“I have heard some people say that the Stormboyz are an undesirable unit, because they are too fragile/expensive. They cost 2* as much as a regular Ork boy, but have exactly the same stats & weapons (well, they have stikkbombz, but how often do you use those?). I have used Stormboyz since I first started playing Orks, back in the 3rd edition days. It's one of those units that almost always perform well, often killing things far more expensive than them, and preventing other valuable Mobz from getting shot at....“ - From Nachgals guide to better Stormboy use.
http://www.the-waaagh.com/forums/?showtopic=34046Firstly I recommend everyone read Nachgals guide before continuing. It's a very good guide, and will give you a great overview of how to use Stormboyz effectively.
Da Small Stormboy mob (exploring alternatives)
This is a very unconventional approach to using Stormboyz, one which requires a fare amount of practice and a lot of finesse. Be warned!
A few quick reminders:Stormboyz are a “bully” unit, they bare meant to pick on weaker opponents. They are ideal for harassing your opponent and disrupting his overall plan. Your main target are units that will give you a lot of long range pain and units that don't have much staying power. Remember with these guys you can strike where you opponent least expects it!
Stormboyz should be used as their description depicts in their codex entry. They are tactically minded Orks! So remember to use tactics when you use them and they won't let you down.
What you need:4 Stormboyz, 1 Nob, Big Choppa, Boss Pole, 'Eavy armour 85pts
Why this loadout?:-Big Choppa: it's cheap and gets the job done! No sense in spending 5x the cost on a PK in such a fragile unit.
-’Eavy armour: A 4+ save comes in handy in such a small mob, and gives you a better chance of avoiding a few wounds early on.
-Boss Pole: Re-rolling failed moral tests! What more is there to say? This is what will keep your boys from running!
Pros and Cons of such a small units:Pros:-Cheap.
-Easy to hide.
-Super maneuverable.
-Great at harassing.
-Anti Tank (a charge range of 19-24" and 4 S 7 attacks against rear armour is nothing to laugh about)
-Being small means they aren't as high on the target priority list.
Cons:-Super fragile (a turn of shooting will most likely wipe these guys out).
-No match for other assault unites.
-Leadership 7.
-Easy KP.
The problem with being TOO killy:I normally run a Stormboy mob of 10-12 and it tends to perform outstandingly. I have learned how to keep them out of LoS, until the time comes to charge. They tend to be at full strength when they do (normally a good thing).
However whenever I fight guard, tau, small squads of GEQ (10 or less), and MEQ (5 or less), I tend to kill the whole squad in my assault phase only to get wiped out in my enemies shooting phase. The only way to avoid this is with a good multiple charge, which sadly isn't always possible!
This is where the "minimum" storm boy unit comes in. Against GEQ squads of around 10 they will often inflict a reasonable amount of damage without wiping out the enemy unit in your assault phase. Meaning you can finish them off in their assault phase. This has two major advantages! You will not get shot to pieces and you will be free to move/shoot/assault!
Some maths hammer:Remember maths hammer only gives you a statistical average and doesn't take into account luck. Its not necessarily what will happen (a lot of people forget that).
These are all done assuming the Orks get the charge.
In this case "wounds" implies unsaved wounds.vs. 10 guardsmen (vanilla)(ini 4) BC inflicts: 1.48 wounds.
(ini 3) 4 Boyz inflict: 4.74 wounds.
(ini 3) 9 guard inflict: 1.25 wounds.
Orks: 6.22 Guard: 1.25
vs. 10 guardsmen (PF)(ini 4) BC inflicts: 1.48 wounds.
(ini 3) 4 Boyz inflict: 4.74 wounds.
(ini 3) 9 guard inflict: 1.25 wounds.
(ini 1) PF inflicts: 0.83 wounds.
Orks: 6.22 Guard: 2.08
vs. 10 guardsmen (PF and carapace)(ini 4) BC inflicts: 1.11 wounds.
