Following up on my previous post on What makes a good Hammer unit? I decided to list my top choices from the O&G army book. In the right player, almost anything that hits hard can function as a decent hammer unit, but I feel like the units below are the ones most likely to find consistent success hitting the flank of your enemy while your infantry blocks fight them head-on.
Wyvern
Easily our most effective Hammer unit in our army. It is the only flyer available to us, meaning it's not only fast but also almost impossible to redirect. That usually results in that when you need a hammer unit to hit a flank, the Wyvern will deliver. Together with a Warboss General, it is the optimal unit for calling the Waaagh! with, as the added combat resolution bonus from a charge, flank and the Waaagh can sometimes result in a +5 bonus before even a single attack has been made. Add to that a S6 Thunderstomp, 3 poisonous attacks and a Warboss to boot, and there is no question the Wyvern has great value as a hammer unit.
Snotling Pump Wagon
When snotlings build chariots things easily get destroyed, but it's not only the potential for 2D6 S4(or 5) impact hits that make Pump Wagons so good, it's the random movement that allows the wagon to pivot on the spot, which makes flanking units a lot easier since you measure what 'zone' your unit is in for the enemy after you've established that the Pump Wagon would reach its target. It's almost as difficult to redirect as a flyer, and will dish out a lot more pain that what it takes back with its mere 3 wounds. Remember that if by a miracle your Pump Wagon actually survives its combat, it is able to pursue the enemy using 3 or 4 D6 (depending on how 'ard you pumped when you charged) which can be extremely useful to ensure broken enemies are chased down.
Giant
The Big Guy is often frowned upon, but as a flanker he can be extremely potent. Against infantry, the Giant is most likely dishing out 2D6 S6 hits per round, with a 1/6 chance of doing an additional D6 of damage. Granted, there's an equally large chance that he will simply yell and brawl, winning you combat without inflicting any casualties, but at times that will actually be useful to you. Furthermore, he's on a tiny monster base that will prevent a lot of models from getting into close combat with him, and if combined with some Night Goblin Netters, the Giant will truly shine as enemies will find themselves challenged to even hurt him. Another often-overlooked feature is the fact that Giants are stubborn at leadership 10, so even if you're fighting an uphill battle, you can rest assured that the Giant will most likely stick around until he is killed, preventing enemies from pursuing your infantry units that might break from losing combat.
Orc Boar Chariot
Although significantly slower than the Wolf Chariot and the Pump Wagon, the Orc Boar Chariot performs well as a Hammer unit. It is tough, meaning that it will take a lot more enemy attacks to kill it compared to a Wolf Chariot, and it with an additional Orc crew added to it, will dish out 5 S5 attacks on the charge after the initial D6+1 impact hits. It is also a prime target for the Sneaky Stabbin' spell, which will allow all of the above attacks to be re-rolled for both misses and failures to wounds. As if that's not enough, it's the only chariot in our army that will benefit from the 'Ere We Go spell as well. This together makes it a wonderful Hammer unit for an Orc Anvil fighting the enemy to the front.
Do you agree with my picks, or have you got a different set of favorites that you like to run as a Hammer in your list? Feel free to let me know.
