Help with starting Orc team?

[Khrage]

Black orcs develop slowly (as was previously mentioned) and really need that first skill upgrade. But once they get there, oh they make the team.
With four from the beginning, they are more likely to get that MVP than the blitzer who needs it less.

The blizer can really be pulled in at any time and you wont' suffer for it, their stats are already very good. And they hog spps (in my experience) once they are in. Use the first couple of games to develop your linemen, who will rarely get the ball in a team with four blitzers. Linemen need that first skill upgrade too, almost more than the BoBs.

[Khail]

I'm currently 3 weeks into a league (1 game a week) and the only 3-0 team. Here's the lineup:

4 Blitzers (320K)
2 BoBs (160K)
1 Thrower (70K)
2 Linemen (100K)
2 Gobbos (80K)

3 RR (180K)
9 FF (90K)
----------
1000K

1st purchase: Apoth
2nd purchase: Ogre

I don't really play them as a traditional orc team, I do a LOT of passing. I'm currently leading the league in completions

After 3 games, all 4 of my blitzers have their first advance...neither one of my BoBs have a single SPP. As someone said, more BoBs means a better chance of them getting an MVP early on, but personally I'd rather have access to all my blitzers early because they develop so much faster...

And on the Ogre vs Troll fluff debate, I'm using a freakishly huge Black Orc with Ogre stats instead of an actual Ogre (one of the 40K warboss figs converted). Works for me, and my opponents have no trouble distinguishing him because of the large base (not to mention he stands about a head taller than my other Black Orcs).

Khurgash da Bludthirsty, 'Ead Coach ov da 'Ard Korps

[Blaccug Bonecracker]

I have played several orc teams since BB3 came out, and I agree that the Blitzers are their strongest players. Hiwever, I always play with BOs. The strengths of the orc team is that they are one of the toughest teams (most are AV9) ant they also have an advantage of strength through the BOs. They tend to a... messy style of play: get stuck in and you will almost always come out on top!

My favorite starting team-up would be:
3 blitzers
3 BO
1 thrower
4 lineorcs
2 rerolls
8 fan-factor
apothecary

You don't really need more than one thrower, he's basically just to get the ball to one of the blitzers. I usually give my throwers Block as one of their early skills, so they can get stuck in with the boys!

I do not use gobbos, they do not fit my style. They would get crumped, and they are also Not-Orkz. Reel orkz need no uvverz! They would probably 'steal' SPPs from my blitzers by making the TDs, and a good gobbo is still not good enough, when compared with a good blitzer.

I think Black Orcs are a staple of the orc team. They add strength. Essestially, each BO is a player that comes with a free assist! Numerical superiority is the game. They are especially useful in the beginning, when there are very few Guard-players around, and you like to get involved in relly big brawls...

But of course, if your style of play involves lots of passing and fast TDs, then the team would look a little different.

Blaccug

[DoubleSkulls]

But of course, if your style of play involves lots of passing and fast TDs, then the team would look a little different.
Blaccug

The pointy ears are the give away

[Marcus]

...says the orc coach with 3 +AG players...

[DoubleSkulls]

...says the orc coach with 3 +AG players...

Don't forget that 2 of them have +ST too

[Joshua Dyal]

I've started several new orc teams -- under several rulesets, with a lineup very much like the following. In fact, I threw this together for an impromptu "league" between a myself and a friend of mine. So far we're the only players, but we want to play with the same team to acquaint him (he's new to the game) with the league rules.

Anyway, on to the lineup:

3 blitzers (240k)
2 black orcs (160k)
1 thrower (70k)
1 troll (100k)
2 goblins (80k)
3 linemen (150k)
3 RR (180k)
2 FF (20k)
Total 1000k

I know, I know, conventional wisdom is that you need a high FF to make it in a league. I'm not necessarily convinced that's true, so I decided to take an extra reroll from other line-ups I've done in the past and shrink the FF.

My style is more for flavor than necessarily effectiveness. I like to have a big guy, even trolls who have to either go really stupid on you or tie up someone standing next to them all the time. I like having a few BOs and the troll to lead the cage on offense, bashing anyone who gets in the way. I like to have goblins for the potential TTM play, although I don't rely on it. The goblins, with dodge and stunty, are more fun than I ever thought an orc team was allowed to have. A couple of them in front of the cage making a credible reciever threat keeps the attacks on the cage from being too intense.

[Joshua Dyal]

And on the Ogre vs Troll fluff debate, I'm using a freakishly huge Black Orc with Ogre stats instead of an actual Ogre (one of the 40K warboss figs converted). Works for me, and my opponents have no trouble distinguishing him because of the large base (not to mention he stands about a head taller than my other Black Orcs).

Interesting... I'm using Morg'n'Thorg, but with an Ork Warboss head (the one with the big helmet) instead of the usual head, which gives him a very orky look. At the last second, I decided not to paint him green (or black orc green, really, which is what I was considering) because I thought I might want to use the same mini for other teams besides orcs later on down the line. I've got a Golgfag with trimmed weapons that I want to paint as well (as soon as I can greenstuff a few gaps in the mini) and I'd like to make one out of the Morg'n'thorg legs with a dragon ogre body.

I hadn't thought about using a warboss as an orc specific ogre -- how did you convert the arms? Was there a lot of greenstuff sculpting required to make them look alright?