Birds travel in flocks. Deer travel in herds. Munchkin Orcs travel in hordes! It’s hard to beat the overwhelming power of the horde, or the smell. No, really. Don’t even try.
- - Smash Up: Munchkin rulebook
The Orcs are one of the 8 factions from the Smash Up: Munchkin set.
Orcs are just big bullies. They team up on their opponents.
Other factions from the same set: Clerics, Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, Mages, Thieves, Warriors.
Cards[]
The Orcs have the usual 10 minions and 10 actions. The total minion base power (not counting any abilities) is unusually high at 32 or an average of 3.2 per minion compared to the usual 30 and 3.
Among their actions, there are:
- 1 play-on-minion action: Too Tough,
- 1 play-on-base action: Stalling,
- 8 standard actions (5 that affect one or more minions, in bold): And Stay Down!, Angry Pillagers (2x), Crush, Death Breath, Dogpile (2x), Gimme!,
- 0 actions that directly increase a minion's power.
Minions[]
1x Sword Lord - power 5 - Ongoing: Each of your other minions has +1 power. FAQ
2x Topper Chopper - power 5 - Talent: Do nothing. FAQ
3x Hammer Slammer - power 3 - Destroy a minion of power 2 or less. FAQ
4x Dork Orc - power 2 - Ongoing: This minion is not affected by other players’ actions. FAQ
Actions[]
1x And Stay Down! - Special: Play before a base scores. If you have the highest total power here, other players cannot play or use Special abilities. FAQ
2x Angry Pillagers - Special: Play when a base scores. If you have at least 3 more power there than the runner-up, gain 1 VP. FAQ
1x Crush - Choose a base and a player who has fewer minions there than you. Destroy one of that player’s minions there. FAQ
1x Death Breath - Place a minion of power 4 or less on the bottom of its owner’s deck. FAQ
2x Dogpile - Move one of your minions to a base where you have at least two minions. Special: You may play this before a base scores. FAQ
1x Gimme! - Choose an action on a minion. Destroy that minion and transfer the action to one of your minions. FAQ
1x Stalling - Play on a base. Ongoing: Each time another player plays a card, you may choose for your minions here not to be affected by it. FAQ
1x Too Tough - Play on a minion. Ongoing: This minion is not affected by other players’ actions. FAQ
Bases[]
Clarifications[]
Here are the official clarifications as they appear in the Smash Up: Munchkin rulebook:
And Stay Down!: This does not cancel the resolved effects of Specials played before it. Ties for the highest power count. This ability lasts until the base has finished scoring. (updated by The Bigger Geekier Box)
Gimme!: Gimme! can only get you one card, even if the minion has two or more. Gimme! can transfer the card even if the destruction fails.
Too Tough: If played on another player’s minion, Too Tough protects it from that player’s actions, but not from yours. (clarified by The Bigger Geekier Box)
Topper Chopper: Most factions have two 4-power minions. Topper Choppers have extra power instead of a useful ability.
Dork Orc: Actions played on this minion bounce off and are discarded. (added by The Bigger Geekier Box)
Mechanics[]
Orcs are themed to be powerful bullies. They are very physically powerful and have many cards that give them advantages for being more powerful on a base than the opposition. They domino their own advantages, such as with ways to get extra victory points for already winning, get extra minions for having multiple minions. This expands further, with Orcs having lots of ways to be unaffected by other players cards attempting to knock them back. They even can prevent players from using last minute specials in a few ways. While Orc minions are protected from opponents fighting back, they have many ways to make weak opponents weaker through removing their minions.
External Strategy Guides[]
FAQ[]
Questions on Sword Lord[]
Q: Do Sword Lord get +1 power from its own ability?
A: No, only your other minions get the +1 power.
Q: Does it only work on my other minions on the same base as Sword Lord?
A: No, it works on any of your minions (other than Sword Lord, of course) on any base.
Q: Does it also work on my other minions in my hand?
A: No, it works on any of your minions (other than Sword Lord, of course) in play.
Q: Does it also work on minions in play that I own but don't control? I don't control them but I "own" them, so they are "my" minions, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: Can you boost the power of a minion in stasis?
