Ironjawz

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Grand Alliance Destruction Ironjawz

Waaaaaaaaaagh!!

Lore Tactics General Tactics

The Ironjawz are a faction of Orruks found in Age of Sigmar. They, to put it simply, are the 'Ardest of the 'Ardest, consisting of Orruks who would be considered full-blown WARBOSSES in other Orruk tribes due to their sheer strength and size. To be more precise, they'd be MegaNobz considering how massive and ungainly their armor is, which these models are good proxies for. Greatest amongst the Ironjawz, and the closest thing the Orruks have to a racial leader, is Gordrakk, the Fist of Gork. They were the de facto posterboys for Destruction for a good long while before the Gloomspite Gitz seized it from them like the sneaky gitz they are.

Introduction

The Ironjawz aren't like the traditional Orruk tribes in that EVERY different colour or warband are part of the same tribe and will actively follow DA ONE TRUE BOSS if they encounter him. Yes, you heard that right. These gits all will follow one boss instead of fighting each other to be the biggest boss, due to how 'ard this boss is. Because of their unique way of leadership the Ironjawz have become a very feared and terrifying force of destruction, Their religion is similar; it states that Gordrakk is the Prophet of Gorkamorka and that the only way to get Gorkamorka to return to the Mortal Realms is to unleash the biggest, meanest, most bloody scrap ever fought. And it's worryingly likely. The Beastclaw Raiders, Bonesplitterz, and most other factions of Destruction are joining WAAAGH! Gordrakk. Currently Gordrakk has just built himself a colossal battering ram made out of the skull of a Godbeast, and has announced his plans to krump Sigmar himself, viewing him as the only worthy opponent left in the Mortal Realms.

Da Forces of Da Ironjawz

Ironjawz have a crude but efficient method of organization. The basic unit is the Mob, which may range in size anywhere from five to five hundred. Five Mobs make a Fist, and five Fists makes a Brawl, the Ironjawz equivelant of a regiment. This fixation on fives is because most Ironjawz can't count any higher. It is said Gordrakk's Waaagh! is so big that it is counted in units of ten, which the Ironjawz see as a formidable feat due to the legend that "seven ate nine". Myths seen as ludicrous even by the Ironjawz speak of Orruks so kunnin' they can count to twenty if they take off their shoes.

• Megaboss: The biggest of the big boys, and constantly growing bigger to the point where they pretty much regenerate in combat because killing only makes them stronger.
  • Megaboss on Maw-Krusha: Since most Megabosses are so big that they'd break the back of any grunta, they typically use these dragon-like monsters instead. These colossal beasties look like buffed up wyverns and can let out a roar loud enough to shatter most mortal men’s heads. According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a Maw-Krusha should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its enormous fat body off the ground. The Maw-Krusha, of course, flies anyway because Orruks don't care what humans think is impossible and/or Maw-Krushas are so aggressive, even gravity doesn't want to get in their way.
• Tuskboss on Maw-Grunta: As with all Orruk things, "Bigga iz betta" and the Maw-Grunta is the Gargant of hogs. Considered even more brutal and unstoppable than the Gore Grunta, the Maw-Grunta is a beast native to Ghur and known for its rapacious appetite and formidable charges. A Boss by the name of Krazogg Hornsplitta had the batshit crazy idea to lure a Maw-Grunta stampede into a narrow canyon and position himself and his lads at the end. After beating each other up sufficiently, the WAAAGH energy created was enough for Krazogg to death stare a Maw-Grunta long enough for him to clamber onto its back and loop chains around its neck. This method called "Da Manoova" has been tried by many aspiring Hog Riders but has a very high mortality rate. Those that succeed lead Gruntfists, stampedes of Maw-Gruntas that trample across the Realms.
• Ardboy Big Boss: The biggest and most senior of the Ardboys. While they aren't as fucking massive, they're a bit more capable of keeping their mobs in line.
• Warchanters: Most Ironjawz think music is pointless, and laugh at the Ardboys for their use of war-drums. However, they all respect the mystical beats of the Warchanter. These Orruks are constantly said to hear the twin heartbeats of Gork and Mork, and are compelled to recreate this rhythm, whether it be by bashing their sticks together or by bashing their enemies' skulls instead. Hearing this beat intensifies the power of the Waaagh! in Ironjawz and makes them fight with even more intensity.
• Weirdnob Shaman: Pretty much your standard orc shaman. Have a rivalry with the Wurrgog Prophets of the Bonesplitterz; the Wurrgog view them as less in touch with the will of Gorkamorka, while the Weirdnobs counter that anybody who summons a giant fist to krump their enemies is clearly following their gods will.

