INTRO - The Scourge of the Steppes
In the distant east, beyond the Dark Lands where the endless, wind-swept steppes stretch for untold leagues lies the dominion of the Hobgoblins that fight under the Great Hobgobla Khan. A warrior race of a thousand thousand wolfriders, the armies of the great Hobgobla Khan hold sway over the greatest empire in the world.
Hobgoblins are naturally greedy, selfish, individualistic creatures who are quick to stab each other in the back and expect no other treatment from others. They are underhanded, opportunistic and pathologically devious. Between the harshness of their homeland and the endless enemies Hobgoblins make, they must absolutely work together to a point if they hope to survive. It is with this mentality that Hobgoblins band together under the leadership of the most deadly and sinister amongst them, the Khans. The greatest of all the Khans is known as Hobgobla Khan. Although little is known about this mysterious sinister figure, it is known that when Hobgoblin raiders gather together and go on a rampage, it is always in his name.
THE LORE OF SPIRITS
The Lore of Spirits is the magic of shamanism. Practitioners are skilled at both defeating malevolent spirits and invoking the aid of their tribes' tutelary spirits.
Spirit Staff: The shaman imbues the weapons of his kin with the power of his tribes' spirits. Has a range of 300 meters for one unit, or multiple units at 100 meters (though this requires more effort). All units effected find their physical strength double, and their weapons count as magical ones.
Message of Doom: The Shaman appears in the mind of the foe and foretells their doom at his hands, showing the target their own gruesome death. Has a range of 300 meters. The target must muster their willpower or be overcome by fear.
Spirits' Voice: The Shaman speaks with the voice of his tribe's spirits, exhorting his tribesmen to perform great deeds. Has a range of 300 meters for one unit or all friendly unit at 100 meters. Makes the effected braver and bolder.
Fire of Vengeance: The Shaman is filled with such anger at the enemies of his tribe that glowing green fire bursts from his eyes and hurtles towards the opponents. Has a range of 300 meters but can be upgraded to 1 Kilometer with effort. The fire is magical in nature and burns everything in its path.
Power of the Wind: Calling upon the mighty wind spirits of the steppe, the Shaman sets loose a powerful cyclone on his enemies. Can be summoned up to 50 meters from the Shaman. Exists as long as the Shaman keeps pumping magic into it. The movement of the vortex is a bit random, so the Shaman must be careful not to hit his own troops. At normal size, it can toss man sized targets around, but it can be upgraded so its big enough to make even giants stumble.
Spirit Shield: The spirits watch over the Shaman's tribe and protect it from harm. Effects a single target at 300 meters or multiple friendly units at 100 meters. The effected units gain a potent defense against magical attacks, and a minor defense against physical attacks.
Blades of Begtsethulu: Summoning the power of his red-faced war god, the Shaman calls down red spectral blades to slash his enemies to bits. Summons ethereal blades that attack all enemy units within 100 meters of the Shaman. The range can be extend up to 200 meters with additional effort.
RECON
Hobgoblins have great eyesight and make for excellent scouts and spies, and their wolf mounts are quick enough that if caught they can escape uninjured. Their sneaky nature allows them to creep up on the enemy unnoticed, allowing them to scout out enemies long before engagements ever begin. Sneaky Gits are perhaps their best spies and assassins, and are masters of sabotage. Hobgoblins have no concept of honor, and will happily handicap the enemy as much as possible to their favor.
PRIMARY UNITS
Hobgoblin Warriors
Mobility: 4
Training: 3
Max Range: Bow & Arrow
Preferred Range: Melee
Those unfortunate Hobgoblins who cannot afford or are forbidden a wolf to ride are reduced to fighting on foot. These are the standard warriors of Hobgoblin hordes of any variety. Warriors are often the lowest ranked of all the units and they take the least amount of skill or practice.
Offense: Sword, Spear, or Bow. Hobgoblins are respectable archers, using bows they loot from humans and elves.
Defense: Animals skins are worn universally. Some Hobgoblins will wear armor stolen from other races, but it tends to be ill-fitting and battle damaged. As Warriors are the lowest in Hobgoblin society, they rarely get better armor.
Special: Sharp Eye: They best archers of a Hobgoblin tribe, these Archers are experts at hitting moving targets and supplying support to their tribe-mates.
Additional Factors:
-Khans treat them as expendable, throwing them into battle in the hopes that they will simply blunt the enemy's attack.
-Backstabbers: Hobgoblins don't have the same sense of honor that others do. They will happily stab a retreating foe in the back, or kill them stealthily rather then open combat.
-Treacherous Gits: Disreputable and fractious, Hobgoblins can turn on each other at any moment, and are highly unreliable unsupervised. This is a problem, given a Hobgoblin's propensity for murderous spite and self-serving cowardice it is only their deep seated fear of their Khan that can enforce them back into some semblance of order.
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Kharash aka Slaves
Mobility: 4
Training: Varies
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Melee
Tens of thousands of slaves toil in the fields of the Eastern Steppes. Condemned to a lifetime of depraved, grueling labor and malnourishment, these broken thralls are beaten and battered while toiling day and night on empty stomachs, given only the minimum scraps of moldy bread and rancid water to keep them all but dead.
When the Hobgoblins go to war, they bring with them hordes of slave. A commonly used tactic is the use of what is called the "Kharash". During a battle the Hobgoblins will gather a crowd of local residents or soldiers surrendered from previous battles, and drive them forward in front of them. These "human shields" often take the brunt of enemy arrows, crossbow bolts and artillery, thus leaving the Hobgoblin warriors safer.
Offense: The Hobgoblins see to it that the thralls marching to war, though treated poorly, are equipped with appropriate war gear; for although the lives of these slave mean nothing to them, a well-equipped warrior proves more valuable than an ill-equipped one. So the slaves usually get some swords or clubs.
Defense: Usually light leather armor. But a slave that has displeased his Hobgoblin master may find himself marching at the front of the line with no armor whatsoever.
Special: Variant: Charged as the overseers of the slaves are the Slavedrivers, who take great delight in bullying and torturing the thralls.
Additional Factors:
-Expendable: The sight of a panicking Kharash never phases a Hobgoblin.
LINE-BREAKER
Ravagers
Mobility: 4 (5 on mount)
Training: 4
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Melee
Not all Hobgoblins are content with simply being fast and hitting the enemy as a pack. There are those, often the larger and stronger among them, who begin to share the Orc's predilection for being the baddest, fastest, nastiest combat monster they can become. In order to achieve this goal, these warriors are willing to try anything, including strange and misunderstood toxins boiled up by their Shamans.
Many Hobgoblins are poisoned or find themselves too sick to go out to battle after trying some of these potions, however those that do survive the process often leave their enemies with visions of wild, raving green monsters riding nightmarish wolf beasts, beheading and devouring all that lay in their path. The Ravagers go into a state of fury and zeal that gives them an unholy strength allowing them to rip through ranks of enemies that would cause a normal wolf rider to pause.
Offense: Ravagers swing two hand axes or a pair of scimitars. There is no technique, just frenzied bloodrage. Occasionally they have enough presence of mind to poison their blades before battle.
Defense: These crazed fighters go un-armored into battle caring nothing for their own safety (as little as a Hobgoblin can at least)
Special: Mount: Hobhound: When the Hobgoblin tribes settled on Eastern Steppes, they domesticated the Hobhounds and the Ravagers now even use them as mounts. Perhaps the Hobgoblins saw something in themselves in these ferocious and opportunistic beasts.
