How to Play the Orks in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

Stomp da humies and stomp ‘em good! The Orks are tough, numerous, mean and green! Unfortunately, contrary to their nature, they are quite difficult to play, and even more difficult to play well. They require strategy and the knowledge of how to use them effectively. They are a challenge to be sure, but they can be a lot of fun!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

1. Get those Slugga Boys out there! The Orks have the advantage of having the toughest starting unit: the Slugga Boys mob. They have a large unit size, fight well and are a lot tougher than Space Marine Scouts, Eldar Guardians or Chaos Cultists. Get your Slugga Boys out there as soon as you can and have them harass the enemy while they are still building!
2. Build LOTS of WAAGH banners! The game even says “KEY STRUCTURE”, and they aren’t kidding! Without lots of WAAGH banners, you CANNOT reinforce your troops or build new ones! The advantage of the banners is that they also act as defense towers, so building them all over your perimeter is a good idea. Build them everywhere! You can never have too much WAAGH!
3. Amass your boys! The Orks work best with lots of large mobs. They will almost always be more successful with a lot of Slugga and Shoota boys than with a few Nobz and other units that--while tougher and better armed--are less in number and can be picked apart individually.
4. Reinforce your Gretchin squads! These little guys are not only builders, they are also fighters … more or less. Therefore, it benefits you to make them into mobs as large as possible. They build stuff faster, take more shots before they die, and they shoot more!
5. Close in fast! Orks work best in close combat where they can bring nasty axes, power fists and all manner of pain to bear. They are not the greatest shots in the world, so get them into close combat range as soon as possible! In melee combat, Orks dominate nearly everything save Eldar Aspect warriors.
6. Get a Big Mek as soon as you can! Enemy character units are the bane of the Orky existence! So to counter the commander threat, use a Big Mek to keep the commander busy while your Boys take out everything else!
7. Use Tankbusta boys to take down enemy armor. This is especially important against the Imperial Guard, who have a tendency to field large numbers of tanks.
8. Build a unit or two of Stormboyz. These melee fighters can use their jetpacks to fly just about anywhere, and will be one of the best close combat squads you can make. Get them into the thick of it as soon as you can!
9. Keep upgrading your mobs! As your army grows, keeping them upgraded becomes more and more important! Because you already have large numbers of troops, having them all be even a little bit better makes a HUGE difference!
10. Enjoy yourself! The Orks are one of the most amusing races to play! While other races tend to be morose and serious, the Orks are all about fightin’ and ‘avin fun! You should too! WAAGH!