Dey say itz a kunnin' Warboss who always keeps one eye on the horizon...
We are about to enter the final week of preparation before our impending 1,500 point October tournament, but I've been thinking lately about the direction for Da Ironbullz in their post-tournament life.
I am looking forward to playing a dakka-heavy Freebootaz list in the tournament, but my first and deepest love of all the various Orky sub-kulturs is the dead tuff Nobz, Meganobz, Skarboyz (RIP), and Kanz/Dreads of the Goffs.
Long-term, I think I want my "main" Ork list to be a bit heavier on Nobz/melee and less dakka-centric. I am still planning to experiment with a variety of lists and am enjoying the flexibility enabled by the new 9th edition Codex, but I've already begun scheming about what a 2,000 point Goffs incarnation of Da Ironbullz might look like as my next hobbying milestone after October.
Central to this planning process has been weighing the relative value of the four core units likely to form the backbone of my list: Slugga Boyz, Skarboyz (which I plan to run on the table as Beast Snagga Boyz using converted Skarboyz models), Nobz, and Meganobz.
From what I can gather based on articles & videos online, the current consensus opinion seems to be:
At face value, it seems hard to argue with the superiority of Beast Snagga Boyz over Slugga boyz, as the +2 points per model to upgrade from Slugga Boyz to Beast Snaggas is simply a bargain for a 6++ save, +1 strength, and +1 to hit against Vehicles or Monsters. You could make the argument that Slugga boyz are cheaper and thus you get more attacks and wounds for the points, but from my point of view Slugga Boyz now occupy an awkward position between Grots (the cheapest option for a throw-away unit to tag objectives) and Beast Snaggas (who seem more durable and threatening for a combat-oriented troops choice).
I am less convinced about the other consensus opinions regarding Nobz and Meganobz. Specifically, I think the current meta is undervaluing Nobz, which is a shame because their models are fantastic and they're just 21 points per model with a Big Choppa & Choppa loadout. I've also been wondering how the math would work out for the efficiency of dual Killsaws on Meganobz, as the price of upgrading three Meganobz to dual killsaws (+30 points) is cheaper than adding a fourth Meganob with no upgrades (+35 points) for the same number of additional attacks.
To provide some insight into the relative roles for each of these units, I lined up all of these Ork units up in a theoretical round of melee against four opponents representing a range of offensive and defensive profiles:
Here's the breakdown of how the offensive output from each of these units stacks up in a single round of combat while account for the Goff's army-wide exploding 6's to hit in melee but no other buffs (i.e., did not charge, no Waaagh!, etc.). Each value in this table corresponds to the average number of enemy models killed per 100 points spent on each Ork unit.
| Ork Unit | vs. Guardsmen | vs. Intercessors | vs. Deathshroud | vs. Dreadknight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slugga Boyz | 15.4 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 0.06 |
| Beast Snagga Boyz | 12.6 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 0.06 |
| Nob with Big Choppa & Choppa | 10.5 | 4.6 | 2.0 | 0.14 |
| Meganob with Power Klaw | 4.8 | 4.0 | 1.6 | 0.07 |
| Meganob with Dual Killsaws | 4.9 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 0.06 |
On balance, Nobz with Big Choppas & Choppas perform the best against the widest range of opponents, where their relatively high number of attacks at reasonable strength and D2 is a good take-all-comers loadout. Not surprisingly, cheap mobs of Slugga Boyz and Beast Snaggas are best for clearing basic infantry with poor saves, with the +1S of the Beast Snaggas allowing them to tackle targets with T4+ better than Slugga Boyz. Meganobz can hit hard against heavily armored targets, but their relative points density limits their offensive efficiency. It does look like killsaws are more efficient against certain targets, especially those with 3+ armor saves or better as Killsaws have AP-4 vs. -3 from Power Klaws.
However, the calculations above ignored one of the two key benefits of running Goffs Klan Kultur: +1 strength on the turn that a unit charged. This obviously would have a pretty critical impact in some matchups, either by moving Slugga Boyz to S5, Beast Snaggas to S6, or Nobz with Big Choppas to S8. Below is a table of the same matchups as above, except in the situation where the Orks unit charged:
| Ork Unit | vs. Guardsmen | vs. Intercessors | vs. Deathshroud | vs. Dreadknight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slugga Boyz | 15.4 | 4.6 | 1.5 | 0.06 |
| Beast Snagga Boyz | 15.8 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 0.10 |
| Nob with Big Choppa & Choppa | 11.0 | 5.6 | 2.1 | 0.15 |
| Meganob with Power Klaw | 4.8 | 4.0 | 1.6 | 0.07 |
| Meganob with Dual Killsaws | 4.9 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 0.06 |
Even on the charge, Goff Nobz with Big Choppas & Choppas still appear the most efficient against the broadest range of opponents. Goffs Beast Snaggas really begin to shine on the charge, as they are the most efficient vs. basic, lightly armored infantry like Guardsmen and are the second-most efficient vs. T5+ models with good armor, like Deathshroud Terminators, as well as against T6 vehicles like Dreadknights. Conversely, Meganobz don't benefit from the extra strength at all, because both Power Klaws and Killsaws already boost them to S10.
