Viable army?

Hi
I am looking for some quick advice, simply because I am thinking of starting myself a project and (somewhat reluctantly) I have glanced back at 40k for inspiration.

The question is quite simply; in the current version of 40k (which I don't play as of yet....nor may I ever) is it actually viable to have a (don't know what they are called now) Imperial Guard army made up entirely of Ogryn ?

I have been thinking of building up a Ogryn only army with all its associated vehicles, conversions etc but only using Ogryn and Ogres as the troop base for this army. Would it actually be possible, under current rules, to rock up with an army entirely made out of vehicles and Ogryn?

I may still attempt the project even if it isn't viable, just for something to paint, but it would be nice to know that they could actually hit the table at some point.

Thanks in advance
G_H

Really? No one knows if this would be a viable/ playable option for 40k? Sake! Going to have to come up with another project then.....bummer!

G_H

I'm afraid I don't know much about 40K, but I think Ogryns are a special choice, so you'd need at least one or two squads or basic guardsmen. It sucks, I really like the idea of an ogryn based army! I'm not sure you could even fill out the core with vehicles, but I'm hoping someone can prove me wrong.

You can make any army you want with the Unbound Army rules that they have. You'd give up a couple key advantages for certain scenarios, but for the most part they made the rules very open-ended for what you can do.

Now, making it a Battleforged army, I have no idea. lol... Almost everything I know about 40k comes from watching miniwargaming batreps lol

Thanks Sazel  . I don't really know much about 40k these days as I jacked it in nearly 2 years ago when the brought out yet another rule book within a two year period. To me that was just a step too far so I sold everything I had and decided to put 40k to bed once and for all.

We all always say that shit though  and yet we all creep back to stuff over time. This is no exception! I really want to start a new ogre army and 9th is taking way too long to roll around. In the meantime this would give me the opportunity to do a sort of Ogre army but with tanks (which to be fair I do miss painting!).

I did figure I could blag the army into playing Warpath with it, or some other system. But in the main most people play GW games; especially 40k, so I thought I would try and make sure that an all-Ogryn army was at least legal in some ways.

I was under the impression that they changed 40k with the last set of rules to allow people to play absolutely anything  (which seemed like a dumb-ass idea to me, if I am being honest) allied with absolutely anything (which seemed even more dumber!). It was my understanding that you could just rock up to a game with a 25 man unit of grots and 5 Stompaz and that would be totally acceptable and game legal. Seemed stupid but if that's the way its played now.....

So that's why I figured it would be possible to field a 100% Ogryn and tanks army.

I have no idea what Battleforged army means. Either its some rule thing I don't know about or I have seriously missed the plot!

Wacko; that's my point too brother! I am really hoping that a 100% Ogryn army would be totally game-legal these days in 40k. What a sight that would be; a sea of ogres filling the table, but with huge f**k-off tanks and gunships!  the very thought makes me moist!!!

G_H

Yes you can play an all Ogryn army and i think it would be cool to convert up some Ogryn proof vehicles. As a guard player let me know if you need any help with it

Battleforged is the normal 40k list building rules. In order to have a battleforged army you need at least 1 HQ and 2 Troops choices. This means that if you can have gnoblars or any other goblins as the guardsmen/veterans/conscripts. Then you can have the Ogres as Ogryn which are an Elites choice which you can have up to a maximum of 4 Elites.

This means that unlike an Ogre Kingdoms army where there are more Ogre units, the Imperial Guard/Astra Militarum army you have in mind would have the majority of units being gnoblars/goblins/grots. However, don't let this deter you. There are many examples of Imperial Guard/Astra Militarum armies created using gnoblars/goblins/grots as guardsmen. The most famous one out there is done by Proiteus, who has lots of pictures of his army before and after they are painted.

Here are the links to his devianart and dakka dakka pages:

Deviantart=http://proiteus.deviantart.com

Dakka Dakka=http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/user/profile/10465.page

Check them out. You might get some ideas on how to convert fantasy models to the 40k range.

I'm building both an Imperial Guard army and an Ogre Kingdoms one as well. I think that you should definitely try to make this idea into a reality. Having an army for both 40k and Fantasy is great since you have two different unique flavors when it comes to building and playing. If you want to ask anymore questions about the Imperial Guard I can help answer them.

Hope this reply to your post gets you excited to bring this idea of your into the physical realm.

Nazzaarth Icebreaker-(OK)|Saul Prospero-(IG/AM)

Nazzaarth Icebreaker; thanks for this mate.

We may be at cross-purposes though dude. I have absolutely no intention of adding Gnoblars/ Grots/ Goblins into this army. That is kind of my problem! I get the whole; you need to have a minimum number of troop choices, 40k was like that a couple off years back when I played it (with FOC etc).

My idea is only to have Ogryn in the army. That's why I was asking if, in these times of "anything goes" in 40k, just having an army made up of "special" units was viable and playable.

I was using the Grots and Stompa thing as an example of a totally ridiculous army. Minimal troops with 5 stompas. Well, I wouldn't play against it tbh. Not unless it was a game that required the capturing of objectives with troops! Anyway, I have digressed!

The question is; looking at an IG (oops  Astra Militarum) army is there every a scenario where it would be totally game legal to rock up with a bunch of transports, tanks, flyers even and an entire army of Ogryn?

That's what I am aiming for, if that makes sense.

G_H

Yes, its perfectly fine to create an unbound army without certain necessary units (aka Troops). However, I think that there is a formation for fielding just Ogryns as well. Also fluff wise, complete Ogryn regiments do exist. They are just usually broken up into different Imperial Guard regiments. I'm right now looking for that Ogryn formation so that can be another option for you to use to legally field an Ogryn army besides unbound.

