• Check out the results of the Techtree Contest #19!
  • Listen to a special audio message from Bill Roper to the Hive Workshop community (Bill is a former Vice President of Blizzard Entertainment, Producer, Designer, Musician, Voice Actor) 🔗Click here to hear his message!
  • Read Evilhog's interview with Gregory Alper, the original composer of the music for WarCraft: Orcs & Humans 🔗Click here to read the full interview.
  • Create a void inspired texture for Warcraft 3 and enter Hive's 34th Texturing Contest: Void! Click here to enter!
  • The Hive's 22nd Icon Contest: Creep Abilities is now concluded, time to vote for your favourite set of icons! Click here to vote!

Skeleton Orc Models

This bundle is marked as useful / simple. Simplicity is bliss, low effort and/or may contain minor bugs.
These two Skeletal Orc models are overhauls of the 20-year-old version we've long enjoyed back in TFT. I used the generic in-game model of the Skeletal Orc and redesigned it, using resources of accredited authors. One contains the Normal Texture; the other one contains Texture from Scars of Conflict (a.k.a. SoC).

These resources are all thanks to johnwar, Deolrin, Mr.Goblin, Pyramidhe@d, and, of course, Blizzard for the inspiration.

  • I used johnwar's Grunt armor set plus the tusks for the in-game Skeletal Orc mod.
  • I also used Deolrin's grunt battle axe.
  • I stretched Mr.Goblin's WC2_Grunt and WC2_Skeleton skins from SoC over the other mod.
  • Any meshes in which I used belonging to Pyramidhe@d, ado credits to him.

If I made any mistakes in posting these resources on this forum, please let me know.

Updates are expected.

UPDATE:
~ I have built four more models--both the Skeletal Hammer Orcs and their portraits--and uploaded them onto this forum. I made the warhammer myself.
~ Credits to Blizzard and Magos for the primitives and texture, respectively.
~ I have made updates for the Normal Texture versions, with their own portraits. The SoC versions will come up soon.
~ WCII Re-Classic Skeletal Orc is updated. Hammer Version to go.
~ I have finally updated the WCII Skeletal Hammer Orc.
~ Heheh, sorry everyone! I've fixed all the portraits. They did have the animations but not the cameras. Even then, the Portrait names had typos, which I fixed.
~ Uploaded the two new Skeeltal Orc Grunt models!!

UPDATE: November 16, 2025

I have finally updated these Skeletal Orc models, thanks to the following users. Please note that not everything is Re-Classic-accurate but is close enough; you may inform me about any changes you desire to contribute.

Tell me if I'm missing anyone else who has contributed to the FINAL models.
I used 67chrome's Returned.blp for the FINAL models, per images but have not included it into the pack.

Skeletal Orc (WC2)
Following Authors
~ Deolrin: Original Modeler
~ Pyramidhe@d: Original Modeler
~ biridius: debugging assistance
~ Mr.Goblin: unused skin but still contributed
~ StonemaulMidget: Modeler
~ StonemaulMidget: Battle Axe
~ StonemaulMidget: Armor + Boots
~ StonemaulMidget: Tusks
~ StonemaulMidget: Fixed Ribcage
~ johnwar: Re-Classic Inspiration
~ johnwar: Re-Classic Grunt Orc Sash
~ johnwar: Re-Classic Grunt Belt
~ johnwar: Death Animation
~ DREADMAN: Re-Classic Inspiration
~ DREADMAN: Animation Corrections
~ DREADMAN: New Death Animation
~ DREADMAN: New Decay Animation
~ DREADMAN: Animations Transfer from DarkMinionSIMPLEV1.mdx model
~ DREADMAN: Normals corrections
~ Chaosium: Helping Hand
~ Chaosium: Knee Bones + Animations
~ Jiok: CSW Inspiration
~ Jiok: ArmLowerR Bone Correction

