Why orks?

[Chaplain Lucifer]

This is more of an ice breaker thread, so the denizens of the Ork Forum can get to know each other.

 

So, why you play orks?

 

 

For me was to take a break from power armour and because at the time my group didn't have an Ork player.

Soon the Ork humor and the conversion fever took over me and I became a huge fan. I always have fun with my orks, win or lose!

[Magos Takatus]

For me it was mainly because my Space Marine and Eldar models require a very considered and tidy approach to painting and modelling. Orks offered me the opportunity to let my hair down a little when painting. It also let me practice weathering, corrosion and camouflage without messing up models. I also like the dark humour associated with greenskins. Some of the jokes about Gretchin sign language being limited by the amount of signs they can carry and Orks finding it amusing to watch people do the "burny dance" when set on fire. Seeing things from both the Ork Perspective and from the Imperial Perspective is quite interesting to me.

Edited June 22, 2017 by Flame Boy

[Dreagher]

For me it was the possibility to make literally everything into an ork vehicle combined with their own humor, it is just fun to play orks. Edited June 22, 2017 by Jorim

[Brother Casman]

I've always thought of the Orks as the most fun army; Space Marines (all of the Imperium, really) always seemed to be really serious. Win or lose, there's always something hilarious happening with the Orks; and their humour is really infectious!

 

Plus the green makes for a nice contrast from all the red armour I've painted.

[civsmitty]

A friend in the wild days of 2003 gave me a copy of Codex: Orks for my birthday. My introduction to this crazy game was that book, featuring a humanoid, green, hulking beast sprinting forward firing a double-barrelled pistol with a massive chainsaw over his head on the cover. I read about various armies and orkish heroes. I knew who Ghazkull Thraka was before I'd heard the words "Marneus Calgar."

 

I read about an army of aliens who lived, breathed, and reproduced for WAR. No other purpose but fighting, and winning. They wore armor plates and furs as protection, and covered themselves in warpaint. No such thing as stealth, or trickery. Just "go fasta." Might equaled right. They built weapons scavenged from ruined tanks, repurposed enemy vehicles, and the quotes gave me a good laugh. As time went on and my hobby skill progressed, I kept turning back to the greenskin, as they offer the most and best opportunity for custom builds, and reward vision and skill the most.

 

As a friend said to me once: "Anyone can play Orks. It takes someone truly special to love Orks." 

[Warhead01]

Why Orks? 
I can't really say I remember why. I remember starting to collect them way back in, what was it 98 or 99, when they came out for 3rd edition. No other army has been as enjoyable. 
I enjoy the fight. Winning is good but I want a close game or better still a tie. It's all about the ride not the finish. "Wars that are so fun you don't want to win!"  Accept ya do want to win.
 

[Redtoof]

Why orks? I can't answer that.

 

You might as well ask 'why do you need food?' or 'why do you have two legs?'. These are just facts of life.

[MagicMan]

I've always liked Orks, but am really a fan of the ''grimdark'' side to them.

Usually they get pushed as the clown faction, but I see them as being an incredibly dangerous threat to the Imperium and the galaxy at large, The Beast Arises books really help portray that angle.

My two other regular gaming buddies were playing marines too, so i decided to pick up Orks as a change of pace, really fell in love with the conversion potential. 

[Imren]

There is no other army were you can build a vehicle completely scratchbuilt from childrens' toy cars, broken down alarm clock radio parts, wires and styrene sheet and pipe and still make it look as if GW sold it.

 

It is by far the best army for those of us that love scratch building and converting. Of course on top of that you have the ork humor.

[Obscura]

They were my first real Army in 40k when I started playing at the very tail end of 2nd, but really got into 3rd. I enjoy the modeling aspect of Orks and their ideology really makes the game that much more enjoyable for me.

 

Since you know, burny dance.

[Brother Handro]

'Do not ask "why Orks?", rather ask "why not?"'

 

 

Orks are the first Xenos army I've ever collected. After decades of marines, Chaos marines and Guard, followed by 30k, I can't tell you how refreshing it was to walk into my local GW and start clawing boxes off the shelves with no thought towards army composition, complicated backstories, expensive resin upgrades, shoulder pads, decals, etc. You can do all this of course, but in the end, Orks simply are. Or rather, iz.

 

I shy away from the comedy aspect of Orks (TBF GW has as well, the football hooligans of the late 80s/early 90s have disappeared as much as their real life counterparts).

 

For me Orks are actually the most Grimdark race in the setting, with Tyranids a close second, but Nids are mindless. Orks are not quite!

 

Orks not only exist for naught but war, but they were artificially created for it. They are living weapons. They revel in violence and destruction with no thought as to anything beyond the next fight. They are also at least as xenophobic as the Imperium; Green iz best, and everything else just exist to be stomped or eaten, in either order.

 

On the tabletop, Orks epitomize the maxim 'easy to learn, difficult to master', you can't generally win a game with Orks easily. We can't shoot straight, don't generally have saves and need to make it into a fight to get stuff done, which a decent opponent will do his best to avoid, shooting you all the way. Ork victories then are usually hard-earned, and thusly satisfying.

 

And even if we lose, we can always come back for anuvva go, see?

[Corswain]

Orks have a really broad appeal, I think. They can be the unstoppable green tide of horror or the bumbling, slap-together screw-ups that enjoy seeing things go wrong as much as when they go right.

