KaptinScuzgob
09-01-2010, 09:48 AM
Hey folks, I'm kaptin Scuzgob, and I thought it was about time I got registered in here. I've been reading BoLS for about two years now, and I wrote a tactica for Daemons of Chaos a while back. I also play Orkz, so I thought it'd be cool if I did one for them too. Is this the right place to post this?
The Dok Is In: Mad Dok Grotsnik Tactica.
Ths is about Mad Dok Grotsnik and how he effects your Ork army. Grotsnik is one of the lesser used Ork characters, which is a pity, because his collection of rules go a long way to making your Orkz much more sturdy against enemy firepower, at the cost of being a little more points heavy.
Face Punching
As with all the Ork characters, Grotsnik is quite handy in a fight, with five attacks on the charge at a respectable strength 9, if he uses his power klaw. He can also use his slugga & 'urty syringe for five attacks (six on the charge), which wound on a 4+ regardless of toughness.
It really goes down to what he's fighting, but I usually go with syringe & slugga, so he fights with loads of attacks at the same speed as most enemies, using the klaw against dreads & vehicles. Grotsnik is fighty enough to take the place of a Warboss, and with the added bonuses of his Dok's Toolz he's a good choice to lead your horde.
Grotsnik is also a pretty sturdy character, with toughness 5, three wounds, 4+ armour save, 5+ invulnerable save and Feel No Pain it’s going to take a lot to take him down through shooting or combat. In a big mob of Orkz, Grotsnik is incredibly hard to shift with anything short of a Greater Daemon.
Doktorin’
But Grotsnik's main use is not as a combat character, it’s his ability to give Feel No Pain to whatever unit you wish through use of his Dok's Toolz. This ability is much the same as a kustom force field, and combining the two goes a long way to counteracting the Ork weakness of getting shot.
This ability benefits large mobs of Boyz, forming a hard core of Orkz that can sit on an objective indefinitely, or charge across the battlefield under the heaviest fire. Shell out for ‘Ard Boyz and it’s almost like you have a unit of Plague Marines.
Grotsnik can help out the smaller Ork units like Burna Boyz and Tankbustas, as these hard-hitting but defensively weak units can be easily killed by enemy fire otherwise. On the other end of the scale, Grotsnik is also a huge boon to Meganobz, as these guys don’t have the option for taking a Painboy.
Unfortunately, the Dok isn’t much help to Stormboyz, Warbikers and Deffkoptas, because he robs them of their main advantage: speed. He also doesn’t mix well with Kommandos, as he stops them infiltrating or outflanking.
Grotsnik does have one weakness; the One Scalpel short of a Medkit rule. This basically boils down to the Rage USR, which he gives to any unit he joins (and, with the errata, also affects any transport he rides in). This does have the problem of whatever unit he joins being somewhat uncontrollable, but you can remedy this by cunning use of deployment and using your vehicles to block Grotsnik’s line of sight. Or, just put him in a unit you want to have Feel No Pain, and let him run wild. They’re Orkz, they’re going to get into combat sooner or later!
The Cybork Special
Grotsnik's other major addition to your army is the option to give any unit cybork bodies (noted in his army list entry rather than his rules page). While costly, this unique ability allows you to create some really hard units, perfect for surviving incoming fire while running across the table, sitting on an objective until Ragnarork itself, or taking a unit of Sanguinary Guard on and coming up top. And, of course, the conversion possibilities. I’ve broken this section down into individual units to describe the benefits of each one getting the treatment.
Note: You don’t want to know what we did to the guy who tried to give his battlewagons cybork bodies, so don’t even think about it.
Warboss & Big Mek
Yes, these two can get the upgrade anyway, but Grotsnik lets them take it for a 5 point discount. A small amount, I know, but worth noting.
Weirdboy
With a cybork body, the Weirdboy becomes much more survivable. The only problem is, with Grotsnik and a Weirdboy in the same list, there’s no room for a kustom force field...
Nobz & Flash Gitz
With Grotsnik, these units can take cybork bodies without having to pay for a Painboy, which saves you a few points. Grotsnik can also join these units to do the Painboy’s job too.
Meganobz
Okay, now they’re Ork Terminators. They get costly, but with the extra protection from the cybork body they are much better in combat against power weapons and monstrous creatures. They’re also my recommendation for Grotsnik's bodyguard, Meganobz with Feel No Pain are tough customers indeed!
