Warhammer 40K: Welcome Back “Boarboyz”!
The Orks have been without their insane Boarboyz cavalry for decades, but GW may be about to change that.
One of the old-school staples of Orks is Orks riding boars. For editions and editions of Warhammer Fantasy Boar-riders have been a thing, and it is still a thing in Age of Sigmar. But there was once a time when Orks on Boars was also a thing in Warhammer 40k.
Orruk gore-gruntas living their best life!
We all know that in the earliest incarnations of 40K the rule was basically if it existed in Fantasy – “move that puppy over and stick some guns on it.” Thus in both Rogue Trader and 2nd Edition we saw the Ork Snakebites clan not only being backwards and quasi feral – but also riding boars. It turns out that by complete coincidence these boars were the very same miniatures that the Old World Orcs were thundering into battle with.
But their days were numbered. As the Greenskins grew into their own crazy faction in 40K they began to lean more into the mechanical contraptions and some of their primitive elements were removed.
The last Ork codex to properly have Boarboyz was the 2nd Edition one from 1994. Just take a look at these beauties, in all their 1990s primary colors!
Here are the Boarboys added as a ridden mount upgrade for Snakebites Boyz mobs:
Yes, you read that right – cyboars! There were certainly fancier upgrades for the boars. You just couldn’t have Snakebites’ Nobs and Warbosses riding around on plain boars like a peasant. Take a look at the images and rules for one of these from the Rogue Trader FREEBOOTERZ book. Clearly for a Snakebite the only thing better than a boar is a cyboar and the only thing better than that is a SUPER Cyboar!
Welcome to 2021
Just now, we get word from GW of something new coming our way called: Ork Beast Snaggas. Sure there are some differences. It looks like they may not be a specific Snakebite Klan thingy, and it’s probably all Squigs now – but it sure looks like ridiculously insane Orks cavalry riding ridiculous insane beasties – with guns (maybe)! Just like in the old days!
We’ve been waiting 27 years for this one!
WAAAAGH!
