# Getting excited by 8th Ogres- Blitz and Block



## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

I've been looking at the new rules and have come up with a new theory as to how to play 8th ed ogres- Blitz & Block.

Blitz & Block is the combining of ranked up block units of ogres and blitzing solo models such as maneaters and gorgers... and thanks to the new army organisation we arent limitted to the 1 or 2 rare choices that we could previsouly have, meaning maneaters can finally work as they always were meant to: as solo champions amid an ogre force.

Blocks- well the job of the block units is simple.. its to blitz the enemy 
They take advantage of the Blitzers screwing with the enemy to try to get into the flanks of enemy units and then they smash their way through... alternatively they just charge straight through.

Blitzers- since the Blocks blitz I think it fun that the job of the Blitzers is actually to block.. most of the time.
The blitzers will race up to the enemy and either get in the way and take a charge or to charge themselves... then they get the chance to bash enemy characters and finally they _don't break_. Gorgers always did this well- they arent the most killy things in the game but you are locked in combat with one until its dead.. but maneaters are stubborn and that'll work too, especially if in range of the general or a BSB (I think that stubborn units now use the generals unmodified Ld).


So my blitzers race up to the enemy and get in the way, stopping the enemy from charging my block units while they try to get round into the enemy flank. Either the blitzers are in combat and just try not to break (or die) or just stand in fron of the enemy so that the enemy cancharge them or nothing... meanwhile my blocks move into the enemy flank so that they have the choice of reforming to meet my charge (in which case the blitzer can flank charge, and stay in combat for quite some time) or the enemy can charge my blitzer and hope to both kill him, and overrun far enough to get out of the charge arc of my big units.



I'm going to have to read more of the new rules, and playtest of course, before I know quite how well this tactic will work, but for now Im thinking that it'll give the ogre army the 'outrider' unit they have been lacking for so long (as gnoblars always should have been)... sure they are a little more expensive and significantly slower then a unit of warhounds but then a maneater has good leadership, won't run away (even if you want him to), is stubborn... but is also the equal of most heros out there (and having 1 or more brace of handguns gives you something to hit solo/mounted mages with).


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## neilbatte (Jan 2, 2008)

A good idea one that I'll have to test as well.
The maneaters definately need the cathayan long sword for the initiative boost though otherwise they'll just get picked off and do no damage.
It's similar to how I first set up my ogres when they came out although I used dogs of war cavalry and a slave giant as blitz/ blockers.


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## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

Had a lockin at my FLGS today to celebrate 8th ed... and had a big game of 8th to have a look at the rules. Took ages since there was 7 players and we had to look every other rule up in the book but I just about got to playtest B&B (only played 2 turns... but in that I had already killed, pretty much all of the 3-4k that opposed me, though I did have some lizard units to control as well).

I found that ogres simply arent resilient enough to survive in front-front combat with large enemy units but that as soon as you hit a flank the enemy is going to die. I dont think the weapon on maneaters matters all that much- if they are in the front of the enemy then they'll die regardless and if in the flank its only rarely that the higher initiative of a longsword will stop attacks coming back at you. I think that Im just going to take brace of handguns and use them as my ranged support- to ping away at enemies to take rank bonuses or just kill those solo mages that are roaming around. The alternative is take a great weapon and launch them at enemy units with buffs on them... but I think its rare that they'll live long enough. For now Im using the 5 of the maneaters in my army- the female is my tyrant (matron), the paymaster is my BSB (if you break in front of him you dont get paid ) and then the ninja, empire and pirates are my solo blitzers... so I get to playtest all the weapons and see which is most useful... the poor old Araby maneater is only used very rarely when I want a bruiser as a challenge monkey with a 2+ save (and likely to be a giant breaker or deathcheater).

Overall my feelings are that the new rules are going to make ogres really struggle- sure we pump out a huge number of attacks but with either ASL or I2 on all our core almost everythign will get the chance to knobble us first... and almost never will we break an enemy in 1 turn (even with regen I was having difficulty living through 2 rounds of combat)... but then I did manage to fail 3 straight stubborn Ld 9 tests so my luck wasnt the greatest, and even with all that my army had taken out quite a chunk of skaven and beastmen.
On the upside though the scraplauncher is now filth


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## maddermax (May 12, 2008)

Yep, 8th ed. will badly affect all the left over 6th ed books, only Tomb Kings might come out of it better off, but they'll still be a low-tier army. WE, Brets and Ogres are going to really really struggle, as the rules which they relied on are all changing - Skirmishing Blitzing units for WE, Charging and breaking for Brets, and Ogres.... well, weren't treated that kindly in 7th either, but the stubborn enemies and usually striking last in combat will make it harder for them.

We'll just have to retool, try new things, and (at worst) simply hope GW updates our books sooner rather than later.


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## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

TK and ogres should be redone very soon... might give us a hope. But gotta love how 2/3 of my armies are on that list (ogres and WE) but that HEs, my least favourate army, are now ridiculously dirty.

Anyone read the section on flank charges? I heard it was easier to get flank charges then before but with the easy reforms that are around I cant really see many flank charges happenning at all... especially if you play 3k and there are more and more units crammed onto the same sized board.
I have a sinking feeling that WFB is going a long way towords 40k... that it'll just be a powerhouse where the list is all important, set up has a small impact but then the game itself is just roll forwards and hope to avoid the worst of the luck.


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## Katie Drake (Nov 28, 2007)

Maybe it's 'cause I'm still awake after around 24 hours, but I'm so freaking confused. So are the Blitzers blitzing or blocking?


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## Masked Jackal (Dec 16, 2009)

Katie Drake said:


> Maybe it's 'cause I'm still awake after around 24 hours, but I'm so freaking confused. So are the Blitzers blitzing or blocking?


Blitzs rush up to the enemy, take the charge and hold, so in essence they're blocking. Confused me for a second too. XD


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## neilbatte (Jan 2, 2008)

I tried out my gunline version of ogres today and am happy to agree that the scaplauncher is filthy now it can actually hit things.
I still think that walls of leadbelchers and hordes of gnoblars are the way ahead for ogres now as you don't rely on initiative when you've shot everything first then let the plain bulls pick of the pieces with maneaters in support.


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