Part of our Orks hub: every Orks guide, lore page and painting tutorial in one place.
This is the complete encyclopedia of Ork units in Warhammer 40,000. Orks are the most numerous species in the galaxy, a warlike, fungoid race that lives for nothing but fighting. From the smallest Grot to the mightiest Gargant, every Ork exists to wage WAAAGH! across the stars. This guide covers the Ork range unit by unit, grouped by what each unit does on the battlefield.
Ork 40k at a Glance: Quick Facts
An Ork is a member of the most numerous species in the Warhammer 40,000 galaxy: a warlike, fungoid race that lives for fighting. Orks gather into a WAAAGH!, a great crusade of greenskins that grows stronger the more Orks join in. On the tabletop, Ork armies range from tiny Grots to the towering Gargant, and they reward players who enjoy big mobs, crude vehicles and random, chaotic results.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Species | Fungoid greenskins, the most numerous species in the galaxy |
| Battle cry | WAAAGH! |
| Gods | Gork and Mork |
| Greatest warlord | Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka, leader of the Great WAAAGH! |
| Leaders | Warboss, Big Mek, Beastboss |
| Psyker | Weirdboy, who channels the WAAAGH! field |
| Core infantry | Boyz, Beast Snagga Boyz and Gretchin |
| Main battle tank | Battlewagon, the biggest Ork transport |
| Biggest war machines | Stompa and the Forge World Great Gargant |
Size equals authority in Ork society, which is why the biggest, meanest Ork always ends up as the Warboss.
A note on rules: unit sizes, transport capacities, points and abilities change with each codex, Munitorum Field Manual and balance update. This page describes what each unit is and the job it does. Check the current Ork codex and the Warhammer 40,000 app for exact values in 11th Edition.
Characters
Warboss
The Warboss is the biggest, meanest Ork in the warband, and size equals authority in Ork society. Armed with a Power Klaw or Big Choppa and a shoota of some kind, the Warboss is a devastating melee combatant who leads a mob of Boyz or Nobz into the thick of the fighting and makes them hit harder. Every big Ork army is built around the Warboss who calls the WAAAGH!
Warboss in Mega Armour
A Warboss in Mega Armour trades speed for sheer durability, clad in thick plates of salvaged metal and armed with a Power Klaw and a kustom shoota. Mega Armour gives a 2+ save, making this Warboss very hard to kill. It is the natural leader for a mob of Meganobz and the tankiest Warboss option.
Big Mek
The Big Mek is an Ork engineer and inventor, responsible for building the tribe’s most impressive (and dangerous) weapons and vehicles. In the lore Big Meks build Kustom Force Fields that project a protective energy field over the Orks around them. On the tabletop the Big Mek is a Leader with kustom shooting and a klaw or drilla (the current datasheet has no force field option), and there is also a Big Mek in Mega Armour for extra durability.
Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun
The Shokk Attack Gun fires Snotlings through the Warp directly into enemy targets, with spectacularly random results. On a good roll it can badly damage a heavy vehicle; on a bad one it achieves very little. It is one of the most entertaining weapons in the game and a favourite among Ork players who embrace the faction’s chaotic nature.
Weirdboy
The Weirdboy is the Ork psyker, a shaman who channels the collective psychic energy of nearby Orks (the WAAAGH! field). The more Orks around him, the more powerful and unstable he becomes. His best-known trick is Da Jump, which teleports the mob he is with across the battlefield, and it remains one of the signature Ork abilities.
Painboy
The Painboy (or Mad Dok) is the Ork equivalent of a field surgeon, a deranged medic who keeps Boyz fighting through crude surgery, questionable injections and sheer Orky determination. On the tabletop, the Painboy joins a mob and makes it much harder to kill, which suits big units of Boyz.
Mek
A Mek is a junior Ork mechanic who keeps vehicles running and kustom weapons operational. On the tabletop, the Mek can patch up damaged vehicles. It is a cheap support character that fits mechanised Ork lists alongside Battlewagons, Trukks and Dreadnoughts.
