons, for context, can turn an entire combat on their own) means that he makes a good mainline unit supporter. Definitely worth a look. Pretty much a must have for any Ogre Kingdom armies! Firebellies are required if you find yourself facing Hordes or Ethereal units. With the Ruby Ring of Ruin, pumping out 2 Fireballs is amazing! Having the chance to give your Firebelly and his lads magical attacks just so you can go "Fuck you Undead Legion/Vampire Counts".

Core Units

• Ogres: The core of any Ogre Kingdoms army, and well worth the points spent on them. In smaller points games, take a unit of 5 and stick a hero/lord (usually a Butcher/Slaughtermaster) in them to make the most out of them, and to make sure you get extra ranks. In a bigger game, take a unit of 17 and throw a BSB/Slaughtermaster in there to take them in Horde Formation. A unit of 17 with Full Command and Ironfists costs 574 points and can run roughshod over the enemy's line all on it's own. Watch your opponent quiver when you tell him that your horde gets a total of 52 attacks, not including Stomp, Impact hits, and whatever your hero has. A great choice no matter what.
• Ironguts: 13 points more than an Ogre for 1 higher LD, 1 higher Armor (which the Ogres can achieve with Ironfists, and get a parry save in the deal too), Great Weapons and the option to take a Magic Standard. Unfortunately since Heavy Cavalry fell out of favor in 8th Edition, their primary job as Heavy Cavalry hunters is somewhat neutered. Still, units of 6 are great at charging small to midsized infantry units (especially if they're heavily armored) and make most large monsters piss themselves. Not as good as Ogres, but still a good choice, and the Magic Standard can do amazing things (Try Dragonhide Banner).
• Gnoblars: The odd man out in an Ogre Kingdoms army, as you can take a full 10 man unit for less than the cost of a single Ogre. As it stands, they're a good enough mob/counter charge unit and if you can hit the enemy on the flank with them, they do a good job of disrupting. Also, for 25 points more (the cost of 10 Gnoblars) you can take Gnoblar Trappers as an Upgrade. This pretty much prevents ANY enemy unit from wanting to charge them, as it makes the enemy take a dangerous terrain test for each model in the unit. Definitely worthwhile and it makes them a nasty form of chump bait. Note that it only works on attacks from the front. Brilliant anti-horde unit! Just ten Gnoblars with trappers mean if a horde charges them at the front ALL models must make a dangerous terrain check. Chances are they are bound to fail at least ten in a unit of fifty! On the other hand it is a good way of filling some small gaps in your army, but not a fantastic or reliable choice.
  • Fun Fact - In 2400 points, you can fit 220 Gnoblars. This unit (with Full Command & Trappers) costs exactly 600pts.

