Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Ogre Kingdoms

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Why Play Ogre Kingdoms

TO SMASH SOME HEADS!

Ahem. If you like armies that are fairly straightforward, unique rules sets and fun models, then these lads are for you. They recently got an update that moved them, playing wise, from 'fairly shitty' all the way up to a fun and competitive army. Okay so they're not the most tactically diverse army currently out there, but they work really well and are a ball to play.

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.

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.

• Gresus 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. He has a couple nifty ability, but they're both situational (up against Vampire Counts? Guess Everybody Has Their Price aint so worth it after all.) The real kicker is that he's M4 (meaning he slows down whatever unit he joins) and his Initiative 1 means that he's likely to get kicked in the groin before he strikes, S10 or no S10. Bring a Tyrant instead.
• 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? Can be fun if you're taking a bunch of Gorgers (for some reason) but not really worth the points.
• Golgfag Maneater: Again, a tiny bit too expensive, but can be fun. Has slightly better stats than a Bruiser (BS, I and A) for quite a bit more. Easy Come, Easy Go can grab you some nice items but can also go really wrong. His 6+ armor without magic armor is, frankly, pathetic and Stubborn and Vanguard aren't the best choices for Maneaters if you want to grab some. 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: 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
• Slaughtermaster: Oh big daddy YES. 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, and keep casting higher and higher. A single one of these can be all you need to turn the game, especially in a 2K game. Also, always take the Hellheart, unless you KNOW you're facing Dwarves. Always.
  • NOTE: As of right now, it's not listed in the book, but Slaughtermasters can take a Great Weapon for 10 points. In addition, it is technically allowed for you to take Magic Armor, due to the fact that they can take Ironfists. This is confirmed in the FAQ, but discouraged.
• 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 beatstick in big units, and a BSB certainly helps in a pinch. Cheap and effective, what more can you ask for?
• Hunter: 20 points more than a Bruiser, for 1 higher BS and some nifty choices, but 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, but can be fun and useful under the right circumstances.
• Butcher: Not quite as useful as a Butcher, but costs less than half the points, so there you are. Usually 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, but why would you want to do that? Can take the Hellheart if you want to save your Slaughtermaster's Arcane Item for something else.
• Firebelly: Useful under a variety of circumstances. The ubiquity of Regeneration means that a lad with Flaming Attacks is always welcome, and the Lore of Fire is pretty brutal under any circumstances. The fact that he has an S4 Breath Weapon (Breath Weapons, for context, can turn an entire combat on their own) means that he makes a good mainline unit supporter. Definitely worth a look.

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 extra ranks. 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 it's 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.
• 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) and Great Weapons. Unfortunately since Heavy Cavalry fell out of favor in 8th Edition, they're primary job as Heavy Cavalry hunters is somewhat neutered. Still, units of 6 are great at charging small to midsized infantry units (especially if they're heavily armored) and make most large monsters piss themselves. Not as good as Ogres, but still a good choice.
• 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. Definitely worthwhile and it makes them a nasty form of chump bait. Note that it only works on attacks from the front.

Special Units

• Leadbelchers: Same stats as an Ogre, same cost as an Irongut for a range 24, D6 hits S4, armor piercing ranged weapon, with no penalties for Moving and Shooting 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 (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 VC/TK where killing their general can really hurt. Don't spend too much on this unit though, as they're only really useful at getting inside units and killing heroes.
  • Trolling: Scouts and either Strider, Swiftstride or Stubborn. Not a great choice, but really lulzy (SCOUTING OGRES), especially against Dwarves and armies that thrive on units with lots of ranged weapons and war machines.
  • Bland: Stubborn and either Strider or Swiftstide. The best overall and therefore blandest choice.