Additional Factors:
-They tend to die in high numbers, but they usually take a good chunk of the enemy with them.
-Treacherous Gits: See Hobgoblin Warriors
Deathclaws
Mobility: 4
Training: 2
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Melee
Deathclaws are large beasts the size of Ogres, covered in fur to protect them from the cold climate of the steppe nights. Massively strong, they can rip apart men like parchment, and their hands and feet end in large, vicious claws that they use to eviscerate their prey. Each of these claws is the size of long swords, and they can cut through armor as well as bone with ease. As fierce as they are, Deathclaws can be domesticated - to a point. Many Hobgoblin tribes lure these beasts out of their caves by leaving rotten meat outside; only to then capture them (an affair that rarely ends without the life of at least one less careful Hobgoblin lost) using nets and spears before dragging them back to their camps.
Before going to battle, the Hobgoblins starve the Deathclaws for days if possible, all to make them even fiercer in combat. They are then directed towards the enemy and allowed to go on their way for the duration of the battle. Facing a Deathclaw in combat is a terrifying experience; the beasts going berserk and clawing wildly at anything within reach. Only once the battle is over, their hunger for flesh and blood sated, can they be brought back in by their Hobgoblin masters and brought back to their miserable existence in the animal pens, until they are sent out into battle once more.
Offense: Claws and teeth that are able to rip through armor easily.
Defense: Believed to be a distant relative of the Trolls, Deathclaws can also re-knit open wounds very quickly, making them hard to bring down without flaming weapons.
Additional Factors:
-Deathclaws aren't controlled in battle, they are unleashed. Starving and frenzied, they will kill all around them until they've had their fill.
RAPID RELIEF:
Wolf Raiders
Mobility: 5
Training: 4
Max Range: Bow & Arrow
Preferred Range: Spear
The vast majority of the fighting strength of any Hobgoblin tribe is made up of vicious Wolf Riders. Eclipsing all but the finest Elven cavalry in sheer speed and maneuverability, Hobgoblin Wolf Riders are the terror of the Eastern Steppes. Usually armed with bows, but equally at home with curved blades or long spears, Wolf Riders run circles around their enemies, often ambushing from the flanks or scouting ahead of the main force, attacking by surprise from behind a ridge or ragged copse. Once they have engaged, all pretense of stealth disappears, and the Wolf Riders concentrate on sowing havoc and fear in their hapless victims.
Offense: See Description
Defense: Leather is most common, but Hobgoblins may have stolen other armor to use as well.
Special: Mount: Giant Wolf: Giant Wolves are the most common predator found in the steppes. They come in a myriad of colors and shapes, particularly those that have been domesticated by Hobgoblins for many generations. Giant Wolves serve as the mounts for Hobgoblins much as horses do for humans and you can be certain that in any Hobgoblin army worth its salt one will find hundreds of Giant Wolves being ridden to battle.
The malign demeanor of these great wolves means that they share a kindred spirit with the sinister disposition of Hobgoblins and Goblins. They are natural companions for those that plunder and pillage, slaughter and slay, and so over the centuries Hobgoblins and Giant Wolves have created an alliance of convenience. The Hobgoblins ride atop the feral wolves scouting out settlements to raze and encircling confined foes with their vast speed. In return, the Hobgoblins provide their lupine steeds with fresh meats and sufficient shelter.
Additional Factors:
-Hobgoblins and wolves enjoy an almost symbiotic relationship on the Eastern Steppes. A Hobgoblin is not a true warrior unless he rides on wolf back, and no Hobgoblin would follow a Khan who walks on his own two feet.
-Can act as scouts.
-Treacherous Gits: See Hobgoblin Warriors
-Cowardly Despoilers: Hobgoblins care nothing for fighting fairly, always seeking to take advantage of their foes in any given situation. Why risk one's life by meeting the enemy head on, when it's much safer to plunge a knife in their backs instead?
-Ded Shooty: The hobgoblin armies of the great Hobgobla Khan primarily consist of a vast horde of Hobgoblins riding giant wolves. The constant wars of the hobgoblins and the experience gained in fighting in the lands of the east have allowed them to excel at mounted archery, able to maintain a great deal of accuracy (for a Hobgoblin that is!) even while on the move.
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Hobhounds & Packmasters
Mobility: 4 (5 for Packmaster)
Training: 2 (5 for Packmaster)
Max Range: Melee, Bow for Packmaster
Preferred Range: ^^
Hobhounds are bull-headed brutes with broad squat bodies as massive as a horse. Their fur is close and black, their legs are crooked, and their heads squashed like that of a bull mastiff. A hobhound's teeth are razor- sharp. They are nearly as large as horses with wide, squat bodies, hard ridged shoulders, shorter front legs, short wide muzzles and a large bite capable of easily crushing through bones.
In the wild, they are barely-controlled whirlwinds of teeth and claws, but a Hobgoblin that is so inclined can break them to his will. Packmasters, as these driven individuals are known, are that most unusual thing in Hobgoblin society - warriors able to pursue a goal that is beyond immediate reach. Packmasters are thought of as very strange by their fellows, but no one can deny the advantages of a pack of slavering Hobhounds on the flank. A good Packmaster can control his charges with only a snarled command, curbing their natural bloodlust and directing them towards the right targets. When they close, Hobhounds will open their ravening maws and take a huge chunk out of a limb or, if the victim is unlucky, simply rip off their heads. At this point, a Packmaster will let his pets indulge their killer instincts and savagely rip apart their prey in an orgy of blood and fangs.
Offense: A Packmaster will use a bow for ranged attacks, and a spear for melee. Usually he allows his pets to charge ahead of him, and finishes off anything that may have made it past them.
Defense: Packmasters wear leather armor, decorated with the bones of fallen hounds. Hobhounds have no armor, but are still viciously tough creatures.
Additional Factors:
-Hobhounds are as common companion to the Hobgoblins as their wolf mounts. They have been associated with Hobgoblins for as long as the empire has known such creatures existed. They were once believed to be wolves that were tainted by chaos in the first incision, however they don't seem to carry any chaos taint and are far more likely large cold-climate hyenas.
-If the Packmaster is not there to control the Hobhounds, they can go into a frenzy and become murderous kill-crazy machines that attack all around them.
-The Packmaster can ride on a Hobhound as a mount.
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Tarkans
Mobility: 5
Training: 4
Max Range: Thrown Torch
Preferred Range: Melee
The Hobgoblins are raiders, burning and plundering their way through every settlement they come upon. They ride hard, hit with surprise, and can withdraw quickly if the situation is not advantageous. Chief among these raiders are the Tarkans, Hobgoblins who make a name out for themselves by plundering villages and towns getting rich of the loot acquired from these. Apart from taking anything of value, the Tarkans are also responsible for most of the Hegemony's slaves, capturing those suitable for work, or at the very least, living shields, as the poor saps try to escape their burning settlements.
Carrying torches as their primary weapon, Tarkans use these to put houses ablaze before riding on. The mobility of the Tarkan warriors makes them devastating raiders, but their light cavalry status puts them at a disadvantage against heavily armored enemies in close combat. While a torch might not be the most efficient weapon in combat, the Tarkans have learned to use it to great success, harrying enemy supply trains, setting fire to carts, chariots and war machines in order to cause chaos and weaken the enemy army.
