COLEMANIA: An Orcs & Goblins Tactica
Aug 15, 2017 16:21:46 GMT
mottdon, knoffles, and 1 more like this
Post by KevinC on Aug 15, 2017 16:21:46 GMT
Back in 2007, I won the Colonial GT with a Goblin army. I wrote a tactica regarding my army list which I originally posted on the Warhammer Forum. I later revised it and turned it into a O&G tactica that was published on the GW website. This was written for the 7th edition O&G book, under the 7th edition WFB rules, however many of the principles still apply to 8th edition WFB. Here is a draft of the article I wrote for the GW website:
Mustering the Green Horde
An Orcs & Goblins Tactica
By Kevin Coleman
Orcs and Goblins are the classic baddies of the Warhammer world and one of the staple armies at the heart of Warhammer. The current edition of the Orcs & Goblins army book is the most flexible version yet, offering greenskin generals a tremendous amount of variety and options. Whether you prefer an army of brutal, hard-hitting Orcs, a vast sea of seemingly endless Goblins or a mixture of both, the flexibility of the Orcs and Goblins army list allows a variety of theme, strategy, and exciting special rules for a would-be Warboss to choose from.
In this article, I shall exam the Orcs & Goblins army list delving into detail about the best ways to select, deploy, and play with a winning greenskin horde.
CHOOSING A KUNNIN’ PLAN
While a vast array of choices provides a Warhammer general with a great deal of tactical options and miniature collectability, the more choices available can lead an Orc player with an overwhelming amount of options that can cause his or her overall battle plans and strategies to lose focus.
As a result, designing an Orcs & Goblins army works best when choosing a center focal point that gives the army a base of control or direction, which I like to call a kunnin’ plan. A horde without a kunnin’ plan will, more often than not, lose focus simply becoming a mesh of various units lacking tactical direction and/or function. That is why before you select your first Orc or Goblin you should choose a kunnin’ plan. I have divided such plans into three broad categories, namely: a kunnin’ theme, a kunnin’ scheme and a kunnin’ strategy.
A Kunnin’ Theme
A kunnin’ theme is simply the idea of basing your army around a particular aspect of the Orcs & Goblins background. Perhaps your army is a particular tribe such as the Necksnappers or made of entirely one breed of greenskin such as Night Goblins or Savage Orcs. Whatever the case may be, a theme provides an instant army base that will keep your army build focused.
***BOX TEXT****
Examples:
• Tribe army (Grimgor’s ‘ArdBoyz)
• Goblin army (No Orcs allowed!)
• Subspecies army (All Savage Orc army, etc).
***END BOX TEXT****
A Kunnin’ Strategy
A kunnin’ strategy is one built around a particular tactical strength. This might be selecting a heavy concentration of war machines, archers and other shooty units or designing an army of completely fast moving elements such as chariots and Orc Boar Boyz. Although you might use such units in differently styled armies, a kunnin’ strategy will usually focus heavily on one extreme.
***BOX TEXT****
Examples:
• Fast Boyz army (Goblin Wolf Riders, Forest Goblin Spider Riders, Orc & Savage Orc Boar Boyz, Chariots, Trolls, Giants, Pump Wagons).
• Shooty army (Shamans, Goblin Rock Lobbers, Spear Chukkas, Doom Diver Catapults, Orc Arrer Boyz, Goblins with short bows).
• Tricksy Gitz army (lots of Goblin Fanatics, Net-armed Night Goblins, tricksy magic items, Skarsnik and Gobbla, etc.)
***END BOX TEXT****
A Kunnin’ Scheme
Making good use of special rules can be an effective way to help bolster your chosen kunnin’ plan or indeed a particular special rule might actually be your army focal point. For example, Gorbad Ironclaw’s ‘Orcs are Da Best’ special rule could be the theme of an elite Orc army made up of several units of Orc Big’Uns. Where as an army of primarily Orc and Goblin infantry might heavily relay on the Size Matters special rule, baiting and redirecting enemy units, without causing mass panic throughout the horde.
***BOX TEXT****
Examples:
• Quell Animosity army (made of units that do not test for Animosity or that help counter the ‘Squabble’ result on the Animosity table).
• Orcs are Da Best army (Gorbad Ironclaw, elite Orcs units– lots of Big’Un units).
• Anti-Psychology army (Snotlings, Squig Herds, Squig Hoppers, Snotling Pump Wagons, Wyverns, Giants, Rowdy Grott’s Big Red Raggedy Banner, high Leadership characters and units).
***BOX TEXT****
Of course you don’t have to limit yourself to one kunnin’ plan, merging multiple plans is a very good idea, just don’t get carried away or else your horde might begin to lose focus, countering the entire point of having a kunnin’ plan. You could, for example, choose a shooty Goblin army, which would combine the theme of an all-Goblin army with lots of Goblin Shamans and War machines.
***BOX TEXT****
One Mean Boss
Black Orc Warboss + Heavy Armour + Boar + Enchanted Shield + Bigged’s Kickin’ Boots + Shaga’s Sreamin’ Sword. Total = 270 pts.
This Black Orc Warboss has a 1+ armour save and a base of 5 S5 Attacks. If there is a single character within 12” he’ll have 6 S6 Attacks, if two characters he’ll have 7 S7 Attacks and if you’re lucky enough to get 4 characters with 12” he’ll have 9 S9 Attacks! The Boar not only helps him achieve an impressive armour save of 1+, but also makes him extremely mobile so you can ensure he gets stuck in where the enemy characters are!