Tankbustas
Considering the Tankbusta's dangerous line of work, an invulnerable save is a good thing. A unit that consists of entirely Strength 8 AP 3 weaponry is likely to be high on your opponent's hit list; Tankbustas are a good choice for a trip to the Dok's hut. Again, expensive, but worth it in small numbers.
Lootas
Long range specialists, the Lootas are likely to find themselves deployed in cover, so an invulnerable save isn’t really needed for these guys. You can protect them from deep strikers and outflanking attacks with your other units, which is much more cost effective.
Burna Boyz
Pure close range fighters, Burna Boyz tend to get minced before they get started by enemy firepower, especially if you throw them at their prime target: Terminators. Like Tankbustas, Burna Boyz will be a target because of their deadly weapons, so cybork bodies are a great way to level the playing field with these guys.
Kommandos
Not essential, but Kommandos with cybork bodies are much meaner and tougher than normal. Given how they usually enter play through outflanking it might not be needed, but if their target is something that’s powerful in close combat, it could be useful. Also, keep in mind that Boss Snikrot is a special character, and so can’t take the upgrade.
Ork Boyz
For Boyz, it all depends on how many is in the unit. In a large mob, it quickly becomes too expensive, but a mob of 10 'Ard Boyz has the same protectyness as nobz with 'eavy armour and cybork bodies, but at half the points. Such a unit, in a trukk, can be great for capturing enemy objectives.
Gretchin
While it may seem unusual, giving the odd unit of Gretchin the upgrade significantly boosts their tar pit abilities, and makes them great for holding objectives. Like Ork Boyz, I wouldn’t upgrade large units, maybe mobs of 10 or 15 at the most.
Stormboyz
Since the Stormboyz' own rules can cause them to lose squad members (especially if you include Boss Zagstruk) the cybork body upgrade can be useful in sustaining the survivors. For an assault unit the Stormboyz do suffer from a poor Initiative value, so to help weather the initial attacks from faster enemies an invulnerable save sure does help. Again, large units with the upgrade get very expensive.
Warbikers
Warbikers are quite costly anyway, and with their only viable upgrade being a nob with a power klaw, they don't have many tactics going for them. However, a combination of Grotsnik and Wazzdakka, who lets you take Warbikers as troop choices, can make for a very fast, hard hitting and tough to beat force, but one that is few in numbers.
Deffkoptas
Like the Warbikers, the Deffkoptas are an expensive choice without the upgrade. But they become much more worth it when you consider the inherent advantages that Deffkoptas have over Warbikers: they’re jetbikes, they have two wounds apiece, they can take tank-busting twin-linked rokkit launchas and buzzsaws, and they can outflank. Their only real weakness is their average save and weakness to instant death weapons, and cybork bodies go a long way to cancelling those out. Along with Meganobz, Deffkoptas are my first choice for a trip to the surgery.
Big Gunz
I’ve yet to actually meet a player who uses Big Gunz, they get overshadowed by the other Ork heavy support choices, much like the Eldar support weapon batteries. Considering they’re crewed by weedy grots, it could help to keep them alive, but you’re better off spending the points on other things.
Example Army List
With all this in mind, here's an example Grotsnik 1500pt list. It contains equal parts choppy, shooty and speedy, bolstered with Grotsnik's cybork body upgrade.
Grotsnik 160
Big Mek with a Kustom Force Field 85
3 Meganobz with cybork bodies and a trukk 170
10 Tankbustas with cybork bodies 200
10 Ork Boyz with sluggas and choppas, 'eavy armour, cybork bodies and a trukk, lead by a Nob with a power klaw 220
20 Ork Boyz with shootas, lead by a Nob 130
20 Ork Boyz with shootas, lead by a Nob 130
3 Deffkoptas with cybork bodies, 2 TL rokkit launchas and a buzzsaw 165
Looted Wagon with a big shoota 40
The two mobs in trucks head off to claim some objectives. The Big Mek goes with the ‘Ard Boyz, while Grotsnik rides with the Meganobz. Be sure to keep them near each other so the kustom force field protects both trucks. The Tankbustas join them, riding in the Looted Wagon, and are for taking out enemy transports and monstrous creatures.
The shoota boyz hold the Ork objectives, and have ample shooting to deal with most outflankers. The Deffkoptas are held in reserve and outflank onto the table, hopefully nearby stuff they can rokkit to death.
