Orcs and Goblins - a comical mix ? What makes them seem so beatable ?

What is is about Orcs and Goblins that seems to make them a strange mix of Kato out of the old Pink Panther films and a series of Carry on movies ?

I mean, on paper they're, kind of, ok really (in the right hands). But even when they win a battle it almost seems like a draw.

I played as an Empire Army a few months back against an Orc and Goblin Horde. I have to give it to my opponent, he played a better game than me and we agreed on a minor victory to him. Why is it then that I felt I always had the upper hand ?

Was it my brave pigeon boming (brave for my pigeon squadron !), my crack Hochland snipers, or sturdy handgunners and his resulting large losses in the field before he had made it into hand to hand combat ?

No, I don't think it was. Pleasing as those small victories were he still cuffed me around the ears when it came to the real "hands on" stuff.

I always used to play Orcs and Goblins, in the old 4th edition rules (90% of the games I have played). I always used to go away feeling a touch depleted if I hadn't managed to massacre my enemy (they were always fatty stunties, ie Dwarfs - which made it even worse !).

I think the reason is, you enter the fold of the battle with so many units and troops that it doesn't feel like a win when you come away with hardly enough to raid a small farmstead.

Do you know what I mean ?

I've moved on now days to other armies but this thought will make me go back to my Orcs & Goblins book to take another look. I love a challenge :)