Orks vs Space Marines: which 40K army should you start?
Green horde vs elite super-soldiers: Orks are cheap, characterful and forgiving; Space Marines are the polished, best-supported all-rounder. Here's how to choose.
SprueSentry strategy commentary, not official rules. Games Workshop updates points and rules regularly — always confirm against the current official rules and your latest dataslate before a game.
Orks and Space Marines sit at opposite ends of the 40K spectrum — a rowdy green horde versus disciplined power-armoured elites — and both are superb beginner armies for different reasons. This guide compares them so you can pick your side.
Go deeper in the Orks and Space Marines how-to-play guides.
The quick answer
- Pick Orks for cheap, characterful, forgiving fun — lots of models, a loose paint style, and a rule set (the Waaagh!) that rewards charging in.
- Pick Space Marines for the polished elite all-rounder with the most support, opponents, and customisation.
Orks are the more relaxed, hobby-forward choice; Marines are the more supported, precise one.
Playstyle
Orks are a green tide: numerous, aggressive, and defined by the army-wide Waaagh! turn that supercharges an all-in assault. Space Marines are elite generalists — few, tough, flexible models leaning on Oath of Moment focus fire. Orks want to swarm and charge; Marines want to pick targets and trade efficiently.
Painting and difficulty
Orks are the most forgiving to paint — a loose, characterful style (Contrast greens, rusty metals) looks great and hides mistakes, and the army is genuinely fun to convert. But a horde is more models. Space Marines have a lower model count but reward crisp, careful painting. On the table both are forgiving; Orks shrug off losses through numbers, Marines through toughness.
Cost to start
Both start with a Combat Patrol at a comparable entry price — compare live prices on the box pages. Orks are cheap and forgiving to expand (bodies are inexpensive); Space Marines have the biggest range and secondhand supply.
So which one?
Want relaxed, characterful, hobby-forward fun and love the green horde → Orks. Want the polished elite army with maximum support and customisation → Space Marines. Both forgive beginner mistakes; pick the vibe — rowdy greenskins or disciplined Astartes.
Common questions
Are Orks or Space Marines better for beginners?
Both are forgiving and beginner-friendly. Orks are cheaper, more relaxed to paint, and fun to convert but have more models; Space Marines have the most support and a lower model count. Pick the aesthetic you prefer.
Are Orks hard to play?
No — Orks are forgiving thanks to numbers and the Waaagh! rewards a straightforward charge-in gameplan. They're one of the more relaxed armies to learn, with painting mistakes easily hidden by their loose style.
Which is cheaper, Orks or Space Marines?
Both start at a similar Combat Patrol price. Orks are cheap to expand (models are inexpensive per point), while Space Marines have the largest secondhand supply to hunt for deals — check live prices on the box pages.
Written by SprueSentry with SprueSentry editorial (hand-authored, research-grounded), grounded in the cited sources — original commentary, not Games Workshop rules text.