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Oh there’s Orks of all stripes.

Sure, light fingered thievery of someone’s best Shoota might be frowned upon, but when you perish them with your shiny new Shoota, who’s to argue?

Though your comment about a good laugh may actually explain their overall success.

Given their wholehearted societal focus, even the weedier Orks can be entertained by scraps between Nobs and Bosses, or even just another lowly Boy being put back in his place.

Entertainment. That’s what society craves. Distraction. A bit of a laugh. Orks do that with aplomb, in their own peculiar way.

Heck, that Flash Git wot just got a new souped up, gunned up Speedsta turning the key for the first time, only for it to blow up in his face? Hilarious. And if he survives said explosion (the explosion itself being a second entertainment), his beating up of the Mek responsible is the next episode.

What a gloriously carefree species Orks are.

I love ‘em! Except for the painting side. Too much.

Gork and Mork were first. Thats why Khorne is angry all the time: he didnt created them.

Orks are not about the fury of the massacre, like Khorne.

They fight for the sake of fighting. When an enemy has fought well, but is beaten, the Orks will withdraw, so as to have another fight another day. Khorne would just massacre the survivors so as to have more skulls for the Throne.

That is the fundamental difference between them, and allows Mork and Gork to operate in a different sphere to Khorne.

And of course, the love of SPEED!

Laffin wrote:
Orks are not about the fury of the massacre, like Khorne.

They fight for the sake of fighting. When an enemy has fought well, but is beaten, the Orks will withdraw, so as to have another fight another day. Khorne would just massacre the survivors so as to have more skulls for the Throne.

That is the fundamental difference between them, and allows Mork and Gork to operate in a different sphere to Khorne.

And of course, the love of SPEED!

Well said.

"Orkses is never defeated in battle. If we win we win, if we die we die fighting so it don't count. If we runs for it we don't die neither, cos we can come back for annuver go, see!"

"The Orks are the pinnacle of creation. For them, the great struggle is won. They have evolved a society which knows no stress or angst. Who are we to judge them? We Eldar who have failed, or the Humans, on the road to ruin in their turn? And why? Because we sought answers to questions that an Ork wouldn't even bother to ask! We see a culture that is strong and despise it as crude." - From Culture vs. Kultur: Thoughts on Orkish Society by Uthan the Perverse, a controversial Eldar philosopher

Laffin wrote:
Orks are not about the fury of the massacre, like Khorne.

They fight for the sake of fighting. When an enemy has fought well, but is beaten, the Orks will withdraw, so as to have another fight another day. Khorne would just massacre the survivors so as to have more skulls for the Throne.

That is the fundamental difference between them, and allows Mork and Gork to operate in a different sphere to Khorne.

And of course, the love of SPEED!

And Dakka. Never forget Dakka.

And krumpin’ fings!

There’s also the quote I’m struggling to find a copy able version of, where a Boy espouses on the failings of humanity.

The gist is Orks have it right, because biggest is best. ‘Oomies need uniform pants and things, and still, half of the time, end up resorting to violence.

During which the Orks can go and clobber the lot.

If they were real, they’d be a fascinating study.

Oomans are pink and soft, not tough and green like da Boyz. They'z all the same size too, so they'z always arguing about who's in charge, 'cos no way of telling 'cept fer badges an' ooniforms and fings. When one of them wants to lord it over the uvvers, 'e says "I'm very speshul so'z you gotta worship me", or "I know summink wot you lot don't know so yer better lissen good". Da funny fing is, arf of 'em believe it and da over arf don't, so 'e 'as to hit 'em all anyway or run fer it. Wot a lot of mukkin' about if yer asks me. An' while they'z all arguing wiv each other over who's da boss, da Orks can clobber da lot!

Here ya go, buddy

Iirc orks don't tend to slaughter non combatants - they see the value of the cowards as forced labour (or walking food stores).

Thanks Flandarz. I think that’s just about the perfect quote for Orks. Sums up their essence perfectly.

