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Orc & Goblin Tribes · 140 points
Are Goblin archers good?
Goblin archers are better than I expected for 140 points. My 35 Goblins with shortbows finished 12th of 29 at short range and eighth at long range, ahead of the Orc archers at both.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Goblin archers at
- Role
- Cheap volume of fire
- Good against
- Skaven Dregs (5.7, 4th)
- Struggles against
- Ironbreakers (0.3, 26th)
- Range
- Loses some damage at range (74% kept)
Cheap volume of fire is the job Goblin archers did best in my testing, and it is the yardstick I would judge them by, rather than their 12th-of-29 overall average.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 120 volleys with Goblin archers: ten fresh volleys at each of six targets, at both long and short range. Those main volleys were part of the 4,080 I ran across 29 shooting units, and these were the Goblin archers results.
These Goblin archers numbers are not the whole story, because my dice roll on an empty table without terrain, spells, characters or a real player on the other side. With ten volleys per result, Goblin archers (2.9) and Cathay Crane Gunners (2.9) finished level at short range, so I would not read anything into their order. They tell you what to point Goblin archers at, not what will happen every time.
My verdict
I think a big Goblin mob is a fair points-for-points shooting unit. They did 5.7 wounds into Dregs at short range, fourth-best of anything I tested, but only 0.3 into Ironbreakers.
Best and worst targets for Goblin archers
Goblin archers by target. Ranks out of 29. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Long | Rank | Short | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 1.0 | 17th | 1.7 | 8th |
| Ironbreakers | 0.7 | 14th | 0.3 | 26th |
| Empire State Troops | 2.8 | 6th | 3.5 | 11th |
| Skaven Dregs | 4.2 | 2nd | 5.7 | 4th |
| Rat Ogres | 2.4 | 7th | 2.5 | 12th |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 1.6 | 16th | 3.5 | 7th |
Range and armour
At long range Goblin archers kept 74% of their short-range damage. Their best long-range target was Skaven Dregs (4.2).
Against my two heavily armoured targets, Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Goblin archers averaged 1.0 wounds at short range. That puts them 16th of 29 for cracking armour.
Rules that shaped these numbers
- I fielded 35 Goblins in three ranks of 12, 12 and 11; Volley Fire let 24 of them shoot.
How I set up the test
I fielded 35 Goblins with shortbows (140 points) in ranks of 12, 12 and 11, so the front rank and half of the rear ranks shot under Volley Fire. My method page has the full setup.
How do they compare?
Other Orc & Goblin Tribes shooters
- Goblin Wolf Riders140 pts · 1.7 avg short, 1.2 avg long
- Orc archers140 pts · 2.7 avg short, 1.7 avg long
Similar overall damage
- Cathay Crane GunnersGrand Cathay · 2.9 avg short
- Bretonnian Peasant BowmenKingdom of Bretonnia · 2.9 avg short
- High Elf ArchersHigh Elf Realms · 2.9 avg short
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Goblin archers for pouring cheap shots into light infantry and skirmishers, and not for anything with good armour, especially Ironbreakers, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
What are Goblin archers best at shooting?
Skaven Dregs: Goblin archers did 5.7 wounds per short-range volley against them in my tests. Their lowest number was against Ironbreakers, at 0.3.
Are Goblin archers better at long or short range?
Short range. Goblin archers kept 74% of their short-range damage at long range, 10th of 29 for holding up at range. Goblin archers averaged 2.1 wounds at long range against 2.9 at short range.
Are Goblin archers good against armour?
Against Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Goblin archers averaged 1.0 wounds per short-range volley, 16th of the 29 units I tested.