Why cant I get into Orks..?

[Merellin]

So.. I like orks, They are fun to play, I'v tried them a few times over the internet through Roll20 (A website for playing RPG's online, But my friend figured out how to use it for 40k so I could play with him despite living in diferent countries) and I absolutely loved playing them! I think they got cool models too. And I got a bunch of Orks I got in a trade but have never used.. The problem is, Every time I think of building up my orks to a full ork force, I end up not feeling like it.. I just struggle to get into it.. Despite knowing that I love playing them.. And I keep trying to think of what army to start along side my Tau and Space Wolves now that I have put my necrons in storage (Just dont feel like necrons anylonger) and I keep ocasionaly looking back at my orks thinking "Why dont I just build them up?" yet, I struggle to actualy get into building up my orks..

 

Why cant I get into orks despite knowing I like playing them?

[Khornate individual]

Maybe find someone willing to do the assembly for you for cheap?  A friend of mine use to do that to me all the time.  He'd get a big army, but then didn't want to clean mold lines and assemble it all.  So some how it all ended being put together by me, then had to paint it too.

[Merellin]

I dont mind building, I dont like painting, But I dont mind Building at all. I dont know why I struggle with orks, I like their models, I like their fluff, I like playing them, But when ever I think of doing anything with them I get distrated and end up doing nothing..

[Tallarn Commander]

I'm in the same boat.

 

Last spring I intended to start painting an ork army I inherited a few years ago. Instead I worked on my other 2 horde armies, Renegades and Heretics and IG Tallarns. 

 

However, this month I told myself, "Don't think in terms of painting the whole ork army. Instead, think of it as painting small discrete chunks." To that end, I've started long delayed conversions on my orks by adding greenstuff greatcloaks to a small batch of 6 boyz.

 

 

I still have to paint them and finish up the greenstuffing, but it's more progress then I ever made before.  And if I knock out a batch of 6 or so a month, in 2 or 3 years I'll have a playable painted army. The army will eventually be themed after the Soviet Red Army circa WWII--every ork will get a greenstuffed greatcoat, I'll use some of the excellent 3rd party soviet ork heads, I can kitbash plastic Red Army T34, Su76, and other other kit, etc.

 

So maybe thinking in terms of small batches will help you too.

[Merellin]

Mayhaps. I always found painting to be boring.. And for my Orks I need to buy more boyz (I only got 44 Boyz.. A sin I know..) to make a real ork army, I also need trukks and a bunch more stuff.. But getting there, Actualy buying it, To build, And then paint, To make a list, I struggle to get there, Even though I realy like orks. I work on my Tau and Space Wolves and Necrons.. But Orks, Despite liking them more then necrons, I show them less love then my crons..

 

 

What I own already is

 

Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun on Bike

 

10 Stormboyz

 

Painboy

 

10 Burna Boyz

 

14 Nobz

 

15 Big Gun Orks (Not sure about these, One looks like a official Loota,2 looks like Big Shootas, And the rest have various largeish guns from assault cannons to shootas with Rokkits on the side.. Including one MultiMelta, One regular sized flamer And a storm bolter)

 

44 Slugga Choppa Boyz

 

2 Runtherds and 16 Gretchin

 

Ork Flyer

 

3 Warbosses

 

Weirdboy

 

6 Kommandos (5 metal, 1 plastic, That is larger and might be a custom Snikrot)

 

5 Flash Gitz

 

6 Killa Kans

 

Morkanaut

Edited December 27, 2017 by Merellin

[Redtoof]

It is certainly daunting to look on to a sea of grey plastic. I tend to paint in large batches just to get it over with. I think the key is to work out the minimum standard you are happy with and then work out the easiest way to achieve that. Note that you can of course spend more time on your characters and vehicles. At the end there is definitely something satisfying about a big swarm of painted Orks, even if they are quite basic.

 

A few tips: I always paint the metal first, since it features heavy dry brushing and washes. Skin next, the most important stage. Doesn't have to be tidy, but obviously cover up all the metal that got on the skin, then clothes, finally teeth, eyes and tidy up. You can often get away with skipping details if you 'cheat' with drybrushing and washes, but you'll want to make sure you pick out any details on the face, and save your best skin highlighting for that area, as it is the focal point of the model.

[Warhead01]

I don't know what you personally want from your Orks but I will say take your time if you commit to collecting and playing Orks.  If that only a few Kits a year then that should be good enough. Or if you happen to have any friends that play Orks who will lend you an army for a day or two it's kinda a cheatery way ti find out just how much you want to continue your Ork army.  Have you played with what you have, how ever many points that is?  One of my problems of the years is having a few large armies and finding I never use a few of them. (That was the big reason I parted with my Imperial Guard army a few years back. )

[Merellin]

I have only played one match with the orks I own, Back in 7th edition, But I have tried orks a few times. I know I like them, And I love having large groups and hordes of infantry, I find orks to be very fun to play, And I like their fluff and models.. i think, I just struggle to figure out how to expand, And also keep getting distracted by the shinies of other armies making me wanna play everything at once..

[Redtoof]

Perhaps when Orks get a shiny new codex it will distract you from the other armies? Alternatively, just loot the shiny things and turn them into Ork units!

[Merellin]

Hopefully Orks will get a codex soon (Tau and Space Wolves and Necrons too.. As thats my armies.. Almost everyone in the gaming club has atleast one army with a codex now, Exept one guy with only orks. The two of us wants codexes too! xD)

[Indefragable]

Speaking as someone with a 3+ year old backlog of unpainted stuff, what I can tell you has gotten real traction to me is the conversion aspect. Even little things like swapping a single weapon from different kits makes each model a unique individual.

