Kings of War 3rd Edition: Goblin Army Review

This review has been updated for the 2024 Clash of Kings. Big shout out of thanks to Steve Forster for writing the update!

If you are interested in our other army reviews you can find them here .

Hello! My dear friend Jake Ciarapica asked that I lend my limited expertise to update the 3rd Edition Goblin Army review. The original Dash28 Goblin Army Review was last completed in 2020 and the ratings were from the out-of-the-box 3rd Edition Rules, so much has changed.

Another caveat is that the Goblin Army review of 2020 was authored by none other than the late, great Jesse Cornwall. I make no claims to be anywhere near the level of general as the Big Deal himself, so I can only ask that you find my ignorance charming. Allons-y!

Tier Rankings: 

Trying to rank units in Kings of War is not a perfect science. By pure design, many units are meant to work in combination with other choices in the army and can be hard to judge on their own. For this exercise, it’s assumed the unit is being used to its utmost potential within the army. This is not just a math problem to determine the most cost-effective unit but to also see how they compare in scope, role, and impact across not just a single army but all Kings of War armies. For the most part, units will be treated as one entry; however, if an option or size drastically improves a unit it will be separately mentioned.

S Tier: Reserved for units that are widely acknowledged as either being significantly undercosted or having a combination of rules that perform well above units in similar roles. These units are often called “auto includes” as any list stands to be made better with their inclusion. Expect these units to be addressed in future CoK book updates.

A Tier: These units are some of the best the army has to offer. They excel in their specific roles and commonly help form the core of most competitive lists. While not auto include, they are great in almost any army they are taken in and will be seen frequently.

B Tier: These units have a mix of strengths and weaknesses that make them very playable but balanced. These units work great with specific roles in mind; however, their weaknesses mean they do not help every list. In a perfect world, all units would fit into this category.

C Tier: C tier units may still shine in niche lists and roles; however, they will feel underpowered when compared to similar units in other armies. Decidedly suboptimal, you could make them work but frequently will see other things that are just better. You will rarely see many lists take these units.

D Tier: Units that need some considerable love and attention. You will struggle to find any role for this unit that another unit couldn’t do better. Very often you will see these units labeled as “unplayable”.

The majority of this article was rewritten due to how long ago it was created. The game, the meta, and even our findings about units years later have changed a lot. Because of this, the majority of Jesse’s original article has been replaced; however, I wanted to preserve this little segment from him (and bits here and there in the article) – Editor

Jesse here, yet again. This time I’m letting you know about goblins. Now, I freely admit I’m not nearly as confident with goblins as I am with Ogres. I’ve played them a lot, I’ve played against them a lot, but honestly, they’re not my jam. So fair warning as you read the review.

As always I know some are totally against a tier system. I get it. This is to help you new players to know what to focus on, and you new army buyers to not be frustrated. This is not gospel, feel free to disagree, makes lists that use every D-tier unit and win all the things! I’m just trying to help you a bit

Army Upgrade:
Mawpup- For 10 points, a unit can buy a Mawpup, which has to be used in the first round of combat. The unit gets 6 additional CS1 attacks that always hit on a 4+. A unit with the “Mawpup Cage” keyword can also be re-loaded with a Mawpup via the Mawpup Launcher (see below). I would never spend the points to pre-load Mawpups, so the Mawpup Launcher is typically the only way they get in the game.

The Formation:

Gorp’s Explodo’matic Bangstiks– The formation hasn’t changed since first introduced in Clash 2022.

For 445 points, you get 2 Regiments of Fleabag Riders and a mounted King on Fleabag.

The King gets Aura Elite for Goblin Cavalry only and the Fleabag Riders get their Thunderous Charge increased from 1 to 2.

The fun part is the “Explodo’matic Bangstiks” rule that the formation gets- for each roll of a natural 6 to hit, the hit gets the Blast 2 special rule. Additionally, for each natural 6 to hit, the Fleabag regiment takes a point of damage.

