40k: 8th Edition Core Rules, Ork Codex, what do ya think?

[Smokeyrone]

Blasphemy, I know, but I am stuck in 4th edition, and truth be told, we usually use TSATF colonial rules, heavilly modified, with Orks as a Mahdist style horde, and Space Marines or Kadians as European forces, with damn good results.

But, a very nice local gamestore has a huge 40k crowd, with daily gaming and big  beautiful tables/terrain, so im kinda forced to join the mob and start 8th Edition proper.

The new rules book and Ork codex are gonna be presents from my gf for Christmas, I think.

How is it?  It has to be a more playAble game than old skool 40k?   What about Orks?  Is my 1500 point army of all sorts of units and looted vehicles obsolete?

[Elbows]

8th edition 40K is similar to past editions, not rules-wise...but in that it retains the same spot it's had.

The rules are fun, but poor for competitive play - meaning the fun you have is entirely up to you and the people you're playing against.  If you ask a tournament player what he thinks of 40K you'll get a much more narrow and extreme answer.  As a game to play with friends?  It's good fun.  You can cheese and break the game just as you could previous editions...by simply being a douche.  If you aren't, and you and your opponents bring decent lists you can have a really good time.

The Ork codex is extremely strong.  It can be abused just like a couple of other books, but by not abusing it - you can have a very strong and fun army.  Orks have a lot more flavour than in past editions, and you could do a lot worse.

However...as stated above if you're planning on attending tournaments or doing pick-up games locally it'll depend entirely on what you're looking to get out of the game.

[Pictors Studio]

Hey Smokey,

We still play 3rd edition for the most part so you aren't totally heretical.

I've made a few forays into 8th edition.  The games we played were all infantry: SM vs. GSC and SM vs. Kroot but they were fun games.  I haven't played with the new vehicle rules and that seems like the place where the rules would fall down the most.  There is no way a lascannon can take out a rhino with one shot any more. 

I really do need to try them again with vehicles just to see how they work because they might surprise me.

From the games we played it seemed as though the horde armies did pretty well against the elites.  We don't really play with points but after the Kroot games I went through and reckoned up the power for each side and it was pretty close.  The Kroot slaughtered the SM in both games.