Beastboss
The Beastboss is a savage Ork leader who commands Beast Snagga forces, Orks who specialise in hunting the biggest, most dangerous creatures in the galaxy. Armed with a Beastchoppa and other crude hunting gear, the Beastboss hits hard in melee and leads Beast Snagga Boyz into battle. The Beast Snagga range was released in 2021.
Beastboss on Squigosaur
The Beastboss on Squigosaur is one of the strongest melee characters in the Ork range, riding a massive Squigosaur into battle. The combination of the boss’s weapons and the Squigosaur’s jaws lets it threaten almost any target in close combat, and it adds real speed to a Beast Snagga force.
Ghazghkull Thraka
Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka is the greatest Ork Warlord in the galaxy, a prophet of Gork and Mork who has united millions of Orks in the Great WAAAGH! On the tabletop he is one of the toughest named characters in the game, with a devastating melee profile and the ability to call a WAAAGH! that drives his whole army forward.
Makari
Makari is Ghazghkull’s personal Grot banner bearer, famous for being the luckiest Grot in the galaxy. Despite being tiny and fragile, Makari somehow survives battle after battle at his boss’s side. On the tabletop he is part of Ghazghkull’s rules: once per battle Makari hoists the banner to rile up several Ork units. He embodies the hilarious randomness of Ork gameplay.
Boss Snikrot
Boss Snikrot is the deadliest Kommando in Ork history, a silent killer who has terrorised entire planetary garrisons. He leads Kommando units, appears behind enemy lines and is a lethal close-combat character. Snikrot is the go-to named character for players who favour stealth and infiltration.
Zodgrod Wortsnagga
Zodgrod is an eccentric Runtherd (Grot herder) famous for his experimental “super-runtz” programme. He makes nearby Grots surprisingly effective and is a fun narrative character for players who want to build an unconventional Grot-heavy army.
Battleline Infantry
Boyz
Boyz are the core of every Ork army: mobs of screaming greenskins charging headlong into battle with Sluggas and Choppas. They rely on overwhelming numbers and the WAAAGH! to crush enemies in melee. A big mob of Boyz led by a Warboss or Painboy is a classic Ork tactic.
Gretchin
Gretchin (Grots) are tiny, cowardly greenskins bullied into service by their larger Ork masters. A Runtherd oversees each mob, keeping the Grots in line with a whip. On the tabletop, Gretchin are one of the cheapest screening units in the game, used to hold backfield objectives and absorb enemy charges meant for more valuable units.
Beast Snagga Boyz
Beast Snagga Boyz are savage, primal Orks who hunt enormous beasts across the galaxy. Compared to regular Boyz they are a little tougher and better at taking down monsters and vehicles. They are the core infantry of a Beast Snagga force.
Infantry Specialists
Nobz
Nobz are the Ork warrior elite: bigger, tougher and meaner than regular Boyz. They can be equipped with Power Klaws, Big Choppas and kombi-weapons. A mob of Nobz led by a Warboss is a devastating melee threat that can overwhelm almost any infantry unit in close combat.
Meganobz
Meganobz are Ork nobles in salvaged Mega Armour, crude but very effective power suits. Armed with Power Klaws and Kustom Shootas, they have a 2+ save and hit like wrecking balls. Meganobz delivered by a Trukk or Battlewagon are one of the most feared combinations in Ork play.
Kommandos
Kommandos are Ork stealth specialists, as sneaky as an Ork can be, which is surprisingly effective. They infiltrate the battlefield, set up booby traps and ambush enemy units from cover. They are excellent for early objective control and give Ork armies board presence from the first turn.
Tankbustas
Tankbustas are Ork anti-tank specialists armed with Rokkit Launchas and an obsessive hatred of enemy vehicles. They are at their best when shooting at vehicles, giving Ork armies a dependable answer to tanks and Dreadnoughts.
