Orks uv da Blak Klaw
Some themed armies are forged out of a single, grand concept that has enough range and depth to be interesting and viable. Other themed armies are formed from bits and pieces, snatches taken from here and there, ideas that, on their own, aren’t much. Combine these snippets of ideas, however, and you can produce something quite remarkable.

I’ve swiped ideas for the Orks uv da Blak Klaw from many sources, mostly The Lord of the Rings, the original Planet of the Apes films, and some of the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Games Workshop does this sort of thing all the time, too. Hopefully, you’ll find this Themed Army Idea to have merit.

Background
In the 38th Millenium, the Chaos Sorcerer Namure the Black found himself exiled from his Legion and marooned on Kerchan III, a feudal-level Imperial world. Hiding within the dense jungle that covered most of the planet, Namure aspired to quickly create a race of warrior-slaves with which to overthrow the government and establish himself as ruler.

Namure had been impressed with the fearsome war-making abilities (and rapid reproduction rates) of Orks, and for many years, he labored to collect Orkoid genetic material, create laboratory facilities to cultivate it, and secure weapons caches for an army. He succeeded in creating thousands of primitive, albino Ork soldiers and led them, under the banner of a black-clawed hand, to an easy victory against the outnumbered and ill-equipped Planetary Defense Force. Namure accepted the surrender of Imperial Governor Thaadi and assumed the reins of power, settling in to enjoy a life of ease. Life on Kerchan III quickly went back to the way it had been before, save that all riches came to Namure instead of Thaadi. 

All Orks hate other lifeforms outside of their immediate tribe, and Namure had bred his Orks to be extremely aggressive. During the revolution, they had grumbled about the limits of violence that Namure had put upon them; once Namure was in power, they quickly grew discontent in their new role as laborers helping to rebuild Kerchan III. Rising up, the Orks uv da Blak Klaw slew their creator and all of the humans, claiming the planet as their own. 

After burning down all the jungles and killing off most of the larger wildlife species of their home planet, the Orks uv da Blak Klaw found their way into space and began attacking nearby worlds. More than two millennia later, these “pale Orks” are still a threat to any who cross their path. 

Philosophy
Simple slogans such as “Kill ‘em all, let Gork sort ‘em out” and “Da only good oomie is a ded oomie” reflect the intellectual depth of the Blak Klaw Orks. While these creatures only infrequently fight amongst themselves, they take every opportunity to attack humans and other Orks, who are seen as inferior.

HQ/Elites/Troops/Fast Attack/Heavy Support
The original Orks created by Namure were primitive, dim-witted brutes, best represented by using the Feral Ork list from White Dwarf #259. While many of them “evolved,” some (especially those that stayed behind on Kerchan III) did not. Those who “evolved” could use the list from Codex: Orks or the Kult of Speed list from Codex: Armageddon.

Orks uv da Blak Klaw have little use for Gretchin (“de’re too weedy”) and thus tend not to use Gretchin Mobz. They have been known, however, to march large numbers of human slaves ahead of them to act as  “ooman shields,” forcing the enemy to squander valuable ammunition gunning them down. These “slave mobz” are usually made up of non-combatants (especially women and children) and count as being equivalent to Gretchin Mobz from page 13 of Codex: Orks. 

The crucial difference, of course, is that the “slaves” are unarmed, and thus may make no ranged attacks. A Slaver may drive them to “assault” an enemy line or squad, but this is a panicked stampede instead of an actual attack. Conversely, slaves who are assaulted by the enemy fight back (as best they can) in self-defense, not out of any desire to help their masters. Any casualties that slaves happen to inflict upon the enemy during an assault are most likely accidental. 

The Orks uv da Blak Klaw suffer from an irrational hatred of humans and will not use human weapons or vehicles. Thus, Lootas and Looted Vehicles are not allowed (pages 15-16 of Codex: Orks).

Painting and Modeling
Namure created the Blak Klaw Orks used genetic material from several different Ork tribes, collected over different time periods. Mixing this genetic material had several side effects, including increased aggression and a bleaching of the epidermis. Each Ork’s skin should be painted Skull White, perhaps with a few highlights of Rotting Flesh. Armor, weapons, and vehicles tend to be dark colors. 

Slaves used as “ooman shields” should look like unarmed civilians. Unfortunately, there isn’t much demand in wargaming for “unarmed civilian” miniatures, so you may have to convert Warhammer Fantasy or Necromunda figures or go looking for non-GW minis. If you do purchase non-GW figures, you won’t be allowed to use them at GW events like Grand Tournaments or Games Day. 

General Tactics
Like other Orks, the Blak Klaws seek to come to grips with the enemy as soon as possible, relying on strength in numbers and their natural talent for hand-to-hand fighting. 
 

Related Pages
Other Ork Themed Army Ideas
 

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© Copyright Kenton Kilgore, March 2003. 
 

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