Da Begin'in'

Okay, so I've got to start somewhere with my Da Bigga Da Waaagh concept. I have quite a few unpainted models, so I want a plan so that I can start playing as soon as possible. That would suggest working up some small force lists, such as 500pts, possibly representing a raiding or recon force. Since I'm planning on the full size army being "led" by a Giant and some Troll "Big Unz", it wouldn't make much sense to include them in a small list like this. Since this is a small force, it would make sense that it employs the smallest things in my army. Unfortunately I currently have no Snotling models to speak of, so that's out.

Given that I've identified the Wolf Riders as a unit that I want to use frequently and one that will give me a fair number of points per painted model, they are a shoo-in here. So, bam! One core unit out of the way. Looking further at the list, I've been wanting to try out Night Goblins and Fanatics, so they are in as well. Let's do two of those. Okay, well, I'll still need some sort of leader. Since I've got all Goblins of one kind or another, a Goblin leader would make sense. I was initially leaning toward a Shaman, but I got to wondering how effective a single level 1 or 2 Shaman would be, given that they can't cast more dice than their level and every army automatically gets at least 2 dispel dice. (Sure, maybe my dice will beat theirs, but at that point it's pretty much 50/50, which doesn't seem worth the 90pts to me. On the other hand, a Goblin BigBoss w/Great Ax, Shield, Light Armor and riding a Wolf is only 55pts. That will give my Wolf Riders some serious punch, I think. I could give him a magical weapon, I suppose, but that gets pricey pretty quick, and he's already got 3 S6 attacks, which isn't too shabby. That leaves me with about 45pts, which I could put into an additional Goblin BigBoss (perhaps running with one of the Night Goblin units) or extra stuff, but it gives me a basic list to work with.

Right then, 'ere's da littlest Waagh!
55 Goblin BigBoss or two(Great Weapon, Armor and Shield, Wolf)
150 11 Wolfriders 12pts ea + 18 for Standard and Musician.
125 23 Nightgoblins w/3 Fanatics and Musician
125 23 Nightgoblins w/3 Fanatics and Musician
-----
455pts 58 models.

So, I've still got some 45 points to fool around with, which could give me a few more Wolf Riders, a whole bunch of Goblins, another Gobbo character, or I could even scratchbuild a chariot, drop the Wolf from the Bigboss and put him in the chariot. I could also give my units some upgrades, such as spears or nets for the Night Goblins. I could even give my character some sort of magical equipment. (I rather like Nibbla'z 'Itty Ring, which targets individual models with a S4 attack that allows no armor save, 40k players can think of it as a sniper or as Mindwar Lite.)

I was considering the possibility of Goblin Wolf Chariots in my short list here (I've got extra wolves at the moment and they would give me a fair number of points per model in terms of painted miniatures. On the other hand, I'd basically have to make them from scratch, since I have no actual models. I expect that I will do this eventually, but I'll save it for later.

What to do with Arrer Boyz?
As do most Greenskin players, I've got a small number of da Boyz wif Bowz. They aren't particularly good at shooting, have limited range, and they cost more than a normal Orc Boy. After thinking about it for a bit and studying the models, I've decided to convert them to Orcs with Choppas. I'll remove the bottom half of the bow, then add a suitably heavy, pitted blade to the top half, giving it a heavy curved scimitar type look. Sure, they'll have an odd pose, with the Choppa arm stuck straight out and the other arm bunched up by their chest, but at least I'll have usable models. For that matter, I might just use a hairdryer to soften up the Choppa arm so I can get a bit more dynamic in their posing. (If you turn a hairdryer on high and point it at the bit your are trying to bend, it will soften it in about 15-20 seconds, just enough to bend it to a new shape without losing any of the detailing. Dip it in cool water to set it. The model will be slightly more brittle, but it's very effective.)