• Ardboys: So you ever wondered what happened to Black Orcs? Welp they became the fan boyz of the Ironjawz. Ardboyz are orcs who want to join the Ironjawz tribe, to do this they wear full-plate armour and copy whatever the ironjawz do so in short they are obsessed fanboyz. That's not to say they aren't a hard frontline with a +4 armour save and two wounds a piece these guys will hit hard and keep smashing until either they die or the enemies dies.
• Orruk Brutes: While the Ardboys can be considered the grots of the Ironjaw society, Brutes can be considered the regular boyz. The Brutes are Orruk Nobz in strength and size, they are clad in metal scraps smashed into shape to fit the wearer. These guys are your elite front-line infantry whom have a special preference for beating up anything bigger than them.
• Brute Ragerz: So you thought that the Ironjawz were mad enough? Well, these guys are even madder, driven insane by the urge to redeem themselves of some humiliating defeat to the point that they'll strip themselves of their armor so they can get to the fight faster.
  • Weirdbrute Wreckaz: The alt-build of above. Rather than being desperate for revenge, these guys are driven mad by an overload of Waaagh energy. While they're still unarmored, their masks have magical energy interweaved that numbs the pain they suffer.
• Gore Gruntaz: Gruntas are pig-like creatures ridden by the Ironjawz, and are said to be to a boar what an ogor is to a human. The comparison to an ogor is apt, for a Grunta shares their size and hunger, to the point Ironjawz use them as siege weapons by having them literally eat enemy fortifications. The only thing Gruntas cannot eat is metal, which they crap out undigested. Ironjawz view this "pig-iron" as lucky and favor it for crafting.

• Maw-Grunta Gougers: Ironjawz riding giant boars the size of rhinos. This thing is even harder to control and thus harder to stop, but the Ironjawz who do gain a powerful steed.
  • Maw-Grunta with Hakkin' Crew: So take the above. Now add some platforms and strap some more onery Ironjawz onto it. What was once just an unstoppable pain-train now becomes a roving blender with its willing guests riding along to chop along with the rider.

Warclans

In an attempt to make the Orruks seem less single minded, recent fluff has added that not all Orruks are willing to follow Gordrakk’s Big Waaagh! Oh sure, they’ll still support him if they cross paths, but most other Orruks will usually stick to their own traditions and tribes, collectively known as Warclans.

• Fang-krushas: Swaggering blowhards who follow the Fist of Gork, claiming to be his favorite mob of Orruks. They were in fact the clan which he came from.
• Ironsunz: The biggest and most recognized of Ironjawz Warclans, infamous for their garish yellow armor and surprising level of cunning. While this clan has existed since the Age of Myth, they really didn’t gain their current notoriety until the arrival of Grand Overboss Dakkbad Grotkicka. Now Dakkbad had a revelation early in his life; by actively avoiding getting shot and stabbed, he can smash and crush back even harder. Expectedly, this was a controversial opinion among his fellow Orruks. Such qualms were silenced after the ambitious Brute used this intellect to survive the ear-drum shattering roar of a Maw-Krusha that previously offed his former boss. Now Dakkbad leads the Ironsunz as a cult of personality, where every Orruk in it aspires to be just as cunnin’ as he is. Interestingly, he loathes Gordrakk (likely due to Gordrakk’s god-given rise to power contrasting with Dakkbad’s long and arduous climb to leadership) and aspires to reign control the Big Waaagh! from the Fist of Gork.
• Bloodtoofs: It’s the Wacky Races in the Mortal Realms! These red rough riders have an obsession for throwing themselves into realmgates at high speeds, and then repeating the process over and over. They barrel through cities and fortresses without a care in the world other than where’s the next realmgate. They also have a fierce rivalry with the Ironsunz, after Dakkbad Grotkicka fed their reigning Warboss to his own Maw-Krusha.
• Da Choppas: The blue boys of Da Choppas focus on desecration rather than destruction. Like a rowdy gang of delinquents, they leave enemy strongholds standing, but completely graffitied and defiled with greenskin “art.” Their most infamous raid saw them defile an Everchosen Dreadhold and replace the head of an Archaon statue with a grot’s head. They’re led by an enterprising Weirdnob Shaman who carries the skull of the previous Megaboss on his staff, claiming to speak to his boss from “da great beyond”.
• Kryptboyz: A Warclan native to Shyish, this horde of Greenskins takes particular pleasure in tearing down the necropoli of the Ossiarch Bonereapers and wearing their looted bones as trophies. Their color scheme is identical to the Black Orcs of Fantasy Battle.
• Skybasha: Their armor is made of Sky-Metal, which they leave unpainted except for the teeth and the edges of their blades. Inhabiting Chamon is not at all easy, so these Orruks scrap Kharadron vessels to make ramshackle aircraft for their raids.
• Grok Skulls: Once they were led by an Orruk named... Grok Skull. Now, his head is a trophy carried in battle so he can witness the carnage.
• Treebitaz: These terrors on Verdia wear armor made out of Jade. They are (quite predictably) native to Ghyran.

