1 Background

Orcs in general are considered to be a primitive and superstitious bunch. There are however those that stand out in those capacities. Savage Orcs, Feral Orcs, Bonesplitterz… call them however you want but they make up for their lack of civilized techniques in raw brutality and determination. The stereotypical Feral Orc first appeared to me when I started to play Warhammer Fantasy with the advent of 7th edition. I liked the idea, but models were metal and thus expensive. When an opponent set up a unit of 30 of them for the first time I was awestruck. Feral Orc seem to be a Warhammer trope in general.

Tolkiens Orcs and Goblins are not too averse to using machines and metal and a lot of other game systems do have Orcs, but don’t make them out to be that primitive. In games like Kings of War you can of course use your less tech-adept Greenskins as units, depending on which weapons they carry – labeling them as Greatax, Morax and Longax. Their high armor rating can be done away by imagining it as supernatural toughness and that works as well, aided by the reason, that Warhammer Fantasy Orcs had an additional save against attacks and that sticks in peoples heads.

The 9th Age takes clear inspiration from Warhammer and also uses this additional save – probably out of the same reason: fanatical faith in their Greenskin gods, that manifests in an unnatural ward. They do discuss though to exchange Feral Orcs for Young Orcs. I don’t think it works that well, why would those be more feral (ok that makes kind of sense), not use metal and have an additional supernatural defense mechanism? But then again that’s me in my rigid Warhammer Fantasy lore mind. To be fair it has to be applauded that The 9th Age starts to become its own thing. Age of Sigmar also continued the trend of primitive Orcs by introducing the Bonesplitterz. This came in the wake of them splitting bigger armies into thematic parts. This left them with not as big as a roster, but still with the same idea of a tattooed bunch of lunatics with immense faith in their gods and an aversion to using metal weapons. In this setting they do it to be closer to their gods and do it “the proper way”. Metal is just not Orcish.  Why do I call them Feral Orcs though?

2 Controversies

Well… calling them Savage Orcs might be a bit culturally insensitive. I remember even one time seeing a Youtube video of someone explaining that the old GW Savage Orc Shaman is their least favorite model because of that (I can’t find it, but if anyone knows what I’m speaking of, please notify me, I want to link it). I’m not telling you how to call your troops, especially if it’s the official name of those dudes. In German they are called “Wildorks” – Wild Orcs (wow, such translation…), which doesn’t exactly carry the same context. As soon as I hear savages I think of Pocahontas and their racist Spanish settlers. 9th Age changed the name to Feral Orcs, probably more to differentiate themselves from GW. Remy77077 (whose excellent inspiration for this article can be found here) is more involved in the 9th Age project and told me it’s actually both: they changed the name due to its insensitivity and to differentiate them from GWs similar unit. Savage doesn’t have to have that meaning (at least from what I understand as a non-native speaker), in Warhammer Underworlds there’s a card “savage mauling” which refers to one of the Wolfs ridden by Goblins (oh! There’s a whole article or two on that here!) biting and biting again – no one would bat an eye at that. I’ll probably also leave the name of the “style” of Savage Orc in the search categories as is (more on search categories here on the blog here), just because people will most likely search for that with old Warhammer still being in most peoples heads.

It’s the context of the miniatures and the background combined that rubs me the wrong way. Orcs are somewhat ape-like in appearance and the notable underbite and the prominent lips and pot bellies of the early miniatures don’t have to be informed by racial stereotypes. Neither does that they live in the South Lands, which is the equivalent of Africa in the Old World. The superstition colonists attributed to Africans is another contributing factor and the array of fetishes and tattoos reminds of some indigenous people. While tribal culture is a thing for most Orcs, the shamanism-centered culture with Witch-Doctors and prophets as figureheads of their society seems also to lean on stereotypes. It’s not one of those factors that would throw me off, it’s the combination of so many. If you do one or two I won’t bat an eye – but maybe don’t paint your Orcs with brown skin. Yes I’ve seen that. I’ve got to say though that these caveats apply mainly to the earlier Warhammer Fantasy models and Fluff and is neither present nor endorsed by other war games. Also GWs newer models don’t have these flaws as much and they changed the background (at least a bit), which of course also stems from the absence of a simple almost 1:1 copied from real life Old-World-map, but maybe they thought about it. The faction is now named Bonesplitterz, but the units still have the “Savage” in most of their names though. The old models at least are a product of their time and the Fluff and everything about the game was also more light-hearted. I don’t think this depiction is mean-spirited in any way, just a bit misinformed and doesn’t work anymore.

