WARHAMMER 6TH EDITION |
TACTICA: DWARFS
Inscribed by The Old Sage (Tom Setzer)
- The Dwarfs
- Dwarf Special Rules
- Lords and Heroes
- Regiments
- Core Units
- Special Units
- Rare Units - Tactics
THE DWARFS
The Dwarfs are one of the most ancient races of the Warhammer World. They have always made their homes in the World's Edge Mountains, the vast mountain chain that marks the eastern boundary of the Old World. Here in ancient times the Dwarfs built their massive underground strongholds. At its height the realm of the Dwarfs spread from the far north to the distant south, their mines stretching far beneath the earth itself. The days of glory are now long gone; many strongholds lie in ruins or are occupied by evil creatures. The great achievements of the south are now but memories and ancient sagas sung in the halls of the survivng Dwarf strongholds.
DWARF SPECIAL RULES
ARMY SPECIAL RULES
All Dwarves hate Orcs and Goblins, so they are subject to the the rules for Hatred when fighting these enemies. With the Resolute rule, Dwarfs pursue and flee at 2d6-1" rather than 2d6". They can also march within 8" of an enemy unit. Take all of these special rules into account when planning your tactics using a Dwarf army.
MAGIC
Dwarfs have a unique system of magic. They do not cast spells and they do not use magic items. Instead they are limited to dispelling spells and using runic items.
SPELLS
Dwarfs have no access to magic spells. They only have the ability to dispel spells cast by opposing wizards, and even then they do not have the greatest chance of success. Dwarfs only get two Dispel dice, as normal. The only way to increase this number is by taking a Runesmith, which gives you an extra Dispel die. Even though Dwarfs cannot cast spells, a Rune Lord can take an Anvil of Doom, which allows him to cast magical runes in the same way wizards cast spells.
RUNIC MAGIC
Dwarf magic is tied to magic runes than are inscribed on items by the Runesmiths. The Dwarfs have many runic items, including weapons, protective talismans and amulets, they inscribe runes on their banners, and on their armour.
A Dwarf character can carry runic items, but the total points spent on the runes cannot exceed the normal limits. It would be a very good idea for all Dwarf players to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the Runic magic rules starting on page 18 of Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs.
LORDS AND HEROES
TAKING LORDS AND HEROES IN YOUR ARMY
The number and type of characters you take in a Dwarf army depends on the size of the army. With a small army, you'll only have points for a hero or two. With a moderately sized army, you'll be able to afford a hero as a general, a Runemith or another hero, and possibly a hero to use as a battle standard bearer. With larger armies, you can include a Lord, Rune Lord or a Daemon Slayer. If you have the points in your army (3000 or higher), it is possible to take both a Lord and a Rune Lord, but this takes up precious points needed for units. In a Dwarf army, a Rune Lord can be used as a general if you don't have a Lord. You will want to protect the Rune Lord, as he is your best chance for dispelling enemy spells.
LORD
If you take a Lord, he will be your general, so you'll want to equip him to survive, and place him in a unit that will ensure his survival. You should equip your Lord with Gromril armour, possibly even runic armour and/or a talisman, to increase his survivability, and I would also give him a runic weapon. A Lord is a very good fighting character with a WS 7, a S4, and a T5. He also has good leadership he can contribute to the army. You should place your Lord with the main assault portion of your army, where his Ld will do the most good.
RUNESMITHS
Runesmiths of both types are allowed to take more points worth of runic items than similar level characters. I like to give my Runesmith(s) Spellbreaking Runes in multiples. The Runesmith and the Rune Lord are very powerful fighters, also. A Rune Lord riding into battle on an Anvil of Doom is truly awesome. The Anvil of Doom can be used to cast some useful runes in the same way wizards cast spells. This is the only form of magic Dwarfs have.
SLAYER CHARACTERS
Slayer Characters (Dragon and Daemon Slayers) are some of the toughest characters in the game, but it's not very often that you will be able to take one. With their ability to strike with increased Strength equal to their opponent's Toughness up to the maximum for the type of Slayer they are, they can take out even the meanest opponents. Slayers should be used with care and not thrown away.
HEROES
Dwarven Heroes are stalwart and strong characters, and given the right combination of weapons and magic items can be quite deadly. I myself favour two-handed weapons for the Dwarfs, as most times they will strike last anyways unless you charge. There are two main uses for a Dwarf Hero. The first is to bolster your units, and the second is to carry the battle standard. If possible, you should take a hero to carry your army's battle standard, which should be a runic standard if you have the points.