Burna Boyz
Burna Boyz are pyromaniac Orks armed with Burnas, dual-purpose flamers and cutting torches. Their flamers never miss, so Burna Boyz excel at clearing light infantry and are terrifying when delivered by transport into the heart of enemy formations. Their datasheet moved to Warhammer Legends with the 2026 Orks codex.
Lootas
Lootas are Ork scavengers who carry Deffguns, oversized heavy weapons assembled from looted enemy equipment. Each Deffgun fires a random number of shots, so their output is unpredictable but potentially devastating against vehicles and heavy infantry. Their datasheet moved to Warhammer Legends with the 2026 Orks codex.
Stormboyz
Stormboyz are Ork shock troops who strap crude rokkit packs to their backs and launch themselves at the enemy. Their jump packs let them cross the table quickly, so they are the Ork answer to fast assault infantry and are good at flanking and grabbing objectives.
Bannernob (Nob with WAAAGH! Banner)
The Bannernob carries a towering WAAAGH! banner into battle that drives the Orks around him forward. In the 2026 Orks codex he is a cheap Support character who makes the mob he joins better at charging.
Flash Gitz
Flash Gitz are wealthy Ork mercenaries with ostentatious kustom Snazzguns, the flashiest, loudest, most obnoxious guns in the galaxy. They provide some of the best ranged firepower in the Ork army. Flash Gitz are expensive but reward players who want genuine shooting in their WAAAGH!
Painboss
The Painboss is a senior Painboy who stomps into battle on foot with a grot orderly at his side. He leads Beast Snagga Boyz and keeps them fighting through brutal field surgery, which makes him a natural pick in Beast Snagga-heavy armies.
Bikes, Buggies and Cavalry
Warbikers
Warbikers are Orks mounted on crude but fast motorbikes, armed with Dakkaguns. They combine speed with respectable firepower and Orky toughness, and are effective for flanking, grabbing distant objectives and harassing enemy backlines.
Deffkoptas
Deffkoptas are Ork attack helicopters, crude flying machines armed with Kopta Rokkits or Big Bombs. They are fast and flexible, able to hunt light vehicles, harass infantry or contest objectives.
Squighog Boyz
Squighog Boyz are Beast Snagga cavalry mounted on ferocious Smasha Squigs. They are fast, hard-hitting and surprisingly durable, armed with stikkas, with their saddlegits chipping in and the Squighogs’ jaws doing the rest. They give Beast Snagga forces devastating charge potential.
Nob on Smasha Squig
The Nob on Smasha Squig is a boss-level version of the Squighog cavalry, armed with a big choppa. In the 2026 Orks codex it isn’t a separate character: one or two Nobs on Smasha Squigs lead each unit of Squighog Boyz.
Rukkatrukk Squigbuggies
The Rukkatrukk Squigbuggy is a ramshackle vehicle that launches living squig ammunition at the enemy. Its squig launchers can fire indirectly, giving Ork armies a rare way to hit targets they cannot see.
Megatrakk Scrapjets
The Megatrakk Scrapjet is a jet-powered Ork vehicle built from salvaged aircraft parts, armed with wing missiles, a rokkit kannon and a nose-mounted drill. It is fast, reasonably tough and good at both shooting and ramming. It was dropped from the 2026 Orks codex, so check the Warhammer 40,000 app for how it can still be fielded.
Boomdakka Snazzwagons
The Boomdakka Snazzwagon is a flashy speed wagon covered in guns that fires an obscene volume of dakka at close range. It shreds infantry through sheer weight of fire and is best used aggressively, closing range quickly. In the 2026 Orks codex it and the Kustom Boosta-Blasta are fielded using a single Warbuggies datasheet.
Kustom Boosta-Blastas
The Kustom Boosta-Blasta is a hot-rod-styled Ork vehicle armed with a Rivet Kannon and burna exhausts that trail fire behind it. The mix of forward-facing shooting and fiery close-range attacks makes it a capable multi-role assault vehicle, and it is one of the most visually distinctive Ork kits.