Soulbound

Despite what you might think, Ironjawz have nothing but respect for at least the idea of becoming Soulbound. Not just for joining an all-Destruction Binding, which they naturally presume they'll become the Boss of, but a mixed-faction one too. After all, Gorkamorka himself teamed up with Sigmar after an epic brawl because they had a great fight and found even better things to fight afterwards; why would an Ironjaw feel any different? Besides, becoming a Soulbound a) gives you lots of different monsters to fight, b) proves you must be ded 'ard, and c) will guarantee that every git will hear your name sooner or later - all very important considerations for an Ironjaw.

An Ironjaw usually joins a mixed-faction Binding because it contains a champion who impressed them (usually by beating them) - whether it's because they want to have a rematch, they want to prove themselves to that champion, or they want to find even better foes to fight together depends on the orruk, and might change by the day. And it helps that Ironjawz don't really have anything against the Free Cities as a concept; they level cities, yes, but that's just because they make nice big targets, and an Ironjaw worthy of the name is happy to attack anything that looks like it might be a fun fight - and anything big enough to spot from a distance is usually going to look like a fun fight.

One downside for mixed-faction Bindings is that Ironjawz have bad impulse control but aren't usually as amiable about being "handled" as the Bonesplitterz are. Ironjawz forced to hold back from random fights can qickly grow bored and surly, and that just spells trouble for everyone, GM included that description makes them out to be Murderhobos! Luckily, the forces of Order are surrounded by enemies, so a Binding usually doesn't have to look too hard to find somebody they can point their orruk at and enjoy the fisticuffs with.

The following Ironjawz warclans have been known to produce Soulbound:

• Bloodtoofs: This crazed horde of grunta-riders is driven by a single goal: to repeat Gorkamorka's feat of fighting their way across the entirety of the Realms and then back again. At least, that was the mission. Now they just hurl themselves ever onward in an insatiable search for new thrills. Becoming Soulbound is seen as the key to an endless array of new thrills, and to sate ambitions to ride in the craziest, most spectacular places, like the labyrinth of Tzeentch or even the storm-wracked fields of Azyr. Heroes from the Bloodtoofs get "Hunt and Crush"; they get Loyal Companion (Grunta) as a talent to all archetypes even if not normally possible. They are guaranteed to always end up arriving unscathed when they use a reckless or self-endangering way to travel (realmgate, teleport, launched out of a catapult, etc), and they boost their Melee by one step until they complete a Rest after ending up in a new destination.
• Da Choppas: Vandals with a surprising artistic streak, Da Choppas believe that the concept of culture itself is criminally boring, and so they feel they have a Gorkamorka-given mission to rough up the realms, and they're not picky about who they have to work with to complete their job of tearing down all cultural works. In fact, the idea that even humies, aelves and stunties can be convinced to get in on the fun sounds great to many of these orruks. Heroes from Da Choppas gain "Rabble Rousers", letting them double the Damage dealt to inanimate objects, and doubling Training and Focus for any Test to incite spontaneous mass violence (a riot, bar fight, Waaagh! or whatever). And hey, an Order party can happily point them at the nearest Chaos city loudly declaring their superiority to the uncivilized cretins surrounding them, just begging for a krumpin.
• Ironsunz: The Morkiest of all the Ironjawz, the love of showing off that these orruks have means they eagerly leap at the call to become Soulbound. Heroes from the Ironsunz get "Alright, Get Em!", which lets them Seize the Initiative as a free action once per combat, and boosts their Speed to Fast when they charge.

The archetypes available to Ironjawz are Brute, Warchanter and Weirdnob Shaman.