How to Build an Oathmark Second Edition Kingdom: Humans & Orcs Army Guide

What if your fantasy kingdom wasn't made up of just one race? Imagine a frontier realm where disciplined Human spearmen defend ancient fortresses while fierce Orc warriors charge into battle beneath the same royal banner. In most fantasy wargames, these armies would be enemies. In Oathmark: Second Edition, they can be part of the same kingdom.

Created by Joseph A. McCullough and published by Osprey Games, Oathmark is a fantasy mass-battle wargame built around creating kingdoms, raising armies and fighting campaigns for territory. Its Second Edition, released in 2026, puts even greater emphasis on kingdom creation and the stories that develop between battles.

In this guide, we'll build a sample Human and Orc kingdom from scratch, explain how territories influence recruitment, recommend North Star Military Figures miniature kits and outline a practical path from your first infantry regiments to a full fantasy army.

Whether you're completely new to Oathmark or returning for Second Edition, this is a project you can build gradually without buying an enormous army on day one.

What Makes Oathmark Second Edition Different?

Most fantasy wargames begin with choosing a faction and selecting units from its army list. Oathmark takes a different approach: you create a kingdom, and your kingdom determines which units you can recruit.

Each realm is made up of territories, which can represent cities, forests, mountains, plains and other important locations. Different territories provide access to different troops and resources.

This creates an interesting relationship between your miniature collection and the fictional world behind it.

Instead of simply asking which units are strongest, you can ask:

• Where do my soldiers come from?
• Why do Humans and Orcs fight together?
• Who rules the kingdom?
• Which territories are most important to defend?
• How will the army change as the kingdom expands?

The answers help turn a collection of miniatures into a living fantasy realm.

What's New in Second Edition?

Oathmark Second Edition retains the recognizable fundamentals of the original game while revising and expanding its rules.

Some notable developments include:

• Kingdom creation takes centre stage: the game introduces the realm-building concept before the battlefield rules.
• Smaller starting kingdoms: players can begin with only two or three populated regions, leaving room for campaign expansion.
• New territory options: Borderlands provide additional recruitment possibilities.
• More core army options: Undead, chariots and Legendary Heroes receive expanded support in the main rulebook.
• Refined racial characteristics: Humans and Orcs have distinct battlefield identities.
• Updated campaign rules: territories gained or lost through battle can change your kingdom's military options.

For new players, the most important change is the encouragement to start small and let the kingdom grow through actual games.

Our Example Kingdom: The Iron Marches

For this guide, we'll create an original fictional kingdom called the Iron Marches.

This is a hobby example rather than an official Oathmark faction or published campaign setting.

For generations, the Iron Marches have occupied a rugged frontier between fertile Human farmland and the mountainous homelands of several Orc clans.

Originally, the two peoples fought bitter wars over mines, pastureland and ancient border fortresses.

But when a greater threat emerged from beyond the frontier, the Human lords and Orc chieftains formed an uneasy alliance.

Today, the kingdom is ruled by a Human monarch whose authority is supported by powerful Orc warleaders.

Its armies combine disciplined Human infantry with aggressive Orc formations, creating a force capable of both holding ground and launching devastating attacks.

Kingdom Identity

Creating this background before buying miniatures gives the army a consistent visual identity and provides a natural explanation for mixing different races.

Step 1: Choose Your Starting Kingdom Territories

Second Edition encourages players to begin with a relatively small kingdom, often containing two or three populated regions.

For our Human–Orc realm, we'll use a Human capital and an Orc settlement as the foundation of the army.

A third territory can be selected to support the direction in which we want the army to develop.

Suggested Starting Kingdom

These are narrative labels. Use the actual territory types, placement restrictions and recruitment tables in the Second Edition rulebook when recording your legal kingdom.

The advantage of this approach is that the army starts with a clear identity: Human soldiers hold the battle line while Orcs provide offensive power.

Step 2: Build Your Human Army Core

The Humans of the Iron Marches represent the kingdom's established military institutions.

