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I've seen a lot of my friends playing this game, and I have considered joining on the fun, but I'm thinking about doing something else than just starting with some warmachine army. What I'm thinking of, is making an "Ork Mek" themed army, which is basically Orks with Meks (and Big Meks) as the "Warcasters", and Deff dreads and Killer kans as the Jacks.

Of course, since the actual dreads and kans are too big, I will scratch build them to the correct size. But am I gonna get shanked onto a spike if I show up with such an army?

Like using actual GW ork models? Your first problem would be the bases come in slightly different sizes - PP stuff comes on 30mm, 40mm and 50mm (and 120mm) bases, and the base size is quite important, though you can buy the bases. You'd also need to pick a faction you wanted them to be, since otherwise you wouldn't have any rules to use them, and you'd somehow need to get a hold of the cards for those models. In Warmachine each unit has a card with its stats, health boxes and rules on it. You might be able to get them in a faction box, depending on if the units you chose were in MkI, or you could buy a deck on the War Room phone/tablet app if you have that available.

If you're playing with your friends, well, you could do what you want. You might even be able to talk other people into playing casual games. For a tournament I cannot imagine it flying ever. TOs can always allow what they want, but the rules say that each model must be mostly comprised of the kit the conversion is meant to represent, and that the weapons on warjacks and warbeasts cannot be replaced at all. There's basically no way a conversion on that scale would work in a tournament setting.

In other words, yes, it would be a lot of work and in the end you'd get shanked anyway.

Dang it. Well, it was worth asking

If you really want to convert it all over, you could in theory make a 'counts as' army. Like Hivemind says, you have to pick a faction to represent and get the appropriate base sizes and cards, but it's not impossible.

I've seen a guy play an army based strictly on My Little Pony toys (counts as Menoth I think?) at TempleCon. It really depends on how understanding your friends are.

If you like orks, take a look at the trollbloods and farrow minions. You may also find the ramshackle designs of some mercenary models you your liking.

 big mek crazygit wrote:
I've seen a lot of my friends playing this game, and I have considered joining on the fun, but I'm thinking about doing something else than just starting with some warmachine army. What I'm thinking of, is making an "Ork Mek" themed army, which is basically Orks with Meks (and Big Meks) as the "Warcasters", and Deff dreads and Killer kans as the Jacks.

Bodged together, and once-off chassis types work quite well for the likes of mercenary jacks, and even cryx jacks. So on that score, assuming your opponent is Ok with it you should be OK (especially for a casual game, though I don’t fancy your chances with trying this out in a tournament).
But the big question I have to ask is what exactly are these guys standing in for? What rules are you going to use? I don’t think it likely in any way, shape or form, that folks would let you write your own. No hope in hell would that fly with a large majority of the player base.
Big Issue though is Ork Meks as Warcasters. The Iron Kingdoms doesn’t have orks. Or orcs. At all. Even getting “reasonable” proxy races is tricky. I asked the main writer of the setting why there were no orks, and he responded by saying the Skorne represented the “militarised society” bent on conquest meme that the orcs typically fulfil in other settings. Farrow also had some of the traits typically seen with orcs (or skaven) – they’re bandits and thieves, living in a society rife with internicine conflict, and everyone ut for themselves - its a culture where one “watches his back”, because everyone is hell bent on getting to the top, and stabbing everyone in the back on the way there.
Second issue is the races that typically have some of the orc traits – farrow, skorne, and even trolls – they’re on the Hordes side of the divide. They use giant warbeasts, rather than mechanical constructions. Which leads to the issue of “how does a Deff Dread proxy a living Dire Troll Mauler, or how does a killa kan adequetly represent an Earthborne Dire Troll?” And how is an Orc (which doesn’t exist in the setting) standing in for a “human” faction?
I think its fine using 40k figs to learn the basics of the game, especially when you don’t have the models. Though not perfect, I’ve used, and been OK with the use of Marines as iron Fang Pikemen, and whatnot. But using 40k figs “long term” to represent a Warmachine faction? Sorry bud, but it just doesn’t really work for me.

Deadnight wrote:
-snip-
But using 40k figs “long term” to represent a Warmachine faction? Sorry bud, but it just doesn’t really work for me.

Well, I was thinking of using them as one of the factions to start with. Anyway, I think I'll just leave it be then, since any of the other actual factions doesn't interest me. :/

In casual or fun play I don't see an issue. But tourneys get a bit stricter. Part of that reason is that tournies often have timed turns. So your opponent needs to be able to figure out what your models are without having to ask you every 5 minutes.

That said, trolls and farrow are both very orky and could probably be converted in a cool way. But just using 4K models instead? Probably not very popular.

