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Ok, I am a 40k player with some expirience with fantasy, but I would like to get into fantasy in a more serious way. As of right now, I have the goblin side models from skull pass plus some goblin champions, 3 fanatics, and a limited edition orc boss (he can be black or regular methinks)

First, I want to use the goblins with the fanatics in some way, putting them into a block of 35 with spears (no shields) and giving them banner, muscian and 3 fanatics seems solid to me. But is one unit enough, or should i get another like it?

Second, I think it is a good idea to use 5 spider riders as flankers with musician. good idea?

And third, what to get next? a block of orc boyz with extra hand weapon on banner+muscian seems like a good idea, to put the boss with.

On goblins hand weapon/shield trumps spears in almost all cases.
The only exception is against models that are str 5
I think wolf riders are better than spider riders but both can do just as well. If you want them as a flanking force take at least 2 units per flank (one wolf and one spider works really well)

Yup, orcs are next. You really want an even mix of orcs vs goblins. After you get 4 or so blocks a couple spear chuckas are a good buy as are squigs (an squig hoppers are insanly good).

ok, well in regards to the goblins, how about a 2 blocks of 20 that i have just to drop their fanatics then die? i think spears will work fine.
you can just keep the units by orcs in case one panics

Some tips regarding gobbos (in a mixed o&g army anyways)

Best way to arm night gobbos who are supposed to actually do bit more than just throw fanatics off is to arm them with nets, shield & handweapon. The nets will make a world of difference against a lot of opponents, as your average human will need 5s to wound these buggers. Goblins win with static combat res, not with kills, so I think spears are usually worthless especially as they make your save worse. 3 Fanatics in the same unit is also overkill and makes the unit a bit too expensive for my tastes. Better settle for 2 or 1. Also, 35 is too big an unit size, 25-30 is better unless you plan on sending fanatics through them.

well, 25 sounds fine, could i just count my night goblins as having hand weapons and shields, (they all have spears now) or maybe should i convert them some way?

If you’re just testing out a weapon combo for a game or two, you don’t need to bother converting. But for long term usage, yeah, you should convert.

Remember that in Warhammer (ref. the weapon rules) the majority of the models in the unit have to have the weapons properly represented, not all of them. So it’s okay to not covert everyone and mix some spears in there, in the back.

Hand weapons are easy to convert. Technically they’re anything that doesn’t have its own other rules. Could be swords, axes, clubs, daggers, or whatever. You could clip the spears down and leave them wielding sticks. You could clip down to the hand and glue the spearpoint on as a dagger. Or anything in between.

IME with gobbos, 20 is a good size for sacrificial and fanatic-delivery units. 25 is okay for an auxiliary combat unit. 30 or 36 are good sizes for a block you want to stick around for a while. 25 and 36 have the advantages of being equilateral squares, so turning and other formation changes work a bit more elegantly.

yea, I think (for a while) I'll be sticking to a 25 man unit with 1 or two fanatics with shields, hand weapons, and netters. I feel like pairing them up with a 5 man unit or spider riders who charge the flank gives the unit a good chance of winning comabts by resolution.

Well, I run two units of 35 Gobbos and to convert them from spearmen to hand weapons I simply cut half the handle off and made them into Falxmen. (A stick with a blade on the end.) Works like a charm and doesn't look half bad as well. Just remeber to cut a little off the bottom as well as the top of the spear shaft.

Also their survivability is quite good. Seeing as they can take an entire rank of 5 dead and still outnumber, +3 for ranks, and all they have to do is kill a couple dudes and they win. Using them as tar pits is also good.

Gobbos. I hate em'.

I mean, I didn't expect to lose so many combats just
because it's so easy for them to outnumber and outrank
you.

cypher: why do you prefer wolf riders?

Yea, I think the probability of them getting wrecked in close combat is high, but the delivery of fanatics is awesome and they are tarpits, especially since i can run a unit of 30 (5 ranks of six).

but.


so far my proposed list is this.

1x black orc big boss

1x goblin shaman lvl 2

19x Orcs, FC with extra choppas

30x Night goblins with hand weapons and shields, netters 2x fanatics, STB and musician

5x spider riders with musician

1x spear chukka

quick question, do fanatic kills count towards combat res. if they get thrown out due to a charge?

No. They happen in the movement phase.

That said, if the charging unit suffers 25% casualties from the fanatic, they will have to test for Panic.

ok, that makes sense, is there a penalty to leadership for this test, or does it have to be 50%?

and what do you think of the list?

The Gorgull wrote:ok, that makes sense, is there a penalty to leadership for this test, or does it have to be 50%?

and what do you think of the list?

Generally psychology tests aren't subject for penalties which is true in this case too. (and if you care, the list looks fine to me )

The list so far looks good, though I think Choppa & Shield is arguably better than two choppas, and I'd strongly consider building your next couple of Orc units that way.

If you and your opponent are on the same page about magic, using about the same amount, the L2 shaman is good. You can each get a few spells off during the game without it being a huge factor in the game.

Once you get to playing bigger games, and against more competitive opponents, you wind up having to choose either to go with significant magic (lord-level Shaman plus at least a L2 shaman, or three L2 shamans and a fighty lord) or cheap magic defense (one or two L1 shamans with 2 scrolls; not wasting points on L2 because you’ll never get spells off).

i have the shaman in there for no particular reason, just because the likely hood of some else running a lvl2 is decent and i like the magic!

i am building my next unit of boyz wit shields to give them some extra staying power, but the extra attacks will be useful (i think) against other core units found at this level of play.

im getting the boyz and spear chukka this weekend, and next i want another unit of boyz with shields and a CHARIOT!!! woot.