the blue tide

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**kim**

I started WH40k in June of this year. Last weekend I played at the Dutch GT. It was great fun. I was massacred (0/20) once, lost twice with 4/16, once with 8/16 and won once with 16/4. It was wonderful, really!

I was a bit scared that players would laugh at me for the color of my orks, but they were quite enthusiastic. One guy walked up to me and said: "are you the one playing he blue orks? They tell me you have great fluff." So i showed him and he liked it.

A few weeks back i read a thread on this forum somewhere from an ork player who was thinking about painting his orks another color than green. Some posters heavily disagreed, some could not care less. I tried finding this thread again, but i could not. So if the guy is reading this, here is my reason for painting them blue.

I am not a good painter, especially when i look at the pictures (so much enlarged) i feel a noob. However, is like painting, i like my blue orks, so i added some pics in a gallery.

Da Wazzrukks

During the latter couple of centuries, as rain fell more heavily and more often, fungi growth of Da Wazrukks breeding planet extended from just the common Lactarius species to the Lactarius Indigo, a rarer species of edible mushroom of the Russulaceae family. Its color ranges from dark blue in fresh specimens to a pale blue-gray in older ones and is largely due to a chemical pigment called Azulene (1-stearoyloxymethylene-4-methyl-7-isopropenylazulene). Azulene is an energizer as well as a growth enhancer as long as it binds to the most important compound of the mushroom’s flesh: necatorin (7-hydroxycoumaro-6-innoline). Lactarius Indigo has a slightly burnt taste with hints of metal. The long dead Warboss Gutrukk said: “Da taste is like gof!” Orks often treat themselves to a couple of these energizing mushrooms before going into battle, just to get started.

It may have taken Da Wazzrukks a bit long to relate eating blue to becoming blue, but many being descendants from the Death Skulls, understanding that being blue equals being lucky in war took but a few years. Death Skulls painted themselves blue to get protection from the gods. Still, they never lost their green guts. Similarly, blue Orks stay green on the inside. They just add Da Lukk to their fights. Unknowingly, by eating Lactarius Indigo, Orks got more stamina and less injury during battle: the growth enhancer helped them regenerate skin and flesh damaged in battle.

From then on, Orks called this mushroom Da Lukkbitt. It became tradition to devour handfuls before war. Grots are forbidden to eat Lukkbitts on penalty of deaff by choppin’. “Gretchin don’t need da lukk. If dey take da lukk, dey is stealin’ it from Orks and dey dies.” The only treat gretchin may get from the mushroom is finding spilt drops of the milk that emanates when the Lactarius’ tissue is cut. The milk is also indigo, but slowly turns green upon exposure to air. Only after that, it looses its ability to color its devourer.

**Tek**

I love it. Lets see those orks!

**kim**

Well, thank you!
Here are some images.

**kim**

And some more

**Cilithan**

Great looking Orkz Kimmy! (Then again you allready knew I love your Orkzes)...

Cool that youre putting them up here.

Cilithan

**Nivoglibina**

Great stuff

**KingCracker**

I like it man. I remember a few threads about that. I always say go for it. Personally I like the green skin, but thats me. I always encourage people to paint their minis how they want. Im still waiting on someone ballsy enough to paint Ork skin pink.

**HolyCause**

It's always nice to see a non-green ork colour. I'm still debating whether or not to paint mine red, as though they were Fel orcs...

**kim**

Red can be cool too.
Have you thought about fluff already? Might make it easier to decide.

**Tek**

Love it. Blue is a joy to paint to boot.
I'm starting a Gorkamorka tourney soon (another new army!), and am thinking about an original skintone to use.

Your paint all looks rather... chalky. Do you use a lot of drybrushing? Or is that a legacy from spray priming?

Not that it harms the models, it's just something I noticed.

**lord_blackfang**

Looks like a typical case of satin varnish syndrome. A coat of brush-on gloss varnish will make the dusty look go away.

**Frazzled**

I like it. A nice change of piece from Green.

**SagesStone**

I like the blue Orks, its a nice change from all thr green ones. That Warboss also looks good

It's also great how you explained it as well.

**Flashman**

Very quirky colour scheme, like it.

**Dark**

I'm loving those blue Orks!

**kim**

Tek wrote:Your paint all looks rather... chalky. Do you use a lot of drybrushing? Or is that a legacy from spray priming?

I used a spray can without properly shaking it (i think) so now some of my models are w bit hazy :-) Well, i'll shake better next time (and cry some more in a corner)