Blood Axes

"Us Blood Axes hav lernt' a lot from da humies. How best ta kill 'em, fer example."

- Korporal Snagbrat of the Dreadblade Kommandos

The Blood Axes are an Ork tribe or clan that has actually been known to work alongside the Imperial forces on occasion. The Blood Axes are held by the other Ork clans to be a bunch of untrustworthy gits. They trade openly with the Imperium of Man, parley with the foe and will even consider retreating from battle if faced with insurmountable odds. Perhaps once intended to make the Blood Axes natural leaders, these qualities have instead earned them a reputation among other Greenskins as little more than treacherous scumbags.

In fact, most of the Blood Axes' reputation is undeserved. True, they have made the most contact with the forces of the Imperium, occasionally fighting as mercenaries and making extensive use of Imperial war materiel, but then every Ork can see the funny side of extorting weapons from human planets only to use them against their former owners. This clan was once very powerful, and easily dominated Ork society for a long time. When they began having too many friendly dealings with other aliens (especially humans), it was too much for the other clans to bear. A lot of Blood Axe Boyz were wiped out in a nasty inter-Ork war known as Da Big Party. As a result the clan was overthrown and the surviving Blood-Axes fled into hiding. Now they continue to deal with Mankind out of necessity, since the clan has become dependent on subsidies of teeth paid to them by the Imperium. The source of these payments comes from Imperial prospectors sent out to find old battlefields and rip the teeth out of Ork corpses. Other clans are especially disgusted by this -- not because the Blood Axes accept such teeth, but because they encourage humans to take what the Orks consider their property.

The Blood Axes are always at odds with every other Greenskin clan, over and above the inevitable animosity and constant feuding that normally characterises the Ork species. Few Orks suspect that this behaviour is inspired by the agents of the Imperium, the covert patrons of the Blood Axe clan. The Imperium uses the Blood Axe Orks as a fifth column for infiltrating Orkdom and also as a buffer clan for absorbing the worst effects of any disturbances among the Orks.

Blood Axes view the act of getting shot down before they have killed any of the enemy as a terrible waste of an opportunity, and so have adopted the practice of wearing camouflage. This makes them a target for derision from their brother clans, but in truth the Blood Axes care little. The Warbosses of the Blood Axe clan seem to have a better understanding of grand strategy than their compatriots from the other clans, planning large-scale battles or even entire campaigns in detail. When dealing with the other races, the Blood Axes are uncompromising and vicious. Should a human ever be caught trying to swindle a Blood Axe, he will be hacked to death where he stands.

Blood Axe Orks have also adopted the use of personal adornments commonly worn by soldiers of the Imperium. These militaristic icons hold no meaning for the Blood Axes, who have adopted the symbols purely as warlike decorations. When actual medals and badges are acquired they are deeply revered, and thought to contain potent magic for their owner.

Notable Blood Axes

 * Snikrot - Snikrot (also called Boss Snikrot and Snikrot the Stalker) is an infamous Blood Axe Ork who leads his own specialist band of killers known as the Red Skulls Kommandos, so named because of their habit of scalping their victims and spreading the hot blood onto their heads. They have terrorised the citizens of Armageddon for over half a century since they first arrived on that world during the Second War for Armageddon.

Clan Colours
Blood-Axes wear combat fatigues and forage caps in shades of green and drab colours, commonly in camouflage patterns. This betrays the influence of Imperial military style, as do the other personal adornments commonly worn by Orks of this clan. Usually these adornments take the form of Imperial aquilas, eagle wings, cap badges and medals. Other Orks look down upon the Blood Axes for their dealings with Humans, from whom they have copied these ideas. Despite outside influences, the clan has not totally abandoned traditional Ork style, and still wears warpaint, backplates, and grotesque Ork jewelry.

Clan Icon
The Blood-Axes bear the clan motif of crossed, bloodied axes.

Gallery
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