Xander:
Black Orcs, Big’Uns, or Boyz?
And how do you like to equip them? How many do you field in a unit?
As you know, I am working on a slave unit, so I am debating how to arm mine. :hashut
Bjorni:
25 Boyz, choppa, shields, FC = 180 pts
Have been playing them for ages this way, never let me down and just got better with the 4+ save/S4 first turn thing.
That has been in a O&G army though, so as a outside-center unit in a CD list I’m not a believer atm, without some kind of animosity-check and a Ld of 7 it’s asking for trouble.
I’m going to give it a whirl in some games next 2 weeks (2250 and 2500) so we’ll see after.
Cheers,
Bjorn
Xander:
Cool. Well, keep your Ld10 Hero close by and it’s all good. 
Bjorni, would you mind posting all your pics of your painted miniatures in the showcase section? I’d love to add them to our compiled list. Also, I wonder if I could maybe get an interview with you about the making of your army. I want to make it my first article for the main Web Site that I am working on. What do you say?
Monty:
25 Shields, FC is the best configuration for normal boys
For Big 'Uns 25 with additional choppa and FC.
Hashut’s Blessing:
I have just bought a box of orcs. Was wondering what would be the best choice what is in the box ONLY! (So no extra models etc)
metro_gnome:
do the new boxes have the extra sprue or whatever that comes in the battalion and army box?
anyway… put all the boyz you have on the field with shields and full command…
well i field 25 vanilla boyz w/command… its not the most efficient combo…
but quite frankly when it comes to boyz i cannot find a bad combo… well except anything with sprears…
if i see anyone with spears in their list i shall tell them where to shove them…
spear used to be alright on a more defensive unit… but now that choppas are deliviering their bonus when you have been charged… there is no need…
I field Vanilla boyz for 3 reasons (in order of importance):
1) thass the models i got…
and its a shame too cause they did have 2 choppas… and i sliced one off evey model…
i do have some shields lying around… but they are gobbo shields and barely cover orcs fists in some instances…
2) fluff…
spending any extra points on my slaves makes me feel dirty…
3) tactically they are useful as a swing unit…
when you start putting stuff on your boyz you have really alotted them a job…
but with vanilla boyz you dont really mind if they are defensive (they did come with light armor and T4)…
or offensive due their S4 and M4… heck at 5 points a model i dont really mind using them as a screen…
something that their large base makes them quite good at… T4 and LA dont hurt…
but the most cost efficient use is regular boyz with shields… for an extra point a model you get a 4+ save in CC…
this makes your T4 model very sturdy… and far more sturdy than he should be for 6 points…
the only sketchy thing about this set up… is that this is something our dwarves are doing anyway…
i’d reccomend shield boyz as an anvil to anyone playing O&G… but we have to take some dwarfs anyway…
and they are harder… have better leadership… and do not suffer from animosity…
so shield boyz have to fight for the role… in our list… still their cost makes them very attractive…
when you put additional choppas on your boyz you’ve really assigned them an offensive role…
and at 7 point a model they do it very well… 11 S4 attacks in the first round…
lotsa attacks something lacking in the core units… nothing is truely offensive… their M4 gives them an edge…
in a way the use of choppas really justifies the special slot… which is a problem some people have with boyz…
their only real flaw is competition for the role… they now compete with sneaky gitz…
and no matter what way you slice it sneaky gitz are value…
2 pointz less with poisoned attacks generally makes up for the lack of strength and armor…
when you wander up into the realm of Big 'Uns the comparisons change again…
they are now delivering the S5 hitz of GW dwarfs for the same price as shield dwarfs…
Big Un shield boyz hit as hard and offer a better save in CC than the GW dwarfs… and cost one point less…
and at the same cost as your GW dwarfs… Biguns with additional HWs will deliver twice as many S5 hitz…
of course Leadership and animosity are factors to consider… but so is M3 vs M4 on this decidely offensive units…
and i wont even get started on ArrerBoyz…
there are no bad boyz in 7th ed… new choppa rules are golden…
how you equipt them is really up to you… there is value in all combos (not involving spears)…
Yaghnu Nigamwamp:
I’ve been using Arrer Boyz to good effect. I think they really shine in all-takers list. I suspect, though, that Orc Boyz with two choppas is the way to go. Big’uns seem sort of expensive.
I want to try a small unit of Black Orcs, maybe 7 with no command. I haven’t used Black Orcs since the new O&G AB. I used to use either 10 with no command, or 15 with full command. The loss of thier ability to Quell Animosity makes them a lot less attractive to me.
AGPO:
Bjorni, is it possible to get the hand weapon and shield bonus in the new orc book then? Last I saw (6th ed book) Choppas didn’t confer this bonus
metro_gnome:
the choppa rules have changed…
in 7th ed orcs are teh r0xx0rz…
oboudd:
I use my orcs with additional choppa 2 strenth 4 attacks from a normal orc on a charge,to good a deal to pass up.
Canix:
I use 20 Big uns LA,SHD,Add choppa in 2000pt
as above plus 15 orc arrer boyz in 2250pt
as above plus 25 orc boyz LA,shd, choppa in 3000pts
They all seem to work well and although i have commands i rarely use them:hat
Uzkul Werit:
I like my Orcs dead, filled with Blunderbuss shot and ideally on the enemy’s side.
What? laughs
Colzey:
Two units of 20-25 orc boyz with chopa, shield and full cmd in 2250pts is great!
Cheers,
MAtty
Border Reiver:
BBQ’d with chips…
Seriously, I think that the best way to use orcs is choppa and shield - now that they get the parry bonus if attacked from the front. T4 unit with a 4+ save from the front, and S4 in the first round of combat?
The other option is to use them as arrer boys. The only problem with Orcs is their average BS and the larger base size.
Leadblecher:
With butter! Actually 20 Orcs w/ 2HW. Full Command and Light armour.