Beastmen: Starting group and final group plans?

I'd agree with your first thought - stay on your current 12 members and replace any dying Gors while trying to save up to that Minotaur. When you get that Gor Hero it should go a little faster.

Warhounds are only useful if you want something cheap to sacrifice at some point.

I had that miniature in mind but decided for another one to be my Minotaur:

http://www.shop.battlefield-berlin.de/img_big/1187a41a9974c396578fe0dc0957cbb5.jpg

13 Members makes it harder for your warband to flee, which might or might not be a good thing.
Of course it's most important to always have the highest possible number of gors if you want to increase your chances of getting that important sixth hero.
The minotaur I wouldn't make my first priority (except if you REALLY want that model) because when you finally have that money saved, other heroes (both yours and your opponent's) should already be a little better. There are some really useful magic items that I'd use my gold for instead.

Hi,

thanks for your opinion.

I haven't even thought about the consequences of raising the number to 13 members. And I'm not really sure, if the ability to flee faster would be needful.

I really like the minotaur’s model, especially the one I bought. He’s not that big, but is a cool substitute for a minotaur though he is bigger than the gors but not big as a scibor minotaur.

I wasn’t sure, what to buy next. I thought about getting my whole band more armor (henchmen with helmets or something like that). I really haven’t noticed any really good magical items yet, which I thought were absolutely necessary. Any suggestions?

Some consequences of raising it to 13:

- You'll earn 5 - 10gc less pr. game.
- You'll rout test on 4 instead of 3 OOA.

I'd stay on 12, unless all your opponents goes up there and you have a hard time hanging in (which you shouldn't).

Item suggestions:

- Unholy Relic for your leader, so you can stay for at least a round if you want to, instead of having to rout test.
- War Horn - just to stay another round (might not be that necessary in the beginning).
- Familiar for your Shaman. Remember that he is the only one who can search for it, and that you have to pay whether you get it or not.
- Rabbit's Foot & Lucky Charm for whoever can get them (depending on your house rules)
- Gromril Armour (when you have at least T5 and 2 Wounds I'd say)
- Lanterns for your two highest Initiative Heroes.

Aipha pretty much mentioned the items I would have suggested as well. How many lanterns you need depends on the other warbands as well, if there is not much hiding done (like in the groups I played with) one might be enough. I always liked hook and ropes and healing herbs. Not sure if you can take tarot cards or the weirdstone pendulum. A second handweapon for every gor or maybe a halberd for a hero with multiple attacks are important too.
And I strongly recommend the Charm, Foot and Familiar!

Thanks for your suggestions!

I'm going to buy some of those.

Do you think getting my gor-henchmen more protection would be a good option?

While saving up for the minotaur I would buy his equipment in advance and put it in my stash (heavy armor, shield, helmet, halberd...)

I think, as long as you save up for the minotaur, T4 is all the protection your gor-henchmen need. Except for the second mace, all the equipment I mentioned should go to the heroes.
I once bought a crossbow-pistol in advance for my witchhunters, but this was only because it is rare and I didn't have to search for it when creating the warband. In any other situation, I wouldn't buy stuff and then lock it away, because this way you spend dead money that doesn't fight for you the next game. And you already have a lot of money you don't spend because you save up for the minotaur. Either you don't buy stuff in advance at all and maybe only equip the minotaur with another weapon the first game.
Or you buy the equipment in advance and spread it among your heroes (not henchmen, too risky). This way the equipment is already put to good use and when you get the minotaur he is fully equipped. The other heroes only use maybe one piece of equipment each and you can buy more after a game or two. The chances that you lose the equipment before the minotaur can use it is not that high I believe.
I hope this makes sence, write me a PM for a german translation if necessary!