WARHAMMER 6TH EDITION |
TACTICA: ORCS AND GOBLINS
Inscribed by The Old Sage (Tom Setzer)
- Lords and Heroes
- Orc and Goblin Regiments
- Core Units
- Special Units
- Rare Units - Animosity
- Tactics
- Skirmish and Siege Games
- Parting Advice
The Orc and Goblin army is one of the most difficult to use for a beginning player, due
to the sheer overwhelming number of options. With more units and characters than any other
army in the Warhammer world, the Orcs and Goblins provide you with a lot of possible unit
combinations. Some of these can be downright devastating, or utterly useless.
The Orc army is also well suited to a variety of tactics, not all of which involve shoving
your army at one part of your opponent's army and trying to smash him aside. Flank
attacks, double flank attacks (the infamous "Horns"), oblique lines, and
spearheads work well for Orcs.
LORDS AND HEROES
The number and type of characters you can take in an Orc and Goblin army depends on the
points available - both in terms of the maximum number you can take and the number you can
afford to take. In a small army, you'll only be able to take a hero or two. In a modest
army, you'll be able to take three heroes - a general, a shaman, and a battle standard
bearer. As your army gets progressively larger, you'll be able to take more characters,
eventually being able to take a lord. I recommend a Warboss before you get a Shaman Lord.
Panic tests are murder on an Orc army due to their Ld. Orc magic is very potent, but it's
not going to do you much good if all of your units are running away!
The heroes and Warboss you take really should depend on the background of your army,
sticking to a central theme. You should probably stick to a single "race" of
Orcs or Goblin when picking your characters. However, in a combined army including all
kinds of Orcs and Goblins, this isn't always possible.
Of all the heroes and warbosses, I recommend the Orcs as the best overall, unless you've
got the points for Black Orcs and are afraid of animosity. Black Orcs tend to be
expensive, not only points wise but also in the sense that they take up both a Lord and a
Hero slot. The Orcs are the best for their points, having decent stats and not being too
expensive. Savage Orcs don't make the greatest characters, especially as a battle standard
bearer, as they have a tendency to run off into a combat you don't want them in.
Goblin heroes and warbosses should be limited to an all Goblin army. If you see a need,
you could get a Goblin hero to lead a particular unit, but I recommend this only for your
mobile Goblin units that will be in the thick of it, such as your Wolf Riders or chariots.
This will ensure that you get a full return for your points. Night Goblins should never be
used as characters, unless you're taking a Night Goblin army. The low Ld is not worth the
points.
Your choice for Shaman is a tough one. All Orc and Goblin shamans are pretty good for
their points, and have their uses. Even a Goblin Shaman can draw on the Waagh,
gaining extra power dice and using spells like the Hand of Gork. Goblin shamans are
particularly useful for their low points cost, but should be protected by a large unit
because of their fragility and lack of Leadership. Orc shamans are the best for their
cost, having decent stats and not being too expensive. Savage Orc shamans are good, but
suffer from frenzy, which could lead to problems. Night Goblin shamans have a bonus
in having their magic mushrooms (1 for shamans, d3 for shaman lords). These will
give you an extra power dice for one spell, but also increase the chance of a miscast.
With Orc magic, remember that though you can have Big Waagh spells with a Shaman Lord, you
shouldn't discount the Little Waagh. 'Ere We Go, Hand of Gork, and 'Eadbutt are three
great spells, and they are all Little Waagh spells. Don't worry about always going for a
Shaman Lord. Two shamans will perform the job just as well, and as stated above Little
Waagh spells are quite useful. Having more shamans also allows you to draw in more power
dice and dispel dice. Watch out for fleeing units, because they'll increase the damage
done by any miscasts.
ORC AND GOBLIN REGIMENTS
Every Orc and Goblin army, even if confined to just one type of Orc/Goblin, should be
based around a solid core of infantry units. The ideal core for your army would be a
couple of Orc or Savage Orc units, with some Goblin units for aid. These should be backed
up with artillery, some missile units, and fast-moving units to move forward and get stuck
in quickly. Supporting fire and attacks are very useful for the Orcs.