A: No, cards in stasis cannot be affected by cards that do not explicitly state they work on cards in stasis.
Questions on Topper Chopper[]
Q: What is that ability?
A: A talent... that does nothing. If you compare the Orcs with any regular faction distribution, Topper Chopper actually takes the position of the power-4 minion of a faction. The creators of the game gave it more power than the regular minions of that position, but gave it a useless power in exchange.
Q: If I use it, am I forbidden from doing anything else for the rest of the turn?
A: No, the talent just does nothing, but if there are other cards you want to play, abilities (like talents) you want to use, go ahead.
Rule: N/A
Q: If Topper Chopper is on Changing Room, does it gain +1 power if I use its talent?
A: Sure!
Questions on Hammer Slammer[]
Q: When I play Hammer Slammer, do I have to destroy a minion? Even my own minion?
A: Short answer: yes. If there are one or more minions of power 2 or less in play, you must target one of them for destruction, even if it's your own minion.
Q: Can I only destroy a minion on Hammer Slammer's base or on any base?
A: On any base.
Q: Can you destroy a minion in stasis?
A: No, cards in stasis cannot be affected by cards that do not explicitly state they work on cards in stasis.
Questions on Dork Orc[]
Q: A player plays a Dork Orc. Can you play Control Minion as a Special to take control of it?
A: Yes, Control Minion is played before its ability is resolved, so it's not immune yet.
Q: An opponent has Dork Orc in play. Can I use my Blaster Master's talent on the Dork Orc since it's the ability of a minion but not an action?
A: Sure. As you say, Dork Orc can't be affected by other player's actions. Blaster Master is a minion, not an action.
Rule: Specific words are not synonymous no matter how similar they seem.
Q: An opponent plays Bear Hug (or Unfathomable Goals, Griefer, Out of Sight), forcing me to affect one of my minions. Can I choose Dork Orc? If so, does Dork Orc protect itself?
A: First of all, you can indeed choose any of your minions, but you must choose one if you have any in play. Secondly, since the cause of the affect is "another player's action", then yes, Dork Orc protects itself.
Q: I play a standard action in order to affect an opponent's minion on my Dork Orc's base. An opponent uses their Dancing King to copy that effect and have Dork Orc be affected as well, but Dork Orc is protected, right?
A: No. Dork Orc is protected from being affected by other players' actions. Firstly, what Dancing King does is copy the effect onto Dork Orc, which itself doesn't count as affecting the minion. Secondly, Dork Orc is now considered as indirectly affected by your action, which Dork Orc isn't protected against.
Rule: Check Diva, Dancing King, We Are Family's clarification.
Questions on And Stay Down![]
Q: A player plays And Stay Down!. Can I play Wil Wheaton as a Special or Force of Wil to discard And Stay Down! without effect?
A: Yes, Wil Wheaton and Force of Wil before the action's ability is resolved, so And Stay Down! doesn't protect against them.
Q: How long does And Stay Down!'s ability last? For example, if I play it before a first base is scored, are the other players also prohibited from playing or using Special abilities if a second base is scored on the same turn?
A: It lasts until the base that triggered it has finished scoring.
Q: Can I play it from stasis before a base scores?
A: No, while in stasis, the only abilities that can do anything are the ones that explicitly state that they do something there.
Rule: Abilities of cards in stasis do not work unless they refer to stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Angry Pillagers[]
Q: Do I gain 1 VP instead of the reward for winner position or do I gain 1 more VP?
A: You gain the reward for the winner position and 1 extra VP.
Q: Can I play it from stasis when a base scores?
A: No, while in stasis, the only abilities that can do anything are the ones that explicitly state that they do something there.
Rule: Abilities of cards in stasis do not work unless they refer to stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Crush[]
Q: We have to compare the number of minions we have on the base. Do we also each count the minions there that we own but don't control?
A: No. "You have a minion" means "you control at least one minion (whether or not you own it)". Minions you just own but don't control don't count.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: - If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed. Note that while the action is restricted to a minion controlled by an opponent who has fewer minions than the action player, the effect's copy still works if applied to a minion controlled by any player, even the action player themself.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed. Note that while the action is restricted to an opponent who has fewer minions than the action player, the effect's copy still works if applied to a minion controlled by any player, even the action player themself.
