Mad Doc Grotsnik - Good or Bad?

[MightyOrang]

I've never played with him as one of my HQ choices ... what's the general consensus about him? Off the cuff, the ability to make mega-nobs with invul saves and embed Doc in a group now-fearless Nobs seems good ... but i never see him discussed in lists, etc. what gives?

[Darkriver]

I've noticed and wondered about this also. The only thing I can see is the special rule he has "One scalpel short of a medpack". This makes him and the unit he is with in a sense uncontrollable since they have to move and assault the closest enemy unit. A good opponent can take and basically control a portion of your army, possibly using it to disadvantage you. Not sure if this is the right answer, but it's my best edjumcated guess :D.

[BuFFo]

He is good.

Try him out!

[Disgruntled_Viking]

True he has to charge the closest enemy but it also makes his unit Fearless. Throw him with a cheap mob of boyz and you got yourself, if anything, a good distraction mob. Plus you can give a whole other unit in ur army 5+ invul. saves. The 5-points for each guy to get it is a bit pricey and pretty much giving up an HQ slot to do it seems steep but hell, some of the best 40k combo's you won't realize are good till you try it.

[DarkLink]

One of our ork players once took him in a green tide apoc formation, resulting in a 100+ ork squad, all with 5+ invulnerables and such. At least, I think it was mad doc. I remember we checked the rules to make sure it worked, but this was also 3 years ago, so I don't remember the details...

[RocketRollRebel]

He's the man in so many ways! I say do it!

[Frowbakk]

Unfortunately, based on experience good 'ol Mad Dok Grotsnik is not worth it.

By grantingg FNP you want to put him with a good combat unit, such as Burna Boyz, Nobz or Meganobz. However, the lack of control factor means you'll be hoofing it after a Land Speeder for half the game since you're forced to charge the closest target.

Or Monolith, if you're playing Necrons.

In an Apocalypse battle I did stick him with a unit of Grots just so they would die off and he'd go self destruct on his own that much sooner.

The 5+ saves are good, but the drawback of no control mean he just sucks (and the unit he's stuck with) in 2000 points or less.

[Aenir]

However cant he be put into a vehicle so you still control him (after a fashion?)

also, If memory serves he only has to charge the nearest target, why not move him 6" the opposite way during the turn and then if he tries to charge and cant make it, he moves nowhere?

[blueshift]

new ork faq:

Q. Can Grotsnik board a vehicle if doing so will
get him closer to the nearest enemy than if he
moved normally?
A. In the spirit of the rule, if embarking in a
vehicle will not prevent him from charging that
turn and will also get him closer to the nearest
enemy than moving normally that turn, he may
do that. Once aboard, the vehicle must always
move in such a way as to move as fast as possible
towards the closest enemy and allow Grotsnik to
disembark and charge the closest enemy as soon
as possible

i would charge headlong with him and MANz in a battlewagon + deffrolla straight at the enemy anyways just to intimidate :D

[BuFFo]

new ork faq:

Q. Can Grotsnik board a vehicle if doing so will
get him closer to the nearest enemy than if he
moved normally?
A. In the spirit of the rule, if embarking in a
vehicle will not prevent him from charging that
turn and will also get him closer to the nearest
enemy than moving normally that turn, he may
do that. Once aboard, the vehicle must always
move in such a way as to move as fast as possible
towards the closest enemy and allow Grotsnik to
disembark and charge the closest enemy as soon
as possible

i would charge headlong with him and MANz in a battlewagon + deffrolla straight at the enemy anyways just to intimidate :D

Wow...

ORks R Broken....

A Battlewagon with a 5++, FNP, Fearleas and a Deff Rolla!?!?!?!?

Stop the presses! Time for BoLs to play test this immediately and write 6 articles on the same thing!!!!

- hides behind a rock- :D :D

[AfroCelt]

I've used Grotsnik at 'Ard Boys Prelims and a couple Rogue Traders. I love him for the ability to drop 5+ invulns on certain things, but absolutely hate how he plays. If you stick him on the Meganobs, you can kiss your deathstar unit goodbye. Why? because anyone worth playing will repeatedly feed him drone squads, scouts, etc. and make your hammer unit chase its own tail.

I find running him as part of a 'Ard Boys Squad in a Battlewagon/Trukk the best way for my playstyle...a cheaper alternative, but still very killy. You need to neutralize walkers though.

Even normal orks with a 4+/ 4+ fnp is a scary thing.

[MarshalAdamar]

I have the Doc in my tourney list right now. For the most part he's a beast. He has to move towards and assault if possible... SO? We want him to move as fast as possible and assault anything we can get our hands on.

But it is true that is you end up on foot with no one to go after but the lone land speeder your hosed.

But toss him and say 4 or 5 mega Nobz in a trukk or battle wagon. Put him in the middle of the mob and make your opponent move his land speeder into the middle of your mob to try and be the closest enemy unit. What do you think will happen?

Blast the truck 18 inches to put him right where you want him and turn him loose, there won’t be much you can’t catch, it will be hard for your opponent to have a fast unit be the closest with out letting it get assaulted and with out moving another unit closer than the bait unit.

You have a Waaagh to make that fleet move as an Ace up your sleeve too.

I just plough them into the middle, find a juicy target and forget about them. Your opponent will have kittens trying to take out the 2+/5+ 2Wound FNP unit.

Put him a vehicle though, especially if he’s leading mega Nobz This will help you control him a little letting you choose more than your opponent what units he’s closest too.

But there is the chance that he goes wrong, so be prepared to have him wander around the battle field doing nothing

He can work pretty well with a small unit of regular Nobz the same way.

You can also give the Mega Nobz cybork bodies and attach the doc to a different unit altogether say 10 truck boyz + PK Nob all with cybork bodies too!

Then you have a double threat axis and the mega Nobz upgrade will only cost you 25 points for 5 mega Nobz with cybork bodies