Offense: A Torch, as seen in the description
Defense: Leather, and armor they have stolen.
Special: Mount: Giant Wolves
Additional Factors:
-Most of the slaves the Hobgoblins use are those captured by the Tarkans.
-Tarkans are great at harassing the enemy or destroying supply lines.
-Cowardly Despoilers: See Wolf Raiders
-Treacherous Gits: See Hobgoblin Warriors
Mangudai
Mobility: 5
Training: 6-7
Max Range: Bow & Arrow
Preferred Range: Bow & Arrow
In the armies every Khan has one wolf rider unit that he has dubbed the favored one he expects the best from called the Mangudai. This unit is often made the vanguard of the army and, if the Khan's eye was correct, often prove themselves above all the others in battle. The leader of this unit may well be on his way to becoming a Khan himself. This unit would be marked by waving the colors declaring themselves as the Khan's chosen. Of course, it is quite likely that the Khan only wishes to make a target of those he sees as potential threats to his rule of power.
The Mangudai are the best of the wolf mounted archers, and use cunning tactics to catch enemies at a disadvantage. They use feints and traps to wear out enemy cavalry and shoot it to pieces, while slower troops can be shot to pieces at range with little risk. Enemy armies are often exhausted and shattered without ever coming to grips with the elusive Mangudai.
Offense: The Recurve Bow. Immensely powerful and hard to make, these are reserved for only the best Hobgoblin archers. The presence of this weapon is one of the major factors that distinguish a Mangudai from others of its kind. If an enemy does get close (and isn't immediately killed by the Mangudai's wolf mount), they have a spear.
Defense: High Quality Leather Armor, and Speed. They can go entire battles without ever being hit.
Special: Mount: Giant Wolf
Additional Factors:
-Ded Shooty: See Wolf Raiders
-Cowardly Despoilers: See Wolf Raiders
-Treacherous Gits: See Hobgoblin Warriors
SHOCK & AWE:
War Wagon
Mobility: 3
Training: 3
Max Range: Artillery
Preferred Range: Artillery
Some Hobgoblin tribes are so large and have amassed so much plunder that is not practical for them to carry everything on their wolves. For this purpose, they developed a kind of chariot known as a War Wagon. Principally used for transport rather than battle, a War Wagon is somewhat heavier and more solidly constructed than its Goblin counterpart, often featuring a small tent mounted on its bed so that a particularly ostentatious Great Khan may travel in comfort. Like the ramshackle chariots built by Goblins, the Hobgoblin War Wagon is pulled by giant wolves, so it is no surprise that it has found a use in battle.
Offense: A bolt thrower is mounted on the War Wagon, making it a mobile artillery unit. The crew also have spears for throwing. It is also pulled by two giant wolves.
Defense: The wagon is made of wood, metal and stone. The crew have animal skin armor, and the wolves have none.
Additional Factors:
-Ded Shooty: See Wolf Raiders
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Spear Chukkas
Mobility: 2
Training: 3
Max Range: Artillery
Preferred Range: Artillery
The most common war machine Hobgoblins construct is the potent spear chukka - a giant, lever-operated bow that fires huge bolts capable of penetrating deep into ranked formations of troops, skewering masses of soldiers at once or even dispatching a large beast in a single deadly shot. Artillery is not well suited to the Hobgoblin style of warfare, but some of the larger tribes do make use of large bolt throwers, hammered together from wood and metal, and mounting a specially modified spear or harpoon. Some of the largest tent-cities, such as that occupied by the Great Hobgobla Khan, are defended by whole batteries of these crude war machines, which are set up on rough emplacements surrounding the sprawling camp.
Offense: See Description
Defense: See Description
Additional Factors:
-The nomadic lifestyle of Hobgoblins means that they don't invest much in war machines. Even Goblins seem to be more clever than their larger cousins when it comes to creating and operating the complicated mechanics of machinery and only those that have spent a great deal of time with the Chaos Dwarfs seem to be able to operate most war machines. However, every Khan finds himself in need of the devastating hit that such machines can deliver. Hobgoblin Khans find that Speak Chukkas are easy enough for his boyz to operate, and perhaps more important, they can be deconstructed, transported in pieces light enough to be pulled by a wolf and cart, and quickly reassembled when they are needed. Thus though Speak Chukkas may be the only war machine that one commonly sees among Hobgoblin armies, it has become quite common place for almost all Hobgoblin Khans to have a couple at their disposal simply out of practical necessity. They are often crudely constructed and often don't last too many battles, however, as Hobgoblins are quite proficient at hitting targets with them and they usually turn out to be more than worth the effort it takes to construct new ones.
Rokkit Launchas
Mobility: 3
Training: 3
Max Range: Artillery
Preferred Range: Artillery
A natural development of the bolt thrower, the Rokkit Launcha is a simple device that swaps a spear for a battery of crudely designed rockets. The fact that they work at all is surprising enough, the fact that they are not very safe for the crew operating the Rokkit Launcha less so. The career of operating one of these war machines tend to be a short-sighted affair, as either the machine is likely to blow up, or a hapless Hobgoblin might get stuck and sent up into the sky with the missile in question. Still, Rokkit Launchas can be very effective weapons when used right, and so find their way into many Hobgoblin hordes. Hobgoblin tribes trade for gunpowder with the Chaos Dwarfs, or simply steal it from Cathayan caravans. Their rockets are unstable and dangerous, but effective when they work, and so the Rokkit Launcha has found a place in some Hobgoblin hordes.
Offense: See Description
Defense: Wood and metal platform
Additional Factors:
-Slow to fire, due to the time it takes to load up and calibrate the device.
-It should be noted that Rokkit Launchers are finicky, and it is possible (sometimes even likely) that something will go wrong. When it does, best case scenario is that it doesn't work at all. Worst case is when it explodes and takes out every surrounding Hobgoblin.
Scorpion Riders
Mobility: 6
Training: 5
Max Range: Bow & Arrow (Rider), Several Meters (Scorpion)
Preferred Range: ^^
The Scorpion Riders are group of Hobgoblin warriors who work together, but serve no single Khan. Riding atop raised and trained Giant Scorpions, their might and prowess is unparalleled and famous throughout the steppes. They are considered the most dangerous and fearsome of all the Hobgoblin tribes, made up of highly skilled former wolf riders and the greatest beast masters gathered from many different tribes and forces, many fledgling warriors dream of one day joining their ranks. Although the Scorpion Riders are relatively disciplined, their appearance tends to cause others to glower with envy and so they often still get pulled into the squabbling and posturing that tends to undermine Hobgoblin plans. Khans desperate to win battles or claim the most valuable of prizes bid furiously against one another to get the tribe to send out just a small group of their powerful warriors - and one small group is all any Hobgoblin Khan has ever really needed to get the job done.
Offense: The Rider has a bow and arrow. The Scorpion has massive claws and a stinger full of painful venom. A Scorpion can easily tear an armored man to bits that it happily consumes.
Defense: Riders can afford some pretty nice armor. Scorpions have a thick chitinous hide. Platoons of archers have wasted their entire supply of arrows trying to bring these things down, and they've been known to even survive a direct blast from a cannon.