(ini 3) 4 Boyz inflict: 3.56 wounds.
(ini 3) 9 guard inflict: 1.25 wounds.
(ini 1) PF inflicts: 0.83 wounds.
Orks: 4.67 Guard: 2.08
vs. 12 fire warriors (shas'ui)(ini 4) BC inflicts: 1.11 wounds.
(ini 3) 4 Boyz inflict: 3.56 wounds.
(ini 2) 7 Tau 1 shas'ui inflict: 1.25 wounds. (technically their are 6.34 Tau and 1 shas'ui, but being optimistic I gave them 7)
Orks: 4.67 Tau: 1.25
vs. 5 MEQini 4 BC: 0.55
ini 4 4 MEQ + Leader: 1.45 (assuming the MEQ have 1 attack each and their leader has 2+1 for 2 CC weapons)
ini 3 3 Boyz: 0.99
If you take one of the wounds on the nob then you only lose 0-1 Boyz (this is where ‘Eavy armour is handy).
Orks: 1.54 MEQ: 1.45
In this case a PK would be a better option, because I doubt the Boyz will pull through in the second round of assault without their charge bonuses.
Other things to take into account:In all of the cases above (bar the MEQ) the Stormboyz come on top by a considerable margin. This would most likely result in the enemy squad fleeing due to negative leadership modifiers. That being said they do have a chance to rally (assuming they lose combat by 3-4 and that they are leadership
that means 16% and 28% chance of rallying. Of course this is assuming their are no outside influences to their leadership (e.g commissar lord, Ethereal, stubborn etc). This also does not take into account different GEQ load outs.
Note: Its a good idea not to use your sluggas the first time you assault, due to the fact that any casualties they inflict will reduce your enemies staying power.Taking casualties:Now all the above is assuming the Stormboyz are at full strength, which they should be unless they take some casualties from difficult terrain tests or their Rokkit packs, when they charge. Each casualty you take will roughly reduce the number of wounds you inflict on the charge by 1 ( 1.19 for GEQ and 0.88 for GEQ in carapace). You can use this to your advantage if you charge with a mob of 4 the chance of your opponent not fleeing is 41% (and so on).
In short if your enemy doesn't flee you will most likely wipe them out in your opponents assault phase and be ready to assault something else in your turn. With the casualties you have taken you will have even more chance of them staying in combat for 2 rounds. By doing this you can take out 2-3 GEQ squads without getting shot at a single time.
If you are at full strength by the time you get to your enemy you could always try to charge two GEQ squads. Ideally a full strength one and one that has already taken a few casualties. Of course this depends how good these GEQ squads are. Don’t bite off more then you can chew.
Note: Once you have taken a few casualties the sluggas come into their own, giving you that little bit of extra "ummf" when your down to 3-4 Boyz. (BS 2 is crap, but every little helps)What if they counter-charge you?:Well your going to have a hard time. But if you have tied up 2 squads with 5 Boyz then it means less stuff shooting you. Hopefully help will be on it's way (don't forget the rest of your army is legging it towards the enemy
). Also see the section "Doubling Up".
"Kombat Taktiks":If you want to fall back and risk the sweeping advance then you can always substitute your number of Boyz (3-5) with your leadership, which almost guarantees you will run (don't do it below half strength though!).
You fall back 3d6 +1d6 which you can add to the distance you move because you used your Rokkit pack. This can make all the difference when getting to that piece of cover or getting out of shooting/assault range, most of the time you end up behind your advancing boy Mobz, nice and safe and denying your opponent a KP.
Eg: A Stormboy mob of 5 and a Trukkboy mob of 10 have just lost assault. the Stormboyz took 2 casualties and are down to 3 Boyz. In the next turn the enemy might focus his attacks on the Stormboyz to finish them off and get a KP. If you decide to retreat the Stormboyz by using their leadership of 3 (mob rule!), and the Trukkboy mob pass their moral check. The enemy is still engaged with the Trukkboyz so you can retreat the Stormboyz without fear of being caught in a sweeping advance. Thus running away to safety and negating your opponent a kill point. Or you could charge them again once your Stormboyz regroup getting your charge/furious charge bonuses (which could make all the difference if you were fighting say another Ork mob).