So what are you waiting for? Sigh up for Mad Dok Grotsnik’s revolutionary cybork body upgrade TODAY! (Surjun Genrul’s warning: Treatment may result in loss of teef, explosive legs, squig brain transplant and ‘eadaches.)
The Dok Is In: Mad Dok Grotsnik Tactica.
Ths is about Mad Dok Grotsnik and how he effects your Ork army. Grotsnik is one of the lesser used Ork characters, which is a pity, because his collection of rules go a long way to making your Orkz much more sturdy against enemy firepower, at the cost of being a little more points heavy.
Face Punching
As with all the Ork characters, Grotsnik is quite handy in a fight, with five attacks on the charge at a respectable strength 9, if he uses his power klaw. He can also use his slugga & 'urty syringe for five attacks (six on the charge), which wound on a 4+ regardless of toughness.
It really goes down to what he's fighting, but I usually go with syringe & slugga, so he fights with loads of attacks at the same speed as most enemies, using the klaw against dreads & vehicles. Grotsnik is fighty enough to take the place of a Warboss, and with the added bonuses of his Dok's Toolz he's a good choice to lead your horde.
Grotsnik is also a pretty sturdy character, with toughness 5, three wounds, 4+ armour save, 5+ invulnerable save and Feel No Pain it’s going to take a lot to take him down through shooting or combat. In a big mob of Orkz, Grotsnik is incredibly hard to shift with anything short of a Greater Daemon.
Doktorin’
But Grotsnik's main use is not as a combat character, it’s his ability to give Feel No Pain to whatever unit you wish through use of his Dok's Toolz. This ability is much the same as a kustom force field, and combining the two goes a long way to counteracting the Ork weakness of getting shot.
This ability benefits large mobs of Boyz, forming a hard core of Orkz that can sit on an objective indefinitely, or charge across the battlefield under the heaviest fire. Shell out for ‘Ard Boyz and it’s almost like you have a unit of Plague Marines.
Grotsnik can help out the smaller Ork units like Burna Boyz and Tankbustas, as these hard-hitting but defensively weak units can be easily killed by enemy fire otherwise. On the other end of the scale, Grotsnik is also a huge boon to Meganobz, as these guys don’t have the option for taking a Painboy.
Unfortunately, the Dok isn’t much help to Stormboyz, Warbikers and Deffkoptas, because he robs them of their main advantage: speed. He also doesn’t mix well with Kommandos, as he stops them infiltrating or outflanking.
Grotsnik does have one weakness; the One Scalpel short of a Medkit rule. This basically boils down to the Rage USR, which he gives to any unit he joins (and, with the errata, also affects any transport he rides in). This does have the problem of whatever unit he joins being somewhat uncontrollable, but you can remedy this by cunning use of deployment and using your vehicles to block Grotsnik’s line of sight. Or, just put him in a unit you want to have Feel No Pain, and let him run wild. They’re Orkz, they’re going to get into combat sooner or later!
The Cybork Special
Grotsnik's other major addition to your army is the option to give any unit cybork bodies (noted in his army list entry rather than his rules page). While costly, this unique ability allows you to create some really hard units, perfect for surviving incoming fire while running across the table, sitting on an objective until Ragnarork itself, or taking a unit of Sanguinary Guard on and coming up top. And, of course, the conversion possibilities. I’ve broken this section down into individual units to describe the benefits of each one getting the treatment.
Note: You don’t want to know what we did to the guy who tried to give his battlewagons cybork bodies, so don’t even think about it.
Warboss & Big Mek
Yes, these two can get the upgrade anyway, but Grotsnik lets them take it for a 5 point discount. A small amount, I know, but worth noting.
Weirdboy
With a cybork body, the Weirdboy becomes much more survivable. The only problem is, with Grotsnik and a Weirdboy in the same list, there’s no room for a kustom force field...
Nobz & Flash Gitz
With Grotsnik, these units can take cybork bodies without having to pay for a Painboy, which saves you a few points. Grotsnik can also join these units to do the Painboy’s job too.
Meganobz
Okay, now they’re Ork Terminators. They get costly, but with the extra protection from the cybork body they are much better in combat against power weapons and monstrous creatures. They’re also my recommendation for Grotsnik's bodyguard, Meganobz with Feel No Pain are tough customers indeed!
Tankbustas
Considering the Tankbusta's dangerous line of work, an invulnerable save is a good thing. A unit that consists of entirely Strength 8 AP 3 weaponry is likely to be high on your opponent's hit list; Tankbustas are a good choice for a trip to the Dok's hut. Again, expensive, but worth it in small numbers.
