What’s that? A challenger approaches? The March Dataslate brings with it a quartet of new detachments, and in this article we’re unpacking the More Dakka! detachment for Orks.
Orks are masters of all forms of violence, the less precise the better. Swinging choppas wildly is the conventional way that they get their fix, but they also enjoy filling the air, terrain and (sometimes) the foe with bullets. If you've been pining for a shooty Orks option since eighth edition, this is your option.
Changelog
2025-12-27: Updated with Q1 balance dataslate changes and a new list.
2025-03-12: Initial Publication.
Detachment Overview
On release, this Detachment was absolutely, game-breakingly bonkers, cranking shooting for Ork Infantry and Walker units up to 11, in a way that led to some emergency nerfs shortly afterward. The Detachment was dialed back a month later, changing the rule from "Sustained hits 2 in your shooting phase" to "Sustained Hits 1 in your shooting phase during a Waaagh!," which more or less killed it competitively.
There are still some interesting things here with the Enhancements and Stratagems to give you some dakka tricks, and if you want to play a lot of Lootas this isn't a terrible pick, but it's not going to feel particularly strong given how little the Detachment rule does for you most of the time. If you want to try and have a go of throwing out particularly devastating shooting Waaaghs, this is the Detachment for you and Morkanauts and Stompas in particular can have a lot of fun on those turns but you're never going to hit the highs of that pre-nerf insanity.
The Video Version
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Detachment Rule: Dakka! Dakka! Dakka!
Ranged weapons equipped by your INFANTRY and WALKER units have the [ASSAULT] ability. While the Waaagh! is active for your army, in your Shooting phase (so importantly not Overwatch), your INFANTRY and WALKER units have [SUSTAINED HITS 1] on their guns.
This rule was originally Sustained Hits 2 all the time and believe me when I tell you that was much, much too good. This new updated version of the rule is more fair but also not very good, giving you a boost only during a small window. Mathematically speaking, Sustained hits 1 gives you the same expected value as +1 to hit, so think about the bonus that way. It's still a good improvement for units which have ways of hitting on 4s, but it's not game-breaking and those units aren't generally good enough to build your entire army around when all you get out of it is Assault and +1 to hit for a single shooting phase. Lootas like this the most thanks to their Re-rolls and the fact that this Detachment has access to Ignore Cover.
Note that your Infantry have to be walking around to benefit from this, so you can’t do ultra-powered drive-bys from Trukks. Your units are fairly killable once they’re out, so you really need to make a go turn count if you want to get value out of this.
Ork Deathskulls Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun
Enhancements
The Enhancements here are all based around Ranged attacks, making your ranged firepower even better for the bearer and their unit. Which is just what you want in this Detachment. Most of these go on Shokk Attack guns because those are the best character shooting you can get and those Meks can join units of Lootas and Tankbustas.
Da Gobshot Thunderbuss (15pts): Gives an Ork model Devastating Wounds and Hazardous on their ranged weapons. Obviously the place you put this is on a Shokk Attack Gun to try and reclaim some of the glory of the Psychic Awakening superweapon. Obviously especially strong if you put them with Lootas for re-rolls. High variance, but boy your opponent is going to fear for their existence when this is about.
Dead Shiny Shootas (35pts): The model’s unit get Rapid Fire 1 on all their guns. Reasonably sure you put this on a Shokk Attack Gun Mek with Tankbustas almost every time, especially because if you max out the guns in the squad and manage to get within 6”, you’re actually getting +8 rokkit shots rather than just +6.
Targetin’ Squigs (15pts): The bearer’s unit gets +1 to hit with Ranged Attacks. This is one of the few abilities that got substantially better post-nerf, as it matters more now that you don't have Sustained Hits 2 on all the time. It's good on Loota bricks.
Zog Off and Eat Dakka! (10pts): The bearer’s unit can Fall Back and Shoot. Not really needed, but it’s cheap!
Wrecka Krew Tankbusta Gunners by Craig "MasterSlowPoke" Sniffen
Stratagems
Every one of the Stratagems here will cost you 1 CP, and that's good since it reduces the strain of wanting to use them all the time. Most of these are offensive buffs.
Orks is Still Orks (Battle Tactic, 1 CP): Before we get to the shooty stuff, we have a couple of boosts for melee. This one is crucial for the Detachment: In the Fight Phase, this Stratagem can be used to give a unit re-roll 1s to Wound, or full Wound re-rolls against a target on an Objective. This is exceptionally good, particularly in combination with the next option, and ensures that the army can still smash stuff in melee when it really matters.
Get Stuck In, Ladz! (Epic Deed, 1 CP): In your Command Phase, you can use this Stratagem to put a unit into Waaagh! Until your next Command Phase. This rules, and post-nerf it's a complete necessity to even use your Detachment rule more than once per game. It's the rare combination Advance/Charge/Shoot/Durability buff, giving you everything you could possible want. It combines super well with the above Stratagem, because it means that if you’ve got a unit of Nobz or Breaka Boyz waiting in the wings, your opponent is never safe from a lethal melee push.
