Maul:
I am sorry if this topic has come up in the past, I did not check through all seven pages.
Most of the hobo models come with shields. I am not sure I can justify a weak armor save for the additional cost. It does increase the price of the hobo by %50. The only case where I am likely to spring for armor is on the wolf riders.
Any wisdom on the matter from Hashut’s faithful?
Swissdictator:
The way I look at it is that even if you go in for a dime go in for a dollar. Give them full armor options. Sure they’re twice as expensive, but in combat they have a 4+ save before modifiers. It may seem somewhat weak, but it’s only a pip worse then the Chaos Dwarf warriors with shields. 20 Hobgobs with full armor is still very cheap, and they last quite a bit longer!
It really depends on how you use them. If you use them to add numbers to your fight, then you might want them. If you use them for baiting and drawing units off then you might want to go without.
Maul:
It is just that I can take 35 naked hobos 7x5 with standard, champion, and musician for 100 points. Sure they are naked, but they should have +5 combat resolution and could be positioned near a leadership 10 character. In a game where economy of points matters so much I am just not sure about armor. With shields that unit now costs 135 points and if you add armor you are up to 170 points. It would be easier to model them with shields (I have the parts lying around). I am on the fence and asking you to sell me on it either way.
Karak:
The way that i play is using them as a human shield. I would never make sure that they cna die, but i woundlt spend too many point on them. I onyl tend to give them shield, becuase they can take shooting that way, but giving them light armour will also allow you to use them to take a hit. If myou compare, having 4 hobbos instead of 3 dwarfs, That is a deal. I will always make sure that they block off my main units, but they will tend to die by close combat time. Just hope they dont have a hill if you use this strategy, and hope they die by the time you get close enough to chrage, thus the enemy doesnt get a over run on you, and yolu might be able ot charge.
Maul:
Right now I use sacrificial 10 man hobo units (20 points) to bait and flee. I was thinking about a big unit (35 hobos) to work something like zombies (able to tie up a unit for the whole game, for few points, allowing me to concentrate on other enemy units.).
Karak:
The only problem with that though is breaking. chances are you will lose combat,(I am assuming the 35 hobbos are naked) and flee. Since the leadership is low, you may never regroup, and you may also be run down. I personally would never take a unit that large becuase of this risk.
minty:
not realy, they’ll have matching res (well +1 thanks to outnumber, 35 is a BIG unit) and hobbos fight better than zombies, due to having t3s3, rather than t2s2
I always give them armour, but then I’m in the game for fun and aesthetics rather than to win at all coasts. I’d say give them armour, just think how awesome you can make them look.
Karak:
I suppose that that is true with most cases, since hobbos have the same stats as the averadge core choice. And if you give them armour, they probably wont die. It would also be really cheap, even if you give them shields and light armour.
Maul:
I gave the large block of hobos a shot against dwarves and I think it was a good thing they were cheap. The unit absorbed three or four bolt throwers shots that blasted through all 4-5 ranks depending on the paint of the game, and ate lead from ten thunderers on multipule locations only to end up in combat with dwarves with great weapons.
They did loose this combat and my generals unit (supposed to be next to the hobos) was 12.5". The Chaos Dwarf Hero & his boys got greedy breaking the dwarf generals unit in combat and pursuing them (it is a chaos dwarf, of course he is going to chase his stunty cousin). Long story short, the hobos fled from the great weapon dwarves, getting away, but giving up a banner. All in all, I thought the cheaper unit was good (I would not have gotten an armour save most of the time anyway) and the BIG unit drew so much fire. Much better to loose a handful of 2 point goblins then half a handful of 9 point dwarves. I am not sure about the banner as unit gave up 100 point for itself and 100 for the banner. With all the armor in the world, the unit would only have had 6+ saves against the great weapons and nothing from all the shooting.
Beastybeastbeats:
Older post-
We talk about LA isn’t the major benefit to shields instead of LA if your just doing one? Sheild+ hand wep> LA
What different hobo combo’s do you guys use?
