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First new topic I've ever started...

I'm currently building Eldar, Ork and Marine armies, but pretty much as they come "out of the box" without much in the way of green stuff / added bits to begin with. I see the Orks as perhaps my best chance to have a go at converting stuff in the first instance, particularly vehicles-wise, but it struck me that Ork conversions are necessarily supposed to be ramshackle and cobbled together, because that's how da orkses makes 'um... and these conversions would just continue to add to the feel of the ork unit but don't necessarily require you to make up your own fluff etc - therefore I would find it hard to drastically alter and personalise an ork army and really do something different.

So - question1 - to all da ork boyz out there - to what extent do you think converting / sculpting can be applied to your force to really give it a distinctive feel that is all your own? - basically, am I just lacking imagination here? - feel free to post pics of your work to demonstrate how it is marked out from other ork forces and has a specific personality.

Following on from the above, the forces of Chaos also offer a great opportunity to just make stuff up, with perhaps a different slant than that offered by the orks. Many years ago when I started 40K, Chaos was really the place to be if you wanted to push the boundaries conversion-wise. I remember the old Rogue trader rules had tables of mutations that you could apply to your character models...

So - question 2 is for the foul denizens from the Eye of Terror - How free do you feel to convert and adapt models in the modern 40K game? Do the codexes help or hinder you in this respect?, and are there things that you would love to build, but cannot because you wouldn't be able to use them e.g., in competition?

....and finally in this ridiculously long post (give me a break, it's my first go) - how do people feel about mixing up different armies? - I mean, are there many Chaos Orks out there? - and how about mixing up the chaos powers amongst themselves for a truly hideous melded force - a hybrid bloodthirster / lord of change perhaps, or how about this - Slaanesh and Nurgle combined, decaying demonettes, bringing a plague of S.T.D.s to the unsuspecting universe...?

I can't speak for the Orks, but as a veteran Plague Marine I'll do my best to help you with your second question.

The Chaos codexes main problem is that a lot of the more 'Chaosy' aspects of the army (IE-Possesed, Daemons, Defilers etc) have very few options in what they can take, so conversions can be a bit limited. A lot of it is very much 'Loyalist' in the options it gives you-for instance, I would love to be able to convert a unit of Thousand sons rubric Terminators bedecked with Braziers of fire and tomes of arcane lore hanging off their belts, but in game terms they are just 'Terminators with an Icon of Tzeentch. Sorry if that wasn't what you're asking, but thats my veiws on what I think your question is.

I play orks and I do have a "chaos Ork" I suppose. I made my own model for Boss Zagstruck and as he is so angry and killy I added an icon of khorn I had to his rokkit pack. Ork would and could follow Khorn especially and maybe even Slaanesh as they just love fighting so much. In terms of rules, pick a codex and then make whatever models you want. Vehicles are the only place where things can get tricky as modeling for advantage is harder to avoid with vehicles. Making a vehicle smaller or larger or changing a weapon mount can be a big difference in game terms. Again Orks give you a lot of freedom with looted wagons and the fact that all of the weapon mounts are not specified in the codex.

Good answers guys thanks - I guess more aggressive conversions can be a problem for the game then...

I'm sure I saw somebody doing a genestealer ork coven not so long ago and I wondered what rules they could possibly use to play them

Finally, someone else who doesn't fear the Wall of Text! Welcome, brother.

With orks, simply look at a lineup of the stock vehicle kits - there is a degree of uniformity even in the ramshackle aesthetic. A lot of minor conversion work doesn't necessarily go towards making your army wholly distinct from all others, but towards making individual models distinct from one another within your own army. I know that I always try and mix up the parts and poses on my boys so that no two are ever exactly the same (when on display, I even make a point of arranging them so similar poses aren't next to each other), all for the sake of variety. Having fewer mix-and-match assembly options with vehicles (especially if trying to maintain WYSIWYG while running the same codex options), conversion work is required to get that same sense of variety.

Now, that is not to say that you can't have a totally distinct army of orks. In fact, some of the best fluff-paint-modeling-synergy-of-awesomesauce homebrew armies I've ever seen have been ork forces. Sure, some people just have a distinctive style that comes through in their painting and modeling, but most of the really really unique armies are themed. I've seen a freebootas pirate army replete with hooks, tricorn hats, eye patches, and pirate-ship-on-wheels battlewagons. I've seen a whole army of orks trying to emulate Space Marines, some to the point of cramming themselves into jumbled bits of power armor (there's a huge WIP thread here on dakka - search for "da ork angelz" or something to that effect).