Special: Mount: Giant Scorpion: The immense Giant Scorpion is one of the largest steppe predators. Capable of stinging with blinding speed, this creature is constantly on the hunt. They are likely to attack any creature that approaches. Giant Scorpions usually charge when attacking, grabbing prey in their pincers, then lashing their segmented tails forward to kill their victim with injected venom. They can grow to immense sizes, some even as big as watch towers.
Additional Factors:
-Naturally, the sight of a Giant Scorpion has caused more then one man to throw down their weapons and flee for the hills.
-Cowardly Despoilers: See Wolf Raiders
-Treacherous Gits: See Hobgoblin Warriors
Mobility: 5
Training: 2 (4 for crew)
Max Range: Melee (Bow & Arrow for crew)
Preferred Range: ^^
Huge, hairy and especially bad tempered, the Rhinox is a large and dangerous horned beast that will lower its head and ram anything in its way, even the most massive of creatures. Rhinoxen can almost always be found living in the mountainous regions of the world, where they roam the snowy slopes and thunder through the passes in small, but formidable, herds that are given a wide berth by all but the most ferocious or desperate of predators.
The Hobgoblins sometimes manages to trap one of these beasts and use it for battle, building a smaller tower platform on its back out of planks and metal plates where its Hobgoblin masters can sit in relative safety as the beast charges into the fray.
Offense: Powered by thick haunches of purest muscle, a ram from a charging Rhinox is devastating and those lucky enough to avoid being gored or skewered by its horns can still be flung airborne by the force of its impact.
The Hobgoblins riding on the back of the beast will have bows and arrows, and spears for when enemies get close (which are also used for sticking the Rhinox to make it run faster).
Defense: Thick skin and coarse shaggy hair protects the beast from the elements all but the most horrendous of damage.
The Howdah is made of planks of metal and wood.
Additional Factors:
-A herd of Rhinoxen will never willingly alter its path for anything - be it rock fall, weather, or monstrous predator. Doubtless, some of their fearlessness also stems from the creatures obstinate ways. However, the notoriously bad eyesight of the Rhinox certainly factors into its penchant for walking blindly into precarious situations. As they live in the extremes of high altitude - with numbing winds, snow squalls and the ever present threat of blizzards, visibility is often limited anyway, so the fact that a Rhinox cannot see more than a few strides ahead is not nearly as debilitating as it would be for a beast of the plains.
-To compensate for its near-blindness, the lumbering Rhinox has develop a keen sense of smell and has learned to charge anything that doesn't reek like other Rhinox. On occasion, they will charge even if it does smell like a Rhinox, as the creatures are just that hostile, and the smell really is that bad.
-It is difficult to drive a Rhinox, as they are very ill tempered creatures. Without constant supervision they tend to go into a frenzy. Their stubbornness can also get them into trouble, as they are reluctant to retreat, even in the face of obvious danger.
Mobility: 7
Training: 3
Max Range: Hundreds of meters
Preferred Range: ^^
Flying high above the open plains of the steppes, exists mythical avian creatures, with wingspans over 30 feet and bodies large and powerful enough to crush a bear. Their plumage is dark blue and purple, nearly black allowing them to blend in perfectly with the storm sky- - often only their shadows on the ground warn of the impending death about to descend from above. These birds create hurricane-like winds with every beat of their powerful wings, their cries are ear-piercing and could make even the most stalwart of warrior shudder in terror.
People who live near where they have been sighted are known to constantly cast an eye towards the sky, ever vigilant for the appearance of one of these creatures. Truly impressive Great Khans may ride into battle on the back of one of these magnificent and impressive birds that have been raised and presented to them by the most loyal of the tribes under their banner. Many tribes of Hobgoblins adopt the Thunderbird as a totem animal and its appearance is considered to be an auspicious omen.
They often swoop down upon unsuspecting travelers, snatching them and their horses off into the raging storms to be devoured. Out in the open plains there is no way to outrun these creatures and no way to hide. Once fully grown, there is no hope of anyone taming these wild creatures and the Hobgoblins have lost many, many beast masters over the years trying. However, more recently the Hobgoblins have realized that if they steal a ready-to-hatch egg they can raise and train the Thunderbird, bending them to their own wicked will.
Offense: Beaks and Claws, but they can also unleash gale force winds with their wings. They can call down hurricanes and storms strong enough to flood entire villages when angered.
Defense: The wind generated by the Thunderbird's wings makes attacking them with missile weapons very difficult. They are totally immune to electrical based attacks. They can also fly.
Additional Factors:
-On the eastern steppes of the Old World the Thunderbird is one of the dominate predators. It soars through the sky looking for prey, which usually consists of elk or moose. Thunderbirds nest near the base of waterfalls, where the constant thrum of crashing water prepares the hatchlings for a life at the heart of a storm. Once the chicks have hatched, their parents carry the offspring to nests at the top of mountains, where the young are struck by their first bolts of lightning and learn the mysteries of the storm.
-In times of drought, they are welcomed with joy and celebration. In other times, they are placated with gifts in hopes that they might leave quickly before flooding begins. When angered, Thunderbirds can call down hurricanes and lay waste to entire villages, so in regions where these birds dwell, many villages maintain extensive rituals designed to appease and honor the local Thunderbirds.
Mobility: 7
Training: 2
Max Range: Several Dozen Meters
Preferred Range: Biting
Dwelling in the mires of tainted sludge and ooze that stretch across vast areas of the Chaos Wastes, Dread Maws are one the vilest creatures to have emerged from these blighted lands. The first sign of these loathsome beats is an ominous rumbling from beneath the ground as the Dread Maws grind and chew their way through the earth, swiftly followed by an eruption of mud and the stench of putrid slime as their gaping jaws burst forth.
Most sensible creatures would flee as far away from the Dread Maws as they possibly can. Hobgoblin Shamans, however, see in them an opportunity to further their own goals or the goals of their various Khans. Through foul magic known only to the greatest of Shamans, they seek out and bind these beasts to their will. Many die attempting this feat, swallowed up by the very monster they sought to control. Those that succeed however, find themselves in control of a monster that shakes the earth and makes whole armies flee. Khans pay very handsomely for the services of a Dread Maw, and a Shaman who controls one finds his influence swell tenfold.
Offense: With their circular mouths, studded with rows of sickle-shaped teeth, Dread Maws can seize and devour a fully armored man in seconds. Often, smaller prey is swallowed whole, to be slowly digested within their grossly distended bellies - their flesh pliant enough that their victim's struggles can be seen by their comrades. Even the largest creatures will fall foul of the Dread Maw's ravenous appetite. Bursting forth from beneath the ground and latching on with their hooked teeth, they can tear their way inside the greatest of beasts, eviscerating them from within and quickly hollowing out their ruptured carcass. Few can forget the sight of a mighty Dragon or Chimera bellowing in abject pain as it is eaten alive, the wriggling tail of a Dread Maw protruding from the wounds made in its writhing torso.
Defense: Thick Scaly skin coated in a stinking slime. Any weapon that comes into contact with the slime will be held fast, and it is almost impossible to hack through.
Special: Mutations: As a creature of the Northern Wastes, constant exposure to the taint of Chaos leaves no two Dread Maws alike. Thus, it is not surprising to see a Dread Maw with one or two of the following mutations:
-Hooded Spines: Serrated hooks jut from the creatures flesh. A charge from the Dread Maw is much more devastating.
-Clawed Mandibles: This allows the Dread Maw to pierce even the greatest of dwarf armor and chew through enchanted defenses like they weren't there.