Trolls are pretty much the Warmachine version of Orks (feral orks). Seriously, check out this guy and tell me I'm wrong:



Although if you wanted scrapyard contraptions you could always run them as counts-as Menoth. They have some average jacks that get really good when you have buffs applied (applied by mechanic and other support models).

Like other people have said though it wouldn't fly at any official event.

As people have said, I think it is not going to be an issue too much in casual play, but do not expect letting that fly in tournaments. One thing I would recommend is getting some of the bases that the game uses and put them on that so you and your friends can play each other, but I say get some models for your faction soon if you are going to tournaments, as that is not going to fly.

Another alternative (if you and your friends are willing that is) is that there is a fan-made mod of Warmachine used for playing 40k factions against each other with the Warmahordes ruleset. I forget the user at this time, but it is one on this forum.

well, thanks for the further input. And I'm not really that much of a guy who plays in tournaments (or rather, actually playing. I really need to get someone to play with more often ), but I might just ask first before I arrange a battle with someone.

Also, I have thought of writing the name of the actual model that the scrap built ones represents, just so it's a bit less confusing.

Step 1. Purchase bases and cards from PP since the base size is really the only thing they go off. Seriously even watch championship games on yourube. Your model dosent fit because of limbs and such? Sub in an empty base to represent him.

Step 2.Fill base except for enough space for your GW miniature to sit on. Magnetize for easy removal.

Step 3 Play friends who wont become buttmad you could pull double duty with your models.

 Orock wrote:
Step 1. Purchase bases and cards from PP since the base size is really the only thing they go off. Seriously even watch championship games on yourube. Your model dosent fit because of limbs and such? Sub in an empty base to represent him.

Step 2.Fill base except for enough space for your GW miniature to sit on. Magnetize for easy removal.

Step 3 Play friends who wont become buttmad you could pull double duty with your models.

You'll get away with 30mm bases in 40k easily. People stick debris up to the size of large pebbles on their bases all the time in that setting leading to a theory named "The Guy With The Biggest Rock Wins" so no one will actually notice slightly larger bases - although they may be confused that models can not typically see through the back of their skulls or that they have problems shooting at stuff that's behind them. And so on

There are a ton of places online to buy 30, 40 and 50mm bases. You don't always need to pay the PP premium prices for those. I picked up a bag of 50 30mm bases for like $5 at a con somewhere.

For cards you might want to consider getting the faction deck. They have all the old MkI models which is a great majority of the current models. And then just buy the single cards for the other models you might want to use. The faction decks can sometimes be found rather cheap since MK II has been out for awhile.

And the idea of writing/painting the name of what the model represents on the base is a great idea.

just stick to your 40k'ing with this one. in Warmahordes I like to know what i am looking at across the table with just a glance.

to be fair i did what you did Space Marines for kicks and made a pretty recognizable Cygnar force, but it was only a small force and i bought the actual models for it shortly thereafter.

you should check out what Aduro does with his Necron/Cryx. i am unsure if he catches flak at bigger events for the conversions but some of them look pretty legit.

 studderingdave wrote:
you should check out what Aduro does with his Necron/Cryx. i am unsure if he catches flak at bigger events for the conversions but some of them look pretty legit.

Good, well done conversions will always outweigh any rules or complaints. People will be overwhelmed with how cool they are and completely forget to complain.

Mordekiem wrote:

 studderingdave wrote:
you should check out what Aduro does with his Necron/Cryx. i am unsure if he catches flak at bigger events for the conversions but some of them look pretty legit.

Good, well done conversions will always outweigh any rules or complaints. People will be overwhelmed with how cool they are and completely forget to complain.

Well, I saw an Chaos conversion of Menoth, using the Menoth modes as a base on the Privateer forums. And it was actually well done.

I'd say it depends on what part of orky society you wanted to bring across. Say you start with Mercs. You could always go with the Highborn Covenant as a start.

Boomhowler and Co could make excellent orks. You could probably even get away with just swapping heads.
Herne and Jonne would be fine as some big ork with a ludicrously sized gun and his gretchin assistant/ammo porter.
If you can't make an ork out of Bloodly Bradigan or Bosun Grogspar just give up.
You can also use Bokurs and Grudrun as orky solos.
And of course for shooty orks you've got the ever excitable Sea Dogs and their lot- Ork Freebooterz by another name,
Steelheads could make fine boyz, for shooty or whacky and you could even go to boar boys with the cav.

Granted much of this would require work to make it identifiable- you'd have to have orky halberds on the steelheads but for casual games it could work very easily. As for modifying the jacks, a freebooter would stand in nicely for an assault kan and mariners and mules could certainly be orked up.

It'd be a lot of work but I think you could get it tournament legal for most TOs and I'm certain you could get it working for casual games. If you need any further ideas/help just ask.