You're Better Off With Grots: Deffkoptas

[mynameisgrax]

The Brothers of the Iron Fist barely saw the flying contraptions coming before they were already above them, with their Ork pilots cackling down with devilish glee.

The combat team's sergeant squinted, trying to get a better look at the attackers, and caught brief glimpses of deadly missiles and jagged buzzsaws, each more than capable of tearing through their power armor with little to no effort at all.

The sergeant reached for his pistol, but just as quickly, the thunderously loud flying machines had vanished, replaced by the dreaded sight of bomb-like objectives falling through the sky, headed straight down upon their entrenchment. The sergeant could do little besides brace for the impact, and pray to the Emperor for salvation.

The massive cascade of explosions rocked their fortification in a shocking, jarring rhythm, causing debri and shrapnel to fly around them in an exciting, if somewhat random fashion.

The sergeant waited a moment, to allow the smoke to clear, before addressing his second in command,

"What the hell was that?"

"We're not sure sir, some kind of fireworks display."

"Is anyone hurt?"

"No, just mildly inconvenienced."

"Oh...and they didn't fire their missiles?"

"No sir. We're not sure why."

"Huh."

The sergeant shook his head with disbelief. All that time and effort spent on speed and firepower, and they drop the equivalent of frag grenades on their heads...once. He just didn't get Orks.

Suddenly remembering himself, the sergeant glanced towards the sky, in the general direction he believed the Emperor to be.

"Thanks."

...


Before I go any further, let me assure you that I use deffkoptas and I definitely like them, but only when they're fielded right. Unfortunately, the base cost of a unit of deffkoptas is already expensive by Ork standards, and most of their upgrades merely deepen their cost without adding much power to the unit.

With the release of the new Assault on Black Reach set, I bet everyone has at least 3-6 of these guys, and after a bit of testing, I've found the best unit size is a full 5. In a smaller game you could get away with smaller units, possibly even units of 1, but in standard play you'll want 5 simply because they can't take a bosspole. Their leadership of 7 gives them roughly a 58% chance of passing a panic check, which isn't great at all. Having 5 allows you to take a casualty before making that check, which definitely helps keep the unit alive.

Of all the fast attack options, Deffkoptas are perhaps the most vulnerable. With wounds instead of an armor rating, and no bosspole, they can be taken down by virtually any type of fire at all. Strength 8+ guns also cause instant death, denying them the advantage of their second wound. For this reason, I always outflank with the koptas. Not only will it keep them alive, but it also gets them behind the enemy, to fire at back armor.

So what should you be armed with when you get there? Not the KMB, that's for sure. It's their only gun option they have that isn't twin-linked, and with a BS of 2, you'll barely hit with it at all. Never take this option, ever.

I prefer big shootas, since they're cheap and can deal with back armor relatively effectively, but I've also enjoyed success with rokkits as well. It's not a cheap option, by any means, but an outflanking unit of 5 rokkit koptas can deal with virtually any sort of MEQ unit or vehicle (aside from a Monolith or Land Raider) the enemy can field.

All that leaves us are the other Deffkopta options.

Don't take them. None of them.

As you've probably guessed from the story, I feel big bombs are horribly overpriced. One shot, they always scatter, and they're no stronger than a frag grenade. Sure, they're random and fun, but unless you're fighitng hordes of genestealers, I can't see you ever getting your points back from them.

The buzzsaw is a favorite choice of many players, but the fact it's weilded by a regular Ork instead of a nob makes it a rip-off for its cost. It only has 3 attacks on the charge with strength 7, which is enough to probably kill a single marine, but not much else. Against vehicles, if we assume the enemy moved at least 1 inch, it'll only get 1.5 hits, and only 1 vehicle damage result. That may seem nice, but keep in mind that the volley of rokkits statistically inflict 2-3 vehicle damage results, and the assault of the 4 regular deffkoptas inflicted 1-2 glancing hits on their own. The koptas are good enough without adding the cost of a buzzsaw to the unit, and multiple buzzsaws is pure overkill.

VERDICT: 5 Deffkoptas with big shootas for 175 points, or with rokkits for 225 points, is a solid unit, worthy of a place in any Ork army, but only when no other options are taken. They're especially effective in horde armies, which need help reaching distant pieces of armor.

So go ahead and use the Koptas, but be sure to drop that buzzsaws and big bombs. Instead, why not use the points to add a unit of grots to the army?

Sure, the buzzsaw's cool and the bombs are fun, but grots win you games. The choice is yours. ^_^

[AKM]

Agreed on all counts. Having never used them (I don't own AoBR as the ork models are a bit too static for my taste), I'm not sure whether outflank or turbo-boosting them is better.
I'm a bit leery of the randomness of outflanking (esp. since they may not show up until late in the game) and would probably try turbo-boosting, if possible behind blocking terrain.

Also, their "hit-and-run" rule is doubly useless:
- they suck in CC anyway
- with I2, they're unlikely to pass their test.

[BossGorestompa]

Deff Koptas are rather fun to use.. if used properly. I run them as I would an Eldar Jetbike Squadron. Fire support / Counter assault when the Boyz get stuck in.

I only field them in units of 5, and only with Big Shootas. If you want Rokkits, take Rokkit Buggies, they're far cheaper!

Likewise, I only ever outflank with them. They /should/ arrive turn 3-4, and as Grax said, they'll be unscathed by that point, allowing you to do with that what you need to. But, if you do use them to outflank, you'll want to be running a footslogging army. Timing here is critical, and if you're running speed freaks... well, you'll be much better off with Warbiker's in that case!