As much as Orks love a good scrap, offense is only one side of the coin. To compare the defensive value of each of these Goffs units, I calculated the expected number of models lost after one round of melee from each of the four hypothetical enemies above. For units with multiple melee weapon profiles, like the Deathshroud Terminators and Nemesis Dreadknight, I evaluated both and used the wost-case scenario under the assumption that most competent opponents would correctly choose the optimal profile for dealing with any one unit. Here's a breakdown of how the Orks would fare as the defenders after a single combat activation by an enemy unit, reported as the average number of points lost prorated to the total number of wounds inflicted.
| Ork Unit | vs. Guardsmen | vs. Intercessors | vs. Deathshroud | vs. Dreadknight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slugga Boyz | 12.5 | 30.0 | 90.0 | 40.0 |
| Beast Snagga Boyz | 15.3 | 30.6 | 91.7 | 40.7 |
| Nob with Big Choppa & Choppa | 8.8 | 23.3 | 112.0 | 77.8 |
| Meganob with Power Klaw | 3.2 | 13.0 | 62.2 | 64.8 |
| Meganob with Dual Killsaws | 4.2 | 16.7 | 80.0 | 83.3 |
The downside of Nobz begins to show when considering their defensive limitations, as they are the least efficient when facing attacks from opponents that have higher strength (S5+) and at least some AP and/or D2+ weapons. Some matchups are simply difficult for all Ork units: you should expect to lose an entire 5-man Nobz squad or a 10-man Slugga Boyz squad in a single round of melee to three Deathshroud Terminators, whereas the 6++ invulnerable save of the Beast Snaggas and the 2+ armor of the Meganobz begin to return some value by saving at least a couple wounds. Finally, this comparison shows the price paid for running dual Killsaws on Meganobz: the extra wounds introduced by having larger squads of models with fewer attacks means that you are able to tank high-damage enemy melee threats about ~25% more efficiently.
So what have we learned from these calculations?
First, it seems like Slugga Boyz and Beast Snagga Boyz are much more balanced than conventional wisdom believes, at least on a point-for-point basis. I could see arguments for taking multiple small squads of either/both, or running one large squad of Slugga Boyz to maximize the number of attacks (which could work great in conjunction with the Warpath psychic power (+1A) and/or Waaagh! (+1A).
Second, these calculations have supported my hunch that Nobz are perfectly viable compared to other combat-oriented infantry alternatives. Nobz squads have access to the cheapest Big Choppas in the entire codex (+3 points), which can be taken instead of their Slugga allowing you to keep their Choppa for an extra S5 AP-1 attack. This loadout combines nicely with Goffs, where their exploding 6's in melee boost their efficiency and +1S on the charge push them up from S7 to S8, which is a significant advantage vs. T4 (MEQ) and T7/8 (vehicle) targets.
That said, there is no denying Nobz are fragile. They are relatively points-dense and are pretty easy to wipe off the board with any D2 weapons that have at least a little AP. Large Nobz squads seem like they could be a liability, even if given upgraded defensive abilities either through a Kustom Force Field and/or a Painboy, as they'd represent too substantial an investment compared to how easily they could be dealt with by your opponent.
I think the way to run Nobz in the new 9th edition Codex is probably minimum-sized 5-man squads, running four or five with Big Choppas + Choppas and maybe one with Power Klaw + Choppa for some added high-strength anti-armor when the need arises. You could consider including one or two Nobz with bare minimum Sluggas & Choppas for ablative wounds, but I'm not sure the value is there at 18 points apeice whereas you could upgrade to Big Choppa + Choppa for just +3 points. In my 2,000 point Goffs list, I'm currently leaning towards running 2x5 Nobz with a Mega-Armored Warboss in a Trukk with the 5++ Kustom Job to give them some protection as they get upfield.
Meganobz continue to be a rock-solid choice for durable Ork bodies that can tank enemy threats while punching plenty hard in combat. It seems that dual Killsaws are still viable against certain targets, but in general it's probably more efficient to bring a larger unit of bare-bones Meganobz rather than upgrading an entire squad to dual Killsaws. Thankfully, you can mix-and-match wargear within a single unit, so I think the ratio of maybe 2 Power Klaw Meganobz for every dual Killsaw Meganob seems optimal. Meganobz don't benefit much from the Goffs Klan Kultur since they're already S10 with either Power Klaws or Killsaws, making them great candidates for either picking up ObSec in a Deffskulls Patrol Detachment or being run as a Trukk Boyz specialist mob to increase their threat radius. Their durability and three-wound profile also means they have great synergy with a Painboy (certainly much better than W1 or W2 models). I could see a variety of compositions working well for Meganobz (everything from a minimum 3-man squad for a durable, 105-point chaff unit up through a 10 Meganob deathstar), but I am most attracted to running either a 6-man unit (4 Klaws & 2 dual Saws) as Trukk Boyz or a 5-man unit (3 Klaws & 2 dual Saws) plus a Painboy in a Big Trakk. Alternatively, I'd also be tempted to footslog a massive unit of 7-10 Meganobz and jump them across the field with Da Jump or Deep Strike them with the Tellyporta strat.
Finally, it's worth noting that these calculations are imperfect and oversimplify the various modifiers or unit interactions that might emerge. Setting aside the effects from opposing units--which could nevertheless be substantial, like psychic self-buffing from the Dreadknight--there are at least a few key omissions from the Orks' perspective:
For now, though, it's time to focus on how to lead Da Ironbullz to a strong showing at our tournament next weekend! I will hopefully post one more hobby update before the tournament, and will write up a breakdown of the tournament once that's over, too.