RED ELF
Goblinoid Breeds
By Gav Thorpe

Welcome to another one Warhammer Chronicles article! This treatise by Kevin J. Coleman discusses some of the many breeds of Goblin that can be found at large in the Warhammer world, as well as the rules for including them in your Ore & Goblin armies. After reading the rules, Anthony Reynolds couldn't resist having a go at modelling the nasty little fellows. You can see the results of his endeavours as you browse the article.

Goblin Ecology
By Kevin J. Coleman

For as long as anyone can reckon, the nations of the Warhammer world have been threatened by marauding tribes of Ores and Goblins, which inhabit nearly all regions and habitats of the known world. The two general terms, Ores and Goblins, include several different sub-species such as the Night Goblins that dwell in the mountains, and the frenzied Savage Ores that cover themselves with barbarous tattoos; collectively though, all Ores and Goblins are known as Greenskins due to their broad range of greenish skin tones. In general, the enemies of the Greenskins do not give much thought to the distinction between different sub-species of Ores and Goblins. After all, an Ore is just an Ore and a Goblin is just a Goblin. However, there are some scholars that find Greenskins fascinating and devote their entire lives to studying these Goblinoids, learning and collecting as much information as possible about these green monstrosities.

For ages, sceptics have shunned the research of Goblinoid ecology, insisting that the information found by such 'ludicrous' scholars is completely pointless. However, in recent times the research of Goblinoid ecology has been used in effective ways, saving lives and is even responsible for winning battles.

The Badlands

Such is the variety of the Greenskins though that scholars will debate for hours on the most minute details of a particular Goblinoid. Arguments range from such broad topics as tribal relationships to small details such as the shape of a skull or colour pigments of a particular hide In any event, the information gathered here contains facts about Goblinoid species that most Goblinoid scholars agree on. At least, to an extent!

NEW GREENSKINS

Unless otherwise noted, all the Greenskins found here count as Goblins for purposes of spell effects and any other special rules that have an effect on Goblins.

These are not 'official' rules, but we hope that Ore & Goblin players will try them out and give some feedback on how they work on the field of battle.

FIRE KOBOLDS

Kobolds are green-skinned Goblinoids that are almost completely identical to the common Goblin. Only an exceptional expert of Goblinoid studies can spot the distinction of their longer arm-span and smaller hip bones, which make a Kobold's movement somewhat irregular and crooked compared to that of a common Goblin. Fire Kobolds on the other hand are much more recognisable.

They are indigenous to the volcanic Red Cloud Mountains that lay south of the Badlands and other volcanic regions around the globe. Although Fire Kobolds have a greenish skin tone, they are covered in large patches of deep red or orange tones. In fact, at first glance they look like Goblins with some type of horrific skin disease, fungus infestation or who are perhaps covered with blotches of red war paint.

Reports have suggested that these Goblinoids spit small wads of fire as a brutal attack and natural defence mechanism, though others have reported that they simply favour the use of flaming arrows. At the same time, fire based weapons seem to have little or no effect at all on these Kobolds, which would suggest that their volcanic environment has had a profound effect on this species of Goblinoids.

FIRE KOBOLD
Core Unit
3 points per model
Fire Kobolds
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
Fire KoboId
4
2
3
3
3
1
2
1
6
Kobold Boss
4
2
3
3
3
1
2
2
6

This Fire Kobold has bad no conversion work done to it at all, and was made using only the plastic Goblin frame. Its orange patterning was painted onto the skin using a basecoal of Scab Red, highlighting it up in patches using Fiery Orange.

Unit Size: 20+

Weapons & Armour: Hand weapon and shield.

Options:

  • Any unit may be equipped with spears for +1 pt/model.
  • Any unit may be equipped with light armour for +1 pt/model.
  • Upgrade one Fire Kobold to a Musician +4 pts.
  • Upgrade one Fire Kobold to a Standard Bearer for +8 pts.
  • Promote one Fire Kobold to a Kobold Boss for +8 pts.

Special Rules: Animosity; Fear Elves; Spit Fire; Fire Resistant.

