Strategic Maneuvers Army Specific: Orc Raiders

[Tai-Pan]

Orc Raiders
By Tai-Pan

Units required: Blade Gruts, Tornak, Explosion attack

Sometimes, when an enemy sees that you've drafted a unit like DW9000 or James Murphy, they tend to move their units in an anti-explosion formation. That means that they don't put their figures next to each other. Using the Blade Gruts and Tornak, you can exploit this and destroy the enemy.

If your opponent is still grouped together when your army gets there, use explosion attack a couple times, they'll learn. Once they spread out, charge in with the Blade Gruts and Tornak. Move them through the enemy line as quickly as you can. Generally, two turns with the Blade Gruts bonding with Tornak will get you to the rearmost units in the opponent's army are. That's where the paydirt is. Use the Gruts and Tornak to tear up any units back there, usually they are ranged units with lower defences, or expensive support units that are boosting your opponent. Now, your enemy is faced with Orcs in the back, and the remainder of your army in front. Most opponents will want to deal with the Orcs because they are threatening some of the more valuable units. This is where you have a choice: you can continue attacking with the Orcs to further cripple the rear, however you will also be fighting the enemy's frontline troops as they turn back, you can move the Orcs further back so that they are not threatened by the enemy's melee units, with a move of 6 and 7 the Orcs can outrun most shock troops, or you can charge the front lines with the rest of your army, creating mass mayhem.

Grut Orcs can be replaced by Heavy Gruts, however Heavy Gruts are slower but they have higher attack/defence. Explosion attacks can be used by Deathwalker 9000 James Murphy, Zelrig (recommended when facing many common squads), Jorhdawn (only for use with other elves), or Johnny "Shotgun" Sullivan. Good units to have in your main army to charge after the Orcs have reached the rear are any Samurai, Knights of Weston and a Human Champion, MacDirk Warriors that are drawing strength from a wounded Human Champion, or other similar squads.

[Altron_ZERO]

great! but one problem, the blade gruts only have 2 deffence so they be destroyed on their way to the back. plus the heavy gruts aren't fast enough to run though everyone.

[Shades fan]

3 with Tornak! But instead of Blades use Heavys.

[ThrasherDarkrai]

My main problem with this is how are you going to simply avoid all of the opponent's army to kill the support units/ranged units? I'd kill Tornak and Blade/Heavy Gruts any day over DW9K, and they don't have a fast enough move to avoid the army completely...

[dok]

I had this strategy used to great effectiveness against me by Cornpuff in the Tournament of Champions. When my rats were spread out, he was able to shoot the gaps with Blade Gruts. When my rats clumped together to block the Gruts, Heirloom was able to devastate them with Force Orb Special Attack.

In addition to using this approach with orcs, it also makes a lot of sense with Phantom Knights. Toss Shotgun Sullivan in with a PK build, and when your opponent clumps up around Raelin to keep her safe from PKs, you can hit everything at once with a shotgun blast.