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 as well as 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 their crunch from 'fairly shitty' all the way up to a fun and competitive army. Okay, so they're not the most tactically diverse army 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 3 attacks extra.

The ogres also cause fear(this grants you immunity to fear, and makes you only fear any unit with terror), remember to make your opponent roll his fear test, as it can mean a huge difference on your to-hit with your frankly mediocre weapon skills. 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've got no chance to win the fight.

And remember, their major weak points are mainly getting swarmed with smaller units, as well as ranged siege battles (a dwarf gunline 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 than 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, I1 and M4, which makes him utterly useless against anything other than multi-wound models, he slows down whatever he joins, and is likely to get hurt or even killed before he can strike back (S10 or no S10). He has a couple nifty abilities, but they're not game-changing (even though armies like Vampire Counts and Daemons are now affected Everybody Has Their Price, which is lulzy from a fluff perspective) since they either don't do enough to warrant the point sink, or aren't suited for his role (for example the rest of your army will just outrun his combat res bubble). Bring a Tyrant, or replace him with a Stonehorn and Thundertusk.

Do note that if you still intend to use him anyway, give him Toothcracker the second it looks like he's going to enter combat and he'll surprise you, so long as you don't pit him against models that auto-wound or have the multiple wounds rule (unless they wound him on 5's/6's already and/or lack a Ward save). With Toothcracker he can take on Archaon in a dual and come out on top (even if Archaon rides his horsey, which makes him cost a lot more than Goldtooth) and despite what happens in the fluff, he'll kill Grimgor the Incarnate of Beasts in only 3 rounds (or Tyrion's Incarnate version in 5). Even without Toothcracker his sheer Toughness and Wounds counts allow him to take on some heavy beatsticks, for example (on average) he 'can and will kill all non-End Times Vampire Lords, all generic Chaos Lords (and nearly all of the named ones), and even standard Grimgor (a shame the Lore of Beasts chose the more popular character). Of course he still costs a shitload more than all of those, but that's just the price you pay for seeing the look on your opponent's face when this fat bastard flattens some of the most infamous close combat monsters in the game, presumably after making them stupid.

If you're lucky enough to get it, put Savage Beast of Horros on him along with Toothcracker. If you can manage this then he's easily one of the best close combat Lords in the game, able to take on and beat even Archaon Everchosen (the End Times version). It's not something you should be counting on but if you got it, why not use it.

• 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?) or immediately get him in combat. His statline is brutal, but so are his points and you're going to want him to kill a lot to make up the difference when you could've just gone with the cheaper Lvl 4 Slaughtermaster.
• Golgfag Maneater: Again, a tiny bit too expensive, but can be fun. Has slightly better stats than a Bruiser (BS, I and A) for a higher points cost. Easy Come, Easy Go can grab you some nice items but can also go really wrong. His 6+ armor without magic armor is rather 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.
• 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.

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 as 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 (while getting a 5+ total boost). 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. Keep in mind it's 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 (do it anyway). Give him Grut's Sickle and the Armour of Destiny, or Fencer's Blades and the Glittering Scales (to make him only be hit on a 6+ by most troops). Kitted up right this guy can take the same beating that would destroy a small unit and walk away barely scathed, even before we consider he can cast Regeneration on himself, turning him into an absolute rape train with no brakes. Only thing to watch out for is anyone that strike first with a shitload of Strength 5+ attacks.
  • NOTE: Even though it's not listed in the book, Slaughtermasters can also take a Great Weapon for 10 points. Don't bother, just pony up the points for a magic weapon instead.
• 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 has some nifty choices, but he 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 in general, 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 he's on his own or on a Stonehorn.
• Butcher: Not quite as useful as a Slaughtermaster, but costs less than half the points, so there you are. Can be 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 specialty 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 Dispel Scroll, if you want to save your Slaughtermaster's Arcane Item for something else. You will always want to do this.
• Firebelly: An 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. Pretty much a must have for any Ogre Kingdom armies! The ubiquity of Regeneration means that a lad with Flaming Attacks is always welcome, and the Lore of Fire is pretty decent. The fact that he has a S4 Breath Weapon (Breath Weapons, for context, can turn an entire combat on their own) means that he makes a good mainline unit supporter and he's invaluable if you find yourself facing Hordes or Ethereal units.