***END BOX TEXT****
DEPLOYING YOUR HORDE
Many Orcs & Goblins players deploy by simply arranging their horde in a long line across the table, sometime even stretching the army from tableside to tableside. While such a table setup can actually work, it is far better to set up the main core of your army together in one area of the table, in what I call reserve deployment. That way, the units in your horde will be able to work together and you will be less likely to have one or more of your units become isolated from the rest of the horde. Here are some explanations and examples of why you should keep your horde of greenskins in reserve deployment.
[Diagram 1.1, see below]
If a unit in your battle line is destroyed or flees, one of your rear units can move up and fill in the gap in your front fighting line.
[Diagram 1.2, see below]
Reserve deployment also allows for setting up baiting and redirecting enemy units. In the above example, when the Goblin units are charged, they may choose to flee causing the enemy to fail their charge so that in the Orc turn, one of the Orc units and Orc Chariot may charge the enemy unit. Since Orcs are immune to Goblin panic, no panic test is required from the fleeing Gobbos.
[diagram 1.3, see below]
Alternatively, the Goblin units can advance and pivot so that they are facing the enemy on a slight angle. The Goblins choose to hold for their charge reaction. If the Goblins manage to hold their ground in the ensuing combat, then in the next Orc turn an Orc unit can charge the enemy’s flank. If the Goblins are beaten in combat and flee, the enemy unit will still have their flank exposed to the Orcs.
[diagram 1.4, see below]
Orcs and Goblins have poor leadership, which means taking advantage of your General’s Leadership is imperative. If possible, you want each and every unit within the general’s leadership radius. By deploying in this manner, more or most (if not all) of your army will be able to benefit from your general’s Leadership.
***BOX TEXT****
Baiting and Redirecting
These are tactics that rely on weaker, inexpensive or ‘throw-away’ units to be placed in the front lines. When these units are charged by superior enemy units, the bait unit declares a flee charge reaction in order to cause the enemy into a failed charged which puts them into an unfavorable position - either exposing their flank or simply putting them within charge range of a powerful unit.
***END BOX TEXT****
GOBLINS, GOBLINS EVERYWHERE…
So after ranting on about how to build and setup a winning Orcs & Goblins army, I thought I’d put my money where my mouth is and give you an example of one of my own winning greenskin army lists. The following army list is the greenskin horde I took to last year’s (2007) The Colonial Grand Tournament, an exceptionally fun ‘Independent’ Grand Tournament efficiently managed by the notorious Matt York in Cherry Hill, New Jersey (USA).
After playing five extremely challenging and fun games (against Ogre Kingdoms, Vampire Counts, Daemon Legions of Nurgle, Hordes of Chaos and Wood Elves) my Goblins emerged victorious winning the entire tournament!
THE GOBLIN HORDE OF GORGOTH BADBLUD
CHARACTERS
231 - Gorgoth Badblud, Goblin Warboss + Great Weapon + Armour of Gork
+ Amulet of Protectyness + Tricksy Trinket + Wolf Chariot
94 - Gorrfang, Goblin Big Boss + Light Armour + Shield + Gigantic Spider
+ Martog’s Best Basha
90 - Zog, Goblin Big Boss + Battle Standard Bearer + Warboss Umm’s Best Boss ‘At
165 - Zappgut, Goblin Shaman + Dispel Scroll + Brimstone Bauble + Wolf Chariot
CORE UNITS
212 - 48 Goblins + Shields + Full Command (BSB normally goes here)
200 - 36 Goblins + Shields + Short Bows + Full Command
164 - 36 Goblins + Shields + Full Command
249 - 36 Night Goblins + Spears + Nets + Full Command + Goblin Fanatic x2
65 - 5 Forest Goblin Spider Riders
65 - 5 Forest Goblin Spider Riders
65 - 5 Goblin Wolf Riders + Short Bows
40 - Snotlings (2 Bases)
40 - Snotlings (2 Bases)
SPECIAL UNITS
150 - Night Goblin Squig Herd (5 Hunting Teams/15 Squigs/10 Goblins)
150 - Night Goblin Squig Herd (5 Hunting Teams/15 Squigs/10 Goblins)
70 - Goblin Spear Chukka x2
RARE UNITS
120 - 3 Trolls
80 - Goblin Doom Diver
Before I put anything on paper I decided the theme of my army, in this case I chose an army made up of entirely Goblins, no Orcs allowed in this list! Secondly, I wanted a primarily infantry-based list with large units of Goblins to form the backbone of the army. With the focus of my army chosen it was time to choose the actual army itself. Each unit selection in the army was selected with specific roles to perform, either by contributing to the overall function and performance of the army or by anticipating common army designs/selections I would inevitably face in the tournament.
Here I shall examine each unit choice selected and any thoughts I had for each such selection.
CHARACTERS
231 - Gorgoth Badblud, Goblin Warboss + Great Weapon + Armour of Gork
+ Amulet of Protectyness + Tricksy Trinket + Wolf Chariot
I knew going into the tournament that I wanted a general that could fight well against Chaos Daemons Legions and the infamous Wood Elf Treemonic Legion (i.e. an all Tree army) as these armies seem to be popular choices in the Grand Tournaments scene, not to mention extremely potent armies as well. Gorgoth is designed for just that! He charges with D6+1 S5 impact hits and he swings with an impressive (for a Goblin, anyway!) 4 S5 attacks all at -2 armour save and NO WARD SAVES due to the Tricksy Trinket. When charging a unit of Trees or Daemons, in particular, not only does Gorgoth inflict a series of S5 hits, but ignoring the ward saves of these troops makes for a nasty surprise. For greater insult he can use the armour and ward saves of his attackers and the Armour of Gork makes him as tough as an Orc Warboss (T5)!
