“Heh heh heh… Down ’ere, the moon talks to us. Down ‘ere, the squigs and shrooms grow big. Down ‘ere… we’re waitin’ for ya.”
Deep beneath the mountains, far from the light, sanity, or basic hygiene, lurk the Night Goblins. Small, cowardly, and completely insane, they are the mushroom-munching maniacs of the Under-Empire. Draped in black robes, armed with rusty weapons, and powered by lunacy and fungus fumes, they wage endless war in the name of Gork, Mork, and the Bad Moon itself.
These little loonies are not just goblins in black pajamas, they’re an entire culture of subterranean sabotage, fanatical squig-wrangling, and narrative chaos. If you like unpredictability, comedy, massed infantry, and the occasional explosive mushroom overdose, then step into the dark. The Bad Moon is risin’.
A History Carved in Madness (and Mushrooms)
Night Goblins are a sub-species of greenskin who fled into the depths of the mountains to escape the sun… and slowly went absolutely bonkers. Down in the dark, they discovered cave shrooms, squigs, and the whispering light of the Bad Moon, a terrifying celestial body they now worship with total devotion.
Their underground holds are fungus-covered fortresses, crawling with spiders, gibbering squigs, and so much spore gas that entire mobs forget which way is up. They battle dwarfs, fight each other, and follow lunatic warlords on holy crusades of complete and utter nonsense.
But don’t laugh too hard, Night Goblins have brought empires low with sheer numbers, fanatical squig-chomping fury, and the occasional moon-powered apocalypse.
Play Style: Quantity, Lunacy, and Glorious Randomness
Night Goblins are one of the most entertaining armies you can field. They’re not reliable. They’re not elite. But they are cheap, hilarious, and capable of pulling off victories in the stupidest, most wonderful ways.
• Massed Infantry: You’ll often have 100+ goblins on the table. It’s not a horde, it’s a wave of teeth and gibbering panic.
• Fanatics: Hidden within your units, these ball-and-chain lunatics hurl themselves through friend and foe alike. Sometimes they win the battle. Sometimes they are the battle.
• Randomness: Squigs, mushrooms, spells… it’s all volatile. But when it works? Glory.
• Sneaky Tricks: Nets, night goblin shamans, ambushes, and poison tricks keep your enemy guessing.
• Unpredictable Magic: The Lore of Da Gitz or Little Waaagh! brings some of the silliest, most devastating spells in the game, often with a side of brain-melting miscasts.
You won’t win through brute strength, you’ll win through sheer nonsense and numbers. And the occasional giant bouncing squig.
Key Units: Fungus, Fanatics, and Freaky Beasts
Night Goblins have some of the most distinctive and bizarre units in all of Warhammer.
• Night Goblin Stabbers and Shooters: Melee infantry or archers, they’re dirt cheap and hilariously unreliable. But in numbers? Terrifying.
• Fanatics: The crown jewel of Night Goblin insanity. Hidden in units, they launch out in a whirlwind of death, and don’t care who they hit.
• Squig Herds: Jumpy, bitey death balls. Handlers try to keep control. They always fail. It’s beautiful.
• Squig Hoppers: Goblins riding squigs like mad pogo sticks. Fast, deadly, and completely unpredictable.
• Cave Squigs & Stone Trolls: Either huge balls of teeth or lots of muscle and no brains that annihilate everything in their path.
• Night Goblin Shamans: Madcap spellcasters that chug mushrooms for power. You will miscast. You might win anyway.
• Netters: Goblin units that throw nets to weaken enemies in combat. Excellent for making elite foes look silly.
• Loonboss & Madcap Heroes: Every Night Goblin hero is 50% warlord, 50% madman, 100% pandemonium.
A Night Goblin army on the table is a riot of utter anarchy. Just the way Mork likes it.
Legendary Characters of the Dark Below
Skarsnik – Warlord of the Eight Peaks
The undisputed boss of the Night Goblins (and his giant pet squig, Gobbla), Skarsnik is a tactical genius in a world of morons. Cunning, cruel, and surprisingly competent, he held Karak Eight Peaks for years through sheer trickery and squig-powered terror. Don’t underestimate the short one with the stick… he’s smarter than you.
Gobbla – Skarsnik’s Loyal Cave Squig
One of the largest and most terrifying squigs to have ever existed, and extremely cute in a grotesque kind of way. His mannerisms around Skarsnik are like a puppy. Just don’t threaten his master.
Why Collect the Night Goblins?
Because no army captures the chaotic joy of Warhammer quite like them. Whether it’s a sea of squeaky boots, a horde of grinning fanatics, or a massive squig crashing through your enemy’s lines, Night Goblins bring pure fun to every game.
They’re also incredible hobby projects due to being full of character. From mushrooms on their bases to conversions with squigs, to whole dioramas of cave chaos, this is an army where every model tells a story, and often a really stupid, really glorious one.
Tactically? They’re unpredictable. But that’s the point. You’ll win battles by turning your opponent’s expectations upside-down and then feeding them to a squig. If you want to win, play as High Elves or Dwarfs. If you want to have fun, play as Night Goblins.
“Waaaagh! Da Bad Moon’s smilin’, boyz! Let’s get stabbin’!”
So light your torches, sharpen your spears, and start feeding the squigs. The darkness is full of giggling night goblins and they’re coming for everything. All hail da gobbos of Skarsnik’s Crooked Moon Tribe!
