It's Blog and Beginnings. Get it?
 

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To avoid burying the lede, this blog will act as both a replacement for my two discussion threads (Order of the Penitent Saint: A Project Thread and toaae presents: WAAAAGH! Tortoof), as well as a general blog for my hobby thoughts. I was a big fan and user of the B&C's blogs the last time they were around, and with my hobby mojo reinvigorated by a new edition, it felt like the right time to get this rolling.

But I had to have something to actually put some thought out for. And other than gross sentences like that (I very much blog in a "stream of consciousness" method), I didn't have anything that I thought was worth blogging about. Until now. bum-dum-DUM

Nah, I'm just playin'. I played my first game of 10th this past weekend (a Fathers' Day miracle), and remembered to take some pictures! So, BOOM, we've got content.

This game was at the excellent Gamers Guild in Tempe, Arizona. If you're ever in the Sonoran Desert, try to swing by and check out this excellent store. I have no stake, I just love the place and the people. Anyways, I arranged a game via the store discord, and got to play against World Eaters and Angron for the first time since the angry primarch stomped out of the Cicatrix Maledictum. 2,000 points, the Only War mission from the core rules. My list was:

• Ghazghkull Thraka (warlord)
• Warboss (power klaw, attack squig, ENHANCEMENT: Head Woppa's Killchoppa)
• Warboss (power klaw, ENHANCEMENT: Follow Me Ladz)
• Weirdboy
• Nob with WAAAGH! Banner
• Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun
• Mozrog Skragbad
• Deffkilla Wartrike (ENHANCEMENT: Supa-Cybork Body)
• Boyz (20 models, Power Klaw, 2x Big Shootas, 9x Slugga/Choppa, 8x Shoota)
• Boyz (20 models, Power Klaw, 2x Big Shootas, 9x Slugga/Choppa, 8x Shoota)
• Gretchin (11 models)
• Gretchin (11 models)
• Meganobz (6 models, 6x Kombi-weapon/Power Klaw)
• Killa Kans (3 models, 3x Skorcha)
• Megatrakk Scrapjet
• Mek Gunz (3 models, 3x Bubblechukka)
• Warbikers (3 models, Power Klaw, 2x Choppa)

This list was basically "what stuff did I want to try?", 2k points. I wasn't trying to make a good list, per se, but just stick the units that most excited me from the index into a game. I know some people don't like that Ghazghkull is now an INFANTRY model, with only T6; in contrast, I'm so excited he's now able to join a unit. I've always been a big fan of Warbikers, and I really like my Deffkilla Wartrike, so I had to slam them in. I hope the SAG can have a solid role in fire-support, and I had to give the new Bubblechukka a swing. And on and on, with every unit I selected. Really, the only thing I didn't really want to include was the Gretchin, but I wanted more Command Points, and I get ansy whenever my Ork lists have less than 100 models (only got to 87, even with the grots).

My opponents list was constructed much the same way, I think:

• Angron
• Lord Invocatus
• 2x6 Exalted Eightbound
• 10 Bloodletters
• some character (lord of executions?)
• Lord of Skulls

Now I didn't take enough pictures to post a full battle-report, but here's what I did manage to collect. My deployment:

My opponent's deployment:

My opponent got the first turn, and between his World Eater rolls and scout moves, he was immediately into my lines:

(a note, we realized the rules for FLY are different in this edition, and Angron was moved back)

The Killa Kans were murdered, though they lasted longer than they probably should have in no small part to this roll:

But otherwise, with the Lord of Skulls off-table and Angry Ron unable to make a charge, my boys were able to absorb some casualties before hitting back. In my turn, Ghaz stomped up to Angron and punched the Red Angel to death. The Prophet might be less tough, but he still punches like a true monster.

In all, I got to kill Angron three times, with Ghaz personally taking his head twice. The daemon-primarch got him in the end, though Makari saved ol' Ghazghkull's life after Angron massacred all six meganobz in one round. Mozrog got the final kill.

The Lord of Skulls was ineffective, though I did let it kill my Deffkilla, just cause I wanted to see how well that thing punched:

In the end, it was a complete tabling, but who cares? Winning wasn't really the goal for either player. The things I took away were:

• Ghaz is still a heavy hitter, and the 435 points for the full Meganobz support may not be as high as I thought; giving the Prophet 18 ablative wounds seems worthwhile, without even talking about what they get from him (+1 to-hit and to-wound).
• Mozrog may be a solid staple in my lists, and there may also be space for the Beastboss on Squigosaur. Mozrog eats vehicles, is incredibly tanky, and despite not having Lone Operative, being a single model means he can hide fairly easily, but still has the movement speed to get out and pounce on the enemy. The Beastboss is less of a monster, but I don't hate his profile, cost, or abilities. I've long sat on a second box; I may have to get that guy up soon.
• I think the Big Mek and Mek Gunz may be something. Not necessarily the Bubblechukka, but also not-not the Bubblechukka. The random profile is hard to plan around, sure, but the fact that you get to determine the profile before selecting targets is a big boon.
• Warbosses are good, I think. At least satisfying.

Next up, I plan to try my Gorkanaut and Morkanaut, meganobz with a big mek, and units in trukks.

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"So you're excited about 10th?"
I'm excited about a new edition. I'm super bummed by the switch to Power Level, which is what this is in all but name. They've changed the granularity of Power Level, but it's otherwise the same. This deserves its own post, but suffice to say, the rules themselves interest me less than the fact that a new edition is always a great start. I played a ton of 8th edition, and I miss those days of attending monthly tournaments, organizing narrative games, and just meeting tons of new people. 9th's launch during the pandemic, me moving back to Arizona (but a part I didn't know any of the stores in) and my complete dislike of the Ork codex meant I didn't play a fraction as much. I'm really hoping that despite my misgivings with 10th's ruleset so far, I'll be able to roll a bunch of dice and have a good time.