3 Models I own

Ok ok… I’ll stop. That rant turned out far too long and you’re probably yawning right now, thinking “I’m here for pretty pictures, not a wall of text berating me!”. And that’s correct. I’ll show you models I have in my collection and what I think of them. So despite of what I said, what do I want for my Feral Orcs and what leads me to categorize as one? The perfect primitive Orc for me has to wear no or almost no armor. They don’t necessarily have to wear loin cloths – just no heavy stuff. Metal weapons are ok. Most important though: They’ve got to be a mean-green-killing-machine. What really differentiates them from normal Orcs is that they’re lightly armored and ferocious – fighting without regard for their own life. Superstition also is an interesting factor explaining their unnatural resilience, but you can always add tattoos later if the model doesn’t have lucky trinkets. I’ll rate the models on those criteria and give them points on a scale from 1-5 for ferocity – how mean, aggressive and well… ferocious do they look from a design standpoint overall and from their poses. Other points are given for convenience: do you have a lot of options to field them and are they a hassle to get to the table. This is thus split into comfort – how easy they are to build and clean up – and options – how many options do you have while building them and/or how many different models and weapon options are available. The titles will be links to the companies to get the miniatures if you’re interested, if I wrote something on the range or miniatures before I’ll tell you and link to that too.

3.1 Building up the army – the big ranges:

Citadel / Games Workshop: Oldhammer Savage Orcs:

There are older ones and I talked extensively about what I don’t like about those models. Still, I’ve got quite a few of them. They were all one-piece metal models, so not very difficult to build or to clean up.  The most interesting thing about them is their wide choice of weapon options. They have hand weapons and shields, spears and shields and bows. With the follow-up models only having the option for two hand weapons although there was still the option for the other choices. There were also mounted Orcs with spears and shields and hand weapons and shields as well as Shamans on boar and on foot as well as infantry Bosses. So much choice, such a wide range. Despite their unlucky design choices I’m quite fond of those (you probably didn’t think that). They have a certain old-school charm to them and I quite like the faces of that era.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Ferocity level: **
Comfort: ****
Options: ****

I don’t think those Orcs look particularly aggressive. Most of them don’t even have a mean look on their faces. What saves them from a score of one though is the character models. Shamans and Bosses look at least a bit as if they want to fight, so I’ll give them a pass. If I were to rank nakedness level though, they aren’t as bad. Luckily for you I’m not. The list would have been made up of Giants and Trolls. There’s a surprising amount of those showing off stuff I’d rather not see. Might be a list for 1st of April. Regarding comfort they are older models and I’ve made the experience that newer casts are easier to clean most of the time. It’s still good quality and the plethora of options might make these worthwile if you like old school models and don’t mind the design flaws. And since he went to the lengths to take a picture of his Oldhammer Orcs, here’s Remy’s collection of them, with some of the models being even older than the ones previously shown.

