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| Warriors: |
Warriors are the bread and butter of the Dwarf army. Being tough as nails,
good fighters, having great leadership, and access to a great armor save, these fellas are
often underestimated. I always upgrade my Warrior units with full command. Another thing that makes
Warriors great is that they are a super buy: 9 pts with HA, SH & HW, and 10 pts with HA & GW. I am
a firm believer in the theory of the larger the unit the better, and I never take a unit of Warriors
of less than 20, I usually go for 24 models per unit, and then throw a character in to fill
them out to 25. The difference between the GW and HW variety is pretty clear, HW Warriors have
little striking power but a 3+ save in CC, and are a great staying unit; while GW Warriors can
take down nearly anything with their strength 5 attacks and 5+ save. I usually take 2 units of 24 GW ladz
and 1 unit of 24 HW's to the field. That gives my army a very solid core base, and I often outnumber
whoever/whatever I happen to be fighting.
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| Longbeards: |
This is definitely one of the best Core regiments in the game. They have great versatility and armament
options, an awesome stat line, as well as great special rules. Immune to Panic means that enemy shooting
at them won't cause them to run away, and Old Grumblers means that any regiments around them aren't as likely
to panic as well. I imagine fielding a regiment of Longbeards and 2 regiments of Warriors, with the Longbeards
deployed inbetween the Warriors. There's great potential here.
The downside of these lads is their high cost. Starting at 11, and still needing a proper shield and possibly a
great weapon means they'll be a decent amount more than regular Warriors. That could add up fast. I'll definitely
give them a try from time to time, but based on their cost I don't foresee them becoming a staple of my army.
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| Thunderers: |
These boys are capable of not only some real damage at range, but also some real staying power in H2H.
Definitely one of my favorite units. +1 to hit, -2 armor save, light armor, shield, and hand weapon. They
have great holding power in combat with a 4+ save and high Ld, rarely can fast cav or a skirmish unit break them
on their own. I always take the shield, as well as add a musician. The +1 to rally gives some additional
assurance that they'll regroup after choosing to flee as a charge reaction. They are a bit pricey at 15
points each with the shields. I usually field thim in units of 12 at 2000 or 2150 points. They survive the game
about as often as they are wiped out/scattered, but despite that they're still great at what they do and worth
every cent.
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| Quarrellers: |
Many of the rules that apply to Thunderers apply to Quarrellers. Quarrellers have a better range (30"
compared to 24"), and cost 3 points less per model. They aren't as effective when shooting at heavily
armored troops, which I why I like to take a regiment of 12 of each in a good balanced list. I always
give the Quarrellers shields, and I always take a musician. While I definitely prefer Thunderers over
Quarrellers for the +1 to hit and -2 AS, 3 extra points per model adds up fast. That fact assures that
there's always a place for Quarrellers in the list.
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| Miners: |
These lads have some potential since the rewrite. They are much more likely to show up with the available
reroll, and a strength 6 prospector is a pretty kewl (and intimidating!) prospect (pun fully intended).
I don't think they would be overly worth their points versus many opponents these days. Seems like most
just rush their entire army at your deployment zone, and if the Miners show up on their side of the table
they'll have a great visual of the battle raging across the field. One very good thing about them is the
intimidation factor. Few generals could ignore the fact that 10 to 20 heavily armored and well equipped
Dwarfs could show up in their deployment zone at any moment. IMO, these lads are worth their points, as well
as add some real tactical possibilities to the game.
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| Rangers: |
Since the rewrite, I think these guys are pretty worthless. The main reason for that, other than
their high cost, is that they no longer have the Foresters special rule. In 95% of all the games
I play, the only terrain on the table where you could hide a regiment of Dwarfs are forests. If I set
up my reg of Rangers in a forest, I'm going to spend 4 or 5 turns moving at 1.5 inches until I'm free
to move as I will! That's rediculous, and makes them, as I stated before, worthless.
Beyond that, they can get rather pricey at 11 points each base. Longbeard rangers stack up at a min of
14 points each, and Quarreller rangers fall in the middle. I do like the fact that their equipment is
very versatile. They can have shields, X-bows, throwing axes, light armor or heavy armor. If you could
have a place to Scout them, they could really reap some nastiness on the enemy. Any wary enemy will
have to direct some serious attention to them, which will distract them from their overall goal, winning
the game. Another bad part about these guys in game use is that they often find themselves alone and
unsupported on the other side of the table, so they are an expensive unit that often does not survive
the game.
To sum it up here: Rangers could have great tactical potential if you could find a place to Scout
them that isn't in trees. Since that isn't an option in most games I play, nor would it likely be an option
in any tourney setting, I'll be leaving them at home.
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| Slayers: |
In recent months I've had great luck with the Slayers. Not only do they look kewl and add great flavor to the
army, but they are very distracting to many enemy generals. I either field them in a 6 by 4 regiment, or a
7 by 3 regiment, and set them up to anchor a flank. They are guaranteed to hold to the last Dwarf! The new
Slayer Axes rule means they can be either Str 3 & +1 Attack, or Str 5, your choice per combat. That gives
them some real hitting power versus low T opponents. Versus high T opponents, they still always wound on a
4, so they didn't lose anything there.
One thing that was hard to get used to when I started using these boys was how fast they die. To magic,
shooting, and in combat. They die in droves just as their fluff dictates that they want to. That's why I
take such wide frontages on the regiment. Sometimes I'll throw a naked Dragonslayer in with them, at only 50
points it's a great unit upgrade. If I don't do that, I'll take 2 Giantslayers. I always give the large regiments
of these guys a musician and a standard. Not that they need it, it just makes them that much more likely to send
enemy regiments running.
I recommend a unit of Slayers. They're fun, very flavorful, reasonably priced for what they're capable of, and
beyond that: very dependable.
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| Iron Breakers: |
These are by far my favorite special choice. Str 4, T 4, WS 5, 2+ AS in CC. What more could you ask for for
only 13 pts per model? I take a unit of no less than 20, and they rarely let me down. I often give them a Rune of
Battle, and sometimes I'll also throw a Rune of Sanctuary on the banner as well. A unit 20 strong with full command
and Rune of Battle is more than capable of holding down a flank. I usually deploy them on the opposite side of the
battle line as the Slayers, and that has proven to be a great strategy.
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| Hammerers: |
Since the rewrite, the Hammerers are just that much better. Stubborn on Ld 9 is huge! If led by a character
with Royal Blood, they become immune to Fear and Terror. Great weapons, decent armor, and that
high Dwarven elite stat line make them a very good regiment in the game. They're a bit more pricey than the Iron
Breakers, and they tend to die much easier due to being less highly armored, but in combat they offer additional
versatility and staying power. I'm a huge fan. The only problem I've had with them is that often times when hit
by elite enemy units, there won't be any one left in the front rank to attack back after being charged. That could
just be a matter of fielding them 6 wide or adding a character to the regiment. Regardless of how many die to an enemy
charge, being Stubborn means they're very unlikely to go anywhere, and if the BSB is nearby they're darn near
Unbreakable. This unit is great, and is yet another one that rather intimidates opponents.
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