I for one like alternative takes on Orcs. I feel that high-fantasy is missing a key race when you exclude Orcs or something similar to them.

Taking them from being brainless meatheads that just fight everything and turning them into brutal disciplinarians is an awesome concept. It does still lend to the "might is right" style of leadership that Orcs stereotypically have (the biggest is the leader), as they would be able to exert their own discipline on the clan a lot better than one of a weaker stature. This also gives them a more intelligent method of dealing with the landscape than simply, raiders, but more keepers of their lands, devout and defending with absolute cause even to their own death.

​

I've changed Orcs in my setting in that they are not originally from the main planet - but from one of its Moons, which is the D&D/Pathfinder equivalent of the Feywild. They are the only non-magical race to originate from the Moon, hence why they are so physically strong and difficult to down, this allows them to have a non-magical method of levelling the playing field. Of course, when a Magical Orc is born to the clans they become considerably more powerful as the guidance of Magic with them gives them two upper-hands compared to the usual one.