ENGINEER
An Engineer can be used as an extra crewman for one of your artillery pieces. When used as an extra crewman, he can usually keep your artillery working. Since the Engineer can only work with one gun at any given time, you'll want to use him with the gun most useful to your overall battle plan (sometimes you may be tempted to place him with an organ gun, when a cannon is acually your most useful artillery to go with your plan).
REGIMENTS
SELECTING REGIMENTS FOR YOUR ARMY
In your army you'll want to include a solid core of infantry with some artillery support. This means you should take at least two units of Dwarf Warriors, backed up with some Crossbowmen or Thunderers for fire support. This will form the core of your army. The artillery is useful for providing some long-ranged support for your army as it moves forward.
An important point with Dwarf regiments is to include a Champion and Standard Bearer in every unit you can, and a Musician for any unit that needs it. This gives you some extra hitting power in hand to hand combat, and keeps your units sticking around. The musicians provide some much needed flexibility.
CORE UNITS
WARRIORS
These are the backbone of your army. They are the troops that make up the bulk of your line and should be fielded in large units of 4 ranks deep. Warriors can be used to attack or defend. It is a good idea to have one unit held back to defend your artillery and missile troops.
CROSSBOWMEN
Dwarf Crossbowmen can give decent firepower. They should be deployed in a position giving them a good view of the battle, so they can support your army as it marches forward. They will also be able to pick off any skirmishers that try to get to your artillery.
THUNDERERS
These are Dwarven handgunners. The handgun has a save modifier of -2 and can be a deadly missile weapon even against heavily armoured targets. They are also better at hitting close targets than other handguns. Thunderers should be used to support your advance, then protect your artillery.
MINERS
This is a cheaper, less elite, heavy armoured Dwarf unit that can be used as an anchor in a large formation, and will stand and fight all day. The Miners' special rules will also give you a wonderful surprise to use against your opponent, diverting his attention and causing havoc with his battle line. You can only take one unit, so use them wisely.
RANGERS
Rangers are another surprise unit. They can be deployed well forward of your army. A particularly useful trick is to give them crossbows, allowing them to fire at your opponent's army as it advances and dividing his attention. If your opponent charges the Rangers, they can stand and shoot with their crossbows, then attack in hand to hand with their Great weapons. You can move them easily through woods, should you need to.
SPECIAL UNITS
The Dwarf army is limited in the number of Special Units it can select, so you'll want to choose wisely. Surely, you will want to take some artillery. This is almost a requirement in a Dwarf army. However, you shouldn't forget about the available units. Hammerers work well for protecting your general. Ironbreakers make excellent shock troops, and Longbeards are a steady unit for assaults or defense. Slayers are pure killing machines. Think about your battle plan before you decide on which units you'll take.
HAMMERERS
These are the King's guards. They wear heavy armour and carry ornate Great hammers. You should also give them a runic standard that will aid them in their combat results. If you decide to take a unit of Hammerers in your army, you will want to place your general in the unit. He will benefit from their protection, and their special rules will benefit them.
LONGBEARDS
These are the oldest of all the Dwarf Warriors, with truly great skill at arms (WS 5). They have fought in more wars, beaten more enemies, and endured more hardships than young Dwarfs can possibly imagine. They enjoy grumbling about how today's Goblins are far smaller and weedier than they were in their younger days, and nothing is as well built today as it was in their younger days. Longbeards wear heavy armour and a shield, and they are armed with Great weapons. They may, and in my opinion should, have a runic standard, one that will add to their damage or to their rank bonuses for battle results. Longbeards are a great unit to use either as shock troops or a defensive unit, especially since they are immune to panic.
IRONBREAKERS
These are the most powerful of the Dwarf Warriors. They wear gromril armour and a shield for a 3+ armour save. They may be given a runic standard and should be given one. Ironbreakers are excellent shock troops, and should be used as such. They are a very useful unit to use against cavalry, as they have a high Strength and Toughness and an excellent save.
SLAYERS
Slayers can be used as strike units, and to disrupt your enemy's attacks on your own units. I like to place them between units of normal troops and use them to counterattack enemy units that are already engaged with other units of my troops. They can also be used to attack and kill enemy characters and monsters. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the special rules for slayers on page 7 of Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs.
CANNONS
A Dwarf Cannon has a S10 and a range of 60", and it gives no armour save. With its bounce-through rule the cannon can take out several ranks of troops and can even take out troops in more than one unit. They are great for taking out Knights and smashing through your opponent's ranks. Try to place your cannons in advantageous positions, such as hilltops, facing in such as way that they bounce through the maximum number of units. Some Engineering runes are a useful investment, so your cannons will continue firing throughout the game.
