Starting a Goblin Themed army... Help?

River Zora · **Joined:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:57 pm **Posts:** 224

Hey One Ring.

I am mainly a 40K 'Nid player, but recently have picked up the Hobbit set. I say recently, I bought the original starter set back in 2000 with all the goblins elves and Gondorians, but have since lost nearly all of those. Now I find myself wanting to pick the hobby up again after a million years. How? With a massively goblin themed army.

I plan to have two 18-man armies of Misty Mountain goblins: The King, two Captains heading up their 18 man teams, and the lash-dude. Then I want to big up the beasts and bows with a Moria support- loads of little greenskin archers and Gruzhag and maybe another Shaman or drummer?

Basically it's been a while, and I want a selection of minis which can be easily formed into 500, 750 and 1000pt formations for matches. And I want to use Gruzhag and the Hobbit goblins. Other than that, fire away with ideas!

Draugluin · **Posted:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:24 pm

First of all, heros can only lead 12 warriors, not 18. Secondly, I would definitely bring in the Golin Scribe. His rule lets you get more warriors as the game goes on, and is particularily deadly if you have a shaman cast Fury nearby. Thirdly, welcome back to the hobby.

River Zora · **Joined:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:57 pm **Posts:** 224

^Ah, ok... I was just thinking because the box comes with two lots of 18... how about 10 with one Captain, 10 with the other, 8 with Grinnah?

Keeping with the flavour of the Goblins, and to make the army a little less monotone, Cave Trolls and maybe even a Balrog are potential additions; at what points bracket do they become worthwhile and not all-eggs-one-basket do you reckon?

SouthernDunedain · **Posted:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:57 pm

I would take the Great Goblin in a Goblin town list, cave trolls are nice additions. I wouldnt worry about the balrog until you are playing 1000pts or more. Yes it may be a little better with the new monster rules but I would say a Cave Drake or Watcher in the Water are better options. I usually field a cave troll in 500pts and 2-3 in 1000pts.

River Zora · **Joined:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:57 pm **Posts:** 224

I really don't like the Watcher model... Those spider legs are ridiculous. I also need to get me some measure of points cost. I played back before the sourcebooks came out, so I'm thinking I might get the big Hobbit rulebook as that has all the info in it? Also with trolls- which weapon would you suggest- spear or hammer?

River Zora · **Joined:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:57 pm **Posts:** 224

Right- I am going to buy the big Hobbit book for points costs etc., but until then (though I know posting individual/broken down points costs is not allowed) give me a ballpark on how much an army with the following models in it would be in total (mainly because these are the models I want to paint!) as well as any suggestions of things I may be missing/would help/could do with changing. I'm working from the paperback Hobbit BRB as it stands!

Goblin King
Goblin Scribe
Goblin Captain + 12 Goblin Warriors
Goblin Captain + 12 Goblin Warriors
Grinnah + 12 Goblin Warriors
Gruzhag + Some kind of beasty support, bats, wild wargs, spiders, something flavourful
Moria Goblin Shaman + 9 Moria Goblin Archers + Drummer + 2 Cave Trolls

What do you reckon?

Draugluin · **Posted:** Tue Dec 11, 2012 10:35 pm

I would tke out 2 of the captains and give the goblins in their warbands to the King and the Scribe. Also, your last warband has 13 models in it. A list more like this:
Goblin King
12 goblins
Scribe
12 goblins
Grinnah
12 goblins
Moria goblin shaman
8 goblins with shields/spears/bows (whatever you want)
drum and 2 drummers
2 cave trolls
That's a 700 pt list with pretty good numbers and some monsters.

River Zora · **Joined:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:57 pm **Posts:** 224

I like... It's a shame I like the Captain models (both the finecast and the midget) so much... Also I really like Gruzhag (and I have him...)

I suppose I could use Gruzhag as a Shaman and then use the Captains as regular goblins... It's just a shame they're so special!

Draugluin · **Posted:** Tue Dec 11, 2012 11:35 pm

If you like them so much you can use them, I was just pointing out that the King and the Scribe can lead goblins, you don't need to have the captains. Of course you could buy another box of goblins to give your captains someone to lead if you want.