• 

• 

• 

Black Tree Designs Barbarian Orcs:
Initial article

I chose these next instead of any GW models because of a reason – they compare and mix fairly well with the older Citadel models. They have flatter stomachs though and mostly traded the bones adorning their competitors for feathers. This gives more of an option to paint them in boisterous colors and still gives them the air of superstition at the cost of ferocity – they might not take your bones as trophies but they sure know how to dress. However they do look a bit skinny. These are also cast in one piece and out of metal, so no complaints on that, easy as always with this kind of method. Options are broad as well here – spears, hand weapons and bows are available. For heroes there’s only a shaman but the regiment champion with his two-handed axe might double as a boss. There’s also a few riders with hand weapons spears available and a mounted boss, so all in all not a bad regarding options.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Ferocity level: *
Comfort: ****
Options: ****

Well, if it comes to ferocity these poor fellows did land at the lower end. Their shaman points a finger. That’s as wild as it gets. For troops meant to be unruly and feral they sure look well disciplined. The 3-4 options for each weapon choice don’t help in that regard. I’d say they are equally easy to clean up as GWs counterparts. There were some mold lines on mine and I never cleaned an old GW Savage Orc so I’ll just have to consider they’re similar. As metal models it’s as easy as it gets. This comes of course with a lack of options. There are not a lot of different poses and while I can’t give less than 4 stars for the sheer amount of options here, the lack of variety is a shame for otherwise solid models. These are at the lower and of 4 stars compared to towards the upper end with GWs. Opposite to the Oldhammer Orcs those are still available, so they might be the most appropriate models to expand oldschool hordes.

GW Middlehammer Savage Orcs:

An amalgamation of the previously named models in a sense – they use feathers to show their sense of fashion while using bones as weapons. This is in contrast to the flint weapons most of their friends tend to use. There’s a boss and a shaman as well as mounted Orcs. They started to look more muscular and have a more aggressive facial expression to some of them, which is definitely a plus. Also they grew in size quite considerately. The basic troopers only have 3 different models though and the only weapon choice they get is two hand weapons. The riders only have spears with equally as many models available. It’s a bit of a shame for the otherwise solid models. While the casting is better than with previous models from what I can tell, the boar riders have their arms separate and the champion comes in 4 parts. I don’t particularly like to glue metal models, especially if they have 2-handed weapons.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Ferocity level: ***
Comfort: ****
Options: **

The ferocity goes up, just because of expressions and because you can build the boar riders so their weapons actually point forward, an option previous models lacked. While the casts are pretty clean you have to build them, which is only a very small caveat. For options though these guys are pretty limited. Fielding a whole army of Feral Orcs that looks consistent with these is just not possible and the lack of varieties is hard to overlook.

GW: Modern Savage Orcs /Bonesplitterz

The now newly dubbed Bonesplitterz got their plastic kits at the start of the 8th edition of Warhammer Fantasy. Oh, having affordable Savage Orcs finally was lovely. Since Age of Sigmar they come in boxes of 20 instead of half that size, which hold true for their mounted counterparts as well, now being at 10 models per box. This actually saves some money compared to the boxes before, probably making up for the fact they’re now a mass army. Still: The price per model is among the lower tiers in this list and the box for the infantry not only gives you the option to build them with spears, hand weapons, multiple hand weapons and bows but also a “Big Stabba”, two Orc charging forward with their humongous spear. The design turned around again and now they’re clad in all kind of bones, even as clothes and shields. It’s a bit much, but still acceptable, most people will like it – but painting all the little straps holding them together is a pain. All of them look ferocious. Some are standing and bellowing into the air, others charge forward and are literally on their toes. The set just breathes aggressiveness. Same goes for the boar riders, which now also got the option to take two hand weapons as well as hand weapon or spear and shield. The boars charge with heads down. Even the supplements of a Shaman on boar, as well as an infantry boss and a shaman on foot exude this savage nature. Even though one shaman is just dancing. He still looks pretty wild. Both shamans are cast in resin and are ok to work with. The rest of the range is plastic. Some mold lines, a lot of parts. Could be worse but the amount of options requires a lot of care to be taken.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Ferocity level: *****
Comfort: ***
Options: *****

Of course these have the best grade in ferocity and options – I explained ferocity above and options… they got everything. The only thing I could ask for would be archers on boars, but with these boxes being plastic you could craft that yourself easily. The kit goes a long way to let you diversify your troops and crafting these into their on army for Age of Sigmar was probably not that wrong of a decision (albeit taking back a bit with the release of the Orruk Warclans, an army, which marries these lunatics to the more disciplined Ironjawz) with them being able to be fielded as a full-fledged army. The comfort takes a few hits due to the models consisting of quite a few parts each as well as some mold lines that are quite debilitating if not taken care of. I’ve got a box of 80 models I stopped doing that halfway through since it was more work than I anticipated. And the plethora of straps makes them a bit annoying to paint. Still, these models are not that expensive considering the competition and have all options available combined with a design that mitigates many of their predecessors wrong-doings.