-Slime Spray: The Dread Maw can now spray acid.
-Poisonous Blood: Like a xenomorph the Dread Maw's wounds weep vicious acid that melts skin and steel alike.
Additional Factors:
-A Dread Maw moves around by tunneling, easily tearing through the earth and stone to get to their prey. When they are directly beneath their victim, they burst out, mouth's wide. Many Shamans have ended battles quickly by having the Dread Maw burst up beneath an enemy commander and swallow them whole.
-These monsters easily cause terror.
-If the Shaman controlling them dies in battle, the Dread Maw will go into a frenzy as their will becomes their own again. At that point, all bets are off as to who its allegiances lie.
Giants
Mobility: 3
Training: 3
Max Range: Artillery (Thrown things)
Preferred Range: Melee
Giants are solitary creatures that wander the lands, settling for short periods of time when they find a rich food source. A Giant can consume a whole herd of livestock in a sitting, and will devastate any village he comes across, pulling out and eating anything he can find amid the stomped and splintered structures. Breweries are especially favored target, as Giants are notorious drunkards. On occasion, a Giant will be persuaded to join a passing army, who lure the lummoxes with promises of fighting and food.
In battle, Giants wade in with their tremendous bulk, crushing the foe beneath their slab-like feet, or sweeping any before them into the air with clubs fashioned out of uprooted trees. Sometimes a Giant will select a particular target and reach down to pluck the unfortunate up. These victims are sometimes bitten in two, hurled far, far away, squished into paste or simply stuffed into a secure (if smelly) place to be retrieved later for a snack.
Offense: See Description. Giants also tend to yell and bawl at the enemy if they are of comparable size. This is not a pleasant experience for anyone, as Giants are deafeningly loud and tend towards poor oral hygiene.
Defense: Sheer size and bulk
Additional Factors:
-Giants are ungainly and frequently fall over themselves.
SPECIALIST SUPPORT
Khans
Mobility: 4 (5 on mount)
Training: Varies
Max Range: Bow & Arrow
Preferred Range: Varies
Hobgoblin tribes are ruled over by their cruel and conniving Khans, those Hobgoblins who have risen to a position of authority by cunning, treachery and, occasionally, victory in battle. Hobgoblins feel no loyalty to their Khans, but they at least respect and admire their ingenuity and resourcefulness and will follow them for as long as it seems advantageous to do so. The real trick to being a Khan is to keep the rest of the tribe believing that continuing to follow you is a better option than deposing you, and this is achieved through consistently providing plunder. In a way therefore, Hobgoblins really do follow successful leaders. However, the natural backstabbing instincts of Hobgoblins almost always resurface eventually, so even a powerful Khan must watch his back if he wishes to rise to the exalted position of Great Khan. These powerful tribal leaders pay homage only to the great Hobgobla Khan and may have other, lesser Khans fighting for them if their tribes are large enough.
Offense: Whatever weapon they want, with a higher then average chance of having a magical one. A bow is always taken as their ranged weapon, though their melee weapon may change. Khans often duel wield their weapons. These weapons are often coated in poison.
Defense: High quality armor they stole from the person who had the job before them.
Special: Mounts: Khans have wolf mounts.
Special: Variant: Chieftains: Hobgoblin Chieftains are some of the most skilled warriors. A lot of them go on to become notable heroes and villains. The Chieftains come from regular units and have simply honed their skills to the next level. They often do stick with others who practice similar skills.
Additional Factors:
-Quell Treachery: Khans have to be able to force Hobgoblins to ignore their treacherous instincts, so they are often skilled at keeping their warriors in line.
-Ded Shooty: See Wolf Raiders
Shamans
Mobility: 4
Training: 6
Max Range: Battlefield
Preferred Range: ^^
Hobgoblin Khans are usually advised by the mysterious called Shamans, figures of awe and dread throughout the Hegemony. Few Hobgoblins have the ability to wield the Winds of Magic. Fewer still survive the predation of their kin. When a Hobgoblin whelp shows signs of magical ability, he is sent off alone into the depths of the Warpstone Desert. It is not known exactly what strange physical and mental changes are wrought upon him during his pilgrimage, but when he returns he is cloaked in dark robes and possessed of a fearsome aspect.
Hobgoblin Shamans do not commune with their gods in the same way as their Orc and Goblin counterparts. While the Orcs and Goblins worship Gork and Mork, calling down the power of these Orcish gods to crush their enemies, the Hobgoblins use a different sort of magic. It is much more strange and mysterious, tainted by odd rituals and strange beliefs. Hobgoblin Shamans are capable of great feats of divination, and their crude spells are able to summon up dread spirits of the wild steppe. Hobgoblin magic usually revolves around trickery and cunning or mastery of beasts. However, recently the Hobgoblins have learned to use magic to bind and control the Wind Daemons commonly found in the Mournguld. Sometimes they bind these Daemons to magical items, sometimes they keep them on hand and use them in battle. However, the practice of mastering these wind spirits is becoming more and more popular among the Mournguld tribes.
Offense: Shamans can use spells from the ONE of the following Lores: Fire, Beasts, Heavens, Shadow, or Spirit.
Defense: Magical Barriers
Special: Variant: Shaman Elder: The oldest and most powerful of the Hobgoblin Shamans. These are employed by the Hobgobla Khan himself, acting as his cabal of advisers and protectors. Sometimes they are sent out as agents of his will.
Additional Factors:
-Hobgoblins, for all their cleverness, are not particularly smart or studious learners and so even the most scholarly among them finds it difficult to try to match human's aptness in the magical arts. As such, there are very few sorcerers among the ranks of the Hobgoblins.
-The most mysterious ability of the Shamans is the relationship with the Dread Maws, which they are somehow able to summon and control. Such abilities are disturbing, even to the dastardly Hobgoblins, and so Shamans are the only ones of their race able to avoid being betrayed or killed - except by other Shamans.
Kheshig
Mobility: 4 (5 on mount)
Training: 6 - 7
Max Range: Bow & Arrow
Preferred Range: Melee
Assassination is such an inevitable part of Hobgoblin life that few of their leaders even bother to protect against it. Most of them got where they are by killing their superiors, and if a Khan can't watch his own back, he deserves everything he gets. Some Great Khans though, tempered by years of bitter experience, take a more practical view. Loyalty is an unheard-of concept in the Hobgoblin Hegemony, but if a Great Khan can offer sufficient rewards, he can ensure that his most accomplished followers will protect him from harm, even if it might not seem in their best interests to do so. These forward-thinking Hobgoblins are known as Kheshig, an ancient honorific title dating back to the founding of the Hegemony by the first Hobgobla Khan. They form a bodyguard for their Great Khan or Khan and will usually stick by his side for as long as he is successful, or can convince them he has a plan to ensure future success. It is unsurprising that Kheshig often rise to become Khans themselves, for only Hobgoblins capable of a modicum of planning beyond the next double-cross can prosper and become tribal leaders.
Offense: Next to the Khan, they will have the best weapons in the army. Moderate chance of having a magical one. Very very skilled with the bow. In melee they tend to duel wield. All weapons are coated with poison.
Defense: The best scavenged armor available.
Special: Mounts: Giant Wolves, but unlike others, these get moderately good armor. Kheshigs are even more ferocious and skilled at fighting from wolfback then their comrades.
Additional Factors:
-Kheshig are surprisingly calm for Hobgoblins. Everything they do is done with surgical precision.
