Aeronautica Imperialis - Faction Review - Orks
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More of my Aeronautica articles can be found here.
Once you have read this article, you might like to read how I deploy my Orks and use them in the first two turns. Tactica Aeronautica - Deployment - Orks
Within this article are some examples of aircraft with weapon loadouts. Each loadout provides the average amount of damage the aircraft can cause in a single round of firing.
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Orks Air Waaagh!
Orks firepower is most effective at short range and the Orks want to close with enemy as quickly as possible. The smaller Dakkajets and Fighta Bommerz all have high-speed allowing them to quickly close with their opponents. The larger Bommerz lack speed but are durable.
The Orks have access to the cheap and cheerful Dakkajet, allowing them to field more planes than the opponent. This can be particularly powerful in Aeronautica where movement and firing alternate between players. With more planes, the less valuable planes can be moved first. This will then allow you to see where the enemy positions their planes before you move your remaining aircraft in for the kill.
Overall, Orks play like the lore. They have lots of aircraft that engage the enemy quickly, fire a vast number of shots (roll loads of dice), and then die in flaming fire balls. They are one of the most difficult factions to be successful with in Aeronautica Imperialis.
Dakkajet
The Dakkajet is a light fighter. Primarily, this aircraft is designed to close with the opponent quickly and engage them at short range. The aircraft has a high-speed making it one of the fastest planes in the game. It is, however, an Ork craft and as such it is limited to just 5 Ace Manoeuvres, although this still allows it to do a Stall Turn.
This plane is nice and cheap. They initially cost 16 pts (with the exceptions of the Tau Remora) this is the cheapest plane in the game. It can be upgraded with Rokkits or an extra Kustom Big Shoota to improve its firepower. If you start upgrading these planes too much, they become expensive. The point of the plane is to be like Ork Boyz in 40K, have loads of them and do not worry too much if they die. More aircraft gives you control of the initiative during a turn. This will allow you to manoeuvre some of your aircraft into position after the opponent has already committed to their plan.
I intend to equip my Dakkajets with a mixture of Rokkits and Kustom Big Shootas in addition to their standard Quad Big Shootas. I do not want to give these aircraft too many upgrades to keep the points cost down.
Dakkajet Loadout 1 is the basic aircraft without upgrades and is an incredibly good loadout for a cheap cost in points.
Dakkajet Loadout 2 is particularly powerful at short range, but for only one round, as the Rokkits are ammo 1. In subsequent turns, this loadout reverts to Loadout 1.
Dakkajet Loadout 3 is my favourite loadout. The Kustom Big Shootas giving additional dice, to what is already a decent firepower.
Finally, Dakkajets are excellent aircraft, especially when deployed in large numbers. A single Dakkajet can cause some considerable damage. A whole ‘skwadron’ can easily win a dogfight.
After playing many games with the Dakkajets, I have found they work best with loadout 1 when used in pairs. The cheapness of the plane allows you to control the initiative each turn and when in pairs it is difficult for the opponent to shoot both down before they return fire.
Fighta Bommer
The Fighta Bommer is a heavy fighter and the direct comparison to the Imperial Navy's Thunderbolt. The aircraft has 3 Structure points giving it good durability for the inevitable dogfight. It is also fast with a max speed of 7 but it only has access to 4 Ace Manoeuvres (which means it cannot do a Stall Turn). The aircraft has a good forward firepower from its Quad Big Shoota. Additionally, it also has a Turret Big Shoota and a Tail Gun, which help defend the rear of the plane in a dogfight and help to compensate for its lack of manoeuvrability.
The Fighta Bommer can be given several weapon upgrades to allow you to tailor your aircraft for a particular role: as a fighter or as a bommer (funny that!).
The fighter Fighta Bommer is upgraded with Kustom Big Shootas and two pairs of Rokkits. This gives the aircraft a lot of forward fire power, especially at short range. So much, so that it can take on the dreaded Thunderbolt.
The bomber Fighta Bommer is upgraded to carry either three pairs of Wing Bombs or (my preferred) two pairs of Big Bombs. This is quite an interesting build due to the speed of the aircraft. The Fighta Bommer can carry almost as many bombs as an 'Eavy Bommer but with a Max Speed of 7 it is almost twice as fast.
The Fighta Bommer should be the main aircraft the Ork Air Waaagh! is built around. The only consideration really with this plane is that its aircraft type is a Fighter not a Bomber. So, in some scenarios, that require the inclusion of a Bomber, you still need to include either an 'Eavy Bommer or a Grot Bommer.
'Eavy Bommer
The 'Eavy Bommer and the Grot Bommer are durable aircraft, each having 6 structure points. They are, however, slow and lack manoeuvrability but bristling with weapons. The 'Eavy Bommer's Shootas and Turrets allow it to shoot in all directions, thereby protecting it from enemy fighters (well to some extent at least). It can also be used to fly in amongst the enemy squadrons to cause a small quantity of damage all around.
Obviously, the 'Eavy Bommerz key role is to bomb ground targets. It is equipped with one set of Bombs but can be upgraded with additional ordinance. To make this aircraft effective in bombing runs it will need additional bombs. Where possible take the Big Bomms over regular bomb, the extra damage of a 4+ is worth the extra cost.
