Recently I have been filled with desire to work on an old bucket list project of mine, a nicely painted Epic 40,000 force of orks.

I intend to play some games with them using the open source NetEpic rules (with some house rules tweaks to it to get rid of the templates as they tend to slow up the game and effectively reduce the available table space).

Working on some scenic items to build up the battlezone thematically alongside the army would be ideal also.

To begin with, I decided that I would work on a Snakebite Clan as I have never in all my time painted a single Snakebite, and now I would paint 105 of them at 6/7mm (Epic scale is in fact a bit wobbly with sizes often dramatically different for infantry models – your average person would probably never notice it anyway).

As the Snakebites are supposed to be staunch traditionalists, I wanted them to have a lot of browns, green and metal with a smattering of primary spot colours – like classic fantasy orcs really.

The banners were done by carefully cutting out GW Ork transfer sheets to fit. The Nobz got a bit more attention than the boyz. I converted the Epic Ork Warlord to carry a power klaw cut from an Ork dreadnought. In game terms you have 4 identical stands but to my mind the whole Ork Clan should have the Warboss as the focal point, so there he is!

As there are not a huge variety of models available, I decided that I would make my Snakebites unique by sculpting a special Ork to represent them.

I did a quick and dirty casting in lead from this – the detail is not quite as crisp as the original but more than adequate to express the idea in miniature.
While I was working on him, I started working on an Ork for when I get around to doing the Goff Clan. I think he is adorable so far <3.

So that’s a solid 600 points of stuff to begin with. I am looking to add some Squiggoths to this lot and perhaps some Stompas (as they move at about the same speed as the infantry).
Glorious Warband! Your choice of basing materials gives these a classic oldskool vibe. I really like the way you’ve mixed in the old shield and axe Feral Boyz to your Boyz stanks to give them a backwards Snakebit vibe.
Thanks Curis :D! I definitely stole the idea for mixing in the shield guy from somewhere else which I wish I could credit now.
These look the biz. Really clean and distinct paint job, and they read very well. Basing epic infantry terrifies me, but you got it down here.
Your 6mm ork sculpts are very impressive.
Thanks Mr. Saturdays! Always nice to get such positive feedback. 😀
Love your little ork sculpts. Dare I say they are . . . cute? Given what you always seem to sculpt I really think it’s time to admit you’re actually TheOttovonBismOrk. 😉 Well done! Expertly crafted!
lol, yeah that would make more sense as a moniker at this stage!
I was about to praise your paintjob, but then I saw your sculpt. It’s jaw dropping!
Wow, I’m in love with these.
Cheers dude :D.
Love your sculpts of ork boss body guards! I love how you captured the GW feel of Orks!
Thank you 🙂
Wow, this is a truly heroic undertaking! Good luck with the expansions plans. Will you sculpt the Squiggoths etc too? Or just pick up old ones off eBay (I assume they’re all long since out of production by now)?
Thanks :). I have some Squiggoths (6) lined up thanks to a mate of mine who originally wanted to paint a clan of snakebites but who is probably never going to get around to it. At least he will enjoy them vicariously now ;).
Great army, and fantastic sculpts! Wow! I hope these never become commercially available as I may not be able to resist starting Epic at that point!
hehe I will have my hands full painting the rest of the army first, that could take a long time at my speed!
Nice work on the Snakebites, looking forward to seeing more. And impressive sculpting on the boyz!
Thanks Subedai :D. Looking forward to getting some more orks done soon.
You never cease to amaze, Otto. Great stuff. I’ve been reading my copy of Epic 40K, but have heard that the Net Epic version of the rules is best.
Thanks Seán :D. Net Epic seems to be the one closest to 2nd Ed (Space Marine) which was the most fun of the incarnations to my mind.