Many Orc and Goblin units can benefit from having a Boss, Standard Bearer, and/or
Musician. These will give you much needed combat bonuses, as well as keep your troops from
fleeing too far. You'll be able to win a few combats you wouldn't have been able to
otherwise, and your smaller units might be able to stick around longer. I suggest
giving all three to each of your main combat units, and at least a musician to each of
your defensive, missile, and harassment units.
CORE UNITS
The Core Units of an Orc army will, as their category suggests, form the core of the army.
These will be your main units, and should not be overlooked in order to gain more elite or
expensive units.
Orc Boyz and Savage Orc Boyz are your main units. The best way to equip them is with a
choppa and shield, allowing them to gain the +1S bonus when charging. Never build units of
less than 20 Orcs. Try to go for 24 to 30 Orcs. Buy warpaint for your Savage Orcs, the
equivalent to your Orcs' light armour but being better (a Ward save is unaffected by save
modifiers, so you'll always get it). This will help them survive some of the hail of
arrows they'll have to go through to reach the enemy, as well as some blows from lesser
Strength units. Remember that Savage Orcs are frenzied, so try to place them in a position
where they'll at least charge the unit you want them to.
Two options are available to Orcs and Savage Orcs. First is the ability to use bows (for
Orcs this is represented by the Arrer Boyz units). Even though Orcs are mainly close
combat units, they still need some missile support to reach their opponents. A unit or two
of Orcs armed with bows can help with this. You can arm them with light armour and choppas
and have them do double duty in protecting your artillery or moving forward to attack the
opposing army with your other troops. This is an expensive tactical option, but
worth looking into.
The second option available to Orcs of both types is to make them Big 'Unz. The extra +1S
and magic banner gained by upgrading your Orcs to Big 'Unz is very useful, but also
somewhat expensive. If you choose to go with a unit of Big 'Unz, give them a choppa and
shield. Also, make sure you give your Savage Orc Big 'Unz warpaint. This will mean that
your Big 'Unz have a 5+ save and will strike with a S5 on the first turn of each
combat. Big 'Unz should be use to lead any assault you make on your opponent's army.
Remember that you can only have one unit of Big 'Unz, not matter what type they
are, so think about which of the four available units you want to upgrade.
Goblins are the Orcs' diminutive cousins, but they are still very useful. If you're not
too happy with having your Orcs provide supporting missile fire, have your Goblins do it.
Goblins work well in the supporting fire and artillery protection role. They can
also guard the flanks of your Orc units, preventing them from being attacked. Of the two
types of Goblins, neither is truly better, though normal Goblins will stick around longer
due to their higher Ld. Night Goblins are decent in a fight, though, with I3 and the
ability to buy Fanatics and netters. Netters can help a Night Goblin unit take out elite
units by netting the front rank and then killing a few of them. Without being able to
strike back, and being severely outnumbered (as anyone should be by Goblins), chances are
that the unit will run away - and possibly be cut down as they flee! You can include a
number of Netters in your unit, so you're able to do this to more than one unit in a game
if you choose to.
Fanatics can do a lot of damage to your opponent's battle plan whether you take them or
not. If you take them, they will cause some pretty good damage as they spin through your
opponent's army (but they will also impede further movement by your own units, so use them
carefully). However, since Fanatics cause such fear in some players, your opponent will
sometimes go out of his way to draw them out - even if they're not there! So he will move
his units around frantically to draw out or avoid the Fanatics, and pretty soon his army
will be a confused morass of troops trying to run from a threat that is not there - not
bad for Goblins! This can also deter your opponent from making runs on your flanks. If you
want your Fanatics to reach the enemy, first make sure your unit will, and give it some
protection and a character to bolster its Ld!