94 - Gorrfang, Goblin Big Boss + Light Armour + Shield + Gigantic Spider
+ Martog’s Best Basha
Gorrfang is a very versatile character. His magic weapon makes him WS5, S5, I4 with 3 attacks. This combined with the Spider’s 3 S4 poisonous attacks can make him a pretty hitty character (for a Goblin, anyway!) and most importantly he may move up to 14” and ignore difficult ground. So I can send him off on his own against smaller units or join a unit of Spider Riders or lead the Trolls, or ever join an infantry unit. Depending on what army I’m fighting or situation my army is in, he is very formidable to help me accommodate my battle plans. Having him lurking in a forest ready to charge out at a moments notice can keep my opponents on their toes!
90 - Zog, Goblin Big Boss + Battle Standard Bearer + Warboss Umm’s Best Boss ‘At
Battle standard bearers have always been important to me in any army design, and of course, that goes double for troops with poor leadership such as Goblins. Magic banners are very nifty magic items and arguable the best kind of magic items in the game as they usually confer a special bonus to entire units rather than just a single character model like other magic items. However, I just wanted my BSB to survive and so he has a 5+ ward save, which saved him quite a few times during the tournament and he did survive each and every game!
165 - Zappgut, Goblin Shaman + Dispel Scroll + Brimstone Bauble + Wolf Chariot
I dislike scroll caddies (that’s not to say I don’t sometimes take them); I feel they are ultimately a waste of points and I’d rather use such precious points of something more effective. Yet I did want some magic defense, however if I was going to waste points on a level 1 Shaman I was going to make him useful. So I mounted him on a chariot and armed him with the Brimstone Bauble. This means I get another free chariot (i.e. no special choice), which is very important so I can charge in and cause some nice damage with impact hits. But what happens when you charge into combat with a Wizard? Your opponent wants to attack and kill him and, in this case, that’s what I want to have happen too! After I get my impact hits, my opponent will hopefully kill my Shaman and take a further D6 S6 hits from the exploding bauble. Being mounted on a chariot base also means I have the potential to contact more enemy units (each unit in base contact takes the D6 S6 hits). This turns my ‘scroll caddie’ into a very deadly weapon indeed!
CORE UNITS
212 - 48 Goblins + Shields + Full Command (BSB goes here, normally)
200 - 36 Goblins + Shields + Short Bows + Full Command
164 - 36 Goblins + Shields + Full Command
Common Goblins iz da best! A 4-point model with a 4+ armour save in combat is a fine choice; don’t underestimate them, these are tough units (for Goblins, anyway!). Many players will think twice about charging a unit that starts with a static +5 Combat Resolution (3 ranks, standard, outnumber) especially when they have no ranks themselves, but further knowing that half the wounds caused will be discounted due to a 4+ armour save means that they are that much better at winning and/or holding the combat. Not to mention their +1 Leadership (compared to that of Night Goblins) is a very, very, very big deal - I'll let you do the math!
One unit also has short bows. This is noteworthy to point out. Versatility is a key element in Warhammer, if a unit can perform multiple tasks it is the sign of a good unit in the hands of an experienced general, regardless of their points cost (High Elf Lothern Sea Guard and Dark Elf City Guard are good examples, they fight effectively in combat and also shoot exceptionally well!). This unit is my ‘Goblin Camp Guard’. With their light armour and shield (and large numbers) they can fight well in combat (for a Goblin, anyway!) and also shoot! Their mission is to target large targets or enemies on hills so that the entire unit may fire, 36 shots will scare even the meanest of Giants! Even if they only end up causing 1 wound they did their job!
***BOX TEXT****
Unit Formations: I normally deploy my Goblins units in squares, either 7x7, 6x6 or 5x5. For one it looks cool, but tactically it makes the units easier to maneuver. For example if I need to turn my units to face another direction, my units will stay in formation, as opposed to turning into a new odd-spaded formation, which happens in rectangular formations.
***END BOX TEXT****
249 - 36 Night Goblins + Spears + Nets + Full Command + Goblin Fanatic x2
How can you have a Goblin army without fanatics? I actually waste a lot of points with this unit because of the spears and the nets, not because such wargear cannot be useful, but because I normally do not intend to use this unit of Night Goblins as a main shock unit (Common Goblins and Squig Herds are better for that). Instead I deploy my Night Goblins in reserve, usually behind the big unit of 49 Goblins. When I need my Goblin Fanatics, the Night Goblins move within 8” of the enemy and release their fanatics through the rear of my other Goblin units to gain a greater or automatic amount of distance. This works best if the said Goblin unit is already engaged in close combat so that after hitting the Goblins, the Fanatic moves through the Goblins and then automatically hits the engaged enemy unit as well (see diagram 2.1). My Goblin units are large enough not to care about the damage, but it’s doubtful the same can be true of the enemy’s units of Chosen Chaos Knights, Sword Masters of Hoeth, or any other high point-cost units.
