Gretchin

Where this topic stands

According to press coverage of the presentation on 7 June 2026, Gretchin were seen alongside Ork Boyz in the gameplay footage — not confirmed by the publisher in any material we were able to open. On the tabletop, Gretchin are the Ork underclass: small, cowardly, endlessly numerous, and the cheapest bodies in the army. No statistic has been published for any unit in this game.

What the tabletop establishes

Gretchin exist in the setting as the layer below the Boyz. They carry ammunition, crew the guns nobody else wants to crew, and are spent without much thought by the Orks themselves. Their tabletop role often rests on their low cost: a screen that absorbs a charge, or a body that holds a piece of ground while something more important does the work.

Small, cowardly and endlessly numerous, Gretchin are the Ork underclass. On the tabletop they are the cheapest bodies in the army and are spent accordingly.

Tabletop identity, as established by Games Workshop. It says nothing about the video game.

What has actually been shown

Only their presence has been reported. Nothing states whether they are a recruitable unit in their own right or part of another unit, and the two are very different things in an army list: one is a tactical choice, the other is flavour attached to something else. No cost, size or ability has been published.

What to watch next

The open question is how inexpensive troops fit into the recruitment and army limits. A unit that takes up a scarce slot has an opportunity cost, but screening another unit, occupying ground or saving resources could still make it useful. Large armies and supply restrictions are possible balancing tools, not the only ways to create that choice. The June report describes Gretchin in the footage without establishing their price, unit limits or battlefield rules. Reported by press coverage of 8 June 2026, not confirmed by the publisher. Information correct as of 5 September 2026.