Warhammer 40k fans and Warhammer 40k Orks are basically the same creature. Think about it - we treat war as a game, love building things out of random bits and gubbins, and often yell out loud when we get excited. Cosplay creator Warboss Vasya has come closer than most with his incredible Ork Warboss cosplay - so we had to ask him about the build.
Vasya says it was his "second serious project, the first was a Space Marine" - from Starcraft, rather than Warhammer 40k - but the Ork "was the first time I've done anatomy". He "worked on this project for about a year, in my free time". Everything was scratch built - "the most expensive part was the work itself, the materials were quite cheap", Vasya says.
Though the suit came to our attention when Vasya uploaded a video to Reddit earlier in October, he actually debuted the Ork at the Russian Epic Con in 2023. YouTuber R.E.D. cosplay captures his moment on stage in the video below. Also, he raps.
"The most challenging aspect of the project was incorporating technical elements into the suit, such as rotating the turret, rotating the engine, and creating a mechanized claw", Vasya says, "I usually do my projects myself, but I sometimes use the help of third-party specialists, such as electricians".
The gretchin turret is controlled by a joystick that fits in his right hand inside the suit, letting Vasya spin the grot. The chimneys can even spew smoke - assuming the event venue lets him.
The suit measures 9 feet two inches (2.8 metres) tall to the top of the gretchin's head, and it's seriously unwieldy. "I can only carry it for one hour at most, then I need to rest", Vasya says. It weighs "approximately 35 kg, but the problem is not its heaviness, but the fact that it is extremely uncomfortable due to its size".
For transport, it can break down into eight parts, but it takes the help of three assistants to actually mount Vasya into the costume. Since finishing the Ork, he's made a complete Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bebop suit. He says he's "currently on a creative break, and I'm thinking about my next project".
The Russian state is currently at war with Ukraine, after its illegal invasion in 2022, and the term 'Orc' is being used as online slang to describe the invaders. For Ukrainians that's an understandable response to a terrifying situation. We're highlighting this Russian Ork mostly because it's a great cosplay, and partly because Warhammer nerds from around the world have so much in common - governments start wars, not people.
You can also check out Wargamer's interviews with Ukrainian wargamers to learn how the war has affected them, and how wargaming has helped some of them to resist stress or keep in touch with family. YouTuber 52 Miniatures video documentary interviewing gamers in Lyiv is also well worth your time. Recently, my colleague Mollie Russell interviewed the Ukrainian team localising the indie RPG Mörk Borg, which inevitably touched on their experiences of the war.
Whether you're a fan of Orks or cosplay, and whatever nation you come from, you'll find civil conversations in the official Wargamer Discord community.