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Ork Ship Components

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Ork Spaceship[1b]

Ork vessels follow the usual tendencies of Ork Technology and vary immensely in the components they are constructed from, being more the result of individual experimentation and patchworks of salvaged parts than of planned starship manufacture. Even the ships built by the same Meks will differ. Ork Spaceships are full of various ramshackle devices, many of which are of unknown purpose. Those that can be identified vary tremendously between different ships and may even be a looted technology of other races. Components are often customised by Ork Mekboys, giving them even more unrecognisable and bizzare appearances. [2]

Essential Components

While no two Ork ships look alike, most of them feature components, essential to Ork space travel. Similar in purpose, if not the appearance, the following components are found on almost all Ork vessels:[2]

Drives

Ork ships use ramshackle drives that likely shouldn’t run at all. They are far from reliable and are prone to leaks, flares, and catastrophic accidents. Often, great trails of superheated gas pour from the aft of Ork ships, not entirely dissimilar to the greasy black exhaust fumes of their ground vehicles. These engines are connected to powerful reactors, randomly linked to all manner of conduits and cables that feed into systems all over the ship, trailing along floors and dangling from ceilings, constantly getting broken in one places and fixed in others. It is a rare day that the reactor does not have additional lengths of cabling added to supply some of the ship mekboy’s new experiment.[2]

Warp engines

Ork warp travel is an uncertain and erratic process, and the warp drives that allow it are similarly unstable. Some are rebuilt from the ruins of salvaged Imperial warp drives, while others may be bizarre contraptions built around the disembodied brains of the Ork Weirdboys. Whatever the manner of their construction, Ork warp engines carry a ship into, through, and out of the Warp.[2]

Gellar fields

In place of the flickering Geller fields of Imperial starships, Orks use a variety of adornments, totems, huge hull-plate “teef,” and protective glyphs to ward off the malign influence of the Warp. It is unknown if these actually scare off warp creatures as Freebooterz have been known to claim or simply inspire such confidence in their crews that the ships are wreathed in a crackling shield of Waaagh! energy while in the Warp. It is possible that daemons just aren't so fond of Ork souls taste as they are with human ones. They seem to work most of the time, but occasionally daemons are able to pass to Ork ships, providing entertainment to bored crews.[2]

Ship’s bridge

The bridges of Ork ships are dark and dank cavernous chambers, bedecked with supplies, ammunition, piles of loot and machinery of indeterminate purpose. Their only common feature is a giant red button, linked directly to the main drives of the ship, controlling its powerful thursters.[2]

Example of Ork Spaceship[4]

Crew quarters

Ork vessels hold large numbers of greenskins of all kinds, serving as much as transport craft as warships. Many of the smaller craft are capable of planetary landing, unleashing a green tide of roaring, belligerent warriors. Even the bulkiest of cruisers regularly attempt to board enemy vessels. These vast crews make Ork vessels fearsome opponents in any boarding action[2]

Launch Bays

Carved from the flanks of Ork ships, launch tubes and landing decks sit open to the void but for the crackling force fields that hold the ship’s atmosphere in. They are almost always crammed full of Fighta-Bommers and Assault Boats ready to be unleashed on a fresh prey. The remaining nooks are claimed by the swaggering and insane Flyboys who pilot the attack craft, hordes of Grot Riggers, and Meks constantly building, rebuilding, and “improving” the fighters. As is the case with other races fleets, only larger vessels usually have the space and resources necessary to support whole squadrons of attack craft. The same bays usually contain a number of Landas Orks use for planetary assaults.[2][3]

Power shields

Orks make massive use of energy field technology. Their ships sport protective energy barriers comparable to Imperial void shields, though an Ork generator is more likely to be covered in crackling electricity, spew clouds of noxious smoke, or randomly vaporize any Orks that stand too close.[2]

Life sustainers

The exact nature of Ork life sustainers varies tremendously from ship to ship. Boarding parties and Mechanicus salvage teams have observed everything from clanking pneumatic air pumps to giant squigs of unknown breeds used as bellows. The only thing these devices have in common is none of them should work. However, usual Ork toughness allows them to feel comfortable even in a harsh conditions, supported by these crude devices.[2]

Augur arrays

While it would be impossible for the Orks to voyage amongst the stars without some form of long-range detection, the nature of the technologies employed are unknown. As with much of Ork technology, a crude and simplistic appearance belies impossible sophistication. Orks simply refer to their myriad scanners as “searchy grubbinz” and they may take any form from powerful aetheric scanners to gigantic telescopes.[2]

Upgrades

Chem Generator[5]

Ork ships not only vary in appearance, but also have different supplemental components. Every new Ork vessel will feature an unusual device, not found on others. While there are many such components, the most common of them are listed here:[2]