65 - 5 Forest Goblin Spider Riders
65 - 5 Forest Goblin Spider Riders
65 - 5 Goblin Wolf Riders + Short Bows
Fast cavalry is useful for obvious reasons (check out the Fast Cavalry tactica in White Dwarf 333) and make great supporting units for infantry heavy armies, sending them off against smaller enemy units like war machines or charging them into an exposed flank. When if comes to Goblin fast cavalry I prefer Forest Goblin Spider Riders. This is because many players like to hide certain units in terrain causing an annoyance to advancing infantry, whether it’s to simply march block, shoot, cast spells or all of the above. Spider Rider are good at dealing with such units by moving right into the terrain and scouting them out.
40 - Snotlings (2 Bases)
40 - Snotlings (2 Bases)
In previous editions of Warhammer I never really included Snotlings in the Orcs & Goblins armies I made. With the 7th edition rules though, Snotlings are better then they ever were and I take 2 units of 2 Snotling bases as a staple in nearly every Greenskin list I design. Here are a few of their good points as they pertain to this army:
1. They don’t cause panic on Goblins, oddly enough this was not always so in previous editions. With an army of Leadership 6 warriors, minimizing Leadership tests is a good plan – Snotlings are worth taking simply for this reason alone.
2. They are Immune to Psychology – again minimizing psychology test in this army is imperative, so not only do Snotlings not cause panic, but also they don’t have to take any psychology test themselves!
3. Although they cannot choose to flee as a charge reaction (because they are Immune to Psychology), Snotlings still make excellent diverters and blockers. These units were deployed in the front of the bulk of my horde so that any tough, charging enemy unit would become bogged down by Snotlings, being forced to charge them before getting at my Goblins. Positioning the Snotling on an angle and well ahead of the main horde can throw enemy units out of favourable positions and into vulnerable ones (i.e. exposed flank).
***BOX TEXT****
Positioning Snotlings: During one game against a Khorne Cavalry army, a crazed Chariot of Khorne was rolling over several of my units. Seeing that an overrun was going to carry the chariot into one of my Snotling units, I angled the Snotlings so when the chariot made contact, the chariot would be forced to align to the Snotlings front, forcing the rear of the chariot into difficult terrain, which caused D6 S6 hits on the chariot and destroyed it in the process.
**Photo or diagram could be nice here**
***END BOX TEXT****
SPECIAL UNITS
150 - Night Goblin Squig Herd (5 Hunting Teams/15 Squigs/10 Goblins)
150 - Night Goblin Squig Herd (5 Hunting Teams/15 Squigs/10 Goblins)
The best unit in the Orc & Goblin army list – Night Goblin Squig herds. Remember what I said earlier about units that can perform multiple functions? Squig Herds excel at this.
Firstly, they can be used as an ‘elite’ Goblin infantry unit simply advancing with the rest of battle line. WS4, S5, A2 ‘nuff said. Combined with a healthy rank bonus they can truly go toe-to-toe with nearly any unit. The above units are organized into 5x5 squares.
Because they are Immune to Psychology they are reliable, your opponent cannot hope to just make them go away by shooting them up to cause panic or by advancing upon them with a terror-causing monster. They go after the enemy and won’t stop until the enemy is dead or they are. Being Immune to Psychology also means, Squig Herds can be used to hold an entire flank nearly by themselves - they will not flee and they will probably kill whatever they encounter.
Whether Squigs Herds are used as shock troops or in small support units either way they are expendable in the form of the notorious ‘Squig Bomb’. This is simply put as - if an opponent does not destroy the Squig Herd they are in trouble and if they do defeat them they are still in trouble as they can explode causing D6 S5 hits on anything within 2D6”. This makes them an ideal suicide unit (especially combined with their cheap point cost).
The best way to play the Squig Herd is to relentlessly push them into the heart of the enemy’s battle line, where they will eat through all they encounter OR they will blow up and (hopefully) cause severe damage or completely destroy multiple enemy units!
***BOX TEXT****
Squig Herd Tip: When deploying large units of Night Goblin Squig Herds, place all the Goblin herders (or as many as possible) in the inside of the unit and all the Squigs along the outside of the unit (i.e. the front, flanks and rear). That way, if the herd is fighting in its front, flank or rear the enemy must fight the Squigs and not the weedy Gobbos.
***END BOX TEXT****
70 - Goblin Spear Chukka x2
A pair of Goblin Spear Chukkas cost a total of 70 points and only takes up a single Special Unit choice. This alone makes these Bolt Throwers a must for nearly any Orcs & Goblins army. At S6, no armour saves allowed and causing D3 wounds per hit, these machines of destruction are great threats to all lone monsters, characters and chariots, providing invaluable support to S3 Goblins that can’t easily harm tough monsters and such.
RARE UNITS
120 - 3 Trolls
I love Trolls and, to me, a Goblin army without Trolls is a like a peanut butter sandwich without jelly. Trolls are fast (compared to a Goblin, anyway!), strong and difficult to kill, not to mention extremely cheap for 40 points. Trolls are perfect in either supporting units of Goblins, giving them some extra punch in close combat or going after units with few or no ranks such as Skirmishers and Cavalry. Trolls are experts at dispatching heavy cavalry, in particular, with their vomit attacks hitting automatically at S5 and negating all armour. This combined with strong durability (i.e. T4, 3 wounds with Regeneration) allows Trolls to withstand a hard hitting charge from, say, a unit of Chosen Chaos Knights or Bretonnian Knights and then returning with S5, no armour save attacks.
80 - Goblin Doom Diver
Doom Divers are much fun to play with and although they may not be as powerful as a Rock Lobber their rules for redirecting themselves actually make them difficult to miss with!