This isn't limited to mobs that start out small you could use the same trick on a mob of 10 Stormboyz/regular Boyz that have been reduced to 5-6 models, at worse you pass the leadership test and you stay in the fight. This trick is only advisable in your enemies assault phase though!
The Rule of Doubling Up:As with most things in the Ork Codex its good to double up. With two of these squads you can really hack away at your enemy, and once they get down to 2-3 Boyz (if they don't flee, BP FTW!) they can join up! They can also support each other if one of them gets counter charged (the counter-counter charge!). More importantly it means they can double up against MEQ squads.
Mathshammer 2x Mobs of 5 Stormboyz vs. a Mob of 10 Stormboyz when fighting MEQ:These are all done assuming the Orks get the charge and don't take into account whether sluggas were used before engaging the enemy. Normally it's a bad idea shoot Space Marines before assaulting. But Orks are so lousy at shooting that the chances of them inflicting 25% casualties and forcing a moral check is almost impossible and if they do they deserve a medal! (10 slugga shots inflict 0.55 unsaved wounds vs MEQs)In this case "wounds" implies unsaved wounds.
Mob of 10 Stormboyz (with PK) vs. 10 MEQ (with PF)ini 4 9 MEQ: 1.88 wounds (you could use the nobs 4+ save to try and save 1 of these wounds, for simplicity I haven't. I also like keeping my pk nob healthy).
ini 3 7 Boyz: 2.33 wounds.
ini 1 MEQ leader: 0.83 wounds.
ini 1 PK nob: 1.67 wounds.
Orks: 4 MEQ: 2.71
2 mobs of 5 Stormboys (with 2 BC) vs. 10 MEQ (with PF)Note: remember the MEQ player will have to split his attacks between the two mobs.
ini 4 2 BC: 1.11 wounds.
ini 4 9 MEQ: 1.125 wounds (use the nobs 4+ saves).
ini 3 8 Boyz: 2.67 wounds.
ini 1 MEQ leader: 0.83 wounds.
Orks: 3.78 MEQ: 1.955
A few advantages of two smaller mobs over one larger mob:-With two mobs it means you get to roll a d6 + I for each mob for sweeping advance.
-If you do get stranded in the open your opponent has to dedicate at least two squads to wipe you out, averting a lot of fire that would otherwise have inflicted more casualties on your other mobs. Forcing him to chose his targets, whats scarier 20 Boyz running at you or 4-5 Boyz that can fly?
Mobility:With a charge range of 19-24" and a movement range of 19-24" (with run) you can strike anywhere (13-18 of those inches ignore terrain and other units). With mobility like this you can easily support other Mobz if needed, and can strike your enemy where he is most vulnerable (and I don't mean by throwing your Stormboyz at your opponents groin).
REMEMBER: you roll the extra D6" before you move so you can change your tactic accordingly so you don't get stranded in the open. Multiple charges: What? I hear you ask, why on earth would you want to charge multiple targets with such a small squad! - With the high manoeuvrability of the Ork rokkit pack, pulling of multiple charges is more possible then ever! Hopefully this little example will help you understand how this can be effective!
You charge a Wraithlord and a squad of 12 Guardians, you directed all of your attacks against the guardians. Your Stormboyz kill 7 guardians and the Wraithlord kills 1 boy. So you win combat by 6! The guardians run away. 'No Retreat' kicks in. The Stormboyz have a BC so they can harm the Wraithlord, this means he now has to make 6 saves due to wounds from 'No Retreat'.
This little trick works wonders when you opponent has positioned a squishy unit near one of his monstrous creatures a good example would be it you charged a "dakka fex" and some gaunts.