Special Units

• Leadbelchers: Same stats as an Ogre, but with +1BS, same cost as an Irongut for a range 24, D6 shots per model, S4, armor piercing ranged weapon, with no penalties for Moving and Shooting or Multiple Shots. Ho. Ly. Shit. These guys are several different forms of brutal and a unit of 6 can easily hold down a flank all on it's own. Alternatively, throw them into the center of the lines and have them soften up a unit and/or monster you need dead. No Ogre Kingdoms army is complete without a unit of these lads.
• Maneaters: There are several different makeups for this unit, but on a whole they're a rock solid and fairly inexpensive unit (down to 50 points from 80 last edition without a single drop in stats). Several common ideas for special rules are presented below, but most combos can work on one level or another. Just don't forget to give them heavy armor and remember if you're stuck, Stubborn is always a good choice.
  • Classic: Immune to Psychology and Stubborn. Stubborn is always a good choice, but the weakness of Terror and Fear under the current edition makes ItP pretty much worthless.
  • Runners: Swiftstride and Strider. Can be fun, especially with great weapons, allowing them to intercept a unit you need dead. Drop them on the flank and have them go diving through terrain to hit the enemy where it hurts.
  • Snipers: Sniper and Poisoned Attacks, with Brace of Handguns. This one is especially nasty against VC/TK where killing their general can really hurt. Don't spend too much on this unit though, as they're only really useful at killing heroes.
  • Trolling: Scouts and either Strider, Swiftstride or Stubborn. Not a great choice, but really lulzy (SCOUTING OGRES), especially against Dwarves and armies that thrive on units with lots of ranged weapons and war machines.
  • Bland: Stubborn and either Strider or Swiftstride. The best overall and therefore blandest choice but not a bad one. Swiftstride has some nice synergy with the Ogre Charge rule.
• Sabertusk Pack: These little kitties are absolutely fantastic. They have 2 wounds, 3 attacks and M8 at 21 points a pop. Their pathetic LD4 means that if they even have to take the tiniest LD test, they're running for the hills, and the only way to boost it is to send a Hunter with them (which you should never do). On the other hand they can be taken in units of 1, (which is how they should be taken). Three units of 1 can perform a myriad of tasks such as: wizard/character assassination (as long as they are lower toughness and lightly armored) war machine hunting, charging fleeing units, redirecting/flee baiting, hatred/frenzied unit baiting (having to overrun can be a bitch), general annoyance(causing march tests) etc. etc. Use them but carefully ruthlessly.
• Yhetees: What a disappointment. They cost 1 point more than an Irongut or Leadbelcher and make up for it by being much worse. No impact hits, no save, T4 and flammable means that these guys go down faster than almost any other unit in the OK army. They have slightly higher Initiative than most units, but it doesn't mean a lot. They used to have enemy units be -1 to hit them, but now they're -1 WS, which on a WS3 unit is not the same thing at all. They're only really useful against VC, when you know you're going to be facing a lot of Spirit Enemies, but other than that they're not particularly useful (and even a Firebelly could probably do that just as well and do other things too). - If an enemy unit fails their fear check the -1WS (which is not limited to the usual minimum of 1 rule) means they cannot attack the Yhetees and the Yhetees hit automatically. Be sure to remember that when playing against VC, since zombies has WS 1 standard. - (they should be used to threat flanks and hunt low ld units, aura of frost means they are basicly WS4, and MV7 swiftstride means they can do preatty long charges easyly. And dont forget ST5). Yhetees are such a shame really. Statwise and rulewise they are fine (However would be nice if they caused -1 to hit rather than -1WS) but for something starting with no armour or Regeneration it's just an instant pass. If you give them Regeneration through Lore of the Great Maw...then you are laughing!
• Mournfang Cavalry: These are what Chaos Knights have nightmares about. With 3 S4 and 4 S5 attacks each, plus d3 S5 impact hits and an S5 stomp, PER MODEL, these guys can devastate entire units on their own. Give them Heavy Armor and Ironfists and watch everything your opponent has and more just bounce off them. Give them great weapons and see them DESTROY pretty much everything. Definitely worth an investment, just keep them away from Cannons. Give them the Dragonhide Banner...watch them enter the meatgrinder!
• Gorgers: Not even remotely worth it. 90 points for a single model that doesn't even show up until turn 2 (at the earliest) and can't charge until everyone's had a turn to react to it being there -(wich is kind of their point)-. If it came with the rest of the army then maybe it could hold up a unit for a couple turns (unbreakable is nice) but as is? No, anything else would be a better points investment.

(they are not bad, but really meta sensible) If only they was cheaper, could go into squads, started on the board etc, then they would be a viable option since statwise and rulewise they are solid, but they just turn up too late and too expensive!