Goblin Wolf Riders are a core unit that has many uses. First and foremost is its use as a
flanking unit, moving quickly along the flanks of the battlefield to get to the side of
your opponent's army or around to his artillery, harassing the units with bow fire and
occasionally charging a unit with their spears. This is a great distraction for your
opponent, and may cause him to lose track of what some of your other units are doing,
allowing them to get into a position to cause his army more damage than the Wolf Riders
could hope for.
Wolf Riders also have another use. As Goblin infantry support the Orc infantry, Goblin
Wolf Riders can be used to support Orc cavalry - whether it's Orc or Savage Orc Boar Boyz.
They can also be used to support chariots. The missile fire and flank charges provided by
Goblin Wolf Riders are very useful in turning the tide of a combat.
Snotlings are your final Core Units choice. They have only one use, and that is tying up
your opponent's troops. Snotlings will not run away, and have many wounds, so they will
take a lot of killing to get rid of, which can give you the time needed to set up a flank
charge by a unit of Orcs or just bypass the unit completely. Either way, you're getting a
decent return out of the points you invested in your Snotlings.
SPECIAL UNITS
The Orcs' Special Units provide them with stronger infantry, some cavalry and chariots,
and artillery, all of which can be very useful to an Orc warboss. However, the number of
regiments you're able to select from this category is limited, so you'll need to think
about what you need most to supplement your style of play with the Orcs.
One of the strongest unit in the Special Units, and thus the one most people are drawn to,
are the Black Orcs. These guys are very tough, and can take out most other elite units in
the game. However, they're also expensive. Still, if you want a unit that hits hard and
can stick around, as well as a good means of preventing a little animosity, then the Black
Orcs will work rather well. Black Orcs should always be placed in the main assault portion
of your army, ready to move forward with the rest of your units in an assault on your
opponent's troops. Don't hold your Black Orcs back, and don't be shy about how you use
them. Choppas and shields are a good choice of equipment for the Black Orcs, giving them a
decent save while allowing them to strike with a S5 in the first round of any combat.
The Boar Boyz are the Orcs' heavy cavalry, of which there are two types: Orcs and Savage
Orcs. They are both used the save way, but Savage Orcs have a slight advantage with their
tattoos being a Ward save and being frenzied. If you go with Savage Orcs, remember to give
them spears. The extra +1S on the charge is very useful. If you have the points, you
can also upgrade one unit of either type of Boar Boyz to Big 'Unz (though this will mean
you cannot have a regiment of infantry Big 'Unz). This is a worthy investment in larger
battles where you can afford it, as the Boar Boyz and their boars will both strike with S5
on the turn they charge. Use Boar Boyz of any kind to move forward quickly and
engage your opponent's cavalry or elite troops. Boar Boyz work well in units of eight to
twelve, and shouldn't be outnumber by most of their opponents. Make sure to back them up
with some Wolf Riders, and possibly some chariots.
Lost amongst the Orcs, Savage Orcs, and Black Orcs are the Night Goblin Squig Herds.
Though Squigs are expensive, they make some rather nasty assault 'troops', even being able
to take out tough enemies in hand to hand. Squig Herds should be used to attack your
opponent's army quickly, and can actually serve as a bit of a distraction for him, Squig
Hoppers can also be bought through a Squig Herd, but they shouldn't be released until
you're in the midst of your opponent's troops, where they'll do the most harm. Remember to
take at least two Goblins for each 1-3 Squigs you take, so you don't have the Squigs
quickly breaking loose and running amok. Because of the danger Squigs and Hoppers present
to your own troops as well as the enemy, I suggest using Squig Herds as a dangerous
distraction for your opponent. Squig Herds don't die too easy, and you just might take out
a couple of your opponent's more important units.
Orc Boar Chariots and Goblin Wolf Chariots can both be used to launch a quick attack on
the opposing army, or support Boar Boyz as they attack. Neither chariot is good for
fighting alone, so don't try to use a single Boar Chariot or even two Wolf Chariots to
fight a unit. While Boar Boyz are pretty much limited to the role of attacking enemy
units, Wolf Chariots have the speed to run down the flanks of the battlefield and assault
your opponent's flanks or some of his weaker rear units. Paired with some Wolf Riders,
this can be an effective small attack force. Chariots can be used for your heroes to get
them into combat, so give some consideration to the idea, as it can actually help you a
lot.