And here is just a quick story that shows you how being adventurous with your multiple charges can be rewarding!I was fighting Tau. Most of my forces had been wiped out and the rest were engaged with kroot. It looked like the game would be a draw, we each had one objective and we were fighting over the objective in the middle, but it looked like the game would end before a victor emerged. I had a squad of 5 Stormboys that had been ignored for the most of the game and were hiding behind some ruins about 22" or so from two squads of fire warriors (12 men each, both still at full strength) who were sitting on my opponents objective. Things were looking grim...
... then I rolled a 6! My Stormboys flew over the ruins, rushed forward sluggas blazing (they all missed, surprise!), charged 24" and managed to pull off a multiple charge on both fire warrior squads.
Defenders reacted ensuring all my Stormboyz could fight. They managed to kill 2 Boyz, I killed 5 tau they both failed their leadership tests at -3 and ran. The Boyz sweeping advanced and wiped them both out! 85pts of Ork just killed 270pts of tau and won me the game!! My opponent and I both stood there in shock.
I was lucky but again its an example of what you can pull off with these guys.
Multiple Charges (advanced):Page 34 of the BRB says the following with regards to the assault move:
"1 The most important one is that each model must end
its assault move in coherency with another model in
its own unit that has already moved.
2 If possible, the model must move into base contact
with any enemy model within reach that is not
already in base contact with an assaulting model.
3 If there are no such models in reach, the model must
move into base contact with an enemy model that is
already in base contact with an assaulting model.
4 If a model cannot reach any enemy models, it must
try to move within 2" of one of its own unit's models
that is already in base contact with an enemy.
5 If this is impossible, it must simply stay in coherency"
Thanks to their jump packs Stormboyz can pull off ridiculous multiple charges. If you are really good at guessing 5-6" then you can position the Stormboyz as follows:
-A model(A) on one side of the mob needs to be between 5-6” away from the unit you plan to declare your charge on.
-A model on the other side of the mob need to be within 6” of an enemy unit that you want to get the multiple charge on.
-Move model(A) into BB contact with the squad you declare the charge against.
-If you guessed the range right 2 and 3 won't be possible for the next model, so you will have do 4.
-The model after this one will only be able to do 5.
-This way you can make a chain of 5-10" with in a mob of 5 between the two enemy squads you want to charge.
-The “defender reacts” ensuring all your models can fight.
In doing this you have effectively charge two units that were 5-10" away from each other. This is a great way of pulling off the MC and "no retreat" trick. Again its all about making the most of the Stormboyz mobility.
Its risky, it takes some guess work. But it can really pay off.
Note: Obviously taking this too far can “ruin” the fun of the game. Do it within reason!Cover out of no where?:If you have to squads of 5 boys you can arrange them in such a way that they both grant each other cover saves. Normally this is not advantageous because the rules state you have to move one unit at a time. So if you were to do this with regular Boyz it would slow them down because you wouldn't be using all your movement to go forward!! However with jump packs you can ignore models in your movement phase, so you don't get this problem! Its a nifty way to get a 4+ cover save if you really need it.
However if you are using your Stormboyz properly you won’t have to resort to such Gitish behaviour! (This tactic is in here for the sake of completion.)
mob A: O Mob B: I
O I O this is the set up I use with two mobs of 5 (but I rarely resort to this!)
I O I
O I O
I
Note: Again taking this too far can “ruin” the fun of the game. Do it within reason!
Stikkbombz:Don't forget that you've got them!
Competing for Fast Attack slots:Fortunately unlike our Elite and Heavy Support choices there is a lot less competition for Fast Attack slots (I have yet to see an army that fields 9 buggies or 15 koptas (Apocalypse Now anyone?).
Conclusion:In conclusion for a cheap price you get a very good harassment unit, that can cause a lot of problems to GEQ armies, can work as a good antitank unit, and generally will put a thorn in the backside of any players plans. Taking two of these smaller mobs lets you perform just as effectively against MEQ armies as a single larger mob.
Hope you enjoyed the guide.