Effigy of Gork
by Avian
With the new army book, several players have asked for suggestions on how to use this feature in 7th edition, particularly as one of the spells it refers to does not exist in the current army book. This is my take on it, which treats it more or less like a special feature and hopefully is reasonably clear. It is not intended to be included in 'Ard Boyz armies only.
Effigy of Gork - Rare unit
Orc tribes that rest for any length of time in an area will traditionally construct an effigy of the war god Gork out of whatever materials are at hand - stone, earth, wood or even their own dung. These creations, which are usually left behind as the tribe moves on, are regarded with superstitious dread by the local human population, though this might just be because of the smell.
0-1 Effigy of Gork................................................ Points/model: 40
Special feature. The Effigy of Gork is treated as a special feature (see p. 100 of the Warhammer Rulebook) rather than as a unit. It cannot be damaged or destroyed, counts as impassable terrain, does not prevent enemy units nearby from marching and cannot claim or contest table quarters. An Effigy of Gork should be no more than 6" in diameter and is deployed immediately after all other terrain has been placed, but before players roll to determine who deploys where. It is worth noting that several of the special abilities of the Effigy depends on the Orcs & Goblin player controlling the Effigy (controlling special features is also described on p. 100), so it needs to be deployed with some forethought.
Gork's Blessing. Before the battle, the Orcs will roar their praises to Gork and reverently touch their standards to the Effigy. Any Orc unit with a standard - though not the Battle Standard Bearer - rolls on the table below, representing the blessing that Gork has conferred on them. The blessing is not in itself magical and cannot be removed by items or effects that negate magic items, and is cumulative with any magical powers the standard may have. Note that Goblin units do not benefit from Gork's Blessing.
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 - 2 | The standard carries the spell The Hand of Gork as a Bound spell.
It may only be cast on the Orc unit itself. |
| 3 - 4 | The standard carries the spell Gork'll Fix It as a Bound spell. It may be cast on one enemy unit in contact with the Orc unit. |
| 5 - 6 | The standard carries the spell Fists of Gork as a Bound spell. It may be cast on one enemy unit in contact with the Orc unit. |
Bounds spells are cast on a Power level of 4 and each can only be used once per battle. The Power level is also modified as follows:
- Add 1 if the unit bearing the standard has a Unit Strength of 15 or more.
- Add 1 if the unit bearing the standard is led by a Warboss or Big Boss.
Only Orcs count, though any kind of Orc will do. Multiple characters in the same unit has no additional effect. - Add 1 if the unit bearing the standard is in close combat.
Stop Messin' Around. If the owning player controls the Effigy of Gork, any Orc unit within 24" of the centre of the Effigy, which rolls a 1 for its Animosity test, can ignore the result if it is within reach of an enemy unit and declares a charge against it. Note that Goblin units do not benefit from the Stop Messin' Around ability.
Gork Likes a Fight. Black Orcs are Gork's favourites and he likes to see them breaking necks in close combat instead of being blasted by cowardly magic from afar. If the owning player controls the Effigy, all friendly Black Orc characters within 24" of the centre of the Effigy at the start of the opposing player's magic phase add one Dispel Dice to the greenskin dispel pool.
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