Shieldwolf: Mountain Orcs:
Initial Article | My review | Remy’s review

Shieldwolfs Mountain Orcs are the next bit plastic kit available. They too are muscular and lean but very tall and their poses similarly to GWs Orcs are pretty dynamic. Some howling ones with legs standing broad, some charging forwards. I like that their fluff makes them out to be just another tribe of Orcs but never passes them off as stupid or primitive – just another way of living. Other than their plastic kit they’ve got quite a lot of things that other companies don’t supply: A battle standard bearer, a shaman, two heroes with different weapons – even a chariot and a ridden monster called a Bruthgoth. I reviewed the smaller variant of their forest Goblins here and even that thing is huge. They lack cavalry though. The chariots show that they’re not totally averse to technology – it’s just not their main fighting style. The heroes are made in resin as most smaller supply models are and don’t require a lot of work. Plastic sprues are made by Renedra and from my own experience I’ve gotta say that they are just a tiny bit cleaner than GWs sprues. They are even cheaper than GWs 40€ per 20 at just short of 30€ per 20. So where’s the catch? There are several small things that sometimes even work in their favor: Their faces consist o two parts you can freely combine. That makes the inner part more accessible for painting (the GW ones have sculpted tongues you fit the head on as well, so no complaints there) and they look very mean and crocodile like. In comparison to GWs models (sorry I compare them that often, but those two are the only competitors in plastic Feral Orc troops), they not only have 5 fixed bodies but rather 4 pairs of legs and 4 torsos, so you can mix and match and make them twist their upper bodies. There are some arms holding weapons and some without hands, so you can attach the hands as you like. Some hands are open, so you can also choose which weapons to pick. Sadly, there is only the option for two hand weapons and two-handed weapons. For the first option you’ll wind up short of a few, even if you build them with a command unit. The two-handed weapons are only included 6 times in a box and not all hands are compatible with them.

• 

• 

Ferocity level: *****
Comfort: ***
Options: *****

To be honest they get the exactly same grades as the GW ones. You might ask why: They look arguably even more ferocious than the ones of the big competitor. Those faces are really aggressive and their bodies are just as good. While they are less hard to clean up, they require some more effort to assemble and for me that balances out. The options of the sprue might not be as great, but there’s a lot more options in posing them and how and where they hold their weapons. With some hands being bare you’ll have an easy time sticking shields of any other model you might not have used them on on them. They even come with optional top-knots. I guess between those two sets it’s a matter of taste. I like GWs faces better, but that’s mostly nostalgia and Shieldwolfs aren’t bad by any means. Also I like the company as a whole, so that might bias me in the other direction. If you need any Feral Orcs with the weapon option provided or their heroes they are great.

Punga Miniatures:
Initial article | review

Well, they’re not even a wargaming company and still end up kind of high, before I have to start grasping at straws. Why though? Punga Miniatures provides some nice Feral Orcs for Fantasy Football. They all look mean and very bulky. Rather than a negative stereotype Punga tried to tie these to Maori culture. Those guys are full of spiky bits, fur and improvised weapons so I don’t see a problem with using them in battles. They also got a Star Player with a two handed weapon and a nice looking shaman. I did a review of their team as one of the first reviews on this blog. If you just want a big, dynamic, aggressive model that could probably kill you with it’s bare hands, here you go. These guys are cast in resin, not too many parts, good detail, very little work required and the parts fit together perfectly. Of course you can’t choose weapon options here.