  • Kustom Enjinz - Created from scratch by insane Mekboyz, Kustom Enjinz operate through impossible methods to produce incredible amounts of power. The power they produce is unstable and difficult to contain, but makes for swift vessels. Customised in this fashion, ship becomes much faster, but tends to start to fall apart if the engines get out of cotrol or get damaged.
  • Kustom Force Field - Similar to other Ork Energy Fields, this field crackles with extra power, sometimes flaring to life to block the most powerful hits, but sometimes catastrophically failing without any warning.
  • Lookout Towerz - Scattered across the hull, tall towers mounting guns and scanning devices watch the void for enemies and unleash trails of gleaming tracers into the darkness of space at anything that strays too close. Upgraded in this way, ship becomes less solid because of all the holes, but defensive turrets become more accurate.
  • Extra Smashy Ramming Spike - A hard and long spike made of solid adamantium allows the vessel’s prow to cause immense damage during ramming. Any enemy would be wise to keep their distance.
  • Kustom Skanna - Crackling with greenish-tinged electric bolts, it dominates the dorsal ridge on the Ork vessel, allowing it to detect fresh prey far more easily.
  • Dakka Kontrol - Demonstrating planning quite unusual for Orks, targeting systems from all the ship’s guns are sometimes wired into a single control centre, making them more effective. The ship’s targeting systems may also show Gretchin in place of enemy ships; having practiced since a young age how to hit Grots, the Orks hit more reliably. All these measures make ship weapons more accurate.
  • Mek’s Workshop - Some ships have a greater-than-normal compliment of Mekboyz on board, who continually tinker with every machine within reach. They may upgrade and overcharge weapons in the middle of a battle, making them more powerful when it is most needed.
  • Grot Holes - Alongside the teeming hordes of Orks, this vessel’s superstructure may be filled with holes, nooks and crannies containing squabbling mobs of Gretchin slaves, who are kicked and bullied into performing the many and varied tasks essential to the running of a starship. Due to their immense numbers, the ship is unlikely to run out of crew, but Grots aren't famous for their bravery and tend to panic if the vessel gets in a real battle.
  • Squig Pens - Some ships, expecially ones belonging to Snakebites clan feature cages full of attack Squigs, ready to be unleashed during boarding actions. Ship's crew becomes more effective in any successfull boarding actions as Squigs tear into the wounded and bring fear to those that might have survived.
  • Red Paint Job - “Red wunz go fasta” is a common Ork belief, and one that oddly seems to be borne out in practice. Ork vehicles painted red do travel faster than those not and that remains true even for Ork spaceships.

Capital Ship Upgrades

Ork Spaceship[1a]

Some devices are so massive or rare they can only be found on Ork capital vessels. These fearsome craft become even more deadly when equipped with these unusual devices:[2]

  • Armoured Kaptain’s Bridge - The bridge are often clad in massive sheets of heavy armour plating, protecting the kaptin from the ravages of battle.
  • Throne Room - More akin to audience chambers or trophy rooms than command bridges, Throne Rooms are an expression of a kaptain’s power, and Kaptins powerful enough to rule from a Throne Room are often surrounded by a retinue of nobs armed with the finest wargear he leads into combat. During the boarding actions they cause massive carnage among the enemy.
  • Bigger Red Button - Extra switches and levels surround the big red button in the ship's bridge, connecting to extra fuel tanks and power couplings installed by Mekboys. When activated, these flood the engines with additional fuel, boosting the ship’s speed further.
  • Weirdboyz’ Tower - Protruding from the top of some Ork ships is a twisted brass tower, crackling with green lightning. Within the tower are whole mobs of weirdboyz, their brains surging with the combined psychic noise of the thousands of Orks in the ship below. Every so often, a great arc of green energy shoots out from the tower, occasionally hitting an enemy.
  • Trakta Field - This field projects gravitational forces that draw enemy vessels closer, making it easier to board or ram them. However, the field also attracts enemy ordnance, making it an easier target for torpedoes.
  • ‘Uge Armour Plates - Some Ork ships are covered in extra plates of thick metal, providing further protection but making it even more unwieldy.
  • Extra Shield Generator - The ship’s generators are sometimes get boosted and reinforced, meaning they can keep the protective bubble much longer under fire.

Related Articles

Sources


Ork Equipment
Armour Armour'Eavy ArmourMega ArmourBioniks
General ExplosivesTrophiesBosspoleBannerFieldsTellyportas
Oddboy Dok's ToolsMek's ToolsRuntherd EquipmentWyrdboy Stikk
Specialist GitfindaRokkit PackWarboarWarbike
Upgrades Weapon UpgradesVehicle UpgradesSpaceship Components