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Like Madonna, we all remember our first time...

That life changing moment when we first laid eyes on the large green chaps and their gretchin side kicks. When we either cried "lets get the hell out of here!" or yelled "WAAAGH!!!" having found our true calling in life.

And so we're all gathered here today for a trip down memory lane, and looking forward to the green tide that approaches in Warhammer 40,000: 11th Edition...or not? Seriously, share your introduction to the Orks of 40K and why you enjoy either collecting them or blasting them off the table.

Cheers.

So we were making our way to New Rynn City, and needed a place to hole up for the night…

So back in the RT days we played more as a RPG, and the Orks were part of the fores we tangled with. Old metal box set

I’ve painted a handful over the years but never an army.

In a world of MEQ armies, it was always refreshing to see Orks across the table. Win or loose, it was going to be a different fight then normal.

As someone who plays mostly clean cut, by-the-book Ultramarines, i’ve always been envious of the Big Meks and what they could do with a hobby knife and platicard. Every army unique, a display of creativity.

Most greenskin players seem to just have more fun playing. Win or loose, as long as they were in a good scrap, that was what they were there for. Not to say there arn’t salty ork players out there, but overall they are class sports.

They’re just a fun army, with a look unique within the setting. Sure, it would have been nice if the buggy kits had more build options, however cosmetic. But for Ork players? That just opens it up for conversion and scratch building. Long as you don’t take the piss on dimensions, and it’s obvious which one yours actually is? I can’t say it matter, it doesn’t matter, don’t really matter.

The background really lends itself to modelling silliness. Like the now classic Infiltrating Orks someone knocked up years ago.

Even better in the modern age? For those unsure of their modelling skills, the range itself is pretty much spanky. Whilst the odd unit could probably do with a refresh, it all currently looks cohesive. There’s also an open palette for your painting.

My first contact with the 40K Orks was Dawn of War 1. And I played them more than any other faction, something clicked immediately (great voice overs, probably ).
I know that some people dislike their ape-like aesthetics from 3-7th edition, but I must say it sets them nicely apart from Blizzard and other franchizes' orks. And I find it a bit sad that they keep losing that aesthetic with the newer models. Their heads and guns and teef are getting smaller, their pose more upright, they're basically just green bald humans now, which is why I'm doing headswaps on many newer models.
The Ork nob kit might be the best 40K kit for any faction right now and I'm debating whether I'll buy another one before they replace it with monopose 2 sprue nonsense in the upcoming makeover.

My 1st encounters with Orks date back to Epic (or whatever it was called then) about 1990/91 during the RT era.

One if the older (mid 30s?) guys at the local shop had a huge & beautifully painted force. But what really stood out were his mega-gargants. So silly, but somehow awesome looking....
I got to fight against it a few times in big multi-player battles using borrowed imperial.
Apparently he also had an equally fantastic looking 40k Ork force. His job transfered him out of state before I got to see it though.

After that my next brushes with Orks were in 2e.
●The stuff that came in the starter set - i used it to practice my painting.
Then it got tossed into a storage tote.
Nobody is played with in 2e played Orks, though I do own the codex.
●The next version of Epic, the one with the Imperitor titan. I traded my Ork half for another Imperial half.
Many games against those tiny Orks followed over the next few years....

3e - '98-2k
The owner of one of the areas shops had a HUGE Ork force. I got to fight various parts of it during several campaigns & twice in multi-player Apocalypse sized games held at a local college convention.
And then he closed the shop, retired, & moved to warmer climes.
No one in my circle played Orks. No one at the other shops played orks either.
So the only other 3e Orks I got to fight were GWs at Armageddon events (GamesDay & GenCon)

●3e(?) did see me buy my 1st non-starter box Orks. When the Chapter Aproved book introduced the Snake Bite list I toyed with making a force.
I even bought a Squiggoth & Gargantuan Sqiggoth from FW!
And then the project stalled out...

●4e-7th..... nothing

●8e! My friend Alex built an Ork force.

●9e -
There were now at least 4! More Ork forces at the local shop. Evidently people spent their pandemic downtime/stimulus $ building Orks...

A year latter I built my Grot Tank Force.
Occasionally I add in my Squiggoths.
Now & then I still ponder making a Snake Bites force.

My first encounter with Orks was also my first encounter with 40K, back in the RT/1st ed days.

I'd just started secondary school and joined the after-school wargaming club. A couple of the older kids had discovered this new set of rules, and one had bought the box of plastic marines, the other had metal orks, and they would play it every week. I was hooked immediately.

Although I acquired a handful of metal 40K Orks back then, I ended up with Imperial Guard... but I never forgot the Orks and fast forward a few decades I have slowly started building up a mighty band of Orks to take on those pesky guards.

Orks have had some dark days though.

Whilst the 3rd Ed range redo was absolutely superb, their rules became bland and flavourless.

The wacky field guns became rubbish versions of bog standard weapons. Madboyz, Weirdboyz, Boarboyz, Wildboyz, Freebootas, and doubtless at least a couple other units ripped away entirely.

