As I can't always paint Skaven, I also need to have a look at other teams. I like to have my miniatures painted and not sit on a "pile of shame" (= a mountain of unpained miniatures) so I checked what miniatures I have in my possession. I remember buying below Goblin team via eBay from a Dutch guy at a very low price, I guess approx 35 € for a LOT of Goblins, almost all Secret Weapons and 2 Trolls ! In the end it turned out 1 of the Trolls was missing a right arm but this was no issue as I don't like using the same big guy miniature twice in this team and I had Ripper Bolgrot available for a second Troll :-) I'll add some Tentacles to the Troll with the missing arm for an instant-Warpstone Troll for a Underworld team ! Beause that's the beauty of having a (or multiple) Skaven team(s) and a Goblin team: You get a third mixed race team for free - Underworld Creepers ! But that is for another post.
Below my Goblin team - all classic Games Workshop miniatures from 3rd Edition Blood Bowl, sculpted by Gary Morley and released in 1994. The team contains 13 Goblins (you can never have enough Stunties...), all 4 Secret Weapons and 2 Trolls.
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| Full Goblin team |
The Goblin lineman gets little respect as they are ST 2, AV 7 and Stunty... But in a rookie league with few Block and Tackle players it is actually quite hard to catch the little buggers ! Just watch out for Dwarfs... As the league advances Goblin players quickly hit a ceiling because of their limited skill access (Agility) of which they already start with the best option (Dodge). So many people go Sidestep, next you can develop into Runners (Sure Feet) or Catchers (Catch, but who's throwing the ball in a Stunty team???) Basically you're praying to Nuffle for doubles on your skill progresion rolls ! Games Workshop manufactured 5 different Goblin miniatures for 3rd Edition, so the team always carries a couple of doubles (or triples).
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| Goblins looking for trouble... |
Luckily for the Goblin coach he can pimp the team with some cheap "special players" - enter the Secret Weapons team ! The Chainsaw-wielding Looney is iconic for Blood Bow, with Nobbla Blackwart one of the most popular (and feared?) star players. A Chainsaw is a no-brainer against agile low-AV opponents, but the Chainsaw will break even AV9 approx 41% of times. Better to combine it with some assists during a Foul Action and go for the kill before your Secret Weapon player is sent off ! The Ball&Chain Fanatic is another classic recognized by any Blood Bowl coach. Don't judge these guys on their size, @ ST7 they'll stop at nothing thanks to Madcap Mushrooms ! The Bomber is complete madness and can be brilliant at breaking up tight cages and causing general mayhem. The pogo-Goblin actually isn't a Secret Weapon (ie does not have to leave the pitch before the next Kick-Off) and adds some speed to the team.
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| Spice up your Goblin plays with Secret Weapons ! |
I actually regret having sold some doubles of these Secret Weapons Goblins on eBay, as I guessed I would not need them. I was wrong, as a Goblin team thrives on inducements and the Secret Weapons star players offer you good value for their performance. Imagine the face of your Elf opponent when you field TWO Chainsaw Looneys! The miniatures went for very little money, so I regret the sales even more. Oh well, I hope they are causing pandemonia on some other pitch at this very moment...
Not your complete team is squishy: You do have 2 of the cheapest Big Guys available: Trolls ! ST 5, AV 9 and Regenerate, 2 of these guys on the Line of Scrimmage will be an issue for many teams. And even if they get punched, you have little reason to worry : Trolls are great at being punched ! These guys develop into the ultimate roadblocks, offering your Goblins a spot to hide from being butchered. Left you see Ripper Bolgrot, the 3rd Ed Star Player. Right is the 5th Ed Blood Bowl Troll. They follow the patterns of a Stone Troll resp. a River Troll from Warhammer - Fantasy Battle. I'm actually looking for a good 3rd Troll miniature which fits in with below characters, as chances are you can induce your third Troll Star Player !
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| Smile at the camera ! |
I don't have much experience playing Goblins, but I like the idea of the team. Less focus on the competitive aspect, more focus on the crazy violence in a Fantasy sports league setting which should take itself not too seriously. If the Joker would be playing Blood Bowl, he'd be playing Goblins, I bet ! "Why - so - Serious ?!?"
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