Tactika - Combined Arms, Ork Style

I have been crafting my own combined arms approach for a while now. My version of a combined arms approach is what I call 'Lugwrenchs rule of thirds'.

Most Ork units are strong in one aspect and weak in others, as opposed to MEQ troops which tend to be more well rounded (specialized troops in MEQ are not as far down the specialty curve as most Ork units). As a result we Orks need to achieve balance in our army as opposed to in each unit. Individual Ork units are seldom a threat - it's when the whole army is used as a single 'body' that it becomes unstoppable.

Examples - Choppa boyz are not effective as a shooting unit, no way no how.
Lootas are possibly the worst assault unit Orks can take, besides perhaps Grots.

There are a few slightly more 'middle of the road' units, but not many. To categorize our list options:
Warboss - Assault
Big Mek - Special Support or long ranged support depending on wargear
Wierdboy - Special support
Nobz (including MANZ) - Assault (put them on bikes to make them diversionary)
Burnas - Assault
Lootas - long ranged fire support/anti infantry and light vehicles
Tank Bustas - Anti Armour
Kommandos - assault, diversionary unit
Boyz - Slugga boyz are pure assault troops, Shoota boyz are assault troops with a minor in firepower - but given the short range of their guns, tend to be assault troops. Shoota mobz are the closest to 'tactical' boyz were gonna get. Slugga boyz in a trukk can be diversionary, but seldom carry enough of a threat to pull this off well, although I have found that a trukk with a wrecking ball and boarding plank changes that sometimes).
Grots - Assault (yes, assault - what, your going to keep em out of combat with a 12" range?)
Stormboyz - Assault, diversionary
Warbuggies - diversionary, can run either anti-infantry or anti-tank depending on weapons
Warbikes - Assault, diversionary
DeffKoptas - diversionary, can run either anti-infantry or anti-tank depending on weapons
Battle Wagons - support/transport, or can be fire support. I don't recommend mixing the roles as it will weaken either function - either get the boyz there ASAP, or hang back and shoot.
Dreds and Kans - Assault, Anti-tank
Flash Gitz - fire support
Big Gunz - fire support
Looted Wagon - support/transport, or can be fire support. I don't recommend mixing the roles as it will weaken either function - either get the boyz there ASAP, or hang back and shoot.

Hopefully this is somewhat self explanatory. Diversionary units are units that can be used to distract the opponent away from the real threat. Fast and outflanking units do this very well, as the force the opponent to deal with them as a priority, buying your other units time. Assault units are not necesarily close combat units, but are units that need to 'get close' to be effective.

So my rule of thirds is essentially this - my force should be make up of one third assault units (Group A), one third fire support (Group F), and a third of diversionary units (Group D). Within each third, I tend to run one third anti-tank to two thirds anti-infantry in one group, and one third anti-tank, one third anti-infantry, and one third special support in the other two groups. This allows for a force that can deal with most threats, even when it is broken into smaller groups.

This somewhat forms the classic 'hammer and anvil' army - group D is the hammer which the opponent has to deal with first, and Groups A and F become the combined anvil. While the enemy is dealing with D, I advance towards the objectives with group A. and support group A with fire from group F. I typically play group D as expendable, and will usually populate it with a very hard to kill unit or two - Nob bikers are classic for this.

Note that it is not important to deploy each group together, however it is vital that each group has the same 'mission', a.k.a. has the same target units/area. Splitting two diversionary units onto each flank would not achieve this, however running bikers up the left flank, then deep striking in Stormboyz on the left flank would. Your goal is to pull the opponents attention away with a big threat, not lots of little ones.

Overall I have found that when I stick to this tactic, I win. When I get distracted and split a groups focus, it falls apart. That puts special emphasis on keeping the purpose and use of each unit and group in mind, and using the 'right tool for the job' when on the table.

Looooooonngggg Time, no updates!

Well, it's been an age since my last update. This is mainly because I have been focused on painting, and every time I get five minutes spare I have to decide whether to paint my minis or write about them, and painting wins.

One particular reason for the heavy drive to paint - I played in a tournament last month, and had to get a 1750 point list 'table ready'. I know some players think that means three colours, but I just can't bring myself to stop painting to the best of my ability. So I spent a few months painting in every spare minute I had. That included getting a Games Workshop fast attack bag so that I could take paints, brushes and minis to work and paint on my lunch break.

In the end, it paid off. I painted 77 Orks in the span of three months, and while some need some minor work done (still have teeth, final highlights and checks and dags to do on most of them) they look pretty good. I painted three battle wagons and two trukks, two 12 boy choppa/slugga mobz with Nobz, a 20 boy shoota mob with nob and two big shootas, six nob bikers, my warboss on bike, a big mek with kustom force field, ten lootas and ten burnas.

I'll post again soon with some pictures.

Oh, and as for the tournament, I had an absolute blast. I had three wins, two losses that were almost draws, and one loss in which I was positively thrashed. I'll write more later.