Battlefleet Gothic: Ork Tactics, Sort-of

So, I had this idea to write a series of tactical analysis articles about a dead game I've hardly played, and am not likely to play for the foreseeable future. Why? Well, its something to do. I'm building some Ork Ships, so why not use the creative energy that's there? Plus its ORKTOBER! Well, it was yesterday.

 

The Ork Fleet Concept

Orks start from a position of being the comic relief faction explicitly and repeated stated as being bad at this whole space navy stuff. Its easy to think the rules for them back this up, because there's pretty some obvious flaws. They also suffer from comparisons with the Panzee list, which had a similar but opposite approach to its ships. But this is not the whole story.

Now, I ended up drafting and redrafting this article repeatedly, creating pages of notes as I read around, researched, and mathammered at this game. I was trying to understand how the Ork Fleet was meant to work, and as an Ork player I'll admit to a vested interest in proving the common perception of the fleet wrong. I.e. I'd be able to live with the ships being held together with duct-tape, nails, and prayer if there was an Orky way to play. Its not like I have the inclination to play often, anyway, but given time and money investments, I like to know what I'm dealing with. Its core concept in other words. The humie fleet is flexible, but mainly about forming nice lines and torpedoing things to death. Those Chaos boyz like to keep their distance, and/or go for a selection pack of god-based bonuses. The Panzees, are, well, Panzees. The obvious answer was to say that the Ork Fleet is about frontal assaults, and then spend a bit of time listing the ways their weaknesses and strengths select for that. Or I could have talked about how Orks started as a smaller list mainly intended for Raid missions, which is where certain ships shine brighter. Or I could talk about how Ork Kroozers resembled knock-off Imperial cruisers, while their escorts are more immediately appealing. But no. 

The metaphor that makes the most sense to me, and the most interesting to write about, is tell to you how the original Ork ships, i.e. the ones in the rulebook, resemble Ork infantry and models from Warhammer 40K. Buckle up.

Brute Ramships = Choppa Boyz

Every faction needs its one bread & butter choice, and this is the Brute. It is highly regarded for its notably low cost, solid all round stats, and its talent for head-on collisions. Can be spammed, but also is the most agile Ork ship by some margin. Of course, you can build a fleet without Brutes, in much the same way you could build an army without Choppa Boyz. You'd just need a proper reason not to.

Onslaught Attack Ships = Shoota Boyz

Orks don't do long range combat well, an issue and a half in space, but do a ship that does no-nonsense dakka in the Onslaught. It offers enthusiasm rather than consistency, a big trend in Ork naval design, but dakka is dakka. Here we also note the general format of the Ork vessels; lotta guns and armour upfront, fast in a straight line, but with bad handling and no ability to broadside. Its a ATTACK SHIP, a SHIP that ATTACKS. Not a frigate or destroyer.

Savage Gunships = Burnaboyz

Like Burnaboyz, Savages are great, but in only quite specific and fiddly circumstances. Technically a threat to most targets and nippier than most of its kin, the minimal range makes them unpopular outside of scenarios where you deploy close to the enemy. Also oddly notable for having consistent damage output, but don't treat them like Lance boats, they don't work like that.

Ravager Gunships = Rokkit Launcha Boyz

Probably the most random and least reliable of the Ork escorts, Ravagers are also the one with the most specific niche: coating the board with rokkits that your foe should dodge. If you roll well, these things can output more torpedoes than any other ship of its size, buuuut ork discipline and/or enemy revenge will make reloading tricky. Also somewhat multi-functional due to its back-up guns and turrets. These will often end up in mixed squadrons as "that one dude with the rokkits" or alternatively in dedicated squadrons. Either way, consider yourself lucky if you get to fire twice.

Kill Kroozer = Battlewagon

These have guns, but are more about running people over, (AKA Ramming,) or having the Orks riding therein jump out and punch things (AKA Boarding Actions). Cheap & customizable to an extent, especially if a Warlord is on-board, which is rather like having a Nobz mob as boozed-up passengers. These are tough, obvious targets to distract from your Gunships, but not as tough as you may think, and need to be mindful of bombers. Can actually do broadsides, but only really within 15cms.

Terror Ship = a different Battlewagon

99% similar to the unit above, but with one gimmick that encourages you to keep your distance. Actually about as mandatory as the Ramships, as it provides a vital answer to enemy bombers. However, once bigger ships are available Terror Ships loose a bit of appeal.

How is the Ork fleet unlike their 40k Army?

Well, the fleet is one that must aggressively close with the enemy, firing the whole time, and ideally create a mess of confusion in their lines where Orks can break heads like Gork and Mork intended. Oh wait. No. That sounds exactly like the 40k army. But that's sorta the point. Battlefleet Gothic is played on large tables with often minimal scenery, where movement is mandatory. Fire arcs are also a huge thing, as Ork guns usually fire forwards, where their armour is thickest, but not necessarily on the sides, where the armour is weak. This combined with the modest effective range of their ships mean that Orks often have to hurry to meet the enemy, whereas the most recent Ork Codex allows for greater freedom in how you kill things. Part of that's simply the march of time, and there's later additions I haven't talked about above, but you're gonna have to deal with a short range, a limited pool of ships to choose from, and taking a lot of damage on the way in. You'll also find a lack of modern amenities like a clan system, unless you use the 2010 compendium rules. These documents are unusual in that they are fan-made, but GW approved, and tournament legal. While I'm in favour of the compendium on balance grounds, I remain personally undecided if I actually like those ork rules as these add a lot of complications. And obviously don't line up with how the clans are done these days. On the plus side? The Clan list has more Lances, and some newer ships. In practical terms, you have three lists to choose from, the original Pirate list, the expanded Waaagh list, and the 2010 Clan list. These get progressively more powerful and “complete” as you go along, but I stand by the metaphor I use above.

Wrapping things up

I don't have the arrogance to call this a tactics article, this is all theory, but I hope it was of some use or entertainment to you. Sequel articles may appear as and when I have something funny or interesting to say.