[diagram 2.2, see below]
This is a typical deployment of my army used throughout the tournament.
I hope you enjoyed reading this tactica as much as I enjoyed writing it and hopefully you learned something new! Happy gaming and may your dice rolls always roll ‘6s’ (except for Leadership tests and when playing against me!).
Mustering the Green Horde
An Orcs & Goblins Tactica
By Kevin Coleman
Orcs and Goblins are the classic baddies of the Warhammer world and one of the staple armies at the heart of Warhammer. The current edition of the Orcs & Goblins army book is the most flexible version yet, offering greenskin generals a tremendous amount of variety and options. Whether you prefer an army of brutal, hard-hitting Orcs, a vast sea of seemingly endless Goblins or a mixture of both, the flexibility of the Orcs and Goblins army list allows a variety of theme, strategy, and exciting special rules for a would-be Warboss to choose from.
In this article, I shall exam the Orcs & Goblins army list delving into detail about the best ways to select, deploy, and play with a winning greenskin horde.
CHOOSING A KUNNIN’ PLAN
While a vast array of choices provides a Warhammer general with a great deal of tactical options and miniature collectability, the more choices available can lead an Orc player with an overwhelming amount of options that can cause his or her overall battle plans and strategies to lose focus.
As a result, designing an Orcs & Goblins army works best when choosing a center focal point that gives the army a base of control or direction, which I like to call a kunnin’ plan. A horde without a kunnin’ plan will, more often than not, lose focus simply becoming a mesh of various units lacking tactical direction and/or function. That is why before you select your first Orc or Goblin you should choose a kunnin’ plan. I have divided such plans into three broad categories, namely: a kunnin’ theme, a kunnin’ scheme and a kunnin’ strategy.
A Kunnin’ Theme
A kunnin’ theme is simply the idea of basing your army around a particular aspect of the Orcs & Goblins background. Perhaps your army is a particular tribe such as the Necksnappers or made of entirely one breed of greenskin such as Night Goblins or Savage Orcs. Whatever the case may be, a theme provides an instant army base that will keep your army build focused.
***BOX TEXT****
Examples:
• Tribe army (Grimgor’s ‘ArdBoyz)
• Goblin army (No Orcs allowed!)
• Subspecies army (All Savage Orc army, etc).
***END BOX TEXT****
A Kunnin’ Strategy
A kunnin’ strategy is one built around a particular tactical strength. This might be selecting a heavy concentration of war machines, archers and other shooty units or designing an army of completely fast moving elements such as chariots and Orc Boar Boyz. Although you might use such units in differently styled armies, a kunnin’ strategy will usually focus heavily on one extreme.
***BOX TEXT****
Examples:
• Fast Boyz army (Goblin Wolf Riders, Forest Goblin Spider Riders, Orc & Savage Orc Boar Boyz, Chariots, Trolls, Giants, Pump Wagons).
• Shooty army (Shamans, Goblin Rock Lobbers, Spear Chukkas, Doom Diver Catapults, Orc Arrer Boyz, Goblins with short bows).
• Tricksy Gitz army (lots of Goblin Fanatics, Net-armed Night Goblins, tricksy magic items, Skarsnik and Gobbla, etc.)
***END BOX TEXT****
A Kunnin’ Scheme
Making good use of special rules can be an effective way to help bolster your chosen kunnin’ plan or indeed a particular special rule might actually be your army focal point. For example, Gorbad Ironclaw’s ‘Orcs are Da Best’ special rule could be the theme of an elite Orc army made up of several units of Orc Big’Uns. Where as an army of primarily Orc and Goblin infantry might heavily relay on the Size Matters special rule, baiting and redirecting enemy units, without causing mass panic throughout the horde.
***BOX TEXT****
Examples:
• Quell Animosity army (made of units that do not test for Animosity or that help counter the ‘Squabble’ result on the Animosity table).
• Orcs are Da Best army (Gorbad Ironclaw, elite Orcs units– lots of Big’Un units).
• Anti-Psychology army (Snotlings, Squig Herds, Squig Hoppers, Snotling Pump Wagons, Wyverns, Giants, Rowdy Grott’s Big Red Raggedy Banner, high Leadership characters and units).
***BOX TEXT****
Of course you don’t have to limit yourself to one kunnin’ plan, merging multiple plans is a very good idea, just don’t get carried away or else your horde might begin to lose focus, countering the entire point of having a kunnin’ plan. You could, for example, choose a shooty Goblin army, which would combine the theme of an all-Goblin army with lots of Goblin Shamans and War machines.
***BOX TEXT****
One Mean Boss
Black Orc Warboss + Heavy Armour + Boar + Enchanted Shield + Bigged’s Kickin’ Boots + Shaga’s Sreamin’ Sword. Total = 270 pts.
This Black Orc Warboss has a 1+ armour save and a base of 5 S5 Attacks. If there is a single character within 12” he’ll have 6 S6 Attacks, if two characters he’ll have 7 S7 Attacks and if you’re lucky enough to get 4 characters with 12” he’ll have 9 S9 Attacks! The Boar not only helps him achieve an impressive armour save of 1+, but also makes him extremely mobile so you can ensure he gets stuck in where the enemy characters are!
