SHARGAZ EFB - FACTION FOCUS: ORCS & GOBLINS

 

Welcome, greenskin generals! Today, we have a look to the orcs & goblins. They are a very special host in many ways, with a big variety of troops, although mostly focused on close combat. Without a doubt, they are the archetype of brute force and undisciplined brawl. 

In general terms, the army has a low command rating, as well as low courage and moral. Therefore, the correct use of characters is paramount to ensure that the army is kept under control. Specially, both the ork warlord and warboss, have a special rule that allows friendly units to pass a charge or march order easier. This represents their imposing presence striking fear and order in their own troops.

  
The orc warriors are the core of the orc army. They are quite decent in combat, with good attack stats and number of wounds, but with low armor save. They can cause good trouble when they attack in mass, but are susceptible to being disrupted by missile attacks. Nothing that a mass of expendable goblins cannot prevent...

Orcs never stop growing, and the more he survives a constant live of fights and brawls, the stronger he becomes. In battle, these warriors gather in units of so called Black Orcs. The black orcs are the elite unit of the orcs, with excellent combat stats and a decent armor save. They like to be in the center of the battle, showing off who is stronger. They can put in check even enemy cavalry.

In general, orcs are not very skilled at riding (or in general), preferring to smash opponents in hand to hand fight. But some of them, the more able, have realized that riding on animals towards the enemy (like humans and elves do) bring them faster to the fight. They gather in units of orc riders, which aren't very numerous, but can deliver a good punch. 

As previously mentioned, the orcs doesn´t generally enjoy of a good armor safe, so they are highly vulnerable to missile attacks. But they are extremely cunning. They bully their little cousins, the goblins, to lead the charges soaking all the enemy projectiles. They only have to push aside the goblins once they are close enough to the enemy.

The goblins aren't good warriors, neither they are strong nor brave... quite the opposite. But they are huge in numbers. A horde of goblins is an impressive display of bodies. Maybe they can´t win combats by themselves, but the enemies will have to grind down their way through them... and there are a lot of them. Their best tactic is to surround the enemy, attack them from all sides, meanwhile the goblin archers pepper them from behind the front line.

Also, goblins are quite skilled at riding animals, opposite to their bigger cousins. Although, in their case, they do not have that sense of urgency for charging against the enemy... quite the opposite. The goblin raiders are great scouts. They are fast and mobile, harassing the flanks and the rear of the enemy force with their bows. And if an enemy unit gets isolated, they won't hesitate in charging it all at once, using their numerical superiority to overwhelm them. 

The goblins also depict an special type of cleverness, compensating for their lack of physical strength. For that reason, it isn´t strange seeing goblins constructing and handling warmachines like catapults and bolt throwers. 

They are not as crafted as the dwarfs, but they are an asset to be considered. Who doesn´t enjoy throwing stones to the enemy meanwhile you hear their screams... Not very accurate, but when they hit, they hit!

It is usual that their hosts attract other mind liked creatures, as trolls or giants, which find in it an easy way to find food (it doesn´t mater if it is the enemy or an unwary goblin). The trolls are towering creatures with incredible brute force and resilience, able to crush a cavalry charge without problem.  

The same can be said of the giant, whose presence causes terror. These two units can be frequently found in the center of the orcs & goblins hosts, thrashing through the enemy line.

Finally, the orc wyvern is the only flying unit of the army. Although not so powerful as a dragon, it is a powerful combat unit that can help the main thrust of the army or support a weak flank under attack. As all flying units, it is vulnerable to missile attacks, so do not risk it in a suicide front attack. Wait for the right moment and place to exploit its potential.

 The orc warlord and warboss provide a welcome boost in combat, as well as the aforementioned special rule for passing march and charge orders easier. Meanwhile other armies can perfectly work without characters, in the case of an orc army, they become imprescindible. The orc shaman is not the most skilled spellcaster, but has access to powerful magic.  

The goblin characters are totally the opposite. Not suited for close combat, they provide a cheap access to "inspiring" special rule, compensating for the low courage and moral attributes of the army. Also, the goblin shaman is a cheap spell caster, slightly better than the orc shaman, but with access to more mundane magic.

There are 4 army lists available, two of which are exclusive made of goblins. The great orc host represent a typical orc army, gathering all the strongest warriors under the banner of a warlord. It is mostly an infantry based army, including a good variety and number of units.

The orc & goblin raiders is a list focused on the most mobile part of the army, representing the advance force of an orc war host, plundering and burning enemy settlements in their path. The list allow a single unit of goblin raiders to deploy outside of the usual deployment zone, representing the scouts that precede the main force. A good list for sceneries like "Patrol" or "Scorched Earth".

The Goblin host depict a horde of goblins gathered under the leadership of a goblin warlord. This force relies on unmeasurable superiority of goblin infantry hordes and monsters to overwhelm any enemy. The list grants the possibility of deploying a unit of goblin warriors in ambush, showing the cunning mindset of the little green skins. This list has also access to the giant spider, a dreadful monster raided by goblins with bows and javelins that cause terror.

The last one is the Cave Goblin Host, under the rule of the Great Shaman. These goblins live in the dark caves on the mountains and they only leave them to sack and plunder the lands of humans, elves and dwarfs. The host is composed mostly by missile weapon units and monsters, including the giant spider and a unique unit... the giant worm. The cave goblins worship the giant worms as their gods, so there isn´t higher honor than going to war leaded by a god (little they know the worm is under a control spell by the great shaman). The worm is as strong as a dragon and fear nothing. It moves through terrain, ignoring it and cause terror in the enemies. 

So, as you can see, you have several ways to play with greenskins, all of them with lot of character. Maybe you cannot always rely on your plan to be successful, but you are warrant to have a lot of fan. And who needs a plan when you just want to smash some skulls... Those are elven things... PUAGH!

Hope you have enjoyed this article and meet you in the Big Brawl!   

PS: Thanks to Alessandro for borrowing his army for the photocall.