 

In terms of modelling, they are enormously liberating too. You can do just about anything you like and if someone asks what you were thinking the answer just has to be - "Orks!".

[Claws and Effect]

I don't play Orks. Yet.

 

My wife plays Nids, so when we pick up the indexes in the next couple weeks I'll have the Orks rules by default.

 

They've always amused me, and I'm looking forward to getting the conversion practice without having to worry about screwing up a model. Because even if you screw up you can still make something orky out of it.

 

I have a vague idea of making a 50's greaser style Ork army using model cars as the basis for trukks and battlewagons.

[Sith’ari]

I've loved Orks ever since I picked up the second ed codex as an overexcited kid. The background was hilarious (which was/is a breath of fresh air in the 41st millennium) and the super bright colour schemes really spoke to me. So much so that my painting style is considered quite cartoony in my local group - which I take as a massive compliment! Then came Gorkamorka, which absolutely dominated my teen years (besides the usual teenage stuff of course!)

 

However, it was not until fifth ed when I had my first real job, that I could afford a proper army of Da LadzTM and it was a blast! I loved everything about them, from the multiple ways of playing, to the crazy "Konvershuns" that kept rolling off of my desk. My all time favourite gaming moment also happened during this time, when our local Nid player was so taken aback by someone charging up the table towards him, it completely messed up his game plan. It got sooooo bad for him, that his Carnifex spent the whole game running away from my Deff Rolla, leading to some hilarious visuals! We both walked away from that game smiling and laughing like lunatics! :lol:

 

Now in the present day, I find myself building version 2.0 of Waaaagh! Flashdakka and I'm loving every second of it!

[Sviar]

I started painting Space Marines 1990, and have only played power armour and IG. So this year I took a look at all the armies and the Orks captured my interest. To be honest it was a biased look, because I have some Epic Orks and I had some Orcs & Goblins. So the choice was clear. I like Orcs. I like their ingenuity. A sign of their ingenuity can be found in BLs book Rebel Winter where they pillage the town and IG wrecked armoury and built warmachines from that. Which also gives Ork players converting abilities. And If you like the minis the painting process will be a blast, which I do. 

[civsmitty]

I've always found that the people who lean more to the competitive, serious side of 40k don't do as well with Orks. The casual acceptance of horrific casualties and hilarious mishaps as a trade for brutal slaughter just doesn't seem to be there.

[Hfran Morkai]

b'cos dey is da best at crumpin'!

 

In all seriousness I love the Orks and would gladly build an army if more of their kits were plastic (would love multi part plastic Kommandos for a start).

[toaae]

I think my 4th game ever was against Orks (I started with Space Wolves) back in 3rd, and I was immediately smitten with them. I loved the look, the playstyle, and the humor. But I was always afraid to paint that many models, so I didn't jump into da boyz until recently. I want to thank youtube's Catattafish, who's tutorials and techniques have given me both the courage and skills to dive into Orks.

[DeRome90]

cuz I like dakka. A`so cuz I like moshin and naturally moa dakka. Mainly cuz green is betta!!!

 

Like 95 % of all W40k Players I started with Space Marines and after them some Chaos Space Marines. One of my more frequent opponents playd Orks and it was always fun to play against them, and he introduced me to the way of the WAAAGH!!! . Also I like to try out some converting and kitbash stuff.

 

Its kinda sad that the funny things like Boomer Bombs vanished. I hope the come back.

 

 

In all seriousness I love the Orks and would gladly build an army if more of their kits were plastic (would love multi part plastic Kommandos for a start).

Kommandos are the easiest of Ork units to convert  

If i don't forget, I will post two of my Kommandos. I hope that will bring you to the green side of W40k 

[Sume]

I am starting a project to make a Blood Axe army.  I want to convert everything, and I really like the style of Krommlech ork parts and heads.  For me this is a chance to go and actually do more then an occasional head-swap.  I also really like the squiggoth from Forgeworld.

 

I got beat down by a speed freak army a lot in 3rd with Witch hunters, and same with the player doing Feral orks when they had a list.  The guy playing speed freaks at the time convienced me that I was throwing away money and my time by going orks.  That stuck with me for a good 10+ years.  Since then I look at the orks and go maybe some day.

 

Well with 8th I finally decided to do it.  I couldnt decide between Snakebites and Blood Axes.  Expect the idea of using all the different camo schemes got me thinking of all the fun stuff I can do with the hobby store military camo netting and other stuff.

[Nuclear Fridge]

Good question... The answer - for me, anyway - is "in stages".

 

About 12 years ago, I got involved in a Gorkamorka campaign, using some old cast-off models and the pint-sized Trukk that GW had out back then. This was long before Mad Max: Fury Road came out, of course. I had a hell of a lot of fun with the game.

 

I then bought up the Orks from an Assault on Black Reach box set that a friend didn't want (he was Space Marines all the way), and started painting a few of them. Mainly as a learning exercise on green skin - which isn't so easy for me,  since I have severe green colour-blindness! My optician says I see 'green' as 'blue'... Still, being obstinate, I stuck with it.

 

Then GW began to bring out Lootas, Burna Boys... and I started thinking seriously about an Ork army. They could fight anyone; Tau, Chaos, Necrons, it doesn't matter. Plus, the insane, slapped-together nature of their "technology" appealed to me.

 

Right now, I'm refitting the slugga and shoota boys with 32mm bases since they are far more stable than the old 25mm bases, but once that's done, I have my core force ready to bellow "Waaagh!" and go find someone to krump...