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 an extra rank). 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 its 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. if someone says "Bull" they're talking about these fuckers.
• 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 mid-sized infantry units (especially if they're heavily armored) and make most large monsters piss themselves, it's not unheard of for units of 6 to 1-round Terrorgheists if they pass their fear tests. Not as good as Bulls, but still a solid choice and the Magic Standard can do amazing things (Try the 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 and turns them into a brilliant anti-horde unit (chances are they are bound to fail at least ten in a unit of fifty).
  • Do note that most players will be taking steps to counter your ogre placement since you'll usually have few units compared to them. If you concede the +1 bonus to the roll for first turn you can take small units of Gnoblars to force your opponent to deploy their units first, from here you can put down your Ogres to make sure they aren't getting screwed before the game even started.
  • 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 a Bull (except 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 (take a mandatory Bellower for swift reforms to make the most out of this) 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 Vampire Counts/Tomb Kings 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 Dwarfs 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 always be taken to prevent normal panic checks). 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 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 Ogre Kingdoms 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 Vampire Counts, 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 while covering other bases as well). Do note that 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 Vampire Counts, since zombies have WS 1 standard, though they should be used to threaten flanks and hunt low Ld units (if you don't pass on them, which in a competitive list you should). If you are taking them, at least try to give them Regeneration, at least then they'll be able to cause quite a bit of damage and maybe earn their points back.
• Mournfang Cavalry: These are what Chaos Knights have nightmares about. With 3 S4 and 4 S5 attacks each, plus d3 S5 impact hits and a 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 and everything else that ignores armour (and make sure to guard your flanks!).
• 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 (and the surprise 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.

Rare Units

• Scraplauncher: A solid choice when taken on it's own merits, but loses out a lot when compared to the Ironblaster, aside from cost as it is cheaper than any other rare choice in the Ogre Kingdom book. If you are going to use it you might as well fire it into infantry blocks while maneuvering it for a flank charge against something that can possibly hurt it but isn't likely to kill it (ie cavalry, small units of S3 or other such units). Can also do in a pinch to run over skirmishers that have gotten too close since D6 S5 Attacks followed by 3 S5 Attacks are likely to end them.
• 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 to 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. Giants are THE monsterkiller, with relative ease they can fell a star dragon. That being said, they're sadly not worth it in general lists as with no armor and with an abundance of S5 around in 8th they can drop dead fast. Feel free to take them however if you know what you're up against and are sure you can get them in combat with a similarly-priced monster/single model unit.
• Stonehorn: The first of the 2 big scary monsters. Effectively a guided missile, This one hurts a lot on the charge but it's I2 and only one rider kinda hurts it after that. It's still big and scary so 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 (don't think it makes you immune to them though).
• 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 their skulls stomped in before they're even allowed to attack. One of the best units in the current list.

Forge World Models

• 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). Anything these things charge (short of something with Ethereal) is going to die (plus the models are fucking amazing).
  • Note: Since they can be taken in units of 1 you could use a Thunderlord on Rhinox as a kind of chariot equivalent. A Thunderlord with extra hand weapon and heavy armor has D3+1 S5 Impact hits, 10 S5 attacks (6 at WS4, 4 at WS3) and a 2+ armor save and costs 123 points. Not too shabby for a flank charge.

Building Your Army

Buying Your Army

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 (to be used as bulls), 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

Bulls, 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. 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 Vampire Counts and they take those Ethereal Cavalry). Gnoblars are for causing Dangerous Terrain tests and MSU spam to getting your enemy to fully deploy so you don't get put in a disadvantageous position before the game starts.

