Ogre Kingdoms 2500 points

[Aun]

Heya, I'm seriously thinking about starting Ogre Kingdoms as a second Fantasy army to my Vampire Counts, but I think I need some help working out the army because it works so differently from anything else I've ever played with. So, here is a list I've worked out, please tell me what you think. 

Lvl 4 Slaughtermaster w/ Duelists Blades, Greedy Fist, Glittering Scales
385 points

Bruiser BSB w/ Great Weapon, Luckstone, Armour of Silvered Steel, Lookout Gnoblar
196 points

12 Ogres w/ Ironfists, Full Command
414 points

8 Ironguts w/ Full Command, Standard of Discipline
289 points

Sabertusk
21 Points
Sabertusk
21 Points
Sabertusk
21 Points
Sabertusk
21 points

4 Leadbelchers w/ Bellower
182 points

4 Mournfang w/ Heavy Armour, Ironfists, Bellower, Standard Bearer w/ Dragonhide Banner
350 points

Thundertusk
250 points
Thundertusk
250 points

2500 points

[Deraj]

Let me just preface this by saying at the last gt I played at about 20% of the players played ogres, and 4 out of my 7 games were against them, so I'm well acquainted with the random tricks.

The level 4 slaughtermaster... I've run against that bastard and it's more killy than most armies' combat lords, so that's fun.

The core units are just too much. Honestly you don't want them numbering much more than 4 wide by 2 back, with a spare to allow you to lose 2 full ogres and keep a rank. (IE 8 is well more than enough.) The thing is that ogres are big, but ogres move. steering around smaller blocks to get side charges is a lot harder just when you have the mindset of letting that large unit get charged.

The sabertusks.... 2 of them are enough. 2 work because your enemies might stop 1 from doing its job, but 2 is unlikely, and any more than that is just a waste of points unless you want to run them in units of 2. (Also can't you only have a max of 3 of the same special?)

Leadbelchers just don't require a bellower.

2 Thundertusks is a bit much, I'd replace one with either the skycannon (which is amazing) or the ice monster (which I have absolutely no experience with.)

Another thing is that you're using a lot of magic items and banners, and ogres don't really need that. The random points you're wasting fill out to another unit of ogres.

Also, one last point of contention; is 2500 really a normal list where you play? I've always seen 2400 as the standard.

[Aun]

Yeah, we play 2500 here. Hows this look?

Lvl 4 Slaughtermaster w/ Greedy Fist, Fencers Blades, Glittering Scales
385 points

Bruiser BSB w/ Great Weapon, Armour of Silver Steel, Luckstone
191 points

9 Ogres w/ Ironfists, Full Command
318 points

9 Ogres w/ Ironfists, Full Command
318 points

6 Ironguts w/ Full Command, Standard of Discipline

Sabertusk
21 points

Sabertusk
21 points

4 Leadbelchers
172 points

4 Mournfang w/ Musician, Dragonhide Banner, Heavy Armour, Ironfists
350

Stonehorn
250 points

Ironblaster
170 points

2499 points

Both characters go in Ironguts unit deployed 3 wide with champion filling out the other front rank.

[Alcibiates]

I would recommend trying to find some points to play more chaff. The ogre player that I am most acquainted with uses gnoblar and dogs to out-deploy almost every army that he plays against. When Ogres are controlling the charges and setting up the battlefield... They are extremely hard to beat. Also, with enough chaff units you also get the high elf option of dealing with units that you can't/don't want to defeat: just lead them away from everything. This allows ogres to lead away most armies horde unit, and then set up charges against their other units. Free win: ogres.

[Deraj]

It doesn't take much to outdeploy an opponent. Laying down 2 dogs, then your mournfang who have the movement to go whereever, then a unit of ogres as chaff is enough to force your opponent to play their hand before you do. Even leadbelchers make a great deployment unit.

One other little thing is that deploying 3 wide seems like a waste of attacks. 4 wide will generally do quite a bit better.

Also; alcibiates; one thing about ogres is that everything has the move to flank, and everything has the strength to smash a unit from the side. The leadbelchers and iron blaster in particular tend to be ignored, but should never be underestimated. I've heard gnoblars be touted as a great and useful unit, but... I just can't find them to be worth it.

Honestly that looks like an army I would run, though I'd lose every magic item from the slaughtermaster and bruiser in exchange for an ironfist on the bruiser and the 4+ ward save on the slaughtermaster, then drop 2 normal ogres for a firebelly, but those are just personal taste. Like I've said; I don't really know why everyone takes the firebelly, I just love him.

[Aun]

I'm planning on deploying the Ogre Bull units 4 wide with a spare so they have to cause 6 wounds before I lose a rank.
The only reason I'm deploying the Ironguts 3 wide is that with a Bruiser, Slaughtermaster and Unit Champion in the first rank, they cant attack the actual unit itself and must divide their attacks. This will limit a lot of the damage output they can do while not really affecting my own.

My reasoning for all the gear is that my meta is dominated by Vampires, Chaos and Lizardmen (I.E. shit that can actually take on an Ogre Lord Character)

[Arguleon-veq]

Every ogre build ive ever seen doing well at tournaments has had this general core to it;

4 characters kitted out as defensive as possible, always a BSB and usually a slaughtermaster.

2x7 Ironguts with full command. With the 4 characters giving you 2 unhittable gutstars.

2 ironblasters.

As many sabretusks as you can get.

4 mournfang with the awesome banner of 2d6 hits and making the enemy strike last etc.

Then with whatever points you have left can go on another little mournfang unit or something like maneaters.

[Deraj]

Don't forget the 4-6 leadbelchers. Everyone has 4-6 leadbelchers.

[Aun]

I'm not enough of a whore to just cookie-cutter everything from internet lists. I'm happy with what I have here.