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:48 am

I agree with Draugluin again (this is becoming a habit)

By the way, who is Gruzhag? Do you mean Druzhag/ Or Ashrak or Grinnah or something? Not all Goblins names begin with a 'G' by the way.

I do recommend you take a couple of Bat Swarms as well, with Heroic Strike, Captains could beat your trolls if you don't take bat swarms.

River Zora · **Joined:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:57 pm **Posts:** 224

^ I do mean Druzhag. Lord knows why I wrote Gruzhag so many times...

Draugluin · **Posted:** Wed Dec 12, 2012 2:32 pm

Druzhag is only useful if you include at least a full warband of beasts. I would use either a generic shaman or Ashrak if you don't have that many beasts.

River Zora · **Joined:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:57 pm **Posts:** 224

What would you go with for beasts? Wild wargs? Spiders? Bats? A mixture?

Draugluin · **Posted:** Wed Dec 12, 2012 4:00 pm

Definitely a mix, though Wargs would be my main choice just because they're so much cheaper, both money and point wise.

River Zora · **Joined:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:57 pm **Posts:** 224

Okay, how's this for a lone Moria warband:

Shaman
2Drummers+Drums
4Goblins with bows
1Maurauder
2Cave Trolls
2Bat Swarms

That leaves me with a model to spare in the unit if I want it, maxes out my archers for Moria and costs a tidy 340 points. Whaddya reckon? Worth adding in an extra model?

Also- spoke to the guys at GW what they'd suggest about points values for Hobbit minis as they're not in the mini rulebook; they said there will probably be a mini sourcebook out for them in the new year, but until then feel free to pop in for extended book reading/notetaking or to scour the internet for wayward points costs. I didn't have time to check the book there as it was closing time, and I would never endanger the forums by asking for points costs for Goblin Captains, scribe, Grinna, King and warriors- no sir-ee.... And should a magical PM with the info in arrive I would surely delete it straight away... *ahem*

Tezzy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 27, 2011 4:42 am **Posts:** 160

River Zora wrote:

Okay, how's this for a lone Moria warband:

Shaman
2Drummers+Drums
4Goblins with bows
1Maurauder
2Cave Trolls
2Bat Swarms

Maybe I'm crazy here but I thought bow limits were based on only warriors, not including heroes. So you wouldn't be able to have 4/11s of your contingent have bows.

Maybe a veteran here can correct me

River Zora · **Joined:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:57 pm **Posts:** 224

Is it only warriors?... I thought it was total models in the army, so a thirteen man army could have five bows? The book says warriors seemingly specifically with hero bows not counting.... Damn, looks like four bows for me then. It still rounds up, so no more than 4.

River Zora · **Joined:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:57 pm **Posts:** 224

OKAY- with points costs now at my disposal, here is a 750 pt Goblin army coming in at 749pts:

Shaman
Goblin Warrior Bows x4
Troll x2
Bat x2
Drummer x2 (and drum)

Goblin King
12 Warriors

Scribe
12 Warriors

Grinnah
12 Warriors

...

Whaddya reckon?

Tezzy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 27, 2011 4:42 am **Posts:** 160

So I like the new hobbit goblin side of things, but lemme give you some ideas for moria because that's what I play. Firstly if its possible, you probably want the Blackshield drummers. Why? They can move half speed and play the drums. Now the difference is if one dies you won't have any blackshields to pick up the drums but that doesn't really happen with all the in the ways they will have to roll for archery. Also the drum cannot be targetted.

Secondly I wouldn't really waste my time with goblin archers because they are 5+ to hit, on the move its 6 only! That's terrible! I'd probably just give them shields and axes or something, but then again bows are only one point so not a big deal either way. As for the shaman I think hes a nice pick, fury is fine, sadly transfix is nerfed but what can you do.

One thing you MIGHT want to do however is take the points you spend on bow guys and instead take a blackshield shaman. I feel they are pretty good as splash units, and since you have the scribe I'm not sure fury is really necessary? Your call just throwing out ideas. The thing I like about the BS shaman is he can potentially put a lot of hurt on heroes. And the fireball thing is nice too.

River Zora · **Joined:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:57 pm **Posts:** 224

If I get rid of archers, though, I have zero ranged attacks... Which is the main reason I wanted a Moria detachment...

Starting a Goblin Themed army... Help?

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