Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Could a Big Mek, in theory, get big enuf an 'ard enuf to replace a Warboss as opposed to serving one? Basically could one be huge and charismatic like a warboss, but be a Big Mek by function?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Yes. This exact thing happens and the Big Mek becomes known as a Mek Boss. They would generally have a different approach to leadership focusing more on vehicles, shooting and such rather than the more common meele focused orks I would think.

The Red Waaagh! did that for a time when Grukk was presumed dead. Big Mek Mogruk was the Boss for a while.

Orks run off might makes right, if a Mek can crump enough heads the boyz will fall in line. Must be nice to live in such an orderly society.

 SharkoutofWata wrote:
The Red Waaagh! did that for a time when Grukk was presumed dead. Big Mek Mogruk was the Boss for a while.

Hold on...I thought Grukk died?

Buzzgob was leading a warband, but he was not a warbozz, I don't think that any kind of oddboy can ever get the title warbozz even if they rise to power
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Buzzgob

Ork Promotion Protocol:

Can I Krump him?:

No? -> Then he iz Bozz

Yes? -> Then I iz Bozz.

Actually ork Kultur is way more complex then that. It has a clas system. Some weird orks will never be socially accepted as a by a leader by the majority of the orks.

Buzzgob is a Mek. And a Warboss. Subordinate yo a planetary Warlord, but still a Warboss. I think thats why he's calld Mek Boss and not Big Mek.

oldzoggy wrote:Buzzgob was leading a warband, but he was not a warbozz, I don't think that any kind of oddboy can ever get the title warbozz even if they rise to power
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Buzzgob

Mekboss Oilguzla (only notable for getting Callidussed by a gretchin)
Mekboss Buzzgob (lieutenant to a Warboss, rules his own planet but not leader of a Waaagh, so not a warboss)
Big Mek Mogrob (leader of the Red Waaaagh, not titled, but a Warboss in all but name)
Big Mek Grabork (leader of a mek crew, not otherwise titled, probably best thought of as a Freeboota Captin)
Big Mek Fragrak da Planetsmasha (leader of Waaagh Planetsmasha, not otherwise titled, but a warboss in all but name)
Mekaniak Wazdakka Gutzmek (Lone Wolf, no title, no troops, not even his pet gretchin any more according to lexicanum :()
Mekaniak Orkimedes (personal Mek to Gazkhull Thraka, but somehow not even titled as a Big Mek)

Evidence would bear this out - even the most powerful Meks who lead their own Waaaghs aren't called Warboss.

oldzoggy wrote:Actually ork Kultur is way more complex then that. It has a clas system. Some weird orks will never be socially accepted as a by a leader by the majority of the orks.

It's only Weirdboyz who will never be leaders, really - the other Oddboyz have all been shown at various points to be leading their own units/villages/waaaghs.

Yes, as can other ork weirdboyz, such as old zogwort (such a pity they removed him from the game; turning enemy HQs into squigs was brilliant fun) and mad dok grotsnik once led his own warband. (although I haven't heard of any runtherds getting a whole warband to themselves)

Spammer of the Emporer wrote:
Yes, as can other ork weirdboyz, such as old zogwort (such a pity they removed him from the game; turning enemy HQs into squigs was brilliant fun) and mad dok grotsnik once led his own warband. (although I haven't heard of any runtherds getting a whole warband to themselves)

Well, to my recollection, neither zogwort nor grotsnik were ever true bosses. They were useful attendants, but I don't think in the fluff they ever actually led a warband (though they could in-game).

Dok Grotsnik was led by a warboss when he first fixed Ghazzy's head. That warboss was Ghazzy's first first major victory which happened right after Ghazzy stumbled out of Dok Grotsnik's house of horrors winning him the deathskulls before he even returned to claim the goff klan he was in.

No longer any stats for Zogwart and just one little note in the waaaagh powers section of the codex that says the warphead became powerful enough to gather his own waaaagh! .... hmm I bet his head explosion will end up big enough to table his own army at the end of the first psykic phase. Maybe even a planet buster..

Orks can definitely be lead by a Big Mek although I would suspect he would eventually find himself being challenged a lot by some of the veteran Nobz as they get bigger and stronger from fighting. I would also suspect that your more likely to find a Mek Boss in an Evil Sunz or Bad Moonz focused WAAAGH rather than in something like Snakebites or Goffs. Also as Kaptain Bluddflagg said in DoW2 Retribution "Dem Orkz got a Mek for a Boss. Dats just sad dat is".

Well, there's literally no reason for a Mek boss not to be the size of any other Warboss. A mek could potentially get to the size of the Beast if you left him alone for long enough, just the same as any other Ork.

The main reason that meks don't end up leading every Waaagh ever is that they're too busy tinkering to bother challenging for leadership.