The 'Eavy Bommer also has a transport capacity of 2. Allowing it to deposit troops in a landing zone. However, I think the Grot Bommer is more suitable for this role than the 'Eavy Bommer.
Having built two of these planes, I am not entirely sure they are worth it. The Fighta Bommer, with bombs, can do the same job whilst moving faster. Where the ‘Eavy Bommer does come into its own is as a psychological threat. The opponent will spend a few turns trying to shoot it down, all the time reducing the incoming fire on your Dakkajets and Fighta Bommerz.
Grot Bommer
The Grot Bommer has the same airframe as the 'Eavy Bommer. This gives it 6 Structure Points, slow movement, and access to 3 Ace Manoeuvres. It has Shootas and Turrets pointing in all directions, giving it good defensive firepower. The main differences are that it does not carry conventional Bombs as these have been replaced with Grot Bomms. Additionally, the Grot Bommer has a transport capacity of 3 rather than 2.
The role of the Grot Bommer is therefore different to the 'Eavy Bommer. It is not really a Bomber. It is really a heavy troop transport that fire self-guide Grot Bomms. So, in a mission that requires Transport this is my aircraft of choice for the Orks.
The Grot Bomms are an interesting weapon. They are currently the only Autonomous Weapon in the game. Each Grot Bommer can carry a total of four Grot Bomms and can fire two Grot Bomms per turn. Grot Bomms once fired fly around the board in a relatively straight line. They cannot be attack but if they finish their move next to a plane they may detonate. They damage on a 2+ with extra damage on a 4+. If they fail to damage, they carry on flying. Years ago, I played the Tau in Battlefleet Gothic. I would always fire my Tau self-guiding torpedoes, in the first turn, not to damage the opponent but to disrupt their formations. I see the Grot Bomms in an equivalent way. The Grot Bomms should be released early in the game to fly towards the opponent and disrupt their plans. Once all the Grots Bomms are in the air, the Grot Bommer can turn its attention to landing troops.
Note Grot Bomms cannot attack ground targets. The rule state they activate when in the same hex ands another aircraft.
The Grot Bommer if nothing else is fun and extremely Orky. It will act as a bullet magnet and a good troop transport. It is not a 'Bommer' and that role should be left to the Fighta Bommerz. The Grot bomms are fantastic and can do immense quantities of damage. Multiple Grot Bommer can really ruin a whole enemy squadron in a single turn.
Ork Mega Bommer
The plane also has a Mega Bomb [10/0/0/2+(4+)] that can be used to flatten any ground target. Additionally, it can also take four additional Big Bombs along with two Pairs of Rokkits. Of course, all this extra ordinance will increase the cost of this already expensive plane.
I do not see this plane as being particularly competitive, but it is fun and extremely Orky. It is more the focus of a mission rather than a plane that makes up part of a regular gaming Air Waaagh!
Flak Battery and 'Eavy Flak Battery
The Flak Platform has a weapon profile of [8/4/2 5+], with an effective altitude of 2. This ground defence is highly effective at Altitude 1 and 2 when firing upon aircraft at short range. Unfortunately, its effectiveness quickly disappears at longer ranges and higher altitudes.
The 'Eavy Flak Platform ground defence, is simply a large cannon that lobs explosive shells into the skies. It has an effective altitude of 4 and a weapon profile [2/2/1 4+ (6+)] that allows it to 'thud' away at any planes that come within its long range. As such, if you have the points spare, you can always find a use for this platform.
Ork Looted Imperial Aircraft.
Here is a link to my views on the Ork Looted Aircraft.
Building your own Ork Air Waaagh!
When building my Ork Air Waaagh!, I started with a copy of the Wings of Vengeance boxset. I then picked up a few more planes and a box of Imperial and Ork Ground Assets.
A good starting point for an Ork force is the fighter Fighta Bommer. This is a Fighta Bommer with two pairs of Rokkits and Kustom Sig Shootas totalling 27pts.
A few Dakkajets should also be taken to increase the numbers within the force allowing you to seize the initiative during a turn. These could be given Rokkit upgrades or the Kustom Big Shootas, but these planes should be kept cheap.
If the mission requires the elimination of ground targets, then buy a couple of ‘bomber’ build Fighta Bommerz preferably with Big Bombs.
For some missions you will need to include a plane with the type ‘Bomber.’ If you need transport in this mission, I suggest the Grot Bommer. If you do not need a transport, then maybe consider the 'Eavy Bommer.
Overall, this force is easy to learn to use but difficult to learn to win with.
Let me know if you have any thoughts or if you have questions. I would love to hear about your games. Bye for now and 'always watch your six'.
Great faction review, this is the first one I've found that gives a lot of details for each unit.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any recommendations for which and how many boxes of each item should I buy if I want to start playing orks? Thanks!
Thank you for the comment. It is really nice to hear you found it useful. I would recommend getting one box of each of the Ork Aircraft plus the Ground Defences. This will be more than enough to play any game. To start playing I would get some Dakka-Jets and then either the Grot Bommers or Eavy Bommers. After these, go with the Fighta Bommers.
DeleteI hope it works out. Catch you later.
Great reviews all round, thank you. Do you have any ideas how captured thunderbolts and marauders will fit in to the ork lists?
ReplyDeleteI think I will write up my thoughts on this later this week. Glad you are enjoying the reviews.
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