INTRODUCTION Orks are brutal and barbaric aliens that live to fight. This Codex is the definitive guide to collecting and playing with an Ork army in the Warhammer 40,000 wargame. ‘THE WARHAMMER 40,000 GAME ‘The Warhammer £0,000 rulebook contain the rules you need to fight battles with your Citadel miniatures Set inthe war-orn universe of the 4st Milennium Every army has its own Codex book that works with ‘these rules, allowing you to turn your collection of miniatures into an organised force ready for your games of Warhammer 40,000. This Codex detals fveryting you need to know about the Orks. WHY COLLECT AN ORK ARMY The Ork army is not only one of the most powerful in the 415t Milennium but also one ofthe most fun to play. The greenskin hordes excel at close combat, and fll upon the enemy in a howling tide of violence, Ork \warbands are so large that despite the losses you may take as you close with the foe you will aways have ‘enough Boyz let to get your bloody revenge. ‘The natural toughness and ferocity of the Ork army is bolstered by an array of ingenious weapons and war machines that are as entertaining as they are deadly. (rks appeal to players witha sense of humour and a taste for inflicting severe beatings upon the enemy. HOW THIS CODEX WORKS Codex: Orks contains the flowing sections: 9: The frst section introduces the Orks yn and savage splendour, and their part 40,000 universe. It includes ful details of their origins, the lasser greenskin races, and the system-wide invasions the Orks call Waaaghs! Als Included are details of the infamous Ork clans + Forces of the Orks: Each and every character, troop type and vehicle inthe Ork army is examined in gruesome detall inthis section. Firstly, you wil find a {ull description ofthe unt, describing ts role within the army and its favoured method of crushing the foe. ‘Secondly, you wil find complete rules forthe unit and detalls of any unique weapons, gizmos and powers. they use fo slaughter their way across the universe. +The Greenskin Army: Ths section contains colour photographs ofthe extensive range of Citadel miniatures avaliable for your Ork army, gloriously painted by Games Workshop's famous avy Metal team. Colour schemes for he various clans are included, as well as Ups and techniques for Constructing and painting your Ork warband, + Ork Wargear: This section contain fll details for the rugged but deadly wargear used by the forces of (Orkdom, inluding annotated illustrations. + Ork Army List: The army ist takes all ofthe units presented in the ‘Forces of the rks’ section and arranges them so you can choose an army for your ‘own games. Each unit type also has a points value attached to help you pit your force against an ‘opponent's in a fair maten, FIND OUT MORE rile Codex: Orks contains everything you need to play a game with your army of greenskins, there are Alvays mare tactics fo use, scenarios to fight and painting ideas to try out. The monthly magazine ‘White Dwart contains articles about all aspects of the \Warammer 40,000 game and hobby. and you can find arlcles specific to the Orks on our website: ‘worw.games-workshop.comTHE ORK RACE (rks are the most warlike aliens in the 41st Millennium, and thelr number is beyond counting. From the depths of the galactic care tothe distant Ghost Stars burgeoning Ork empires rise and fall. Should the Orks. ever truly unity, they would crush all opposition ang drown the cillsed races in a tide of gare, But the Orks’ Uunquenchable thirst for violence is their downtall as well as their strength. The Or« tribes spend much oftheir time fighting amongst themselves, waging brutal wars against ther own kind so that only the strong survive. On occasion, an Ork leader wil emerge who is mghty enough to defeat his rvals and unite the warring tribes. His success draws other tives to him, atracted by the promise of carnage. Soon a great Waaagh! Is underway ~ part migration, part holy war. When the Orks are on the rampage, the galaxy trembles. THE ORK Usly and violent creatures, Orks are the dominant caste of arace that includes the smaller Gretchin and Shoting sub-races. The Orks rule their barbaric Civilisation with an iron fist. They see themselves as the toughest and most aggressive of all races in the galaxy, and kil everything in their path to prove the point. ‘Atypical Ork stands around the same height as a man, though he would be much taller ihe would only stand up straight, His trame is extremely muscular and soli ‘An OF’ arms are long and heavily thewed, and his knuckles almost scrape the loar as he lopes around. His gnarled hands end in taloned fingers capable of tearing an enemy's throat out with ease. Volrog crane his neck nse his mega-amour for whet sxemed like the fiteth te that doy. and Was finally ‘renarded. The shes were streaked vith the unmistakesble conta of Space Marine drop poss hammering through the Tortured sees tovsrds ther postion The Warbos' ror of ‘locust was taken up by