"I'm gonna stomp 'em to dust. I'm gonna grind their bones. I'm gonna pile 'em up inna big fire and roast 'em. I'm gonna bash 'eads, break faces and jump up and down on da bits dat are left. An' den I'm gonna get really mean."
- —Grimgor Ironhide, greatest Black Orc Warboss to ever lived
A massive Black Orc in combat against a Dwarf Longbeard
Black Orc are amongst the biggest, meanest, strongest, and most brutal of all the Greenskin races. Named after their darker shade of green, their thick black-colored armor and their horrendously foul odor, the Black Orcs consider themselves the ultimate Greenskin warrior. These beasts are grim and singularly-focused on war, an occupation that they take far more seriously than even others of their own kind. Equipped with some of the best weapons and armor in the tribe, these fierce fighters provide the tribe with a much more reliable source of very heavy infantry.
The origins of the Black Orc is still highly debated, but the most widely-known story is that of the Chaos Dwarfs and their ill-attempt to create a breed of Orcs unlike anything in the world of today. During that forgotten age, the Chaos Dwarfs grew wary of the constant animosity and infighting of their Greenskin slaves, and so sought a solution that will make them much more obedient towards their tyrannical masters. With the aid of dark magic and the selection of the largest and most strongest of their Greenskin slaves, they magically bred the first Black Orc into existence.
If this story were true, then their experiment turned into a complete catastrophe, for their ill-fated attempt to create a more disciplined and highly coordinated Greenskin slave-force only made them the perfect leaders for their brethrens to rise up and topple their sadistic rule. The magical abilities of the Dwarf Sorcerors could never erase the strong sense of independence that all Orcs possess, and when the Greenskins rose up in rebellion, the great uprising that followed almost lead to the complete destruction of their entire empire, making it as far as the doors to the Temple of Hashut itself. However, in their hour of trumph, only the timely betrayal of their Hobgoblin allies spared the Dwarfs from complete annihilation. Although many of the slaves were put to the sword or dragged back into the slave-pits, the Black Orcs were able to escape and have since been accepted into normal Greenskin society.
Your typical Black Orc in immense Black Armor
Ever since then, the Black Orcs pride themselves on being the best fighters in their tribe, and in their case the whole Greenskin race. Only the strongest of the Greenskins, such as the Big 'Uns or an Orc Warboss can ever hope to match the skills and strength of a typical Black Orc. The pride these brutes is held due in part to the nature of Greenskin animosity. The Black Orcs are highly disciplined and martial in their behavior, and as such they would often look down upon their brethrens ceaseless squabbling, believing that they should use all that energy in fighting the enemies of the Greenskin race rather then be used to fight each other. The Black Orcs opinion of the Goblins is considerably far worse, thinking them as nothing more then a nuisance that is unfit to even carry their spare equipment, much less fight in open battle.
Since they are the best fighters, the Black Orcs receive the lion's share of the loot after battle. Being militaristic and spartan in nature, Black Orcs would find anyway to either improve on their combat skills or to appear bigger or meaner as they possibly can. Black Orcs usually band together in their own mobs or warbands who are usually totally independent from the rest of the army.
In battle, the Black Orcs act as the ultimate elite infantry whose duty is to fight and endure the thickest of enemy fighting. In addition to wearing impossibly huge armor, Black Orcs usually have the best weapons around, often hefting multiple choppas of various sizes. They have even been known to clean their gear after battle or begin their occasional military drills that would help them prepare for the next battle. Such unnatural activities often leads to discrimination by their Greenskin brethren. Most Greenskins can never comprehend the Black Orcs killjoy behavior, preferring instead to whoop and revel in jubilant victory celebrations, such as Skull-Stacking contests or seeking out every opportunity to engage in a brawl or pit-fight. Such misunderstanding has only led the Black Orcs to further distance themselves from their dull-witted cousins, but when battle looms over the horizon, you can always be sure that the Black Orcs would always be in the thickest of the fighting.
Sources
- Warhammer Armies: Orcs and Goblins (8th Edition) -- pg 27