Then there are the Orcs' artillery, the Rock Lobber and Spear Chukka. Because bother are
crewed by Goblins, they aren't too reliable and will be slaughtered by any unit that
charges them, so pay the points to get an Orc Bully to lead the crew. Use both pieces of
artillery in a support role, hurting units that your troops will soon be fighting.
The Rock Lobber is able to take out small groups of tough, well armoured models, but can
scatter, so try to aim it at a point where it won't scatter completely off your opponent's
troops (even if you hit a unit you didn't mean to, it's better than hitting nothing!). The
Spear Chukka is a little more "reliable", as it uses the Goblins' BS to hit,
which means 50% of the time you'll hit your target at under half range, though this is
lowered to 33% at over half range. The impaling rule means you can take out three or four
troops with a shot, but don't expect to be able to affect many troops with it when it gets
down to S2 and S1. Spear Chukkas can also be taken in pairs for the same price of a
single Rock Lobber, so against some armies you might want to look into paired Spear
Chukkas.
RARE UNITS
The Orcs' Rare Units are some of the hardest hitting, and strangest, units in the Orc and
Goblin army. Since they're very limited in availability, These are specialty units, best
used to supplement your core units, so don't base your entire battle pan on using them.
Trolls are the first unit you'll notice in this category, and they are well worth their
high points cost! Not only are they tough models with the ability to regenerate, but
Trolls also prevent your units from attacking each other should they fall prey to a failed
animosity test. This can be very useful when leading an assault force forward. Since
Trolls are stupid, you'll have to have a hero to lead them, which is pretty much their
only drawback. Even a Goblin Hero can work in this role, as long as you don't get him
killed. Trolls are great for supporting your attacks, but don't try to use them to lead
any attacks, as they are even more unreliable than Goblins at times.
Don't discount the Goblin Doom Diver Catapult. This is an effective piece of artillery,
basically being a Rock Lobber with 'guided missiles'. The Doom Diver is great if you have
some extra points and want a little more accuracy out of your stone throwers, making sure
your shots hit (roughly) where you want them to. Again, get an Orc Bully to keep the
crew around.
Snotling Pump Wagons are very erratic and unpredictable, but can do a number on a unit if
they manage to hit it. The Pump Wagon can't be broken in hand to hand or through shooting,
so it makes a great distraction, as well as being very useful for tying up enemy units.
Don't place Pump Wagons behind your units in any situation, as they could end up barreling
straight through your unit, causing casualties.
What is probably the most expensive unit available to Orcs is really just a single model,
the Giant. Expensive at 200 points, Giants are worth it. Giants are great support for
assaults, and are able to do several nasty and devastating assaults on your opponent's
troops. You'll want to keep a somewhat safe distance from your own Giant, as he'll fall
occasionally (especially when he'd finally dead), and will crush any troops underneath -
even yours! Try not to walk over any obstacles with your Giant, so that he doesn't fall
over before reaching the enemy. One thing you'll notice early about Giants.
They attract a lot of missile and artillery fire. While this could be bad for the
Giant, it's also very good for your other units. Walk a Giant up a flank, and you'll
give you opponent an interesting dilemna: Fire a lot of missile weapons and artillery at
the Giant (leaving the main unit untouched for a few turns), or let a Giant hit him in the
flank? Giants are a very good, if expensive, distraction.
ANIMOSITY
Animosity is thought by many to be the single greatest problem facing the Orc and Goblin
army. This is certainly not true! Animosity can be a pain sometimes, but there are a
number of "quick fixes" that will prevent it from having too much of a negative
effect on your battle plan. And don't forget, sometimes animosity can help, pushing one of
your units to get closer to the enemy at no penalty.