***END BOX TEXT****
DEPLOYING YOUR HORDE
Many Orcs & Goblins players deploy by simply arranging their horde in a long line across the table, sometime even stretching the army from tableside to tableside. While such a table setup can actually work, it is far better to set up the main core of your army together in one area of the table, in what I call reserve deployment. That way, the units in your horde will be able to work together and you will be less likely to have one or more of your units become isolated from the rest of the horde. Here are some explanations and examples of why you should keep your horde of greenskins in reserve deployment.
[Diagram 1.1, see below]
If a unit in your battle line is destroyed or flees, one of your rear units can move up and fill in the gap in your front fighting line.
[Diagram 1.2, see below]
Reserve deployment also allows for setting up baiting and redirecting enemy units. In the above example, when the Goblin units are charged, they may choose to flee causing the enemy to fail their charge so that in the Orc turn, one of the Orc units and Orc Chariot may charge the enemy unit. Since Orcs are immune to Goblin panic, no panic test is required from the fleeing Gobbos.
[diagram 1.3, see below]
Alternatively, the Goblin units can advance and pivot so that they are facing the enemy on a slight angle. The Goblins choose to hold for their charge reaction. If the Goblins manage to hold their ground in the ensuing combat, then in the next Orc turn an Orc unit can charge the enemy’s flank. If the Goblins are beaten in combat and flee, the enemy unit will still have their flank exposed to the Orcs.
[diagram 1.4, see below]
Orcs and Goblins have poor leadership, which means taking advantage of your General’s Leadership is imperative. If possible, you want each and every unit within the general’s leadership radius. By deploying in this manner, more or most (if not all) of your army will be able to benefit from your general’s Leadership.
***BOX TEXT****
Baiting and Redirecting
These are tactics that rely on weaker, inexpensive or ‘throw-away’ units to be placed in the front lines. When these units are charged by superior enemy units, the bait unit declares a flee charge reaction in order to cause the enemy into a failed charged which puts them into an unfavorable position - either exposing their flank or simply putting them within charge range of a powerful unit.
***END BOX TEXT****
GOBLINS, GOBLINS EVERYWHERE…
So after ranting on about how to build and setup a winning Orcs & Goblins army, I thought I’d put my money where my mouth is and give you an example of one of my own winning greenskin army lists. The following army list is the greenskin horde I took to last year’s (2007) The Colonial Grand Tournament, an exceptionally fun ‘Independent’ Grand Tournament efficiently managed by the notorious Matt York in Cherry Hill, New Jersey (USA).
After playing five extremely challenging and fun games (against Ogre Kingdoms, Vampire Counts, Daemon Legions of Nurgle, Hordes of Chaos and Wood Elves) my Goblins emerged victorious winning the entire tournament!
THE GOBLIN HORDE OF GORGOTH BADBLUD
CHARACTERS
231 - Gorgoth Badblud, Goblin Warboss + Great Weapon + Armour of Gork
+ Amulet of Protectyness + Tricksy Trinket + Wolf Chariot
94 - Gorrfang, Goblin Big Boss + Light Armour + Shield + Gigantic Spider
+ Martog’s Best Basha
90 - Zog, Goblin Big Boss + Battle Standard Bearer + Warboss Umm’s Best Boss ‘At
165 - Zappgut, Goblin Shaman + Dispel Scroll + Brimstone Bauble + Wolf Chariot
CORE UNITS
212 - 48 Goblins + Shields + Full Command (BSB normally goes here)
200 - 36 Goblins + Shields + Short Bows + Full Command
164 - 36 Goblins + Shields + Full Command
249 - 36 Night Goblins + Spears + Nets + Full Command + Goblin Fanatic x2
65 - 5 Forest Goblin Spider Riders
65 - 5 Forest Goblin Spider Riders
65 - 5 Goblin Wolf Riders + Short Bows
40 - Snotlings (2 Bases)
40 - Snotlings (2 Bases)
SPECIAL UNITS
150 - Night Goblin Squig Herd (5 Hunting Teams/15 Squigs/10 Goblins)
150 - Night Goblin Squig Herd (5 Hunting Teams/15 Squigs/10 Goblins)
70 - Goblin Spear Chukka x2
RARE UNITS
120 - 3 Trolls
80 - Goblin Doom Diver
Before I put anything on paper I decided the theme of my army, in this case I chose an army made up of entirely Goblins, no Orcs allowed in this list! Secondly, I wanted a primarily infantry-based list with large units of Goblins to form the backbone of the army. With the focus of my army chosen it was time to choose the actual army itself. Each unit selection in the army was selected with specific roles to perform, either by contributing to the overall function and performance of the army or by anticipating common army designs/selections I would inevitably face in the tournament.
Here I shall examine each unit choice selected and any thoughts I had for each such selection.
CHARACTERS
231 - Gorgoth Badblud, Goblin Warboss + Great Weapon + Armour of Gork
+ Amulet of Protectyness + Tricksy Trinket + Wolf Chariot
I knew going into the tournament that I wanted a general that could fight well against Chaos Daemons Legions and the infamous Wood Elf Treemonic Legion (i.e. an all Tree army) as these armies seem to be popular choices in the Grand Tournaments scene, not to mention extremely potent armies as well. Gorgoth is designed for just that! He charges with D6+1 S5 impact hits and he swings with an impressive (for a Goblin, anyway!) 4 S5 attacks all at -2 armour save and NO WARD SAVES due to the Tricksy Trinket. When charging a unit of Trees or Daemons, in particular, not only does Gorgoth inflict a series of S5 hits, but ignoring the ward saves of these troops makes for a nasty surprise. For greater insult he can use the armour and ward saves of his attackers and the Armour of Gork makes him as tough as an Orc Warboss (T5)!
