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I’m always cautious about treating a single source as entirely defining.

The Ufthak Blackhawk novels aren’t just terrific stories, but also offer some interesting insight into an Orky worldview.

But, I’m hesitant to extend Ufthak’s thoughts and opinions as necessarily universal. Because we’re not presented with any others to juxtapose.

Oh, they’re absolutely orky thoughts - but that doesn’t mean they’re therefore the thoughts of all Orks. To treat them as such is to treat a dynamic and fractitious species as a whole. Which is doing them and the background a disservice.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I’m always cautious about treating a single source as entirely defining.

The Ufthak Blackhawk novels aren’t just terrific stories, but also offer some interesting insight into an Orky worldview.

But, I’m hesitant to extend Ufthak’s thoughts and opinions as necessarily universal. Because we’re not presented with any others to juxtapose.

Oh, they’re absolutely orky thoughts - but that doesn’t mean they’re therefore the thoughts of all Orks. To treat them as such is to treat a dynamic and fractitious species as a whole. Which is doing them and the background a disservice.

True. I'll admit I only read the first Ufthak novel and didn't find it that interesting, just because there was very little in there we didn't have in Codizes already. I would have liked to see something more surprising, but maybe that's what happens in the later books. The Beast was therefore a little more interesting, but that series had the problem of too much bolter porn and the later books not actually knowing where they want to go with the whole thing. I think already in book 2 terra could be toast and the Imperium could be moved off the cliff by the Orks. But then, they just don't. And we don’t get an answer why, not even an: it's too much fun fighting humies, therefore we won't kill them all.
Still I liked the more civilized development and more serious depiction of the Orks there. It's not that I dislike fun hooligan orks, but as you say, that's one way to look at them. Another is treating them as berzerk aliens that eat civilians and rip apart everything they get their hands on and using man-portable warp cannons that aren't that much different from eldar wraith cannons.

The Ufthak books do introduce the concept of Orks getting more Thinky the more Authority they have.

So, whilst your average Boy is entirely content to just take the most direct route to smash someone’s face in, Nobz and upwards see an increase in their ability to plan ahead, and so presumably help ensure as many Boyz get into that fight before they get perished.

This does play nicely with other portrayals, where it seems to be Boyz that are the most reckless, but Nobz etc being more cunning and sensible.

So when it comes to War of the Beast? It’s possible the Orks have become of sufficient power that a good percentage are More Thinky, allowing for greater cohesion, and being able to be trusted with wonder weapons, instead of becoming intoxicated by its destructiveness and becoming entirely uncaring as to what they’re smashing up. More focussed. That’s what I’m saying.

I’m yet to read War of the Beast, but I understand it takes place not terribly long after the Scouring. So whilst The Imperium is still weakened, it’s still a potent enough foe that to attack it piecemeal is a useless endeavour.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
We may also have to consider that post-Heresy? Those battles would’ve left a lot of top notch loot and scrap for the enterprising Orks to hoover up, bash into something more Orky, and turn upon its erstwhile masters.

As The Imperium has since first declined then stagnated, those weapons were never replaced or deployed. And so modern Orks just lack the same resources, so aren’t exposed to such wonder weapons, and even if they have the Know-Wots somewhere in the Mek’s bonces? The necessary materials just don’t show up.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Actually, that spawns another thought.

Are a Mek’s talents purely reactive? As in they’ve the knowledge to create some truly wondrous things. But don’t tend to do so until a suitable target or stressor has presented itself?

Traktors and Force Fields are useful when making ships, or infesting and settling Space Hulks. But until that need is manifested (due to population density or a Space Hulk turning up), they’re not a priority?

Not sure I’ve explained that terribly well.

Yeah I'm not going to spoiler the details if you haven't read it, but I'll repeat that the progress of the war didn't seem plausible to me. IIRC some of the writers also admitted that the later titles had to be rushed without clear guidance compared to the first novels.

Edit, to your third thought:

Again, bringing up the Beast, there the Orks start to develop on the fringes of the galaxy because they're left alone, so I'd read that as contrary to your idea. It's been a while so it might be more ambigous between: orks have been beaten down on Ullanor in a way like they've never been beaten before (which would support your reactionary approach) and: the Imperium was lazy/ busy with fighting itself so nobody kept an eye on what the Orks are doing. And having noone keeping them in check they've built death stars that they could teleport anywhere.

Think I need to start reading that series!