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Getting the most out of rat ogres; Use them or leave them at home?
Topic Started: 27th March 2008 - 02:58 PM (444 Views)
adrift
Clanrat
Rat ogres are problematic because they are expensive models with okay toughness and no static combat res to help them win combat. Obviously they shouldn't pile in against the fronts of big units, but even against smaller units they can somewhat easily fluff their rolls and end up being driven off by far inferior foes.

Being fast and US3 each, they seem perfect for getting into your opponent's flanks and taking away ranks, but opponents know this and shoot/magic them up or drive them off with their own flankers.

Against war machines they should be good...but they have to survive long enough to get there.

Obviously if the enemy is shooting at your rat ogres, they aren't shooting at other stuff, but they are pretty easy to drive off with any amount of missile fire at all.

How are people getting their value out of rat ogres?

TIA
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Raddaatt
Clanrat
Well, I love the models, so I tend to field them, but as for a use....

One use is the relatively cheap one ogre unit. It still causes fear, it's fast and small, and not completely useless. I don't use magic items too often, so if I end up with points, I field one of these.
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adrift
Clanrat
Raddaatt
Mar 28 2008, 06:52 AM
Well, I love the models, so I tend to field them, but as for a use....

One use is the relatively cheap one ogre unit. It still causes fear, it's fast and small, and not completely useless. I don't use magic items too often, so if I end up with points, I field one of these.

Yeah, but you don't get the all important US5+ from just one RO, which can nullify ranks if you can get them in on a flank. 2+ ROs gets you a US of 8+, making them SO much more useful.
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Surgin The Twisted
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Clanrat
To be honest, most people would say you get the most value out of your rat ogres by leaving them at home... at least thats what i get the impression of from most on this form.

They are a tough unit to have because when an opponent sees a unit of these bad boys on the table, they tend to focus (as youve said) a lot of missle/ magic fire. This is good in itself because it would normally go toward more vulnerable (usually T3) units.


Probably youre best bet is to screen them with something to at least protect them from there first round or two of shooting. Whats sacrificing 25-30 points of night runners or a pack of giant rats for a great flanking charge that rips up your average (and even heavy) troops?

In your basic deployment, I find em best deployed on the edge of your main battle line, wedged between the flanking models. It just allows me a lil more maneuverability, either turning into the opponents battle line or sweeping down their flankers.

But really, lets not kid ourselves, they are probably worth it more because of the psychological factor of "woah! big scary things in a usually small sized army. must kill first!" than anything else. Not to mention ive seen my opponent change his deployment when i put these babies down, so you know they are good for it ;)
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adrift
Clanrat
Surgin, what RO pack sizes do you use?
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Scarfester
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Scaaarrrrghhh

RO's can be very useful if used in ways that are applicable.
One big factor is that they cause fear. If you combine them with an attack from a clanrat, or even a slave unit then they are likely to end up outnumbering the opponents at the end of the combat. This is a good thing, due to the autobreak rules, associated with fear. ;)

Their good flanking units, but then again so are GRats! GRats get a rank bonus, so are better for this roll.
I'd use rat ogres in the front and get them to hold a unit in place whilst another of yours goes for the flank.

They are our main close combat 'can openers'. So knights and other mounted enemies are a prime target.
Also don't underestimate the usefulness of one of your rat ogres focusing all his attacks on that pesky enemy wizard, or hero in the front rank of a unit. If its a combat your destined to lose anyway, why not take away some victory points for it, as well as weaken the enemies magic phase, if its a wizard you just killed. ;)
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Zavratatar
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Grey Seer
Stop cheating scar, only fear-causers count for outnumbering with fear. :P
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I use ROgres in combination with GRats to flank the enemy and get some hurty attacks in. S5 is nothing to scoff at, especially if you're attacking on the flank.

But, yea, ROgres are not the best thing you can use, I really only use them for fluff and point filler :unsure:
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LordSquidar
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I use my rat ogres in a fairly unique way. I pop a master moulder with a whip in the back of the unit, and give it skavenbrew. The effect is dramatic. If u get hatred, it helps turn the ogres weak ws into something useful. frenzy makes them immune to panic, and stupidity from loss of packmasters, and with a handy screen of night runners and clever play, they can't be led around. Hatred and frenzy turn them into true monsters of combat. I run the 4 strong, meaning suddenly the unit has 16 str 5 hatred attacks...not pretty. The exhaustion wounds do hurt, and people tend to shoot them, but then again, we are a swarm, shooting shoudlnt really matter. Yes the unit is expensive, but the times its worked properly, it has ripped entire units to threads...
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adrift
Clanrat
LordSquidar
Mar 30 2008, 06:24 AM
I use my rat ogres in a fairly unique way. I pop a master moulder with a whip in the back of the unit, and give it skavenbrew. The effect is dramatic. If u get hatred, it helps turn the ogres weak ws into something useful. frenzy makes them immune to panic, and stupidity from loss of packmasters, and with a handy screen of night runners and clever play, they can't be led around. Hatred and frenzy turn them into true monsters of combat. I run the 4 strong, meaning suddenly the unit has 16 str 5 hatred attacks...not pretty. The exhaustion wounds do hurt, and people tend to shoot them, but then again, we are a swarm, shooting shoudlnt really matter. Yes the unit is expensive, but the times its worked properly, it has ripped entire units to threads...

Yeah, rat ogre packs with skavenbrew are on old skaven trick, for sure. I saw it help Tim ??? plow through the very first Baltimore GT way back when.

I was wondering whether anyone really uses Master Moulders much, and if so, in what roles. I guess I should start a separate thread on that. :)
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TrueMetalWarrior


I love my Rat Ogres. I use them in small squads of two to flank, and they actually allow my clanrats to win combats sometimes!

Also, if the enemy is shooting them, that means my plague monks, censor bearers, and ratling guns are unmolested, and those are the much bigger threats in the long run anyway.
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Raddaatt
Clanrat
Come to think of it, they are usfull against keeping chariots busy, which is pretty useful on the flanks.
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RATchman
Clanrat
I use them in two pacs so they take away ranks (when I use them). With a Grey Seer, you can cast Death Frenzy on them so that they don't panic and it gives them the vital extra attacks.

Along with Giant Rats they make pretty good flanking units. If somone wants to kill my Rat Ogres that is fine, but that means something else is headed towards their army that is usually better.

Two TuPacs of Rat Ogres isn't a bad choice in a horde army. They have a role and it is funny when a Bret Lance fails to charge them because of fear.
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Squeek Squeek the battlehungry
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Chieftain
Recently I've been using 2 one pack of rat ogres and putting one on each side of my generals clanrat unit. when you combine the charge the rat ogres are only in contact with 1 model so they almost never get attacked back, plus the clanrats have the ranks, banner, and outnumbering. You don't get the flank with this tactic but its an easy way to combine the killing power of the rat ogres with the static combat res of the clanrat. Plus its only 100pts so its not that expensive.
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