Forest Goblins
Grade: 1b
Source: Nemesis Crown Supplement (PDF)
Setting: Nemesis Crown
Author: Mordheim Nemesis Crown Development Team
Lore
Forest Goblin tribes dwell deep within The Great Forest. They have completely adapted to their surroundings, learning stealth and camouflage to evade their neighbours.
Gold motivates the Forest Goblins as it does any warband, albeit for different reasons. It is worthless to them as currency but as a metallic resource, it is valuable nonetheless. Instead of using gold to buy weapons and armour, Forest Goblins actually coat their stone equipment with the metal. This has led unscrupulous leaders to send their henchmen into certain ambush, only to arrive later to collect the arrowheads and spear points from the remains of their former employees.
Forest Goblins are able to create poisons with a precision surpassing even the Dark Elves. Their natural surroundings harbour any number of poisonous creatures, including the gigantic spiders they are rumoured to prod into combat with their enemies. Coating their weapons with deadly venom, the Goblins are capable of felling any foe, no matter their size. Led by their Chieftain (usually the Goblin with the loudest voice), the Forest Goblins appear from nowhere and strike with feral ferocity before receding into the trees, leaving injuries as the only proof they were ever there.
Special Rules
Natives: Used to poking through the underbrush, Forest Goblins suffer no movement penalties from moving through any wooded terrain.
Animosity. Orcs and Goblins enjoy nothing more than a good scrap, unfortunately they’re not always very discerning about who they scrap with! To represent this, at the start of the Orc player’s turn, roll a D6 for each Henchman who is either an Orc or a Goblin. A roll of 1 means that the warrior has taken offense to something one of his mates has done or said. Do not roll for models that are engaged in hand-to-hand combat (they’re already scrappin’!). To find out just how offended the model is, roll another D6 and consult the following chart to see what happens:
Animosity Result
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | “I ’Erd Dat!” The warrior decides that the nearest friendly Orc or Goblin Henchman has insulted his lineage or personal hygiene and must pay the price! If there is a friendly Orc or Goblin Henchman or Hired Sword within charge reach (if there are multiple targets within reach, choose the one nearest to the mad model), the offended warrior will immediately charge and fight a round of hand-to-hand combat against the source of his ire. At the end of this round of combat, the models will immediately move 1" apart and no longer count as being in close combat (unless one of them fails another Animosity test and rolls this result again). If there are no friendly Orc or Goblin Henchmen or Hired Swords within charge reach, and the warrior is armed with a missile weapon, he immediately takes a shot at the nearest friendly Orc or Goblin Henchman or Hired Sword. If none of the above applies, or if the nearest friendly model is an Orc Hero, the warrior behaves as if a 2-5 had been rolled on this chart. In any case, the warrior in question may take no other action this turn, though he may defend himself if attacked in hand-to-hand combat. |
| 2-5 | “Wud Yoo Say?” The warrior is fairly certain he heard an offensive sound from the nearest friendly Orc or Goblin, but he’s not quite sure. He spends the turn hurling insults at his mate. He may do nothing else this turn, though he may defend himself if attacked in hand-to-hand combat. |
| 6 | “I’ll Show Yer!” The warrior imagines that his mates are laughing about him behind his back and calling him silly names. To show them up he decides that he’ll be the first one to the scrap! This model must move as quickly as possible towards the nearest enemy model, charging into combat if possible. If there are no enemy models within sight, the Orc or Goblin warrior may make a normal move immediately. This move is in addition to his regular move in the Movement phase, so he may therefore move twice in a single turn if you wish. If the extra move takes the Orc or Goblin warrior within charge reach of an enemy model, the warrior must charge into close combat during his regular movement. |
Choice of warriors
A Forest Goblin warband must include a minimum of three models. You have 500 gold crowns which you can use to recruit your initial warband. The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 20.
Chieftain: Each Forest Goblin warband must have one Chieftain.
Braves: Your warband may include up to four Braves.
Shaman: Your warband may include one Shaman.
Forest Goblins: Any number of models may be Forest Goblins.
Red Toof Boyz: Your warband may include up to five Red Toof Boyz.
Sluggas: Your warband may include up to five Sluggas.
Gigantic Spider: Your warband may include one Gigantic Spider.
Starting experience
A Chieftain starts with 17 experience.
A Brave starts with 6 experience.
A Shaman starts with 6 experience.
Henchmen start with 0 experience.
A Gigantic Spider does not gain experience.
Forest Goblin Skill Table
| Combat | Shooting | Academic | Strength | Speed | Special | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chieftain | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Brave | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓* | ||
| Shaman | ✓ | ✓ |
*A Forest Goblin Brave may choose to remove his Animosity instead of choosing a skill, should they earn one.