The first patch up for animosity is using Black Orcs. Black Orc characters will quell
animosity in any unit they are in or nearby, so they're quite useful. The only problem is
that this ability, coupled with Black Orcs' wonderful stats, makes Black Orc characters
quite expensive. I suggest you skip the characters and simply use a unit of Black Orcs.
Placed between your other main assault units, they will get rid of any problems from
animosity, with only the rare bout of animosity creeping up around them. This should
prevent animosity from slowing down the main part of your attacking forces.
The other fixes involve the only truly harmful result of animosity, "Get 'Em!".
To charge another unit, you have to see them. So how do you best prevent your units from
charging each other? Keep them out of each other's charge radius (the 90 degree arc of
sight to the front that each unit has). This means that any unit which ends up with a
"Get 'Em!" result will simply have no one to charge, and so will squabble
instead. Unfortunately, this simply does not really work with missile units. You can try
to keep them from having any of your units in their sight, but since they'll turn to fire
this is pretty much impossible. If you're worried about your missile units falling victim
to a "Get 'Em!" result, then my only advice to you can be to skip them (or place
a Black Orc character with your missile units and keep them close together, though this is
an expensive and potentially dangerous way to deal with the problem).
Another fix involving the "Get 'Em!" result is to place units that cannot be
affected by animosity between and in front of those that can. Since they cannot be chosen
as a charge or missile target, your unit will squabble instead of attacking them. This
works somewhat for missile units, but not so well because the units that are unaffected by
animosity are generally expensive assault units. The units that can be used this way
include Snotling Swarms, Black Orcs, Orc Boar Chariots, Goblin Wolf Chariots, Goblin Rock
Lobbers, Goblin Spear Chukkas, Trolls, Goblin Doom Diver Catapults, Snotling Pump Wagons,
and Giants. Also, units hired from the Dogs of War army list are not affected by
animosity, and can be used in this way. If you don't mind using up a Rare Unit choice or
two (assuming you have them), you can take a unit or two of mercenaries. It's always a
help to have crossbowmen backing up your archers and acting as a stop-gap measure to
prevent your missile units from firing on other units (since the mercenaries will be the
closest target, and thus the only available target).
Of course, the simplest thing you can do with animosity is to just not let it bother you.
You might think I've lost it with that advice, but it's very reasonable. Instead of
pursuing expensive and fiddly patches for animosity, simply accept it as a part of the Orc
and Goblin army, roll with the punches it deals you when they come, and laugh whenever one
of your units starts squabbling or trying to show off. After all, you're commanding an
army of greenskin rabble. It's only natural that a good scrap will break out once in a
while. Just make sure you can alter your battle plan on the run, because animosity has
never been kind to anyone's plans, and it's not about to start now.
TACTICS
The Orc and Goblin army is well suited to a number of tactics, most of which involve using
brute force in some way or another. Below, I'll discuss a few of those tactics.
First up is the normal spearhead tactic. This is the general route for most Orc
commanders, as it involves placing your best units in the center and sending them forwards
to smash into the center of your opponent's line, forming a spearhead that will thrust
into and through his units. However, this tactic does have one shortcoming in that it
leaves your flanks exposed.
Next up is another popular tactic, the double flank attack, or Pincers maneuver. This
involves using two large flanking forces to circle around your opponent's troops and catch
him in between. This allows you to hit your opponent from two sides, which may also force
him to move forward to escape the pincers allowing an attack from your main battle line.
You'll need to have some fast troops for the flanking force, so go for a unit of Boar Boyz
with some Wolf Rider support for each flank.
A good combination of the Spear and Pincers is a little trick I call the Trident.
Combining the above, you force a central attack force as well as two flanking forces,
hitting your opponent with all three at once. There is literally nowhere for his troops to
go, being caught from all sides except the rear. This also overcomes the weakness in the
Spear tactic, because your flanks are not exposed. Rather, no part of your army is
exposed. You can theme an entire army on this tactic, with three units of Boar Boyz each
backed by two units of Wolf Riders, with a number of Orc and Goblin infantry units to hold
up the rear of your formation. If you don't have the points or available choice for
the Boar Boyz, simply take some infantry units for the middle force.
