I was thinking of hobgobbos today and realized they’re really the only greenskins that get along with a “civilized” people. Chaos Dwarfs are organized, brutal and efficient, and hobgoblins have been in the process of being integrated to the race since the falling out between CD’s/BOrcs. However, as the official fluff stands (not sure about the recent stuff from this site), they’re kept as dumb cannon fodder and mob leaders of labour gangs. In other fantasy settings (Warcraft, Warmachine) goblins aren’t the idiot children of the world, they’re actually kind of smart.
Wouldn’t it stand to reason that eventually hobgoblins would develop a hand at technical skills? They live in close proximity to a highly advanced race, they’re super-sly and crafty, and I’d argue that they’ve been slowly assimilated into Chaos Dwarf culture over hundreds of years. The recent advent of “demon eyes” also furthers this theme. They’re a naturally competitive, vicious race that in fact would respond well to learning new ways to one-up each other. I would think that if you had 50 hobgoblins competing to be your new “shop gobs”, they’d kill each other off until you had 5 competent ones (the smartest and craftiest). You still couldn’t trust them, but their hatred towards their fellow goblin might keep them in check!
It really wouldn’t be hard to pull off on the field. What about Sneaky Gits being hobgoblin techno-slaves? Mechanical gauntlets/electrical weapons could easily represent the poison effect. Maybe the odd hobgoblin crewman for Death Rockets and other warmachines.
I think it’s a subject that deserves a bit of exploration and debate. :idea
Hrm… would this be more appropriate for Chaos Dwarf discussion? I just realized this was in the “army book development” section, but it’s more of a background brainstorm. If the mods-that-be see fit, put it where it’s most appropriate.
Greenskins aren’t particularly dumb, Hobgoblins included. Once they learn how to do something then they can do it again, although they don’t seem to have the patience for fiddly things so most of their mechanical devices are relatively simple.
Yeah, I love that idea. Hobgoblins firing Rockets, Hobgoblins being fired tied to Rockets. Snotlings with gunpowder charges on their chest running towards the enemy. The fun is endless
Hrm… Gobbobombs as a unit attachment for Hobgoblins? That’s… wonderfully awful enough to work!
What about a unit of Hobgoblin rocketeers? Not unlike the oldschool Chinese rocket packs (forget name) that fired off a cluster of small rockets? I could see a hobgoblin taking to such a weapon: crude, loud and dangerous (but only with luck). Perhaps a weapon team unit like jezzails, or a one-time use upgrade for a unit?
Anyway, I’m just hypothesizin’. I just think hobgoblins could be the thing that has been left behind in the revisions of Chaos Dwarfs lately… they could really be fantastic, given the right opportunity.
I like what Willmark is saying, captured Dwarf weaponry. In my army they use Dwarf bolt throwers, though I can see them using anything useful that the capture.
I also see some sort of “bargain”. The Hobgoblins do the looting. Any armor and such they can keep, though more expensive armor is usually traded in. Thus the Chaos Dwarfs don’t have to loot and can spend time doing more important stuff. In exchange for various plunder, the Hobgoblin get food/other equipment/spared/shinies.
Ah, hadn’t considered Hobgoblins as looters before! That sounds like a pretty great angle, actually. I could totally see them ripping the armour and clothes from corpses, and doing the heavy lifting while Chaos Dwarfs round up survivors into slave trains. That would really expand the modelling options too! Hand weapons from all over the place, ragged clothes of all colours…
I just read the story in the Indy GT book where the Chaos Dwarf gets the Hobgob to light the rocket fuse! That was a really entertaining read. I guess the natural cruelty of Chaos Dwarfs might just keep the creative side of Hobgoblins in check.
My view of chaos dwarfs is that they are like tyranids of fantasy in a sense the antithesis of wood elves. Wood elves live in harmony any take very little from the world. Chaos dwarfs are they opposite, industry run amok ravaging the landscape.
I like that view of Chaos Dwarfs and the environment. Everything goes under their boot heel, or else it gets tossed in the fire pit!
The looting thing got me thinking a bit: what about other races the hobgoblins would raid machines from? I could see them having Cathayan warmachines if they were well travelled enough. Imperial warmachines would also make excellent lootables, since the Empire seems to bear the brunt of lots of raids and pillaging.
Perhaps another angle for conversion would be a counts-as Death Rocket, with a hobgoblin lording over hunchbacked mutants (an attempt to represent the T4 stat). The rocket would be a crude one at best, or maybe something like a multi-rocket pack attached to another creature (troll holding a rocket launcher, etc). That could be a great way to incorporate Hobgoblins into a more prominent role in the army, or represent a Death Rocket when using Hobgoblin Horde rules.
Just thought of a great way to modify stikkas: everyone has a different kind of bow, some traditional ones, some crossbows and even repeater crossbows. Sort of a 40k-Ork attitude of “more dakka” and stealing to get them.
It’s cheaper than building them equipment! They’re slaves to build Dwarf’s stuff, not to furnish their own armories.
I realized the other day, perhaps “mechanically adept hobgoblins” was a poor choice of words. Hobgoblin ingenuity is what is crushed beneath the iron-shod boot of the Dwarfs, not their mechanical knowledge. They never have time to come up with a good idea and spread it amongst their fellows (who would be likely to steal the idea and claim it’s theirs anyway). I could definitely see looting as a way they’d be inventive: figuring out the weapons of other races, tinkering, adding “more dakka” to an otherwise sound weapon.
Another thought: what would it take for a Hobgoblin to rise above his fellows? Coming up with a good idea/truly being a valuable assistant, or just exercising cruelty on his fellows? It would seem to me a Chaos Dwarf supervisor would disregard an idea from the “bookish” Hobgoblin, since he has no backbone to stand up to those who would challenge his idea. Upon thinking more about Chaos Dwarfs, maybe they aren’t the sort of race to support a meritocracy…
Chaos dwarfs are indeed the richest society in the warhammer world, but, if i were a chaos dwarf i would rather spend all my money on a new death rocket or something. Not on supplying weapons to mere slaves.
I know I am ressurecting a dead thread here and the person who originally posted probably isn’t around any more, but…
Hobgoblins don’t need to specialize in technical skills. Sure, they are much better with a bow than any other Greenskin, but not only do they get along with other races better than Orcs or Goblins, they get along with animals better too! Hobgoblins are the sort that would get wolves or crows or “hobhounds” (I still believe they are hyenas) and so forth to do their bidding.
When one can literally turn to nature for allies, the need to develop overtly mechanical skills disapears. HOWEVER, there is old official GW fluff that says that Hobgoblins worked as blacksmiths for Orc & Goblin tribes. Although this may mean nothing more than Hobgoblins can wear heavy armor while most other greenskins discard such things, I suppose one could say that shows some adeptness in mechanical pursuits. And since they are not entirely stupid, there is no reason they cannot learn a thing or two from the Chaos Dwarfs after serving under them for so long.
In fact, it would be very Hobgoblin-y to learn from the Chaos Dwarfs what they need to gain the necessary edge to turn on them and kill them all to claim their lands and position for themselves.