Oh, the army still packed a punch, but it was like a curry where the cook has focussed purely on heat, neglecting the balance of other spices and flavour. So you’re left with plenty of spice, but not actual depth.

Now things are better once again. Much much better. OK the Grot Artillery aren’t the if-you’re-lucky wonder weapons they once were. But they look the part at least.

I also cannot recommend the Ufthak Blackhawk series enough. Whilst yes, it’s kind of a single Ork’s perspective and thoughts and so we should be cautious about applying them further? Those thoughts and perspectives are thought provoking, interesting and kinda funny.

For instance, when thinking about his new armour (a modified suit of prototype Centurion Armour, then modified to fit a rather large Ork), Ufthak ruminates on Humie’s have their heads all expose, ready to be knocked off, and not more sensibly tucked beneath the shoulders for safekeeping.

Even if you’re not that into Orks? They’re really fun reads.

Orks were my first love in 40K and continue to hold a special place in heart since. Still have a bunch of the rogue trader stuff in my current ORK army and recently bought the old bits to recreate the original model (sadly long lost) I used as my long suffering warlord Skardreg. He’s been with me every edition.

It was the art of Paul bonner and those early amasing books in 1st edition that drew me in. Chatted with Paul a few times over social media and he still loves his ORKS himself.

ORKS are the most simple and probably happiest faction in 40K but behind all that there is a depth of culture and nuance that makes them fascinating.

All the memes about ORKS try to strip that away and from an imperial blinkered perspective they are true but to an ORK there is so much more to life.

Recent novels like doc says really capture that mad joyful way of life. The newest models are amazing I can’t wait for the next wave.

Other gems from Ufthak?

He doesn’t bother to aim. Oh, he could aim. He understands the benefit of it. But from his perspective? Long, loud, uncontrolled bursts let Gork and Mork decide who gets hit. So in a way it’s an act of worship and devotion.

Again, I hesitate to extend that to all Orks. But for the Ork psychology, I can see it being a common if not universal belief.

Likewise, in the second book we see Ufthak become More Thinky as he really settles into being a Boss. Sure single perspective so we should once again tread carefully, but that does make sense with what we know about Ork society, how it’s structured and the inevitable emergence of Oddboyz. Doesn’t mean you’re suddenly a super genius by any stretch, nor does it supplant the standard Orky joy of just beating up everything and everyone in sight. Rather it causes the Nob or Boss to start considering the wider picture, and how ensure the Boyz under their command don’t just get into really good fights, but how they can win those fights.

You guys have to read these books. Anyone with even a passing interest in Orks needs to read these books.

I'm honestly not sure where I first encountered Orks. I think by the time I encountered them in 40k I had run into the archetype so many times in books and videogames and other fantasy I didn't really register the GW brand as anything new. 40k has Orks? Yeah, so does everything else.

I probably got a better understanding of Orky culture from Warmachine to be honest. The Trollbloods are more heroically coded with a drinky/party element to their love of brawling and some super fun and funny models I really adore.

It's basically impossible to be in minis kulture and not encounter a Waaagh! meme or seven. When I finally decided to give 40k a real go painting an Ork army just wasn't a task I was up for, but definitely something I wanted. A mix of really liking 10th edition and speed paints made me decide to give it a go and I finally painted up an army so I can get out there and Waaagh! when I'm just in the mood for a gud skrap.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Now things are better once again. Much much better. OK the Grot Artillery aren’t the if-you’re-lucky wonder weapons they once were. But they look the part at least.

The bubblechukka and SAG still have the "get lucky and win big" feeling, though I do miss 4th edition's SAG. A lot.

I also cannot recommend the Ufthak Blackhawk series enough. Whilst yes, it’s kind of a single Ork’s perspective and thoughts and so we should be cautious about applying them further? Those thoughts and perspectives are thought provoking, interesting and kinda funny.

If you haven't read "Warboss", go for it. It has the same style as the Ufthak series, but the story is told from the warbosses of three different clans (Goff, Evil Suns and Bloodaxes) and a grot.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Other gems from Ufthak?

I love the part where he tries to explain to a drukhari what a Boomdakka Snazzwagon is and she thinks he is making up words and making fun of her.

Likewise, in the second book we see Ufthak become More Thinky as he really settles into being a Boss. Sure single perspective so we should once again tread carefully, but that does make sense with what we know about Ork society, how it’s structured and the inevitable emergence of Oddboyz. Doesn’t mean you’re suddenly a super genius by any stretch, nor does it supplant the standard Orky joy of just beating up everything and everyone in sight. Rather it causes the Nob or Boss to start considering the wider picture, and how ensure the Boyz under their command don’t just get into really good fights, but how they can win those fights.

I agree. If you look closely it's not just him growing through the ordeal. His mek and pain boy sidekicks also get vastly better at what they do. The random choppa ork tagging along with him all the time also clearly has grown into a full sized boss nob by the time he clears out an entire raider on his own.