Meganob

"I'se got 'da teef, I'se got 'da loot, I'se got 'da dakka, an' I'se got 'dis 'ere mega-armour. 'Dat's why wot I sez goes aroun' 'ere, ya runty Grots. Try me any time ya'z feelin like a beatin'!"

— Bawbag Gitstompa, Meganob

An Ork Meganob of Warboss Ghazghkull's Goff Guard

A Meganob (pl. Meganobz) are the richest and most battle-hardened Ork Nobz within a warband who pays a Mek to build them a suit of Mega Armour. Piston-driven and covered in enough protective plating to turn its wearer into a walking tank, this armour is incredibly expensive. Yet it serves as the ultimate Greenskin status symbol. Though other Orks mock the Meganobz for wearing so much armour, only the dullest would do so within earshot. Even a direct hit from a tank round is unlikely to do more than knock a Meganob over, worsening his already foul temper. For many, the only chance of surviving an encounter with an angry Meganob is to outrun him. To counteract this weakness, many Meganobz roar into battle aboard armoured Battlewagons. This saves time that would be wasted slogging across the battlefield, and helps the Meganobz get stuck straight into combat.

Role[]

Ork culture is a seething morass of violence where the strong constantly assert their position over upstart, ambitious young Orks. Only the largest, toughest, and most aggressive Orks rise to leadership amongst the Greenskins. This makeshift "nobility" results in a class of Ork known as "Nobz" in their guttural language. Nobz are larger, richer and more aggressive than normal Orks, and never miss an opportunity to remind their fellows of it. These mighty Orks lead by example, fighting where the fighting is thickest and "encouraging" any recalcitrant Orks or Grots with cuffs and blows to get them into the battle. Orks instinctively obey those larger than themselves, provided they are a healthy shade of green -– most Orks would rather die than bow to a non-Greenskin's will. A Warlord's or Warboss' decisions are enforced by this ruling caste.

Alongside sheer body mass, decent wargear is the sign of nobility and status amongst Orks. No ordinary Ork trooper is allowed to keep wargear that is better or more prestigious than that of his tribe's Nobz, and will quickly have such items "confiscated". Because of this, Nobz are usually armed and equipped with a bewildering variety of killy stuff. In many warbands, Nobz gain a favoured status for collecting loot or special wargear from the Meks, such as Mega Armour. Such Mega Armoured Nobz (known as Meganobz) often form an elite bodyguard for an Ork Warboss and accompany him into the heart of any fight with savage enthusiasm. If the Warboss falls, the largest Nob will take his place (after kicking in some heads to restore order, of course). Some Nobz prefer to lead mobs of smaller Ork Boyz who they can boss around with impunity.

Wargear[]

The following is a selection of the wargear most Meganobz use:

Twin-linked Shoota - Shootas are kinetic ballistic weapons used by the Orks that are chosen not for their efficiency but for the amount of noise they make and the amount of damage they can do. The best Shootas are deafening and deadly in equal measure. Like the Slugga, Shootas are not very accurate. This suits the Orks just fine, since they seem less interested in accuracy than in causing damage and raising a ruckus.
Power Klaw - A variant of the more common Power Fist utilised by Imperial forces, the Power Klaw is a large cybernetic claw, often with three bladed fingers. A Power Klaw functions much like a Power Fist does for the Imperials, and with it an Ork can tear the side from an armoured vehicle with ease and easily rip apart armour of almost any kind.
Mega Armour - The most powerful Orks sometimes don Mega Armour, the most potent personal defence in the Orky arsenal. Bashed together from thick steel plates, scavenged power-exoskeletons, powerful hydraulic rams, and other bits and gubbins of military and industrial detritus, Mega Armour is one of the heights of the Mek's craft. Each suit is custom built for its wearer, typically a flashy, domineering Nob, but oftentimes a Warboss or other high-ranking Ork. These ponderous, clanking, smoke-belching suits of armour allow an Ork Warboss or Nob to stand toe to toe against even a Space Marine in Tactical Dreadnought Armour, and make them nigh unassailable by Imperial Guard troopers armed with anything less than potent antitank weaponry.
Stikkbombz - An Ork Stikkbomb is an anti-infantry fragmentation grenade commonly utilised by Ork forces. Ork grenades are much bigger and heftier than those used by other races, which makes good sense to an Ork because the bigger something is, the more dangerous it will be. Stikkbomz are made up of a can filled with crude explosives which is screwed onto a stick so that it can be used as an equally crude mace if necessary. Mekboyz churn out Stikkbomz by the score and mainly two sorts -- Frag and Krak stikkbombz. Frag 'bombz detonate with a dull explosion and shower shrapnel and fragments of casings over a wide area. Krak 'bombz detonate with a high-pitched snapping noise and punch a dirty great hole through whatever it is they have hit. Krak bombz are harder to throw because they have to strike the target "head first." There also exist "Suppa Stikbommz", which are little more that multiple Krak Stikbommz strapped or bolted together and wired to a single detonator. Meks often build them to add a little more armour penetration to their explosives, at the cost of operational safety (such as it already is).