ross_lionheart:
I’ve employed two units of hobgoblin warriors into my army, with no shields or armour. What is the best way to use these models??
The Flying Beaver:
Baiting and screening, of course. They’re only 40 points for a unit of 20, so you want to make them die instead of your expensive dwarfs. Sometimes they can take on small units, but i’s rare (maybe a counter-charge in the flank).
Ellimist:
The only real use for them is as a screen. Having played against lizardmen recently, I’ve found they’ve done well protecting my flank-guard blunderbussiers from scouting skinks for a turn, before said blunderbussiers can deal with them.
metro_gnome:
yup flank screening is an excellent use for them…
but remember that for 50 points a unit of 25 delivers +4 CR…
and their M4 can make them decent counter chargers once the enemy has dug in with your anvils…
ross_lionheart:
yup flank screening is an excellent use for them...Keeping them close to your general and then using them to flan whilst your anvil unit charge into the front seems like a good idea. Especailly considering that the enemy unit will lose their rank bonus..
but��remember that for 50 points a unit of 25 delivers +4 CR...
and their M4 can make them decent counter chargers once the enemy has dug in with your anvils...
metro_gnome
Uzkul Werit:
Use them as you would an Empire Detachment. Just be careful. When Animosity could result in two Hobgoblin units fighting each other my two units of ten walked infront of my CD Warriors and duked it out.
Lord Zarkov:
Not anymore; now they just squabble or charge
The Flying Beaver:
A unit of 20-30 with Light armour, shields and command with the general nearby could make a cheap (not by hobbo standards, but cheap nontheless) anvil unit. Having a 4+ save, a CR of 5 and ld10 is pretty solid.
metro_gnome:
at that price you might as well buy orcs… about twice as useful…
and standards on hobgoblins is like throwing VP down a well…
stick to units of 25… +4CR with no VP risk…
for less than half of the above scenario… that means two units of them… and then some…
Xander:
Or you could buy Sneaky Gits and bank on the poison 6 rolls. 
oboudd:
I use my hobbos to flank charge(hey I’ve only used em once).
baba yaga:
keep them as cheap as you can, they are throwaway units, just expect them to die in an orderly fashion according to your battle plan
The Slaver:
why wouldnt you give them light armor and shields? I completley agree with the standard and command group, but giving them light armor and shields give them a 4+ armor save… not to shabby, easily enough to have some staying power against a small unit, and copelled with a hobgob hero, i dont see why they cant be effective. I do agree the a naked unit does make an excellent screen, but i dont see these as hobgobs. I see these and human SLAVES!!!
Lava Lord:
:hat off Harrgh, comrades, This being my first post, I would like to share a tid bit with you. Last weekend I had a battle against the Rats. It was a 1500pt affair. During the course, my sneaky gits charged two rat orges and killed them both on the first try!! I find them very useful. The two attacks and poison, with the ability to reform (a restatement for lap around - this is a GW update) WIN or LOSE !! I almost love them, cough, cough, :0 forgive me I forgot myself a moment.
Uzkul Werit:
Or you could get a small unit of ten. Keep them hidden in your deployment zone and don’t move them. End of games scores come around and you have yourself a captured table quarter!
metro_gnome:
why wouldnt you give them light armor and shields?cause i could get twice as many without...
The Slaver
hobgoblins... like goblins... are only there to provide cheap combat reolution...
a unit of 25 provides CR 4 for 50 points....
hobgoblins dont have staying power... dwarfs have staying power...
heck at this price orcs have better staying power and can kill stuff too...
Lava Lord:
I agree with metro_gnome totally. He took the words right out of my mouth.why wouldnt you give them light armor and shields?cause i could get twice as many without...
The Slaver
hobgoblins... like goblins... are only there to provide cheap combat reolution...
a unit of 25 provides CR 4 for 50 points....
hobgoblins dont have staying power... dwarfs have staying power...
heck at this price orcs have better staying power and can kill stuff too...
metro_gnome
The Slaver:
But there is also a matter of, how shall i put this, deception. If an opponent expects them to die like flies, and they dont, it really messes up their plans. Ive seen it work before, and you would be suprised how effective it is.
Slaver_of_Zharr:
also, bear in mind that your opponent does get a +1 combat resolution everytime a hobo dies, and if they have a 4+ save then that will only half as often, making them a lot better at flank charging then naked hobos when your opponent can kill more naked hobos then you get for the Combat resolution
this kind of thing happens a lot when playing armies like chaos
eg. khorne chosen chaos warriors are attacking your CD warriors, you flank charge them with your naked hobos, you get +1 for flank charge, ignore their rank bonus (though costing as much as they do that is unlikely to be much), and if you dont already have these points then you get +4 for ranks and outnumber. but then the chosen attack (after you but is unlikely that you will kill any) assuming there is say 3 in base contact with your hobos you would then lose about 4 hobos, which would probably negate all the bonuses for having them as it is likely the CD warriors already had 2-3 ranks and outnumber. however in this case shield and light armour hobos would only lose 2-3 of their number, meaning you would still have a chance of winning combat
Nazhur:
This weekend I had my first fight with my new chaos dwarfs(and won!) and in this army I had a unit of 15 hobgoblins with full command. THey took a charge from a empire greeatsword unit 11 strong with 2 character in it( a captain and a warrior priest) and survivaded 2 rounds of close combat where theya ctually killed of 3 great swordsmen. not so shabby if you ask me. It made my Cd to attack the greatsword unit later in the flank. Very nice indeed So hobgoblins can indeed make a nice unit. Even if cheap