GorkaMorka: What Rebel Grot to convert next?!

More Rebel Grots to join Da Revolushun!

We just converted a Rebel Grot to follow the Red Gobbo we converted earlier this year. The process was fun and rewarding, improving a model we have loved for years. This led us to pull out all the other Rebel Grot models I could find, including a few grots and some of their vehicles at various stages of assembly. We wanted to share some photos and ask for input on which of the grots we should convert next!

GorkaMorka: Rebel Grot Conversion

The diminutive greenskins are spelling trouble...

Starting with the Red Gobbo, I began converting Rebel Grot models to build a mob for future games. When creating a mold for the Red Gobbo, I also made one for a classic Rebel Grot model holding two revolvers. Having made some copies of the model, I decided it was time to convert one of them, modifying their pistols to be of a more reasonable size!

Looking Back: Warhammer 40,000 2nd Edition Gretchin

I've got a war inside my head.

Over the last few months, we have been thinking a lot about greenskins in various forms, from painting a longsnout, to playing Space Gits, to converting the Red Gobbo, to being hopeful for the upcoming edition of Warhammer 40,000, to finally be disappointed when the orks were revealed. With the devastating loss of John Blanche, we have been reflecting on how we got involved with the hobby, particularly with the 2nd edition of Warhammer 40,000. The legendary cover artwork for this edition features a group of Blood Angel Space Marines being assaulted from all sides by Space Orks. This piece of art pulled us into a hobby shop and led to us getting a copy of the 2nd edition of Warhammer 40,000, where we went on to paint every model in the box, including the 40 mono-pose gretchin. These charming gretchin and the more vicious-looking ork boyz were our introduction to Space Orks, and continue to hold a special place in our hearts. John’s passing prompted us to pull out some of the original models we assembled and painted. We were particularly happy to see the small legion of gretchin, and wanted to showcase them here, as a reminder of how we started this hobby, and hopefully also as a push to keep working on greenskin models in 2026!

Dragged into Turbolasers Episode 131: A major disappointment - Warhammer 40,000 Armageddon Space Orks

What happened to the necks of orks over the years?

We talk with our friend Brad about all of the newly revealed Warhammer 40k Armageddon Space Ork models. We discuss how disappointed we are with the new models and how the initial reveals got our hopes up, only to be dashed by the complete reveal of the Armageddon box.

GorkaMorka: Red Gobbo Conversion

For Da Revolushun!

Over the last few weeks, we have been excited about greenskins in various forms, from painting a longsnout, to discussing the upcoming editions of Warhammer 40,000 featuring new Ork models, to playing Space Gits. Sadly, our blog has not focused on the more diminutive grots and gretchin, despite our love for them, particularly the late 90s-era GorkaMorka grots. We realized we had an opportunity to change this when we found a resin cast of the Red Gobbo (a Rebel Grot special character from the GorkaMorka Digganob expansion) that we made when we started to create one-piece silicon molds. Resin is a lot easier to work with than metal, so we decided it would be fun to convert the Red Gobbo and showcase them here on the blog!

Dragged into Turbolasers 130: Impressions of the new Warhammer 40k Space Orks

We talk with our friend Brad about the newly revealed Warhammer 40k 11th edition ork models. We discuss how ork design has changed during the last few decades and our hopes for the future.

Dragged into Turbolasers Episode 85: The evolution of orcs/orks/orruks: from Paul Bonner to Brian Nelson to the Kruleboyz

There are new Orruks in Age of Sigmar!

In this episode, we are joined by our long time friend and ork supporter, Brad Smith. With the recent reveal of the new Age of Sigmar edition (3rd), and the visual redesign of the included orruks, the Kruleboyz, we decided to talk about how Games Workshop’s orcs have changed over the years. We talk about the goofy looking Paul Bonner-style of orcs/orks that filled early editions of Warhammer and 40k, before talking about how Brian Nelson completely redesigned their look for GorkaMorka and 3rd edition 40k. Although Nelson’s designs have defined the orc look for over 20 years, their look has changed slightly, as designers struggle to capture the simple ferocity of his designs. Finally, we talk about how orcs changed for Age of Sigmar, becoming Orruks, and how divergent the Kruleboyz are from the previous Ironjawz models.

Dragged into Turbolasers Episode 44: Nova Open Previews

More Sisters of Battle 3d renders!

Right on the heels of Warhammer Fest 2018, Games Workshop visited Nova Open 2018 and revealed a host of new models and other announcements. First, we talk about more details on the Speed Freeks game and a new Ork warboss model. We also discuss new 3d renders of the upcoming Sisters of Battle release. Additional details were also given for the second Warhammer Underworlds game, Nightvault, and we discuss some of the new models. Finally, we speculate on what the newest Warhammer Quest game will be like, called Blackstone Fortress.

Oldhammer: Rise of Rogue Trader

Confrontation on the red wastes!

