Gretchin
Gretchin, Grots or Runts are a lesser Orkoid slave race who do the menial tasks which Orks consider themselves above.
Contents
Physical Characteristics
| Part of a series on the: Orkoid Species |
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Gretchin have a similar physical structure to Ork but are much smaller and weaker. They have short runty legs and grasping fingers to employ their greatest skill, low cunning. They are far more numerous than Orks and have large bulbous heads with tattered ears which flatten when they are scared. They have sharp fanged jaws which are their best physical weapon. They have an excellent sense of smell, hearing and they have effective sight in the dark. These traits aid their self-preservation allowing them to survive in the dangerous Ork society. Some Gretchin have even developed a sixth sense of sorts, or a natural ability to be far more fortunate than they have right to be.[1]
Roles in Ork Society
The Gretchin are happy enough in their role. They bear little resentment towards their superiors, for them Orks are just a fact of life. Individual Gretchin can enjoy a relatively comfortable existence by providing valuable services to their Ork masters. Most Grots are owned by Orks as personal servants, though some gather together into loose tribes that may even own functional weapons and equipment. The Gretchin have created an entire enterprise culture of their own within their Ork-dominated society. Many Gretchin operate their own black-market businesses on the side, such as selling fungus-beer, roasting squigs on sticks, coordinating the bets when a fight breaks out or looting corpses for fun and profit.[1]
There is a faction known as Rebel Grots who had too much of their rough treatment and rebelled against their masters. Because of their organisation skills they could sometimes build and maintain war machines and artillery.[2]
Because Gretchin are synonymous with cunning, small stature, cowardice, negligent physical prowess and other things considered un-Orky, the term 'grot' is used derisively between the larger Ork boyz. i.e. - "Da' boss needs some real boyz to do this job, not you pack of grotz!"[Needs Citation]
Though they usually obey to Orks, Gretchin could live on their own - on planets where only Gretchins settled and even could create small Empires in space, that apes Orks empires completely.[9]
Grot Servant
Grot Worker
Repair Krew, Grot Rigger, Grot Oiler
Grot oiler[5]
Grot Orderly
Grot Orderly
Grot Orderly
Grot Crew
Grot Crew
Grot Crew[6]
Ammo Grot
Ammo Grot
Cybernetic Grot
Grots installed into Ork Mega Armour[20]
Grot/Gretchin Servitor
Grots that have been turned into Imperial Servitors[14]
The first Black Gobbo as a Servitor[14]
Grot Styboy
Grot Styboy
Grot Kaptin
Grot Freebooterz Kaptins[12]
'Orrible Gitz
Grots who are assigned horrible jobs in Ork camps[17]
Skrabbla
Weirdgrot
These Grots are Psykers and the equivalent of Ork Weirdboyz.[10][13]
Weirdgrot[18]
Kommando Grot/Distraction Grot
These Sneaky Grots gravitate to Kommandos and join them on missions. However Kommandos referred to them as "Distraction Grots"[15][16]
Kommando Grot[15]
Gretchin in Battle
| Just becauze wez not runnin doesn't mean we want to be fightin'!