Lootas
Long range specialists, the Lootas are likely to find themselves deployed in cover, so an invulnerable save isn’t really needed for these guys. You can protect them from deep strikers and outflanking attacks with your other units, which is much more cost effective.
Burna Boyz
Pure close range fighters, Burna Boyz tend to get minced before they get started by enemy firepower, especially if you throw them at their prime target: Terminators. Like Tankbustas, Burna Boyz will be a target because of their deadly weapons, so cybork bodies are a great way to level the playing field with these guys.
Kommandos
Not essential, but Kommandos with cybork bodies are much meaner and tougher than normal. Given how they usually enter play through outflanking it might not be needed, but if their target is something that’s powerful in close combat, it could be useful. Also, keep in mind that Boss Snikrot is a special character, and so can’t take the upgrade.
Ork Boyz
For Boyz, it all depends on how many is in the unit. In a large mob, it quickly becomes too expensive, but a mob of 10 'Ard Boyz has the same protectyness as nobz with 'eavy armour and cybork bodies, but at half the points. Such a unit, in a trukk, can be great for capturing enemy objectives.
Gretchin
While it may seem unusual, giving the odd unit of Gretchin the upgrade significantly boosts their tar pit abilities, and makes them great for holding objectives. Like Ork Boyz, I wouldn’t upgrade large units, maybe mobs of 10 or 15 at the most.
Stormboyz
Since the Stormboyz' own rules can cause them to lose squad members (especially if you include Boss Zagstruk) the cybork body upgrade can be useful in sustaining the survivors. For an assault unit the Stormboyz do suffer from a poor Initiative value, so to help weather the initial attacks from faster enemies an invulnerable save sure does help. Again, large units with the upgrade get very expensive.
Warbikers
Warbikers are quite costly anyway, and with their only viable upgrade being a nob with a power klaw, they don't have many tactics going for them. However, a combination of Grotsnik and Wazzdakka, who lets you take Warbikers as troop choices, can make for a very fast, hard hitting and tough to beat force, but one that is few in numbers.
Deffkoptas
Like the Warbikers, the Deffkoptas are an expensive choice without the upgrade. But they become much more worth it when you consider the inherent advantages that Deffkoptas have over Warbikers: they’re jetbikes, they have two wounds apiece, they can take tank-busting twin-linked rokkit launchas and buzzsaws, and they can outflank. Their only real weakness is their average save and weakness to instant death weapons, and cybork bodies go a long way to cancelling those out. Along with Meganobz, Deffkoptas are my first choice for a trip to the surgery.
Big Gunz
I’ve yet to actually meet a player who uses Big Gunz, they get overshadowed by the other Ork heavy support choices, much like the Eldar support weapon batteries. Considering they’re crewed by weedy grots, it could help to keep them alive, but you’re better off spending the points on other things.
Example Army List
With all this in mind, here's an example Grotsnik 1500pt list. It contains equal parts choppy, shooty and speedy, bolstered with Grotsnik's cybork body upgrade.
Grotsnik 160
Big Mek with a Kustom Force Field 85
3 Meganobz with cybork bodies and a trukk 170
10 Tankbustas with cybork bodies 200
10 Ork Boyz with sluggas and choppas, 'eavy armour, cybork bodies and a trukk, lead by a Nob with a power klaw 220
20 Ork Boyz with shootas, lead by a Nob 130
20 Ork Boyz with shootas, lead by a Nob 130
3 Deffkoptas with cybork bodies, 2 TL rokkit launchas and a buzzsaw 165
Looted Wagon with a big shoota 40
The two mobs in trucks head off to claim some objectives. The Big Mek goes with the ‘Ard Boyz, while Grotsnik rides with the Meganobz. Be sure to keep them near each other so the kustom force field protects both trucks. The Tankbustas join them, riding in the Looted Wagon, and are for taking out enemy transports and monstrous creatures.
The shoota boyz hold the Ork objectives, and have ample shooting to deal with most outflankers. The Deffkoptas are held in reserve and outflank onto the table, hopefully nearby stuff they can rokkit to death.
So what are you waiting for? Sigh up for Mad Dok Grotsnik’s revolutionary cybork body upgrade TODAY! (Surjun Genrul’s warning: Treatment may result in loss of teef, explosive legs, squig brain transplant and ‘eadaches.)