I love the formation because it is pure Goblin Mode. There is potential for a great deal of damage to be dealt to both the target and the unit itself. All of the parts of the formation are Speed 10 Nimble, so it’s quite easy to position for flanks and rears. It’s also quite easy to Devastate your unit by achieving those flanks and rears. Is the formation an auto-include? No way. Is it a blast to play? Absolutely!

S Tier

Winggit: – I am of course rating the Bomb’s Away! Winggit here (I’ve never attempted the Ramming Speed variant, no one has, so don’t bother looking up what it does).

What’s not to like about a pair of Goblins on a ramshackle airplane? The Eye in the Sky rule makes your “Lobber” keyword War Engines Elite against a single target, but that’s just the icing on the cake. Speed 10 Nimble fliers with a very-efficient shooting attack are worth the buy all on their own. I typically never leave home without at least 2 (most of the time 3) of these.

Rabble: – The preeminent trash unit to which every other trash unit looks up to- Rabble! You can’t get any more efficient unlock than a 125-point Rabble Horde, particularly considering all the cool toys you can buy. Rabble regiments are also a great value at 75 points. I wouldn’t waste your time on the Legion since it still only unlocks as much as a Horde.

Goblin King: Specifically Groany Snark- As you will soon see, a theme in the Goblin list is points-efficiency. The Goblin King is no different, 70 points for a Lord-level hero. Sure, they hit on 4s in Melee and are only De 4+.

The reason why they are in S Tier is the 30-point Groany Snark upgrade. For a total of 100 points, you get a Speed 10 Flying Individual whose Melee attacks get the Blast D3 special rule along with CS1 and TC2. Also, if he’s not disordered, there is a chance on the roll of a 1 on a D6 that everything (friend and enemy) takes a point of damage.

A Tier

Mincers– I’m including the single Mincer monster and the Mincer Regiment in this listing, all of which are A Tier.

All Mincers get Big Shield for Defense 6+ in the front arc, Brutal, Crushing Strength 1, and Thunderous Charge 1; oh and they’re all Fearless nerve (-/11, -/14, and -/16, respectively)! They all have variable attacks (D6+6 on the single, D6+14 on the Troop, and D6+21 on the Regiment).

All 3 levels are consistent with the theme of Points-Efficiency as well (90 for a Monster, 160 for a Troop, and 200 for a Regiment). The Regiment with Brew of Sharpness comes in at 235 points and is a contender for the points-for-points best hammer unit in the game.

War-Trombone: a 5-point increase to 70 points is the only thing keeping the War Trombone out of the S-Tier. Still very cheap, still very deadly, you can easily include a battery of 3 of these to project threat over a portion of the board.

They act as excellent chaff late-game as well. Find yourself a hill and set your battery behind a horde of Rabble. When it’s time to shoot, move the Rabble off the hill, the Trombones can shoot over with no Cover penalty, and watch the magic happen!

Wiz: With the Clash ’24 change to all spell casters, the Goblin Wiz’s base points is a mere 25 points. They can purchase Lightning Bolt 3 and Bane Chant 2 for 20 points, Weakness 2 for 15 points, and Hex 2 for 10 points, in addition to full access to the Library for Arcane Knowledge. CHEAP!!!

Sharp Stick Thrower: The 60-point price tag is the reason the Sharpstick Thrower is in the A Tier. It has the basic Bolt Thrower stat line of 2 attacks which hit on 4s with Blast D3 hits and Piercing 2. They also get the “Lobber” keyword, so the Winggit’s Eye in the Sky rule can make them Elite against a chosen target.

King on Chariot– Another entry for the points-value train. Speed 9, Nimble, 7 Attacks, Crushing Strenght 1, Thunderous Charge 1, Shortbow, and Inspiring the Chariot Kings get so many rules for 130 points. A great vehicle for a Trickster’s Wand or the Orb of Towering Presence.

Magwa and Jo’os– Expensive for a Goblin (150 points), but Magwa and Jo’os pack a lot of punch and value. They hit like a Vampire in combat with 7 Crushing Strength 2 and Vicious attacks (doubled against individuals with Duelist). They bring further utility with Lightning Bolt 4.