Shokkjump Dragstas
The Shokkjump Dragsta can teleport across the battlefield using Shokk technology, a uniquely Orky form of short-range Warp travel. Armed with a Kustom Shokk Rifle, it can appear behind enemy lines and deliver high-damage shots. It is the most technologically advanced of the Ork buggies. Like the Scrapjet, it was dropped from the 2026 Orks codex.
Vehicles and Walkers
Battlewagon
The Battlewagon is the Orks’ main battle tank and heavy transport, a massive armoured vehicle with room for a big mob of Ork infantry, one of the largest capacities of any Ork transport. It bristles with big shootas and can add a grabbin’ klaw or wreckin’ ball; the gun-heavy Gunwagon, a separate datasheet, carries fewer Orks but takes the Killkannon, Zzap Gun or Lobba. A Battlewagon full of Meganobz or a big mob of Boyz is one of the most devastating delivery systems in Ork warfare. Check the current datasheet for its exact transport capacity.
Deff Dread
The Deff Dread is an Ork Dreadnought, a lumbering walker piloted by a half-mad Ork hardwired into the machine. Armed with a mix of klaws and guns, Deff Dreads are versatile close-combat walkers that tear through infantry and light vehicles. Each Deff Dread is fielded as a single-model unit; older editions let you take them in mobs.
Killa Kans
Killa Kans are small walkers piloted by Gretchin, the only way a Grot can ever be as dangerous as a proper Ork. They are taken in units of several Kans and provide cheap, cheerful walker firepower and melee punch. Their Grot pilots make them less reliable than Deff Dreads, but they make up for it with numbers.
Mek Gunz
Mek Gunz are artillery pieces crewed by Gretchin and designed by Big Meks. Options include the Smasha Gun, Bubblechukka, Traktor Kannon and Kustom Mega-Kannon. Mek Gunz provide backfield firepower that Ork armies otherwise lack.
Morkanaut
The Morkanaut is a massive Ork super-walker built by Meks to honour the kunnin’ god Mork. Armed with a kustom mega-blasta, a kustom mega-zappa, the Klaw of Mork and various secondary weapons, it combines heavy firepower with a big transport hatch. It is the more “kunnin'” of the two Ork super-walkers.
Gorkanaut
The Gorkanaut is the Morkanaut’s more aggressive sibling, a towering Ork walker armed with a Deffstorm Mega-Shoota and the massive Klaw of Gork. It trades the Morkanaut’s kustom energy weapons for more raw dakka and melee damage. The Gorkanaut embodies the direct, brutal approach that Orks favour.
Kill Rig
The Kill Rig is a massive Beast Snagga contraption, a mobile fortress built on the back of a Tramplasquig and crewed by a Wurrboy psyker and Beast Snagga hunters. It combines the Wurrboy’s psychic attacks with the Tramplasquig’s crushing bulk and is one of the centrepiece units of a Beast Snagga army.
Hunta Rig
The Hunta Rig is built from the same kit as the Kill Rig. Instead of a Wurrboy, it is crewed by harpoon-armed Beast Snagga Boyz and carries extra close-combat weaponry, and it can also carry Beast Snagga infantry into battle. The Tramplasquig’s attacks combined with the crew’s harpoons make it a monstrous melee threat that excels at smashing into enemy lines.
Transports
Trukk
The Trukk is the Orks’ basic transport, a ramshackle open-topped vehicle that carries a mob of infantry at breakneck speed. It is cheap, fast and fragile, designed to deliver Boyz, Nobz or Meganobz into combat as quickly as possible. Trukks rarely survive long after delivering their cargo, but they only need to get there once.
