Welcome to a new series looking at each faction in the new Warhammer 40,000 and the suite of new detachments they’ll be getting alongside the launch of the game.
Before we kick off the first instalment, it's worth reiterating how detachments work in this new edition. Where previously, armies would need to choose a single detachment, in the new edition you will often be able to choose several, allowing you to tailor your force to play just as you imagine it should – either leaning into a particular narrative theme, or unlocking powerful gaming combinations (or both!)
All the detachments in your current codex will be usable at launch, as will the recent suite of detachments from expansions like the Eye of Terror: Reign of Iron and The Maelstrom: Lair of the Tyrant.
There will also be 70 new and updated detachments launching with the new edition. These will mostly be brand new sets of rules, with a few returning favourites from places like the Grotmas series.
Racing to the front of the Faction Focus series are the Orks…
Orks, of course, have been quite well served with new detachments recently, with two in the Armageddon: The Return of Yarrick expansion. Two of the three 11th edition detachments we’re looking at today are updates to the popular Taktikal Brigade and DAKKA! DAKKA! DAKKA! rules, alongside the all-new Rollin’ Deff that boosts your Battlewagons.
Let’s see what that looks like on the tabletop with a first look at their three new detachments.
Each Detachment rewards you for building your force in a thematic way – here are the rules, an enhancement, and a stratagem from each
Rollin’ Deff
When Orks hit, they hit hard, and when they’re mounted up in Battlewagons, they become an almost unstoppable avalanche of metal. The Rollin’ Deff Detachment rule instantly makes your big vehicles faster when they make an advance move, and also makes charges more reliable.
THUNDERING WAGONS
Like mobile armoured fortresses, little can stop the crushing impetus of the Orks’ hurtling wagons.
Friendly BATTLEWAGON/HUNTA RIG/KILL RIG units have WAGON.
Friendly WAGON units can re-roll charge rolls.
When a friendly WAGON unit is selected to make an advance
move, that unit can change advance rolls to a 6.
This detachment has the WAGONS tag and cannot be taken with another WAGONS detachment.
Remember, when you Waaagh!, you can advance AND charge. That makes it easier to crush enemies beneath your deff rolla or cut them down with the saw blades on your Kill Rig.
Need to launch your Boyz and Beast Snagga Boyz out of their vehicles to do some krumpin’? Add the Boarding Ramps enhancement to your Battlewagons, Hunta Rigs, and Kill Rigs to increase the threat range of your Orks.
BOARDING RAMPS (Upgrade)
Nothing eases the passage of an embarked mob of Orks into the enemy lines than a big plank of rusty metal to stampede down and straight into the fight.
WAGON unit only. When a unit embarked within this unit is selected to make a disembark move, that unit has +1 to charge rolls until the end of the turn.
Since you now choose your target after making your charge rolls, that extra inch could bring an unsuspecting enemy unit into range of your mob.
The Brutal Broadside Stratagem lets your Battlewagon unleash hell.
BRUTAL BROADSIDE (1CP)
ROLLIN’ DEFF STRATAGEM
Rolling into the midst of the foe, this wagon unleashes a rippling fusillade of rapid-fire death and destruction.
WHEN: Your Shooting phase, when a friendly BATTLEWAGON unit is selected to shoot.
TARGET: That BATTLEWAGON unit.
EFFECT: Your unit’s ranged attacks (excluding attacks made by weapons selected with Firing Deck) have [RAPID FIRE X], where X is that attack’s A.
Imagine how much carnage your killkannon will do.
Taktikal Brigade
Some Orks, especially the Blood Axes, prefer to rely on their kunnin’ – rather than just brute force – to win battles. Load up on Stormboyz, outwit your opponent by advancing or falling back, and then perform an action.
LISSEN ’ERE
Blood Axe leaders bellow actual orders to the ladz under their command, coordinating assaults and even fighting retreats in a most un-Orky and alarmingly organised fashion.
Friendly STORMBOYZ units have BATTLELINE.
When a friendly BOYZ/KOMMANDOS/STORMBOYZ unit is selected to make an advance/fall-back move, that move does not prevent that unit from being eligible to start an action.
That’s especially handy for secondary missions such as Plunder, meaning you can advance into a terrain area and then claim your 5 VP.
While your Boyz Plunder, your Warboss can be a Slippery Git with an enhancement. Infiltrate him close to some enemy units so you can get to work right away with his power klaw, or choose to be kunnin’ and keep him away from your foes while he runs around claiming uncontested objectives.