It’s what I like best about them. They’re happy with their existence. In a universe that actively hates them, they are happy. Content. Each and every Ork comfortable in his place in society. Keep living, keep scrapping, keep doing your thing and you’ll just keep getting better at it.

Chaos gods don't just give gifts, they look for sacrifices and other things in return. Khornate followers kill in the name of Khorne. Orks do the things, they just don't do them for the right reasons (ie to please/serve a god). And even if an ork came up with such a concept, the only gods they know or have ever known are Gork and Mork, so you'd need a major conversion of an already content fanatic. Then, as others have mentioned...Gork and Mork don't like Khorne.

Finally, there's this bit of headcannon (not originally mine) that would also imply that Khorne is potentially subservient to the whims of the Orks:
Orks have a gesalt, collective psychic consciousness, which is powerful enough that things they believe in happen, like red trucks going faster or seemingly illogical weapons working. Orks are also the most numerous race in the galaxy. Orks love fighting more than anything else, and that is why in the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.
Because that's how the Orks want it to be.

IIRC the whole "what Orks believe happen" thing is just an idea one tech priest had to explain why their guns worked. It could be total bs.

An idea based on no-one except an Ork being able to make the weapon function. The supposition was that the Ork "Waaagh" gestalt psychic power was basically psychic grease that made everything work / work better.

Like why louder guns cause more damage.

pm713 wrote:
IIRC the whole "what Orks believe happen" thing is just an idea one tech priest had to explain why their guns worked. It could be total bs.

I don't really regarded it any differently to Eldar psychically operated equipment, imperial faith pushing the limits of what is possible and the like.

nareik wrote:

pm713 wrote:
IIRC the whole "what Orks believe happen" thing is just an idea one tech priest had to explain why their guns worked. It could be total bs.

I don't really regarded it any differently to Eldar psychically operated equipment, imperial faith pushing the limits of what is possible and the like.

It's very different. Eldar use their thoughts to operate their technology and the Ork theory is that everything they have works only because they're psychic.

I think the main thing is that for Khorne, killing (well, bloodshed) is the first, last and only goal. Sure, some khorne lads think it's about strength, or devotion, or honour, or tactics, or whatever, but it's all a wash to Khorne.

For Orks though, the goal isn't killing - that's just a byproduct of fighting. And Orks were made to fight and win, and since Orks never lose, their goal is just having a good scrap and getting a laugh out of the whole thing.

pm713 wrote:

nareik wrote:

pm713 wrote:
IIRC the whole "what Orks believe happen" thing is just an idea one tech priest had to explain why their guns worked. It could be total bs.

I don't really regarded it any differently to Eldar psychically operated equipment, imperial faith pushing the limits of what is possible and the like.

It's very different. Eldar use their thoughts to operate their technology and the Ork theory is that everything they have works only because they're psychic.

The thing works because the user 'thinks' it into action. Just because ork's don't require a specific material to psychically operate their equipment (wraithbone) nor does the fact they can use this ability far more generally than eldar detract from the ork's abilities. In fact it just proves orks are better at it. Orks is the best!

nareik wrote:

pm713 wrote:
IIRC the whole "what Orks believe happen" thing is just an idea one tech priest had to explain why their guns worked. It could be total bs.

I don't really regarded it any differently to Eldar psychically operated equipment, imperial faith pushing the limits of what is possible and the like.

Its definitely different. Its not them operating a contraption that other races can't operate because they don't have the ability to interact with it. Its literal miracles.

There was a bit of fluff where some tech priests were experimenting on captive orks. They would give the orks weapons which had no ammunition. The guns would work anyway and fire real bullets, and when they took the guns away the tech priests found that the guns were still just as empty as they had been when they gave them. They'd give them "guns" that weren't even actually guns, just stuff that looked like guns. They'd work just the same.

The ork gestalt field is literally the power of the imagination enabling reality. If enough Orks believe something is true, it becomes true. A single ork can make a non-functional gun(or even something that he just thinks is a gun) work. A million orks can alter reality on a massive scale with the power of wishful thinking.

This is why it is probably true that Yarrick can't die. Every ork in the galaxy thinks he can't die. Ergo, it becomes reality.

