Fantastic Battles army showcase - Goblins Tribes of the Wyvern Hills

While the playtesting of Fantastic Battles is still very much a work-in-progress, the army building mechanics are relatively stable so I thought I would showcase one of the armies we have been playing with. As outlined previously, army building is designed to be fully customisable to suit a player's vision of their faction. This list represents my view of goblins as a jibbering, unruly, tribal society, brought together only by the strength and cunning of a 'great goblin'.  

This army is costed at exactly 1000 points. It includes seven characters and 22 companies (bases of troops/monsters) which I would normally run as 13 units. I have chosen the 'unreliable' trait as a racial trope to reflect the notion that goblins are not the most steadfast of fantasy races. Away from the watchful eyes of their commanders, they are wildly unpredictable. The rules work perfectly well with smaller armies, and with multiple players per side. I haven't yet tried larger armies per side due to the restrictions of social distancing. 

You can use any miniatures you like to build your armies - my 10mm goblins (and their pals) are a mixture of Polar Fox, Cibo's Little Dudes, Warmaster, Magister Militum, Frostgrave and Blind Beggar miniatures.

The army's characters. Characters are crucial to an army's performance - they command units, rally their spirits when they are feeling down, and cast spells to buff friends and frustrate foes. At the back is my Warlord (and great goblin), King Skrotrot, riding on his wyvern. Along the front, from left to right, are my two Magic-users Skittles and Slabbers; three Captains, Skunkbut, Snatters and Skunderd; and my Rogue, Snickers.

Four companies of goblin wolf-riders armed with wicked shortbows and riding cranky canines. I would normally field these in two two-company units to give maximum flexibility, but they could just as easily be run as a single four-company unit.

A single unit of goblin bat-riders. This unit is not very tough or powerful, but it is incredibly fast. If it can hover around behind larger units and avoid destruction, it is perfect to launch attacks on enemy flanks and rears. 

Considered backwards even by goblin standards, the two-company unit of goblin spider-riders are the only unit in the army capable of fighting unhindered in woods and rough terrain.

Goblin warriors at their most generic, these chaps carry wicked shortbows but are even more at home getting nice and close and giving the enemy "one up 'em". 

Two companies of goblin Madcaps, made up of fungus-addicted hooligans, even more unpredictable than others of their race.  

A ramshackle goblin battle-wagon, capable of flattening enemy warriors irrespective of their armour - all despite being held together with bits of string. 

The most steadfast unit in the army consists of these two companies of ogre mercenaries, lending some much needed muscle to the goblin horde. 

Hurling boulders and capable of regenerating when wounded, a two-company unit of trolls also provides valuable support to the more numerous goblins. 

Rounding off the army are two giants (Snickers the goblin Rogue shown for scale). Giants cannot form into groups, but fight with the power of much larger units.