Greetings Dash28! Today I bring you another one of our army reviews, this one written by the man from the South, co-star of the 2018 US Masters live broadcasts, and all around awesome guy, Micheal Pearcy! A big shout out of thanks to Micheal for taking the time to write this.
If you are interested in our other army reviews you can find them here.
Tier Rankings:
Trying to rank units in Kings of War is not a perfect science. By pure design, many units are meant to work in combination with other choices in the army and can be hard to judge on their own. For this exercise, it’s assumed the unit is being used to its utmost potential within the army. This is not just a math problem to determine the most cost-effective unit but to also see how they compare in scope, role, and impact across not just a single army but all Kings of War armies. For the most part, units will be treated as one entry; however, if an option or size drastically improves a unit it will be separately mentioned.
S Tier: Reserved for units that are widely acknowledged as either being significantly undercosted or having a combination of rules that perform well above units in similar roles. These units are often called “auto includes” as any list stands to be made better with their inclusion. Expect these units to be addressed in future CoK book updates.
A Tier: These units are some of the best the army has to offer. They excel in their specific roles and commonly help form the core of most competitive lists. While not auto include, they are great in almost any army they are taken in and will be seen frequently.
B Tier: These units have a mix of strengths and weaknesses that make them very playable but balanced. These units work great with specific roles in mind; however, their weaknesses mean they do not help every list. In a perfect world, all units would fit into this category.
C Tier: C tier units may still shine in niche lists and roles; however, they will feel underpowered when compared to similar units in other armies. Decidedly suboptimal, you could make them work but frequently will see other things that are just better. You will rarely see many lists take these units.
D Tier: Units that need some considerable love and attention. You will struggle to find any role for this unit that another unit couldn’t do better. Very often you will see these units labeled as “unplayable”.
Hey everybody! I’m Michael. You may know me from occasionally arguing with people on Fanatics, as well as doing commentary when the South region hosted the US Masters. I’ve also done some commentary for Dash28 during the recent Call to Arms UB tournament, and have guest-starred on a few of the South region tournament matchup casts.
I won a couple of the South region’s tournaments, one of those being Bayou Battles using my Orcs (where I scored a 20-0 against a US Master thanks to some v2 skulk trickery). I was also one of the version 3 playtesters. *Full Disclosure* I have a bit of a reputation among those who know me. If a unit is bad, I take it. If a unit is auto-include, I generally turn up my nose to it. I like to play anything other than what would be considered meta, and bring lists that confuse my opponents into submission. You have been warned.
So that brings us to the subject of this review. The humble Orc. Lovers of all things choppy, stabbers of all things squishy, and ubiquitous in fantasy worlds. The mantic Orc is a child of the dark gods of Mantica, birthed into the world from a combination of the so-called “noble” races (blegh). Orcs have a really solid place in the v3 meta, and I would say are one of the strongest armies overall. The current meta lists in Kings utilize a few important things:
– high defense
– high nerves and/or waver mitigation
– multiple sources of healing
Orcs have been doing all of those things since before they were cool. When I started my Second Edition Orcs, I really wanted to see what I could do with virtually zero spent on speed. I wanted to use all of the savings that I got from eschewing speed to beef up my survivability. As 2nd Ed rolled on and various tournament packs came out, the list only got better; Longax units and Krushers showed up to fill some of the list’s holes, really rounding out the Orc list as a whole. I slowly incorporated speed until I was running chariots and gores alongside my infantry and had a nicely balanced style in building my Orc armies.
In 3rd Edition, the Orc army has gotten even more fleshed out, and due to a key Godspeaker change, the list has really opened up. You can run a fast alpha strike list, a tanky attrition list, or something in between. If you need more proof that v3 Orcs are for real, I will direct you to the first v3 US Masters tournament where one Erich Trowbridge took the number one spot with his Abyssal Dwarfs! …what? He… it wasn’t… so not Abyssal Dwarf war engine spam? Oh that’s right, IT WAS ORCS! I knew I brought it up for a reason. Anyways, enjoy the review.
Orcs
S Tier
War Drum: The Mighty War Drum! The unit that makes the Orc world go ‘round. Of all of the ‘must haves’ in Kings of War, none is more truly a must than these little drummer orcs. An aura of +2 nerve is extremely powerful, pushing the nerve values of some already tanky units to unmatched heights. Who doesn’t want a 28/30 Ax legion?!
