Are Orks really back?
Probably not.
While GW teased assault would be viable again, the teasers so far seems to make it otherwise. From what we know so far, it does not look good.
-the movement stat. I’m sure while marines keep the 6”, Orks will not be so lucky. Resulting in a slower march across the field.
-Cover. Instead of a fixed save, cover provides a boost to your armor save. With weapons removing that save with a modifier, models that depend on cover will suffer from mass fire with any AP.
-Fall back from assault. Sure, the assaulting units strike first but there is no way to stay locked in combat. Any unit can fall back out of combat, leaving the assaulting unit out in the open to be shot at.
-Multiple overwatch. Units are no longer limited to a single overwatch a turn.
-Assault vehicles. Vehicles will no longer limit assaults when disembarking. So where does that leave Trukks and battlewagons? Will the open-topped rule be a thing of the past? Will fire points even exist?
Of course, there is so much missing of the core rules, plus all the army-specific rules, that no one can say for sure. It really comes down to how the army/codex is done more than the core rules themselves here.
But on the plus side:
-AP. Return of the old choppa rule? YES PLEASE. Give the choppas an AP of 1 or 2 (remember, this is 8thnomenclature). This combined with striking first means the lowly Ork boy will smash his way through just about any unit put in front of him…then get shot to pieces the next turn. As it should be.
-Trukks get better? ‘naughts playable? No explosions? The new stats on vehicles might just bode well. Trukks with 4-6 wounds and the standard Ork save will have a much better chance of making it to combat. With the transport capacity and new assault rules, means ‘naughts might be useable. The lack of explosions would be a big help as well.
Again, I’m going to harp on how much the army rules will influence this. Fixing all the mistakes of the 7th ed codex (mob rule, I’m looking at you) is the biggest bump we can get. Throwing the whole thing out and starting from scratch? Yes, please. However, I don’t see GW having the resources to completely re-work the entire line of armies all at once, despite the claim otherwise. Too many armies, units and options to balance… even with outside help.
That’s my rant for now. I’m still very excited for 8th, and can’t wait for it to get here. I definitely expect it sooner than later, otherwise GW will suffer a huge Osborne effect.