Orks · 12 models · 4 kits
1× Space Marines Lieutenant · 5× Intercessors · 1× Ork Nob · 5× Ork Boyz
How to Paint Orks
Green skin, scrappy metal, rust and weathering done fast
Prices in $ for the US
Before you commit
How hard to paint
12of 116 easiest
One of the easiest
Model size3 out of 5Detail density3 out of 5Technique demanded5 out of 5
Compare all 116 factions →
What it costs to start
$58.65
Warhammer 40,000: Introductory Set, cheapest shop we track
Compare armies by value →
Painting ratings are our judgement, with the reasoning on the comparison page; prices are live and dated.
Orks boxes to start with
Compare Orks boxesThe Orks boxes we can price in your market, cheapest first.
Orks · 46 models · 10 kits
1× Captain with Relic Shield · 1× Librarian · 5× Intercessors · 5× Vanguard Veterans with Jump Packs · 1× Land Speeder · 1× Warboss · 1× Weirdboy · 20× Ork Boyz · 10× Gretchin · 1× Wartrakk · 4× Large Manufactorum Ruins · 4× Small Manufactorum Ruins · 1× Shock Array · 1× Capacitor Stack · 2× Rockcrete Barricades · 1× Generator Shrine · 2× Galvanic Pylons
20% off RRPOrks · 8 models · 3 kits
6× Deffkoptas Miniatures · 1× Rukkatrukk Squigbuggy Miniature · 1× Deffkilla Wartrike Miniature
Paint sets that cover this scheme
All paint setsOne box of paints instead of 13 pots. Each card says how many of this scheme's colours it holds.
69 paints
Covers 7 of 13 colours in this scheme
50 paints
Covers 5 of 13 colours in this scheme
16 paints
Covers 4 of 13 colours in this scheme
10 paints
Covers 4 of 13 colours in this scheme
24 paints
Covers 4 of 13 colours in this scheme
6 paints
Covers 3 of 13 colours in this scheme
Or cover 69% of this scheme with 2 paint sets, $307.79 together: PRO Acryl Mega Set (69 Colors) + Warpaints Fanatic Metallics Paint Set
Recommended recipe
How the scheme reads on a model
Armour — base to highlight
Tap a colour to change its paint.
- Base coatLoren ForestCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951325View paint
- ShadeGreen Ghost DipGreen Stuff World · Dipping InksView paint
- LayerScorpy GreenVallejo · Game Color 72.032View paint
- HighlightJungle GreenArmy Painter · WarpaintsView paint
- Edge highlightOrruk FleshCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950319View paint
Additional details
- TrimNecron CompoundCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Dry 99189952048View paint
- WeaponsJohn Blanche Masterclass: Heavy MetalArmy Painter · Warpaints FanaticView paint
- LeatherBeasty BrownVallejo · Game Color 72.043View paint
- SkinElysian GreenCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951328View paint
- LensesWarlock MagentaArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3135PView paint
- BasingEnglish UniformVallejo · Model Color 70.921View paint
- Teeth, horns & boneAncient StoneArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3088PView paint
- Red "go-fasta" bitzRedVallejo · Mecha Color 69.008View paint
1
Base coat
Lay the foundation colour down over primer, slightly darker than the final tone.
Suggested
★ Our pick for base coat
Close
2
Shade
Wash the recesses to add depth and separate the details.
Suggested
Very Close
Close
Approximate
Agrax Earthshade
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Shade 99189953084
from$7.80· compare 5 shops· priced 5 Jul
Approximate
3
Layer
Rebuild the main colour on the raised areas, leaving the shade in the cracks.
Suggested
★ Our pick for layer
Close
CloseDiscontinued
4
Highlight
Pick out the upper edges and surfaces that catch the light.
Suggested
Very Close
Close
5
Edge highlight
Sharpen only the sharpest edges for a crisp, finished look.
Suggested
★ Our pick for edge highlight
Close
Close
Close
CloseDiscontinued
Details & accent colours
Everything else on the model - metals, skin, leather, lenses, basing and this faction's signature accents.
Metal — trim
Trim and bare plate. Basecoat steel, wash dark, then edge bright silver.
Suggested
Necron Compound
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Dry 99189952048
from$3.87· compare 7 shops· priced 13 Sep
★ Our pick for metal — trim
Very Close
Close
Shining Silver
Army Painter · Warpaints
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
Metal — weapons
Bolters, blades and casings. Dark gunmetal, washed black, edged with bright steel.
Suggested
John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
Army Painter · Warpaints Fanatic
$4.55at War Games USA· priced 1 Sep
★ Our pick for metal — weapons
Very Close
Close
Close
Adepticon Magnesium
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S42
from$4.50· compare 2 shops· priced 13 Sep
Similar
Leather & pouches
Straps, holsters and bare wood. Mid brown, shaded, then drybrushed a lighter tan.