The War Drum has seen an upgrade in 3rd, gaining the ability to take either a chariot mount or a Dread aura. Both are interesting, though there is some debate about the dread aura; for the same cost, you can add Skullpoles for one turn brutal on 6 units. The chariot mount, however, is extremely useful for those who want to bring some speed to their orc armies. Boosting the speed to 8, granting Nimble, and increasing the base size is quite a suite of upgrades. The drum can keep up with your speed elements, and can effectively block lanes or capture objectives in its own right. I never leave home without two War Drums!
**NOTE: this unit is SO integral when I note nerve values, I am going to just go ahead and write them as **/**(WD) to denote that the particular unit gets that nerve when under the effects of the drum**
Krusher: At the opposite end of the hero slot price spectrum, the Krusher gives insane value in a 75 point (because you should always bring his mount) package! He is every bit the sniping, blocking terror that the KoM Mounted Hero was in 2nd. Defense 5 with a hearty 12/14(WD) nerve, and three CS2 attacks for disordering, the krusher makes an excellent troubleshooter at a price point that is affordable in any list. A must use!
A Tier
Krudger on Winged Slasher: The big boss in the Orc army, the Krudger on Winged Slasher is a fantastic dragon. 10 CS3 attacks at melee 3, Inspiring, flying, nimble, all of the dragon attributes you know and love. The Winged Slasher is pushed into must take territory due to the fact that it can benefit from the war drum, pushing it to a mighty 19/21(WD) nerve! It also comes with Fury, to shake off the inopportune mid-combat waver, so this dragon can get stuck in and grind as proficiently as it can threaten flanks. A great unit that provides invaluable flexibility.
Longax: You don’t fall in love with the Orc way of war if you don’t like infantry, which is why most of the Orc infantry finds itself in the A tier. Longax are my personal favorite infantry unit that the Orc army offers, bringing the most tankiness to the table. Def 5 and phalanx is a very strong combination, especially with the upgrades to phalanx in this edition. At a nerve of 15/17(WD) at the regiment size (probably the best size for the points), the Longax are extremely solid anvils to set up for your hammer units. Even better, Longax are the rare phalanx unit that comes natively with CS, maximizing the benefit from the extra attacks that spear units get.
Youngax: The first new edition to 3rd edition, the Youngax unit gives the Orcs an invaluable tool; a cheap, expendable unlocking choice. A regiment of Youngax is the same cost as a regiment of lower abyssals! Cheap enough to take a bunch, but also tough enough to stick around with a nerve of 15/17(WD), The Youngax unit is a steal when you want to keep your foot infantry investment low, or want to load up on unlocked pieces.
Morax: If there’s one thing you would expect to see Orcs do well, it would be fielding berserkers. Orc Morax are great in any unit size. Fearless is invaluable in the current meta of Kings, and wild charge gives them great reach. Melee 3 infantry with CS1 and 20 attacks at the regiment size will make short work of most enemy units.
Greatax: The best counter meta infantry unit that the Orcs can offer; bring a horde of me3 CS2 greatax to the table and watch them pulverize anything they come across. At 16/18(WD) in a regiment, they have fantastic nerve to make up for their defense 4. In the horde size, they are even more impressive for their size at 23/25(WD)!
Gore Chariots: While shooting chariots took a hit in 3rd, combat chariots were largely unaffected. Orc Gore chariots have the added benefit of native CS, which is always an asset for cavalry/chariot units as it allows them to continue to threaten even when disordered.
The new profiles for chariots give this unit some very intriguing options. In the troop size, you can get a 150 pt chariot unit on a squared base that boasts a nerve of 14/16(WD). That is nearly foot knight level of survivability, with significantly more speed and hitting power over open ground.
At the legion size, the chariot unit becomes an absolute monster. 20 attacks that hit on 3s, CS1 TC2, and a fantastic defensive statline of 21/23(WD) with a defense of 5. This combination of hitting power and survivability fits solidly into the current meta of the game and is available for sub 300pts even with an item to help them deal with the terrain. This is probably my favorite unit in the Orc list.
