The Intelligent Orks in Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40000

In the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40000 universes, orks are depicted as a unique and complex race with their own brand of intelligence. Let's delve into the remarkable ways in which orks demonstrate intelligence, both in their combat strategies and in their technological innovations.

Warhammer Fantasy

In the Warhammer Fantasy setting, orks (often referred to as 'orks') are portrayed as being not highly intelligent in the traditional sense, yet they possess a unique form of cunning and practical intelligence. Their culture values strength and aggression, with a focus on surviving and thriving in hostile environments.

Orks in the Warhammer Fantasy universe exhibit a form of collective intelligence that allows them to work together effectively despite their individual lack of sophistication. They are known for inventing and modifying technology, often resulting in bizarre and effective machines such as iconic Ork vehicles and weapons. This has led to their surprising effectiveness in battle, not through sheer complexity, but through sheer force of will and belief.

Warhammer 40000

In the Warhammer 40000 universe, orks maintain a similar characterization but are often portrayed with more depth. They are still brutish and aggressive but they are also highly adaptable and clever in combat. Orks in this universe exhibit a form of collective intelligence that allows them to work together effectively despite their individual lack of sophistication.

Orks in Warhammer 40000 are known for their ability to invent and modify technology, often resulting in bizarre and effective machines such as iconic Ork vehicles and weapons. Their belief in their own technology is so strong that it can function better than it should, leading to surprising effectiveness in battle. This is despite the fact that orks were not originally created to split atoms; they were created by the Old Ones to fight against the Necron/C'tan forces. They were meant to be a massive, infinitely renewable, infinitely aggressive, unstoppable war machine.

Ork Oddboyz and Skill in Warhammer 40000

Ork Oddboyz, also known as the support/skilled trades among the Orks, operate purely on instinct. There is no memetic transfer of information. They just know this is how you do a thing. If pressed, an Oddboy might acknowledge that perhaps the legendary Brainboyz (equivalent to the Oddboyz) learned how and that knowledge stayed in the Oddboyz's blood.

Orks are not smart in the traditional sense, but they are not drooling animals either. Their lives revolve around war because that's who they are and why they were created, but this doesn't preclude them from being clever. Orks have, however, apparently calmed down some as the eons dragged on. They have developed a culture and a social order, which is something that can't be done if one's life is lived solely to die in combat.

Overall, orks in the Warhammer universes are remarkable for their unique form of intelligence, a combination of cunning, practical intelligence, and sheer belief in their technology. This form of intelligence allows them to survive and thrive, not just in a physical sense, but in a mental and cultural one as well.

Keywords: Orks, Warhammer Fantasy, Warhammer 40000