Hello fellas got a question about the Horde damage potential...

So simply take an Ork Boy and put him in a Horde of 30+ Magnitude...

This guy deals 1d10+7 with Pen:2 Choppa Damage. BUT...

Horde Magnitude bonus is 3 so we add 3d10 extra damage, also because of the Overwhelming trait they also get another 1d10 bonus

So our Horde will deal 5D10+7 with Pen:2 Damage... Also because of the Brutal Charger 6D10+7... This is a bit too too heavy Damage.... What do you think? Am i doing something wrong?

One correction: Magnitude bonus is maximum +2d10 (see Core p.360). Overwhelming adds an additional +1d10 as long as the Magnitude is above 20, and Brutal Charge adds +1d10, but only when the horde actually charges. That's a still hefty 5d10+7 in the round the Orks charge, and goes down to 4d10+7 when they continue in melee.

This damage is still quite something, but it fits the fluff, and I'd say it's also richly deserved by any character standing in front of an Ork charge and not doing much else.

I really could have used those orks yesterday against an iron hands techmarine(he's one tough motherfucker). Maybe next time...

Yeah, I too have a sudden urge to sneak them into my next adventure after reading these numbers

Could I get a page reference? I ran my first game last weekend and admit to a weakness when it copmes to hordes.

Is there something in particular you need the page reference of?

Ork Boyz: Mark of the Xenos, p. 57

Magnitude bonus: Core, p. 360, Damage Caused by Hordes

Overwhelming: Core, p. 133

Brutal Charge: Core, p. 130

Hordes in general: Core pp.359-360

More traits, tactics: Mark of the Xenos, pp. 130-136

Some elements of the Core description are subject to Errata, check p. 6

If you have any questions, ask away.

Thanks for the quick reply. This weekend is slated for a re-read of the rules to try and pickup what I missed, along with adventure prep, this will help a lot.

No big deal, today was an awfully slow day at work Re-reading never hurts, I still keep discovering new minor stuff after years as a GM, not to mention those rules that appear to have a different meaning every time you read them (looking at you, great big tangled mess of healing )

I found that after I taught my PCs that hordes hurt, then they started targeting them above individual baddies. In the example, they let a M.30 grot horde get a swing in melee against a marine. After that "ow!" moment, hordes get bolter assaulted and grenaded

Its hard to keep a horde above 30 magnitude without being a total jerk of a GM lol. Initiative matters

It's rarely necessary to have a horde that big, although with Orks or 'nids in certain cases it might be justified. Either way, the splitting-regrouping mechanics described in MotX allow for a much more flexible approach. And the panic on the players' faces when being seriously mauled by a Horde of Gaunts is priceless

Any attack from a Horde that hits has the damage it causes increased by a number of d10s equal to the Horde’s magnitude divided by ten, with a maximum bonus of +2d10

The problem is that most 'horde component' troops are incapable of hurting a marine without at least 1 and in practical cases 2 bonus D10s of damage; a lasgun is D10+3 versus an average soak value of 18 on most hits.

Seeing a horde get shot down to 19 and then stand around pattering bullets off marines is kind of annoying. Definitely agree on the splitting/reforming mechanic being key to keeping a group of hordes* as a threat for more than one round.

And.....yeah. That's still 5D10+7 and can't be dodged or parried. But it's also still not going to kill a marine in one hit - probaby not even put him into critical damage. Average damage roll is just over 34 wounds, which if it strikes the chest is 16 and a bit wounds off the marine.

That's one thing worth noting: marines are tough, even compared to what their stats would suggest. One-shotting one means getting through 10 armour, 8 toughness and 20 wounds - plus putting them up to about critical 8 or so, which is another 16 damage. That's going on for 54 wounds (or Pen) in one hit.

* What is the collective noun for hordes, I wonder?

The problem is that most 'horde component' troops are incapable of hurting a marine without at least 1 and in practical cases 2 bonus D10s of damage; a lasgun is D10+3 versus an average soak value of 18 on most hits.

Hordes also make ranged attacks equal to the first digit of their Magnitude - IIRC there's no hard cap on this particular value. They can also make melee and ranged attacks in the same round, although I'm not entirely sure those attacks can be made against the same opponent.

Seeing a horde get shot down to 19 and then stand around pattering bullets off marines is kind of annoying. Definitely agree on the splitting/reforming mechanic being key to keeping a group of hordes* as a threat for more than one round.

A Magnitude 19 Horde is still a very effective meatshield to protect the main enemies. Alternatively tarpitting the Marines also does wonders when they're in a hurry to get up close and personal with a big hitter.

Really of you want to be harsh as a GM it's combined arms that are nasty. Give a couple of hordes even a handful of elite or a light vehicle and the marines can get into trouble.

Hordes also make ranged attacks equal to the first digit of their Magnitude - IIRC there's no hard cap on this particular value. They can also make melee and ranged attacks in the same round, although I'm not entirely sure those attacks can be made against the same opponent.

Not specified but I'd say no - by definition, a horde's melee attack is you being buried in dudes trying to attack you with individually puny weapons. There's no way a horde could bring the massed gunfire a horde's ranged attack represents to bear at the same time without massacring everyone trying to attack you!

Hordes also make ranged attacks equal to the first digit of their Magnitude - IIRC there's no hard cap on this particular value. They can also make melee and ranged attacks in the same round, although I'm not entirely sure those attacks can be made against the same opponent.

Not specified but I'd say no - by definition, a horde's melee attack is you being buried in dudes trying to attack you with individually puny weapons. There's no way a horde could bring the massed gunfire a horde's ranged attack represents to bear at the same time without massacring everyone trying to attack you!

I guess this depends on if they shot at a target they are engaged with in melee. That would at least be standard malus of -20 for allies in close combat(which is admittedly a bit strange, as the ally is the horde itself). But a close combat engaged horde shooting at a target outside of the close combat action - why not?

Oh, that much is fine. There'll be plenty of dudes on the fringes of the fight, I see no reason that they can't shoot.

Low magnitude hordes are great for putting ranged characters into melee.