Are Orks a good first Warhammer 40,000 army?
Orks suit a first army if you enjoy painting lots of similar models. Getting Started with Orks holds 33 miniatures and needs no glue; ours is £86.11 and is sold out at the moment.
If you would rather paint a small force of detailed models, another army will suit you better.
The Ork starter boxes we list
Three boxes give you a way in. They are very different in size, so read what is inside before you choose.
| Box | What is inside | Our price |
|---|---|---|
| Orks: Boyz & Paints | 2 Boyz, 1 Gretchin, 6 paints and a brush | £18.99 (in stock) |
| Getting Started with Orks | 33 miniatures: a Warboss, a Weirdboy, 20 Boyz, 10 Gretchin and a Wartrakk. Also 11 paints, a brush, a texture spreader and a booklet | £86.11 (sold out at the moment) |
| Starter Set | An Ork Combat Patrol and a Space Marine one, two boards, terrain, dice and the Core Rulebook | £126.40 (in stock) |
The Starter Set is the pick if a friend wants to play Space Marines against you. Buying alone, Getting Started with Orks gives you the same Ork army without the Marines.
Who Orks suit
Orks suit you if you like repeating one colour scheme across a crowd. The 20 Boyz in the Armageddon box, a bigger set that holds Orks and Space Marines, come on two sprues of 10, and the arms fit at least two different bodies, so a big mob still looks varied.
They suit you less if you want a small, finely detailed force. A 33-model box takes longer to paint than a box of a dozen, whatever the army. They also suit you less if you want to be playing within a week.
Mistakes to avoid on a first Ork purchase
- Buying a vehicle first. A Battlewagon or Trukk looks great, but the Boyz are the army. Start with the infantry.
- Buying a Codex to get rules. The Combat Patrol in Getting Started with Orks is the Ork ’Ardmob, and its rules are in the app. Wait until you have played a few games.
- Judging a Boyz box by its name. We list more than one box with Boyz in it, so read the contents line. The Ork Boyz box holds 11 miniatures; Orks: Boyz & Paints holds two Boyz and a Gretchin.
- Buying extra paints. Getting Started with Orks and the paint set both hold paints. Use those before adding more.
What to buy, in order
New Ork collectors are usually told on Reddit to paint what they already own. They are also told to buy the models they like the look of. The order below follows that.
- Try the paint set at £18.99. Three models and six paints show you whether you enjoy painting green skin.
- Commit to the army with Getting Started with Orks, or with the Starter Set if you also want the Space Marines.
- Paint all of it before you add anything.
- Add one more Boyz box. Getting Started plus one box of Boyz is £118.50.
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£86.11RRP
£109.00Save 21%Sold out
Common questions
Do I need Codex: Orks to play the Ork Combat Patrol?
You do not. Games Workshop says the Combat Patrol rules in the Warhammer 40,000 app are free, and that you do not need a rulebook, a Codex or a subscription for them. Buy a Codex later, once you want to build a bigger army.
Is the Orks: Boyz & Paints set enough to start an army?
Not on its own. It holds two Boyz and one Gretchin with six paints, so it is a way to test the painting. Use it to decide, then buy Getting Started with Orks.
Are Orks difficult to paint?
In our view the effort is mostly the number of models, not the difficulty of any one of them. Paint a few first and see how you get on.
Box contents: our own product listings, read 29 Oct 2026, and Warhammer Community, 5 July 2026 (starter sets) and 26 May 2026 (Armageddon Boyz). Combat Patrol app rules: Warhammer Community, 23 July 2026. Prices and stock: this shop, read live. Beginner advice: threads on Reddit, 2026.