Goblins, gits, grots – however you refer to them, diminutive green-skinned antagonists have existed in the dank corners of Warhammer since the earliest days. And as their latest incarnation zooms into view – the demented, sun-worshipping speed-freaks of the Gitmob – it’s high time to roll back the years and take a partial and unscholarly look at gits through the ages.
The Gitmob are grots of the Hyshian plains, tamers of wolves and riders of chariots who prefer to pair their violence with unsafe speed. There are clear parallels between their Sunsteala Wheelas and the Goblin Wolf Chariots of old. Grom the Paunch was a goblin warlord of legend – and legendary bulk – who first appeared on two wheels in the early 90s, terrorising the realms of elf and man. You might even draw parallels with Droggz da Sunchomper, an infamous Gitmob leader of equally upsetting girth…
Snarlfang Riders have obvious antecedents in the Goblin Wolfriders. There have been numerous generations of these – the most recent of which are still available in old-school plastic for Warhammer: The Old World – but earlier incarnations yet can be seen in metal, such as these classic Wolf Riders who date back to the early 90s.
The Gitmob Army Set will be joined a little later down the line by additional reinforcements – including a rickety Doom Diver contraption. This is not the first time that goblins have bodged together wood, rope, elastic and rusty gearing in an effort to fire other goblins at key targets. Each iteration has at the same time seemed more comprehensive and yet less safe…
Back in the day, goblins of the above-ground had an uneasy alliance with the Night Goblins of the Old World. These scheming gits are the leering ancestors of the Moonclans in the Age of Sigmar, black-cowled thugs out of their noggins on psychedelic fungi and besotted with squigs. Every generation of Warhammer fan has its own favourite night goblins, from the first batches made in the early 90s as metal models or the iconic monopose plastic set – to the toothy bandits of the Battle for Skull Pass box released in 2006.
Clearly, Moonclan fashion hasn’t changed much in the aeons since the Era of Karl Franz, even for the biggest of bosses. Skarsnik, the Warlord of Eightpeaks, was a mighty hero of the Night Goblins, and his spirit clearly echoes through eternity to Skagrott da Loonking, who’s arguably only snazzier because miniature design technology has improved!
Grots aren’t the only underworld denizens with a long lineage of miniatures. Troggoths, for instance, share a blank-eyed ancestry with Stone Trolls and River Trolls – who both returned to sale on a Made to Order basis in 2024.
No less iconic is the humble Squig. These ruby-red gobs-on-legs have coexisted (after a fashion) with Night Goblins since the beginning, first emerging as herds goaded forward with two-goblin prodda teams, and then arriving as an erratic ersatz cavalry unit. There have been numerous generations of Squig, growing a little larger and much more deadly each time, culminating in the Colossal Squig. The Squig Riders have stayed with us too, evolving into the Boingrot Bounders who make such pests of themselves in the Mortal Realms.
You can get hold of the latest miniatures in this long lineage on Saturday, when Droggz da Sunchomper and the rest of the Gloomspite Gitz Gitmob hits pre-orders – the first place to get hold of the new faction battletome. The rest of these roistering racers will arrive in due course.