With any tactic, it's always a good idea to have some form of artillery support. Orcs have
a variety of missile troops to choose from, with the Orcs being able to fight a good round
of hand to hand as well. There are also some good artillery pieces you can use in your
army, lobbing rocks onto your opponent's troops or piercing them with a Spear Chukka. This
will thin your opponent's ranks and also cause him to have concern over the artillery,
which will cause him to divert some attention from your attacking units.
It's always a good idea to have a diversionary force, even if it consists of a lone unit.
The diversion will usually be wiped out, so it's a good idea to make it something
expendable. Splitting your opponent's attention is a great way to win a battle
psychologically. Once he sends resources to fight this new perceived threat, those forces
are no longer being used to fight the real threat. And even if he doesn't attack the
diversionary force, you can attack his units with it, causing him to take notice!
Don't worry too much about animosity, as there's no way you can totally prevent it.
Animosity will happen, and all you can do is place a unit of Black Orcs or trolls, or a
Black Orc character, in amongst your tougher units to keep them from killing each other.
On a bad day, you may lose a game because 80% of your army was squabbling on a turn that
you should have been charging, but this won't happen too often. Make provisions for a
sixth of your units to fail their animosity checks. Have backup units where possible, and
when you can't do that simply alter the advance and movement of your other units to take
it into account.
SKIRMISH AND SIEGE GAMES
All of the above advice applies mainly to regular games of Warhammer, the typical pitched
battle. However, there are also rules for playing skirmish games and siege battles in the
Warhammer rulebook. These are very enjoyable games to play, so it's worth spending some
time explaining how they change the tactics you'll be using.
In a skirmish game, you are in effect playing a small scale battle, though it's a bit more
chaotic than the normal battles. Each model is a unit unto itself, and there are no
restrictions on what models you can buy except those you set for yourself. This means you
can, if you really want to, include a Giant, even though justifying it will be very hard
to do (both tactically and otherwise; a Giant ties up most of your points in a skirmish
game).
In a skirmish game, Orcs are at somewhat of an advantage. They can have lots of cheap
troops, without the problem of animosity or panic creeping up as much as it normally
would. You can even include Goblins with little fear for their chances of bolting, and
they aren't too bad in a skirmish game. Overall, I recommend your skirmish force contain a
big boss or shaman, a few Orc infantry, a few Goblin infantry, and possibly a couple of
boar boyz. Infantry are the most effective troops in a skirmish game, while artillery are
practically useless (due to the lack of line of sight). Models armed with missile weapons
are very useful as well, so thing about taking some goblins with short bows.
Tactics in a skirmish game are somewhat direct. You'll have to stalk around in the terrain
until you find your opponent, hiding in whatever cover you can. Once you find an opposing
model, try to attack it with at least two or three models of your own. Orcs will not
always beat an opponent in a one on one match, so make sure to swing the odds in your
favour that extra bit. Try to gain some high ground for your bow-armed troops. This will
give you a good position to snipe from. Skirmish scenarios represent a confusing light
battle, with troops running around outside of unit formations and killing the enemy.
Because of this, there's not much you can do to plan, other than note your opponent's
troop locations and root them out slowly and efficiently.
Siege games are somewhat awkward for Orcs and Goblins. Attacking a castle is not the
easiest thing, and nothing the Orcs have makes it any easier. I suggest you plan on trying
to assault the castle more than trying to damage it. This is far more "orcy" and
also more practical. Attempting to smash apart a castle requires models such as Rock
Lobbers and Doom Divers, both of which are expensive. While you're trying to tear down the
walls, you're being attacked by your opponent at his leisure. This is not good.