94 - Gorrfang, Goblin Big Boss + Light Armour + Shield + Gigantic Spider
+ Martog’s Best Basha
Gorrfang is a very versatile character. His magic weapon makes him WS5, S5, I4 with 3 attacks. This combined with the Spider’s 3 S4 poisonous attacks can make him a pretty hitty character (for a Goblin, anyway!) and most importantly he may move up to 14” and ignore difficult ground. So I can send him off on his own against smaller units or join a unit of Spider Riders or lead the Trolls, or ever join an infantry unit. Depending on what army I’m fighting or situation my army is in, he is very formidable to help me accommodate my battle plans. Having him lurking in a forest ready to charge out at a moments notice can keep my opponents on their toes!
90 - Zog, Goblin Big Boss + Battle Standard Bearer + Warboss Umm’s Best Boss ‘At
Battle standard bearers have always been important to me in any army design, and of course, that goes double for troops with poor leadership such as Goblins. Magic banners are very nifty magic items and arguable the best kind of magic items in the game as they usually confer a special bonus to entire units rather than just a single character model like other magic items. However, I just wanted my BSB to survive and so he has a 5+ ward save, which saved him quite a few times during the tournament and he did survive each and every game!
165 - Zappgut, Goblin Shaman + Dispel Scroll + Brimstone Bauble + Wolf Chariot
I dislike scroll caddies (that’s not to say I don’t sometimes take them); I feel they are ultimately a waste of points and I’d rather use such precious points of something more effective. Yet I did want some magic defense, however if I was going to waste points on a level 1 Shaman I was going to make him useful. So I mounted him on a chariot and armed him with the Brimstone Bauble. This means I get another free chariot (i.e. no special choice), which is very important so I can charge in and cause some nice damage with impact hits. But what happens when you charge into combat with a Wizard? Your opponent wants to attack and kill him and, in this case, that’s what I want to have happen too! After I get my impact hits, my opponent will hopefully kill my Shaman and take a further D6 S6 hits from the exploding bauble. Being mounted on a chariot base also means I have the potential to contact more enemy units (each unit in base contact takes the D6 S6 hits). This turns my ‘scroll caddie’ into a very deadly weapon indeed!
CORE UNITS
212 - 48 Goblins + Shields + Full Command (BSB goes here, normally)
200 - 36 Goblins + Shields + Short Bows + Full Command
164 - 36 Goblins + Shields + Full Command
Common Goblins iz da best! A 4-point model with a 4+ armour save in combat is a fine choice; don’t underestimate them, these are tough units (for Goblins, anyway!). Many players will think twice about charging a unit that starts with a static +5 Combat Resolution (3 ranks, standard, outnumber) especially when they have no ranks themselves, but further knowing that half the wounds caused will be discounted due to a 4+ armour save means that they are that much better at winning and/or holding the combat. Not to mention their +1 Leadership (compared to that of Night Goblins) is a very, very, very big deal - I'll let you do the math!
One unit also has short bows. This is noteworthy to point out. Versatility is a key element in Warhammer, if a unit can perform multiple tasks it is the sign of a good unit in the hands of an experienced general, regardless of their points cost (High Elf Lothern Sea Guard and Dark Elf City Guard are good examples, they fight effectively in combat and also shoot exceptionally well!). This unit is my ‘Goblin Camp Guard’. With their light armour and shield (and large numbers) they can fight well in combat (for a Goblin, anyway!) and also shoot! Their mission is to target large targets or enemies on hills so that the entire unit may fire, 36 shots will scare even the meanest of Giants! Even if they only end up causing 1 wound they did their job!
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Unit Formations: I normally deploy my Goblins units in squares, either 7x7, 6x6 or 5x5. For one it looks cool, but tactically it makes the units easier to maneuver. For example if I need to turn my units to face another direction, my units will stay in formation, as opposed to turning into a new odd-spaded formation, which happens in rectangular formations.
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249 - 36 Night Goblins + Spears + Nets + Full Command + Goblin Fanatic x2
How can you have a Goblin army without fanatics? I actually waste a lot of points with this unit because of the spears and the nets, not because such wargear cannot be useful, but because I normally do not intend to use this unit of Night Goblins as a main shock unit (Common Goblins and Squig Herds are better for that). Instead I deploy my Night Goblins in reserve, usually behind the big unit of 49 Goblins. When I need my Goblin Fanatics, the Night Goblins move within 8” of the enemy and release their fanatics through the rear of my other Goblin units to gain a greater or automatic amount of distance. This works best if the said Goblin unit is already engaged in close combat so that after hitting the Goblins, the Fanatic moves through the Goblins and then automatically hits the engaged enemy unit as well (see diagram 2.1). My Goblin units are large enough not to care about the damage, but it’s doubtful the same can be true of the enemy’s units of Chosen Chaos Knights, Sword Masters of Hoeth, or any other high point-cost units.
65 - 5 Forest Goblin Spider Riders
65 - 5 Forest Goblin Spider Riders
65 - 5 Goblin Wolf Riders + Short Bows
Fast cavalry is useful for obvious reasons (check out the Fast Cavalry tactica in White Dwarf 333) and make great supporting units for infantry heavy armies, sending them off against smaller enemy units like war machines or charging them into an exposed flank. When if comes to Goblin fast cavalry I prefer Forest Goblin Spider Riders. This is because many players like to hide certain units in terrain causing an annoyance to advancing infantry, whether it’s to simply march block, shoot, cast spells or all of the above. Spider Rider are good at dealing with such units by moving right into the terrain and scouting them out.