Their soldiers defend castles, patrol roads and maintain order throughout the realm.

For our starting army, we'll use Human infantry as the foundation.

Recommended Kit: Oathmark Human Infantry

The North Star Military Figures Oathmark Human Infantry box contains 30 hard-plastic miniatures.

The kit is an excellent starting point for a Human kingdom because it provides enough figures to build several small formations or one larger infantry regiment.

Its classic fantasy aesthetic works particularly well for grounded, medieval-inspired armies.

How We'd Build the First Box

• 15 Human spearmen: the main defensive formation.
• 10 Human warriors: a supporting close-combat unit, using suitable weapon options.
• 5 command or character conversions: models distinguished through banners, equipment or other appropriate parts.

This is a suggested hobby allocation, not a required unit configuration. Check the sprue options and current rules before committing to specific weapons and unit sizes.

For a more traditional ranked army, you could instead assemble the majority of the box as one consistent infantry formation.

Why Humans Are a Good Starting Race

Human soldiers provide a recognizable foundation for a fantasy army.

Their equipment, uniforms and formations are familiar to historical wargamers, making them relatively straightforward to paint and organize.

In Second Edition, Humans also receive their own racial characteristics, helping distinguish them from other troops on the battlefield.

They are a natural choice for the kingdom's core defensive formations.

Step 3: Add Orc Warriors to Your Kingdom

Now comes the part that makes this project distinctly Oathmark.

Instead of creating a separate Orc army, we're going to recruit Orcs into the military of the Iron Marches.

In our kingdom's story, the Orc clans have sworn an oath to defend the realm in exchange for control over their ancestral mountain territories.

They retain their own chieftains and traditions but fight alongside Human soldiers when the kingdom goes to war.

Recommended Kit: Oathmark Orc Infantry

The Oathmark Orc Infantry box contains 30 hard-plastic miniatures with options for different weapons.

These include configurations suitable for spears, hand weapons and shields, or bows.

That flexibility makes the box particularly useful for a mixed kingdom.

How We'd Build the First Orc Box

• 15 Orc warriors: the primary assault formation.
• 10 Orc spearmen: a second formation capable of supporting the battle line.
• 5 Orc archers or conversions: additional variety, depending on the kit components and intended rules.

As with the Human box, these are modelling suggestions rather than guaranteed legal regiment sizes. You may prefer to build two uniform 15-model units or one larger formation.

What Makes Orcs Different in Second Edition?

Orcs retain their distinctive Wild Charge characteristic in Second Edition.

This reinforces their identity as aggressive warriors who excel when attacking.

For a mixed Human–Orc army, the contrast is appealing: Humans can provide the organized battle line while Orcs threaten decisive attacks.

Rather than deploying every unit independently, use the two races to support one another.

Step 4: Create Your First Mixed Human–Orc Army

With one box of Human Infantry and one box of Orc Infantry, you have 60 miniatures available for your first kingdom project.

That's enough to experiment with several formations while learning the game's movement, activation and combat systems.

Example Starter Force

Total: 60 miniatures from two infantry boxes.

This is a collection-building example, not a points-validated tournament army. Before playing, use the Second Edition rulebook to check legal unit sizes, troop profiles, equipment, character requirements and the units unlocked by your chosen territories.

Step 5: Add a Commander and Give the Army Personality

A kingdom needs leadership, and a mixed-race army offers excellent opportunities for memorable characters.

For the Iron Marches, we'll create two important figures.

King Aldric of Ironwatch

A Human monarch who inherited a kingdom weakened by decades of border warfare.

Rather than continuing the conflict with the Orc clans, Aldric negotiated an alliance that transformed the Iron Marches into a regional power.

On the tabletop, represent him with an appropriate Human character miniature, decorated shield and royal banner.

Grashnak Stonefang, Orc Warleader

The leader of the Stonefang clans and commander of the kingdom's Orc warriors.

Grashnak remains fiercely protective of Orc independence but recognizes that the alliance offers his people security and influence.