  • Spit Fire: Fire Kobolds may spit tiny streams of fire at enemies during the Shooting phase. This attack counts as a thrown weapon. All Spit Fire attacks count as Fire attacks, of course!
  • Attack Maximum Range Strength
    Spit Fire
    8"
    4

  • Fire Resistant: Fire Kobolds live in and along mountainous volcanoes and fire pits, this has affected their Goblinoid physiology with several fiery traits. All fire-based attacks (ie, fire balls, Skaven Warpfire Throwers, Dragon Breath, etc) suffer a -1 Strength penalty when rolling to wound Fire Kobolds. For example, a fire ball (normally S4) would be lowered to S3 when rolling to wound a Fire Kobold.
TROGLAGOB

Troglagobs are by far one of the most unusual types of Goblins. They are Goblins that dwell in the sea. making coastal raids against the Empire, Tilea and even raiding the shores of Ulthuan and Lustria. Recently, many of these ocean-dwelling Goblins have been sighted on Albion in great numbers, in the muddy southern tip of the island that has come to be known as Trogland. Troglagobs can have greenish skin like their Goblin cousins, though most tend to reflect a more seaish green such as turquoise or similar blue-green colour. The hands and feet of a Troglagob are webbed like that of a frog, making them excellent swimmers with exceptional speed. Troglagobs actually have both gills and lungs, allowing them to breathe comfortably above and below water. However, Troglagobs will not venture too far from their aquatic habitat as they need to refresh themselves at least every few days or else they will dry up and die.

0-1 TROGLAGOB UNITS
Rare Unit
5 points per model
Troglagobs
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
Troblagob
4
2
3
3
3
1
2
1
5
TrogBoss
4
2
3
3
3
1
2
2
5

For the Troglagob, the boots were cut off one of the plastic Goblins and replaced with bare feet taken from a Goblin Wolfrider. To make the javelin, a Goblin spear was cut to the right length and the tip sharpened. The Troglagob was then painted using Hawk Turquoise as the base colour to give it a sea-like colour.

Unit Size: 10-15

Weapons & Armour: Hand weapons and javelins.

Options:

  • Troglagobs may exchange their javelins for short bows for +1 pt/model.
  • Promote one Troglagob to a Trog Boss for +8 pts.

Special Rules: Animosity; Fear Elves; Aquatic; Skirmish; Troglagob arrows and javelins count as Poisonous Attacks.

  • Aquatic: Troglagobs are sea dwelling Goblins, making them experts at swimming and moving speedily through aquatic features. Troglagobs may count marshes, rivers, streams, lakes and any other water terrain feature as open ground and so can move through water terrain without any of the normal penalties. Also, when in such terrain Troglagobs benefit from soft cover.
  • Skirmish: Unlike most Goblinoids, Troglagobs always fight in loose formations. Troglagobs are skirmishers and follow all the rules governing skirmish troops as described on pages 115-116 of the Warhammer rulebook.
  • Poisoned Attacks: Troglagobs coat their weapons with ichor from poisonous sea monsters. All shooting attacks made by Troglagob arrows and javelins count as poisoned attacks See page 114 of the Warhammer rulebook for details. Note: Poisoned attacks wound targets automatically on a To Hit roll of 6. If you need a 7 or more to hit, the poison has no effect and cannot wound automatically.
HILL GOBLINS

South of the Empire, across the shores of Tilea and the Border Princes, lays a barren plain of hills and grasslands at the very edge of the Badlands. It is in this deserted region where the largest Goblins can be found. Generally reckoned as Hill Goblins, but also known as Great Goblins, these Goblinoids are larger then ordinary Goblins, more aggressive and as strong as Ores. The skin tone of a Hill Goblin is much darker than that of a common Goblin, with some shades even resembling that of a Black Ore's hide.

Being much more brutally ambitious than the average Goblin, Hill Goblins enjoy fighting almost as much as Ores do and will occasionally sell their services as mercenaries to armies that will put up with them. Wrestling and brawling are favoured leisure activities for these hulking Goblins and they enjoy nothing more then bullying around their smaller Goblinoid cousins.