Suggested
★ Our pick for leather & pouches
Very Close
Flameon Dark Green Brown
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S25
from$4.50· compare 2 shops· priced 13 Sep
CloseDiscontinued
Skin & flesh
Faces and hands. Basecoat, a flesh wash into the recesses, then build the highlights back up.
Suggested
★ Our pick for skin & flesh
Very Close
Close
Eyes & lenses
Lenses, eyes and energy. A bright spot colour that pops against the armour - dot it on and add a white glint.
Suggested
★ Our pick for eyes & lenses
Close
Genestealer Purple
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951308
from$4.55· compare 6 shops· priced 5 Jul
Basing — earth
Groundwork. Earth basecoat, drybrushed bone, finished with your choice of grass, sand or snow.
Suggested
★ Our pick for basing — earth
Very Close
Teeth, horns & bone
Tusks, claws, skulls and bone - basecoat bone, shade brown, drybrush up to off-white.
Suggested
★ Our pick for teeth, horns & bone
Exact Match
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
Red "go-fasta" bitz
Glyphs, fluids and details - everyone knows red wunz go fasta.
Suggested
★ Our pick for red "go-fasta" bitz
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
Very Close
Evil Sunz Scarlet
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951303
from$4.55· compare 4 shops· priced 5 Jul
Your paints
Tick off what's already on your shelf — whatever's left is your shopping list.
13 paints in this scheme
Price this recipe
13 paintspostage per seller
- not stocked: Green Ghost Dip, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
$6.99 US delivery, 3-5 business days
- not stocked: Green Ghost Dip, Scorpy Green, Jungle Green, Orruk Flesh, Beasty Brown, English Uniform, Red
prices shown on Amazon at checkout
- not stocked: Green Ghost Dip, Jungle Green, Orruk Flesh, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Warlock Magenta, English Uniform, Ancient Stone, Red
$10 US delivery, 4-8 business days, free over $75
- not stocked: Green Ghost Dip, Scorpy Green, Jungle Green, Orruk Flesh, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Beasty Brown, English Uniform, Ancient Stone, Red
- not stocked: Green Ghost Dip, Scorpy Green, Jungle Green, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Beasty Brown, Warlock Magenta, English Uniform, Ancient Stone, Red
postage by parcel weight and destination, shown at checkout — no free-shipping threshold
- not stocked: Loren Forest, Scorpy Green, Jungle Green, Orruk Flesh, Necron Compound, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Beasty Brown, Elysian Green, Warlock Magenta, English Uniform, Ancient Stone, Red
totals excl. delivery · affiliate links
Necron Compound
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Dry 99189952048
from$3.87· compare 7 shops· priced 13 Sep
John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
Army Painter · Warpaints Fanatic
$4.55at War Games USA· priced 1 Sep
Compare every Orks box
Prefer a bundle? At Loaded Dice (UK):save £22.51 vs RRP
Every Orks kit and box, priced
Prices compared across the shops that stock them — boxes ranked by cost per model.
Orks are a brilliant army for painters who want character over precision. The whole aesthetic is scrappy, mismatched and weathered, so clean lines and perfect blends are not the goal - energy, contrast and a bit of grime are. They paint up fast and look better the rougher they get.
The signature look
Orks are defined by green skin and improvised metal armour and weapons. The skin recipe above gives you the ramp from a dark shaded green up to a bright, almost cartoonish highlight on the nose, brow and knuckles - that bright pop of green is what makes an Ork read as alive and aggressive.
Painting Ork skin fast
Green skin is the perfect candidate for the fast contrast/wash method:
- Basecoat the skin a mid green (or undercoat and use a green contrast paint in one pass).
- If you went the classic route, wash it with a green or black shade to sink the recesses.
- Layer the original green back on the raised muscle, then a final bright highlight on the very top - the brow ridge, nose, fists and shoulders.
For a whole mob, the one-coat contrast approach over a light undercoat gets you tabletop-ready in a fraction of the time.
Metal, rust and weathering
The armour is where Orks come alive. Keep the metal dark and grimy, not shiny:
- Basecoat plates a dark metal, wash heavily with a brown or black shade.
- Stipple or sponge rust (orange and brown) along edges and rivets.
- Add chips with a fine brush or a torn sponge so the metal looks beaten and scavenged.
- A few spots of bright clan colour (red, blue, yellow) break up the green and metal.
Clan colour variations
A spot colour ties a mob together and follows Ork "logic":
- Goffs - black and white checks, red details.
- Evil Sunz - lots of red (because red wunz go fasta).
- Bad Moons - yellow.
- Deathskulls - blue, plus a bit of everything looted.
Tips and common mistakes
- Embrace the mess. Sponge weathering and slightly sloppy chips look intentional on Orks - this is the army to relax on.
- Vary the skin. Don't paint every Ork's skin identically; small differences make a mob look like a horde, not clones.
- Batch the green. Skin is most of the model - do the whole mob's skin through each step at once, then individualise the gubbinz.
Recipes are generated by perceptual colour matching against our cross-brand paint database. Use them as a strong starting point and test paints in person when precision matters.