-Ded Shooty: See Wolf Raiders
-Cowardly Despoilers: See Wolf Raiders
Sneaky Gits
Mobility: 4
Training: 5
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Behind you!
Most notorious among the treacherous Hobgoblin tribes of the Dark Lands is a breed of Hobgoblin that excels at backstabbing and double-dealing in such a way that it makes other Hobgoblins look trivial in comparison. This tribe, known as the Sneaky Gits, is made of the most wickedly fickle and traitorous Goblinoids around, resulting in the Sneaky Gits becoming the most powerful greenskin tribe of the entire Dark Lands.
The Sneaky Gits are distillers and purveyors of poisons and, more profitably, assassins for hire. For Hobgoblins, assassination is a noble trade and the Sneaky Gits are thus highly honored, in the fashion of Hobgoblins.
Offense: They fight using two long, curved daggers which are ideally suited for stabbing their enemy in the back. These are coated with several of the deadliest poisons known to man.
Defense: Robes, and not attacking their enemy from the front if they can help it.
Additional Factors:
-In battle the Sneaky Gits rely upon an envelopment tactic to catch their enemy off guard. The front rank of the Sneaky Gits' formation keeps the enemy busy while the rear ranks dash round the sides to attack the enemy from the side or rear.
-Treacherous Gits: See Hobgoblin Warriors
HEROES & LEADERS
Hobgobla Khan - Scourge of the Steppes
Mobility: 4 (5 on mount)
Training: 7
Max Range: Artillery
Preferred Range: Bow & Arrow
Long ago, Hobgoblins were known solely as cowardly thieves, with no strength or ambition… until the first Hobgobla Khan. A lowly Chieftain from a small tribe, the Khan united the scattered clans of the Hobgoblins under one banner, and has passed on the title to his strongest of children. The current Hobgobla is particularly adept at leading- he defies all convention, being extremely generous to his allies, but merciless to all opponents and traitors (of which there are many in hobgoblin warriors!) His hordes appear from nowhere, sack entire cities, and then disappear before any opposition can arise. They have no supplies to cut off, for they carry it on their back, leaving them untraceable.
Little is known of the early years of Hobgobla Khan but suffice to say his rise to power was swift and brutal, a number of assassinations and mysterious accidents removing potential obstacles from his path of ascension. A natural born thinker, something unusual in the race of Orcs & Goblins, Hobgobla Khan learned tactics, speech, politics and backstabbing, the defining trait of the race of Hobgoblins! As he grew in reputation, scores of the scattered Hobgoblin tribes flocked the black wolf tail banner, seeking glory with the greatest of their kind. Tribes that did not join his growing army were conquered and offered a chance to join once more, their tribe's traditions being added to the army as a whole. Any who refused were burned alive on pyres of oil soaked wood. For the first time in recorded Cathayan history, since the Hobgoblins keep only a verbal record, the scattered tribes have been united under a single leader.
Realizing the need to understand the Cathayans before he could conquer them, Hobgobla Khan sent his trusted general Ghazak Khan to study in the West, to garner knowledge on the fighting men of the Grand Army of Cathay. That Ghazak betrayed him and failed to come back came as no surprise to Hobgobla-Khan, for among a race known for backstabbing and treachery, Ghazak was without peer! While Ghazak-Khan makes his own destiny in the West, Hobgobla Khan is focused on the East. His desire to breach the Great Bastion and invade Cathay shapes his every thought. Yet he sits beyond the Great Bastion with possibly the biggest army in the coming conflict and waits.
Hobobla Khan is a cunning and cautious Greenskin who has survived by his wits. As is testimony to his will to live, the Khans back-hump is riddled with scars from assassin's blades. He sits at the head of a large army and would see Cathay burned to the ground. However, he will not be someone's tool, the buffer that protects their army for he knows all too well the power and the number of the Cathayans. And so he waits, for the opportunity, for the right time to strike.
Offense: Hobgobla carries traditional Hobgoblin weaponry, but his pride and joy is his magic bow.
Bow of Storms: This bow is blessed uncanny powers. Every time an arrow is shot from this bow it transforms into a lightning bolt and streaks across the enemy lines. As you can imagine, this allows Hobgobla to cause a great deal of devastating damage.
Defense: As the most well respected and powerful Hobgoblin in the army, he has the best armor. He is also protected by many Kheshig.
Special: Mask of the Great Deceiver: This mask was once worn by one of the greatest Hobgoblin tricksters. The mask still contains some of his magic and those who wield it are known to be viewed as far more charming and inspiring than they truly are.
Additional Factors:
-Ded Shooty: See Wolf Raiders
-Such is Hobgobla's influence that he can quell even the treacherous tendencies of his kin. When he's around, Hobgoblins are much more likely to work together, or at the very least not actively sabotage one another.
X-FACTOR:
Adaptive Creativity: 65
Tactics: 75: Fairly good, and has won many battles. Of course, few enemy commanders expect much from a Hobgoblin, and thus underestimate him until its too late.
Strategy: 65: Gathered a massive number of disparate clans together under his banner with minimal problems, and is able to direct them in such a way that even the faults usually found in the Hobgoblin race don't cost them victory.
Intuition: 80: While he doesn't possess any supernatural abilities he has survived numerous attempts to assassinate him, and is able to accurately predict the flow of battle and counter problems before they arise.
Audacity: 40: Despite having a fairly large army, he is unwilling to charge into a situation without having all the facts. Is very cautious in how he applies himself and his troops.
Psychological Warfare: 50: Able to spread fear of his race and his army, setting his enemy on edge before they ever confront them on the battlefield.
Experience: 75: Years of ruling, surviving battles with other armies and other Hobgoblins. Is a master diplomat, warrior, and commander.
Discipline: 75: Is able to keep a cool head and not rise to bait that would surely lead to his downfall. Was able to overcome the cowardice and treachery of his race to unite them under his banner.
Inspiration: 45: Very high, for a Hobgoblin. Very well respected and many flock to be under his leadership. None of his race would sacrifice themselves for him, and if they saw weakness they would totally try to kill him, but that's normal for Hobgoblins.
Corruption: NA: Hobgoblin values and human values are too different to fill this category in appropriately.
Ghazak Khan - Terror of the East
Mobility: 4 (5 on mount)
Training: 6
Max Range: Battlefield (War Cry)
Preferred Range: Melee
Very few Hobgoblins have ever been seen in the lands of the Old World, but one of them is known well in the lands of Tilea and the kingdoms of the south - Ghazak Khan, the Butcher of Torrico Fields, the Terror of the East, commander of the Blackwolf mercenaries. Sent to the Old World by his master to learn of the tactics of the races that lie in these lands, Ghazak Khan discovered that hiring his great skills as a general and a great warrior to the people of these lands would be the best way to gain the desired knowledge. In Tilea, Ghazak Khan has built himself a very nasty reputation for savagery, and prowess in the heat of battle. The mercenary army that he leads has won victory after victory, leaving many villages in ashes and the population devoured by the monstrous regiments that follow his every word.
Ghazak is one of the most successful Mercenary Generals of the age. His army includes many of the most infamous mercenary regiments, like Manglar's Mutant Goblins, the Long Knife Orc Warriors and the dreaded War Trolls of the Grey Mountains. With these and many other ruthless cut-throats, Ghazak's band has developed a fearsome reputation as utterly merciless warriors who will not shy from slaughtering (and eating) entire populations of cities and burning scores of villages to the ground in their campaigns. When the black wolftail standards of Ghazak are seen in the horizon, men grow desperate, for the mighty Hobgoblin has never been defeated in the open field.