Fire support: 5 Twin Linked Big Shootas.. Thats an INSANE amount of fire power!! Enough to crack a rhino, or most rear armour values.. enough fire power to break a combat squad, or utterly annihilate a Fire Warriors squad. If you want rokkits for anti-armour, save yourself the points and choose Rokkit Buggies.. Deff Koptas w/ TL Big Shoota's are too good to spend the absurd points to upgrade them to Rokkits. Big Bomms.. are a matter of preference, I suppose. They ARE fun to use, but I'd only consider it if you have spare points and nothing left to do with them.

Combat support: Time your assault properly, and do one of three things..
a) Assault a large, tough squad at the same time as your Boyz, and hit them from behind! The goal here is to Trap! your foe, if they lose the combat and would otherwise flee.. they simply die, instead!
b) Always attempt to Hit and Run during your opponent's turn, even though it's unlikely. Keeping your Deff Koptas mobile and able to get where they're needed is great, and adding their extra attacks to a mob of Boyz who look like they're losing.. can be just what you need to turn the tide of battle and save their thick green arses!
c) Assault a shooty unit that would likely damage your Boyz if/when they win a combat.

Buzzsaws.. again are a matter of personal preference. Deff Kopta's are all about support, and the added PK, weak as it may be, can still be greatly beneficial, especially if you're trying to crack open Termies or otherwise. Jut never take more than one! And don't bother trying to go anti-vehicle with it..

Conclusion: Deff Koptas are great supports for Footslogging armies. Any other type of army, and there are better options. Don't waste your time with Rokkits, take full advantage of the TL Big Shoota's they get! Big Bomms should only be used if you have points to spare, but don't expect them to be much more than a joke. 5x Big Bomms can be devastating, though! Both to your opponent, and to your points! Never take more than one Buzz Saw.. though you really shouldn't take it at all, unless you really have your heart set on it. And finally, and most importantly.. Deff Koptas ARE a great support unit! But don't try to be Orky with them (there are other Orks that do a better job at this) Pretend they're Eldar and play them accordingly.. I garuntee you'll get your points worth (either in kills, or in the Boyz you save by their support)

---------- Post added at 16:50 ---------- Previous post was at 16:47 ----------

Also, if any of you bought the AoBR box, and absolutely do not like your Deff Koptas..

Why not kunvert them into Nob Bikers? I plan to do this with mine.. by chopping off their koptas, and adding 4 wheels (Nob ATV's!)

Granted.. I do like my Deff Koptas!! Don't get me wrong! I just.. really like the idea for this kunvershun

[mynameisgrax]

Great ideas guys! Yeah, the randomness of when they show up can be a pain, but usually it's only a question of if they're arriving on turn 2 or 3.

Mathhammering it out: There's a 50% chance they'll arrive on turn 2, a 33% chance they'll arrive on turn 3, a 14% chance it'll be turn 4 (unlikely, but still possible), and an almost negligible 3% chance that they'll arrive on turn 5.

Due to their erratic nature, they often only have 1-2 good turns of shooting, but given the range of their guns, and their ability to appear behind the enemy, I don't think this is a problem when shooting. It CAN be a problem, however, if you expect them to join the assaults with your boyz. In that case, not knowing when they'll arrive can be a problem. Still, even if they arrive late it isn't the end of the world.

The trick with deffkoptas (as with most Ork units) is to never be in a position where you absolutely need them. They can definitely make a difference, but never build a strategy around them, because you'll never know exactly when and where they'll show up.

Oh, and I'm still on the fence regarding the one buzzsaw. I can see how they might be useful, but honestly, if that's the role you want the unit to fill, then you're better off with warbikes.

[Yggdrassil]

I also tend to use deffkoptas and outflank with them. Always try to attack some heavy weapon team or other shooty squad. Then charge them, so they can't shoot only to (try) to hit and run again to repeat the procces till they are dead or neutralised.

[Monkeyclops]

I played 1 game where I decided to not Outflank with my Koptas. It was against Tau (very shooty) and we were setting up 12" on the long table edges. He had turn 1, so I initially deployed them near the middle of the board, then I used their scout move to Turbo-boost them horizontally across the board infront of 2 of my other units. This gave the koptas a 3+ cover save and the units behind a 4+. Worked great for warding off his 1st round of shooting.

But against anything else Ill be outflanking with them.

[LordTrebor]

I've used them with rokkits mostly. Outflanking with them and shooting rear armor or that annoying dev squad is definetly fun. You can also charge them into a unit too. They won't win due to their lack of PK but their hgh toughnes will prolong the assault at least a little, giving your boyz a little breathing room from shooting. Charge them into a dev squad and let the fun insue. Plus since the dev squad is usually close to the back of the board, if they use combat tactics to break free, there's a good chance they might run off the board!

[==Me==]

I would definitely agree with the above points, Deff Koptas are a fun unit and should stick with big shootas or rokkits and outflank.

However, I have had some use with the buzzsaw. It lets them engage things like Devastators and Broadsides with a reasonable chance of actually beating them! Plus, the extra strength against a vehicle is handy as a little added insurance to blowing it up.

I'll either run 5 rokkits or 5 big shootas and a buzzsaw.

[sir stompalot]

An effective unit i've found is the one that ==ME== showed, 5 rokkit koptas with a buzzsaw, perfect for tearing apart any tank short of a land raider or monilith.

[mynameisgrax]

Unfortunately, there's a difference between 'effective' and 'cost effective'.

Can 5 deffkoptas with rokkits and 1 buzzsaw do a lot of damage? Yes.

Is it worth 250 points? Probably not.

For example, when fighting the Imperial Guard, those deffkoptas will have to destroy at least 2 hellhounds, leman russes, or basilisks, just to BREAK EVEN.

True, the turn they arrive is all but guaranteed to result in a vehicle getting wrecked (unless it's a monolith or land raider), but it's very doubtful they'll make their points back on a consistent basis.

No offense ==Me==. ^_^