Orks are one of the icons of Warhammer 40,000, integral to the 41st Millennium since before the days of Rogue Trader.* Alongside the equally venerable Space Marines they’re hallmarks of the changing face of the hobby itself, and with the release of the new Codex: Orks imminent, we’re travelling back to the 1980s to see how our violent little darlings have grown over the years.
Da Boyz
Coded LE1, the humble “Space Orc” was actually the first-ever model for the budding Warhammer 40,000 universe, beating the LE2 Space Marine to the punch.
A box of Space Ork Raiders followed in 1987, shortly after Rogue Trader was released. Although much smaller than their modern cousins, their hunched posture and toothy jaws were already present and correct.
Fast-forward to the second edition of Warhammer 40,000 in 1993, Orks took pride of place in a huge launch box alongside their monopose Blood Angels nemeses. By now, the Boys had begun to shed some of their higher technology in favour of big axes and cemented their love for giant horned helmets.**
1998 saw the release of the legendary Gorkamorka, a boxed game that updated many Orks into bigger, meaner plastic versions. Greenskins first took on their more ramshackle appearance at this point, which soon became a cornerstone of their style.
With the third edition of Warhammer 40,000, Orks’ propensity for close combat really blossomed – they gained a point of WS and lost a point of BS – and the now-classic slugga and choppa combo became their bread and butter.
Now, with the arrival of the bigger, stronger Beast Snaggas, regular Boyz are standing up straight and really looking like they’ve earned that extra point of Toughness. We’ve already seen one of the newcomers, and it’s time you had a look at another.
Da Trukks
Ork Speed Freakz roared onto the scene in 1988 with the Battle Buggy.*** Not content with sticking to fast, nimble vehicles, the lumbering Battlewagon later debuted in White Dwarf Issue 129.
The Battle Buggy got a much-needed update just before the end of Warhammer 40,000’s second edition. This obsession with speed carried on into Gorkamorka, which introduced a brand new plastic Trukk with a cobbled-together look that became the standard for Ork technology.
In 2008, the fourth edition of Codex: Orks launched with new Wartrukks and Battlewagons. These doubled down on the scrap-metal chic and encouraged Ork players to create some incredibly inventive kustom jobs.
After a decade of tinkering, the Speed Freakz unleashed fresh designs in 2018, with six eclectic new buggies including James Workshop’s personal favourite, the Boomdakka Snazzwagon.
The Beast Snaggas bring a whole new spin on Orkish industrial design, embracing the traditional scrap-and-gumption aesthetic, only with huge squigs to provide all the power. The result is the Kill Rig, a behemoth that’s all parts fast, deadly, and noisy – everything Orks hold most dear.
Codex: Orks is on the way, so keep your eyes peeled for more greenskin goodness coming to Warhammer-Community.com next week. Did you start your Waaagh! early with the Beast Snaggas Army Box? Show us your new squig-riding Orks on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
* That’s the first edition of Warhammer 40,000 for da yoofs among you.
** This is also when they began to lean into the ‘green tide’ mentality, outnumbering the Space Marines 2-to-1 in that box alone.
*** Which, like many luxury cars, came with a choice of short or long wheelbase.