Magic Items and Big Names

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. Keep in mind though that 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. 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: Costs 5pts more than the Sword of Might but is much better, since it increases your base-strength by +1 and not only your close combat hits, so it also affects impact hits, stomps as well as characteristic tests and it cannot be broken by spells and the like. Also, 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). Combine it with a Great Weapon and you have a Strength 8 Bruiser! Great against heavy cavalry (not that you see many of those that S6 wouldn't deal with anyway).
• 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. Not a bad choice for a BSB with magic banner though.
• Longstrider: Good for a Hunter who wants to run with his Sabertusks or maybe a Bruiser who wants to hang out with Yhetees. This means you'll likely never take it as both of those are bad ideas.
• 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 or a Giant.
• Brawlerguts: 15 points to get to re-roll 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 too limited to be anything resembling worthwhile. Same item had better shit for 30 points less in last edition. This one? Fuck it.
• Siegebreaker: Fucking trash. 85 points for a great weapon (the thing used to give +3 S) that strikes against Initiative. You're going to be hitting on 3+ and 4+ already and if you really wanted a Strength boost then get Giantbreaker and the Sword of Striking. It'll do the same thing, won't fuck you over if you're suddenly up against a high Initiative enemy, and is 45 points cheaper. It also has a special ability that allows it to hit units in buildings harder, but that's a really specific use that can still be accomplished through other methods. Fucking skip.
• Gnoblar TrollThiefstone: Really funny under the right circumstances. There are theoretically better items, but this one is good enough for its points and can be really worth it for that time the enemy loses his Ruby Ring of Ruin.
• Greedy Fist: The ward save ability will activate so infrequently that it's nearly pointless. And while the secondary ability is fun, 90% 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. The only wizards it can be decent against are the Incarnates, Glottkin and Archaon, however in all of those situations those are going to kill your character and possibly make their points back in combat anyway. If you want to try this, put it on a Bruiser and give him nothing else (as he's not going to live very long anyway).
• 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: 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 1's.
• 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.
• 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 for general use. Maybe if you could auto-force it onto Gnoblars or something, or if it worked against regular shooting. It can still be worth it if you want to run 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'rd 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. Allows a unit to re-roll all 1's for to-hit, to-wound and armour save rolls on a successful charge. Works wonders with Mournfangs, as it lets them re-roll the Mournfang attacks, impact hits and stomps as well, all of which (if you pointed them at the correct target) should be 2's or 3's anyways. As icing on the cake, it also includes a breath weapon attack, which can turn combat all on it's own. Additionally, units hit by the breath weapon get ASL until the end of their next turn, which sounds great but in reality is barely useful. Your opponent will have already attacked when you use it at I2 in close combat (unless you're facing Saurus Warriors, or Dwarfs/Ogres if you put it on your I3 BSB Bruiser), if anything you might deter a unit from charging you in their next turn.

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. 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 2 wizards to cast and has a nice variety of spells afterwards that a Slaughtermaster can also use (though he'd normally be better with the Lore of the Great Maw). 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 offers decent offensive spells and the Firebelly himself is a useful hero, with some solid combat abilities. If you already have a Slaughtermaster for the Lore of the Great Maw (take it on him if you can, he can make more use out of it than a Butcher) 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.

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Heads up Slaughtermasters or Butchers who are using the Lore of the Great Maw can happily use the Forbidden Rod to gain D6 additional Power dice while suffering D3 wounds. Usually quite a bad item since many Wizards are 2 wound or 3 wound models and some people only give their Wizards basic protection (if any), so in many circumstances it can kill their Wizard outright or leave him on the verge of death... however not for Ogres! They have 4/5 wounds so D3 wounds isn't that bad PLUS with Great Maw they can restore wounds. It's an item worth considering.

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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 on 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 (and an easy way to trigger your Lore Attribute).

• Spell 1: Bonecrusher: A range 18" Magic Missile that 2d6 S2 hits with no armor saves allows on an 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 on 7+. Can be increased to ALL friendly units within 12" on a 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 12" gets +1 Toughness on an 8+. Can hit all friendly units within 12" on a 16+. Fucking 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 on a 9+. Can be pushed up to 36" inches on a 12+. Can either be fucking amazing (ask those Poisoned Wind Globadiers how they feel about it), mediocre (Elves, Warriors of Chaos and Lizardmen will often shrug it off) or useless (just switch it out if you're up against Daemons, Tomb Kings, Vampire Counts or Dwarfs). Still, if you're up against low-medium Ld, it's often a good way to send a chaff unit out of position and can occasionally be used to disrupt your enemy's battle line, so it's usually worth a look.

