Killa Kans, Deff Dreads and Orks

The March of Metal and Mayhem

This artwork captures a chaotic and exhilarating moment straight from the heart of an Ork invasion. In the foreground, hulking red-painted walkers stomp through a warzone, raising clouds of dust and metal debris. These towering war machines, clad in jagged armor and bristling with weapons, are Deff Dreads and Killa Kans—iconic symbols of Ork mek-made brutality. Behind them, a massive industrial structure looms, filled with pipes, bolts, and guns, reinforcing the gritty, cobbled-together aesthetic of Ork technology. The whole scene is a burst of orange, red, and brown hues, giving it the feeling of raw heat and unrelenting destruction. Green-skinned Orks run alongside the machines, howling for blood and eager to crush anything that isn’t Orky.

Killa Kans: Grot-Driven Deathboxes

Killa Kans are the smaller of the two types of walkers shown in the image, but they’re no less dangerous. Each one is piloted by a Grot (a small and cowardly Orkoid), who is forcefully jammed inside the armored shell by a Mekboy and given just enough control to aim the weapons and move. These crude mechs are often armed with a mix of buzz saws, rokkit launchas, and big shootas, designed to charge into the enemy with wild abandon. Despite the Grots’ cowardice, being locked inside the can gives them enough “courage” to charge into the fray—mostly because they don’t have a choice. Ork Meks see Killa Kans as a good use of extra scrap and spare Grots, combining both into a noisy, stompy killing machine. They’re unpredictable, dangerous, and often explode in glorious fashion, which just makes them more fun in the eyes of Orks.

Deff Dreads: Mek-Made Monsters

Deff Dreads are the big brothers to Killa Kans, and they’re piloted by full-sized Orks who have volunteered—or been “volunteered”—for the job. Larger, more heavily armored, and equipped with more limbs, Deff Dreads often mount up to four weapon arms, usually a mix of klaws, rokkits, and burnas. Their pilots are typically Orks who’ve been injured in battle and want to keep fighting, even if it means becoming part of a machine. Meks weld them into the Dread’s torso and leave just enough room for the Ork to see and smash things. Deff Dreads are slow but devastating in close combat, capable of tearing apart tanks, infantry, or anything unlucky enough to get in their way. They embody the Ork love for loud, stompy, destructive wargear, often decorated with spiky bits, teef-like plating, and garish paint jobs.

Built for War by Mad Meks

The creation of both Killa Kans and Deff Dreads falls to Ork Meks, the mad tinkerers and engineers of Ork society. Meks are obsessed with building bigger and better war machines, often using whatever scrap they can find and slapping it together with little concern for logic. The fact that any of it works is a mystery to the galaxy—but to Orks, it works because they believe it does. These walkers are living proof of that bizarre Orky engineering philosophy. They’re not pretty, they’re not elegant, but they are brutally effective and terrifying to face on the battlefield. Every Deff Dread and Killa Kan is a unique creation, often plastered with checkered patterns, glyphs, spikes, and banners showing allegiance to their clan—usually Evil Sunz or Goffs.

A Storm of Orky Fury

In the artwork, the sheer energy and motion of the charge brings the viewer right into the action. The Deff Dread at the center has a jagged maw of teef painted across its chest, chainsaws for arms, and blazing barrels that look like they’ve just emptied into the enemy. The smaller Killa Kans dart around its feet like angry dogs, their weapons glowing hot and mechanical limbs twitching with motion. The background is filled with flying debris and flashing light, giving the scene a sense of unstoppable forward motion. Orks charging beside the walkers are green-skinned and wide-grinned, shouting war cries and firing their crude shootas. The combined force of stomping walkers and wild Orks is pure chaos—and exactly how the Orks like it.

Power Through Belief and Scrap

This scene isn’t just about brute force—it’s a glimpse into Ork culture itself. Everything here runs on scrap, violence, and the collective belief of the Orks that their machines will work, no matter how ridiculous they look. Killa Kans and Deff Dreads represent more than just tools of war—they’re Orky ingenuity brought to loud, clanking life. The red paint, which Orks believe makes things go faster, is splashed all over the machines in messy streaks, and you can almost hear the roaring engines and manic laughter. There’s no subtlety, no finesse—just stompy metal death charging into battle with a warcry. It’s raw, unfiltered Ork war—loud, chaotic, and somehow, gloriously effective.