While we wait in this dry spell for Warhammer 40k releases, let’s talk about what the strongest units are right now and how the Orks could only get better in 2018. WAAAGH!!
Alright, ya Gitz’! Da Boyz are da best.
Ork Boy Spam
8th edition has evolved so much over the year that it’s been out. One thing has remained the same, however; horde armies are the strongest and continue to mop the floor with elite lists. Orks are in a great spot for being a top army of 8th. After the FAQ of only being able to take 3 of any unit in a detachment, Ork players are STILL able to take 90 boyz in a battalion, because troops. Even with a 6+ armor save, 90 bodies is a lot to chew through in an army that only wants to close the gap.
Plus with the anti-alpha striking FAQ, Orks can still jump a 30 boy squad of Orks to either blast something off the table with an unholy amount of dice in the shooting phase or cleave through the enemy up close. (All in the first turn). Orks are still an index army and they do have a lot of units to choose from.
But it seems like Boyz are the best unit to go with. They are hard for almost any army to deal with, they are fast, and they can be buffed to get extra attacks and hit on 2s. It’s like watching a meaty-green train slam into something on the tabletop.
It’s up in the air if GW will nerf the boyz a little bit to encourage the use of other units. But right now, Boyz put the bread on the table for Ork players.
Tankbustas
When 8th edition dropped, Tankbustas sold on out online and whatever remained, the price spiked into the atmosphere. There’s not much that can withstand a Tankbusta shooting phase. Especially if they have Squigs to help. You can either run Tankbustas in an open-topped Battlewagon and pop tanks while staying protected. Or, you can jump a Tankbusta squad with bomb Squigs 9″ away from a piece of armor that just HAS to go. Both are equally lethal, but the latter is insanely risky.
GW may keep these guys the same since they are just about the best thing to deal with tanks from a shooting phase. Hopefully, they print more of these models so we can all grab some for our lists.
Gorkanauts Big Metal Claws
Heads up: Don’t let this thing charge your vehicles. I’ve had my Land Raider one-shot twice by it. The Grokanaut gets 2 modes of attack in melee, one getting D6 damage and the other getting double the attacks and doing 2 damage a pop. It can mess up some infantry or armor.
The key to the Gorkanaut is to get into melee with something and forcing your enemy to focus-fire it. Let’s face it. Anything damage you do in the shooting phase with the Gorkanaut is just icing on the cake. You don’t take it for its guns. One thing that makes it so strong is that it’s a heavy support slot and not a Lord of War. You can throw up to three of these in that battalion full of Boyz we were talking about earlier.
From Index to Codex
We’ve touched on some of the strongest and most-seen units on the table for 8th edition. There are still some units that are very strong. Others need some help. Killa Kans and Deff Dreads just get blown off the board and have a hard time paying for their points. Maybe GW will give them a point reduction or give them more movement. Maybe we will see some more mechanized Ork lists when the codex hits.
What unit do you use most in 8th edition? What unit needs the most help in your opinion? Can you think of what some stratagems might look like? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