• 

Ferocity level: *****
Comfort: *****

Because they’re technically not meant as a unit fit for war and I just wanted to mention those kickass models, I’ll let go of the options category for this one as well. They get best grades in both other categories though. They look positively mean and building them is no problem. If only they had weapons (I think there even was such a set in their Kickstarter on limited supply – if you can get one, do it, those models are well worth their money).

3.2 Heroes, bits and bobs:

TT Combat: Feral Orc Chief:
Initial article

TT Combat looses a bit on the point of options. Sadly, there’s only one Feral Orc available, which is a Boss however, so maybe that makes up for that. It’s a rather modern Orc, made out of resin. The parts fit together impeccably and there was very little cleanup necessary. He looks kind of mean, is naked and I guess I wouldn’t want to meet him on the street at night, so that’s a plus for ferocity.

• 

Ferocity level: ***
Comfort: *****

It’s kind of unfair to distract points from options for only having one model, it’s not meant to have options, so I’ll pass on this category for now. The same will be true for the other models under this category, it’s just not fair to give negative ratings for something they don’t even want to be. The guy’s great, looking dangerous and all and is very clean and easy to build. I hope orcs will get the TT Combat treatment of a Kickstarter with a whole army one day. That day I’ll be poor.

Mannequin Miniatures:
Initial article

Mannequin Miniatures only sells a hand full of Greenskins. They’re all made by Kev Adams and they’re all pretty naked – until they decided to put another coat of putty on the Goblins and call them Shadow Goblins to fill out the range. The Orcs though are still as naked as on the day they were made. There are two Orcs with spears, 3 with hand weapons and one with a bow. That’s it. All come in metal in one piece and wear nothing but loin cloths. They’re not meant to be Feral Orcs by any means but I think they work pretty well. The similarities in stile and size means they mix well with Black Tree Designs Orcs or the older Citadel ones.

• 

Ferocity level: ***
Comfort: ****

The level of ferocity is at a 3 here – compared to the Middlehammer Orcs. They are pointing spears (well one is), raising weapons, snarling and shouting. At least they look mean. As metal models without anything to do other than clean up und put on a base, comfort level is also reasonably high.

Oakbound Studio:
Initial article | review

You could interpret almost all of Oakbounds Orcs to be Feral Orcs. The ones sticking out to me are the Stallu Redcap 3, since he’s the only one without armor and has a bare chest as well as the Stallu Noaidi, which could serve as a cool shaman. He looks pretty chill for a wild Orc, but maybe he’s just exhausted from casting spells. Who knows – I like him and wanted to tell you he exists. Both come in 2-3 parts, which means there is assembly required but fit well together. The casting quality is great, so clean-up is minimal.

• 

Ferocity level: **
Comfort: ****

Although you have to put them together they’re still at a high value for comfort for me due to the exceptional level of casting. That I have to give lesser points in ferocity shows the limitations of this list. I love those models and would like to rate them higher, but implementing a whole new category would probably make this list a bit convoluted. They still get a two, since they’re not comically silly or something. They look dead serious. They might kill you. But maybe not right now.

Fenryll: Orcs Noirs:
Initial article | review

Fenrylls “black Orcs” are the ones with less armor and the “mountain Orcs” are the heavily equipped, so it’s the other way around than normal here. There are only 3 sculpts available as a set. These guys don’t look like they’d run at you screaming and bash your head in. They look like they stand in front of a blocked road and comfortably stroll up to the travelers they just stopped from passing through… and then bash their heads in.

• 

Ferocity level: **
Comfort: ***

Those guys are made from resin, so you have to consider washing them and although made from one piece each, you have to remove air canals and mold lines. They’re still perfectly fine models and the details are good, I just feel like defending for giving only 3 stars although that’s an average, ok rating. For ferocity I explained what hinders them from being higher. Lack of initiative. They do definitely look as if they’re just waiting to do something and are definitely up for no good, so you can imagine this as being a bit higher on the scale as the previous entry.

