So I picked up the new Ork Codex and thinking about it and playing Orks again got me exited about dusting off my painted models and enthusiastic about putting together and painting new ones...but does it really matter with the new "Mob Rule"? Is it the same old Orks?
The 1999 codex rule Mob Rule, stated that if the the leadership check fails, another 2d6 was rolled and if the result was equal or less than the number of orks in the squad, they would pass. It also had a cool "mobbing up" rule where a fleeing Ork squad could combine with another squad within 6", with a leadership check of the falling back squad (only usable for foot troops).
The new 2014 codex Mob Rule is very very different in a horrible way. Firstly, non-character Orks have a leadership of 7. This fails 15 out of 36 times or almost 42% of the time. Even Nobz have this leadership value. Now if a squad fails a morale or pinning check, they have to roll on a new chart. You have a 50% chance of having a "Squabble" and inflicting a random number of hits randomly in your squad. Oh, and if you have fewer than 10 models you don't have to roll for random damage because you just fail the test. Then you have a 33% chance of "Breaking Heads", only applicable if you have a character, and you have the same result as "Squabble", random hits randomly (except the character) and failing if you have less than 10 models. The last 16.66% of the time, unless you are in close combat you fail. If you have a bosspole you can get a reroll unless you rolled a "Breaking Heads" result. Therefore it is skewing you to choose a character with a bosspole and taking lots of Orks in a squad if you want the same effect as the previous two codexes. They no longer gain immunity to leadership checks by having a big squad! Sure it still gives an opportunity to not flee after failing a check, but its so time consuming and counter to the last fifteen years of Orkiness, and that's not including what might be in the original army book more than two decades ago. So...does this rule really matter to me. Yes, these are not the same Orks. They are more cowardly. More timid.
Please allow me to ramble and rant a bit about the last five years of my experience with Games Workshop.
I enjoyed my first ever tabletop army, the Necrons. The models were cool looking and my paint job easy and functional. I also won as often as I lost but what really mattered was having a group of friends that also played and we played to have fun.
Then my friends were not as interested and I started playing at the local Games Workshop store, but playing less and less. The only factions I played were the Necrons, Orks and Chaos Space Marines. The Necrons I could win at fairly often. The Orks did not win that often but I had a blast with them which dropped as I left the store wondering if I wasn't competitive enough. The Chaos Space Marines were alright for winning and playing but my heart was not in them. By this time my switching forces to find the spark of enjoyment and victory meant I was not good with any army. My heart was not in the game.
The second last time I played was a Dark Angels force I bought cheap off a dude. I studied the army rules and took them to a local game convention, Gottacon. Because of my inability to hear over the noise and unfamiliarity with the army, I made mistakes and did not make it a fun time for my opponent. It left a sour taste in my mouth because I wanted to capture that sense of fun for everyone that myself and my friends had. It also made me worry as I had accumulated many armies that I had never played because people were selling them cheap. This added to the daunting nature of painting them and becomeing proficient with them. I had too much of something my heart was not into.
Then Warmachine came as a breath of fresh air. I then dropped interest in Warhammer 40k and Fantasy but kept getting models that looked cool or were cheap from others selling them. To me Warmachine was a game that required less time painting but a steeper learning curve. This was a challenge because it forced you to pay attention so I started playing my Warmachine Khador dudes once a week and my skillset grew. My Games Workshop models were left in the dust.
Then the new Necron Codex came out. A fellow who knew I had Necrons offered to try his Chaos Space Marine army out against it to see how the rules worked. I lost and we discussed how the many new Necron models could be used to beat his new models in his armies new codex. I also lost because I was unfamiliar with the new Necron army and the new 40k rules. I also was cheesed at the many many new models that were out when I had everything that was out before the new codex was published. I would have to buy more to be competitive and win. I did not want to buy more for a game I had not played for a year and might not play in another year.
That is when I knew that I was ready to stop playing Games Workshop's business game. The game of more, more, more. I started organizing the armies I didn't like, knew I would never play or find time to paint and sold them. That happened last August and since then I have made lots of money for purchasing other games, travel and treating my wife to a few luxury meals.
I was ready for the next round of selling armies in the next tier of meh when the new Space Marine codex came out and now the Ork codex has come out. I'm being held back for selling those armies and a few others. Why? Because they have things that I enjoy. They are fun. They can be converted or represent an aspect that I like. Space Marines and Orks are Space Marines and Orks. They don't change at their root. Sure the seventh edition rules favor shooting and the sixth preferred melee. The next edition will change things again. New codexes will always add, alter or delete models and units. Even for the Space Marines, whom are the epitomy of the tried and true, suddenly found new templates of weapons and vehicles for thier factories to produce. What the current GW buisiness model will not change is the fun I have putting models together and painting them. They certainly won't change the fun I had making my Ork 1920's Gangster squad, including a themed vehicle. But fun in putting together a model is not enough. That is where GW falters...the rules. GW makes great models but unbalanced and sucky rules.
That is where I'm going with this thought. I like putting together fun models and/or converting them. Of all the 40k armies, Orks are a hobbyists dream because anything goes. Therefore the Orks I'm keeping. To counter that, I'm keeping my Space Marines because I want to do a fourth company Ultramarine army. The Space Marines I consider straightforward and every classic model is identifyable and a known for what they can be used for. I'll still be able to convert some but they will be my order on the hobby table while Orks are my chaos. Other armies I'm keeping are Space Wolves (for the conversions), Traitor Mutant Imperial Guard (conversions) and Dark Eldar (for conversions and because they are the original versions that nobody wants to buy). For Fantasy I'm keeping Skaven (because they were a gift to me and excellent RPG miniatures), Dwarf (fun and conversions) and Orks&Goblins (conversions). The rest will go to make someone else happy.
I'll assemble, convert, paint and store the GW models that I do have, and take pictures for my blog. Playing, however, will only happen when Games Workshop stop being greedy for the shareholders and they make rules that are balanced as well as fun and challenging. Until then balanced games like Warmachine, Malifaux, and Infinity will be happily played by myself.
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