Which could possibly mean that Yarrick is the most powerful being in existence. Every ork thinks he is immortal.

 Grey Templar wrote:

nareik wrote:

pm713 wrote:
IIRC the whole "what Orks believe happen" thing is just an idea one tech priest had to explain why their guns worked. It could be total bs.

I don't really regarded it any differently to Eldar psychically operated equipment, imperial faith pushing the limits of what is possible and the like.

Its definitely different. Its not them operating a contraption that other races can't operate because they don't have the ability to interact with it. Its literal miracles.

There was a bit of fluff where some tech priests were experimenting on captive orks. They would give the orks weapons which had no ammunition. The guns would work anyway and fire real bullets, and when they took the guns away the tech priests found that the guns were still just as empty as they had been when they gave them. They'd give them "guns" that weren't even actually guns, just stuff that looked like guns. They'd work just the same.

The ork gestalt field is literally the power of the imagination enabling reality. If enough Orks believe something is true, it becomes true. A single ork can make a non-functional gun(or even something that he just thinks is a gun) work. A million orks can alter reality on a massive scale with the power of wishful thinking.

This is why it is probably true that Yarrick can't die. Every ork in the galaxy thinks he can't die. Ergo, it becomes reality.

Which could possibly mean that Yarrick is the most powerful being in existence. Every ork thinks he is immortal.

Immortal=/=powerful.

Now, Yarrick has a lot of power outside his unkillable nature, but that alone doesn't make you strong.

 Grey Templar wrote:

nareik wrote:

pm713 wrote:
IIRC the whole "what Orks believe happen" thing is just an idea one tech priest had to explain why their guns worked. It could be total bs.

I don't really regarded it any differently to Eldar psychically operated equipment, imperial faith pushing the limits of what is possible and the like.

Its definitely different. Its not them operating a contraption that other races can't operate because they don't have the ability to interact with it. Its literal miracles.

There was a bit of fluff where some tech priests were experimenting on captive orks. They would give the orks weapons which had no ammunition. The guns would work anyway and fire real bullets, and when they took the guns away the tech priests found that the guns were still just as empty as they had been when they gave them. They'd give them "guns" that weren't even actually guns, just stuff that looked like guns. They'd work just the same.

The ork gestalt field is literally the power of the imagination enabling reality. If enough Orks believe something is true, it becomes true. A single ork can make a non-functional gun(or even something that he just thinks is a gun) work. A million orks can alter reality on a massive scale with the power of wishful thinking.

This is why it is probably true that Yarrick can't die. Every ork in the galaxy thinks he can't die. Ergo, it becomes reality.

Which could possibly mean that Yarrick is the most powerful being in existence. Every ork thinks he is immortal.

Ugh, I have to stop you right there. This is a common misconception that Orks can literally will things into existence, which is flat out wrong in several cases. Citation please for that part with tech priests with captive orks, because that's proven wrong in several cases like in the Siege of Castellax where CSM use an Ork airplane. While the Ork gestalt field is there, its more the fact that it's like a "psychic grease" if you will, that let's ramshackle Ork technology run much more efficiently than it should. To imply that Ork technology flat out doesn't work on its own is wrong because even Yarrick uses an Ork power klaw that he stole off a Warboss he slew, if it was complete garbage it wouldn't be able to be grafted onto him, much less function the way it does. Furthermore, it undercuts the whole role of Mekboyz, who are specifically stated to intrinsically understand how to create and maintain technology in their DNA, there's actual parts in Evil Sun Rising where Ork mekboyz blurt out scientific and technical terms that the boyz don't get. If it was all based on belief, what's the point of having a caste of Orks literally built into the race to help them with their technological development?

Orks wouldn't believe in any red god because GREEEEEN IZ BEST AN' PROPA

IF ANYFING DEY SHOULD BE JOININ US LOT BUT THEY AIN'T 'CAUSE THEY AIN'T GREEEEEEN WAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I think it's a little bit of both. "Psychic Grease" can't really explain why the color red makes things faster, or yellow makes them more explodey, or blue is luckier, but yeah. I feel like there has to be a "base" for the Ork belief macguffin to actually work. Can't make a rock faster by painting it red if it ain't got no "go" in it to begin with.