Aircraft
Dakkajet
The Dakkajet is an Ork fighter aircraft bristling with Supa Shootas. It excels at strafing infantry with an enormous volume of shots, embodying the Ork philosophy that more dakka is always better. It is the most straightforward Ork flyer: point it at infantry and roll buckets of dice.
Burna-Bommer
The Burna-Bommer is an Ork bomber that drops Burna Bombs and fires Skorcha Missiles at ground targets. Its payload is deadly against clustered infantry, though it is fragile once enemy anti-air locks on.
Blitza-Bommer
The Blitza-Bommer is a dive-bomber that drops Boom Bombs on enemy vehicles and heavy targets, giving Ork air forces an anti-tank option. It rewards aggressive flying and careful positioning to line up its bombing runs.
Wazbom Blastajet
The Wazbom Blastajet is an Ork heavy attack aircraft armed with Mek-built big guns such as Smasha Guns, and it can carry a Kustom Force Field. It combines heavy anti-vehicle firepower with a defensive field, making it the most versatile Ork flyer.
Super-Heavies, Forge World and Legends
Stompa
The Stompa is the Orks’ super-heavy walker, a titanic war machine bristling with every weapon the Meks could bolt on. Armed with a Deff Kannon, Supa-Gatler and a host of secondary weapons, plus a huge Mega-Choppa for melee, the Stompa is a walking fortress. It is expensive in both points and pounds but embodies the peak of Orky engineering excess.
Gargant (Forge World)
The Great Gargant is the Orks’ titan-class war engine, a colossal effigy of Gork (or Mork) built by the greatest Big Meks for the biggest WAAAGH!s. It is the ultimate expression of Ork military power. Gargants are Forge World models, and their rules are best suited to the largest, Apocalypse-scale games.
Squiggoth
The Squiggoth is a massive beast ridden into battle by Ork crews, serving as a living battering ram and transport. With guns mounted on its back and its own crushing bulk, it is a living siege engine. The Forge World Gargantuan Squiggoth is one of the biggest single creature models in the Warhammer 40k range. Check whether your event allows Forge World and Legends units before building one into a list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Ork anti-tank units?
The main Ork anti-tank options are Tankbustas with Rokkit Launchas, the Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun, and Mek Gunz such as the Smasha Gun and Kustom Mega-Kannon. Deffkoptas with Kopta Rokkits and the Gorkanaut’s Klaw of Gork can also crack armour. Power Klaws on Nobz, Meganobz and Warbosses give you anti-tank punch in melee.
What Ork walkers and mechs are there?
Ork walkers range from small to enormous. Gretchin-piloted Killa Kans and Ork-piloted Deff Dreads are the smallest, then come the Morkanaut and Gorkanaut super-walkers. At the top are the Stompa and the Forge World Gargants, towering effigies of Gork and Mork. All of them share the same ramshackle look: scrap plating, oversized klaws and as many guns as the Meks can bolt on.
What is the biggest Ork unit in Warhammer 40k?
The Forge World Great Gargant is the largest Ork war machine, and the Stompa is the biggest Ork kit in the main plastic range. Both are god-engines built in the image of Gork and Mork, bristling with supa-guns and huge close-combat weapons. Among non-vehicles, the Squiggoth and the Tramplasquig that carries the Kill Rig and Hunta Rig are the largest beasts.
What weapons do Orks use?
Orks use crude but brutal weapons: Sluggas, Shootas and Big Shootas for dakka, Choppas and Big Choppas for close combat, and Power Klaws for smashing tanks. Specialists carry Rokkit Launchas, Burnas, Deffguns and Snazzguns, and Meks build kustom weapons such as the Shokk Attack Gun. Ork belief makes their weapons work better than their construction suggests.
How many Orks are there in Warhammer 40k?
Nobody knows, but Orks are the most numerous species in the galaxy. They reproduce by releasing spores, especially when they die, so every battlefield seeds new Orks and infestations are almost impossible to wipe out completely. Ork empires and Waaaghs are spread across every Segmentum, and a single Great Waaagh can number in the billions.