Forest Goblin Equipment Lists
The following lists are used by Forest Goblin warbands to pick their equipment.
Hero Equipment List
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free/2 gc |
| Axe | 5 gc |
| Sword | 10 gc |
| Two-handed weapon | 15 gc |
| Spear | 5 gc |
| Halberd | 10 gc |
| Boss Pole | 20 gc |
Henchmen Equipment List
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free/2 gc |
| Sword | 10 gc |
| Spear | 5 gc |
Forest Goblin Special Equipment
Forest Goblins have access to the following special equipment outside their starting list:
Boss Pole
Cost: 20 gc Availability: Common (Forest Goblins only)
Some influential Goblins carry badges of office, usually taking the form of long wooden poles with an icon or sharp blade on the end. This allows the hero and any Goblin henchmen within 6" to ignore animosity. Additionally, the Boss Pole acts as a spear in close combat.
Range: Close Combat;
Strength: As user;
Special Rule: Strike First, Unwieldy, Cavalry Bonus, Ignore Animosity
SPECIAL RULES
Strike First: A warrior with a spear strikes first, even if charged. Note that this only applies in the first turn of hand-to-hand combat.
Unwieldy: A warrior with a spear may only use a shield or a buckler in his other hand. He may not use a second weapon.
Cavalry Bonus: If using the optional rules for mounted models, a mounted warrior armed with a spear receives a +1 Strength bonus when he charges. This bonus only applies for that turn.
Ignore Animosity: Heroes and henchmen within 6" ignore Animosity.
The rules do not specify the Boss Pole has Unwieldy but this was likely an oversight as it was meant to function as a Spear does.
Blowpipe
Cost: 25 gc
Availability: Common for Forest Goblins
The Blowpipe is a short hollow tube which can be used to shoot poisoned darts. While the darts by themselves are too small to cause significant damage, the poison can cause searing agony and even death.
Range: 8";
Strength: 1;
Save modifier: +1;
Special Rules: Poison, Stealthy
SPECIAL RULES
Poison: The needles fired by a blowpipe are coated in a venom very similar in its effects to the Black Lotus (if you roll a 6 on the To Hit roll, the victim is automatically wounded). A blowpipe cannot cause critical hits. This weapon has a positive armour save modifier, so a model that normally has a save of 5+ will get a save of 4+ against a blowpipe dart. Even models that normally do not have an armour save will get a 6+ save to take into account protection offered by clothes, fur or the like.
Stealthy: A Goblin armed with a blowpipe can fire while hidden without revealing his position to the enemy. The target model can take an Initiative test in order to try to spot the firing Goblin. If the test is successful, the Goblin no longer counts as hidden.
Poisoned Weapon
Cost: + 25 gc
Availability: Common (Forest Goblins only)
Forest Goblins commonly jab their weapon points into the bodies of giant spiders in hopes of coating them with deadly poison.
Once this poison is bought, it is applied to one weapon, and may not be traded or sold later on. The weapon in question, once poisoned, adds +1 to any injury rolls from then on.
Magic Gubbinz
Cost: 50 gc
Availability: Rare 9 (Forest Goblins only)
These are odds and ends carried around by the Shaman to focus his powers. Most are bat feet, lizard lips, and the like, but still seem to provide benefits to their owner.
The Shaman may re-roll a failed magic test on a D6 roll of 4+.
Red Toof Tribal Jewellery
Cost: 40 gc
Availability: Rare 9 (Forest Goblins only)
Only proving one’s prowess in battle can attract the attention of this cadre of warriors. Once inducted to the tribe, the warrior undertakes excessive body piercing!
This cannot be removed. The model will now be subject to the rules for Frenzy as described in the Mordheim rulebook.
Giant Spider Mount
Cost: 45 gc
Availability: Rare 5 (Forest Goblins only)
The Giant Spider is the stuff of nightmares. Typically 10 to 12 feet long they are highly prized by Forest Goblins as mounts.
If you are using the optional rules for mounts, then your warband’s heroes may ride giant spiders.
The rider’s Movement is increased to 6, and armour save increased by +1, exactly as if mounted on an ordinary horse.
The rider need not dismount to climb terrain (including building exteriors) and the spider’s natural climbing abilities allow the rider to re-roll any failed climbing attempts.
Note that the Forest Goblin Giant Spider Mount "item", is not the same as the Giant Spider from Blazing Saddles / Empire in Flames.
