The Greater Waauugh  by Scott Mallinson
I've known Scott Mallinson for years and always been in awe of his creativity. "The Greater Waauugh" is his first Themed Army Idea for the Jungle.

Background
The Tau race has fueled their expansion into the galaxy by recruiting the local population wherever they go into “The Greater Good.” While not always successful, the concept of peaceful coexistence and cooperation is attractive to a great many people. The Tau have even attempted to recruit Ork tribes, though always with disastrous results. No Ork, it seemed, would never submit to leadership from “a buncha weedy l’il blue gits.” 

And then there is Krang. 

Krang Relz is a Warboss from the Bad Moon clan that ruled Xermon VII with an iron fist. Just as cunning as any Blood Axe, as battle-hardened as any Goff, what sets Krang apart from the rest of his Orky brethren is his capacity to wait, to put off the impulse, for greater returns later.

When Krang was approached by an idealistic young Ethereal, he looked at the gleaming technology and weapons festooning the Tau invasion force and decided to listen, if only for trade possibilities. The Greater Good was explained to him in great detail, and after the sales pitch was over, he joined. Never before had Krang heard any Ork express full comprehension of the Waauugh, let alone a runty little blue alien git. 

Krang has sworn full allegiance to the Tau hierarchy; any Ork in his command that utters the first syllable of dissension is shot. While he knows that, as an Ork, he will rise to his place at the top of the command structure eventually, he also knows that if he tries to fight his way up the ladder—as any other Ork would do—he would be annihilated. So he waits. 

There has been no attempt to integrate his warband into the Tau military structure, for obvious reasons. His Tau superiors have not given him any technology beyond unsalvageable scrap, nor do they trust him in any way, but he has been unflinchingly loyal, so there is little they can do beyond looking on in consternation as he captures planet after planet for the Greater Good.

After the conquest of New Privacisen, he was promoted to the rank of Shas’o for an act that shocked the entire population of that world: he accepted their peaceful surrender. The Tau have in their midst likely the most terrifying thing in the known universe: an Ork with patience and self-control. 

Philosophy
The Greater Waauugh is an atypical Bad Moon army in mentality, though not in their equipment. Using their Flash Gitz, they advance across the battlefield as quickly as possible to engage in hand to hand combat while unleashing a torrent of gunfire that would be horrifying if it weren’t so inaccurate.

Clan Rules
The Greater Waauugh uses the Bad Moon clan rules, downloadable from GW UK website. Any Tau gear modeled should be assumed to be an Orky equivalent.

HQ
Shas'o Relz is equipped with a Krisis Suit (mega armor), Mega Boosta, Cybork Body, a Kustom Mega Blasta, and a Power Klaw. He is accompanied by an Ammo Runt and an Attack Squig, which he refers to as his “Dronez,” with appropriate drone shell outerwear.

Elites
Shas’o Relz almost exclusively uses Flash Gitz with the More Dakka kustom job. He also has a few Kommandos left from his pre-Tau era; they’ve learned to keep their mouths shut about the new allegiance. 

Troops
Flash Gitz are in abundance, because the attraction of hopefully getting pulse rifles and other technology in the future. Shas'o Relz also maintains a large squadron of “drone gitz” (Gretchin) who have been outfitted with Tau Gun Drone shells as a replacement for their normal armor (though it is no more effective).

Fast Attack
Krang's Trukk Boyz recently were given a Devilfish chassis that were stripped of all circuitry and powerplants. After a failed experiment with a grot propulsion system, a more conventional engine and wheels design was implemented, and the "Pathboyz" were born.

Heavy Support
In a similar vein, a few Hammer’eads (Battlewagons) and Brawdsides (Dreadnoughts) have recently been deployed. 

Modeling and Painting
This army was partially inspired by Jen Burdoo’s Blood Orks Chapta army idea and the blurb in the Tau Codex about their initial meetings with Orks. At first glance, it should appear to be a Tau army: the color scheme used in the Tau Codex is even yellow! Tau markings should be done in a rough graffiti style appropriate to Orks. Crisis Suits should be converted into mega armor, Devilfish into trukks, and all grotz should be wearing a drone shell, hubcap, anything disk-shaped, really.

General Tactics
The Greater Waauugh should be played like almost any other Ork army: advance into hand-to-hand as quickly as possible. The difference is that, with all those Flash Gitz, a whole lot of shooting will be happening along the way.
 
 

Related Pages
Other Ork Themed Army Ideas
 

© Copyright Scott Mallinson, June 2005. Used with permission.
 

Top