- It is impossible for Funky Town to copy that action's effect because you can only directly affect an opponent's minion, which won't trigger Funky Town.
Questions on Death Breath[]
Q: Can I use Death Breath on a minion that cannot be returned to the deck? E.g. because of Superiority
A: Yes. The card says "place", not "return". So Death Breath can be used on a card that cannot be "returned". Also, there currently are no abilities that "return" a card in play to the deck.
Rule: Specific words are not synonymous no matter how similar they seem.
Q: Is the ability of Death Breath the same as moving/returning the minion?
A: Unless the card explicitly tells you to move or return the minion, it is not moving or returning the minion, so no.
Rule: Specific words are not synonymous no matter how similar they seem.
Q: Can I use Death Breath to place a minion of power 4 or less from my discard pile under my deck?
A: No. The minion must be a minion in play.
Q: Can you place a minion in stasis on the bottom of its owner's deck?
A: No, cards in stasis cannot be affected by cards that do not explicitly state they work on cards in stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: - If Diva copies it (and it can copy it even if its power is more than 4), Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is placed on the bottom of its owner's deck, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself and it can copy it even if the power of the minion that gets the copy is more than 4), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is placed on the bottom of its owner's deck, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner.
- If We are Family copies it (and it can copy it even if the power of the minion it is on is more than 4), the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is placed on the bottom of its owner's deck, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner.
- With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it affects one of your minions, but if Funky Town does copy it (and it can copy it even if the power of the minion that gets the copy is more than 4), the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is placed on the bottom of its owner's deck, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action.
Rule: Cards that refer to a card’s owner do not apply to monsters or treasures.
Questions on Dogpile[]
Q: It tells me to move "one of my minions". Can I move a minion I own that I don't control? I don't control it but I "own" it, so it's "my" minion, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: The minion must be moved to a base "where I have at least two minions". Can I include the minions I own that I don't control to reach the two-minion requirement? I don't control them but I "own" them, so I "have" them, right?
A: No. "Where you have a minion" means "where you control at least one minion (whether or not you own it)". Minions you just own but don't control don't count.
Q: Suppose I have a single minion on one base and two minions on another base. If I play Dogpile, do I have to move my single minion?
A: No, you can target any of your minions in play, but if you move it, it must be to a base where you have at least two minions. If you choose your minion and there's no eligible base you can move it to, then your minion doesn't move and the action is discarded like normal.
Rule: You can play or use a card even if its ability can’t happen.
Q: If I use this before a base scores, must the move be made to the scoring base? from the scoring base?
A: When used as a Special, the scoring base doesn't matter. You can move your minion to or from the scoring base, or you can even move your minion between two bases that are not the scoring base.
Q: Does moving one of my minions from or away from a scoring base change anything at all? Don't we only get VPs based on the power we had at the start of scoring?
A: Actually, the amount of VPs each player gets is determined by the power each player currently has when you are handing out VPs, so any before-scoring abilities (including this one) that affect how much power you have on the base will affect the amount of VPs you'll eventually get.
Rule: VPs are awarded according to the current power totals.
Q: Before a base scores, I play this card and move one of my minions from that base, reducing the total power below the breakpoint. This ends the scoring, right?
A: You're mistaken here. Once a base has been chosen to score, you keep scoring it even if the total power on it drops below its breakpoint because of before-scoring abilities. (Only a couple of things can really prevent a base from scoring, but this isn't one of them.)
Q: Can I play it from stasis before a base scores?
A: No, while in stasis, the only abilities that can do anything are the ones that explicitly state that they do something there.
Rule: Abilities of cards in stasis do not work unless they refer to stasis.
Q: Can you move a minion from stasis to a base?
A: No, cards in stasis cannot be affected by cards that do not explicitly state they work on cards in stasis.
Q: Is this still a standard action if I play it through its Special ability for the Disco Dancers and Funky Town?