40 - Snotlings (2 Bases)
40 - Snotlings (2 Bases)
In previous editions of Warhammer I never really included Snotlings in the Orcs & Goblins armies I made. With the 7th edition rules though, Snotlings are better then they ever were and I take 2 units of 2 Snotling bases as a staple in nearly every Greenskin list I design. Here are a few of their good points as they pertain to this army:
1. They don’t cause panic on Goblins, oddly enough this was not always so in previous editions. With an army of Leadership 6 warriors, minimizing Leadership tests is a good plan – Snotlings are worth taking simply for this reason alone.
2. They are Immune to Psychology – again minimizing psychology test in this army is imperative, so not only do Snotlings not cause panic, but also they don’t have to take any psychology test themselves!
3. Although they cannot choose to flee as a charge reaction (because they are Immune to Psychology), Snotlings still make excellent diverters and blockers. These units were deployed in the front of the bulk of my horde so that any tough, charging enemy unit would become bogged down by Snotlings, being forced to charge them before getting at my Goblins. Positioning the Snotling on an angle and well ahead of the main horde can throw enemy units out of favourable positions and into vulnerable ones (i.e. exposed flank).
***BOX TEXT****
Positioning Snotlings: During one game against a Khorne Cavalry army, a crazed Chariot of Khorne was rolling over several of my units. Seeing that an overrun was going to carry the chariot into one of my Snotling units, I angled the Snotlings so when the chariot made contact, the chariot would be forced to align to the Snotlings front, forcing the rear of the chariot into difficult terrain, which caused D6 S6 hits on the chariot and destroyed it in the process.
**Photo or diagram could be nice here**
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SPECIAL UNITS
150 - Night Goblin Squig Herd (5 Hunting Teams/15 Squigs/10 Goblins)
150 - Night Goblin Squig Herd (5 Hunting Teams/15 Squigs/10 Goblins)
The best unit in the Orc & Goblin army list – Night Goblin Squig herds. Remember what I said earlier about units that can perform multiple functions? Squig Herds excel at this.
Firstly, they can be used as an ‘elite’ Goblin infantry unit simply advancing with the rest of battle line. WS4, S5, A2 ‘nuff said. Combined with a healthy rank bonus they can truly go toe-to-toe with nearly any unit. The above units are organized into 5x5 squares.
Because they are Immune to Psychology they are reliable, your opponent cannot hope to just make them go away by shooting them up to cause panic or by advancing upon them with a terror-causing monster. They go after the enemy and won’t stop until the enemy is dead or they are. Being Immune to Psychology also means, Squig Herds can be used to hold an entire flank nearly by themselves - they will not flee and they will probably kill whatever they encounter.
Whether Squigs Herds are used as shock troops or in small support units either way they are expendable in the form of the notorious ‘Squig Bomb’. This is simply put as - if an opponent does not destroy the Squig Herd they are in trouble and if they do defeat them they are still in trouble as they can explode causing D6 S5 hits on anything within 2D6”. This makes them an ideal suicide unit (especially combined with their cheap point cost).
The best way to play the Squig Herd is to relentlessly push them into the heart of the enemy’s battle line, where they will eat through all they encounter OR they will blow up and (hopefully) cause severe damage or completely destroy multiple enemy units!
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Squig Herd Tip: When deploying large units of Night Goblin Squig Herds, place all the Goblin herders (or as many as possible) in the inside of the unit and all the Squigs along the outside of the unit (i.e. the front, flanks and rear). That way, if the herd is fighting in its front, flank or rear the enemy must fight the Squigs and not the weedy Gobbos.
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70 - Goblin Spear Chukka x2
A pair of Goblin Spear Chukkas cost a total of 70 points and only takes up a single Special Unit choice. This alone makes these Bolt Throwers a must for nearly any Orcs & Goblins army. At S6, no armour saves allowed and causing D3 wounds per hit, these machines of destruction are great threats to all lone monsters, characters and chariots, providing invaluable support to S3 Goblins that can’t easily harm tough monsters and such.
RARE UNITS
120 - 3 Trolls
I love Trolls and, to me, a Goblin army without Trolls is a like a peanut butter sandwich without jelly. Trolls are fast (compared to a Goblin, anyway!), strong and difficult to kill, not to mention extremely cheap for 40 points. Trolls are perfect in either supporting units of Goblins, giving them some extra punch in close combat or going after units with few or no ranks such as Skirmishers and Cavalry. Trolls are experts at dispatching heavy cavalry, in particular, with their vomit attacks hitting automatically at S5 and negating all armour. This combined with strong durability (i.e. T4, 3 wounds with Regeneration) allows Trolls to withstand a hard hitting charge from, say, a unit of Chosen Chaos Knights or Bretonnian Knights and then returning with S5, no armour save attacks.
80 - Goblin Doom Diver
Doom Divers are much fun to play with and although they may not be as powerful as a Rock Lobber their rules for redirecting themselves actually make them difficult to miss with!
[diagram 2.2, see below]
This is a typical deployment of my army used throughout the tournament.
I hope you enjoyed reading this tactica as much as I enjoyed writing it and hopefully you learned something new! Happy gaming and may your dice rolls always roll ‘6s’ (except for Leadership tests and when playing against me!).