"Da humies look at yer, an see a big joke. Orcs, too. Let 'im laugh while yer tick'lin dere guts wit yer sticker. 'member always dat yer smaller, so's ya got's to be smarter, eh?"
- —Gitsniker, Goblin warboss[2a]
A mighty Goblin warboss taking the head of his slain enemy.[1a]
Goblin warbosses, also called warlords when they command large Waaagh!s, are the biggest, cleverest, and most cunning Goblin warrior within a tribe, whom are known to be exceedingly crafty individuals as well as fairly adept strategists in both conventional and unconventional tactics of warfare.
Role[]
Instead of fighting their way to the top, most Goblins use a more subtle method to gain power, usually employing tactics such as assassination, backstabbing or poison to get the job done. All Goblins use dirty tricks, with the best schemers being the most dangerous of their diminutive kind and the most likely to rise through the ranks. Those Goblins that make it to the very top are offered the title of Warboss. As with any Warboss, these Goblins are often equipped with some of the finest weapons and armour within a tribe.[1a]
Within Goblin dominated tribes, Goblins often follow a less straightforward path to the top ranks, as they are both more devious and more cowardly than their brutish Orc cousins. Underhanded ploys and strategy are the preferred tactics for goblinoids. Although straight-forward fighting is still an option, it is one that is typically left to the especially desperate.[1a]
Goblin Warbosses in tribes that consist of both Orcs and Goblins are often subservient to their larger kin, but some have developed a knack for placating their over-sized comrades. The cleverest Goblin Warbosses can manipulate the Orcs into doing their bidding, thusly making the Goblin the "power behind the throne", able to aim the violence of the Orcs in any direction he chooses. While Goblin Warbosses might dream of becoming mighty enough to boss Orcs around with a mere grunt and a scowl, only the infamous Grom the Fat ever grew so powerful that he could actually get away with it.[1a]
While Goblin Warbosses are not as physically imposing as their Orcish cousins, this doesn't mean that they aren't deadly in their own right. This is typical Goblin cunning; rivals are more likely to encounter mysterious accidents or manipulative assignments that end in death than one-on-one combat for supremacy. Such tactics vary from tribe to tribe, from the hit-and-run assassinations of the Wolf Rider tribes to the precisely-timed avalanches of the Night Goblins.[1a]
Notable Goblin Warbosses[]
- Grom the Paunch - Renowned as the greatest Goblin warboss to have ever lived.
- Skarsnik - The Night Goblin ruler of Karak Eight Peaks.
- Git Guzzler - Another hulking Goblin and rival of Grom the Paunch.
