Nomadic Gnomes are itinerant tinkers who specialise in upgrading armour and weapons. Even more impressive are their steam-driven contraptions they can terrorise a battlefield with. Meanwhile, their airborne communities ply the airways, setting down to trade their goods and services with friendly cities.

• Not grudge-nurturers, or skin-colour racists (I know I'm gonna regret that)
  
• Call a Gnome 'Shorty' and he's probably just content to nail your boots to the ground
  
• Many take to wearing red traffic cones as the solution to being trodden upon
  
• Valuing stealth, mobility and pointy hats, they tend to be very lightly armoured
  
• They're not above using a little magic to 're-balance the odds' against the absurdly tall

• Of course, that's why you don't tend to notice them much in your own home
  
• Unarmoured Gnome infantry have innate stealth bonuses and excel at ambush and flanking
  
• Their shamans specialise in Lore of Shadows spells (although I like to think they get some proper illusion spells from the table-top rules).

• Nomadic Gnomes start with a single airborne capital
  
• At its maximum size a gnome city will spawn a smaller daughter settlement
  
• Their settlements can set down outside cities they have a military access agreement

Humans, although a little racist, still value trading and tinkering opportunities from itinerant Gnomes - just so long as they don't hang about too long

• Base +50 opinion with all human factions
  
• Reduction -10 opinion for each subsequent year they remain attached to a city

(Rumours these travelling Gnomes steal items to sacrifice to Evawn, their Goddess of Travel, Trade and Thievery, are enthusiastically confirmed by Her devotees)

• A Gnome settlement can store resources to trade (storage depends upon development size)
  
• When setting down next to a friendly city the following effects are possible:
  
  • Short term trade agreements for the period they remain 'encamped'
    
  • Upgrade the armour of any hero or commander present in the city
    
  • Upgrade local industrial facilities by one tier, for a substantial fee

Visiting Human cities is an opportunity to recruit from unseen Gnome populations

• Recruit additional pops from local gnome populations within Human cities
  
• Recruit any exotic Garden Gnome units they find there
  
• Recruit local gnomish heroes

• The Gnome city must set down at the end of each turn to replenish its supplies, making it vulnerable to assault like any other settlement
  
• The city can fly over hostile territory and can only be intercepted by an enemy force fielding flying units. This operates much like an Underway interception, resulting in a regular ground battle if a successful evasion is not made

• Nomadic Gnomes can conquer territory, but never occupy it themselves.
  
• Conquered Evil faction settlements are stripped of everything metallic, then reduced to ruin
  
• Conquered 'Good' settlements become 'Gnomish Vassal Settlements'
  
• Vassal settlements retain their original pops and infrastructure, but their territory is shown on the map as Gnomish. Otherwise, they supply their Gnome overloads with all the benefits and tribute according to the currently underused vassal mechanic.

Low tier infantry are small, weak and unarmoured. But they're also quick and hard to hit. They have a unique ability to retreat during melee without penalty - sometimes drawing the enemy line into a surprise double envelopment.


However, there are smaller numbers of specialist commando troops selected for stealth and stalk skills, who excel in unexpected flank assaults.


High-tier infantry employ various exotic steampunk weapons that give them formidable attack bonuses. Those with zappers can stun enemy line infantry - denying them attack rounds. Others present a hazardous machinery risk to the kneecaps of their enemies.

Low-tier missile units are some of the weakest, although their small size gives them some advantage dodging return fire. High-tier units come equipped with long-range pneumatic rifles.


Higher tier shooters wield Pneumatic Rifles. Armour-piercing, with a range advantage over black-powder rifles - cursed at most eloquently by the Dawi

Their standard machine cavalry is rather clumsy and slow, but has a good armour-piercing attack.
However, better cavalry can sometimes be recruited from human settlements in forested areas.

These gnomes field an array of steam-belching-clanking horrors of early industrialisation

Reports exist of rocket propelled hang gliders - barely controllable, but able to launch in squadrons over the battle. At least, that's the explanation how Gnome Commandos always seem to appear behind enemy battle-lines.


Onithopers, originally commissioned by Forest Gnomes for fighting wildfires, have been adapted to drop inflammable crude oil upon enemy troops.


Metal skinned dirigibles - designed for missile and magic resistance. Absurdly heavy, and tend to bounce across the battlefield scattering friend and foe alike.

@Dulce - for the nomadic Romani idea, and various steampunk unit suggestions
@Irenicus - gadget ideas

War Hammer Wiki (TT)
Gnome race: https://warhammerfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Gnomes
Gnome goddess: Evawn: https://warhammerfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Evawn

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Apocrypha Now (RPG)
pp. 60-63

White Dwarf 86
pp. 28-31

Warhammer Fantasy Battle: Rulebook (3rd Edition)
pp. 218-219

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Rough Nights and Hard Days (RPG)
pp. 86-89