Fight Wagons*: Fight Wagons… I have to admit that I am not a fan, but they are undeniably powerful. While irregular, they are now fearless (why?) and can get up to an outstanding (overpowered?) -/22(WD) with a defense of 5. They bring lots of attacks with the orc standard CS1. The only reason that these are not S tier units is the fact that they are irregular, meaning that they are a pricey luxury unit. I would like to see the fearless removed for this unit. If you are a fan of the waver mitigation meta, this unit may be for you.
Gakamak: Who doesn’t love Gakamak? The special character boss boasts the most consistent damage output of any unit in the game. Hitting on 2s (2s!) and CS3 vicious, Gak will consistently do 6 damage against virtually any unit in the game (probably 4 or 5 damage vs defense 6). With Fury, mighty, and 15/17(WD) nerve on a mobile Individual base, he generally does whatever he wants in a game. If not for the 230 pt cost on a US0 unit, I would say he would be auto-include.
Wip the Outcast: The changes to Godspeakers have made Wip a very strong pick relative to a Godspeaker now. For 35 points more, you get a better statline: +1 nerve, +1 speed, and self-inspiring (as well as inspiring for Orclings, FWIW). On top of that, you get the Heal and Hex spells base (a 25 point add on for Godspeakers) and the big one, Weakness! Weakness in an army that is already extremely tough. Add to that a boostable Lightning Bolt and you have yourself a fantastic utility unit for a mere 105 points. Did I mention that he can add up to 3 dice to all of these spells just like a Godspeaker? Heal 5, LB 6, Weakness 5? The ability to get Veil of Shadows is nice as well, but at 25 pts is quite pricey and is a matter of personal taste and local meta.
B Tier
Ax: The Ax is the only foot infantry in the B tier, and that is ONLY because the other choices are so good. Axe are in a weird position, where there are better expensive options and better cheap options depending on what you are looking for. They are a great stable unit if you are running them because you have the models, but they are not optimal. More of a jack of all trades in the core infantry slot. That said, I would never begrudge a list that included these basic boyz, as they are tried and true and get the job done.
Orclings*: 60 pt chaff.
The horde size is not worth taking but could be fun to run with Wip.
Krudger: The Krudger is a strong combat character, and on foot is pretty inexpensive. 95 points for 14/16(WD) and defense 5 with Mighty, the Krudger can be hard to get through for many units and can output good damage for an individual with 5 attacks on 3s with CS2. A mount puts him at a greater investment of 130 pts. For me, I prefer to spend the 140 for a chariot mounted Krudger if I am going for speed, so I would rarely take this guy on a mount.
The [1] banner that he gets for 10 points gives a +1 WC aura. This is really nice, and it can be taken alongside an item, so a boosted 9” range WC aura for your infantry comes in at 120 points on a very sturdy inspiring platform. This is a great addition if you are fielding a lot of infantry. I would say that the Krudger is a really balanced entry for the army, and a great spot to use your most characterful Orc leader models.
Skulk Outriders*: I was pleasantly surprised when running this unit in test games. I think that this is a unit that is slept on at the moment and will fill the spot that my skulk troops held in my 2nd edition army. They are great for board control, and 7 attacks on 4s with CS1 is respectable for a nimble fast cav chaff piece. I wish they could be fielded in regiments for a cagey Mongol style variant of the Orc force. It would make the skulk theme that has been expanded in 3rd more interesting. A nerve of 12/14(WD) makes them surprisingly resilient. Use this to your advantage to surprise opponents expecting to just blow by this unit.
Gore Riders: These guys are great. They are balanced well against standard cavalry that you would see in other armies. As with all cavalry, having a point of CS is a very very nice benefit for them, as they aren’t totally reliant on getting the kill on the charge. This is balanced out by their reliance on the WD, having a lowly base nerve of 13/15. They come in a bit cheaper than other armies’ cav units at a fair 190 points. With very solid cav based characters and the newly speedy drum option, a cav based Orc army could work very well.
Giant: It’s a giant. It is B tier, as it is balanced simply due to the fact that it is a carbon copy of the giant in many other lists. That said, I wouldn’t bother unless you just wanted to field the model. It doesn’t synergize with the key Orc pieces, but won’t hurt an army that takes it.
