After all this time browsing through MKREALMS, we Orc fans got to have our thread! So, if you're like me who wants to raid w/ the Orcs, this is where you belong. Everything concerning the Orcs, past, present & future are all welcome here. Feel free to post & support the faction that we represent.

Oh yes, speak the truth brother. Our faction has strategy, strength and none of that cheap stuff...ie 22 defense with counter-attack, and parry, and spell resistance....you get my point. Using this faction has always required more thought and planning where as most other is just loading up your unique and praying no one gets a succeeding roll. This is the one and true faction for me.

Well on the subject of strategy, i came up with a nice little healing combo for pure orc armies.
Heartdrinker + Raider's Bane. Raider Bane makes it so u double your damage against Orcs (both pre-2.0 and 2.0) when you succeed at a close combat attack. Im pretty sure it works with healing, making a 6 for healing every time you do it.

Give the wielder a close combat action...

It looked good, but you have to give a CCA to Heal, and to use the optional ability on Raiders Bane. So they don't work together.

While the elves are my faction of choice, I fall back on the orcs a lot since frankly there's more to offer with the orcs. I see a lot of people putting book of lightning on Bloodhawk lately, while that seems to be popular I have't seen a lot of people doing the same with the one time use items on blood shamman figs. Scroll of storms on bloodhawk, two nasty stormfire attacks, or scroll of invocation or potion of dueling on the masked shamman... It's worked well for me so far. Plus you don't have people being pissed off at seeing Bol AGAIN.

I agree w/ that, Bloodhawk is also my top pick of an Orc unique these days. But I always pair him up w/ atleast 2 *Blood Shamans, for hexing & extra healing. 2 actions a turn is better than 1. I also came up on equipping him Mysteries of the Scale w/ centaur's gait & arc lightning. He can now charge if needed & arc lightning attack twice! If in the right moment of course.:D And he can even carry a living Orc shield while he moves around. He is really a beast, not only at range combats, but also at close.:D

Unfortunately, Healing ignores all modifiers for the Close Combat Action, so Raider's Bane will be ignored. Same goes for trying to heal with BotG or Decapitator or any other damage enhancer.

At any rate, I have been an orcer since the beginning when I layed my hands on a Chaos Mage and a pack of Crushers to wrap around him. Ever since my armies have just employed greater and newer Orcs. Half-troll Hackers to Berserkers to Ankhar Butchers to Tribal Brutes to Iron Clads to Harkas and Ub-khan. I've played them all, together and through progression. Orc Conquest has got to be the most fun way to play massive point games, and hordes of orcs slamming against your opponent's couple of beefy uniques or Titans is just the ticket!

Lets try some strats trivia:

Sometimes or most of the time, "FIRST STRIKE" will make you win the game.

So what's your combo & strats to make an Orc army gain first strike? Preferably, without the help of other faction.

1. Masked Shaman cast Centaur's Gait on a Orc Battle Horse. Later on the Masked Shaman cast Eagle's Wing and moves to double time carrying with him Khan Rava and a cavalry unit (an enchanted Eagle Shaman * or ** riding an Orc Battle Horse). Khan Rava shoots and uses point blank proficiency and the cavalry unit mounted charge/charge with extra Ram damage.

2. Masked Shaman cast Eagle's Wing and moves to double time carrying with him some Leadership figure and another Masked Shaman carrying Ward of Light.

3. Three or Four (depending on your point format) Eagle Shamans riding BPR Salamanders. Put water terrain near your enemy camp, deploy the Orc cavlary units and attack everyone.

:)

My No.2 example I gave is wrong. (That's what I get for trying to sneak in a few minutes away from work :))

To modify No.2 would be Nal-khan Witch *** makes a move action double times but just moves for 8 inches, she takes 1 click of damage and now has Leadership. Later on when her action token is removed, Masked Shaman casts Eagle's Wing carrying Khan Rava and another Masked Shaman carrying a Ward of Light spell. Masked Shaman double time for 16 inches away and the other Masked Shaman double time towards the enemy and the Witch receives the action token because of her Leadership and the Masked Shaman uses Magestone Trance to make his second action and casts Ward of Light.

It's not that game-breaking (too many variable factors) but it's a nifty strategy for fun games. :)

My old favourite for a 300 point army remains....

Shaman
Summoner.....Snurga.....Chaos Mage

Using a caouple of Peanuts as a funnel to give them their MB advantage.
With a small cavalry of Outriders (Ankhar Butcher or Cave Butcher) to Take the Flanks.
Use the Butchers to attack from the flanks whilst keeping the threat of Pierce or MB as a distraction.
Forces the enemy to fight on two very different fronts, with Chaos Mage, Snurga and Summoner all capable of solid damage in Close Combat as well.

Still use these as a basis for armies today. With the advent of Surge and DT this is of course not as powerful as it once was, but still loads of fun.

Among the 3 of The Dragon's combo., this is what I prefer & in my mind for Orc first strike attack.
But the flaw on your plan my friend is that the Eagle Shaman cant ride the Orc Battle horse. You can have the Orc Chocobo (or a Pegasi if not pure faction) as his ride, still can deliver MC/C. Or you can have another rider.
Also a good passenger of Eagle's Wing will be Heartdrinker(I like this guy) w/ Sunfire Jav. together w/ the cavalry unit. After the Masked Shaman delivers the two passengers atleast 8" from the opponents army, Heartdrinker can push to fire the Jav. then the cavalry unit will finish the job.
The main plan is Masked Shaman w/ Eagle's Wing in his spellbook, & you can have any Orc heavy hitters to get the job done.

Any other ideas aside from what was mentioned above?

I guess great Orc minds think alike. I also have that army before. 2 Shamans, Snurga, Chaos Mage & Summoner, & some mounted harrassers & back ups. Then I changed Summoner to Ember, then add a clurch piper. &
I always win the tourney w/ this army.

Personally I still favor the Orc Slasher as THE swarm unit. Why? Because it has 9 attack which is good for 18 points, has BA against range attackers, can shoot so it can reach soaring units and goes berserk after 4 clicks, meaning that when using it the right way you can try and go out with a big bang before the enemy kills you! I now own 14 tough versions of them :D... so much fun to play conquest with those, still plenty of room left for other orcs....;) (also own 18 Goblin Volunteers (6 of each version), so that means having 32 units for 252 + 108 = 360 points...wheeee!!! Now that's a swarm!! :))

Yah, I just realized my mistake after I typed the second post. Again, that's what I get for posting hastily. Sorry about that. :p