BOLT THROWERS
These are very good against massed ranks of troops. Their bolts can penetrate multiple ranks, impaling troops as they go. Bolt Throwers are very effective against mounted units, especially Knights.
STONE THROWERS
These are weapons that are often overlooked by many Dwarf generals, but they should not be. They can have truly devastating effects on enemy units. Being a template weapon a Stone Thrower can take out multiple figures at once. Stone Throwers are very good for covering your army's advance, especially with their ability to hit multiple units at once. Invest in some Engineering runes to get the maximum effect.
TIPS FOR CANNONS AND STONE THROWERS
All cannons and stone throwers' ranges must be guessed at it. A good idea is to take a gaming table when you're not playing, take some checkers or poker chips, have a friend or someone toss them onto the table at random areas, guess the range, then measure to see if you were right. Put a picture in your mind of where the disc is in relation to the edges and corners of the table. Do this over and over until you get to the point that you can guess the range with a fair degree of accuracy.
RARE UNITS
The Dwarf army is very limited in the number of Rare Units it can take. All of the choices listed in the army book are different pieces of artillery, with different purposes. Organ Guns and Flame Cannons are able to take out many enemy troops with one firing, but they are short ranged. The Gyrocopter is a flying piece of artillery, very useful for attacking your opponents from several angles during a battle.
ORGAN GUN
The Organ Gun will put out a devastating amount of firepower, even though you may not declare any range of over 24", its ability to fire multiple shots more than makes up for this. As with practically all Dwarven artillery, Engineering runes are very useful for an Organ Gun.
FLAME CANNON
The Flame Cannon is short ranged, but can do good damage and is very useful in a defensive position. These are good for using to defend against chargers, and to protect your flanks and your other war machines. The Flame Cannon is prone to some misfires, so you'll want some Engineering runes.
GYROCOPTER
Gyrocopters are very useful. You can get on the flank and rear of the enemy, and sow havoc with the Steam Cannon on these. They are great for taking out the crews of enemy warmachines. Gyrocopters should be kept away from the main fighting, so they cannot be assaulted. You'll want to make sure that they aren't too easy a target for opposing missile troops and artillery, also. Engineering runes are a must with the Gyrocopter, to keep it flying and functioning.
TACTICS
In general, I like to use a good defensive position that allows my war machines and missile troops to weaken and/or destroy the enemy before he can become engaged with my troops. The Dwarfs are not a mobile army, and they are forced to fight a defensive battle. You must keep a cohesive line, not allowing any breaks, and protect your flanks. Deep formations of hand-to-hand troops should protect your missile troops and artillery.
The Dwarfs are one of the few, actually one of only two armies that I recommend the "Castle" formation for. This basically amounts to the following: Select a good multi-level hill to defend, and set up your troops as follows: Long range artillery on the highest level, missile troops and medium ranged artillery on the second highest level, and melee troops and short-ranged artillery on the lowest level. If you can have two levels to set up your missile troops, all the better, because then you can deploy them in two lines that can both fire.
Thunderers and Crossbowmen are useful, as both can fire every turn if they do not move. I use a unit of Thunderers to weaken the charge of heavy Knights or heavily-armoured elite infantry. The main thing is to concentrate as much firepower during your first turn on your opponent's best unit as you can. Once it is broken or destroyed, move on to the next best. Keep doing this until he no longer has an effective assault force or his army has routed in panic. The Dwarfs must weaken their enemies' best troops before the enemy can come into contact.
A Dwarf army will be able to occasionally launch its own assaults, though you will have to carefully coordinate them. You should soften up your targets with missile fire while moving forward, then hit your opponent with two or three units at once. This will cause a hole to open up in his battle line, disrupting his army and forcing them to slow their advance to face the threat. It will also give you an opening to follow through with other units.
Use your Slayers to attack enemy missile troops, characters, and monsters, and use the Gyrocopter to attack his flanks and rear areas and to sow as much havoc as possible. If the terrain will not allow the Castle formation, I would suggest the Echeloned Line, which can be found in the Battle Formations in the Tactica at this site. The Echeloned Line forces your opponent to face your toughest troops, since he will leave his army exposed to them if he attempts to go after your missile troops. Remember, cohesion of your line and concentration of your firepower is the secret to success with a Dwarf army.
