Orruks are the most belligerent beings in the Mortal Realms. Conflict is central to their existence, and they pursue it with reckless enthusiasm.
They are the progeny of Gorkamorka, the great god of Destruction, and they live only to fight, conquer, and dominate. We’ve already met the Kruleboyz, shrewd adherents of Mork, the cunning but brutal aspect of the two-headed deity. Today we discuss the Ironjawz, armour-clad ruffians who venerate their god’s other aspect: Gork, brutal yet cunning.
Divided into large social units known as warclans, orruks operate on a hierarchy of strength. It follows then that the largest and most charismatic individual in each warclan becomes its Megaboss, a truculent brute swollen in size. To casual observers, a Waaagh! is nothing more than a destructive rampage, but it is actually a many-layered thing – at once a cry of war, a crusade of iron and muscle, and a spiritual energy that flows through all orruks, the raw power of their god manifesting in a greenish haze that stokes the fires of battle.
The Ironjawz embody the raw thuggishness of Gork. They beat iron into crude but effective armour – often with their own fists – and swing ramshackle weapons with such force that even their dulled edges can hew enemies in two.
Overview
Orruk physiology is based on exposure to battle: the more they fight, the more they grow. They take pride in being bigger, stronger, and fightier than everything else and roam the realms, beating everything smaller than them into submission and often everything bigger than themselves, too.
The Ironjawz grow to tower over other orruks, their bodies rippling with thick muscle. Their only concern in life is where the next fight is and how long it will take them to get there. Nothing perturbs them, and they will throw themselves headlong at the strongest adversaries they can find, pausing only to lick their wounds – and egos if defeated – before returning to the fray with renewed vigour.
With the help of Warchanters and Weirdnob Shamans, Megabosses channel the power of the Waaagh! to whip their boyz into a battle frenzy. Ardboyz make up the core contingent, wielding angular shields like weapons and operating almost like a regimented unit – at least until battle lines meet. They are backed up by Brutes – the biggest and best of the warclans – and the Ragerz and Wrekkaz, pariahs and Waaagh-infused zealots who forgo armour to order to swing larger weapons
Even the single-minded Ironjawz can appreciate the utility of certain fearsome beasts that roam the Mortal Realms. Megabosses love to ride the monstrous predators known as Maw-krushas, while more common are the Gore-gruntas and Maw-gruntas, porcine terrors who make for effective, if stinky, shock cavalry.
Battle Traits
Typified more than any army in the Mortal Realms by their untempered aggression, these Mighty Destroyers are always on the lookout for the next scrap.
Once per battle, a warboss can unleash all of the primal energy of the Ironjawz Waaagh!, turning the tide of muscle, iron, and boars into an avalanche of annihilation with improved charge rolls and extra melee attacks.
Battle Formations
There are four Battle Formations to pick from, including the Ironjawz Brawl, who use their momentum to become a Natural Disaster, smashing aside puny foes with an extra melee attack if they hit an unmodified charge roll of 8+.
They are joined by the Grunta Stampede, a cavalry force that picks up more speed as it tramples enemies, the Ironfist, who inspire each other to greater acts of carnage, and the Weirdfist, who call upon the roiling Waaagh! energy of their shamans for supernatural protection.
Arcana and Incantations
Though most Ironjawz think that solving problems with their heads means giving the biggest enemy they can find a solid ‘eadbutt, the Shamans and Warchanters have enough sense to tap into the energy of the Waaagh! to boost their fighting prowess.
Bash ’Em Ladz! is the best kind of orruk incantation, because it simply takes what the Ironjawz are already good at and makes it better, the shaman’s conjurations enhancing weapons with Crit (2 Hits) for the rest of the turn.
Unit Focus
Very few orruks can wrestle the many Ironjawz clans together under one banner, but it is Gordrakk, the Fist of Gork’s life’s purpose to unite all of orruk-kind into a Waaagh! that will make him the true inheritor of Gorkamorka’s will.
This irrepressible Megaboss earns Strength from Victory, becoming stronger with every enemy unit they vanquish, earning up to a maximum of three Waaagh! Tokens, and gaining an extra attack for each.
Gordrakk’s commanding bellows are akin to the Voice of Gork and any Waaagh! called by this belligerent boss will be more potent. Smasha and Kunnin’ are his twin weapons, which have been the ruin of many a hero, while Bigteef, his trusty Maw-krusha mount, swallows infantry whole and wrestles monsters into the ground.
Each Warchanter is a priest of Gorkamorka and a conduit for the energy of the Waaagh! They bash out the primal rhythms of war to whip their fellow orruks into a frenzy, but they are more than happy to get involved in a scrap.
When they pummel enemies with the Rhythm of Destruction, each fallen foe strengthens the call of the Waaagh! giving the Warchanter D3 ritual points to be used for their chanting rolls. Their beats abilities have become prayers, as you can see below:
Brutes are the armoured gauntlet of the Ironjawz forces, each a veteran killer who has triumphed over countless foes.
Their gnarly-looking weapons are ramshackle lumps of iron with crude edges that nevertheless carve through infantry with brutal efficiency in the hands of these hulking orruks. With a cry of You Messin’? the Brutes bully lesser enemies off objectives, securing a foothold for the Waaagh!
Particularly foolhardy orruks may attempt to wrangle a Maw-Grunta to their destructive ends, though it often takes a whole gang to bring them to heel.
A Maw-grunta with Hakkin’ Crew has Unstoppable Momentum in battle, gaining momentum points when it runs or charges, transferring that lethal kinetic energy into its gigantic tusks. With the help of the Ironjawz chained to its flanks, these uncontrollable monsters Carve a Path through swathes of enemies, dealing mortal damage as they go
The Word from the Studio
John: “Attacks, attacks, and more attacks! Ironjawz romp across the battlefield, get stuck in, and do it better than anyone else. If someone says otherwise, duff 'em up (on the battlefield, thank you). Ironjawz Warchanters are Priests now, with a Prayer Lore all their own. All the fan favourites are there, and now you don't need to pick one for the whole game – you can pick and choose as you go. Killa Beat is the best of the best, adding a potent +1 to the Damage characteristic of the target's weapons, but now if you save up your ritual points, you can pick two targets in the same turn. Add that to the new Brutes who sport an 'ard-as-nails 3+ save and Damage 2 base on their weapons. Bringing them up to Damage 3 is a real no-brainer, just as the ladz like it – just mind you’re hitting on 4+ like most Orruks.
“Bash 'Em Ladz is an unlimited spell that grants Crit 2 Hits to the target, which is fantastic given the high quality, high volume attacks Ironjawz units have (looking at Maw-krushas, Mega-bosses, Brutes, and 'Ardboyz, never mind the rest). Then Waaagh! gives everyone a further attack, which synergises with everything mentioned before. Finally, Natural Disaster follows on from the classic theme of even more attacks, which works as a nasty surprise with counter-charge, ably helped along by Kragnos if you are feeling spicy!”
All of the rules for the Ironjawz and the Kruleboyz will both come together in the Orruk Warclans Faction Pack. They are functionally two separate factions, but the pack contains a full set of battle traits, enhancements, battle formations, and warscrolls for each.
The current Orruk Warclans Spearhead provides miniatures for the furtive Kruleboyz, who have used their dirty tricks to get ahead of the competition. And while we’ve heard rumbling and clattering with a distinctly Gorkish timbre to it, there’s nothing on the horizon just yet. Keep an eye on Warhammer Community for further Warhammer Age of Sigmar and Spearhead updates.
Tomorrow we’re awakening the woods and covering the Sylvaneth.