Krudger on Gore Chariot: I personally love this guy. The chariot character base size is so so tricky, and speed 8 nimble is fantastic. It is only 5 attacks now, which hurts its offensive potential. This makes it a bit more of a niche pick in general, but at de5 15/17(WD) with Inspiring, it will help any army that it finds itself in as a board control piece that can score objectives.
Flagger: He waves his flag and inspires an Orc nation. Pretty standard (heh) ASB, it’s worth noting that he maintains the 50 pt price tag but comes with an attack at Me4 with CS1. Can ground a flier in a pinch.
Godspeaker: The caster for the orcs, Godspeakers have one rule which really defines their place in the game. Tribal Magic, for each friendly core Heavy Infantry Regiment, Horde, or Legion with in 6″ increase the amount of dice rolled with Bane Chant, Drain Life, Fireball, Heal, and Hex by 1, to a max bonus of +3. This basically means that the Godspeaker’s spells are charged by surrounding units.
They start with Fireball (7), and can take Bane Chant (2), Drain Life (4), Heal (2), Hex (2), and Bloodboil. Generally you don’t want to overload on spells, but each of these spells can offer some solid synergy with your battle line.
Morax Mansplitter: OK guys, we need to talk about unit names here. Was this intentional? How did no one see the high giggle-induction potential of this name? Was this named by the same person who decided that the annual tournament pack should have a name that abbreviated to CoK? This unit is really only a niche pick in armies that include Morax, but in those armies he is fantastic. Why is a niche pick in the B Tier instead of the C Tier? -/16(WD). Fearless is OP.
C Tier
Trolls: They unlock now, are you happy?! Of course, you aren’t. These newly regular big bois feel like even less a part of the army than they did in 2nd, as they do not benefit from the War Drum, and do not boost the spell potential of Godspeakers. They will rarely be seen. If you want Trolls, go play Goblins.
Troll Bruiser: Same as above for the most part. They make decent small based speedbumps at de5 and with pretty solid nerve, but that benefit is countered by their place in the all-important Hero slot. You will rarely see these in Orc armies.
Skulk Raider Chariots*: I so want these guys to be good, but they are niche at best. Too expensive to be chaff even in the troop size, and paying the tax for a frankly pathetic shooting attack. They can’t shoot well, with me4 they can’t fight well, with de4 they can’t live well and at US2 in their bigger size, they can’t score well. But they can make for a fun addition to a skulk themed list. (it’s bad, I tried it. Don’t do it. pls.)
Skulk Stalker: The skulk stalker would be really good and fill an important role in the army as the cheap hitty individual to ground fliers and block chargers if it wasn’t for the existence of the krusher in the same army. I could see a world where this entry went away, and Skulk Raid Leader was just a Krusher upgrade instead of a stand-alone unit. This unit has little to no use unless you are running multiple skulk units and take it with Raid Leader. I can see one taken with some skulk chariots or outriders for the inspiring aura, but those units already have Steady Aim, so why not just take a Flagger in that case? The definition of niche, this unit would be D tier if not for its general potential as a Krusher substitute.
D Tier
Skulks*: *Cries in Marlon Brando* Look how they massacred my boy… These were my favorite unit in v2 Kings. Period. Most undercosted unit in the game. Period.
They fixed them though, so now they are bad. The Raid Leader aura is essential if you want them to do anything (anything at all). This is an upgrade on the Skulk Stalker, which for 1- points gives Steady Aim to units with the Tracker keyword. But, that is a points tax and a hero slot tax, which Stalkers don’t even unlock. If you don’t want them to do anything, you are taking them in troops, where they have lower nerve than Orclings (!!!) and will never be in drum range because you are only taking them for the scout move which is now at -1 speed compared to the v2 version. Why, RC, why?!
Skulk Marauder on Gore Chariot: It’s hard to really hate a speed 8 Nimble scoring unit at under 100 points. They make good blockers, and decent late-game scorers if the opponent ignores them all game, but their output offensively is negligible. With one more attack, I could see them being useful, or even two more attacks with a reduction to me4 so that they can have 5 bow shots. Alternatively, if they inspired skulks they’d see more use as well. As it stands, though, they are competing for a coveted Hero spot and fall too short to be useful in any list.
