A Big Mek protected by a Kustom Force Field, among the most powerful of Ork Energy Field generators.
Ork Energy Fields are the various types of Ork force fields and force field generator devices that have been devised by the Greenskins' Mekboyz for the personal protection of their warriors.
Despite often being looked upon by the Imperium and the other starfaring intelligent species as dim-witted barbarians who lack any understanding of the arts of civilisation, the Orks are actually highly advanced in certain technological fields, one of which is force field technology.
Ork Mekboys often use energy fields of varying strengths and physical origins to protect their creations and fellow Boyz in combat. Most of these energy fields resist assaults by projectiles carrying large amounts of kinetic energy and directed energy particles travelling at high speeds, but allow penetration by physical projectiles or melee weapons moving at far slower speeds.
Ork Energy Fields are often very effective at personal protection in combat despite usually manifesting as a crackling electric field that surrounds the bearer or spewing clouds of noxious smoke from its power plant.
The most notable forms of Ork Enegy Field technology are explored below.
Personal Field Generator[]
An Ork Boy in combat protected by a Personal Field Generator.
A Personal Field Generator is one of the most common forms of Ork Energy Field technology that generates a short-ranged force field of unknown origin that provides personal protection in combat from kinetic projectiles and directed energy assaults. All Personal Field Generators protect their user against all incoming damage for a short time until they inevitably overload and collapse, sometimes with explosive results.
Some particularly advanced versions of the Personal Field Generator may be able to extend their protection from the wearer around other nearby allied units, at the cost of a shortened duration for the period of invulnerability. Personal Field Generators are all custom-designed devices created by Ork Mekboyz.
Kustom Force Field[]
A Kustom Force Field is a more powerful variant of the Personal Field Generator constructed specifically by Big Meks to protect themselves as well as any Boyz or Greenskin vehicles in close proximity to them on the battlefield. A Kustom Force Field will absorb enemy kinetic and directed energy fire, crackling with a nimbus of electrical energy with each strike against the field and protecting everything under its bubble.
These devices are usually carried on a Big Mek's back when they provide individual protection. They can also be used to protect the Mekboy personal vehicles known as Mekboy Junkas or Ork combat walkers like Killa Kans and Stompas. The most powerful Kustom Force Fields are used to render Ork strongholds and other fortifications invulnerable to enemy artillery bombardments for a limited time.
The nature of the Kustom Force Field is unknown to Imperial science like most Ork technology, and despite its generation of an electrical field with each visible strike, it most likely relies upon the gestalt psychic WAAAGH! energy generated by all Greenskins to function.
Ork Voidship Shields[]
Ork Battleships or "deadnots" are often protected by potent Voidship Shields.
Ork Voidship Shields are essentially the Greenskin equivalent of the powerful Void Shields generated to provide protection to the voidships of the Imperial Navy. Ork voidships are always ramshackle constructions and most of them would not actually provide any protection against the vacuum if not for the special force fields closing the gaps and keeping the vessel's atmosphere intact. The same fields are also used to close the entrances to Ork attack craft launch bays on the largest Ork capital ships.
However, Greenskin vessels are also protected by these same powerful energy shield generators from enemy kinetic and directed energy fire. Similar to other Ork energy fields, Ork Voidship Shields crackle with electrical energy, sometimes flaring to life to block the most powerful hits, but at other times suddenly and catastrophically collapsing without any warning.
Power Field[]
Ork Stompas are often protected by a Power Field from enemy assualts.
A Power Field is a type of Ork Energy Shield that is generated to protect some Ork super-heavy vehicles and combat walkers such as Stompas. They are similar in function and capability to Imperial Void Shields, but are much less reliable, and typically are unable to be raised again, particularly in the midst of combat, once they have collapsed under fire, usually due to generator overload.
Like Void Shields, they provide little protection from melee attacks but can otherwise absorb all incoming kinetic and directed energy assaults until they inevitably collapse.
Runtbot[]
An Ork Runtbot shepherding a herd of Gretchin and Snotlings into battle under its protective energy field.
A Runtbot is a small Ork robot that is outfitted with a Personal Field Generator to provide a mobile, protective energy field during mass assaults by the Greenskins' cannon-fodder infantry.
Some Mekboyz install Personal Field Generators on special robots, programmed to advance after the herds of Gretchin and Snotlings on the battlefield and provide some protection to the smaller Orkoids until they engage in combat. Known as "Runtbots," these robots possess very unreliable force fields that can collapse at any moment, but some particularly sensitive Runtherds sometimes still use them to protect their herds.
Runtbots are usually also armed with some type of Kustom Mega-blastas or Shootas.
Sources[]
- Codex: Orks (4th Edition), pp. 34, 57
- Imperial Armour Volume Eight - Raid on Kastorel-Novem, pp. 141, 189
- Ere We Go: Orks in Warhammer 40,000 (1st Edition), pp. 94, 96-98
- Rogue Trader: Battlefleet Koronus (RPG), pg. 77
- Rynn's World (Novel) by Steve Parker, Part III, Ch. 9, pg. 528
- Waaargh: Orks (1st Edition), pg. 33
- Warhammer 40,000: Apocalypse (4th Edition), pg. 96
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution (PC Game)