SLIPPERY GIT
So steeped in the devious ways of the Blood Axe Clan is this Warboss that he can even sneak into battle at the head of a mob of Kommandos.
INFANTRY WARBOSS model only (excluding MEGA ARMOUR models). This model has Infiltrators and Stealth.
This enhancement also lets your Warboss join a unit of Kommandos to cause some real mischief behind enemy lines.
The Ded Sneaky Stratagem lets your Kommandos or Stormboyz disappear, ready to come back again where your foe least suspects it.
DED SNEAKY (1CP)
TAKTIKAL BRIGADE STRATAGEM
Utilising camouflage, cover or misdirection, these Orks slip away to prepare their next ambush, leaving their foes staring at thin air.
WHEN: End of your opponent’s Fight phase.
TARGET: One friendly unengaged KOMMANDOS/STORMBOYZ unit.
EFFECT: Place your unit in strategic reserves.
Disappear during your opponent’s Fight phase with your Stormboyz, and then Deep Strike them in your next Movement phase to jump on an objective or protect a more important unit.
More Dakka!
Orks love dakka – in fact, the only thing they prefer is MORE dakka! This Detachment helps mitigate the traditionally unreliable shooting of Orks by unleashing buckets of bullets.*
DAKKA! DAKKA! DAKKA!
Orks have no real concept of ammunition preservation, instead tending to hold the trigger down until their ammunition runs dry or their weapon falls apart in their hands.
Friendly ORKS INFANTRY units’ ranged attacks have [ASSAULT].
In your Shooting phase, if the Waaagh! is active for your army, friendly ORKS INFANTRY units’ ranged attacks have [SUSTAINED HITS 1].
Being able to shoot after you advance adds more range to your shootas and increases the threat range of mid-range weapons like the snazzguns carried by the Flash Gitz. The second ability comes into its own when you’re getting up close and personal – move, advance, shoot (with sustained hits), and then charge! That’s brutal and kunnin’.
There’s an enhancement that lets you put out even more shooting – what Ork wouldn’t be impressed by Dead Shiny Shootas?
DEAD SHINY SHOOTAS (Upgrade)
Rumoured to have been made by Big Mek Buzzgob, da Dead Shiny Shootas are a set of multi-barrelled brutes packed full of dakka. The guns kick out a deafening storm of hot lead, much to the enjoyment of the Orks pulling the triggers, their volume of fire so great that even the most inaccurate shooter can land a respectable number of hits.
ORKS INFANTRY unit only. This unit’s ranged attacks have:
[RAPID FIRE 1].
Or: If that attack already has [RAPID FIRE], +1 to the value of that [RAPID FIRE] (e.g. [RAPID FIRE 1] becomes [RAPID FIRE 2]).
Think of the possibilities – Rapid Fire snazzguns on your Flash Gitz, Rapid Fire rokkit launchas on your Tankbustas, Rapid Fire 3 on the kustom shootas of your Meganobz.
There are loads of ways to make Orks angry, and shooting at them is one! If you don’t finish them off, they’re going to show you the true meaning of dakka.
CALL DAT DAKKA? (1CP)
MORE DAKKA! STRATAGEM
Gun‑crazed mobs of Orks take incoming fire as a primal challenge, one that must be answered with an even bigger show of dakka.
WHEN: Your opponent’s Shooting phase, when an enemy unit that targeted a friendly ORKS INFANTRY unit has shot.
TARGET: That ORKS INFANTRY unit.
EFFECT: Your unit shoots using snap shooting, but while doing so your unit can only target that enemy unit.
Getting shot first means your Orks are probably going to take some casualties, but then you essentially get to use the Fire Overwatch Stratagem in your opponent’s shooting phase!
SNAP SHOOTING
Eligible If: As stated in the rule allowing this shooting type.
Effect: Your unit shoots as described in Making Attacks (04).
While shooting:
You can only target one visible enemy unit within 24" of your unit (and only if it is an eligible target).
Each attack only hits on an unmodified hit roll of 6 (irrespective of the attacking weapon’s BS characteristic or any modifiers).
You cannot re-roll hit rolls.
After shooting: Until the end of the phase, your unit is not eligible to start an action.
With all these new taktiks, your Boyz can claim Armageddon or any other planet that you’ve got your beady eye on. We’ll be looking at the new Detachments for the other factions in Warhammer 40,000, with the Space Marines in our sights for tomorrow. Sign up for our newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any.
* We hope you have LOTS of dice ready.