his tribe unt sounded ike the avery of savage god. Hs warriors mounted up, bofing for ther ramshackle witks and batlewagons. The real bate was about begin Inside the red. ely of his bate foes, the Ork Warboss Stade purposely before his warband, the resoundiog cary ‘ofeach footstep puncturing his bellowed rss. The bate fortress lurched and one of Vokrag's bye, doping his bare 2 fungus beer eared himsel 2 punch nthe face tom the (nk nett him. Volkrag loosed 3 few waning shots fom his ‘shoot, stopping the ineable bra and lacing the Ne ‘ofthe hold ith the sharp tong of orate [] ecm ‘An Or’ skull is extremely thick, able to absorb impacts ‘hat would cave in a human head. His heavy brow ‘shades blood-red eyes alre with the need 10 kil ‘Jagged fangs jut rom a heavy jaw that would not look ‘out of place upon a far larger predator. An Ork’s genetic. make-up contains fungal and algal strains, making them | hight resilient The skin of the Ork is green and leatner-tough, and his body is dottea with scars, scabs, ockemarks and parasites. More oftensive stil is the ‘Ores smell, which has been likened to that of diseased Grox languishing in its own dung. ‘Orkoid physique isso robust that it can withstand ‘temendous punishment. An Ork feels next to no pain ‘even trom the most grievous of wounds, enabling him to fght on whilst horfically injured and even for @ short while after he is technically dead, The greenskin regeneratve process is so powertul that an Ork who has been cut apar in the crucible of battle can simply be stitched back together again, bewildered but ready to fght once more When an Ork speaks, itis in a slow, gruff tone thick with salva and guttural curses. His words are sparse, brutal and straight tothe point. Orks have but one philosophy: might is always right. They believe thatthe ‘weak must suffer the rule of the strong. Over the ‘countless milennia in which the greenskins have ‘waged their wars, not one Ork has ever doubted this for single moment ‘This unshakeable set-belie! is perhaps the most dangerous quali of the Ork race, for ‘hey will never give up on their mission to plunge the galaxy into an eternal war You lot Lsen up 0s we got a prover scrap 10 Fok ford ‘9 now!” Valrag stomped fonards the asaut ramp, crushing 2 squealing Grethin under his mege-amoured bulk “Ths ere thor’ about open and when does you wil See wat we {ome here tl” Hi warriors rowed the poral “HOt ant t see isa good ‘ar charge! No fancy stuf” Another roar. “On yr fet! Check yer guns! Ready yer chopeas! Last fone outa stinkin’ panay! Waaagh! Volirag’s warery was taken up once more asthe asout ramp exploded outward. The Ors poured ou of the hot, an Unstoppable de of savagery and hated tat pete headlong Into the volleys of eicilined boter fire. Vera es the charge, hiting the Space Marie's gun ie ike an outa ‘conta juggemaut Blood arced a: his power Ks smashed {hve Space Marines ftom thet feet, andthe Vatboss’s Dbughier ong out across the bate ody wos » good doy tbe an OrkTHE GREEN MENACE rk civilsation is hierarchical inthe extreme. These hierarchies are not determined by rank or bith, but by size and savagery. The largest Orks boss about their smaller brethren, who in turn buly the diminutive slave- race known as the Gretchin Into doing their bidding ‘Smaller stil are the Snotings, who some say are the stunted remnants of a once-great caste thatthe aeons have reduced to the level of simple-minded children ‘The feenskin sub-races have a symbiotic relationship of sorts, with the smaller greenskins performing menial tasks for their Ork overseers in exchange for a measure of protection, The selt-sustalning Ork society and ‘ecology ie £0 robust that ican exist almost anywhere, ‘which is why Ork settlements nave been found scattered to the furthest comers of the galaxy. GRETCHIN Gretchin have a similar physiology tothe Orks, though they are not as strong of tough. To compensate for this the Grotchin possess an abundance of low cunning, Sometimes known as Grots, Gretchin are more humerous than Orks. They scurry around the larger Sreenskins on scrawny legs, and ther grasping fingers snatch and steal from the unwary. Gretchin have large, bulbous heads and wide tattered ears that flatten agains! ther bald patos when they are afrald. Sharp {angs fil ner jaws, ever ready to be sunk into the flesh ‘of the weak or in rm, and malice gleams in their beady litle eyes whenever there is an opportunity for violence, ‘The Greichins' large and protruberant nose gives them ‘an excellent sense of smell, thei ears afford them a similarly advanced sense of hearing, and thelr eyesight is acute even in the dark. These traits, combined witn a heightened instinct for sel-preservaton, mean that Gretchin can not only survive but also thrive n a society dominated by vicious predators. Some Grots have their ‘survival inetinet honed to such a degree that they may. possess a rudimentary sith sense, or naturally be far more fortunate than they have