Optimal frontage?

Hi y'all. New OK player here (just got my first batch last week) and I already love the models, fluff and playstyle (even though I haven't played with them yet...).

As I paint my troops I keep wondering about the optimal frontage of the different units consisting of more than 6 models, mostly ogres, ironguts and maneaters. You know, the standard stuff.

3? Sure, if you want to hide your characters behind the command group. This doesn't seem very "ogrish" though. I want my heroes and lords to do some real fighting! 3 supporting attacks is nothing to snuff at though. Plus you can cram in some extra ranks to get some extra CR and extra S on the charge, but that doesn't seem nearly as important as 6-7 extra attacks that you get from an extra guy in the front.

4? Seems to me the best compromise. Everyone can attack vs a standard 5 man infantry block and it's not too wide, so you can still manouver around.

5 and 6? Seems too wide for me. It will be hard to manouver around and you can easily get blocked by terrain and other units. Having a horde of ogres is fun in theory, but it's so many points.

Maneaters have one extra attack so I guess a bigger frontage is better than with ogres and ironguts. Plus they're a bit more expensive while not being harder to kill, so smaller units seems to be the better choice. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You can always make way with Characters (assuming they're not already in base contact with some other enemy model)

The answer here is 'it depends'. 3 wide is more defensive (especially with tooled up defensive characters making way), but loses offense. Its unlikely we'll break steadfast quickly, but it could happen.

4 Wide is fairly common, maximizes the number of hits you get (including more impacts and stomps) and isn't too hard to manuever.


Heck, if you've got stubborn and a reason to do it, you can always form a conga line (one wide) and tick everyone off.

It often seems to be the over looked, in many eyes less important factor but... More ranks means a higher strength bonus to Impact hits, as well as the obvious rank bonus. If possible I like to have units of Iron Guts and/ Or Bulls 4 wide, 3 deep (Including two characters in the front rank, so were talking about 10 Bulls or Guts), 4 strength 6 Impact hits make quite the difference against more elite regiments as our weapon skill and initiative is poor. The fact that they hit automatically and the high strength lends a decent penalty to their armour.

Keep in mind that even if your unit looses a few ogres on the way, you're likely to get into combat with one extra rank so were talking strength 5 impact hits... Which is still good. A frontage of 4 models helps not only achieve more attacks on the front row, but also to include more supporting attacks. So if you ask me, a frontage of 4 is perfect for a unit in low to mid point games. In larger point battles, is when things like the Gutstar can afford to go horde and really benefit from high strength impact hits.

Impact hits help us go head to head with powerful core troops such as Chaos Warriors, Saurus and AHW Savage Orc Biguns. Particularly with such low initiative and armour like ours, we need to find ways to generate that extra combat res.

One thing to keep in mind is your oponent.  I have 2 3x4 trays that I will change the frontage of my Ogres with on a game to game basis.  Does he have the option to get mass attacks in?  Go 3 wide, does he not go 4 wide.  Do you want more attacks vs weak troops? Go 4 wide.  Want to stay steadfast? Go 3 wide.  Fascina Bretonnian go 3 wide, not fun take more than 2 lances at once.