Keep in mind that it’s an Individual on a Large Cavalry (50mm X 50mm) base, so it would get or give up flanks. It also has the “Beast” keyword for some fun interactions with certain auras (see Goblin Slasher entry below).

Mawpup Launcher– The Mawpup Launcher may have lost some real estate to the Sharpstick Thrower, but it’s still a great take at 75 points. The lack of Piercing is made up for the weight of dice with 3 shots each with Blast D3. The utility of giving a unit a Mawpup is a force multiplier in the late game. It’s also a “Lobber” so it can get some sweet, sweet elite from your Winggits. Fun fact- the Mawpup Delivery shot does not have Reload!, so you can move and still get your units a pupper.

B Tier

Goblin Slasher– the OG Unit Strength 2 titan, the Goblin Slasher! It comes with a shorter range Sharptick Thrower (36”) or for 10 points, you can take a War Trombone (which I think is the way to go). You also get the option to take a D3 Rampage Aura (Beast Only) for 15 points. This interacts nicely with some characters with the Beast keyword (Magwa, Chariot Kings).

Giant– Like all other Titans, the Giant gets bumped up to Unit Strength 2. In the previous edition, the Giant was in competition with the Unit Strength 2 Slasher (see above), however, they may see some play now they both are US2. Goblins typically have trouble with bigger stuff, so usually kit them out with Slayer D6.

Fleabag Riders– A great flanker unit, the Speed 10 and Nimble can apply a lot of pressure. They also get the “Mawpup Cage” keyword, so they are prime candidates for the Mawpup Launcher. The horde option can be fun, but not the most competitive choice.

Goblin Blaster– More classic Goblin Mode flavor. For the bargain price of 65 points, you get a Unit Strength 1 monster that has the potential to do some serious damage as a second-line unit.

Flag Guy (Flaggit)- Mantic, please change the name of this unit! I will only reference this entry as “Flag Guy” because the Mantic-given name is dangerously close to a very derogatory epithet. With that disclosure out of the way, the Goblin Flag Guy gets a bump along with other army standards in increasing to Very Inspiring. It also gets an Aura Strider for Infantry only, which can come in handy in a pinch. All of this for the low, low cost of 40 points. Yes, please!

King on Chariot: This is one of those units when used properly can cause your opponent fits. If used poorly, well, he won’t live long enough to matter. He has 7 attacks ranged or melee and with speed 9 you can make sure he gets where he needs to go.

C Tier

Sharpsticks: Like all Phalanx units, the Sharpsticks got a points-decrease, however, they still compete with Rabble for the unlocking units. Unless you’re going for a specific theme or are expecting to see a ton of Cavalry in your meta, there’s still no real reason to bring Sharpsticks over Rabble.

Troll Bruiser: I want to like him, I really do, but with a goofy 12/15 nerve and the fact that the King on Chariot can do what he does, faster and better I just can’t see anyone taking him.

The hero-level Troll fits in the same space as the Chariot King as a Unit Strength 1 hero. The 40mm square base can get in some tight spaces. Just like the Trolls, be careful of the expanded Waver gap.

Trolls: So I struggled where to put these, they’re a great source of dependable crushing strength 2. Not as expensive as the Giant and worth more Unit Strength. They have regen 5+, but their nerve is weird, 14/17 so they spend a lot of time wavered. Taking the King and giving him Jareth’s Pendant (headstrong aura) makes them a bit more dependable. They have more of a place here than the Orc list, but you gotta plan on them being wavered. Work around that and prepare for it and you’ve got a solid unit.

The quintessential Large Infantry unit- Trolls! The regiment still is a terrible choice, however, the horde is an OK take. You can also upgrade a single Horde with “Det Packs,” so when the horde is Routed, each unit within 6” takes D6+1 Piercing 1 hits. Be careful of the expanded Waver gap.