A: Yes. A standard action is an action that doesn't remain in play after being played. Dogpile doesn't remain in play when played, whether it's played normally or as a Special, so it IS a standard action no matter what.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: - If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base as the minion that was directly affected by the action.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base as the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that while the action is restricted to a minion controlled by the action player, the effect's copy still works if applied to a minion not controlled by that player.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base as the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that while the action is restricted to a minion controlled by the action player, the effect's copy still works if applied to a minion not controlled by that player.
- With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it moves one of your minions away from Funky Town, but if Funky Town does copy it, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base as the minion that was directly affected by the action
Questions on Gimme![]
Q: Wait! If I play Gimme! and destroy a minion, its attachments must be discarded according to the rule "when a card leaves play, discard attachments." How am I supposed to transfer the action then?
A: Obviously, for Gimme! to work, it must trump that rule just to allow you to transfer an action. The remaining attachments are still discarded though.
Rule: Often, card text and rules text will conflict. When there's a fight, card text wins.
Q: It tells me to transfer the action to "one of my minions". Can I transfer it to a minion I own that I don't control? I don't control it but I "own" it, so it's "my" minion, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: If I use Gimme! to destroy a minion with Jetpack of Anachronism, is the minion placed to its owner's hand or not?
A: Yes. You destroy the minion before transferring the action, so the action still applies and the minion is placed in its owner's hand.
Rule: Multiple parts of a card’s ability must be done in their stated order.
Rule: Check the Card Resolution Order.
Q: If I use Gimme! to destroy a minion with Small But Tough, is the minion placed on top of its owner's deck or not?
A: Yes. You destroy the minion before transferring the action, so the action still applies and the minion is placed on its owner's deck.
Rule: Multiple parts of a card’s ability must be done in their stated order.
Rule: Check the Card Resolution Order.
Q: If I use Gimme! to destroy a minion with an action that makes it indestructible (Shell Game, Überserum, Unstoppable), is the minion destroyed or not?
A: No. You destroy the minion before transferring the action, so the action still applies and the minion is saved from destruction.
Rule: Multiple parts of a card’s ability must be done in their stated order.
Rule: Check the Card Resolution Order.
Q: If I use Gimme! to destroy a minion with Hang in There, is the minion destroyed or not? How about the action?
A: When you play Gimme! and destroy the minion, Hang in There interrupts it. So, you need to fully resolve Hang in There before finishing resolving Gimme!'s ability. So, you resolve Hang in There by moving the minion to another and destroying Hang in There. Once you resume resolving Gimme!, Hang in There isn't in play anymore and can't be transferred.
Rule: Multiple parts of a card’s ability must be done in their stated order.
Rule: Check the Card Resolution Order.
Q: If I use Gimme! to destroy a minion with Eternal Hero, is the minion placed to its owner's hand or not? How about Eternal Hero?
A: When you play Gimme! and destroy the minion, Eternal Hero interrupts it. So, you need to fully resolve Eternal Hero before finishing resolving Gimme!'s ability. So, you resolve Eternal Hero by placing it and the minion in their owners' hands. Once you resume resolving Gimme!, Eternal Hero isn't in play anymore and can't be transferred.
Rule: Multiple parts of a card’s ability must be done in their stated order.
Rule: Check the Card Resolution Order.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: - If Diva copies it (and it can copy it even if it has no action played on it), Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed. Note that if Diva had any actions played on it, you don't transfer any of them to your minion. Indeed, transferring an action between two minions only counts as affecting the action and doesn't count as affecting any of the minions, so that part can't be copied.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself and it can copy it even if the minion that gets the copy has no action played on it), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed. Note that if the minion had any actions played on it, you don't transfer any of them to your minion. Indeed, transferring an action between two minions only counts as affecting the action and doesn't count as affecting any of the minions, so that part can't be copied.
- If We are Family copies it (and it can copy it even if the minion it is on has no action played on it), the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed. Note that if the minion had any actions played on it, you don't transfer any of them to your minion. Indeed, transferring an action between two minions only counts as affecting the action and doesn't count as affecting any of the minions, so that part can't be copied.
- With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it destroys one of your minions, but if Funky Town does copy it (and it can copy it even if the minion that gets the copy has no action played on it, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed. Note that if the minion had any actions played on it, you don't transfer any of them to your minion. Indeed, transferring an action between two minions only counts as affecting the action and doesn't count as affecting any of the minions, so that part can't be copied.