Rare Units

• Scraplauncher: A solid choice when taken on it's own merits, but loses out a lot when compared to the Ironblaster. It is cheaper than any other rare choice in the OK book. Not QUITE as good as it was last edition, but cheaper. Good choice if killing large blocks of infantry is what you have in mind.
• Ironblaster: It's a MOVING CANNON. A. Moving. Cannon. It's not even that expensive for the book, and it usually gets a fairly large bounce (due to rolling 2 artillery die for the bounce and choosing the largest) sure some of the misfires hurt, but not as much as say, the Hellcannon and it does absurd damage whatever it looks at. It can even get into combat if pressed. Highly recommended.
• Giant: It's a Giant. What can we say? You know it and love it. LD10 Stubborn monsters are always nice. It's also worth pointing out that ALL of it's 'Pick Up And...' results end in death for the picked up model. Just remember to put into combat with infantry as it doesn't do as well against monsters and such. BUT!!! No armor and with an abundance of str5 around in 8th? Pass. Unless you're feeling fluffy.

Ummm Giants are fantastic against Monsters, its the best thing for them to go against! They are initative 3 which is higher than most monster and everything on the table for monster sized targets either doesnt allow them to fight back or does 2d6 wounds no save so that is one dead monster!!!! If you are going to be up against monsters take a giant!!

• Stonehorn: The first of the 2 big scary monsters. Effectibly a guided missile, This one hurts a lot on the charge, it's I2 and only one rider kinda hurts it after that. It's still big and scary. Send it into the right spot and it could definitely wreck someone's day. Very good as a mount for a Hunter, even if everyone really wishes they could sit a tyrant there. One other thing to note is its Stone Skeleton special rule, which renders multiple wound weapons, namely cannons, half as effective.
• Thundertusk: The second big scary monster. This one doesn't get impact hits and only has 4 attacks, but it does get a second rider (for an extra 3 S4 attacks), and has a S3(6) stone thrower attached. Oh and all enemy MODELS within 6 inches have Always Strikes Last, did we forget to mention that? Yeah, suddenly initiative 2 doesn't matter so much. Hold back for the first round or so to soften up a unit you want dead and then send it in with the rest of your army and watch as it and everything around smash through the entire enemy line because they get to stomp their skulls in before they're even allowed to attack. One of the best units in the current list.

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NO LONGER AVAILABLE* Rhinox Riders: You're already dead if these things charge you. Upgraded Mournfangs where the Ogres now ride fucking woolly rhinos, with an increased cost and a buff to all their stats. with an extra point to their WS, an extra attack from the Ogre, the riders are S5, impact hits are now D3+1, they get a +3 bonus to their armor save (meaning their armor can go down to +1 save, unlike mournfangs) and are now Ld8. Up to you whether or not you find these things be valuable killing machines or just excessively powerful overpriced models (ignoring that being from Forge World automatically makes them overpriced in real money), but still, anything these things charge, short of something with Ethereal, is going to die.

Plus the models are fucking amazing looking

Building Your Army

Buying Your Army

Make sure to take a look at Mantics' range of Ogre models. They are great quality, with an amazing aesthetic, and most importantly at a lower price. Although GW stores will be a write off, if you mainly play at clubs or in your home, the price difference can be a major decision maker in buying the army.

Even so though, if you buy only GW models, point to dollar Ogre Kingdoms are, thanks to their small unit size, the cheapest army to build. The Battalion box is extremely well rounded and you'll use everything in it. A good thing to do is buy two of those boxes and two boxes of Mournfang Cavalry. This gives you 12 Bulls, 12 Ironguts, 8 Leadbelchers, and 4 Mournfang Cavalry. With the extra bits from the Mournfang boxes, you actually have enough bits to kitbash yourself a BSB as well replacing one Bull or Irongut giving you a well-rounded, legal, fieldable army for less than $300. The only other thing you really need to get at that point is a Wizard.

Army Composition

Ogres, Butchers/Slaughtermasters, Leadbelchers and Ironblasters are the must haves, build your army around them. Scraplauncher, Thundertusks, Stonehorns, Giants, Bruisers, Firebellies, Mournfang Cavalry and Ironguts aren't quite as all-around good, but all of them are really good choices. Gnoblars, Hunters, Sabertusks and Tyrants are if you have the points and are feeling saucy. Yhetees and Gorgers are if you don't mind spending lots of points on shit that won't matter much (unless you're playing VC and they take those Ethereal Cavalry).