Gretchin[2] |
Gretchin are known for their poor combat abilities, but they compensate for this by sheer numbers. They often go to war with a basic gun firing volleys of scavenged ammunition before falling on their enemies in an fury of killing, ripping them to pieces with their teeth. Orks use Grechin mobs in battle to do everything from minefield clearance to meat shield to living carpet. Some "lucky" Gretchin get to crew Orky artillery known as Big Gunz, and while they are not on the front lines of battle, crewing Big Gunz often comes with hazards such as electrocution, dismemberment and almost assuredly deafening of the crew. Other uses for Gretchin in battle includes their piloting of Killer Kans, smaller, Gretchin-crewed Deff Dreads, into battle, and their use as turret gunners on vehicles and emplacements. They sometimes also accompany Ork Warlords and Flash Gits as ammo runts, follow Mekboys into the fray as oilers, and run around as orderlies to Painboys. A caste of Oddboyz known as Runtherds acompany the Gretchin into battle, and they are often needed to keep the Gretchin from fleeing the battle. These Orks ofen employ Squig-hounds and Grabba-Stiks to keep their charges in line.[1]
Gretchin of different Ork Clans
Famous Gretchin
- Da Red Gobbo originally the head of the Angelis' separatist Gretchin faction known as the Gretchin Revolutionary Committee.[2] His name and cause though have now been taken up by numerous Gretchin across the Galaxy and the legend of Da Red Gobbo is well known to the Ork species.[22][23]
- Makari the Grot is thought to be the luckiest Gretchin ever, surviving for nine years before being sat on by his master, the notorious Goff Warboss Ghazghkull Thraka and subsequently fed to a Squig.[1] However he is functionally immortal, as his soul is able to possess the body of any Gretchin that is touched by Thraka.[24]
- Fixit is the Grot assistant of legendary Ork Mekboy Wazdakka Gutsmek. Wazdakka's warbike is kept clean and shiny by his Gretchin assistant.[Needs Citation]
- Skumbo the Freebooter Kaptin.[12]
- Weirdgrot Skrappaking Smolwyrd[13]
- The first Black Gobbo, who once the nemesis of the Squat Magos Grombrindal and is now his Gretchin Servitor.[14]
- The second Black Gobbo, originally named Giblet, who is the arch-nemesis of the Ork settlement Scrap City's Red Gobbo.[21]
Sources
- 1: Codex: Orks (4th Edition), pg. 50
- 2: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade
- 3: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine collectors edition artbook
- 4: Only War Core Rulebook, pg. 366
- 5: GW website - Big Mek in Mega Armour
- 6: FW website - Gretchin crew
- 7: GW website Badrukk's Flash Gitz
- 8: GW website - Grot Tekkies
- 9: Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, pg. 191
- 10: White Dwarf 460, pg. 65 - A Tale of Four Warlords
- 11: Liber Xenologis, pg. 71
- 12: Warhammer Combat Cards, Skumbo Card Description
- 13: White Dwarf 462, pg. 24
- 14: Warhammer Community: Amazing Axe and Stunning Beard? Must Be a Dwarf (Posted 15/12/2019) (Last accessed on 15 December 2019)
- 15: Games Workshop Kill Team Octarius (last accessed 8/15/2021)
- 16: Warhammer Community: New Kill Team Replaces Points With a Fast, Finely Balan (Posted on 22/07/2021) (Last accessed on 15 August 2021)
- 17: Codex: Orks (9th Edition), pg. 59 - Specialist Mobs
- 18: Warhammer: Visions 18, pg. 151 - Lords of War - created by Maxime Pastourel
- 19: Warhammer Combat Cards Facebook Page: Challenge Update! (Posted on 09/12/2019) (Last accessed on 1 May 2022)
- 20: White Dwarf 310 (UK), pg. 67 - Chapter Approved: Kill-Team Nemesis - Cyber Grot Miniature by Games Workshop employee Martin Wood
- 21: Warhammer Community: Da Red Gobbo Finally Corners His Mysterious Nemesis – Who Are da Grotmas Gitz? (Posted on 24/11/2023) (Last accessed on 01/12/2023)
- 22: Da Gobbo's Revenge (Novella), Reflections
- 23: Da Gobbo's Demise (Novel), Chapter 2
- 24: Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! (Novel), Chapter 8
| Ork Infantry | |
|---|---|
| Leadership | Warboss • Mekboss • Painboss • Beastboss • Nobz (Beast Snagga Nob) • Flash Gitz |
| Oddboyz | Mekboyz • Painboyz • Weirdboyz (Wurrboyz) • Runtherds • Spanna Boyz • Bikerboyz • Flyboyz • Madboyz |
| Boyz | Shoota Boyz • Stikk Bommaz • 'Ard Boyz • Skarboyz • Yoofs • Feral Orks • Beast Snagga Boy • Boarboyz • Squighog Boyz |
| Specialists | Kommandos • Burna Boyz • Tankbustas • Lootas • Stormboyz |
| Other | Gretchin • Snotlings • Squigs |