 Grimskul wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:

nareik wrote:

pm713 wrote:
IIRC the whole "what Orks believe happen" thing is just an idea one tech priest had to explain why their guns worked. It could be total bs.

I don't really regarded it any differently to Eldar psychically operated equipment, imperial faith pushing the limits of what is possible and the like.

Its definitely different. Its not them operating a contraption that other races can't operate because they don't have the ability to interact with it. Its literal miracles.

There was a bit of fluff where some tech priests were experimenting on captive orks. They would give the orks weapons which had no ammunition. The guns would work anyway and fire real bullets, and when they took the guns away the tech priests found that the guns were still just as empty as they had been when they gave them. They'd give them "guns" that weren't even actually guns, just stuff that looked like guns. They'd work just the same.

The ork gestalt field is literally the power of the imagination enabling reality. If enough Orks believe something is true, it becomes true. A single ork can make a non-functional gun(or even something that he just thinks is a gun) work. A million orks can alter reality on a massive scale with the power of wishful thinking.

This is why it is probably true that Yarrick can't die. Every ork in the galaxy thinks he can't die. Ergo, it becomes reality.

Which could possibly mean that Yarrick is the most powerful being in existence. Every ork thinks he is immortal.

Ugh, I have to stop you right there. This is a common misconception that Orks can literally will things into existence, which is flat out wrong in several cases. Citation please for that part with tech priests with captive orks, because that's proven wrong in several cases like in the Siege of Castellax where CSM use an Ork airplane. While the Ork gestalt field is there, its more the fact that it's like a "psychic grease" if you will, that let's ramshackle Ork technology run much more efficiently than it should. To imply that Ork technology flat out doesn't work on its own is wrong because even Yarrick uses an Ork power klaw that he stole off a Warboss he slew, if it was complete garbage it wouldn't be able to be grafted onto him, much less function the way it does. Furthermore, it undercuts the whole role of Mekboyz, who are specifically stated to intrinsically understand how to create and maintain technology in their DNA, there's actual parts in Evil Sun Rising where Ork mekboyz blurt out scientific and technical terms that the boyz don't get. If it was all based on belief, what's the point of having a caste of Orks literally built into the race to help them with their technological development?

I believe it was in the 4th and 5th edition ork codex. One of the little side panels. An expose on the ork gestalt field.

 Grey Templar wrote:

 Grimskul wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:

nareik wrote:

pm713 wrote:
IIRC the whole "what Orks believe happen" thing is just an idea one tech priest had to explain why their guns worked. It could be total bs.

I don't really regarded it any differently to Eldar psychically operated equipment, imperial faith pushing the limits of what is possible and the like.

Its definitely different. Its not them operating a contraption that other races can't operate because they don't have the ability to interact with it. Its literal miracles.

There was a bit of fluff where some tech priests were experimenting on captive orks. They would give the orks weapons which had no ammunition. The guns would work anyway and fire real bullets, and when they took the guns away the tech priests found that the guns were still just as empty as they had been when they gave them. They'd give them "guns" that weren't even actually guns, just stuff that looked like guns. They'd work just the same.

The ork gestalt field is literally the power of the imagination enabling reality. If enough Orks believe something is true, it becomes true. A single ork can make a non-functional gun(or even something that he just thinks is a gun) work. A million orks can alter reality on a massive scale with the power of wishful thinking.

This is why it is probably true that Yarrick can't die. Every ork in the galaxy thinks he can't die. Ergo, it becomes reality.

Which could possibly mean that Yarrick is the most powerful being in existence. Every ork thinks he is immortal.