He could be represented by a converted Orc warrior with an oversized weapon, distinctive helmet or decorated shield.

Second Edition's expanded support for Legendary Heroes offers additional possibilities for developing important characters as your campaign progresses.

Step 6: How to Use Humans and Orcs Together in Battle

The strength of a mixed kingdom is that its different troops can perform complementary roles.

Our suggested Human–Orc army works best when it operates as a coordinated force rather than two independent groups.

Hold the Centre with Humans

Deploy your Human infantry in a solid central formation.

Their purpose is to control important ground and prevent the enemy from moving freely through the battlefield.

Use Orcs as an Assault Force

Position Orc warriors where they can threaten an exposed enemy formation.

Their aggressive battlefield identity makes them well suited to a force that wants to pressure the opponent rather than remain entirely defensive.

Protect Your Flanks

A common mistake in rank-and-file fantasy games is concentrating too many units in the centre.

Keep enough troops available to prevent enemy cavalry or fast-moving infantry from surrounding your main formations.

Coordinate Your Attacks

Oathmark uses activation mechanics that reward careful planning.

Don't assume every unit will act exactly when you want it to.

Try to position your Human and Orc formations so that one can support the other even when activations don't go according to plan.

Step 7: Expand Your Kingdom After the First Battles

One of the best features of Oathmark is that your miniature collection can grow alongside your campaign.

Rather than purchasing every available unit immediately, allow your kingdom's military development to follow the territories it controls.

Expansion One: Human Cavalry

If the Iron Marches gains territory that supports cavalry recruitment, mounted Human troops could provide mobility and additional flanking options.

They also fit the kingdom's established military traditions.

Consider adding cavalry once you've learned how infantry formations move and fight.

Expansion Two: More Orc Warriors

A second box of Orc Infantry allows you to create larger formations or specialize your existing units.

You might build an additional assault regiment, a dedicated spear formation or archers, depending on the available parts and legal army options.

Expansion Three: Elite Human Troops

Human Heavy Infantry or other suitable elite models can represent the royal household guard of Ironwatch Keep.

These troops provide a visually distinctive centrepiece for the Human portion of the army.

Expansion Four: Monsters or Additional Races

As the kingdom expands, you could introduce creatures or inhabitants from other regions.

Perhaps Goblin scouts serve the Orc clans, or a Dwarf settlement provides heavily armoured reinforcements.

Second Edition's territory system provides a narrative framework for these additions, subject to its recruitment rules.

Recommended Oathmark Kits: Human–Orc Kingdom Buying Guide

For most beginners, the first two infantry boxes and a suitable commander provide a manageable starting project. There's no need to purchase the full expansion list immediately.

Modelling Tips: Make Humans and Orcs Look Like One Kingdom

One of the challenges of a mixed-race army is making the collection look unified on the tabletop.

Fortunately, this is also one of the most enjoyable aspects of building an Oathmark kingdom.

1. Use Shared Heraldic Colours

For the Iron Marches, paint Human shields dark red with black symbols.

Give the Orcs similar colours on their shields, banners or clothing.

The Orcs can retain rougher equipment and more irregular clothing while still looking like part of the same army.

2. Create Different Military Traditions

Human soldiers might wear standardized armour and carry matching shields.

Orcs could use scavenged equipment, heavy weapons and decorated trophies.

These differences help tell the story of two peoples united by a common cause.

3. Use Consistent Basing

Matching bases are one of the simplest ways to unify an army.

For a frontier kingdom, consider:

• Rocky ground with dark earth.
• Patchy yellow grass.
• Small stones and weathered ruins.
• Occasional broken weapons or discarded shields.

Even very different miniatures will look cohesive when their bases share the same textures and colours.

4. Add Mixed Heraldry to Banners

Create a central royal banner featuring the Ironwatch tower.

Orc regiments could carry their own clan symbols alongside smaller versions of the kingdom's heraldry.

This reinforces the idea that the Orcs are allies with their own traditions rather than simply interchangeable soldiers.

