Big names and Magic items

I've been searching on this site for sometime looking at different list builds and what to take (or what I shouldn't be taking) and I've noticed that almost no competitive list builds include any ogre Big Names. Is there a reason behind it? Are they just too expensive for what they do or is it because there are so many 1+ items that you have to take in an ogre army that almost no points are left over to add in Big Names. If someone has used them, or even the ghastly overpointed magic weapons (Thundermace) how did it work out?
With that in mind, it also seems many people take items more from the BRB than our own book. Are our items too overpriced in general, or are they just too useless in a competitive match?

The main reason is that big names come out of the same pool as magic items.  The big names don't really add enough to make them worth part of your limited budget compared to other items.

I could get kineater, but I would be better off just getting a BSB, since it costs the same and has a better range.

I would get wallcrusher, but that is a lot of points for an effect I only see once per 4 games or so.  I'd rather spend it on something that is always going to be useful.

I could get mountain eater, but how many str 7 things do you run into?  I could spend that on glittering scales and get an effect that works against more units, and simply running in a unit gives me better defense against cannons.

The only big names that are worthwhile are mawseeker (though against many units, tough 6 is just as good as tough 5), giantbreaker (cheap +1 str, works great with greedy fist and either sword of striking or fencers blades), and longstrider (which only ever goes on hunters).  You sometimes see deathcheater on BSBs that have a magic banner, but that is due to a lack of other options.

So, not counting taking a magic banner, there are just better options for most big names.  I could have +1 str, but I could also just take a great weapon.  I'm going to be hitting last against almost anything anyway.  I could have +1 tough, but I could spend an extra 5 or 10 and have a 4+ ward save instead. 

Finally, slaughtermasters can't take big names, so most people don't even have access to them to begin with (not counting the BSB, but they usually just get loaded up with magic items), especially since no one but me seems to ever take hunters.

Finally, slaughtermasters can't take big names, so most people don't even have access to them to begin with (not counting the BSB, but they usually just get loaded up with magic items), especially since no one but me seems to ever take hunters.

+1 to everything LawGnome said. Also, the reason why no one takes hunters is that they take away from the Heroes points (which, before the 50%, was very limiting), and from a competitive standpoint, they don't bring much more to the table than what a unit of MFC or scouting or vanguarding MEs can do. Plus, he can only join units of Sabretusks, which are better reserved for 1-drop chaffblocks than an actual "fighting" unit. Hunters just aren't optimal in the competitive scene.

Big Names would be taken all the time if they had a separate allowance.

When they come out of the same allotment they compete with things unfavorably. Why would I take Giantbreaker when I can take a magic sword of +1str and get magic attacks in the bargain? Mawseeker is expensive for giving up being able to take as much other defensive tech which is overall more useful.

As for our faction magic items, most of them are really corner case. Just like everyone else who has had an 8th edition book release. Usually a couple items are good, the rest of meh or outright crap.

The Dragonhide Banner, the Runemaw Banner, and the Hellheart are amazing. The Greedyfist is ok, but it competes for a Talisman slot which is just odd, its an Ironfist for goodness sakes! The Thiefstone is too expensive and too random. The Gutmaw is interesting, but again it is competing with all the good generic magic armors available. And of course our 2 magic weapons are just obscenely expensive, I want to strangle Jervis for that, and for getting rid of the Tenderizer!*

*a sign of an ogre veteran is griping over the loss of the Tenderizer.