Questions on Stalling[]
Q: An opponent plays this card on a base, so if I have a minion there, I can protect it against my opponent's cards, right?
A: No. Your opponent played the action, so they control it, and therefore the action only addresses them and the ability must be interpreted from their point of view. So "you" means "they" (i.e. your opponent) "your minions" means "their minions" and "another player" means "one of their opponents".
Rule: A play-on-base action doesn't give an ability to the base that any player can use.
Rule: "You" on a minion, action or titan means the controller of the card.
Q: It protects "my minions". Does it also protect minions there that I own but don't control? I don't control them but I "own" them, so they are "my" minions, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: An opponent plays Bear Hug (or Unfathomable Goals, Griefer, Out of Sight), forcing me to affect one of my minions. Can I choose one of my minions on the same base as Stalling and choose for the card not to affect my minion?
A: First of all, you can indeed choose any of your minions, but you must choose one if you have any in play. Secondly, yes, if you choose for Stalling to protect your minion, it will be protected from the card that was played.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it says "Play on a base", which means that it is not a standard action.
Questions on Too Tough[]
Q: It just says "Play on a minion." Does it mean that I can play this on another player's minion? If so, whose actions is this minion protected from?
A: Yes, you can play it on another player's minion. Because you're the one who played it, you're the action's controller, so the action only addresses you and the ability must be interpreted from your point of view. So "other players" means "your opponents". In summary, that minion is now unaffectable by any actions not controlled by you, so even that minion's controller can't affect it with their own actions.
Rule: If you play an action on another player's minion, you're still the action's controller.
Rule: "Other players" on a minion, action or titan means everyone except the controller of the card.
Q: An opponent plays Bear Hug (or Unfathomable Goals, Griefer, Out of Sight), forcing me to affect one of my minions. Can I choose my minion with Too Tough played on it? If so, does Too Tough protect it?
A: First of all, you can indeed choose any of your minions, but you must choose one if you have any in play. Secondly, since the cause of the affect is "another player's action", then yes, Too Tough protects your minion.
Rule: "Can't" trumps "can".
Q: An opponent plays this card on one of their minions. If I transfer it to one of my minions, e.g. with Tinx or Rules Lawyer (possible here, because transferring the action affects the action, not the minion!), I have control of it, so my minion is therefore protected, right?
A: No, transferring an action doesn't make you its controller and transferring it to a different player's minion doesn't grant that player control of the action. The action's controller simply doesn't change. So, the player who played it still controls it, and therefore the action only addresses them and the ability must be interpreted from their point of view. So "other players" means "their opponents". In summary, what you just did by transferring the action to your minion is make it unaffectable by actions controlled by any player that isn't the action's controller (so you included!).
Rule: When you transfer an action, it doesn't change controller.
Q: Can you play it on a minion in stasis?
A: No, cards in stasis cannot be affected by cards that do not explicitly state they work on cards in stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: - If you're asking about when Too Tough is played, it doesn't interact with them at all, because it says "Play on a minion", which means that it is not a standard action.
- If you're asking about when you copy an effect onto an opponent's minion with Too Tough protecting it, then the minion isn't affected.
- If you're asking about when an opponent's minion with Too Tough protecting it is directly affected by your standard action and you want to copy that, then it's not possible because the minion isn't affected by your action and because no minion was affected, you can't copy the effect.
- If you're asking about when an opponent's minion with Too Tough protecting it is directly affected by that player's standard action and you want to copy that, then you can indeed copy it the same way.
Rule: "Can't" trumps "can".
Rule: Check Diva, Dancing King, We Are Family's clarification.
Trivia[]
- The artists are John Kovalic, who is well-known for drawing the art of many boardgames including Munchkin and several of its expansions, and Francisco Rico Torres, who also designed the art of many other factions.
- Their divider features Sword Lord.
- The font used for the Orc cards is Quasimodo.
- A Hoverbot is being crushed in the Crush card.
- A Werewolf is being attacked in the Dogpile card.
In other languages[]
Language | Name |
---|---|
French | Orques |
German | Orks |
Russian | Орки |
Spanish | Orcos |
|