Skeletal Orc Hammerer
Following Authors
~ StonemaulMidget: Modeler
~ StonemaulMidget: Warhammer
~ StonemaulMidget: Armor + Boots
~ StonemaulMidget: Tusks
~ StonemaulMidget: Helmet
~ StonemaulMidget: Fixed Ribcage
~ johnwar: Re-Classic Inspiration
~ johnwar: Re-Classic Grunt Belt
~ johnwar: Death Animation
~ DREADMAN: Re-Classic Inspiration
~ DREADMAN: Animation Corrections
~ DREADMAN: New Death Animation
~ DREADMAN: New Decay Animation
~ DREADMAN: Animations Transfer from DarkMinionSIMPLEV1.mdx model, base model
~ DREADMAN: Normals corrections
~ Chaosium: Helping Hand
~ Chaosium: Knee Bones + Animations
~ Jiok: CSW Inspiration
~ Jiok: ArmLowerR Bone Correction

Skeletal Orc Grunt
Following Authors
~ StonemaulMidget: Modeler
~ StonemaulMidget: Battle Axe
~ StonemaulMidget: Armor + Boots
~ StonemaulMidget: Tusks
~ StonemaulMidget: Helmet
~ StonemaulMidget: Horns
~ StonemaulMidget: Fixed Ribcage
~ johnwar: Re-Classic Inspiration
~ johnwar: Re-Classic Grunt Belt
~ DREADMAN: Re-Classic Inspiration
~ DREADMAN: Animation Corrections
~ DREADMAN: New Death Animation
~ DREADMAN: New Decay Animation
~ DREADMAN: Animations Transfer from DarkMinionSIMPLEV1.mdx model, base model
~ DREADMAN: Normals corrections
~ Chaosium: Helping Hand
~ Chaosium: Knee Bones + Animations
~ Jiok: CSW Inspiration
~ Jiok: ArmLowerR Bone Correction

Skeletal Orc Champion
Following Authors
~ StonemaulMidget: Modeler
~ StonemaulMidget: Armor + Boots
~ StonemaulMidget: Tusks
~ StonemaulMidget: Horns
~ StonemaulMidget: Fixed Ribcage
~ johnwar: Re-Classic Inspiration
~ johnwar: Death Animation
~ DREADMAN: Re-Classic Inspiration
~ DREADMAN: Animation Corrections
~ DREADMAN: New Death Animation
~ DREADMAN: New Decay Animation
~ DREADMAN: Animations Transfer from DarkMinionSIMPLEV1.mdx model, base model
~ DREADMAN: Normals corrections
~ Chaosium: Helping Hand
~ Chaosium: Knee Bones + Animations
~ Jiok: CSW Inspiration
~ Jiok: ArmLowerR Bone Correction
~ Jiok: Breastplate + Chest Straps
~ Jiok: Belt + Buckle
~ Jiok: Helmet
~ Jiok: Battle Axe
Contents

SkeletalOrcChampion_FINAL (Model)

SkeletalOrcGrunt_FINAL (Model)

SkeletalOrcGrunt_Re-Classic_New (Model)

SkeletalOrcHammerer_FINAL (Model)

SkeletalOrc_WC2__FINAL (Model)

SkeletonOrc_Hammer_NormalTextures (Model)

SkeletonOrc_NormalTextures (Model)

WC2_SkeletonOrc (Model)

WC2_SkeletonOrc_Hammer (Model)

WCII_SkeletalOrcGrunt_Re-Classic_New (Model)

Reviews
General Frank
10000+ polygons is way too much for a model edit of this capacity. Please reduce the amount of polygons to something about maybe around 2000. There are also issues with the eyes not being animated and still present in the decay animation.
Em!
Em!
I am going to approve this as useful/simple since the bundle generally passes the sanity checks. The polygons on some of these models are unacceptably high. Yes, the weapons are very detailed, but that is not an acceptable SD bundle, and I was tempted...
So goooooood!
Any possibility of getting the other two variants? (a regular non-grunt skeletal orc and a skeletal orc champion?)
As stated above, updates are expected.
I should talk to the other modders first, but that's a possibility.
By "Non-Grunt," would you like a Skeletal Peon? Also, I could use a Raider-esque build for the Champion.
 
