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How to build and paint an Ork army

If you are looking to get into the tabletop hobby and want to start collecting, building, and painting a green-skinned horde, here is a quick, step-by-step guide to getting your Orks ready for battle.

Step 1: Assembly and prep

  • Clean the Models: Clip your Ork Boyz or miniatures cleanly from their plastic sprues using hobby clippers. Use a mold line remover or craft knife to scrape away any leftover plastic lines.

  • Glue Together: Use plastic cement or superglue to assemble the body, arms, and head. Make sure to attach their iconic weapons—like a choppa (axe) or shoota (gun)—securely.

  • Base Coating: Glue the model onto its plastic base, then spray the entire miniature with a black or dark grey primer. This provides a durable foundation so your paints won't chip off later and creates natural shadows in the deep recesses.

Step 2: Painting the skin

  • Base Coat: Apply a rich, dark green base coat (such as Waaagh! Flesh) across all exposed skin areas, ensuring you cover the black primer without clogging up the sculpted muscle details.

  • Shade: Wash the skin with a darker green or brown shade to pool into the creases and give the muscles definition.

  • Highlight: Lightly brush a brighter green over the raised muscles, knuckles, and facial features to make the details pop.

Step 3: Details and basing

  • Clothing and Metal: Paint the pants and shirts in earthy browns, checkerboard patterns, or rough fabrics. Use a metallic silver paint for armor plates, teeth, and weapons, then dab a tiny bit of orange or brown rust effect onto the edges.

  • Texture the Base: Apply textured paint, sand, or small rocks to the plastic base. Paint it brown and drybrush it with a lighter tan color, then glue on some static grass or tufts to finish your miniature.

Pro Tip: Orks are famous for looking great even if they are a bit messy and ramshackle, don't stress about making every single model look identical!