I'll get back in touch when I do find it.

Hi, I'm back. There is a formation/detachment for Ogryns and its called the Rampart Detachment. It is in the Sanctus Reach - The Red WAAAGH! campaign book. The Rampart Detachment lets you field a PCS with two 5 man Bullgryn squads that come with: fearless, fear, counter attack, +1 cover to anyone partially cover by the detachment or its shields. This means that these Bullgryns gives anyone behind or partially covered by them a 3+ cover save and if your guardsmen take cameo cloaks then that 3+ cover save just become 2+ with the Bullgryns!!!

Sanctus Reach also has a Steel Host Formation which includes 3 squadrons of Leman Russ and and a Hydra. However, the max amount of units you can field in this Formation are 12 Battle Tanks and 3 Hydras. Oh, and the Formation's commander grants Preferred Enemy on any enemy within 12" inches of himself to the tanks near him. So buying the Sanctus Reach - The Red WAAAGH! Campaign book is a great way to create an all Ogryn + Tank force. Look on ebay or ask around. It shouldn't be too hard to find.

Another way of making your army a reality is to buy Imperial Armor Vol 1 second edition from Forgeworld or someone on ebay. Why get this book? Because it has an army list in it that allows you to create an army of just armored Imperial Guard vehicles. This includes fliers such as the Vendetta, Vulture, Thunderbolt, Lightning and Avenger. Plus only a few units come with guardsmen/veterans/scions(aka stormtroopers) so you can easily create many varied lists without a single infantry model. Its basically the army you want but without Ogryns.

Nonetheless, 40k allows you to build a force consisting of multiple armies, formations or detachments. Which means if you buy or borrow the Imperial Guard/Astra Militarum codex, Sanctus Reach - The Red WAAAGH! and Imperial Armor Vol 1 second edition you have everything you need to build this army you have in mind plus more. The Imperial Guard is an army that can be played many different ways. They have 7 different codexes/army lists. 8 if you include the Renegades and Heretics(aka Lost and the Damned) army list from Forgeworld Imperial Armor Vol 13. So you can choose a small elite codex (Militarum Tempestus/Scions/Stormtroopers) or mix up it up like your Ogryn+tank army (Sanctus Reach - The Red WAAAGH!).

Summary:

Buy the Sanctus Reach - The Red WAAAGH! first since it has two formations you can use to create this army. Try it out and see how you like it.

If Sanctus Reach is ago then you can get the Imperial Armor Vol 1 book. It greatly increases your roster and gives you many varied lists for your Ogryns. Ogryns in the sky! Ogryns in metal boxes! Orgyns swarming like Orkz, only they are much betta than Orkz.

Finally, in order to get that Orky green tide feel buy the Imperial Guard/Astra Militarum codex. Explain that you have an unbound list then spam those Ogryns (shooty Ogres) and Bullgryns (close combat/mobile cover shield Ogres) like there is no tomorrow.

If you want any of the above books just ask me. I can email you a pdf the books mentioned above. I'm a Guard/Ork player in 40k so I have these already. Just ask and you shall receive.

Nazzaarth Icebreaker;

Holy hell in a hand-cart; spin my nipple-nuts and send me to Alaska! you have done some home work on this brother! I am totally humbled!

First up, I am bunging you a Gnoblar...it really doesn't say how greatful I am for your efforts, but take him anyway; beat him daily and keep him in the dark! Nasty little fella!

I don't know where to start with all this information. I will source the books and get them. I love a decent book and am totally happy to buy them. It may sound sad in the days of PDF files, but there is nothing quite like holding a book in your hands and physically reading thorugh it. I am just old school I guess.
Of course if I cant actually source the books......

Not that I would ever condone the blatant infringement of copyright laws, nor should anyone else and the Ogre Stronghold strenuously does not support this!! "Piracy is a crime, do not accept it. demand a genuine video cassette.....yadda yadda"

To further expand this Ogryn army I will PM you rather than lay it on the line here, just in case its starting to bore people! 

I would also like to thank Minigiant who has also been a massive help in giving me info to get this project out of the "ideas" book and well on the way to "on the desk". Thank you sir! Gnoblar on his way! Poke him with a sharp stick and don't feed him apples!

G_H

Thanks alot Gnoblar_Herder and I will keep him in the dark. By the way I agree with you on books as well. They are just better in my opinion. However, I was giving you the PDFs for a test run then you could buy your own. That was the plan at least. No copyright infringement here. When you own it you can let someone borrow it. I'll wait for your private messages in the future. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Nazzaarth Icebreaker

just going to chip in with my two cents on t'ole ogryns.

I have run these boys from 4th to 6th (haven't played 7th with them). They have never made me proud unless against orks or tyrannids. I would run a squad 5-6 ogryns with some sort of leadership buff, you need it! LD 7 is absolute shite.

Never foot slog these boys, ever. They are massive fire magnets. Their shooting is not too great either but my goodness i love these boys with a priest in the unit.

I am sorry to say this but I don't think it is viable beyond painting and converting. It would look fantastic but you would really run into serious issues on the table. I don't want you to get them and then never play them due to being redundant. You do need some support for them.

Assault and the psychic phase are the kings of 7th. You will need some anti flier stuff.

Hope this doesn't dissuade you,

Grumfug

Another option assuming you have opponents who accept it would be to do some "counts as" for the Ogryn base size/Imperial troops. That would give you more tactical options while still having the Ogryn horde.

That's a good thought. Have an ogryn with the appropriate weapon count as a heavy weapons team. From memory, I think the bases are the same size.