It is big. It is loud. It is objectively a nightmare to transport in anything smaller than a literal plastic tub. If you've spent any time around a Games Workshop store, you’ve seen the Warhammer 40000 Orks Stompa miniature looming over a shelf, looking like a corrugated iron shed had a violent disagreement with a scrap yard and somehow won. It’s not just a model; it’s a rite of passage for Ork players. Honestly, there is something deeply spiritual about gluing together a miniature that is basically a walking temple to the twin gods Gork and Mork.
Most people look at the Stompa and see a mess of rivets. They aren't wrong. But for a hobbyist, that mess represents the pinnacle of "Orky" design philosophy—if it’s big enough and you believe in it hard enough, it will probably blow something up.
The Reality of Building the Warhammer 40000 Orks Stompa Miniature
Let’s be real for a second. The Stompa kit is old. We’re talking 2008 old. Back when Games Workshop released the Apocalypse expansion, they dropped this behemoth on us, and the hobby world hasn't quite been the same since.
Building it is an experience. If you’re used to the modern, CAD-designed, push-fit perfection of 10th Edition Primaris Marines, the Warhammer 40000 Orks Stompa miniature is going to give you a localized stroke. The instructions are... well, they're more like "suggestions." You will find yourself staring at a pile of grey plastic plates, wondering why none of them seem to have a flat edge. That’s the point. It’s a ramshackle effigy. If a piece doesn't fit perfectly, you just jam some plastic glue in the gap and call it "battle damage." Orks don't do blueprints.
I’ve seen people spend sixty hours just on the internal structure. You don't even see the internal structure! But that’s the madness of the Stompa. It’s a massive hollow shell that invites you to go nuts with customization. You want to add a balcony for a Nob to yell from? Do it. You want to strap extra rokkits to the "Deffkannon" because why not? The kit practically begs for it.
What’s Actually Inside the Box?
You get over 230 parts. That sounds like a lot until you realize half of them are rivets. The sprue layout is chaotic. You get the massive body halves, the head (which looks like a bucket with a death stare), and the two main arms. One arm houses the Deffkannon and a twin-linked big shoota. The other is a massive "Mega-choppa" that looks like a chainsaw designed by someone who has never seen a tree but hates everything with a pulse.
Then there are the extras. Grot riggers. Little tiny gremlins crawling all over the hull. They are essential. Without those Grots, the Stompa is just a statue. With them, it's a living, breathing, malfunctioning disaster waiting to happen.
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Why the Stompa Divides the Competitive Community
Playing the Warhammer 40000 Orks Stompa miniature on the tabletop is a gamble. It costs a massive chunk of your army points—usually hovering around the 800-point mark depending on the current balance slate or Munitorum Field Manual updates.
Is it "good"?
Depends on who you ask. If you ask a tournament player wearing a jersey with his name on the back, he’ll tell you it’s a "distraction carnifex" at best and a "point sink" at worst. It’s a huge target. Everyone sees it. Everyone shoots it. It doesn't have the invulnerable saves of a Chaos Knight or the refined stratagem support of an Imperial Knight Valiant. It’s basically a giant brick of T12 wounds that hopes for the best.
But here is the thing.
When it works, it’s glorious. The Deffkannon hits like a freight train loaded with dynamite. If you get that Mega-choppa into melee range with an enemy centerpiece, it’s over. I’ve seen a Stompa delete a Baneblade in a single turn of combat. The sheer psychological impact of moving a foot-tall plastic mountain toward your opponent's front line cannot be overstated. They stop playing the mission. They start playing "Kill the Stompa." And while they’re frantically throwing everything at your big lad, your Boyz are quietly scoring points on the objectives.
The Customization Trap (and How to Win)
One of the biggest mistakes people make with the Warhammer 40000 Orks Stompa miniature is following the box art too closely. Look, Games Workshop’s 'Eavy Metal team is incredible. Their paint jobs are flawless. But a flawless Stompa feels... wrong.
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Ork technology is supposed to look like it was looted from a burning hive city. This is where you get to use the "salt chipping" technique or heavy weathering.
- Rust is your friend. Get some Typhus Corrosion and Ryza Rust. Don't be shy.
- Check your bits box. Any leftover parts from a Trukk, a Battlewagon, or even a Leman Russ can be bolted onto the Stompa.
- The "Kustom" Aspect. Some players even go as far as LED lighting in the eyes. If you’re feeling brave, you can hollow out the head and run a 3V battery down into the body.
The Stompa is the ultimate canvas. Because it has so much flat (well, mostly flat) surface area, it’s the best place to practice freehanding Ork glyphs and checkers. If you mess up a checkerboard on a small Boy, it looks like a blob. If you mess it up on a Stompa, you just paint a "metal" patch over it and pretend a Grot fixed a hole in the armor.
The Dreaded "Stompa Lean"
There is a technical issue with the kit that nobody talks about until they’ve built one. Gravity. The model is top-heavy. If you don't secure the legs to the base properly, or if you don't weigh down the bottom of the "skirt," it can develop a bit of a lean over time.
Pro tip: Glue some heavy metal washers or even some actual rocks inside the base of the body before you seal the two halves together. Lowering the center of gravity makes the whole thing feel more premium and prevents it from toppling over when someone bumps the table at the local game store.
Comparing the Stompa to the Gorkanaut
People often ask if they should just get a Gorkanaut (or Morkanaut) instead. The 'Nauts are newer kits. They’re easier to build. They fit in a standard carrying case. They’re "better" in a competitive 2,000-point list because they leave room for more units.
But they aren't a Stompa.
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The Warhammer 40000 Orks Stompa miniature has a presence that the smaller walkers just can't match. It represents the "Old Ways" of Warhammer—the era of massive, goofy, terrifying models that didn't care about balance. It’s a Lord of War in every sense. If you’re playing a narrative campaign or a casual Saturday game with friends, the Stompa is the star of the show. The Gorkanaut is a tool; the Stompa is a statement.
Essential Next Steps for New Warbosses
If you've decided to pull the trigger and add this titan to your Waaagh!, don't just dive in with a pair of snips and a dream. You need a plan.
First, get yourself a bottle of extra-thin plastic cement. You’re going to be doing a lot of structural bonding, and the "gel" stuff leaves too much mess on those big plates. Second, invest in a dedicated primer. Do not try to brush-prime a Stompa. You will die of old age before you finish. Use a rattle can—ideally a leadbelcher or a rusty brown—to give yourself a solid base to work from.
Once the base coat is on, focus on the "zones." Treat the Stompa like five different models: the head, the left arm, the right arm, the front torso, and the back. Working in sections prevents the "oh god, there is so much grey left" burnout that kills so many hobby projects.
Finally, remember the golden rule of Orks. There is no such thing as a "wrong" color. Whether it’s Goff black, Evil Sunz red, or Deathskulls blue, the Stompa looks best when it’s covered in grime, soot, and the metaphorical tears of your enemies.
Go get some plastic glue on your fingers. It’s time to build something loud.