a rght to be. Makati the {Grot, lckiest ofall his kind, lived to the ripe old age of nine before finally being sat on by his master and ‘subsequently fed to an il-tempered Squiggoth ‘On his own, a single Gretchin poses lite threat to a hhuman-sized adversary. However, If there is ane qually ‘he Grots have in abundance, itis quantity. On the feld ‘of atte the Gretchin advance ina great mob, fring volleys of scavenged ammunition from thelr poor-quality Weapons before diving upon the fallen and tearing them ‘apar in their scrabbling haste to loot the corpses.SNOTLINGS Shotlings ook lke thy, immature Gretchin. Their scrawny limbs are {09 small to bear weapons larger or more complicated than sharp knives and, lacking the violent tendencies oftheir larger kin, they make for very oor soldiers indeod. They are kopt as litle more than pets for thelr Ork masters, although they do make ‘excellent ammunition for he strange weapon the Orks eal te Shokk Attack Gun, Nonetheless the Snots do perform a valuable function in Ork society Shotings have an even claser genetic bond with fungal Ite forms than the other greenskins, and cutivate the great patches of the func! that spring up around Or Selllements. In this way the Snotings provide food ‘tink and medicine for the rest of Ork society. Snotings also look after the ferocious squigaly beasts that ve in the Ork cesspits. Their natural affnty with these lWetorms means that in a given day only a few dozen Shoting attendants wil be devoured alve oy their ravenous enarges The Snoting populations that spring up around Ork settlements are monitored and cultivated by a caste of (Oras known as Rurtherds, These grizzled and merciless slavers have a varety of ways to bully thee charges into a state of anxious obedience, not least of which are the much-feared grot-pred and the ferocious Squig-hound. Y sous ‘Sauigs, also known a Squiggly Beasts are alvays found living th Ons. Tey ae an tegyal part of the mole ‘ind mobie Or ecosystem The Squgs ext the refuse of | the Ort, and the Ors eat the Squgs. There are mary) farm of Sui aa each varity incorparetes many } Subyypes. Their fonctions range fom eae to medial, | but perhaps the most infamous of al Squg types are the | ravenous facebiters, hich the Oks use in the same Way | humans might use atack dogs Lite mare than 3 snapping, croolng mouth on le, these ferocious Dessies ore a 9n of satus ane many an Ok Warlord eens a pt face ber that dines upon those who have | | | | fallen out of the Baz tevour Other exualy harp- toothed Squgs grow and bred athe sawing esis lof the Or setomens, lending an oof unpredtabity ‘ad excitement f even the Brees rp othe oops 4 Y i ee THE LOST RACE Many of the more civilised races of the galaxy have ‘speculated about where the seemingly omnipresent Ork race came from, and whether they originally had a home warld trom which they spread to the furthest ‘comers of the galaxy. The exact truth is shrouded in mystery, for the Or«s do not Keep written recoras, Instead they rely on an oral tration of storyteling ‘Ork legend (such as itis) is generally passed down by ‘ne Runtherds, those who specialise inthe breeding and taining of the lesser greenskin races. They speak ‘of a legendary caste of eenskins who created the ‘Orks of today as a warrior race to protect their own. Dificut as it sto believe, this ancient race was ‘extremely iteligent, and held dominion over the other ‘rk castes. They were much smaller than their ‘servants, so they bred the Orks to be as strong and fierce as possible to protect them from predators and invaders. Though their Ork and Gretehin servants were anything but intellectual, they had a strong survival instine! and an innate understanding of their own universe, The Runtherds refer to the mysterious forefathers of the Orks as the Brainboyz "Da only lost race I ever heard of wor when Hef crashed his trike in da final stretch of da cross-desert rally. Cost me a few teef, that NNuzagrood of the Bick Shalls ‘The Brainboyz wore the driving force behind Ork hlisation; developing technology and directing the ‘other castes in their expansion across tho stars. A great tragedy must have belalien them, however, for they do not exst today. Some Ork legends tell of a great plague ‘tat lasted for many centuries, causing the Brainboyz to dwindle and eventualy die out altogether. Others maintain thatthe Brainboyz regressed into Snotlings and that an Or« rebelion was responsible for reducing ‘ne Brainbayz tothe infantie litle monsters they are today. Either way, the Brainboyz took steps to preserve What they could of thelr knowledge by engineering i into the genetic stucture oftheir slaves, thereby ‘reating the ultimate survivor race. Many amongst the Magos Biologs ofthe Imperium theorise thatthe Orks retain such a relatively igh level of technology in the 4st Millennium as a direct resut ofthis acceleratea ‘evolution, thet technical skils coded into their genes, rks being Orks, they care