Fleabag Chariots*: Like all other Chariots, the Fleabag Chariots got a points reduction, the ranged attack as an optional upgrade, and Brutal. Better Goblin generals like Shannon Shoemaker and Cyle Pool use the Legions to great effect, but they take a lot of getting used to.

Luggit Gang: The berserker unit in the Goblin list can serve as a nice second-line thumper, however, they are in direct competition with all versions of the Mincer for that role. The Mincers get a leg up with easier-to-maneuver base sizes and Big Shield. The Living Legend Grogger’s Lug Lads are a neat take, however, since they are a Living Legend, you can’t take any items.

Mawbeast Pack*: Mawbeasts can serve both as Nimble chaff and as a second-line finisher. They don’t get a lot of attacks, but they hit on 3s with Crushing Strength 1 and Vicious. The Magwans upgrade makes a single unit De 4+ and Regular, so when players do take the Regiment, it’s usually the upgraded version. Cyle Pool uses these to great effect.

Big Rock Thrower: The final War Engine selection brings the highest Piercing value (3), however, it hits on 5s and has Indirect and is 90 points. The Sharpstick thrower is cheaper and more reliable. Probably not going to see the table unless you’re running the gun line Goblin build.

Kuzlo and Madfall [1]: I’m seeing Kuzlo taken in more Goblin lists recently since he comes with Hex 3. Not a bad flank threat, you just have to be careful since the Ravenous Lizard special rule affects your units as well. I’d rather take a Chariot King with the Trickster’s Wand for the same cost.

Spitters*: The kings of spam. The original RC headache. The reason archers across all armies are now irregular. These gits. You look and you’re like 20 shots that hit on 5, so what? They’re only 160 points, take 10 of them and suddenly you have 200 shots. For only 1600 points, pretty easy to fill out the rest of a 2k list with goodies. The only reason these aren’t S tier is because they don’t unlock.

An OK take for some extra 24” shooting. They can’t be Regular because of the propensity to spam, not good enough as Irregular to be taken en masse.

D Tier

Grupp Longnail– Why don’t you have Inspiring? Grupp was a fun take with the old version of Host Shadow Beast since her Melee attacks get Blast D3, however, since then, she’s competing for a very tight Hero spot and the lack of Inspiring will leave Grupp on your shelf. A very cool Mantic model, though.

Prince-Level Goblin Hero (Biggit): Another case of Mantic needing to desperately change a name. The Prince-Level Goblin Hero gets a fun upgrade for 10 points to take an Aura Vicious Melee (Sharpstick-only), so if you want to do an all-Sharpstick theme army, this choice will fit right in. In pretty much all other cases, I’m finding the 15 points for a King or saving 15 points for a Flag Guy.

Fleabag Rider Sniffs*: The idea is cool, Mongolian Goblins, doing cool stuff like riding mounts and pew-pewing. Sadly their accuracy is garbage and so is their damage output. Save yourself the frustration and pick up normal Fleabag riders.

The Sniffs are in a weird place where they don’t do either of their roles well enough compared to other units in the same army. Do you want a ranged-threat harassing unit? Take a Winggit. Do you want to apply some pressure with Speed 10 and Nimble? Take the Melee Fleabags. The final nail in the Sniff’s coffin is their Irregular status.

Stinggit: The Goblin Assassin is in the same spot as some of the other Heroes discussed- not good enough to compete with the better selections. Before the addition of Groany Snark, a Stinggit with the Wings of Honeymaze was a fun take, but Groany is just better (and cheaper).

Banggit: Oh have the mighty have fallen! The once-A Tier Banngit’s ranged attack got bumped down from Blast D3 to Blast D2. Players may take 1 as an accompaniment to a War Trombone battery to add some Shattering, but gone are the days of the triple Banggit contingent causing havoc.

Final Thoughts

In summary, Goblins are like cockroaches, no matter what new hotness is introduced to the game, we will still be there as one of the top armies with our trash and toys. Now get painting, you can never have enough Rabble (or Mincers)!

This list is a little light on drops compared to most Goblin lists, but it uses the Rampage Aura for the Beast keyword to a good effect and can pack some good Melee punch.