• Spell 5: Trollguts: Back to augments, gives one friendly unit within 12" Regeneration 4+ on a 12+. Can be boosted to all friendly within 12" on a 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 4's 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).

• 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 scatter it. Once it lands, everyone under it takes an Initiative test. Pass and you take a S3 hit. Fail and you take a S7 hit with the Multiple Wounds (D6) rule. This casts on a 15+ and can be pushed up to a large blast on a 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 your Ogres' poor Initiative. This spell's not usually worth it; to start it relies on hoping you get it but don't get a miscast that fucks you, hoping that your enemy didn't bring a scroll for this moment (or dispel it themselves), hoping that you don't misfire or scatter off the unit you wanted to hit and hoping at the end that the enemy fails the test (and gets hurt enough to make a difference). On top of all the chances that it might fail (or do nothing), even if it succeeds it's probably not going to justify it's massive cost. This one spell is likely going to drain most to nearly all of your magic dice and waste most of your phase when there are so many buffs you could've been using instead.

Overall 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.

While Ogres have some really awesome offensive stuff available to them, it's just as important to remember the opponents magic phase. Since you don't have cheap, cheerful casters or any back line to bunker them in you won't typically have scrolls (or other minor items) to give you a leg up. Combined with this, a general lack of good armor, wards or magic resistance can be bad news for your flabtastic dudes. It's really important that you understand which spells are a major threat to you and focus on dispelling them even if it means eating some damage along the way. Of particular note is Purple Sun of Xereus which is horrendously damaging to Ogres and needs to respected (it'll kill an entire Gutstar in one cast if you don't take care of it). You can certainly play around it, but this is not just any damage spell. Things like this (hyper killy but situationally tricky to use spells) are the perfect reason to take chaff units to ensure your opponent has to deploy his magebunker before you throw down your main combat units. Simply deploying well can make Purple Sun substantially less bothersome because of it's random movement and limited range. Fortunately your Ogres are fucking amazing so even if you do have to let a few other spells go, you are generally less vulnerable than other armies due to high toughness (and strength for Dwellers) and your guys are badass enough to win even against buffed infantry.

Tactics

Mostly big charges to make use of all those impact hits and brawling with infantry, very little can go toe to toe with Ogres but be aware of the ones that can. The biggest flaw in the Ogre Kingdoms 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 maneuver. You will need to dictate combat or your smaller units will be swarmed to death by most other armies.

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 for example) 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 while putting out great damage in return.

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. Don't try using them as a screen/chaff however, one of the strengths of your army is your mobility and if you have to wait on these little guys to catch up (or worse yet, having them in front of your Ogres) you'll be losing that bonus.

"Ogre Buffet Line:" Slaughtermaster with Level 4 Great Maw, Glittering Scales & Fencing Blades (getting hit on 5+ at worst), Butcher with Level 1 Beasts & Hellheart, Bruiser with Ironfist & Dragonhide Banner. All of these in a unit with 15 Bulls in a 6x3 Horde formation. You'll run down anything, and there is no hero in the game more tanky than your buffed up WS10/S6/T7 Slaughtermaster.

VS Dwarves: You have to get into combat now, every turn out of CC is dead ogres from all those war machines. The other option is to get something, anything that moves fast enough to go hunt said war machines down.

VS Vampire Counts/Tomb Kings: you need to take down those wizards, the sooner the better as they will most likely be more powerful than your own and will make the bones too numerous to deal with. Secondly you need to win combat fast, the longer the fight the better for the undead as even zombies can kill ogres given enough time.

VS Skaven: kill the general and watch them fall apart (this can be tricky if the general continues to bounce around the field, so remember to always dispel skitterleap. Also, Cracks, Call and Globe can wreck havok in your lines), just take care around the weapons teams and war machines, they are inaccurate to the point of crazy but if they do roll well they can ruin your day in a hurry. Their Warp Lightning Cannon is your death, as it cannot be stopped like other cannonballs. Also beware the Doomwheel.

See Also

• Ogre Kingdoms