My Take on Thematic Army Compositions - Greenskins

GoldfishLord#2862

Here's the next chapter for our little Thematic Armies series. The Greenskins are probably one of the races that I know the least about, so please forgive my lack of lore knowledge.

1) Grimgor Ironhide

I gave Grimgor a very in-your-face, aggressive build. I was tempted to give him a spellcaster because I usually like to have a caster hero with a melee lord, but ultimately I decided on BOBB.

Grimgor
Black Orc Big Boss on Warboar
Krimson Killerz
Black Orcs x6
Broken Tusks Mob
Orc Boar Boy Big 'Uns x2
Orc Boar Chariots x3
Giant x2
Doom Diver Catapults x3

2) Azhag the Slaughterer

Azhag would absolutely get feral wyverns if you could only recruit them. Stone Trolls are in because he's up near Troll Country. Orc Big 'Uns have anti-large, so I gave him the regular Orc Boar Boyz since they're anti-infantry. Why two shamans? Well, none of the other hero options fit any better thematically, and he starts with one. At least they have different spells.

Azhag on Skullmuncha
Orc Shaman on Warboar
Orc Big 'Uns x5
Orc Arrer Boyz x3
Orc Boar Boyz x4
Stone Trolls x3
Hammer of Gork
Goblin Rock Lobbers x2

3) Wurrzag the Great Green Prophet

Before the Greenskin update, I had Giants in Wurrzag's army, but now Rouge Idols seem more appropriate. We're missing a savage orc melee hero so the goblin hero is filling in.

Wurrzag on Spleenrippa
Goblin Big Boss on Giant Spider
Savage Orc Big 'Uns x6
Savage Orc Arrer Boyz x4
Savage Orc Boar Boyz x3
Savage Orc Boar Boy Big 'Uns x3
Da Big 'Un
Rouge Idol

4) Skarnsik

If we ever get Colossal Squigs, then I would swap them for the Arachnaroks and give the big spiders to a (hopefully) forest goblin-themed LL.

Skarnsik
Night Goblin Shaman
Da Warlord's Boyz
Da Eight Peak Loonies
Night Goblins (Fanatics) x4
Da Rusty Arrers
Night Goblin Archers (Fanatics) x4
Durkit's Squigs
Night Goblin Squig Hoppers x2
Squig Herd x2
The Arachnarok Queen
Arachnarok Spider

5) Grom the Paunch

I'm currently very early in a Grom campagin, but I'm suspecting that some of his goblin bonuses do not benefit Nasty Skulkers, which would discourage me from using them as his primary infantry.

Grom
Giant River Troll Hag
Nasty Skulkers x5
Moon-howlers
Goblin Wolf Riders x2
Teef Robbers
Goblin Wolf Chariots x2
Da Swamp Fings
River Trolls x2
Logey Bogey's Spore 'Splodaz
Snotling Pump Wagons (Spiky Rollers) x3

It's tempting to put Black Orcs into every army because they're fantastic, but I guarantee that you'll have more fun if you stay thematic!

As always, I'd love to hear input and thoughts on this topic. WE are next!

peabodyestate#9505

Grom needs Goblins, otherwise i love it. Aaaaand i feel like Grom's Nasty Skulkers are like the best unit in the game.
For Grom, its pretty much keep what you started with.

Theo91#7431

I love how thematic each of the GS armies can be. Each one feels very different when playing.

Just need a savage orc hero for wurrzag....

...and a generic savage orc lord for thematic non LL armies

Theo91#7431

GoldfishLord said:

It's tempting to put Black Orcs into every army because they're fantastic, but I guarantee that you'll have more fun if you stay thematic!

As always, I'd love to hear input and thoughts on this topic. WE are next!

I completely agree. Goblins in particular play very different to me orcs which keeps the campaign fresh for much long imo.

I love the way CA have done the GS now. I basically always run my camping in deficit financed by non stop fighting, looting, sacking and raiding

PoorManatee6197#6481

I think a important part of Grom's lore is that he is powerfull enought to have orcs under his command so I would give some orcs to him. Otherwise good lists.

GoldfishLord#2862

peabodyestate said:

Grom needs Goblins, otherwise i love it. Aaaaand i feel like Grom's Nasty Skulkers are like the best unit in the game.
For Grom, its pretty much keep what you started with.

By "goblins", do you mean the regular T1 infantry? Because I didn't put any orcs in there. With his bonuses applying to Nasty Skulkers, I don't see any reason to keep the regular gobbos since they don't have anti-large.

