# Miners



## Calamari (Feb 13, 2009)

So I have some miners from the BoSP set. I have read here that they are crap but I want to know this: If I _have_ to use them, what is the best way?


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## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

Have them comming on where the enemy cant counter them- be it a flank and have them running into the enemy's flank or in the rear to go after archers/war machines... problem is that dwarves are so damn slow that they'll never get anywhere. Even if you come on behind some archers they can just walk away from you, and charging into the flank of enemy units is like a pipe dream... good in theory but its never going to happen


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## mgtymouze (Dec 7, 2007)

I tend to use mine as war machine hunters or I pop them up to deny movement (no march within 8") and contest or gain table quarters. They are also good for popping up and forcing an enemy to debate if he faces miners or another unit he is preparing to charge. 

Some examples:

Situation 1
Deploy them as close to possible to a warmachine. Move forward and assault. 

Situation 2
Your miners are slow in coming on the board and your oponent has left a table quarter empty. Pop the miners in this quarter to get the points for controlling it. 

Situation 3
A unit is coming up the far side of the board to flank you but needs a turn to get within charge range by marching. Pop your miners as close to possible to the unit to either force them to deal with miners or move out of their charge range. Continue to march your miners (because dwarves can always march) to deny them a march move and keep your other units out of charge range as much as possible. 

Situation 4
As you advance your units forward, leave enough space to come in on the table edge with the miners. Move within charge range of an enemy if you know you can hold for 1 turn and recieve the charge. Pop the miners and move to position for them to charge. Finally charge the flank or rear of the unit that charged you.

These are some of the tactics I use. It all depends on the terrain, enemy placement, and goal you are trying to achieve when you finally get them to show up. Honestly I run an Anvil of Doom list so I can have a mobile army but that is just me.

On a final note, DO NOT forget about your miners! I have had more games than I like to admit that I have been doing end points for and realized they were sitting of to the side.


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## neilbatte (Jan 2, 2008)

Miners can be a good choice but really it depends on your army set up.
Most dwarf armies are fairly static and if you go for the usual gunline approach then miners are pints you could send more effectivly to maximise your gun line as having a unit appear upfield and unsupported is more likely to interupt your shooting than cause devastation on your opponent.
If you have a combat oriented army and will be advancing across the battlefield then having a unit that can pop up for flank and rear charges becomes invaluable.


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## Calamari (Feb 13, 2009)

In which case they might actualy be useful, I'm going with a mainly combat army with a cannon or 2 and some thunderers. The rest is going to be warriors and now probably som miners 

Thanks for the help


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## karlhunt (Mar 24, 2009)

Personally I have seen them used quite effectively as a deterent. If the enemy has any war machines the mere threat of having miners pop up behind them can cause them to hesitate on advancing. This is especially brutal when using your own war machines as you get a couple extra turns to range find (I'm really bad at guess range). I know it's not in keeping witht he rules but "forgetting" about them can be dirty too. The final Miner dirty I have seen is to bring a couple good sized blocks of models that aren't on your list and just set them next to the table. Play the game as usual but never bring them on because, well, you never paid for them. Your opponent will spend the entire game worried about a threat that never materializes. Hey, it's dirty but it's only misdirection. Noone really gets hurt, right...


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## Calamari (Feb 13, 2009)

karlhunt said:


> Hey, it's dirty but it's only misdirection. Noone really gets hurt, right...


While simultaneously getting the whole of my club to hate me lol. It sounds like an awsome plan lol.


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## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

A slightly less underhand way to give the impression you may or may not deploy miners late in the game, is to do what I do with fanatics. Don't always take exactly the same set-up. If my opponent knows I have 1 fanatic in every NG block it isn't that hard to deal with, but because I often take more, or less, sometimes none in one unit, 3 in the other, etc, etc, they have no idea if I have fanatics or not.

You can do the same with miners, have some painted up in your armycase, play them sometimes but not always. Sometimes deploy on flanks, sometimes go after warmachines, sometimes use them in the last turn or so to bag a quarter. That way you don't need to get a rep as a dodgy bugger!  There is no rule that you have to have units near the table to play them, so as long as they are in your case each game your opponent has no idea if you have paid for them or not, so doesn't know if you will use them but you have done nothing sneaky.


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## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

If you 'forget' to roll for your miners then the opponent might not let you bring them later on in the game- since you have gained a possible advantage through a breach in the rules he might claim your cheating (true or otherwise) and not let you play the unit at all... depends if they are as nasty and competetive as you are...


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## Dafistofmork (Jan 9, 2009)

one tactic i have seen is to use an anvil of doom to run them around the board at 12" a turn.

but my army falls a part if anything starts moving in any direction other than a turn to take/deter a charge.


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