Ogors Tactics Thread

[AmonRa]

Seeing some excellent Orruk threads I thought the mighty Ogors deserved their own tactics thread. With beastclaw raiders out we have some good options and, arguably, some of the strongest units in AoS at our disposal.

In contribution, after a few games here are my anecdotal observations playing Ogors. First, their general 5+ armor save is just laughably inadequate against any army with shooting. Thus, getting backfield attackers like Gorgers or Hunters seems to be mandatory. Second, the near across the board 4+ to hit means you really need to think about to hit buffs where you can. That is, doesn't matter how hard you hit if you cant land the blow (looking at you Ironguts). Stonehorns (character or normal) are pretty easy to charge block so don't leave them without fast screen support like yhetees or mournfang.  Our non-mounted characters are pretty much glass cannons so I've found it better to bully weaker units then trying to go character or monster hunting with them despite the weapon stats.

Please add your own thoughts and experiences and let the glory of the Ogors rein!

[Deranged Hermit]

What  Artefacts do you think are the most useful?

[AmonRa]

23 minutes ago, Deranged Hermit said:

What  Artefacts do you think are the most useful?

I think Battlebew can work great on our mounted characters as the +1 or 2 to hit effects the whole profile. Tailsman of protection is also a much needed help against mortal wounds for characters like tyrants. 

[Blackflag760]

My local league is starting tomorrow and the points are set at 1500 but using the chart for 1k and we will be playing the pitched battle battleplans from the GH. With points below 2k and almost all the battleplans revolving around numbers of models to take objectives I'm opting to go with the following list, (wanted to use Beastclaw but didn't know how to make it work within these limitations so went Gutbuster)

• Tyrant
• Bruiser BSB
• Butcher
• 6x Ogors (battleline)
• 6x Leadbelchers (battleline)
• 6x Ironguts
• Gorger

Unless my math is wrong this should be 1500 exactly. This should give me enough hero's to take objectives for the "3 Places of Power" battleplan and enough bodies for the other ones. Am I missing anything?

 

 

[AmonRa]

I thought I'd start putting my thoughts on each of the ogor units. Please add your thoughts and experiences as well.

 

Heroes:

Tyrant: Our primary character and beatstick. Can take Massive Ogor Club, Dual Weapons, or a Gutgouger. The Gutgouger is on the one extreme with 3 attacks at -2 rend and 3 damage. But if you roll a six to wound then it becomes 6 Damage. The Massive club is the same profile with one more attack but loses the exploding wounds. And finally dual slashers are 6 attacks at -1 rend and two damage but gets to re-roll all failed hits. In any case, he can also have pistols for a decent two shot 12" profile. His command ability allows him to hit a unit with the gutbusters tag giving the units D3 mortal wounds but making them immune to battleshock as long as he is alive.

The tyrant is very much a glass cannon with only a 4+ save but at least has 8 wounds. I found him best hurting line units rather than trying to hunt characters or monsters as he does not like rend or much return damage. As such I like the dual wield option best. His ability pairs great with units of 6+ ogors but not much else.

Butcher: Our only caster. Only a 5+ save but at least has 7 wounds so unlikley to be sniped like other armies' wizards. His unique spell is decent if you can make the rolls. I think her is a necessity in most any point level as casting mystic shield alone can be a game winner. That is, whether buffing a frostlord or a large unit of Ironguts, you can increase defenses greatly. He also gets a fun ability that heals a wound if he successfully casts or dispels on a 2+. If you have the old Skragg model the cauldron acts as a basically a free extra spell so take it if you have it. 

Frostlord: Our big bad mounted character. Can be placed on a stonehorn or a thundertusk. Given the profiles if you are going to make the large point in vestment there is little reason not to use him on a stonehorn. The stonehorn is built for CC where you want this guy anyway and boy is he good at it. D6 mortal wounds on the charge, halve all incoming wounds, all but one weapon profiles have rend and multi-wound (and just for the record one game I killed 3 enemy characters with the punches and kicks as well plinking off the last wounds). Dios mio this guy can take on armies himself! If you want a thundertusk though I really would either get the base monster or the huskard. Just remember to properly support your frostlord as his large base size means he can be charge blocked quite easily.  Nothing like having the power of a god on the charge if its wasted by your opponent throwing a lowly gryph hound in your way.

Huskard: Our lieutenant level mounted character. Both the thunderstusk and stonehorn mounts offer some interesting possibilities. Both mounts are the base profiles of the normal versions though so what you are taking them for is their abilities.  The stonehorn version gives buff to mournfang which is good of your run beastclaw raiders pure or as support. The thundertusk version though starts to get scary good. Just 20pts more than the base version give you the ability to heal D3 wounds to units with the beastclaw raiders tag. Lets think for a second who could use such an ability... perhaps your already hard to kill Frostlord on a Stonehorn? Combine with the normal thundertusk insanity of breathing mortal wounds I think this is the way to go here. Pair with a Frostlord and win some games while losing some friends along the way.

Hunter: An odd character. He costs the same as a tyrant with little of his killiness. He can deploy using his ambush rule 9" away from an enemy in any hero phase which saves him from complete obscurity. However, his weapons are very weak and his ranged weapons are pretty unreliable at 4+ to hit. His best use would likely be in a skal formation with 2 packs of frost sabers to deal with backline units but that is a 340pt investment minimum. 