Ugh, I have to stop you right there. This is a common misconception that Orks can literally will things into existence, which is flat out wrong in several cases. Citation please for that part with tech priests with captive orks, because that's proven wrong in several cases like in the Siege of Castellax where CSM use an Ork airplane. While the Ork gestalt field is there, its more the fact that it's like a "psychic grease" if you will, that let's ramshackle Ork technology run much more efficiently than it should. To imply that Ork technology flat out doesn't work on its own is wrong because even Yarrick uses an Ork power klaw that he stole off a Warboss he slew, if it was complete garbage it wouldn't be able to be grafted onto him, much less function the way it does. Furthermore, it undercuts the whole role of Mekboyz, who are specifically stated to intrinsically understand how to create and maintain technology in their DNA, there's actual parts in Evil Sun Rising where Ork mekboyz blurt out scientific and technical terms that the boyz don't get. If it was all based on belief, what's the point of having a caste of Orks literally built into the race to help them with their technological development?

I believe it was in the 4th and 5th edition ork codex. One of the little side panels. An expose on the ork gestalt field.

The tech priest thing is from the Beast Arises series.

IIRC the tech priest tests a choppa and shoota, the choppa is a 'chainsword style' blade and only when it's close to the captive Ork do the blades start to spin. Same with the shoota, it won't fire until the Ork is roused. It's a great piece because you're learning more about Orks while this incredibly tense situation unfolds - the tech priest is under no illusion that if the Ork breaks free (and it tries, a LOT) he will be ripped to pieces.

I think the idea was to show that even basic Ork tech is extremely dangerous despite its crude appearance because of the natural psychic powers of the Ork race that amplify the weapons.

I don't think anyone believes Orks can just will something into existence (although this is exactly what daemons are to humanity and nobody questions them) but they can take what seems like a crude, ineffective weapon (like a choppa, shoota, rokkit etc) and through their native psychic abilities the weapons are able to punch through power armour and the like with ease. If an imperial user tries to get the same effect from the Orks' weapons when the Orks are not present, the effects are 'normal' and massively diminished because they lack the gestalt psychic field.

On Yarrick (my favourite IG character), it is hinted more than once that his power klaw only works for him because Orks believe him specifically to be tough enough to wield it and his longevity is also due to Orks' belief. Yarrick can't die, Orks won't let him.

 greyknight12 wrote:
Orks love fighting more than anything else, and that is why in the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.
Because that's how the Orks want it to be.

Consider my mind blown!

 An Actual Englishman wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:

 Grimskul wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:

nareik wrote:

pm713 wrote:
IIRC the whole "what Orks believe happen" thing is just an idea one tech priest had to explain why their guns worked. It could be total bs.

I don't really regarded it any differently to Eldar psychically operated equipment, imperial faith pushing the limits of what is possible and the like.

Its definitely different. Its not them operating a contraption that other races can't operate because they don't have the ability to interact with it. Its literal miracles.

There was a bit of fluff where some tech priests were experimenting on captive orks. They would give the orks weapons which had no ammunition. The guns would work anyway and fire real bullets, and when they took the guns away the tech priests found that the guns were still just as empty as they had been when they gave them. They'd give them "guns" that weren't even actually guns, just stuff that looked like guns. They'd work just the same.

The ork gestalt field is literally the power of the imagination enabling reality. If enough Orks believe something is true, it becomes true. A single ork can make a non-functional gun(or even something that he just thinks is a gun) work. A million orks can alter reality on a massive scale with the power of wishful thinking.

This is why it is probably true that Yarrick can't die. Every ork in the galaxy thinks he can't die. Ergo, it becomes reality.

Which could possibly mean that Yarrick is the most powerful being in existence. Every ork thinks he is immortal.

Ugh, I have to stop you right there. This is a common misconception that Orks can literally will things into existence, which is flat out wrong in several cases. Citation please for that part with tech priests with captive orks, because that's proven wrong in several cases like in the Siege of Castellax where CSM use an Ork airplane. While the Ork gestalt field is there, its more the fact that it's like a "psychic grease" if you will, that let's ramshackle Ork technology run much more efficiently than it should. To imply that Ork technology flat out doesn't work on its own is wrong because even Yarrick uses an Ork power klaw that he stole off a Warboss he slew, if it was complete garbage it wouldn't be able to be grafted onto him, much less function the way it does. Furthermore, it undercuts the whole role of Mekboyz, who are specifically stated to intrinsically understand how to create and maintain technology in their DNA, there's actual parts in Evil Sun Rising where Ork mekboyz blurt out scientific and technical terms that the boyz don't get. If it was all based on belief, what's the point of having a caste of Orks literally built into the race to help them with their technological development?