Basically, unless you're going for a strong theme - and with orks, you can pull off damn near anything if you go all out - what will set your army apart is quality conversions. Believe me, there is an art to making junkers look good. Look at highly rated ork conversions in the gallery or in conversion threads for inspiration, if you're the researching type. Otherwise, start sketching and bunging things together until you find what works for you. I think that whole "if it looks like crap, it's more orky" mentality is BS (and that's not "ballistic skill," mind you ). Make things believably functional. Waagh energy doesn't make screws dance in a conga line through orky brain-magic-maybe-science, it makes crude and damaged builds of ludicrous designs function. There still needs to be a function to the form, even if that function is rather ludicrous.

Happy building, and thanks for giving me what I will assume to be implied permission to rant.

With orks just have fun with it and make it orky. I tend to put on a few bits at a time then decide whether it needs more gubbins or not. For an Idea, here's a Killa Kan I made from an aobr dread, and various parts from Killa Kan, Bikers & Trukk sets. Was rather easy & took about 10 minutes of "Will that work?. . .nah, how about this, cool!"

http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-20841-10213_Orks.html

Excellent Oadie - plenty to chew on there mate thanks loads for that - love the idea of the pirate orks / marine orks - that's the sort of thing I hadn't considered properly, I'll check them out, I think it sounds like exactly the sort of inspiration I need. Retrospective permission to rant firmly granted!

Shas'O Dorian - that Kan is a good idea - it's going to look superb when painted up - niiiiiiiiiiice job!

Wasn't there a White Dwarf article on just this sort of thing? If I remember correctly one of the GW-guys made a Nurgle-Ork force for a battle report featuring the new Daemonhunters (yes, this was quite a while ago). I myself love to got "there"! I ask, why the heck can't I do Tzeentchian Eldars or Chaos Tau? And why can't I put a group of Rubric Marines in my Chaos Daemons army when CSM can put daemons in theirs?! Why? WHY?!


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On the first part of your question, btw, I feel that it is our obligation as Ork-players to kitbash the crap out of our green little friends. I can put up some good examples of my recent adventures into this aspect if I can find my camera...

Found "da dark angelz" here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/253544.page - in case anyone else is interested


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...and are these the pirates by any chance?: http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/94061-.html

Chaos Orks were first featured in "Freebooterz" and there was the Chaos Ork Warboss, Mutant Ork Boyz, Stormboyz of Khorne, and Possessed Warphead. I think that's all of them. Of course we haven't heard anything about them since 2nd edition has been released. But there is certanly precedent in the early days for Chaos Orks, so don't ever lt anyone tell you it can't or shouldn't be done. GW's offical line was that Orks leaned towards Khorne or Nurgle.

My Nurgle Daemon army mainly uses "plagueboyz" and night goblin "cultists" as nurglings. I also have warboss Epidemius being carried on a platform by goblins. Originally wanted to have him counting on his fingers but never managed it

Doggles wrote:....and finally in this ridiculously long post (give me a break, it's my first go) - how do people feel about mixing up different armies? - I mean, are there many Chaos Orks out there? - and how about mixing up the chaos powers amongst themselves for a truly hideous melded force - a hybrid bloodthirster / lord of change perhaps, or how about this - Slaanesh and Nurgle combined, decaying demonettes, bringing a plague of S.T.D.s to the unsuspecting universe...?

actually in the Daemonhunters codex orks were found praying to a icon of nurgle and they had to exterminate orks with feel no pain. it's an scenario.

I know this is OLD but imo fluff isnt recton UNLESS noted otherwise! (yes, even if matt ward wrote it I will consider it canon or semi canon)

(ps, am I allowed to post things from a gw book? even if its old?)

Glad you found Da Dark Angelz!

Here's some more for you from my "favourites" list:
Bringing Back The Rebellion: The Grots Rebuild!
A Squeaky WAAAAGH!!!!
cyborks & flyboyz : GorkaMekka's word
Beginning an Ork WAAAGH!! Mek Style
Akwatic Desert Raidas
What's an Ork pirate's favorite letter? - the Piratey one on Dakka!
The Golden Arched Horde
Some Deathskull Konvershuns
Waaagh Grimcog: A Different Looking Necron Army
Big toof
Teek's Waaagh
The Kroggs: Mad Max Themed Ork Army
Ork buggies w/ cinematic rokkit effects
Da Leeshun 242nd

Arakasi - thanks loads for those, the Grimcog "Necrork" idea is a really clever one

...and brilliantly executed!


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In fact, I kept going back through my subscribed threads until I found that one!

I have a few conversions and scratch builds in my Chaos Marine army, notably my Daemon Princes, my Havocs, my summoned greater daemon and my Defilers.

Also working on a super heavy (counts as plague tower - really hate that model so I am making something that looks a lot better ) to drive them all into battle.

I've seen a few chaos Orks around - many are painted red and fight for the blood god (who is most likely to take an interest in them ).