Of his past in the steppes beyond, Ghazak speaks little (indeed it is very difficult to understand the grunting language of the Hobgoblins and those who have dared to ask anything are usually beheaded by Ghazak). However, it is said that he is one of the most powerful of the war-chiefs who the Great Hobgobla Khan sent to study the lands beyond. This claim is supported by traders who have traveled to the steppes of the east and visited the ruler of the Hobgoblin nation in his tent (said to be the size of a small village), who say that the green-skinned despot is ever hungry for new conquests.
Perhaps Ghazak is but the first of the Great Horde to cross the mountains, and one day the countless wolfriders of Hobgobla Khan will cross the World's Edge Mountains and sweep the nations of men before them. In battle Ghazak rides Warghan, a gigantic wolf the likes of which has never been seen in the lands of the west. In his hand he carries a huge scimitar which promises red ruin for his opponents. Ghazak wears a monstrous helmet over his scarred head. His ululating warcry is famous, very loud and justly feared.
Offense: The Red Scimitar: Ghazak carries a magic red, curved sword to battle. It has been notched in hundreds of savage battles by the Khans of the Blackwolf clan, and in the hands of Ghazak it has acquired a dire reputation. The Red Scimitar strikes deep and cuts through any armor with ease.
Defense: High quality armor, and the Daemonhead Helmet: As the mark of his position as a Khan, Ghazak wears a huge, horned helmet, decorated with a black wolftail. The helmet holds a captured Wind Daemon of the steppes, which protects Ghazak if he is wounded. When he's hurt, the daemon awakens and enshrouds Ghazak in a magical forcefield that stops both physical and magical attacks (save the strongest ones). In addition, the helmet doubles his strength, which is often put to use on the unit that injured him.
Special: War Cry: When Ghazak Khan charges, he lets out a mighty war cry that strikes terror in the hearts of his enemies. Such is their terror they can only stand helpless as Ghazak cuts them down.
Special: Mount: Warghan: His giant wolf pet.
Additional Factors:
-Ded Shooty: See Wolf Raiders
-Like Hobgobla, Ghazak can quell treachery in the hobgoblin ranks.
-Ghazak is an expert on spreading fear.
Oglah Khan
Mobility: 4 (5 on mount, 6 with magic)
Training: 6
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Melee
Oglah Khan was one of the vassals of the Great Khan, and enjoyed the green-skinned despot. His tent was as large as the hall of any human noble, and he owned a hundred wolves, making him a very wealthy Hobgoblin. In time of war he could summon six hundred spears to battle. Oglah fought in many battles for the Great Khan, and became widely known for his prowess in combat and his treachery - traits admired by all Hobgoblins. It seemed that he was destined to become one of the most influential warlords of the era.
Oglah Khan's fortunes changed during the infamous Battle of Xen-Tu, where the Hobgoblins clashed with the Cathayans of Emperor Pu-Yi. When Hablo Khan, the commander of the Hobgoblin contingent, was killed by the Emperor's Champion Tong Po, many of the Hobgoblins fled, believing that all was lost. Oglah Khan, on the other hand, immediately switched sides and led his ladz to battle against his kinsmen. All was going well until the main Horde of Hobgobla Khan arrived. They outnumbered the Cathayans more than a hundred to one and crushed them swiftly. Oglah Khan turned tail and fled from the wrath of his ruler.
Oglah Khan and his tribe were declared outlaws and banished from the Hobgoblin lands. With no other place to go, Oglah Khan and his ladz headed west, to the Old World. Following the Silk Road he arrived in the Dark Lands and immediately enlisted in the army of Black Orc Warlord Gordug Smasher. Gordug was determined to raid the lands of Tilea, but at the Battle of Long Knives he suffered a catastrophic defeat as Oglah Khan switched sides during a crucial moment of the battle. The Tilean general Giovanni Giuliani rewarded Oglah Khan generously, and hired the Hobgoblins to act as scouts and skirmishers in his army.
Since those times Oglah Khan has served as a mercenary under many generals, and acquired quite a name for himself, and his boyz have gained notoriety as the most treacherous mercenaries in the world, but he has nonetheless brought together a tribe of disposed Hobgoblins and other ne'er do wells that cause havoc wherever they go. Oglah has grand plans to return to the steppes to assume the mantle of Great Khan which he believes is his right, but Hobgobla Khan has not forgotten him and has promised a great reward for his head.
Offense: A Scimitar and Spear
Defense: High Quality Armor & Shield, and the Pelt of Wulfag: Wulfag was a legendary giant wolf, the steed of Khengai Khan, the founder of the Hobgoblin empire. Now it is strapped on the shoulders of Oglah Khan. The pelt was a gift from the Great Khan when Oglah still enjoyed the favor of the Lord of the Steppes. The Pelt carries an ancient blessing of the Hobgoblin Shamans, so that no enemy who turns his back on the Hobgoblins can escape alive. It invigorates the bearer, allowing him to ride faster than normally possible (though this only works if pursuing a fleeing enemy).
Special: Mount: Giant Wolf
Additional Factors:
-Ded Shooty: See Wolf Raiders
-Treacherous Gits: See Hobgoblin Warriors
-Him and the Hobgobla Khan DO NOT get along, so in a campaign where both are present, he'll probably need to avoid the Khan, or make himself indispensable.
ARMY X-FACTORS:
Morale: 45: Hobgoblins prefer to sneak attack or know they have overwhelming numbers on their side. Without those, they are loathe to engage in protracted combat. While a good Khan can whip them into a murderous frenzy, Hobgoblins are quick to feel the tide turn and might betray each other to stay alive.
Logistics: 75: While they don't necessarily grow food, Hobgoblins can eat just about anything, including the dead and each other. Their homeland is a blighted wasteland, so they can certainly rough it if they have to. They also tend to carry all their supplies with them, so they have very few or no supply trains to cut off.
Espionage: 60 (70 for Sneaky Gits): Hobgoblins are quite good at sneaky around enemies, taking them out in secret or sabotaging them before the fight begins. Poison, destruction of tools, assassination, all would be used to tip the balance in the Hobgoblins favor. Other races may call this dishonorable, Hobgoblins call it making sure they survive, and you don't.
Discipline: 30: Some level of discipline, but it requires a lot of upkeep to keep the Hobgoblins from turning on each other or fleeing. Hobgoblins also do certain strategies with more discipline then others (sneak attacks as opposed to battles of attrition).
Army Intimidation: 75: Hobgoblins can look rather vicious, and nearly all of them ride around on large wolves. Then they bring in their giant worms, storm birds and giants.
Reinforcement Rate: Moderate-to-high
ADDITIONAL INFO:
-The Hobgoblin Hegemony: Across the eastern continent the great Hobgoblin Empire reigns supreme. From the deep caverns under the Karpathian mountains to the Steppes of Narragaroth, the Hobgoblins train and fight in honor of their mighty and terrible red-faced war god BegTsethulu - Protector of the Knowledge, preparing for the glorious day when the Great Hobgobla Khan will call Hobgoblin-kind to march forth and bring the entire world under their copper-fisted dominion.
