A quick question on importing Imperial Armour units into Codex Army lists...

[Kharrak]

Right, so, as an Ork player, I'm suitably interested in the content with in Imperial Armour 8.

Now, arguments over whether Imperial Armour units should be used in normal games aside, I find myself a tad confused on how one actually goes about "legally" importing Imperial Armour units into my Codex army.

For example, in the Grot Tank Battle Mob entry (listed as an Fast Attack unit), it states the following:

Grot Tank Mobs may be taken as an Elite choice in a Codex Ork army, as long as the army also contains at least one Big Mek
Is this the ONLY condition in which I'm allowed to import this unit? Or is it simply an alternative to importing them as is in the Imperial Armour? That is to say, is it a case of being able to use them as a Fast Attack choice, as they are listed in IA, or if I so choose, use them as an Elite choice if I follow those conditions?

In another example, with the Meka-Dread, it states:

A Meka-Dread may be chosen as a Heavy Support choice in a standard Ork army which also contains at least one Mega-Dread

Furthermore, most of the units in IA have no italicized text stating how they may be used in a Codex Ork army... does this mean that I can just use them at all? Or simply that I can use them as is?

Then there's the case of the Deff Dread and Killa Kan squadrons. The former being in direct contrast of the singular use of Deff Dreads in the standard codex, the latter allowing one to effectively use a Killa Kan squadron nearly double the size of the ones in the standard codex.

(In terms of if people will allow me to use IA units... apparently our local tournament(s) allow them, and the friends I play with most have no problem with them.)

So yeah, any advice and input would be valued!

[Xenith]

It seems like the Meka dred is a HQ choice, but you have the option of taking one as a HS choice, thus saving a valuable HQ slot, on the codition that you also take a mega dred.

Does a meka dred also count as a 'mega dred', like an upgrade?

From the wording, Id say you can take max 4 in an army, 2 in the hq slots, 1 mega dred to allow you to take 2 more in HS slots.

[MechaEmperor700]

I've only faced Imperial Armour units twice in my life, the first time the opponent cleared it with me before the game started, and the second time it was apocalypse. In both cases they didnt really use up any force organisation chart, in the former because the game was so small it was impossible for it to actually use more choices than the chart had, and in apocalypse, there is no FoC. You should probably check with the tournament organisers, they should have rules about how to use them.

[Kharrak]

Does a meka dred also count as a 'mega dred', like an upgrade?

It's a separate (more expensive) unit, though similar. As represented in Imperial Armour 9, the Meka-Dread is an HQ choice, whereas Mega-Dreads are Heavy Support choices.

[MechaEmperor700]

I took a peek once at an Imp Armor book, it seems that some of the listed entries (like the Deff Dread squadron and larger Killa Kan squadron) might be used in an alternative army list (i.e: non-codex Orks) written in the book. It's kinda like how the Eye of Terror book had "addon" army lists. In anycase, if there is no Force Organisation chart for a particular unit, just take as many of them as you like (so long as you have your opponent's consent to using the units in the first place). I remember in one of the FAQ it stated that the Damocles Rhino was restricted to one, but not the Command Land Raider, because the latter was so ridiculously high in point cost it would be pointless to take more than one.

[Kharrak]

In anycase, if there is no Force Organisation chart for a particular unit, just take as many of them as you like (so long as you have your opponent's consent to using the units in the first place).
Fair enough, though I'm still concerned if italicized text saying how one can use them in Codex army's is the ONLY way one can use them, or simply an alternative.

The main reason I'm inquiring, is about the Meka-Dread. It's listed as an HQ slot in Imperial armour, but the italicized text states that it can be used as a Heavy Support choice in a codex army, if you meet certain conditions.

Thing is, I'd actually prefer to have the Meka-Dread as an HQ choice in my codex army - rather than it forcing me to take up two Heavy Support slots with expensive units (the Meka-Dread itself, and the Mega-Dread it requires to be a Heavy Support choice).

So yeah... bring it into my codex army, and keep it as an HQ choice, as it's listed in the Imperial Armour book? Or is the ONLY way I can use it in my codex army to use it as a Heavy Support choice, along with the required Mega-Dread?

[MechaEmperor700]

I havent seen the exact wording of it, but from what I can gather if you do want it to be used in a Codex army, you have to take it as a Heavy Support Choice. I'd have to see the exact entry for myself before I can give a good enough answer =x

[Kharrak]

Whups, I had the extract in my OP, but I botched the quote boxes.

The exact wording is as follows:

A Meka-Dread may be chosen as a Heavy Support choice in a standard Ork army which also contains at least one Mega-Dread
Note, the Mega-Dread is a Heavy Support choice in the Imperial Armour book, and has no italicized text stating conditions for importing it into a standard codex army.

[Tinweasel]

Assuming there's no Army Lists in the IA8 book, then I'd say follow the rules you mentioned above for inclusion in a standard Ork Codex army.

With the Siege of Vraks books, there's a different Army List for each book and most of the models/figures are written up for use with that. There's a few special entries, though, that can sub in for Heavy Support, etc. and they're specified as such. I'd imagine that what you've seen re: IA8 is probably similar, so just follow those guidelines.

[Grabnutz]

I'm having the same issue. There's the Dreadmob army list, some units have italics stating for example "you may use this as a heavy support choice in a codex orks army"

There's then a seperate section dealing with a load of other units, not as part of any army list. A lot are superheavies, but there's stuff like gunwagons, warcoptas etc. Only some of these actually state how you can use them in games, the warcoptas don't mention anything (but are a fast attack choice in the dreadmob army list), there are several others like this.
Grot tank mobs are only listed as part of the dreadmob army list, but have the option in the unit entry to take as an elites choice in a normal army containing a big mek.

The meka-dread is an option for normal armies as a heavy support choice, only if you've included a mega-dread, but the mega-dread option doesn't itself list what choice it comes under (though its HS under the dreadmob list)