 

Units:

Ogors: Our bread and butter unit. They are such good battleline units that even other destruction armies should look at taking them. I would run them in either units of 3 or a unit of 6 with full command. However, it is key to remember that they are not CC monsters. Don't expect them to go up against retributors and win but they will hold the line and their multi-wound profile will punish chaff and other battleline level units. 

Leabelchers: Our primary shooting unit. These guys are fun but odd. Unlike other armies shooters, they have an insanely short range of 12". They are actually better in CC than in shooting as well with a -1 rend, 2 attack, version of the orgor weapons. If you run pure gutbusters then they make very nice battleline units. Since they are so good in CC I would just use them like regular ogors and be aggressive and aim for CC. Don't forget you can shoot into and out of CC in AoS so you can give someone a cannon to the face with no penalty. Essentially, their key to successful usage is to not treating them like a ranged  unit and instead ogors who just happen to shoot. 

Ironguts: Our elite infantry. These guys are everything ogors are but better. Their weapons are scary to the extreme and can erase units on the charge.... if they hit. They are near perfect units except for their 4+ to hit so try to take the bellowing tyrant command trait where you can just for these guys. Like most ogor units you will have to choose between a unit of 3 or 6 (yes you can go higher but it gets way too unwieldy). My thinking always come back to the amount of support i'm bringing. If I have a tyrant and a butcher then I'm running the unit as 6 to get the most out of any potential buffs. If i'm just running a frostlord for the day I'll run units of 3. 

Maneaters: Our other elite infantry. These guys are great at well ... everything. They costs the same as a unit of ironguts but these guys are versatile. They are have a rend -1 version of the ogor weapon and can also shoot pistols. What makes these guys so good though is they break the 4+ to hit ogor mold and hit on 3+ which is huge. Their ability also gives them a multitude of additional choices including immunity to battleshock, run and charge, and re-roll 1s in shooting or CC. Their only drawback is that they have a 5+ save but that is ogor standard. Honestly, the only reason you likely won't see these guys more often is the expense of official models and poor alternatives. 

Gorgers: Interesting unit. They are for backfield ambushes and have a good CC profile and can even run and charge. They actually fulfill a really important need for ogors in dealing with enemy shooters and warmachines. They are expensive though so make sure you really think about their placement as they have next to no armor. I think they are best taken in units of 1 even if you take multiples so they cant be targeted down as easily. 

Yhetees: Fast and deadly ogors basically. They have -1 rend weapons, a 9" move, and to top it off a 6" pile in. Best yet, they cost the same as a unit of 3 normal ogors 0.o. These guys are great support and flankers and can really help screen big units like stonehorns or thundertusks. Take 3 at any point level as you won't be disappointed. 

Grots: Our little gribbles. You get 20 for 100pts. They are chaff, bubble wrap, and charge blockers but don't expect them to do anything. What turns them from meh to great is that the tyrant can use his command ability on them to make them immune to battleshock since they have the gutbusters key word. Take 40 and now you can tie up your opponent's scariest unit all game. 

Iron Blaster: It's a cannon ... with an ogor in the back; so metal. It isn't too badly priced at 160pts but it has a big problem in that it is one shot at a 4+ to hit. It can handle itself in CC but that isn't too much of a plus since you want it to shoot. I would bring one at larger point games but its not a must take. Its better shooting at line units of 10+ rather than monsters. 

Scrap Launcher: No, just no. This thing is awful. 

Mournfang: Ogre cavalry and they are awesome. Now that they get access to great weapons they hit like a brick inflicting mortal wound on the charge. They are expensive though so either have a plan for them or use them as battleline in a beastclaw raider list. My only issue with them is that really need support or multi-units. If you plan on sending them forward just don't expect them to win the game alone. 

Frost Sabres: Mean sabretooth tigres. Outside of use in a skal formation I'm not a fan of these guys. Compared to yhetees they have less wounds and abilities. 

 

General Observations on Tactics: Ogors at their heart are a bully army. Match your units against weaker opposition instead of trying to go one for one. They also are not very forgiving with their generally low armor saves. As such your movement and charge phase will be where victory or defeat will be decided. 

[Sangfroid]

Great summary of the units and the grots with gut buster keyword I hadn't twigged that....... Interesting :-)

[AmonRa]

More thoughts this week this time on allies and combined destruction lists.

I'm going to consider Gutbusters and Beasclaw Raiders as one faction for the purposes of the discussion. As such my first thought on good support units go to the grot faction. Regular grots not moonclan. The best units for ogors seem to be spear chukkas, doom divas, wolf riders, and I'm starting to look at grots as battleline substitues. Why them over other destruction factions? They let ogors be ogors and mash stuff since they are freed up to take the fight to the enemy.

Grot artillery covers a huge ogor weakness at ranged combat. Spear chukkas in pairs can murderlate heroes mounted or otherwise and outrage most counter fire. The range also gives you a great counter to dwarves and units like judicators. I think 2 in 1500pts or above could be mandatory. 

I'm also liking units of 5 goblin wolf riders. Not battleline but give ogors much needed fast calvary. If you take them with bows you have the perfect pepper and kite unit while spears will give you light flankers. Because they have a decent save, 2 wounds, and a 12" move they are perfect screeners and charge blockers.

I've seen some good combo lists with ironjaws but since I have no experience there perhaps someone else could add that tactica. As always add your thoughts and let the glory of the ogors rein.