0-1 HILL GOBLINS
Core Unit
4 points per model
Hill Goblins
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
Hill Goblin
4
2
3
3
4
1
2
1
6
Goblin Boss
4
2
3
3
4
1
2
2
6

The Hill Goblin was made with the legs and body of a plastic Night Goblin. The left arm bad its bow removed and replaced with a sword, and the spiked helm was cut from a plastic Orc. A plastic Chaos shield with its design filed off was stuck to the model's back. The completed Hill Goblin was then painted a dark skin tone, using Dark Angels Green as a basecoat.

Unit Size: 20+

Weapons & Armour: Hand weapon.

Options:

  • Any unit may be equipped with great weapons for +2 pt/model or additional hand weapons for + 2 pt/model.
  • Any unit may be equipped with light armour for +1 pt/model and or shields for +1 pt/model.
  • Upgrade one Hill Goblin to a Musician +4 pts.
  • Upgrade one Hill Goblin to a Standard Bearer for +8 pts.
  • Promote one Hill Goblin to a Goblin Boss for +8 pts.

Special Rules: Animosity; Fear Elves; Big Bullies.

  • Big Bullies: Hill Goblins are especially nasty and aggressive Goblins that love nothing better then showing off and bullying around smaller Goblinoids such as Kobolds and Night Goblins. To represent this, if your army includes any other types of Goblins (including Hobgoblins) then the Hill Goblins will fail their Animosity tests on a 1 or a 2 rather than just a 1 (see pages 8-9 of the Orc& Goblin army for details of Animosity). Note this rule only applies if your army does NOT include any Orc units. Even Hill Goblins know their place and will avoid getting into a brawl with an Orc!
DUST GOBLINS

In the deserts of Khemri, ancient Liche Priests raise mighty armies of Undead warriors for their mummified masters known as the Tomb Kings. In these cursed domains the dead do not rest easy and those that dare venture to the Land of the Dead are doomed to a life of Undeath. Occasionally, a teeming horde of Greenskins from the Badlands or the World's Edge Mountains make their way into this realm of death intent on slaughtering, plundering and conquering. None have ever succeeded, nor ever returned from the Land of the Dead... at least alive!

Once the armies of the Tomb Kings destroy the green-skinned interlopers, the Liche Priest summons the rotting Goblinoid carcasses back from the grave, adding them to their lord's horrific legions. However, some of these Undead Goblins somehow find their way back to their homelands.

Unlike Humans, Elves and Dwarfs, an Undead Goblin corpse retains a small pan of its mischievous and unpleasant qualities from its previous malevolent life. These Undead Goblins, known as Dust Goblins, still bicker and taunt one another like spiteful children.

DUST GOBLINS
Rare Unit
8 points per model
Dust Goblins
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
Dust Goblin
4
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
2
Morbid
4
1
3
3
3
1
1
2
2

The Undead Dust Goblin was made by cutting a plastic Skeleton torso to fit onto plastic Goblin legs. A Goblin head was glued to this, and then Skeleton arms were attached. The blowpipe was a spear, cut to the right length and a small hole drilled in each end. The dart was made from the plastic arrow on the Skeleton frame, cut to the right size and glued into place

Unit Size: 10-20

Weapons & Armour: Hand weapons and Blowpipe.

Options:

  • Promote one Dust Goblin to a Morbid for +10 pts.

Special Rules: Animosity; Blowpipe; Dust Goblins are Undead, and as such the following rules apply to them, although as they retain some of their former psychological qualities, these rules are slightly different from usual.

  • Break Tests: Dust Goblins are Unbreakable. If the Dust Goblins are beaten in combat, they suffer one extra wound for every point they lost the combat by, with no saves of any kind allowed.
  • Immune to Psychology: Dust Goblins are immune to psychology.
  • Charge Reactions: Dust Goblins are allowed to make charge reactions. Note that this is an exception to the normal Undead rules.
  • Marching: Dust Goblins may make march moves. Note that this is an exception to the normal Undead rules.
  • Cause Fear: Dust Goblins cause fear.
  • Dead: Undead Goblins cannot be joined by characters.
  • Blowpipe: Dust Goblins carry small blowpipes and coat their darts with scorpion venom. Blowpipes have a range of 12" and 2 x Multiple Shots. They suffer penalties for long range, moving and shootings, etc. as normal. All shots are resolved with a Strength of 3.