Thommy H:
it is (1-5/6)*(1-5/6) the gobbo will keep 1 wound for 1 pointYour maths is wrong, because the second "1-5/6" (or, 1/6, in fact - easier to type...) only matters if you fail the first roll. So the chance of them being killed is:
Hashut’s Blessing:
Yep, I meant 50, but I’d originally put for 50 points, changed it and wasn’t paying attention, so i changed both, lol 
If I remember rightly the musician allows a free reform, which could be useful, but I’m not sure how useful. Having said that, for 10 points, you may as well get one on a unit so big as you need all the maneauvribility that you can get. I would say that a champion is completely wasted, but a standard bearer is a possibility, although (again) more likely a waste.
So, ultimately, three units of 50, instead of two of 50 with shields works out to be 10 points more expensive as well because of the “need” (it’s not strictly necessary, but probably wise) for the musician in each unit.
Nicodemus:
If I remember rightly the musician allows a free reform, which could be useful, but I'm not sure how useful. Having said that, for 10 points, you may as well get one on a unit so big as you need all the maneauvribility that you can get. I would say that a champion is completely wasted, but a standard bearer is a possibility, although (again) more likely a waste.I guess I should have been more explicit, in that having the musician helping with reforming seems like a necessity for these larger groups... and as was pointed out above, multiple large units are going to hinder one another once terrain is factored in. That reform suddenly becomes absolutely vital to a unit of 50 getting across the table and into position... esp. if the strategy hinges on being able to bring two such units into the enemy's flank. ..just a thought anyway.
So, ultimately, three units of 50, instead of two of 50 with shields works out to be 10 points more expensive as well because of the "need" (it's not strictly necessary, but probably wise) for the musician in each unit.
Hashut's Blessing
Hashut’s Blessing:
Thommy H: Your maths is correct, I apologise for mine not having been so, lol 
Still, mine was closer. Does me get cookiez now? J/k.
Nicodemus: It is fairly necessary to have musicians, although I’m still unsure as to how necessary. A reform for this is just changing facing if memory serves? (Still need to get the rulebook and look in more detail…)
Thommy H:
It’s okay, I was correcting Gar, not you.
Gar Shadowfame:
it is correct indeed, i wrote formulae incorrectly
Hashut’s Blessing:
I know, Thommy, but I felt it necessary to point out that I was wrong too, lol No sense in pretending otherwise 
Nicodemus:
Nicodemus: It is fairly necessary to have musicians, although I'm still unsure as to how necessary. A reform for this is just changing facing if memory serves? (Still need to get the rulebook and look in more detail...)Well the musician grants Swift Reform, provided it passes a leadership test... probably a good assumption that these big horde blocks will have Ld10 from nearby... Anyway, if the Ld test passed then swift reform lets them face any direction and or rearrange the unit, then move as normal... this seems pretty important if you want your 50 Hobgoblins to make it past terrain (which is also more of a factor in 8th ED). So going into a very long column 3-4 models wide instead of 10-wide would help with maneuvering around/through most terrain. They'd just have to get their centre out to a sufficient place where they can reform again to be 10-wide.
Hashut's Blessing
Gar Shadowfame:
if u have 2-3 ranks someone will charge you
Hashut’s Blessing:
Cheers Nicodemus! Also, with the banner of slavery or the BSB nearby, they can re-roll their leadership, even if it’s just their normal one.
Nico: That makes sense to do, although it’s having the space to go that wide. There’s also the problem of the small template still being likely to hit maybe 2-4 less models only and flame templates from the side will hit just as many, if not more Having said that, it’s something to try out first to see its effectiveness.
Gar Shadowfame: That’s surely another bonus? They are meant to get into combat and hold things up.
Another thought on how to use them is to TRY to soak up all of the templates, so that more expensive units (BBs/Black Orcs/BCs) don’t have to take it…
Nicodemus:
So before I try to assemble even a single unit of 50 Hobgoblins I might have enough to test this out…
Right now I’ve got a unit of 20 Hobgoblins, 20 Sneaky Gits, and all of the BFSP Goblins (40 NG Spearmen and 20 NG Archers)… so there’s 100 right on the nose… assuming I say they all ‘count-as’ Hobgoblins, which isn’t a stretch if I put all the real Hobgoblins they are intended to represent in the front rank. Now I’d just have to try and get these two units of 50 into a friendly game and see how well they do/don’t work x.x
Hmmm, and with a 50-strong unit the unit fillers can get a little more involved too
… and for an extra 380 points you can just replace that 50-strong horde of naked Hobgoblins with 50 Chaos Dwarf Warriors w/FC
Hashut’s Blessing:
I’d have to try and sort out a test opponent first, but obviously it’s something that will take as much testing as possible before it can be determined. I’m wondering if we should see if we can get two CD armies, one with the two 50 man shield units and one with the three 50 man naked units and see which is best Same composition except for that?
Nico: I wouldn’t have thought proxying goblins, night goblins and sneaky gits as hobgoblins would be a problem for anyone, especially if you mix and match as you suggested. At the very least, not in a friendly game (otherwise, it’s not all that friendly, lol ). But, you’ve raised an excellent point to combat my complaint about how long it takes to make an paint them. I expect a lot of unit fillers to be cropping up, at least for this tactic. A cool thing to do could be to have general unit fillers and a single “Animosity marker” unit filler to replace with one other unit filler (per unit) to show when they suffer from Animosity
380 points? Is that all? It’s only another 3.8 basic hobbo hordes
Gar Shadowfame:
if u have 2-3 ranks you get very few attacks against unit 5 man wide (well fewer not very few), and most likely you wont have stubborn, so it wont work as meatwall, 5 wide 10 deep will
Hashut’s Blessing:
I think you’ve misinterpreted the intention of reforming to be in that form: it’s to avoid the worst of the template weapons until the enemy are close enough for combat, at which point you reform to be int he better style of the 10 wide and 5 deep (or vice versa).
orcs of fire:
How about using a unit of say, 150-200 hobgobs as a points denial unit? In the new rules having to get rid of every last one of them could get pretty annoying really fast…
Add in a bsb and a hero with cheap armour and that hat of stubborn-ness and it would be very hard for the enemy to get back the 300+ points. You never know, you might kill something for an added bonus 
.
Gar Shadowfame:
6 tree kins will kill this unit in 2 maby 3 combat turns.
this is that with todays charge ranges you might not have enought time time "hide from template weapon, also i wouldnt shoot with template weapon in 1st or 2nd turn to hobgoblins, i’d rather pick more elite unit holding a mage or artilery.
Spikes:
A single failed panic test (say flame throwers, skull catapults, etc.) would mean the death of 300-400pts if you make a huge “points denial” unit.
Gar Shadowfame:
good point
This message was automatically appended because it was too short.
Shakhorth:
A single failed panic test (say flame throwers, skull catapults, etc.) would mean the death of 300-400pts if you make a huge "points denial" unit.Keep a BsB within 12" and they get a re-roll (since BsB now let you re-roll ANY leadership check).
Spikes