Magic Items

Ogres have 2 forms of magic items, the actual magic items themselves and big names.

• Big Names: Most of the Big Names aren't very good, or are at least kind of limited in their application. BUT, a Bruiser who is your Battle Standard Bearer and has taken a magic standard can still technically take 50 points of Big Names (confirmed by FAQ) so they might be useful under those circumstances.

• • Mawseeker: Useful under specific circumstances, but kind of limited. Armor of Silvered Steel protects him better at 5 points more. But can be worthwhile if you want a heavily protected Tyrant.
  • Wallcrusher: Too limited to be really useful. If it was 10 points cheaper, maybe. As is, skip it.
  • Kineater: Range is too limited to be of more than superficial usefulness. If it had bigger range it could be useful against a gunline. As it is, it means the Tyrant's unit and maybe one other if you're lucky. Not worth the points.
  • Mountaineater: The list of things that can wound a Tyrant on a 2+ are very limited and if you think he's going to find himself facing one of those alone, you're better off finding him a ward save.
  • Giantbreaker: The Sword of Might does the exact same thing for 5 points less and no downside, but if you want to go with +1 Strength and a magic weapon, this is the way to go. For lulz, combine it with the sword of might for an expensive Great Weapon that doesn't strike last (AKA an expensive Ogre Blade that has to accept challenges).
  • Deathcheater: Would be more useful if you could force him to reroll after he'd already rolled to wound. As with Mountaineater, you'd be better off finding a ward save.
  • Longstrider: Good for a Hunter who wants to run with his Sabertusks (never do this), or maybe a Bruiser who wants to hang out with Yhetees. Otherwise not really worth it.
  • Beastkiller: Not really worth your time, as not every army has a large target that they run regularly. Maybe if your opponent keeps running a Star Dragon and he's pissing you off, but then you should just dump the Hunter for another Ironblaster.
  • Bralwerguts: 15 points to get to reroll the hero's impact hits to wound. Not his mounts, or else this might be funny on a Hunter on Stonehorn. No thanks.

• Magic Items:

• • Thundermace: Way too expensive and limited to be anything resembling worthwhile. Same item had better shit for 30 points less in last edition. This one? Fuck it.
  • Siegebreaker: 85 points for a great weapon (the thing used to give +3 S) that strikes against Initiative. Funny against Dwarves and Lizardmen, useless against Skaven and Elves, neutral elsewhere. It also has a special ability that allows it to hit units in buildings harder, but that's a really specific use. Not worth it.
  • Gnoblar TrollThiefstone: Really, really, really funny under the right circumstances. There theoretically better items, but this one is good enough for it's points and can be really worth it for that time the enemy loses his Ruby Ring of Ruin.
  • Greedy Fist: t's ward save ability will activate so infrequently that it's nearly pointless. And while the secondary ability is fun<, 90 percent of Wizards who are getting punched by an Ogre hero/lord are going to die so quickly that it doesn't matter that they're losing Wizard levels. since it's been faq'd to work with ranged weapons and spells, greedyfist + deathmagic can turn teclis into a l0 wizard in one turn. Whatever you're smoking, can I have some cuz the FAQ says that it only applies to hits in CC. Might be fun if you are tailoring against armies with tough wizards, especially WoC, since you only have to hit to take away wizard levels.
  • Gut Maw: If it was 10-15 points cheaper or worked outside a challenge, it'd be worth it. As is, pass.
  • Grut's Sickle: Wound your unit permanently and irreversibly for +2 to your casting. Oh and there's a chance it'll cost you your Butcher. For 50 points it works surprisingly well on a level 4 Maw caster, with very little effort you can have a +7 to cast on your second spell, besides the wizard only dies on a roll of double 1s.
  • Hellheart: FUCK. YES. Do not leave home without it. This is the best goddamn item in the entire Ogre Kingdoms list and one of the best ways to defend against enemy wizards. Sure you could occasionally roll that 1, but the rest of the time...holy shit.
  • Rock Eye: Kind of limited in usefulness, especially in casual play where everyone discloses their magic items. But it is 5 points, and finding out an Assassin is in that unit you're about to go crush is worth it. Also useful if you can see which unit is running the Eternal Flame Banner before you try and trollgut the unit nearest them.
  • Rune Maw: Just shy of being worth it. Maybe if you could auto-force it onto Gnoblars or something, or if it worked against regular shooting. Pass. Counterpoint- The Rune Maw is fantastic if you plan on running a deathstar, true it can't help you with Purple Sun but it can really save you against spells like Dwellers or Final Transmutation which can easily kill 1/3 of your unit or by ensuring that you avoid debuffs in a crucial combat. It has also been FAQ'd to only effect enemy spells so you can keep buffing your unit.
  • Dragonhide Banner: This one can be really fun. A breath weapon attack can turn combat all on it's own, and the forced ASL and rerolling 1's is just the icing on the cake. Should be taken on a High Initiative (for the army) guy to maximize it's effectiveness, such as a Bruiser. Works wonders with Mournfangs too, lets them re-roll missed armour saves, missed stomps and impact hits and the Mournfang attacks themselves all of which (if you pointed them at the correct target) should be 2 or 3+s anyways.

