For thousands of
years the great Dwarf Empire has endured. While their Golden
Age has long since past, the Dwarfs are still a major power
in the Old World. Dwarfs are best described as short,
bearded, and a bit cantankerous, (and some would mention
their overlarge bellies).
Dwarfs respect age, skill, and wealth. Over the years the Dwarfs have excelled at the art of metal working, so it is no surprise to find an entire army of well-armed and armored troops. Dwarfs may not be fast, but their resilience and tenacity is unquestionable!
Throughout their long history, the Dwarfs have been in countless battles, their age-old conflict with the Orcs and Goblins is well known even in the human lands. The infamous Dwarf/Elf war is still in part a mystery, with each side blaming the other for beginning the battles. Regardless, the Dwarfs and Elves fought each other to a standstill. While this happened thousands and thousands of years ago, the Dwarfs never forget a grudge. The Elf wars so depleted the Dwarfs that it left them open for subsequent Skaven and Goblin invasions that swept over so many of the Dwarfen strongholds. Invariably, it was all these battles and constant setbacks that honed the Dwarf Warriors into what they are today.
ROCK SOLID TROOPS
With their mountainous background and stubborn "I'll do it myself" attitude, it is no small surprise that Dwarfs do not ride or rely on beasts of any kind! The Dwarfs more than make up for their lack of cavalry with solid and dependable infantry.
A Dwarf army may contain a
variety of different troops, but a sensible General will
often try to build an army around a core of Dwarf Warriors.
With armor, a high leadership, and a solid toughness value of
four, the standard Dwarf Warrior is able to stand toe-to-toe
with any other infantry in the Warhammer game.
How you arm your Dwarf Warriors can also change their battlefield role. When armed with spears, for instance, Dwarf Warriors become very tough on defense, while double-handed weapons will add to their offensive capabilities. Although not archery masters like the Elves, the Dwarfs are quite capable with the crossbow and handgun (which suit their shorter nature better than the bow!) That's just the standard trooper, and a Dwarf player has access to a lot of other troops as well.
THE BEST OF THE BEST
The basic Dwarfen
elite is known as a Longbeard, a warrior who, after centuries
of service, has reached the venerable Dwarfen status of a
battle-honed veteran. The Longbeards are revered, not only
for their abilities, but also for being constantly ornery and
having a generally grumpy disposition. It is common to hear
the typical Longbeard complaint that the "Goblins are
smaller and weedier than they used to be in my day. You
really had to whack 'em back then!"
Each Dwarfen stronghold has a King, and the King's hand-picked bodyguard are known as Hammerers - so named for their penchant for ornate and age-old double-handed hammers. Few foes can stand up to the kind of bludgeoning that a unit of Hammerers can dish out!
Ironbreakers are another specialty Dwarfen unit. These troops are trained to protect the vulnerable passages and gates inside Dwarfen strongholds. These highly skilled Dwarfs are equipped with magical coats of armor, a necessity for the deadly tunnel fighting they are accustomed to.
SLAYERS
A proud race, Dwarfs do not cope well with failure or personal loss. Dwarfs who have been crossed in love, or who have suffered some personal calamity, will dedicate their lives to the Slayer Cult. Slayers forsake family and fellowship for a life dedicated to hunting out and destroying the largest monsters they can find.
Looking for and destroying large monsters like Trolls and Giants is life-threatening work, and as a natural selection mechanism it ensures that surviving Slayers are exceptionally tough, violent, and psychopathically dangerous. Slayers that fail to get themselves killed become even more angst-ridden as they search for larger and more ferocious monsters, working up through the ranks, beginning with Trolls, then moving to Giants, Dragons, until finally becoming a Daemon Slayer.
On the battlefield a unit of Slayers is extremely useful. Slayers fear no enemy, and no matter how the fight is going, a Slayer will never flee. After years of battling large beasts these Dwarfs also develop the special Slayer Skill - a talent for finding the "soft spot" on even the toughest monsters. This skill enables the Slayers to wound creatures normal troops could not hope to harm.
ENGINEERS GUILD
Perhaps the most technologically advanced of all the Warhammer races, the Dwarfs have access to more war machines than most armies. The top-secret and highly innovative Dwarfen Engineers Guild has also always been at the forefront of discovering and battle-testing new machineries of destruction.
Dwarf armies are
well-known for their cannons and devastating organ guns, and
they have also been known to field bolt throwers and stone
throwers. Some of the more unusual, but highly effective
devices are the Flame Cannon and the Gyrocopter.
The Flame Cannon fires a concoction of hot oil and molten tar. This substance turns into a gout of flame that can melt entire enemy units! The Gyrocopter is an ingenious steam-powered flying machine. Able to power-dive the enemy on strafing runs with its front-mounted steam cannon or fly overhead and deliver bombs behind enemy lines, the Gyrocopter adds deadly speed and mobility to the otherwise lead-footed Dwarfen army.
WHAT, NO SORCERERS?
Magic pervades the Warhammer World, and some races, like Elves and Men, have learned to harness magic and cast terrifying spells. Dwarfs never developed Sorcerers of any kind, but Dwarfs are the greatest and most successful of all races at making magic weapons. Dwarf Runesmiths are famed throughout the world, and their magic armor and weaponry is matchless. With the special rune weapons, Dwarf players can pick and choose their magic items like no other Warhammer race.
BUILDING A DWARF ARMY
The first step in collecting and building a Dwarf army is to get your hands on Warhammer Armies Dwarfs. This essential tome has all the background, army lists, and special game rules for Dwarfs. Not only can you find all the troop types, from Miners to Thunderers, but you'll also find the complete rules for Magic Runes, so you can start custom designing your own magic items. There are even famous Dwarfen Warlords and rules to add them to your games.