The above 45 gc item simply improves the warriors movement, save and climbing ability. The 100 gc Giant Spider is an actual mount with a statline as described in Blazing Saddles.
heroes
1 Chieftain
50 gold crowns to hire
Forest Goblins are usually led by the biggest, strongest, and most cunning Goblin in the band. This Chieftain routinely comes up with ways to drive off the Old World invaders, and collect gold for Mork and Gork.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
Weapons/Armour: A Chieftain may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Hero equipment list.
Special Rules
Leader: Any warrior within 6" of the Chieftain may use his Leadership characteristic when taking Leadership tests.
Ride Spiders: The Chieftain can ride Giant Spiders and the Gigantic Spider as detailed in the ‘Blazing Saddles’ article.
0 – 4 Braves
20 gold crowns to hire
Forest Goblin Braves are just a tad more intelligent than their peers, and aid the Chieftain in directing them in battle. This does not improve their temperament, however, since they are as prone to infighting as their henchmen.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
Weapons/Armour: Braves may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Hero equipment list.
SPECIAL RULES
Animosity: Braves are subject to the rules for Animosity.
0 – 1 Shaman
20 gold crowns to hire
Shamans use the power of the Waaagh to direct the might of G’rrk and M’rrk against their foes. Usually found scrounging up mysterious animal parts instead of gold, most other Goblins agree that ‘dey is odd’.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
Weapons/Armour: A Shaman may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Hero equipment list.
SPECIAL RULES
Wizard: A Shaman begins with one spell randomly chosen from the Forest Goblin Spell list.
henchmen
(Bought in groups of 1-5)
Forest Goblins
15 gold crowns to hire
Forest Goblin warriors form the rank and file of a Goblin warband. They use their natural talents to harass their enemies while keeping out of sight in the dense foliage.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
Weapons/Armour: Forest Goblins may be equipped with weapons chosen from the Henchmen equipment list.
Special Rules
Animosity: Forest Goblins are subject to the rules for Animosity.
0 – 5 Red Toof Goblins
25 gold crowns to hire
Of all the various factions that comprise the Forest Goblins, the infamous Red Toof tribe is the most feared. They are elite shock troops, valued by Chieftains for their berserk rage in battle.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
Weapons/Armour: Red Toof Boyz may be equipped with weapons chosen from the Henchmen equipment list.
Special Rules
Animosity: Red Toof Boyz are subject to the rules for Animosity.
Berserkers: Forest Goblins of the Red Toof tribe allow themselves to be bitten by all sorts of poisonous wildlife before entering battle. The mingling venom drives them into frothing convulsions, making them extremely ferocious. Red Toof Boyz are affected by the rules for Frenzy as described in the Mordheim rulebook. In addition, if they begin their turn within charge range of an enemy, they are immune to animosity for that turn.
0 – 5 Sluggas
20 gold crowns to hire
Sluggas practice the art of throwing various objects until they can hurl several projectiles in a split second. This makes them useful for distracting enemies with a hail of heavy stones.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
Weapons/Armour: Sluggas may be equipped with weapons chosen from the Henchmen equipment list.
Special Rules
Animosity: Sluggas are subject to the rules for Animosity.
Sluggas: In the shooting phase, the Sluggas may throw thrown weapons up to three times. This may not be combined with Quick Shot if they should be promoted to hero status.
0 – 1 Gigantic Spider
200 gold crowns to hire
Gigantic Spiders are best avoided when encountered in the wild, due to their deadly poison and huge size. When urged into fighting by Forest Goblin beastmasters, they become doubly dangerous and much harder to evade.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
Weapons/Armour: A Gigantic Spider never needs or uses weapons or armour.
SPECIAL RULES
Fear: Gigantic Spiders cause fear as described in the Mordheim Rulebook.
Large Monster: Gigantic Spiders are large targets, and may always be shot at.
Poisonous: The Gigantic Spider’s maw drips with vile poisons. When it wounds an enemy and a roll is made on the injury table, 1: knocked down, 2-4: stunned, and 5-6: Out of Action.
Native: Negotiating woodlands is no trouble for spiders. They move through any wooded terrain without penalty.
Non-sentient: Spiders are affected by the stupidity rules in the Mordheim rulebook. In addition, they never gain experience, as they are animals. Note however that they may climb as normal.
May Ride: The Forest Goblin Chieftain, may ride the Gigantic Spider. He gains +1 armour save, and shall move at the Gigantic Spider’s rate of 6. Shooting attacks hit the Chieftain on a die roll of 1-2, and the Gigantic Spider on a 3-6. In close combat, the opponent may choose which to hit. The Gigantic Spider no longer has to check for stupidity if it is being ridden, as the Chieftain is directing its actions.