I do not appreciate the way some people refer to these rather imposing beings – especially so because they’re some of the strongest characters in Skyrim. Even though the population is clearly racist towards them. But I find playing an Orc to be quite a fascinating challenge. Even more so if you’re into role-playing, actually. I come to you here with my top picks for the best immersive orc mods that you can download for your next Skyrim playthrough. Will you become a law-abiding citizen and a hero of the land? Or will you use your brute strength to tear apart the heads of your enemies? All up to you, my orc-y friend.
10. Imperious – Races of Skyrim
Check Out This Mod So Imperious doesn’t really modify orcs on its own. But it does a fantastic job at overhauling all of the races that come with base-game Skyrim. New skills, perks, and things to do as an orc will make the game feel completely new. If you’ve never played as an orc, install this mod and don’t waste time with the vanilla experience. Trust me, this is a must-have.
9. Ghosu – Horker Weapon Pack
Check Out This Mod Although this mod doesn’t add anything Orcish per se, you can’t tell me these weapons don’t look like something an orc would use. I mean, they’re made using the bones of dead Horkers. That’s as brute as you’re going to get. I’d say that it’s even more fitting to use these weapons than the Orcish ones, so give them a try and see what you think.
8. Home Sweet Stronghold
Check Out This Mod It’s time for you to live among your own kin. I find it insulting that base-game Skyrim doesn’t come with an option to properly live among orcs, so the Home Sweet Stronghold mod offers a perfect fit. It incorporates a new player home in a fully Orcish style near the farm located in Dushnikh Yal. The hut itself is rather small. But you’ll be living among the orcs of the region!
7. Better Orc Teeth
Check Out This Mod Yes, this mod is just a way to get your orc’s teeth to look better. It takes a spot on my list because much like an Argonian’s scales, the teeth of an orc make them what they are & define their identities. This mod changes the textures and makes their teeth sharper. It may sound simple, but it does its job quite effectively. One of the few beautifying mods that I highly recommend for Orc lovers.
6. Orcish Weapon Pack
Check Out This Mod So this mod replaces all of the Orcish weapon models in the game with some new ones, which come with high-quality textures and reinvigorate the feel of orcish weaponry in the game. Don’t worry, though. All of the weapons keep the same vanilla stats after downloading and installing this mod. A lack of balance won’t be an issue.
5. Tharash Dol
Check Out This Mod Tharash Dol is the best player home for an orc, hands down. The creator of the mod even put a statue of Molag Bal on top of one of the towers to get you further immersed into this fantastic settlement! As you’ll see, this thing is completely populated with dozens of orcs. There’s no need for you to wander around the lands of Skyrim in solitude, when you can be living among your own kind. Your life shouldn’t be the life of a Khajit. No, you’re an orc, proud of your people. It’s time to show them how much they’re worth to you by installing and really digging into this mod.
4. Lordbound
Check Out This Mod I don’t usually add mods to my lists that aren’t on the Nexus. But this one truly deserves a spot. It adds an entirely new expansion to the game, created by the community, with 30 new quests and a bunch of stuff to do. Why am I adding it to this orc list, you ask? Easy: the main questline is based on a conflict between orcs and humans. Choose your people’s side and bring peace to this God-forsaken land by spilling the blood of your enemies (whomever they may be).
3. Amidianborn Orcish Armor
Check Out This Mod The Orcish set is good enough, but it doesn’t bring an orc’s mightiness any justice. In fact, if you intend to play as an orc, I suggest you get this mod installed ASAP. It replaces the basic Orcish armor texture and turns it into a hand-made armor that just looks too good on an orc. The armor keeps the same stats, which means you won’t have to worry about unbalancing the game or breaking the vanilla feel of it. Just download the mod and check out the brilliant job that this dude has done here. It’s a set you’ll never want to play without.
2. Expanded Towns and Cities (Better Settlements)
Check Out This Mod I’ve discussed just how damn amazing the ETaC mod is, and it definitely belongs in this list too. The mod improves the way Orc settlements look (among other things) which in turn makes your interactions with them far more amazing. You won’t have to go around dealing with badly-positioned houses or shacks. With this mod, orc settlements will feel more realistic than ever. I fully recommend you check out this entire mod if you’re downloading it, though. It doesn’t just improve orc settlements – you can actually download the entire modpack and massively overhaul all the towns and cities in the game.
1. More Orcs
Check Out This Mod It was difficult to pick one of these mods as the number one, so I’m opting to put this at the top because it actually adds a ton more orcs to the game. This mod is meant to make the orc population much more diverse, and I think it’s safe to say it fulfills its purpose quite well. All of the orcs that get added here are all fully customized, with unique characteristics and attributes. What’s even better is the fact that most of them are marriable (both male and female orcs) so there’s that if you want to role-play with a cool orc family. I’m getting some minor Shrek vibes here…