I believe it was in the 4th and 5th edition ork codex. One of the little side panels. An expose on the ork gestalt field.

The tech priest thing is from the Beast Arises series.

IIRC the tech priest tests a choppa and shoota, the choppa is a 'chainsword style' blade and only when it's close to the captive Ork do the blades start to spin. Same with the shoota, it won't fire until the Ork is roused. It's a great piece because you're learning more about Orks while this incredibly tense situation unfolds - the tech priest is under no illusion that if the Ork breaks free (and it tries, a LOT) he will be ripped to pieces.

I think the idea was to show that even basic Ork tech is extremely dangerous despite its crude appearance because of the natural psychic powers of the Ork race that amplify the weapons.

I don't think anyone believes Orks can just will something into existence (although this is exactly what daemons are to humanity and nobody questions them) but they can take what seems like a crude, ineffective weapon (like a choppa, shoota, rokkit etc) and through their native psychic abilities the weapons are able to punch through power armour and the like with ease. If an imperial user tries to get the same effect from the Orks' weapons when the Orks are not present, the effects are 'normal' and massively diminished because they lack the gestalt psychic field.

On Yarrick (my favourite IG character), it is hinted more than once that his power klaw only works for him because Orks believe him specifically to be tough enough to wield it and his longevity is also due to Orks' belief. Yarrick can't die, Orks won't let him.

i'm slotting this into my headcanon that ork equipment is psychically operated, it seems maybe even psychically locked.

Maybe MekBoyz are the psychic focus for part of the Ork Gestalt. The Boyz believe the MekBoy is competent, so he becomes more competent. Because a competent Ork tells the other Orks that the jobs a good’un, the item works better.

Gestalt reinforces the MB. The MB reinforces the Gestalt. The Gestalt reinforces the MB, the MB reinforces the Gestalt. It is absolutely in tune with Orks’ exponential power growth.

I always thought of it as just helping things. The underlying mechanics of Ork tech need to work but their belief makes it work better so guns that should jam all the time don't, choppas chop better and, of course, red things go faster.

I think it's one of those wonderful mysteries of 40k that has been kept vague because it's more fun to let players decide what they think is the truth.

I do like the concept that the galaxy is in a state of unending war because it's what Orks believe/want and I also like the idea that their belief has impacted on races that believe them to be stupid and brutish - for example humanity and the Emperor.

Like could Chaos actually "win" the long war while Orks exist and want war unending? If reality is wiped, there'll be no war, so I'm guessing the Ork gestalt psyche won't allow it. Chaos, if it's based on the thoughts of humanity primarily, is far outmatched by the sheer numbers and cohesion of the Ork equivalent - WAAAAGGGHHH!!! Of course I'm going to be biased, mind.

pm713 wrote:
I always thought of it as just helping things. The underlying mechanics of Ork tech need to work but their belief makes it work better so guns that should jam all the time don't, choppas chop better and, of course, red things go faster.

The 3rd edition Armageddon Ork Hunters were Imperial Guardsmen that became experienced at fighting Orks, and even used Ork weapons. The fact the weapons functioned shows the underlying tech had to work on its own. Now maybe an Ork wielding it would have made it work even better, but that's different from the extreme position of those that claim Orks can take gun shaped rocks and shoot bullets out of them just from the power of belief.

The assertions of any Tech Priest about technology, particularly alien technology, are always suspect. They are first of all, fallible in-character POVs, but they also part of a mystery cult of technology that has claimed to have "proven" gauss weaponry to be impossible (from the 1st Necron Codex). Tell that to the Necrons as they continue to flay their enemies with their "impossible" weapons.

So the easiest explanation of all is simply the Tech Priests are wrong about Ork technology.

Just what the Orks want you to believe. Which makes it reality. *taps side of forehead, like that meme*