Huge Show-Offs (Epic Deed, 1 CP): Use in your Command Phase to turbo boost one of your Walkers (excluding Killa Kanz). The unit gets +1 to Move, Ld and OC, and +1 to hit on all their attacks. This is the kind of Stratagem that makes you look at units like the Stompa and Morkanaut and say “hm... maybe?" Or just take a Gorkanaut and Morkanaut, stick the Morkanaut in Waaagh!, and push for a solid go turn.
Long, Uncontrolled Bursts (Battle Tactic, 1 CP): Hell yeah, the best Stratagem name that GW have ever come up with returns. This lets a CHARACTER point at an enemy unit at the Start of your Shooting Phase, and gives your whole army IGNORES COVER when shooting them. This is great - you’re working with high volumes of AP-1 and AP-2 firepower, and this helps you turn things like Custodes into soup.
Speshul Shells (Wargear, 1 CP): Speaking of AP, this is used in your Shooting phase and gives a unit +1 AP when shooting the closest eligible target within 18”. This helps your Lootas and Tankbustas tangle with crunchier Marine stuff.
Call Dat Dakka? (Strategic Ploy, 1 CP): If an enemy unit shoots one of your units and kills a model, you can shoot them straight back! Reasonably good, as it forces opponents to be very careful about trying to chip damage you, but do remember that your Sustained Hits 1 only works in your own Shooting Phase, so the damage output isn’t going to be as high as you might expect.
Lootas. Credit: Rockfish
Playing This Detachment
This Detachment has fallen a long away from its insane highs pre-nerf but it can still do quite a few things well. The big thing is shifting your focus away from that "Sustained Hits 1 in Waaagh!" part and more toward that "Assault" part of the rule. That's where units like Tankbustas and Burna Boys can really shine, as Rokkit Launchas and Burnas really enjoy the added boost of speed and the former aren't too bad getting Sustained hits 1. You still want to load up on Big Meks and Lootas since those are just good units and they're made better here, and while your Detachment rule may be one which emphasizes shooting that doesn't mean you won't be taking Meganobz or other melee threats to cover your gaps. Flash Gitz also like this detachment just fine, even if Sustained Hits 1 is something they already get - Assault is a solid upgrade for them.
Strengths
Solid Dakka! You can put out a decent amountof firepower with this Detachment, and your Lootas and Tankbustas are going to put in work.
Flexible. You get some great flexibility from having a Waaagh!-on-demand Stratagem.
Boosts big Walkers. There are some solid buffs here for Morka/Gorkanaughts, dreads, and stompas.
Weaknesses
Defense. You have very few defensive tricks here, so expect to get hit back hard when your opponent retaliates.
Not Transport-Friendly. You'll need to do some careful planning needed around disembarking from Transports to get the most out of this Detachment.
Extremely CP hungry. Those are some great Stratagems, and you'll want to be firing them off every turn.
Ork Bad Moons looted Imperial Knight (Gorkanaut)
A Sample List
It's hard to find a successful list for this Detachment post-nerf. It just doesn't see much play, particularly after the changes to Ghazghkull and the Ork faction which gave a boost to the faction's melee prowess. Still, it's worth looking at this 4-1 list from Jeremy Aitken, which took third place at a GT in mid-September.
Jeremy's List - click to expand
More Dakka is good guys (2000 points)
Orks
Strike Force (2000 points)
More Dakka!
CHARACTERS
Big Mek in Mega Armour (90 points)
• 1x Grot Oiler
1x Kustom mega-blasta
1x Power klaw
Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun (85 points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Grot Assistant
1x Shokk attack gun
Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun (95 points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Grot Assistant
1x Shokk attack gun
• Enhancement: Zog Off and Eat Dakka!
There's only one big unit of Lootas here, and the rest of the shooting punch comes from Burna Boyz and Tankbustas, both of whom are here more for the ability to Advance and Shoot than Sustained Hits 1, though the latter certainly appreciate it, especially when they can get off extra shots with [BLAST]. This list takes full advantage of the fact that you can pair a Mek or Big Mek with Tankbustas, pairing one with each unit. Two units of Meganobz give the army a fair amount of heavy melee threat, and one which can be incredibly deadly when paired with the Orks is Still Orks Stratagem.
Final Thoughts
It's not the Detachment it was, but there's still some solid value here. Is it the most competitive way to run Orks? Not by a long shot. Can you still win games with it? Absolutely. As always, when a vaunted Detachment like this takes a big hit, the drop is made all the more precipitous by bandwagoners jumping off in droves and the original Ork players just not being all that excited about it to begin with. But if you're up for tinkering and a challenge, you can still surprise people with this one.
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Ork Deathskulls Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun
Wrecka Krew Tankbusta Gunners by Craig "MasterSlowPoke" Sniffen
Lootas. Credit: Rockfish
Ork Bad Moons looted Imperial Knight (Gorkanaut)
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