GoldfishLord#2862

PoorManatee6197 said:

I think a important part of Grom's lore is that he is powerfull enought to have orcs under his command so I would give some orcs to him. Otherwise good lists.

That's a fair point, though he doesn't seem to have any buffs for orcs. I usually have thematic generic lords in my campaigns. For Skarsnik, all lords will be night goblins, but I'll definitely have orc lords for Grom which will "under his command", just not in his army. With only two goblin LL's, I prefer the difference in playstyle, but I do see where you're going with that and wouldn't consider orcs in his army any less thematic.

LennoxPoodle#1380

Isn't the lore of nasty skulkers about them mixing in with other units, jumping out stabbing someone and retreating again.
So lorewise they don't strike me as frontline units and are better used as mixed in support for one.

TheShiroOfDalton

What's "thematic" about those units? That's just generic doomstacks.

And Skarsnik with x8 fanatics units is seriously overkill since fanatics right now are massively overpowered. They could practically kill the entire enemy army by themselves.

GoldfishLord#2862

LennoxPoodle said:

Isn't the lore of nasty skulkers about them mixing in with other units, jumping out stabbing someone and retreating again.
So lorewise they don't strike me as frontline units and are better used as mixed in support for one.

Essentially, Grom's a goblin that buffs goblins. Skarsnik has the night gobbos so Grom gets the skulkers, which are just better than regular goblins. I could mix in some orcs, though.

GoldfishLord#2862

ShiroAmakusa75 said:

What's "thematic" about those units? That's just generic doomstacks.

And Skarsnik with x8 fanatics units is seriously overkill since fanatics right now are massively overpowered. They could practically kill the entire enemy army by themselves.

They're as thematic as we can get with the units at our disposal. There's not much to it, really. Grimgor's a black orc who fields black orcs. Wurrzag's a savage orc who fields savage orcs. Skarsnik's a night goblin who fields night goblins. Those ones are too obvious. For Azhag, he buffs orcs and cavalry, but he's not a black orc, so I gave him generic Big 'Uns. Grom's a goblin mounted on a chariot, so I put some goblin chariot units in his army and mixed in other units that he buffs.

I'm not sure what you define as "thematic" and "generic", but those are definitely not just generic doomstacks. I wouldn't even call them doomstacks. Skarnsik got fanatics over regular night goblins because there's no reason not to upgrade aside from cost, which is largely irrelevant.

peabodyestate#9505

Tier 1 goblin do benefit from down to size which gives them anti large to some degree. Plus they are massively armoured with huge leadership. Add this to cauldron effects and you will soon see that they amtch up with literally tanything.

Then you get the t1 archers and well, and are ready to finish the game.

Skulkers are bloody incredible, but front line they are not.

Otherwise i agree across the board though.

TheShiroOfDalton

GoldfishLord said:

ShiroAmakusa75 said:

What's "thematic" about those units? That's just generic doomstacks.

And Skarsnik with x8 fanatics units is seriously overkill since fanatics right now are massively overpowered. They could practically kill the entire enemy army by themselves.

They're as thematic as we can get with the units at our disposal. There's not much to it, really. Grimgor's a black orc who fields black orcs. Wurrzag's a savage orc who fields savage orcs. Skarsnik's a night goblin who fields night goblins. Those ones are too obvious. For Azhag, he buffs orcs and cavalry, but he's not a black orc, so I gave him generic Big 'Uns. Grom's a goblin mounted on a chariot, so I put some goblin chariot units in his army and mixed in other units that he buffs.

I'm not sure what you define as "thematic" and "generic", but those are definitely not just generic doomstacks. I wouldn't even call them doomstacks. Skarnsik got fanatics over regular night goblins because there's no reason not to upgrade aside from cost, which is largely irrelevant.

Doomstacks are never thematic. They're emblematic of poor economy scaling.

GoldfishLord#2862

ShiroAmakusa75 said:

GoldfishLord said:

ShiroAmakusa75 said:

What's "thematic" about those units? That's just generic doomstacks.

And Skarsnik with x8 fanatics units is seriously overkill since fanatics right now are massively overpowered. They could practically kill the entire enemy army by themselves.

They're as thematic as we can get with the units at our disposal. There's not much to it, really. Grimgor's a black orc who fields black orcs. Wurrzag's a savage orc who fields savage orcs. Skarsnik's a night goblin who fields night goblins. Those ones are too obvious. For Azhag, he buffs orcs and cavalry, but he's not a black orc, so I gave him generic Big 'Uns. Grom's a goblin mounted on a chariot, so I put some goblin chariot units in his army and mixed in other units that he buffs.

