Third Wave

I’ve undoubtedly played more games of Epic 40,000 using Orks than any other army and my own trusty war horde has now suffered ignominious defeat at the hand of Big Pete’s Harbingers more times than I care to remember. Ever since working on the Ork Codex for 3^rd edition 40K I’ve wanted to rework the Ork stats slightly in Epic 40,000 too. I’ll admit that this is partially because the Orks tend to get trounced by any competently handled Imperial or Eldar army — basically Orks as they stand lack the manoeuvrability to fight the kind of mechanised conflict Epic battles often require. However I’m mostly motivated by a desire to use some of the cool new units the Orks have access to in the new Ork Codex and Codex Armageddon.

The new wave ‘package’ has two elements. Firstly a new rule for Ork Warbands so that the footsloggers stand a chance of actually achieving something other than static defence and disappearing under a welter of blast markers from opponents that can choose to out-range them or outrun them easily. Secondly a number of new Ork units that can be easily converted from existing metal miniatures or by simply re-designating them as having different game effects.

Mob Rule

Ork infantry warbands in 40K benefit immensely from a rule called 'mobbing up'. This reflects the Orks’ stalwart belief that as long as there’s a bunch of them still fighting together (slightly more than they can count up to is ideal) then there’s always a chance that they’ll prevail, no matter the odds. Orks from mobs whose morale breaks will join other mobs, bolstering their numbers so that Orks mobs will tend to keep attacking until accumulated casualties wipe them out altogether.

In Epic 40,000 mob rule is represented by allowing Ork warbands to reduce the number of Blast markers on themselves in the Rally phase by ‘clumping up’ their boyz units. Each group of three Ork infantry stands in base edge contact in the Rally phase automatically removes one Blast marker from the detachments in addition to the number rolled on the dice. The stands must be in contact over at least half of one of their longest base edges to count as mobbed up, meaning that the following five formations opposite are permissible:

Only Ork warbands and the Warlord’s detachments may mob up, Kults of Speed do not use this rule. In addition only the following Ork units may mob up (though any mix of three of the permissible types will do to remove a Blast marker — it is not necessary for all three to be the same type):

• Warlord, Warboss/Nobs, Orks, Shooty boyz, Kommandos, Skarboyz.

Weirdboyz, Boarboyz, Stormboyz and Gretchin may not mob up.

New units

I'll probably merge these rules into the main Ork army topics at some point, but I haven't yet decided on the best way to do it given that they are only 'experimental' and not 'official'.

The following new Ork units supplement those from the Ork army list in the Epic 40,000 Armies Book (i.e. they can be used in addition to the units shown in the Epic 40,000 Armies Book). By using them you can field detachments that are much closer in appearance and ability to the types of Orky army fielded in the current edition of the 40K rules. Note that some of the Ork vehicles below use the Vehicle Variants rules elsewhere in this issue [Vehicle variants].

Big Gunz and Rokkits

Orks make use of a wide variety of different heavy guns manned by Gretchin slave crews. The type of guns in predominance is more often down to the personal preferences of the Mek that built them than an rational fire plan, but the Warboss is usually content as long as they get the job of flattening the enemy done.

Miniatures: No conversion needed, this is just a re-definition of existing Big Gunz miniatures. The plastic Shokk Attack Guns and Traktor Kannon can be used as Zap Guns.

Availability: As for Big Gunz. Note that the characteristics for Lobba and the Big Gunz entry in the Ork army list are identical.

Points cost: Kannon 12 points; Zap Gun 16 points; Lobba 14 points; Pulsa Rokkit 14 points.

Da Bikes 'n' Buggies

As well as their larger battlewagons, Orks make use of a bewildering variety of buggies, open trukks and half-traks to cart around both weapons and warriors. Speed kults often include big guns and boyz mobs mounted in the back of truks for mobility.

I’ve also included alternative stats for Warbikes and Wartrak Skorchas to reflect their capabilities in 40K as being shorter ranged but extremely shooty and more useful in assaults. Using these stats is entirely optional, and it is permissible to use both stats as long as the models can be told apart with suitable conversions.

Miniatures

• Warbikes and Skorchas are represented by using standard Bikeboyz stands or the Buggy or Trak, with Skorchas flame-throwers attached.
• Use Flakwagons without their main guns for Trukks, enhanced by glueing a few Ork Boyz models into the back to taste.
• For Gun Trukks simply use a Flakwagon body and replace its weapons with a Zap or Lobba model from the Big Gunz selection.

Availability

• Warbikes: As Bikeboyz.
• Skorchas: As Speed Freeks.
• Trukks: Ork Warbands (Support choice) Kult of Speed (Main Force or Support choice) and Ork Warlord (Bodyguard choice), consisting of 1–2 Boyz units at 9 points per unit and 1 Trukk unit at 9 points each. Infantry Commanders may be mounted on a Trukk for +9 points.
• Gun Trukks: Kult of Speed (Support choice) only, consisting of 1–3 Gun Trukk units at 16 points each.

Points cost: Warbikes 17 points; Skorchaz 11 points; Trukks 9 points; Gun Trukks (Zap) 16 points; Gun Trukks (Lobba) 16 points.

Da Flyboyz

Fighta-bommerz weighed down with extra bombs and rockets and kustom-built ground attack planes with turrets, heavy kannons and a serious thirst for strafing act as designated ‘bommerz’ for some Waaaghs. Bommerz work as flying artillery for the Orks, pounding enemy detachments which are out of reach of the Warbands.

Miniatures: Use Fighta-bommer models with extra bombs or rockets under their wings.

Availability: Flyboyz mobs only.

Points cost: Bommerz 42 points each.

Da Wagonz

The diversity of Ork battlewagons is legendary, with each one being constantly being tinkered with, rebuilt or altered in some way by Ork Mekaniaks. While many are looted Imperial Predators, Rhinos and Leman Russ or copies of such vehicles like the Lungbursta, Gutrippa and Gobsmasha others are far less like human-made tanks and act as transports for large mobs of boyz. Killa Kans are small Ork dreadnoughts with less gunz, which are commonly deployed in small assault groups rather than individually like larger machines.

Miniatures

• For Battlewagons use open-topped looking battlewagons, looted Land Raiders or ones with multiple gun turrets, or simply ones with deathrollas (illogical I know, but they just look right).
• Battlewagons with Zaps and Skorchers will need a bit of conversion just to mark them out.
• Gunwagons can be represented by the appropriate models from the Epic range.
• Killa Kans can be represented using the Old Ork Tinbot models or made by snipping one claw and one weapon off an ordinary Ork Dreadnought.

Availability

• Battlewagons: Ork Warbands (Support choice), Kult of Speed (Main Force choice), and Ork Warlord (Bodyguard choice), each consisting of 1 unit at 19 points each. Infantry Commanders may be mounted on a Battlewagon for +19 points.
• Gunwagons: The original Battlewagon entries in the army lists now refer to Gunwagon instead.
• Killa Kans: Ork Warbands (Support choice), and Ork Warlord (Bodyguard choice), consisting of 1 to 3 units at 11 points each.

Points cost: Battlewagon 19 points; Battlewagon with Skorcherz 19 points; Battlewagon Zap 19 points; Gunwagon 14 points; Killa Kans 11 points