It takes a certain type of person to be an Ork player. Some new guys got it, some (like myself) don’t. It’s a sad truth that not every player has the guts to surf the green tide, but all of us can learn a few things from our friendly neighborhood warbosses, new players especially. Here’s a few of the things I’ve picked up from the other side of the table.
Ork players are infamous for their conversions and modeling experiments, and I’ve personally seen more rad scratchbuilt Orks than any other race in the galaxy. Even new Ork players have shown up with Kans that have light-up eyes and crazy Battlewagon kitbashes. It shows a real love of the army- something I wish I had for my Space Pups- and adds a great bit of personalization, too.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with conversions. I don’t usually talk about painting or modeling much here, but there have been some awesome sights on the table nearly every time I play an Ork player, and I really wish I had that kind of drive. We all have our excuses for not doing rad conversions, but they’re all lame. You’ll never make a good model if you don’t start somewhere, and chances are that your opponents will always appreciate the effort regardless of how bad you think it looks.
What the hell is a Weirdboy? I didn’t have any idea until my first game against our beloved TastyTaste’s Orks. Ork players have a great tendency to use weird units in their codex no matter what the internet says about them, and everyone should be doing this more often. Even if it doesn’t work out in the way you want it to, using an overlooked unit can often reveal some facet of your codex or play style that you were ignoring until that loving moment you set it down on the field.
Most of us don’t conjure images of Ork warbosses when we think of the great generals of the 41st Millenium, but Ork players have lots to teach us about tactics. Ork players are relentless, always trying to impose their will on their opponent. Very rarely will you come across an Ork player who’s willing to sit back and react defensively to their opponent’s gameplan – it’s just not Orky. Don’t mistake their drive across the table to assault your face off as simple-minded, either. It’s just Orks doing what Orks do best; dictating the flow of the fight.
And finally, Ork players are very rarely not having fun. How many times have you seen a dedicated Ork player totally hating on his die rolls or complaining about bad saves? I realize that this is anecdotal at best, but almost every Ork player I’ve had the pleasure of facing has been a good opponent and a good sport. They do cinematic things, they love their army, and they love playing ’em. If everyone had that Orkish enthusiasm, the hobby would be better off.
You can find me also at my blog Sweeping Advance
Questions for comment:
- What are your experiences with Ork players?
- Are Orks too silly for the 40k universe?
- What armies seem to bring the best out of players in your area?