The Blood Axes are the clan the other greenskins trust least, for reasons that make perfect sense to everyone but the Blood Axes themselves. They deal openly with the Imperium, hire themselves out as mercenaries to desperate human commanders, and cheerfully adopt human tactics, equipment, and even the odd word of Gothic. To a proper Ork this reeks of cowardice; to a Blood Axe it is simply being dead kunnin', and the results tend to silence the insults once the shooting starts.
That same pragmatism shows in how they fight. Alone among the clans, the Blood Axes make use of camouflage, daubing their gear in muted greens and blacks and skulking through cover rather than charging into the open. That they rarely grasp why camouflage actually works, and often paint themselves in patterns wildly unsuited to the terrain, does little to blunt its effectiveness. They see no glory in dreaming up a cunning plan only to be gunned down before it can unfold, so they scheme, ambush, and, most scandalous of all, retreat when the odds turn sour, ready to return on better terms.
It is no accident that so many of Orkdom's feared Kommandos are drawn from Blood Axe stock. The clan's instinct for stealth, sabotage, and striking from an unexpected quarter breeds some of the deadliest infiltrators the greenskins can field, warriors whose willingness to fight dirty has ended more Imperial campaigns than any number of straightforward green tides.
Orks
Order of battle
The Blood Axes field the units of the Orks — a detachment from the roster:
Kindred formations
Other Orks formations
Bad MoonsThe wealthiest Ork clan, whose mastery of trade and gaudy yellow gear keeps every other clan's war machine running.
DeathskullsThe Ork clan of incorrigible looters and scroungers, who daub themselves in lucky blue and pilfer anything not bolted down, friend or foe alike.
Evil SunzSpeed-obsessed Orks who believe painting a vehicle red makes it faster and would rather crash into the enemy than shoot them.
FreebooterzPiratical Orks who have cut ties with any single clan to roam the stars for plunder, decked in gaudy finery beneath the dreaded Jolly Ork flag.
GoffsThe biggest, meanest, most traditionalist Ork clan, who settle every argument about tactics with a straightforward brawl.
SnakebitesThe most traditionalist Ork clan, feral throwbacks who scorn fancy tech for war paint, poison-proof hide, and the fierce beasts they breed for war.