The time is upon us! Third edition is here and with it has come all the trepidation, excitement, and gossip that a junior high cheer camp could muster up.
With that being said, it also means that there are some worries as to what certain armies will look like and how they will function. In this article we’re going to be talking about Ogres, so all of you who’ve come from other factions looking for reassurance can take a hike…
Now then, the first thing that seems to have a lot of people concerned is that topic of “unlocks” for regiments and hordes that has seen some changes. First off, yes, large infantry regiments no longer unlock a monster, war engine, or hero choice, but they do not require their own unlocks to be taken, so you can still field an army completely comprised of regiments; there just won’t be any characters or monsters in it.
Something else to consider is that Warrior Chariot regiments still do unlock a monster/hero/war engine choice. Granted, that is still about the same footprint and price as a Warriors horde, but it is something to consider as you’ll likely need a kind of speed element for your army and 210 points for a cavalry unit that hits pretty dang hard and can grind as well as almost any other cavalry regiment out there isn’t a bad thing.
In all honesty, the Ogres’ basic battle line hasn’t changed too drastically. Some armies that refrained from using hordes might need to take a horde of Boomers or two now to unlock their Giants or Mammoths (which, btw, one horde can unlock both of those as the giant is a Titan and the Mammoth is still a Monster, and you can take one of each with a LI horde). Overall, it’s a small shift that will only require a slight adjustment for most players, and generally speaking I don’t remember seeing many lists that were completely void of ANY hordes in any Ogre lists at any events I’ve seen.
Now that we’ve gotten the elephant (or mammoth) out of the room…
Let’s talk about the cool stuff, starting with: the Crocodog!
This fine little creature allows you, once per game, to crack open the White Claw brand of Elite for whatever unit you give it to. This allows you to re-roll up to 3 dice that roll an unmodified 1 when rolling to hit with that unit. You can wait to see your roll before sacrificing your crocodoggo, too, which is a nice added bonus. This is a nice little item for only 5 points on select units, and while it might not completely win a game for you, it might be what you need to push a unit that is teetering on the edge of routing over the edge. Incidentally, that might be what wins you the game, so you know, take that for what it’s worth.
The second thing that has me excited is more for the model than the actual thing itself, but the Red Goblin Slasher… dang is that a cool model, I mean just look at it!
Besides that, it’s the closest thing to a war engine that the Ogres have, and it can move and shoot, claim objectives, and see over most things that would offer cover to their shots. It isn’t a slouch in combat either with 3+ melee, CS (2), and Strider. It will be a great support piece that will be doling out damage pretty much every turn it is on the board.
Beyond that, the army hasn’t really changed drastically. There is no longer a 50mm Giant option, but that’s across the board with all armies so nothing unexpected here. Most things stayed the same cost or actually got cheaper in many cases, not by an astronomical amount, but most by at least 5 points, which means that you can afford the Crocodogs for that unit and have them be the same price as they were in second edition, so they’ve essentially been given a buff. With the Red Goblins, they’ve given the chance to take legions with your melee greenskins and really up that tarpit ability and give us access to Phalanx with the Sharpsticks.
As far as the narrative goes, not much has changed for the Ogres, either. We have a society based off material gain and martial prowess. There were two things that really stood out to me in the new fluff. First, there is something called “The Thing” which is basically the Ogre version of a Mountain Man Rendezvous where every year certain Ogres will feel the “Yearning” to return to their homelands and bring with them their spoils and stories to share with their clans. It is during this meeting that any Ogre wishing to sever ties with his birth clan and start his own can find other like-minded Ogres, and they might start a new band. Most of these fledgling clans don’t make it very far and usually end up killing their members, but that is the only way that the Ogre culture continues to grow and develop.
Ogres live to collect money. It is an odd thing because Ogre clans do not use any kind of known currency; they have a communal sense of ownership in that sense. Yet when they are not in their homelands, Ogre mercenaries will fight exclusively for coin. They have little to no sense of morality and will literally fight beside anyone willing to pay the highest bid. There is nothing to say that they will not betray anyone who has hired them if the price is right to do so, either. Ogres have a sense of honor, but it is one that is unfathomable to anyone who is not an Ogre. Some Ogres return to their clans once they have earned enough money and fame, others live out their whole lives in the southern kingdoms amassing wealth that even some kings would balk at. However, the mysterious thing is that no one knows what happens to the money once the Ogres return to their homes. They don’t spend it, as Ogres are very independent of all the other races. They don’t trade, they don’t buy anything — the money just disappears for some unknown purpose.
Ogres are an enigmatic race that seems at odds with the values and priorities of other races, which makes them fascinating to consider. The army’s list is a solid one, with lots of potential and solid baselines from which to form your own band of mercenaries or clan. Most players will be pleased to see that they are still the same ogres that we’ve known and loved through second edition, just now with some slight changes that will require some small adjustments in both play style and list building for a select few.