Although the territory dominated by the Hobgoblins is truly immense in scale, the truth is that they are as fractured as all greenskins. Divided into innumerable warring tribes, with alliances that shift as swiftly as the sands of the warpstone deserts that border the southern steppes, the only constant in the fragmented Hobgoblin nation is the Great Hobgobla Khan. This individual has been the undisputed lord of the Hobgoblin race since time immemorial. How this is possible is not exactly clear, though it seems very likely that many Hobgoblin leaders have held the post, inheriting the name and status as the previous incumbent died (a process almost certainly hastened by the efforts of his successor) and ruling in his place. No Hobgoblin ever mentions this obvious piece of racial deception and, indeed, would consider it quite shocking to draw attention to it - for a species that takes such pride in its treachery, it is highly appropriate that their governance should be one giant con trick and to talk openly about the secret would be to deny the magnificence of it.
Hobgoblins are ruled over by their Khans. Khans achieve their positions, naturally enough, through backstabbing and bribery, so are not always the biggest and strongest individuals in a tribe. However, soon after taking power, most Khans will arrange for any rivals who look like they might pose a physical threat to be disposed of.
Hobgoblin tribes can be large or small, and a warband of only a few dozen individuals might be ruled over by a mere Khan. Larger tribes, consisting of hundreds or even thousands of warriors, will be led by a Great Khan, a truly cunning Hobgoblin lord. There are only a relatively small number of Great Khans at large at any one time, and they all theoretically pay homage to Hobgobla Khan, the most powerful Great Khan of all. In practice of course, each Great Khan is pursuing his own treacherous aims and seeks to depose Hobgobla Khan in order to take his place (and name). No Great Khan makes open war on Hobgobla though, for they would be quickly annihilated by the rest of the Hegemony. Once a Hobgoblin has risen to the exalted rank of Great Khan, he understands that more subtle methods yield better results. In this strange way, peace is maintained among the great bulk of Hobgoblin 'society'.
-Hobgoblins and the Dark Lands: At some point in the past the Hobgoblins seemed to make a universal split with the Orcs. The Orcs took the western Old World and the Hobgoblins almost entirely migrated to the east to new territory. It isn't entirely clear what originally caused this split, but it is perhaps because without enlightened leadership they could not appreciate each others strength and usefulness. It seems that the Orcs won the battle and drove the Hobgoblins almost entirely out of their lands and tribes. This split was fairly clean and it seems to have slowly led the Hobgoblins to adopt different gods and philosophies from the rest of their green-skinned cousins. The smaller members of the races seemed to remain obedient to both, but as the Orcs retained the original territory almost all of them ended up serving the Orcish hordes.
The only place where the Orcs and Hobgoblins interacted in any great numbers was within the most northern part of the Dark Lands. However, when the Chaos Dwarfs conquered these lands, they enslaved all the green-skin species living there and this was the beginning of the end of this coexistence.
The Chaos Dwarfs bred a new powerful Orc breed known as the Black Orcs who soon grew out of their control and revolted. Faced with the choice of serving the cruel Chaos Dwarfs or the brutal Black Orcs, the Hobgoblins choose the former deciding that the Chaos Dwarfs appreciated their ways more than the Black Orcs. This treachery was enough to turn the tides and prevent the Chaos Dwarfs from being wiped out; however it also put these Hobgoblins and the Chaos Dwarfs into a symbiotic relationship that neither cares much for. The Chaos Dwarfs need slaves to keep their society going and only the Hobgoblins seem to be willing and able to keep the slaves under control, at the same time without the Chaos Dwarfs the Hobgoblins would be immediately wiped out.
Though they have rightfully earned the scorn of the Black Orcs, there are a few individual pockets of Hobgoblins still living among the Orc and Goblin tribes of the Dark Lands and the Old World. They are almost never seen upon a battlefield, however there are numerous reports of battle parties fighting their way deep into caves and finding Hobgoblin blacksmiths, ambassadors or advisers within green-skin dens. These individuals are often skilled duelists.
-Hobgoblin Mercenaries: Unlike nearly all other green-skinned species, the Hobgoblins seem quite willing to work with other races. In the Far East in the Empire of Cathay, a human empire that counts members of many races among its population, Hobgoblins are both the most prominent threat to the empire and the third most populous race within the citizens of the empire itself.
In the Mountains of Mourn the Ogre Tyrants often have a number of Hobgoblins scouting their territory and reporting threats (in fact, traveling with Hobgoblins is the only safe way to get through those mountains!), within the Dark Lands the Chaos Dwarfs' empire is supported by large numbers of Hobgoblin slaves who oversee the slaves of other races, Hobgoblins are very common among the Dogs of War, they have an amiable relationship with Clan Eshin of the Skaven and there are rumors that even some Elves have had Hobgoblin agents.
-Greenskin United: Hobgoblins generally do not get along well with other Greenskins. Although their betrayal of their kin in favor of the Chaos Dwarfs is an event many point to, the true root of the animosity lay at the very root of their nature. Even before those events one would only rarely find Hobgoblins in the west, often individuals deep within Goblin dens directing the tribe's actions, working as Blacksmiths or training their blades as esteemed duelists. "Hobhounds" were known in the Empire before any member of it crossed the Mountains of Mourn, but all believed Hobgoblin to be rare and few in number.
Orcs and Hobgoblins represent entirely divergent evolutionary paths of the greenskin race forged in the fires of battle in two entirely different battlefields. Orcs see Hobgoblins as weak, cowardly fighters while Hobgoblins see Orcs as hopelessly dense brutes. It would seem that only the Ogre infested Mountains of Mourn can keep the two cousin races from going to war with one another. Goblins, however, find it as easy to respect the cunning, adept and skill of Hobgoblin fighters as the monstrous power and stalwartness of Orcs. As such, except for those highly influenced by Orc thinking, Goblins easily fall under the sway of Hobgoblin leaders. But, unlike Orcs who are dependent upon Goblin slaves for food, shelter and supplies, a nomadic Hobgoblin with a wolf, a bow and a hobhound by his side finds little use for Goblins, they are just more mouths to feed who can't pull their own weight.
Unlike other Greenskin races, Hobgoblins seldom pursue war simple for the sake of battle. Their pragmatic nature applies in all things and the Empire holds little interest for them as anything other than a place to acquire loot and perhaps increase their personal glory, hence their relative rarity in the west of the Old World. Yet, for all the reasons why one would not expect to find Hobgoblins among the ranks of other Greenskins, they are nothing if not opportunistic. Small squads of Hobgoblins who leave the Mournguld seeking wealth and fame do need an army to fight within in order to achieve those ends. Those who do not find themselves working as Dogs of War, and even some of those who do, almost inevitably find themselves pillaging alongside their bitter rivals.
Hobgoblin Khans who find themselves within the western Old World for whatever reason may also find it much easier to recruit Greenskins from local tribes rather than try to get more boyz from back home.
VICTORY GAINS
Hobgoblins are more then willing to hire mercenaries... but will more then likely betray them before its time to pay up. Hobgoblins are also more then willing to work as mercenaries, so long as the pay is good.
Hobgoblins will steal anything they think might be of value, from gold and jewels to weapons, clothes, livestock, and people. People captured by Hobgoblins will be made into slaves. The lucky ones will find themselves working for the Hobgoblins. The unlucky ones will be sold to the Chaos Dwarfs, where their lives will get much, much worse (as well as much much shorter).
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