Magic

Ogre magic consists primarily of Butchers and Slaughtermasters. They have access to the Lore of the Great Maw, Death, Beasts and Heavens, but one of them must take Great Maw. I've found it's best to take a Slaughtermaster with Great Maw, as he can make the most of it. As with all 8th edition lores, do not forget your lore attribute, as a few casts of low level spells can really help you get the bigger one off later in the phase. Also remember the lore attribute for Great Maw is not optional, even if you have no dice left and full wounds, you still need to roll to see if you take the hit. For BRB Lores: Death is used less often now that Deathfisting has been nerfed, if you want it put it on a Slaughtermaster since a Butcher can't reliably use the signature. Beasts works well on both either as a general purpose augmenting Butcher or a Slaughtermaster who can more reliably exploit the other great spells in the Lore. Savage Beast of Horos takes Slaughtermasters from good fighters to near greater daemon levels. Heavens is like Beasts, fantastic signature spell which is easy for Lvl 1 and2 wizards to cast and a nice variety of spells afterwards that a Slaughtermaster can use. Harmonic Convergence works fantastically with Ironguts and any other unit hitting and wounding on 2's and 3's. Another option is the Firebelly, who has access to Lore of Fire (duh). Lore of Fire is a powerful offensive spell and the Firebelly himself is a useful hero, with some solid combat abilities. If you already have a Slaughtermaster and just want a straight blast-em caster, Firebelly is the way to go, especially if you have some pesky Ethereal models to deal with. The Ogre Lore is as follows:

• Lore Attribute: Bloodgruel Whenever you cast a spell, roll a D6. On a 1, take an S6 hit, on a 2+ you get to recover a wound you lost earlier in the game AND get +1 to your next attempt to cast or dispel. This is pretty useful, as it can mean a quick and dirty first spell can make your next bigger spell easier to cast, or a small spell at the end of your magic phase makes your next dispel easier. Plus getting wounds back is useful.

• Spell 0: Spinemarrow Makes one friendly unit within 12 Stubborn at a 6+. Can be increased to 24 for 9+. Since Ogres rarely have enough ranks to get Steadfast, this is an easy way to keep your units from running.

• Spell 1: Bonecrusher: A range 18 Magic Missile that 2d6 S2 hits with no armor saves allows at 8+. Can be beefed up to 36 inches for 11+ Low toughness heavy cavalry (Elves for example) HATE this spell and it's generally a pretty good spell, but not great.

• Spell 2: Bullgorger: One friendly unit within 12 gets +1 Strength for 7+. Can be increased to ALL friendly units within 12 for 14+. Good way to make sure your Ogres hit harder than before, but generally overshadowed by the next spell.