I believe the best way to go when attacking a castle is to try both methods of siege at
once. Use your artillery to attack the walls while other models try to attack the
defenders. Rock Lobbers and Doom Divers can also lob shots into the castle. Missile units
with mantlets can fire at the defenders, picking off units model by model while having
some decent protection. Units with siege towers can storm the ramparts, taking the castle
through a bloody hand to hand assault.
A siege force should resemble a normal Orc army, with the difference that it will contain
more high strength models and the appropriate siege equipment. This equipment includes
mantlets for your missile units, siege towers for your strongest assault units, and
ladders and battering rams for your other assault units. Don't bother with trying to
affect the castle with magic; magic will not affect it at all.
Attacking a castle is a slow and messy business, so be prepared for a long, uphill battle.
Try to avoid units with boiling oil or rocks. Attack the castle from many angles at once,
causing your opponent to split his attention between a number of different attacks. Try to
keep your opponent off-balance, and you should be able to break through somewhere. With
persistence, you may be able to open a hole in the castle's defenses in two or three
places, allowing your troops to begin pouring into the castle at a rate your opponent
simply cannot stop. If part of his castle walls come crashing down at this same time, so
much the better! It will cause much confusion and worry for him, which will continue to
keep him off his balance.
Being the defenders in a siege battle is much harder for Orcs and Goblins, particularly
since you'll likely be outnumbered two to one on points. However, there are some useful
tricks you can use. First off, make sure you provide rocks and boiling oil for your troops
on the ramparts. Also, place some missile units on the ramparts. In the castle's
courtyard, right behind the gates, positioned to charge any units that break through the
gates. Another trick you can use is sending many small Night Goblin units out of the
castle and toward the opposing army. This slows him down two ways. First, he'll have to
engage them or worry about the possibility that his troops will be charged in the side or
rear. Second, the danger of Fanatics (whether they're there or not) will cause his units
to try to maneuver around them. Either way, he will lose precious time getting to your
castle. If you want to throw in some Fanatics, do so! After engaging a few units with no
Fanatics, your opponent might believe it was all a bluff on your part and will then be
surprised to actually find Fanatics in a unit. The Fanatics will then slow his advance
further as they whirl around madly, and your opponent will become even more paranoid about
your small (and cheap!) units of Night Goblins. If you want to send out some Squigs and
Squig Hoppers, go ahead. They'll cause a lot of confusion right alongside the Fanatics.
Once your castle is being assaulted, there is little you can do. All you do is make sure
you station strong units on the ramparts, armed with either choppas and shields or great
weapons. Use the great weapons to take on units using ladders and grappling hooks, and the
choppa armed units to take on units assaulting with a siege tower. At the very least, you
will cost your opponent a large number of his troops as he tries to storm the walls. If
you're worried about siege towers, don't forget that you can target them with artillery.
This will also slow your opponent's assault on your walls. The same goes for battering
rams. If you can quickly tie up or destroy anything that has the potential to breach your
defenses without a ladder or grappling hook. you'll end up winning the battle. To this
end, you should try to target any units with a log or battering ram, siege towers, strong
models, or artillery. Your small Night Goblin units can help here, by charging units in
the side and tying them up or possibly causing them to panic and flee (even a small unit
will cause panic if they charge a unit in the side or rear!).
A siege game takes a lot of time, whether you're the attacker or the defender. Whatever
you do, don't worry too much about the amount of time. Try to remain patient, and don't
panic. If you do this, you will likely not lose. However, once you begin thinking you've
lost the battle you will lose the battle. Don't give up, and use every cheap trick in your
arsenal. With time you will break the opposing army and emerge victorious.
PARTING ADVICE
One parting piece of wisdom for you: Always have fun with your Orcs, even if it means
laughing while your troops are dying in droves. Remember to have fun, and watch what
unfolds in a battle. Failure is the best teacher, and later you can go back and think
about what you did wrong in a game and figure out how to fix it. Don't let a
horrible loss get you down. Take it with a laugh and find out what you can learn from the
experience. Through this method you can learn a lot more about how to win than through the
words of others.