Last edited:
Very nice! Classic models being upgraded/overhauled, yet retaining that original "spirit", is always great! Similarly to how Tinker, Goblin Alchemist and Firelord heroes were added in further patches of Frozen Throne, these models (of what could be considered a part of "Re-Classic" series) are like something that could be introduced in the official classic Warcraft III patches. 🙂
 
By "Non-Grunt," would you like a Skeletal Peon? Also, I could use a Raider-esque build for the Champion.
Thinking more along the lines of what Reforged did with having a variant for each orc creep
 

Attachments

  • 887746.jpg
    887746.jpg
    960.4 KB · Views: 116
  • 887749.jpg
    887749.jpg
    915.3 KB · Views: 137
  • 887747.jpg
    887747.jpg
    978.4 KB · Views: 141
"More new faulty stuff?" That was a little hurtful.🙁
Slowly but surely, I have been improving on my modding skills. I thought I should point that out.
Oh, I did not mean to hurt your feelings. Sorry if I sounded like it. (I removed the word from my previous message)
If you base off your new models on the ones that still have issues then those will have issues too. It's like copying/cloning and you will eventually repeat the issues.
You are improving, but you should always try to improve your base skills as well.
If you know the basics well then the more complex stuff is easier. :)
 
The Grunt and Champion come next! Don't you worry!!
And I'm sorry for the long wait. I didn't know what efficient course of action I should take until yesterday.
No problem at all! One thing I did notice as a current issue though is that the new models have integrated portraits but they don't seem to work for some reason. The models display portraits just fine in the editor but in game behave as if they have no portrait assigned at all.
 
No problem at all! One thing I did notice as a current issue though is that the new models have integrated portraits but they don't seem to work for some reason. The models display portraits just fine in the editor but in game behave as if they have no portrait assigned at all.
Everything's all fixed! Sorry about that.
The portrait animations were there, but not the cameras
 
10000+ polygons is way too much for a model edit of this capacity. Please reduce the amount of polygons to something about maybe around 2000.
There are also issues with the eyes not being animated and still present in the decay animation.
Hey Frank, part of the reason some models have a more polygons than needed because of how detailed the weapons are.
I will try and cut down the geosets, but will it be alright if I make other model variants so they have simpler weapons?
 
A great idea for an orc skeleton model :)
All models have two problems.
1-There is no animation of the left hand during the "stands" animations.
2-the bones on the "chest" are not properly connected, and because of this, a hole appears there during animations.
You could remove the death animation from "dummy", and add the death animation to the main bone.
How did @Commedia do it with his skeletons:
This way you will reduce the number of vertices by 40%, as well as the weight of the model by 30%.
I also advise you to add a background for the portrait and change the camera position so that it looks like the original model.
Edit:
I also advise you to set up the material with the team color correctly;)
 
Last edited:
I am going to approve this as useful/simple since the bundle generally passes the sanity checks. The polygons on some of these models are unacceptably high. Yes, the weapons are very detailed, but that is not an acceptable SD bundle, and I was tempted to reject this bundle. However, after reading the user comments, I decided to approve it, since modders may find it useful, but I cannot recommend this.
 
I am going to approve this as useful/simple since the bundle generally passes the sanity checks. The polygons on some of these models are unacceptably high. Yes, the weapons are very detailed, but that is not an acceptable SD bundle, and I was tempted to reject this bundle. However, after reading the user comments, I decided to approve it, since modders may find it useful, but I cannot recommend this.
These are Re-Classic versions, so of course there are bound to be more polygons.
But, if this bothers you inasmuch as the next user, then do please list for me the polys on the models that I should fix, and I will take a look at them.
 
Back
Top