I'm not sure what you define as "thematic" and "generic", but those are definitely not just generic doomstacks. I wouldn't even call them doomstacks. Skarnsik got fanatics over regular night goblins because there's no reason not to upgrade aside from cost, which is largely irrelevant.

Doomstacks are never thematic. They're emblematic of poor economy scaling.

What is a doomstack to you? I didn't throw 15 giants in one army lol. They're all balanced with different unit types. You strike me as a multiplayer guy, which probably means that this is the wrong thread for you.

MiniaAr#5798

I didn't participate at the time but of course I'm playing thematic armies with Greenskins as well.

I'm doing a Grom campaign on the Vortex right now so instead of having all the GS LLs available, I'm planning on invading Ulthuan with only 3 goblin focused armies (but very different ones). Every army also has trolls because I associate Grom with them as he got their power from Troll meat.

So let's have it:
Grom - Regular Goblin army + Trolls auxiliaries:
1 Grom the Paunch
1 River Troll Death Hag
1 Orc Shaman -> I named him "Youn' Blacktoof". In his first invasion, Blacktooth was the Orc shaman who advised Grom to invade Ulthuan. Now for the second one, Grom found a successor (sadly not able to ride a Wyvern)

3 Goblin Spears
3 Nasty Skulkers
4 Goblin Archers
-> Goblin focus army

2 Snotling Pump Wagons (Flappas)
1 Snotling Pump Wagons (Spiky Rollers) -> the one you start with
1 Logey Bogey's Spore 'Sploda's (Snotling Pump Wagon)
-> To take advantage of the Chariot race skill.

2 River Trolls
1 Stone Trolls

Night Goblin Army:
1 * Night Goblin Warboss (could be replaced by Skarsnik on Mortal Empire campaign)
1 * Night Goblin Shaman

1 * Da Eight Peak Loonies (Night Goblin - Fanatics)
3 * Night Goblins (Fanatics)
1 * Da Rusty Arrers (Night Goblin Archers)
3 * Night Goblin Archers
1 * Durkit's Squigs (Night Goblin Squig Hoppers)
3 * Night Goblin Squig Hoppers -> To be replaced by Armoured Squig Hoppers as soon as available

-> Night Goblin focused army

2 * Stone Trolls
2 * Feral Hydras (I got them from the Waaghs, as they live in mountains I think they fit the most there).
1 * Hammer of Gork (Goblin Rock Lobber)
1 * Goblin Rock Lobber

Forest Goblin Army:
1 * Raknik Spiderclaw on Araknarok -> The workshop lord but I roleplay that after his defeat against Karl Franz in the Darkwald, he survived and fled to Mount Arachnaros where he took over and was recruited in Grom's waagh. That's also where the lava spiders are coming from.
1 * Goblin Big Boss on Giant Spider
1 * River Troll Death Hag

1 * Da Swamp Fings (River Trolls)
2 * River Trolls

4 * Forest Goblin Spider Riders
1 * Deff Creepers (Forest Goblin Spider Rider Archers)
2 * Forest Goblin Spider Rider Archers
3 * Lava Spider Rider Archers -> Very easy to get from Grom's cauldron

2 * Arachnarok Spider
1 * Lava Arachnarok Spider
1 * The Arachnarok Queen (Arachnarok Spider)

It's going to be a sight to see.

Speaking of Raknik, I also have a thematic army for Oghlok the 'Orrible as well. Full cavalry of course (to take walled cities, a goblin big boss on the campaign map is necessary)

1 * Oghlok on warboar
1 * Black Orc Big Boss on warboar
1 * Orc Shaman on warboar

1 * Broken Tusks Mob (Orc Boar Boy Big 'Uns)
3 * Orc Boar Boy Big 'Uns
4 * Savage Orc Boar Boy Big 'Uns
4 * Orc Boar Boyz

2 * Orc Boar Chariot
1 * Teef Robbers (Goblin Wolf Chariot)

1 * Moon-howlers (Goblin Wolf Riders)
1 * Mogrubb's Mangy Marauders (Goblin Wolf Archers)

Loreguy#1056

I stole this from Red_Dox post:



Azhag and his loreful army from WD. Not very powerful in TW but I would suggest keep this "some from everything" kind of army.