How to equip my Wolf Riders?
Alright, my first 11 Wolf Riders came with Spears and Shields, so there's not much of a question there, but what about those to come? Although Short bows might not be a bad idea, I think the spear and shield combo is a pretty good one. It allows more effective charges and at least a little bit of a save. On the other hand, I'm highly tempted to give them Light armor. It is a free upgrade and would give them a better save. It would also make them no longer be Fast Cavalry. While that would somewhat restrict their movement, it would also let them get bonuses for extra ranks! That would be quite a surprise for most opponents and could put some serious hurt on a target. I'll have to give this one some thought.

How to use my Wolf Riders?
Goblin Wolf Riders are very fast, with a 9 inch move and the movement bonuses that Fast Cavalry gets. The question is, how to best use them? The standard thought is to use them as light harassing troops. Send them up a flank to try to hit the war machines in the enemy back lines or set up flank or rear charges. (Or simply cause the opponent to react to your potential flank or rear charges.) This can be quite effective. They can also be used to ride down enemy units that are already fleeing, giving you a good chance of totally eradicating units quickly. Another possibility is the traditional use of cavalry. (Use the infantry to fix an enemy unit in place, then charge it in the side or rear with the cavalry to destroy it.) Although this is traditionally for medium or heavy cavalry, a flank or rear charge by a unit with a unit strength of 5 or more (at least 3 Wolf Riders, then) against a unit already engaged in combat causes a break test before the cavalry even engage. Finally, as I mentioned above, Wolf Riders can take Light armor, which makes them no longer Fast Cavalry, which gives them the possibility of additional rank bonuses, and a flank or rear charge will negate those of the enemy, meaning the enemy will be very likely to lose the combat and be forced to test on a very low Leadership number.

How to equip my Goblins?
Well, there are several options here. Common Goblins come with a hand weapon and shield for only 2pts, which is fantastically cheap. For an additional point, they can get a spear, allowing the second rank to fight. Alternately they can get Light Armor, which combines with the Shield to give them a 4+ save, which is quite good armor for only 3pts. Gobbos with this combination are often referred to as 'ardgrots, which they really are. Night Goblins have some other options. They, too, can get spears, though not Light armor. Up to a quarter of the unit can also get nets, which reduce the number of attacks coming their way on a charge. Finally, they can get Fanatics, which I'll cover below.

How to use my Fanatics?
Fanatics are those that even other Gobbos refer to as dangerous loonies. They are the ones zonked out of their minds on Madcap mushrooms and swinging heavy iron balls around. They zip around in random directions, mashing whatever they run into. The trick is to get them going the right direction (and a bit of luck helps, too.) When an enemy unit approaches within 8 inches of a unit containing Fanatics, it stops (even in mid-charge) and the Fanatics are released. They go spinning out in the direction the Greenskin player chooses and they go the distance indicated on 2d6. Since the enemy unit is stopped 8 inches away, they'll need to get a better than average roll to hit the target that released them. If they do move through a unit, they will move up to the unit, do their damage, then be placed on the far side of the unit to continue their movement. (That means, if they roll 10 inches on the dice, they will move 8inches up to the enemy unit and hit it, then be placed on the far side of the unit, however big it is, and move the remaining 2 inches from there.)

Now, the brilliant bit (and I'm stealing this from The Fabulous Orcboy, so you know it's gotta be good) is that you can send them through your own units. Sure, you'll lose some ladz, but you can grow more, right? If there is a unit of Gobbos 3 inches thick and situated 2 inches in front of your Night Gobbo unit, an enemy unit must get within 3 inches of the first unit to release your Fanatics. At that point, with a roll of only 5 on the dice, they sail forward 2 inches and hit your front unit. Then they will be placed on the far side of your front unit and move 2 more inches forward to hit the enemy unit, at which point they will be placed on the far side of the enemy unit and move their final inch. For more information on Fanatic tactics, check out the Warmonger website, then go to the Library and Strateegery corner. Orcboy has a well-written tactical treatise on how to use them best.

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