5. Convert Unique Leaders

Use spare heads, weapons and equipment to distinguish officers and champions.

A Human commander with an Orc-made weapon or an Orc warleader carrying a royal banner can visually communicate the alliance between the two peoples.

Dry-fit conversion parts before gluing, since compatibility between different sprues is not always guaranteed.

Building Terrain for the Iron Marches

Your kingdom's battlefield should reflect its geography and history.

For our Human–Orc frontier realm, a combination of medieval fortifications and rugged wilderness would be ideal.

Recommended Terrain Projects

• Ironwatch Keep: a small stone fortress or fortified watchtower.
• Stonefang Village: an Orc settlement with timber palisades and rough buildings.
• The Broken Road: an old trade route linking Human and Orc territories.
• Border Ruins: abandoned towers left from earlier wars.
• Mountain Pass: a narrow route that both sides must defend.

These locations can become recurring campaign objectives, giving your games a strong sense of continuity.

Example Three-Battle Campaign: The War for Blackstone Pass

Once your kingdom is assembled, try a short narrative campaign to introduce the army to the battlefield.

This is a suggested homebrew storyline. Use the official Second Edition scenario and campaign rules to determine game mechanics, territory changes and rewards.

Battle One: The Border Raid

An enemy raiding force crosses into the Iron Marches and attacks a remote Human settlement.

Human soldiers must hold the village while Orc reinforcements approach from the surrounding hills.

Narrative objective: protect the settlement and preserve the alliance's supply route.

Battle Two: The Broken Oath

Rumours spread that one of the Orc clans intends to abandon the kingdom.

A rival army moves to exploit the growing uncertainty.

Narrative objective: defeat the invaders and demonstrate that the Human–Orc alliance remains intact.

Battle Three: Blackstone Pass

The enemy launches a major attack against the mountain pass connecting Ironwatch Keep and Stonefang Hold.

Human infantry defend the central road while Orc warriors attempt to strike the attackers from the rocky slopes.

Narrative objective: hold the pass and secure the future of the Iron Marches.

After the campaign, use the official kingdom rules to determine how your victories and defeats affect your territories and future recruitment.

Common Mistakes When Starting an Oathmark Kingdom

Buying Too Many Miniatures Immediately

Oathmark is a mass-battle game, but that doesn't mean you need to begin with hundreds of figures.

Start with a few regiments and build from there.

Ignoring Territory Restrictions

Mixed-race armies are one of Oathmark's major attractions, but that doesn't mean every unit is automatically available.

Always check which territories unlock the troops you want to field.

Building Incompatible Unit Equipment

Before assembling every miniature, decide which unit profiles you want to use.

Check weapon options and unit sizes so your models match your intended army.

Forgetting About Commanders

Characters provide important battlefield functions and give your army personality.

Plan suitable leaders early, even if you use temporary models for your first games.

Making Every Unit Fight Independently

Oathmark rewards formation positioning and coordinated attacks.

Human and Orc units should support one another rather than charging separately into unfavourable engagements.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Oathmark Second Edition

Final Thoughts: Build a Kingdom, Not Just an Army

Oathmark Second Edition offers something that many fantasy wargames overlook: the opportunity to create a kingdom with its own identity, military traditions and developing history.

Our Human–Orc Iron Marches project demonstrates how two very different peoples can form a coherent fantasy army.

Human infantry provide the kingdom's established military foundation, while Orc warriors add aggression, character and an entirely different visual style.

By beginning with just two infantry boxes and a small number of territories, you can build a manageable starting force and allow future campaigns to determine which units join your collection.

Over time, your kingdom might gain cavalry, elite infantry, monsters or new allies. Its heroes may become legendary, and its borders may change after every battle.

That's the real appeal of Oathmark: your army is more than a collection of miniatures. It represents a realm whose story is still being written.

Ready to raise your banners? Explore Oathmark miniatures and Second Edition products at TistaMinis and begin building your own kingdom.