Spellcrow:
Initial article | review

Spellcrow sell an array of Orcs ranging from more civilized to pretty feral. I’m considering the “Orc with clan axe” and “Orc with Great axe” in particular here. The latter one only has a small belt of cloth covering his nakedness – the pelt-adorned boots and hat more a statement of power than a need for clothing. With a raised axe he commands his warriors forwards in the direction of his pointing finger. I own this guy to use as a boss of some sorts. He’s also pretty tall, making him look even more dangerous. The other one is on his toes to charge and raises his axe as well. Not in a “the caster says it’s easier to cast and the model fits better in the unit”-way, but a bit more deliberate.

• 

Ferocity level: ****
Comfort: *****

One part metal models with a great quality. Most others had either worse casting or multiple parts, but I feel comfortable to give them the best grade. I don’t know how much easier it could be to make a model paintable. For ferocity I debated whether to give them a 3 or 4. They are somewhat similar to Middlehammer Orcs, but they look just a tiny bit meaner and more imposing, so 4 it is.

Avatars of War: Orc Feral Warlord:
Initial article

Only one model this time, but what a model that is. Avatars of War’s feral warlord doesn’t collectedly order his soldiers like the previous one. He shouts them, not only with his finger pointing, but one of his large weapons. He’s got no time to kill with a big axe, he rather bludgeons his opponents with dual weapons and this leaves him with no hand to point. Big and imposing, aggressive as can be and maybe with a few too many skulls for my taste that guy is exactly how I envision a leader of primitive Orcs to be.

• 

Ferocity level: *****
Comfort: ****

Good quality casting but with parts to put together and the highest grades in ferocity, no other mark would be acceptable.

Mierce Miniatures:
Initial article | review

Mierce has only a few stereotypical Orcs, rather working with their own creative ideas. Still, those Orcs exist and two of them make for nice shamans. I made a mini-review of the one I own here. The other one even has a riding model to be put on a wyvern. I wish I could show you that, but I only got that other one. Great casting and a good fit ensure him high marks in comfort. Holding his staff with both hands to channel the magical energies surrounding him but shouting all the while makes sense and fits the theme. The other one is maniacally dancing…

• 

Ferocity level: ****
Comfort: ****

Shamans aren’t the most imposing of foes. But those represent their fellow feral Orcs pretty well by having creative poses. I didn’t know I’d say that, but for resin models, these are as close to a 5 star comfort rating as can be: perfect fits, only a bit of mold flash you can remove easier than most mold lines and pins that help to secure the model. With Mierce you’re paying premium, but from what I can tell that’s definitely also what you get.

4 Models also to be considered

Now you might think: There were 13 model lines on that list. And there’s even more? Well, frankly speaking there is. While I had to update a few articles while writing this due to the ranges not existing anymore right now (from the postings on their Facebook I deduce that MaxMini might come back, probably via TTCombat) and seem to have a pretty comprehensible collection above, here are some I don’t want to leave unmentioned:

• 

• 

Kromlech (initial article) sells bits to kit out other Orcs as feral Orcs and has some nice heads and torsos for that purpose.

• 

• 

The Rusian Alternative (initial article | review – be aware that many of the flaws of the wolf rider probably won’t apply here) meanwhile offers up the only female feral Orcs on the list and also the second battle standard bearer you can get without converting one. Some niche products, but if you’ve been searching for exactly that or don’t like Shieldwolf’s banner guy, these might be interesting.

• 

• 

On the left are Windmaster’s (initial article | review) new resin “savage Orcs”, which are among the cheapest models you can get at 8€ for 5 models, still surpassed by Shieldwolf, but definitely an alternative if you like the style. On the right side there are Warhansas (initial article) “Wild Orcs”, which are more expensive and have more armor, but still look like great models.

Now that’s all I had to say about Feral Orcs. What are your opinions on them? Which are your favorite models and did I forget any? Write it down in the comments.