Games Workshop has come a long way in the past 10 years in terms of miniature production, taking advantage of new technology to create more dynamic models that are easier to assemble and trim. You would have a hard time arguing that the older metal Keeper of Secrets holds up to the newer plastic one. Despite this, I often find myself looking back at many of the older models, from 2nd edition 40k and Rogue Trader, with special fondness. This is partially due to nostalgia from back when I started with the hobby, but also due to the wonky charm present in many of the earlier sculpts, sculpts that were not aided by computer design or even the internet for reference material. Recently, I have tried to incorperate some older models into some of my conversions, as a way to celebrate the venerable models, particularly with my my Pilgrym warband. You can imagine my excitement when I found a local shop that was selling a whole assortment of old Rogue Trader blisterpacks! It seemed to be an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up, and I purchased a whole bunch of them, ranging from Imperial Agents to Orks. I have long admired the work of exemplars in the “oldhammer” community like Don Hans (Realm of Citadel), Alex (Leadbaloony), Axiom (Magpie and Old Lead), and Warburton (Warhammer 40,000 2nd Edition), just to name a few. And having found all these Rogue Trader models I decided it would be fun to build two small warbands of the models, with the goal of playing some games of Rogue Trader in the future!

Orruk Megaboss: Unboxing and assembly impressions

This beakie looks outclassed...

In my mind, the orcs/orks/orruks really came into perfect form when Brian Nelson started to sculpt them, starting with a few Warhammer Fantasy models, then moving to Gorkamorka (Mad Max-style gang warfare game), before finally sculpting the majority of the 3rd edition Warhammer 40,000 range.  He was able to take the somewhat comical humanoid designs of Rogue Trader and 2nd edition Warhammer 40k and completely revitalize them.  He turned the orcs/orks into more simian-like creatures with long arms corded with muscle and hunched postures.  Beyond the orcs’ frame, Nelson gave them a very distinctive facial structure, with a flattened nose, small beady eyes and a pronounced lower jaw.  A lot of these features were already part of the orc aesthetic, but Nelson was able to combine those elements into something very distinctive and unique for Games Workshop. Brian Nelson made me love the orcs.  A number of other sculptors have handled orcs for Games Workshop since Nelson’s reimaging, but none ever fully captured their essence like he did.  The last few Warhammer 40,000 orc releases seem more like imitations of Nelson’s greatness, never quite reaching the same heights (despite being very good).  I had long hoped for the day that Nelson would return to sculpting orcs, and when I saw images of the new Orruk models for Age of Sigmar, my heart lept.  After seeing the expressive faces on the models, and the careful attention to scale, I knew that Brian Nelson must have had a serious role in their creation.  As it turns out, Nelson’s first sculpt for the Orruk range was the imposing Orruk Megaboss. Such was my excitement about the model that I was at my local hobby shop to get it the day it was released.

Ork: Burna Boy Conversion

Slammin’ 

The past few weeks have been interesting ones for Games Workshop as they have been focusing on releasing a new range of ork models. Considering it has been years since any new ork models were released, one would think it would be cause for wholesale rejoicing.  However, Games Workshop are going about the release schedule differently than any in the past, and rather than releasing the Codex and a multitude of kits within a week or two, they are releasing individual kits at a snail’s pace. In a span of three weeks they have released the Gorkanaut/Morkanaut, followed by the Flash Gitz, and now the Mek Gunz and a Shock Attack Mek. But still the Codex book, which would give us the rules for these models in the context of the ork army as a whole, is nowhere to be seen. During this awkward interim, I have been doing some thinking about the orks myself and I thought that it would be a fantastic time to revisit them myself and convert a model or two (who doesn't like ork conversions?).

Da Grey Knightz - First Purifier finished

Ere we go!

After a hiatus of nearly two years, I have finally completed the first Grey Knight ork Purifier! Having largely completed the torso of the ork previously, the final element to tackle was the ork’s arms. My uncertainty of what to do with the ork’s arms was largely what kept me from finishing the conversion. If anyone has assembled Black Orcs in the past, you will know that they are heavily restricted in their arm positioning. They are limited to two basic poses, one taking a two-handed grip on a great weapon and the other brandishing two single-handed weapons. In both cases at least one of the ork’s arms is held aloft in the air. Furthermore, half of each arm is molded onto the body of the ork, making repositioning all but impossible without significant greenstuff work. What could the ork hold up in the air without look awkward and forced? That was the problem...

Da Grey Knightz - Making Grey Knights with orks

Daemons beware! When I get my arms, things will turn ugly for you!

Amidst my hobby efforts this week, I came across a conversion I had started close to two years ago. A friend of mine started a conversion project to build a Grey Knight army using ork models as substitutes. The effort was partly to pay homage to mighty Tuska the ‘Daemon-Killa’, an ork warlord who ventured into the Warp to hunt daemons (detailed in the 4th edition ork codex). To aid in the project I decided to try and convert a Grey Knight with a psycannon. Unfortunately I never quite finished the project. Now having a few more conversions under my belt, it seems like there is no better time to revisit the model and finish the conversion (and maybe make a few more!). First I thought people might be interested in seeing some pictures of the ork.