Iron Orcs

Iron Orcs are a rare breed of Orc that apparently only exists in the northern slopes of the Irrana Mountains that border the Bretonnian Dukedom of Carcassonne.

In recent years, Carcassonnian knights have begun talking of the Iron Orcs of the mountains, obvious servants of Chaos who reinforce the normal Orc hordes and who are stronger even than the Black Orcs. So far, only natives of Carcassonne claim to have seen them. Even Tileans, with territory in the same mountains, have seen nothing. Many people think they are just a story to back up Carcassonnian demands for reduced taxes.

Iron Orcs are real enough, though it is unclear why only Carcassonnian natives have so far encountered them. At first sight they look like Black Orcs in plate armour but without a helmet, but closer encounters reveal the armour is set into their skin. They are faster, stronger, and better armoured than Black Orcs, but Iron Orcs are less intelligent and more savage. They normally serve under Black Orc leaders, and some accounts suggest that their numbers are increasing. This worries Duke Huebald a great deal.

They usually fight with big choppas, weapons even larger and more unwieldy than choppas, that must be used with both hands by any non-Orcs.

The Warhammer Army Project gave them a shout-out by mentioning them briefly as one of the forces fought by the armies of Estalia.

Fan Theories

One fan theory is that the iron armor is an organic adaptation of the orcs, an iron shell growing from their skin like a crab's exoskeleton does, caused by from eating meats high in iron... or maybe just choking down scrap metal in imitation of ogres.

Another theory is that they are artificially "upgraded" Orcs, created either by Chaos wizards or Skaven of Clan Moulder in a deal with a particularly clever Orc Warboss. "Upgrade their troops, and they'll krump the gitz they point them at" is a concept the brainier warbosses can figure out easily enough.