A Snotling is a fantasy creature from the universe of the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 books and games.
Contents
Snotlings are greenskins, and are cousins of Goblins (Gretchin) and Orcs (Orks), smaller than the former and dumber than the latter, often used by them as cannon fodder, food or even cannon missiles. They are on the lowest rung of greenskin society and are bullied by all including grots. Snotlings often wield mushrooms or sticks into battle.
Warhammer
Snotlings are small, green creatures that often accompany orcs or orks and goblins in raids, WAAAGHs! or defense battles. They either fight in swarms or they are the crew of a snotling pump wagon.
'Snotling fondler' is a commonly used derogatory term used in the Gotrek and Felix Slayer-series of books by William King and Nathan Long.
Warhammer 40,000
In the Warhammer 40,000 game itself, Snotlings could be selected as units until the game's third edition, where their status as a troop type was removed. They continue to be incorporated into the background imagery of the Ork race, however.
In the 1991 book 'Ere We Go (Subtitled "Space Orks in Warhammer 40,000") and in the Gorkamorka rulebook, the Snotlings were revealed to be the original form of the entire Ork species. They acquired intelligence after consuming a special fungus and soon created genetically engineered slave races to support them; first the Gretchin, and then the Orks themselves. Disaster struck, however, when the new races consumed all traces of the fungus, reducing the Snotlings to their near-feral state. They are now only remembered as the legendary "Brain Boyz".
Recently, this origin has been changed. In current continuity the "Brain Boyz" remain, but there is no explicit mention of them being Snotlings. Nor is there any mention as to what happened to them; thus, the old lore is still possible, though not official.
In the second edition of the game Snotlings were used as ammunition for warp-based catapults (Shokk Attack Guns), and while absent in the third edition, the weapon has reappeared for the latest version of Codex: Orks.
In Blood Bowl, Snotlings play on Ogre teams.
Reception
One review called Snotlings "The best name to come out of Warhammer".