ite either way. rweom ace [7]4 GREENSKIN KULTUR rks have their own distinct culture (or ‘kultura the (Oras call), the origins of which stem trom the days of ‘the Brainboyz. Though itis a corupted version of the society engineered by the Orks' progenitors. by and large it functions very well Perhaps ths is because the fundamental tenet of Ork society is a simple one that even the most pea-brained Snotling can understand the belie that might makes right. ‘THE ORK HIERARCHY (rks instinctively obey those larger than themselves. provided they are a healthy shade of green - most Orks ‘would rather die than bow to a non-greenskin’s wil. The rulers of Ork society are the largest and mast powertul (Oras of all, known as Warbosses or Watlares. These ‘monstrous kiling machines can reach up to ten feet in height. Warbosses offen rise to power through low cunning, as their abilties as a warrior are deemed more important than any real leadership qualties. A Warboss will ld dominion aver al he surveys, and beat the living éaylights out of anyone who says ciferent. His ‘decisions are enforced by a ruing caste of Orks known as Nobz, who are larger, richer and more aggressive than normal Orks “The bulk ofthe Ork horde is comprised of great mobs of infantry that eall themselves Boyz. The Goff in particular are famous for he sheer number of Boyz that they can field in times of war, marching to battle as a green horde that often outnumbers is foes several {imes over. (rks tend tobe lazy and forgettul, and only war and the preparation for war realy brings out tei innate talents Most ofthe day-to-day running of Ork society is let to the Gretchin, whose dues include preparing food, taking messages, fetching, carrying, general organisation an just Being around the place when an Crk wants something to kick. This gives the Orks plenty of te to swagger about, getting into ights and coming up with new ways to kil things. “The Orks are the pinnacle of creation. For them, the great struggle is won. They have evolved 2 society which knows no stress or angst. Who are we to judge them? We Eldar who hive 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” Uthan the Pesere, Elda Philosopher ‘THE ORK RACE ‘The Gretchin are happy enough in thei rate. They bear litle resentment towards their superiors, for to them ‘Orks are just a fact of Ife, and questioning the facts of Me leads toa clip round the earhole and ite else. Individual Gretchin can enjoy a relatively comfortable ‘existence by providing valuable services to their Ork masters, Most Grots are owned by Orks as personal ‘servants, though some gather togethe” into loose tribes that may even own functional weapons and equipment ‘The Gretchin have created an entire enterprise culture ‘of tei own within their Ork-dominated society. Many Gretchin operate their own black-market businesses on the sige, such as seling {ungus-beer, roasting squige ‘on sticks, coordinating the bets when a fight Breaks out ‘fTaoting corpses for fun and prof ALIFE OF CONFLICT ‘Orks excel in the field of war, on everything from a personal to a galactic scale, It's cantlet that governs ‘ner entire society, their technological advances, and ‘even thei individual growth. Prolonged periods of ‘confit lead to a proportional increase in the size and strength of an Ork, and greenskins who have fought in ‘an active warzone fora fen years tower aver those who have been deprived of such stimulus. Longer wars produce ever larger combatants, At the climax of Warlord Thogza’s decades-iong Waaaghl into the Duros sector, the Ork veterans were reputed to reach a size almost twice as tal as a man, Wen there are no enemies to fight the Orks wil test their mettle against any native predators they can fin, and if that fils they wil fight amongst themselves simply fr the jy of it. Disputes between Orks become almost hourly occurrences if hey are nat engaged against a common foe, Itis during times such as these a Warboss's authority is olten challenged by a rwval Nob. The outcome of power stuggles such as these are resolved through methods ranging ‘rom low cunning to high explosives, but ritual pt fighting romains a firm favourite. Pit fights are popular since they entertain the whole warband and establish the victor as Warboss Beyond cispute, Rivals are thus dispatched by the incumbent Warboss. or else he is overthrown (and usually kiled into the bargain) Every Ork setloment has a fighting pt for this purpose, whichis also used to Settle other grudges and disputes. Pit fghting thus ‘Serves the Orks as a rough and ready judicial system, ‘Other tess of mettle popular in Ork kultur are ‘squigeating contests, whereby rival Orks attempt to eat a face-biter squig before I eats them, and breakneck races around the settlements perimeter in ramshackle vehicles. itis considered a great breach of protocol to ‘open fre upon a challenger in a race such as tis, ‘though truth be told Orks have never cared that much about protocol