Requiem for Zhadsnark ‘Da Rippa’

Over the last couple months every list I've played has included Zhadsnark.  But that time is drawing to a close.  I still have OFCC left later this month I'm playing Zhadsnark with the Bully Boyz, and I could play him in league through the end of this month but I want to break out my other armies.

Other then a single game the day of the BA codex release, I've been playing Orks exclusively since the codex came out.  Sure I have used allies, but still mainly focused on Orks.

1. Zhadsnark himself is pretty damn good. 
The I4 S10 power fist with 4 base attacks at WS5 is completely amazing.  The skilled rider he grants to his unit is exactly what the Ork bikes need. I have never once scouted his unit, I simply see no need to do so.  He is totally worth the points and then some.

2.  Warbikes are simply the best unit in the codex, of that I have absolutely no doubt. 
Especially if they have a painboy to tag along.  The speed, resilience, firepower, and close combat ability all combine to what is as close to the perfect unit as you can get.  Being able to sink all your points into these guys instead of having to "waste" some on infantry makes Orks so much better.

3. An Ork warbike army has little need for a supporting cast.
Sure, you can have some variations with Bully Boyz, or a loota/mek gun fire base, but in the end they are really not needed.  I don't think I found any game where I was wishing I had more firepower.  The one exception to this is maybe some outflanking Defkoptas or Warbuggies... those fit in the theme and provide additional backfield pressure which could help if your bikes get mired in the middle.

4. More units is better.
The one flaw I found is having only large units of bikes.  This didn't give me enough units to deal with objectives over the course of a game.  That is why I started running 2 large units and a unit of 3.  I think 2 full units with painboys, and 2-3 units of 3 is the way to go in the future.  I just didn't have enough models to do more!

5. Orks need a formation to do a Warbike army without Zhadsnark.
This is really the most disappointing thing about the Ork book, especially compared to all the other books that have been released since then. The complete lack of formations, especially clan-based formations. After seeing the Ravenwing formation in the DA book - that's EXACTLY what I want for Orks (10 FA slots).  Most of the formations released for Orks in things like the Red Waaagh! are ok, at best.

Orks do need fixing to be truly competitive with books released since it came out.  Not anything major, a few tweaks and new formations would do it.  It was the first book of 7th, and it shows.