Ancre:
I would like to try them as a big block with light armor and shield. Even fully equipped they are dirt cheap (they’re still 4 points), and with that I will have the maximum bonus in a fight no matter what (it seems there is just always too much hobgobs to see casualties munch my rank bonus) - considering you will never have more than a +3 for a rank bonus and that if you outnumber by a (somewhat) few or by a (huge) lot you will have the same +1 bonus, the way to increase the bonus you will have is by limiting casualties on your side, which can be done with a 4+ save.
They will get rolled over by an elite unit, but they will only run over hobgob anyways, and a medium/mediocre unit will not, whereas a naked hobgob will not take the charge as well.
But then I tend to play mostly theoryhammer so I yet have to try to see if it works.
Beastybeastbeats:
They will get rolled over by an elite unit, but they will only run over hobgob anyways, and a medium/mediocre unit will not, whereas a naked hobgob will not take the charge as well.One thing I love about warhammer is nothing is absolute! As much as I agree with the theory, i just have a slightly different view.
Ancre
snowblizz:
I would have to say its either or. If you want something that can make a (reasonable) stand then go LA+SH for the 4+ CC save in a large-ish unit.
If they are just blockers then don’t buy either, and no standard! (100VP extra!) though they’d look prettier with shields.
FTW!
speedygogo:
As a general rule of thumb, old dirty clothes and empty beer bottles are perfect trappings to arm your hobbo’s with.
Hobgoblyn:
For purposes of having an optimized army, it isn’t worth having armor.
In terms of not having to build/paint 2x as many Hobgoblins as you absolutely have to, you may as well give them the armor and shields. They are severely underpriced for their effectiveness anyway, so it should not hurt you in the long run.
grupax:
For purposes of having an optimized army, it isn't worth having armor.i disagree as long as 1block of fully armoured goblins can win vs 2 naked ones
Hobgoblyn
Groznit Goregut:
I say that 20 hobgoblins with armor and shield can do quite well! The 4+ AS for only 4 pts is perfect. You wouldn’t even have to give them a banner. With ranks and outnumber (most likely), that’s still CR 4. Near a general and BSB, your chances of breaking are pretty slim. Even if they do, it’s only 80pts. Sometimes you want something to hold the line and not just flee. After a while, you start to run out of table.
I think both bait and flee units and armored units have their place. It’s all in how you want to use them. Since wolf riders are 10+ unit size, they don’t make the best baiters and/or re-directors. 10 naked hobos do, though.
If you combine the 20 armored ones with the 10 naked, you can have the naked ones hit the flank and negate ranks! Of course, they will offer back kills for CR.
Border Reiver:
Agreed - what extra kit the hobbos get is based on what I want the unit to do to support my plan.
Need a sacrifical unit to redirect, etc? Bring on the 10 naked hobbos!
Need a small unit to skulk a bout and dispute table quarters? Ten hobbos also work well here - the resources most armies have to put into getting rid of them will set them bck more than their return.
Need a tarpit? Now the fully kitted out 'ard hobbo comes into his own. Especially if you spring for a standard and musician (I now hear the gasps). You need to maximize your static CR (which should start at 4 for the investment of a mere 120 pts, and can be 5 if you get outnumber), and the armour and shield will reduce the number of casualties your opponent will cause to better enable you to stay in and keep fighting.
Beastybeastbeats:
HOBO + CD General(nearby) + BSB(nearby)= 80pts for a 10LD reroll break tests
DOES it get any better???
One trick that i do is on the biggest cav unit i send it into a tarpit of hobos, chain flinging hobos at big things IS a strategy!
At the zoo monkeys through poo behind a wall cheap metal, we can through hobo’s instead of poo.
tetnis:
Well anything that can ignore the 4+ AS shouldn’t be hitting the hobbos in the first place, so either they can slug it out with a unit that has similar stats or they can pull in a heavy-hitting enemy unit, and costing double the points won’t make any difference. If a burly heavy cav unit hits an 80 pt unit vs. a 40 pt unit it is still a viable sacrifice.