WHFB TACTICS:
Orcs

After more than three years, I have decided to write a short addendum to my last posting.

There was a reason why I did not advocate putting Black Orc generals in each unit: sportsmanship. IMHO, if you want to play a sporting battle, you don't put a Black Orc hero in each unit. If you play Orcs, you play them for their character and feel; animosity is part of that. If you don't like animosity, put a Black Orc hero in each unit, or play another army. If you play with the campaign set-up in the end of fifth edition, then you cannot play with a Black Orc hero in each unit, so you have to rely on other tactics. After playing a variety of campaign style games, I hold that my article of more than three years ago holds true.

I have a lot of Orcs and Gobbo figures, but few of the specialty troops (Squig Herds, etc.) painted. Because of my own figure limitations, I play with small units, but I still pick one or two large strong units to win the day with. (I recently decimated a unit of twelve or so Brettonian Knights in wedge when they charged a unit of 48 Night Gobbos with the Bad Moon Banner, spears and three fanatics that they did not suck out! Though the General was at the Spearhead of the wedge, I did not let the fanatics hit him, they hit the points of the figures behind him.)

So, although it is possible to put Black Orcs in each of your units, I do not advocate this tactic, as it is too limiting and does not allow you to get the "feel" of Orcs and gobbos. Besides, I can buy a unit of gobbos with bows for each of those Black Orcs. ;)

What type of Orc/Gobbo army to build can vary dramatically, depending on:

1. the army you are facing, and
2. the house rules you play with.

• Take large units. Goblins and Orcs like to stick together in packs. A few large units, rather than a bunch of small- to medium-sized units, will help to lessen the effects of animosity and make it harder for your opponent to kill one unit, even with a 'killer' unit or a monster.
• Give your General the Crown of Command and keep him near the center of your army. This is particularly important with Grom. You don't want your General to run when facing an opponent that causes fear or terror.
• Make sure that your main unit (48 Big 'Uns, 64 Night Goblins with Spears, etc.) has:
  • Good characters (a cheap gobbo champion with a nice magic item -- depending on the opponent -- works great)
  • high leadership (in case something unpredictable happens to the General)
  • resistance to magic, and
  • something to make them animosity-proof.
• Don't worry about animosity for the rest of your units. It will happen. It is one of the reasons you are playing Orcs and Goblins. They are a very random army and you have to play them fluidly. You have to be ready to adapt to anything -- squigs eating your own troops, shaman exploding, etc. Where you can, avoid the animosity -- Monsters/trolls/black orcs/allies between units -- but don't design your army afraid of it. The most important thing is your central unit.
• Remember your cheap mages! I love spinning a Gobbo figure around as he hurls all over nearby troops (maybe I should buy some plastic vomit to toss on the table). So you miss a spell. I like to buy several low-lLevel Goblin shamans and one big Orc shaman so I get a variety of spells. Of course, when fighting Dwarves, I buy almost no shamans. Just one or two cheap ones to give the Dwarf player the pleasure of rolling the Dispel. Also, if you are really afraid of 'eadbanging, take the Spider Goblin shaman and watch your fears dissolve (sort of).