With no model limit in the new rules, Goblin Swarms are more menacing. 600 points: max 85 units. 1K points: 143 (!) Hold Ground, twice now in different tournements, I could not kill enough in time. Second game, I let them get around me. Ugly.

Hold Ground/High Ground: if I can get there first, I could try a ring...if I can just keep them from getting behind me. Other ideas?

Domination: tough, as I have to split my already smaller army. Smaller rings around objectives? Bows? Thoughts?

Reconnoitre: again...how to hold back a horde?

Lords of Batte/To the Death: no problem; bring'em on.

What's your army comprised of? Stormcallers, maxed out bows, banners, spears, perhaps even radagast for aura of dismay will all help but most of those are quite pricey. Mounted Aragorn could wade through 5-6 goblins a turn if you call constant heroic combats. I'd just waste everything you can on killing as much as you can to break them. If your army has any obvious tanks in it then sit them on the objectives because tbh there is not much goblins can do but pray against defence 9

Elrond with Wrath of the Bruinen should put a dent in them. Sorcerous blast too, especially from Saruman. Anything that can cause damage over an area, like siege weapons should help.

_________________
"Leave Sauron to me."
If you're in the Raleigh, NC area, let me know.

What are you using?

Standard things versus a horde are to:

1) shoot, shoot, shoot
2) fight in a bottleneck/between terrain
3) form a concave spearwall and let them advance inside.

just make sure its not rocky terrain as gobos dont care about that

_________________
'Though my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior'
-John Newton

Don't forget that they are slower too. A mounted archer can get some kills by backing away and shooting. Missions that involve reaching a board edge or getting to an objective first are good too since they can't catch you!

_________________
My LotR and 40k blog, Realm of Battle board, dwarves, gobs, space wolves and battle reports. http://simbattleboard.blogspot.com/

Great, yes.
I let them outflank me in Hold Ground and was decimated. Using terrain would break them up into bite size pieces.

As with all strategy, use your opponents strength against them. Counter their charges with Spearmen/Shields and try to flank them. If they want to rush in, let them and then have a second force come round behind. Have Archers on the high ground to keep them worried. Don't forget to use Shielding to hold off until things turn in your favour.

_________________
http://www.middle-earth-marauders.blogspot.co.uk/
Tabletop Gaming in London. New members welcome.

I might take the betrayer off the fell beast in order to get more men on the field.

I play a goblin horde and the most difficult thing is mobility. If you've got a vast number of 5" move troops, getting them all to hit the enemy at the same time is very tricky. My suggestions would be to get on them fast, any delays give the big swarm time to maneuver, and try to concentrate force like a mad man. I'm not sold on terrain as a defense, the board has to be pretty weird to prevent the horde from getting into position eventually, and if you're bunkered up they have that time.

Hunkering down in terrain slows you down, it gives the horde time to move. You want to be proactive and go hit the horde before it forms up, you can take them piecemeal, but if they all hit you at the same time you lose. Warbands are great for this, my horde starts out spread over the map and it takes me time to get it together and acting in unison. If you can get 12 knights into my 12 goblins before they link up with the horde, you won't lose much doing it and the 9 or 10 surviving knights can pounce on another warband. Suladan leading a warband of raiders with lances can wipe out a dozen goblins in a turn or two and then move on. If the warbands are more than 10" apart, help can't arrive in two turns.

As far as domination and reconnoiter go, you're best bet is to kill the heroes and break the horde. If they're spreading out to infiltrate your lines or contest multiple objectives, all the better for you, you can concentrate force and beat them. C2 is going to tear through them once they're broken, and *thats* when you split up and contest the objectives. You have to move fast once they're broken, because the game will end soon, but it can be done.

Throwing weapons can be devastating against 5" troops. Since you're already into Harad, maybe invest in some Corsairs. You can move full and still throw, and dance 5.5" away. If it's just normal goblins you're up against, throwing weapons also have the benefit of wounding on 5 against the armour + shield goblins.