 

...and you know what's fun and interesting to paint? Characters. And what are characters? Individuals.

 

That's bend my secret, at least, to getting on the painting wagon.

[Akrim]

If I can share any advice as a guy whos done many horde armies;

 

Painting space - You gotta spend some hours there, make it comfortable; good office chair, light and desk space. Something for your ambiance of choice like music, audiobooks or movies/shows in the background.

 

Batch painting - i usually go 10 at a time, hitting the same color on each model at once, less brush cleaning and color switching. Good news is Orks are the easiest models to paint. Esp with the current paint line.

 

Converting - as mentioned it makes Orks really fun hobbywise.

 

The new codex sometime this year will no doubt add some more flavour to them.

[Magos Takatus]

If I can share any advice as a guy whos done many horde armies;

 

Painting space - You gotta spend some hours there, make it comfortable; good office chair, light and desk space. Something for your ambiance of choice like music, audiobooks or movies/shows in the background.

 

Batch painting - i usually go 10 at a time, hitting the same color on each model at once, less brush cleaning and color switching. Good news is Orks are the easiest models to paint. Esp with the current paint line.

 

Converting - as mentioned it makes Orks really fun hobbywise.

 

The new codex sometime this year will no doubt add some more flavour to them.

All good advice but I have to question Orks being easiest to paint. Surely Necrons and Space marines are easier to slap on some colour and have them look good? Even basic Ork boys have straps, stitching and random bits and bobs that are fiddly to paint. I suppose Goff Orks are pretty straightforward but I decided to go Blood Axes and am currently regretting painting not just all the details but painting camo patterns too. :p

[Lucio]

I'm a sucker for Horde armies, Orks, Infantry only Space Marine lists, Genestealer cult etc.

I generally have a stupid amount of unpainted stuff

Main motivation for me for Orks was simple, they're really really silly, you're literally putting models on and taking them off in minutes but when the dice go your way, boy do they hit hard

As for quick painting techniques, I do Fleshy bits (Castallan Green, Camoshade wash, drybrush with Lorean Forest), that takes about 30 minutes for 10 usually because there's only 3 large areas of flesh on an Ork (arms, face and neck)

Rest of the miniature gets metal or leather  (Leadbelcher or Steel Legion Drab, wash with Agrax Earthshade, and then drybrush with Leadbelcher or Scyorax Bronze or Balthasar Gold for metal, or Karak stone for leather

Finally detail the fangs, nails, eyes and pick out some of the rivets or plates in gold or your clan colour.


10 Ork Boyz can be as little as 3 hours if you're not too fussed, but once you've done the first stages, the detailling really tends to draw your attention in.

[Tallarn Commander]

I finally stopped procrastinating and got started on my orks!  6 down and about 140 or so to go. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kaldoth]

I have the same problem with my Orks.  For me, its because I know I'm an abysmally slow painter and I love converting models.  Orks being a swarm army mean a lot of generic repeat models that come straight out of the box if you want to have any shot of getting your army done in a timely fashion.  So, when I crack open a box of Orks, the realization just kind of sets in that "crap... I have to do twenty five more of these" and then I lose the motivation.  The best way I've found to combat the overwhelming force that is the green tide is to find a unit that you REALLY love and treat it like a reward.  For example, one of my favorites is Kommandos.  I have 30 Kommandos I need to finish up,  but on the not so fun side of the board, I have about 60 regular boyz I have to do as well.  So, I'll start building my Kommandos, and instead of doing all 30 of them, I'll do 5 Kommandos and 5 boyz, alternating between the two.  That way, I kind of trick my own brain into thinking "alright, if I finish cleaning and gluing this boy together, I get to do another Kommando!"  It might sound silly, but otherwise I would never get anything done but the units that I'm really excited about doing.  

 

[Warhead01]

Alright you lot, are you Bosses or are you grots! 

I know it's a struggle but please for your selves put in a little time here and there! You do have the time. Just do a little painting in small batches as a small goal between whatever else you have on your painting tables! You can do it. Don't be discouraged. Just set small goals. Even if it's only one model at any give time. (some times I like to just paint one or two models from start to finish.)  Treat yourselves to a nicely painted Ork army! (Even if it takes you a year to finish.) Don't stress get stressed just have some fun with it! 

[Magos Takatus]

I have the same problem with my Orks.  For me, its because I know I'm an abysmally slow painter and I love converting models.  Orks being a swarm army mean a lot of generic repeat models that come straight out of the box if you want to have any shot of getting your army done in a timely fashion.  So, when I crack open a box of Orks, the realization just kind of sets in that "crap... I have to do twenty five more of these" and then I lose the motivation.  The best way I've found to combat the overwhelming force that is the green tide is to find a unit that you REALLY love and treat it like a reward.  For example, one of my favorites is Kommandos.  I have 30 Kommandos I need to finish up,  but on the not so fun side of the board, I have about 60 regular boyz I have to do as well.  So, I'll start building my Kommandos, and instead of doing all 30 of them, I'll do 5 Kommandos and 5 boyz, alternating between the two.  That way, I kind of trick my own brain into thinking "alright, if I finish cleaning and gluing this boy together, I get to do another Kommando!"  It might sound silly, but otherwise I would never get anything done but the units that I'm really excited about doing.  

 

 

It's funny that you say this, but I nominated my Kommandos as a reward task but since I had resin versions there were so many gates on the models that it made them a real chore to paint because I kept finding unwanted bits of resin sticking out of the model even after I'd checked them repeatedly. 

 

I totally agree though, setting up a different project after a large unit does help. I'm currently testing some new gold metallic paints on an old Khemri Necrosphinx model I had forgotten about after I finished my Morkanaut and Deff Dread. Having something that is completely different can help stave off fatigue.