• Spell 3: Toothcracker: One friendly unit within gets +1 Toughness for 8+. Can hit all friendly units within 12 for 16+. Fuckin. Awesome. There is almost no situation where casting this is a bad idea.

• Spell 4: Braingobbler: One enemy unit within 18 has to take a panic check at 9+. Can be pushed up to 36 inches for 12+. Can either be fucking amazing (ask those Poisoned Wind Globadiers how they feel about it or those Ungors), mediocre (Elves, Warriors of Chaos and Lizardmen will often shrug it off) or useless (just switch it out if you're up against Daemons, TK or VC). Still, if you're not up against those last 3, it's often a good way to send a chaff unit out of position and can occasionally be used to disrupt their entire battle line, so it's usually worth a look. Unless you're up against Daemons, TK or VC.

• Spell 5: Trollguts: Back to augments, gives one friendly unit within 12 Regeneration for 12+ and can be boosted to all friendly within 12 for 20+. Unlike the others, this one will be hard for a level 2 to cast with less than 3 dice (and even 3 dice can be risky) so if you roll it on them, might as well drop it. Level 4s will get good mileage out of it though, and it's a good spell (since Ward Saves are rare to non-existent in Ogre Kingdoms armies, you'll almost never be replacing their existing one).

• Spell 6: The Maw: A big direct damage spell (NOT a vortex) that's quite fun. Drop the small blast somewhere within 18 and Scatter it. If misfire is rolled, enemy gets to place and re-scatter. Once it lands, everyone under it takes an I test. Pass, and take a S3 hit. Fail and take an S7 hit with the Multiple Wounds (D6) rule. This casts at 15+ and can be pushed up to a large blast for 21+. This one is quite risky, requiring 4 dice for a Level 4 to reliably get off (and 6 for it to reliably get the big version off) and a misfire can cost you dearly with Ogres poor Initiative. Switch it out against Elves or Skaven, but against undead, Dwarves and Lizardmen with packed battle lines, it can be absurdly nasty.

Authors Note:Lore of the Great Maw is all round fantastic and should be used on a Level 4 Slaughtermaster! Great Maw allows you to buff your guys to the high heavens, replenish lost wounds on your Slaughtermaster (opening him up to making him a vicious challenger) and just overall beat your opponents into submission. The other Lores are quite good (Beasts, I'm look at you) but Lore of the Great Maw is a very underated Lore. Not as powerful as other unique Lores, but for Ogres it does the job....REALLY well.

Tactics

Mostly big charges to make use of all those impact hits and brawling with infantry, very little can do toe to toe with OK but be aware of the ones that can. The biggest flaw in the OK army is a small number of models on the field (most of the time), this makes them more vulnerable to cannons, bolt throwers and anything else that causes D3/D6 wounds per hit. Keep your models reasonably spread out to reduce the chance of flank charges and give you space to manoeuvre. You will need to dictate combat or your smaller units will be swarmed to death by most other army's

For lower point games (1000, 1250, or even 1500) you need to spend most of your points on your main unit (bulls or Ironguts), and your characters. Then have some smaller units of sabertusks (what I like to use) or what ever you want to hold your flanks because if your flanks are good then you can charge whatever is in front and you will most likely win (bring the dragonhide banner to ensure that).

"Gutstar" unit of 9 Ironguts with 3 of them in the front and with big 4lv Slaughtermaster with Lore of The Great Maw and Crown of Command, Bruiser BSB (with Rune Maw banner) and Firebelly at second rank of the unit. Ultra hard to kill and doing nice scores.

Gnoblars. They tend to be overlooked in favour for the more brute force of the ogre bulls, but it is said that half the battle is won through deployment. Now look at those 2 point gnoblars, you can field a massive load of them in tiny units, thus forcing the enemy to deploy his important units first so that you counter deploy. Also using gnoblars as chaff is kind of effective as they don´t cause panic in ogres and can tie up enemy flankers. Give the miserable chaps a try.

See Also

• Ogre Kingdoms